tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151072832024-03-07T22:49:23.770-05:00Deep ThoughtsLadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.comBlogger1806125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-89930587768696751472016-05-07T16:53:00.002-04:002016-05-07T16:53:52.556-04:002016, Part 2<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Wilds, Book 2: The Restless Shore by James P. Davis- Ghaelya is a genasi, part water elemental, but she chose to tie herself to water rather than her family's legacy of fire. But when her sister, Tessaril, is kidnapped by a group of strange men, she goes in search of her in the former Feywilds, accompanied by a half-elf named Brindani. He leads her to a druid and former warrior and Captain of his squad, Uthalion and his killoren ally, Vaasurri. Ghaelya must be led to the former town of Tohrepur which has a bunch of cultists transformed by Aboleths into a weird mutated Choir. Also, the Spellplague has done its work as well, and the people that Brindani and Uthalion tried to save have been horribly twisted into a group known as the Choir. But Ghaelya must face down the Choir, and the creature behind it if she wants to rescue her sister... which might not even be possible. But can she and the others survive the former Mere of Dead Men intact? I found this book hard to read, not to mention finish. I wasn't really invested in any of the characters and I found it hard to care about any of them. By the end, I was more interested in the Killoren character than any of the others. Not very recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Wilds, Book 3: The Edge of Chaos by Jak Koke- The Plaguewrought Land is where the Spellplague started and still lingers. Sister Slanya is a Doomguide, a Specialty Priest of Kelemvor. She is an orphan who was saved by a priest of Oghma named Gregor, but instead of becoming a priestess of Oghma, like him, she became a Doomguide instead. But when Gregor sends her into the Plaguewrought Land to get him some specialty grass he needs to make a concoction used to protect the Pilgrims who seek to enter the Plaguelands looking to gain a spellscar. The Order of Blue Fire wants to use Brother Gregor's concoction to move the edge of the Plaguelands, in a bid to make it cover the entire world. But Gregor thinks they are going to use the potion to control the Plaguelands and control them so that no one has to die. Gregor sends Sister Slanya to Ormpetarr to meet his contact, the leader of the Copper Riders, a woman named Tyrangal, and she sends Slanya to meet a thief named Duvan, who can be her guide through the Plaguelands. Unbeknownst to Slanya, Duvan's Spellscar makes him immune to the Plaguelands, but Slanya must rely on brother Gregor's potion. Also, the Order of Blue Fire has become aware of Duvan's ability and they want to eliminate him or understand the source of his power. He can only evade them by heading out to help Sister Slanya find the grass she needs. But Slanya is a revelation to Duvan, and they grow close on their journey, close enough to become good friends. But when the journey results in Slanya gaining a spellscar, and Duvan's capture, it is up to Slanya and her fellow priests to stop the ritual and free Duvan. But can they do so in time to prevent the Order of Blue Fire from increasing the size of the plaguelands? I loved this story, as I loved the characters, both Slanya and Duvan both. But I figured that Tyrangal was what she was revealed to be fairly quickly after she was introduced. I found the story interesting and the characters engaging. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Wilds, Book 4: Wrath of the Blue Lady by Mel Odom- Bayel Droust is a sage exploring the new shape of the Inner Sea after the Rain of Blue Fire and the advent of the Spellplague, but his ship is destroyed and he is kidnapped by a woman under the sea named the Blue Lady. 80 years later, Kwan Shang-Li, a monk and Ranger from the Monastery of The Standing Tree, is looking for books by a scholar named Liou Chang, who was a monk of the Standing Tree Monastery. But his books were stolen by a General who sacked the monastery, and the tomes were scattered. Shang-Li, whose father, Kwan Lung, is a linguist and scholar, has gone in search of the lost Liou Chang books. It turns out that Bayl Droust's ship, the <i>Grayling</i>, had two of the books on it, and Shang-Li and his father, squabbling, must find the <i>Grayling</i> and recover the books. To do so, they will need the help of a Tiefling named Iados and a Dragonborn Paladin named Thava. But the Blue Lady is an exile from the Feywild, and the undersea realm is part of the Feywild. Can Kwan Shang-Li defeat the Blue Lady, even with her great powers? I found this an interesting book, one I really enjoyed. I liked the characters, especially Kwan Shang-Li and his father Kwan Lung. But I also loved Iados and Thava, Thava, especially, as she has a lovely sense of humor and is a human-size dragon. I found this one of the most interesting and fun of all the Wilds book. Refcommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Darkest Before Dawn by Maya Banks- Hancock is a mercenary, but he's also a man on a mission, to take down Maksimov. When he is sent out to kidnap Honor Cambridge by his current "boss" Bristow, he finds himself caring for Honor, who survived an attack by the terrorist group ANE "A New Era". But because she not only survived, but kept herself out of their hands for almost a week, they are looking to kill her to avenge their honor, and Maksimov also wants something from ANE, and he plans to get it with Honor's body. But as Honor comes to trust Hancock, he is less willing to give her up, either to Bristow or Maksimov. But when his plans to trick Maksimov and capture him and keep Honor safe, Hancock is nearly killed, and they have to call in the KGI to rescue Honor and save her life. Only, Hancock's seeming betrayal has broken her. But when she is rescued by the KGI, can she put her life back together and rebuild her sense of self before she wills herself to die? I found this an interesting book. I liked Hancock a bit, but He kind of annoyed me by the end of the book. Honor had my sympathy at the beginning and kept it throughout, I just didn't like how Hancock was willing to throw her under a bus (so to speak) when he didn't know who she was. Not really recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">City of Light by Keri Arthur-Tiger is a genetically engineered supersoldier called a dechet. She is the last survivor, she thinks, of the dechet, who were eliminated at the end of the last war. They were made to fight the things that came through the veil between this world and the next, but as the dechet proved to be equal to the task of fighting demons, wraiths, and death spirits that spilled through, humanity grew more frightened of the dechet than the creatures they were fighting. Tiger lives alone with the ghosts of the dechet, including two children, Cat and Bear. But when she rescues a young girl and her poisoned protector, she gets drawn back into the life of the city. But she must hide what she is as the girl's uncle wants all dechet, including her if he finds out what she is, dead. But when Tiger is tasked by a leader of a group of freedom fighters to find out what is going on with a strange wraith and a weird portal it entered, along with a bunch of missing children, Tiger is going to find out that she is not the last of her kind, but can she do he5r job without revealing to the others who and what she is? I liked this book. I liked Tiger and her situation and how she dealt with her life, rescuing the girl and her uncle, Jonas, and her job to rescue the wraith-kidnapped children. I can't wait to see what happens, but I feel like Tig and Jonas are somehow going to end up together. I actually liked how they worked together, right up until the end. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Midnight Taxi Tango by Daniel Jose Older- Carlos Delacruz is a man who has died and been brought back. Now, he works for the Council of the Dead, doing jobs and looking for the woman he loved. He's also working with a girl named Kia who is missing her cousin, who disappeared some years back. But when Carlos discovers a breakout of funky orangey-pink roaches taking over the city, they may tie into what happened to Kia's cousin Gio all those years ago, and he also has to deal with a child ghost wanting to kill Kia. But why? And add to that a new possible partner, a woman named Reza, and he might have more trouble putting the case to bed... I actually enjoyed this book despite having never read this author before. I found the characters interesting and engaging and I liked the whole idea of the Council of the Dead. I don't know if I will read any more books in this series, but it was definitely enjoyable. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Plague of Thieves Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini- Sabina Carpenter and John Quincannon are partners in detection, but both are realizing that they are interested in each other as more than just partners. Working out of San Francisco in the early 1900's, they are drawn into separate cases. John is investigating the theft of a beer recipe from a local brewery that makes a special kind of beer known as "steam beer", while Sabina is asked to provide security at an art exhibit called "Reticules Through the Ages". But when a valuable reticule is stolen, Sabina must find the thief before he or she leaves the exhibit. Meanwhile, John's case takes a deadly turn as one of the employees at the brewing house is killed and he must find the culprit, along with retrieving the missing recipe. At the same time, Sabrina is asked to find a local oddball who calls himself Sherlock Holmes, one who she knows and who has helped with cases before. But when the man looking for his brother is killed, his wife blames "Sherlock" and Sabrina must prove him innocent before he is locked up for the crime. But can she find and trap the true murderer? I liked this book. I liked the worldbuilding of the city at the time, and the characters, and I liked Sabrina's relationship with "Sherlock" (and Quincannon's dislike of him as well). I have never read these writers before, but I would certainly like to. In a way, I felt like it was a bit of a past life version of Roarke and Eve Dallas, but without the sex and in another era. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Falling Into Bed with a Duke by Lorraine Heath- Minerva Dodger has had a number of seasons, but no man has loved her or been interested in her for herself. Rather, they all seem to be more interested in her tremendous dowry instead. In lieu of marrying her, all the men who have shown an interest seem to be more concerned with marrying her money. Fed up with the whole situation, she asks her sister-in-law foe the location of the infamous Nightingale Club, where men and women can meet and have sex without knowing who the woman is or with strings in the relationship. After much dithering, her sister-in-law realizes she is serious and gives her the location. At the club, Minerva meets the Duke of Ashebury, who she has admired from afar, but who was never interested in her. When he asks to take a picture of her legs, she demurs, but is intrigued. And Ashebury finds himself anxious beyond words to find the woman in the while silk and swan mask. He's never been interested in any other woman like this before, but when he discovers Minerva's true identity, and he needs to marry for money, can he convince her that he loves her for her and not for her money? And when she discovers she accepted his proposal before he revealed his need for money, can she forgive him for lying to her? I liked this book. I liked how independent Minerva was and how they came together and even the part at the end, which might have out me off otherwise, was made interesting by Ashe's problems with numbers, being unable to even add a simple column of single numbers. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase- Lady Clara Fairfax is beautiful and accomplished, but none of the men who propose to marry seem to be stupid to her, or want her to be stupid, and she's tired of pretending to have no brain. But there is a man who she remembers from her childhood, a man named Oliver Radford, who is incredibly intelligent, and who suffered for it at the hands of his cousin and his friends all throughout his childhood. Clara herself leapt on the older boys and received a chipped tooth as a result. Her mother was in vapors at the ruining of her daughter's perfect beauty. But Raven's Uncle, the Duke, has died, and his cousin who abused him when he was a child is the new Duke. But he is not well and drinks and carouses far too much. "Raven", Oliver's childhood nickname, tries to tell his cousin to cut down on his drinking and carousing if he wants to live, but his cousin scorns his advice. Meanwhile, an Adult Clara consults Oliver to find the lost brother of a girl in a school which teaches sewing skills to indigent girls. Her brother was attending a Ragged School, but was lured away to join a gang. Clara wants to get him back for the girl. Oliver tries to dissuade her, but when he realizes she intends to go along despite his objections, he agrees to let her come along. But when she ends up falling in love with him, she wonders how she can marry him when her mother wants her to marry a man with a title. But when the crime lord whose child gang arrest she took part in decides to come after both her and Oliver, who has since inherited his cousin's title, can Oliver protect them both from the man's vengeance? I liked this book. I liked both Clara's intelligence and Oliver's as well, but in my opinion, I started getting the feeling that Clara went over the top into Bella territory with the way she praised Oliver's amazing brain. Loretta Chase used the same phrase at least three times in the book, and it made me feel a bit like Bella Swan thinking about Edward's body. So I liked it a lot, but that sort of felt irritating. I also liked the story and the incidents that occurred. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Thicker Than Water by Mike Carey- Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist. His best friend is possessed by a demon, and he works with a succubus and occasionally others. He thinks he's seen it all, but when someone calls him to investigate the death of someone who tried to kill him when he was just a boy, he finds that his name is on the car. It turns out that this man lived in a strange apartment block in London, and while Felix tries to find the people who knew him when he was a boy, and the girl who save his life when Kenny Seddon tried to kill him, he finds that the entire apartment complex where Kenny lived is somehow possessed. When he goes to take it on, he discovers that he may have bitten off more than he can chew, considerably more. But when the complex erupts in violence, Felix will have his work cut out for him to fix what is wrong and deal with the consequences of what one boy in the place unwittingly wrought. But will Felix survive the catastrophe that is The Salisbury? I had never read Mike Carey before, but I really enjoyed "Thicker than Water" it is an inimitably English book, but not upper-crust English, but s working class sort of Cockney that is working class life in England itself. I liked the characters, especially Felix and his succubus friend Julia. I also loved how the entire thing tied in with Felix's family and the tragedy engendered by Felix's holier than thou priest brother. Matt. I also loved how it ended. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Under Darkness by Savannah Russe- Daphne is missing the man she loves, her former stalker, Darius. It seems like Darius, who is touring America with the band that he's started, a group of Vampires. But Darius used to be a Vampire Hater and once was trying to kill Daphne. But when he finally returns, Daphne is already caught up in assignment from her Boss, J. A barge called the Eldridge disappeared on the Hudson River, and J wants to find out how it was done, who did it and why. J doesn't know any of those things, but he strongly suspects that whoever and whatever did it is a threat to the US. And it is, because someone wants to assassinate the President. But Daphne suspects that Darius, or people who he is friends with, are involved. But can Darius be trusted, or has he gotten back in with his Anti-Vampire and Vampire Hunting friends? Can Daphne trust Darius or will he be the end of her? I enjoyed this book. It has been a while since I read "In the Blood", the former book in the series, but I did enjoy this book a lot, it only took me a little while to remember the characters and fall in love with them again. I was actually rather annoyed at Daphne at the end, but it was a good book with interesting plot and characters. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dragon Storm by Katie MacAllister- Constantine is the former Wyvern (leader) of the Silver Dragons. When someone needs a piece of the Demon Asmodeus stolen to remove a curse from all Dragonkind, Constantine volunteers to go to steal it on behalf of Ysolde, who he thinks he is in love with. But when he runs into Bee, a charmer who is also after the piece of Asmodeus, But when Constantine manages to steal the item needed, he might also end up stealing Bee's heart? But as they spend more and more time together, can Bee come to admit that she loves Constantine, and can he admit that he feels similarly for her? I literally didn't finish this book. I hated Constantine so much, as he was such a butthead, I literally couldn't stomach finishing the story and quit only partway through, after Bee and Constantine spent a little time in each other's company and escaped Hell (or whatever they called it). I didn't finish it and wouldn't recommend it if you don't like butthole heroes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Adventurer's Quartet, Volume 1: The Lady's Command by Stephanie Laurens- Declan Frobisher is a member of the Frobisher family and he has recently married Lady Edwina, a beautiful woman with decided ideas about her life and marriage. So when Declan is called to the Admiralty and sent on a mission of the highest importance. and the utmost secrecy, Edwina attempts to get him to let het go, but when she cannot persuade him, she decides to sneak away on his ship, instead. When he finds her, he is upset, but decides to work with her and takes her along on his mission, pretending they are on their honeymoon (which they are), but have come to check out rumors of a gold strike. But their investigations reveal that, not only are the four men that Declan sent to search for still missing, but that at least four women and numerous children, all British, are also missing. And no one seems to think that anything is the matter in Freetown. But when Edwina's questions lead to her being kidnapped. can Declan and his sailors save her and return to England to make their case that this needs to be investigated? I enjoyed this book, and it seems that the other "Adventurers" are going to be Declan's brothers and sisters. I liked how Edwina and Declan came together and how they worked together. It was actually kind of nice that they were already married, but the next book will contain s romance that takes place during the entire book. I will definitely look up the next book in the series. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Autumn Thorns by Yasmine Galenorn- Kerris Fellwater has returned to the town of Whisper Hollow after the death of her grandmother to be the Town's Spirit Shaman, to escort the dead spiirts to the grave and lay the unloving spirits to rest. But she finds that her next door neighbor is actually a Shifter and is meant to be her protector and perhaps possibly her mate. But the number of spirits are going out of control and there are many more spirits hanging around than before. As it turns out, there is more about Kerris' past that she doesn't know, about another secret society called the Hounds of Cu Chulainn and how her grandfather wanted Kerris' mother killed because she was supposed to destroy the Hounds, but it turns out that it wasn't about Kerris' mother, it was about Kerris instead. But it may have something to do with not only the disappearance of Kerris' mother, but her father as well- and as soon as she came back to Whisper Hollow, she met her paternal grandmother, who told her that her father was missing. But can Kerris discover the truth and how will she live with the answers she finds? I loved this book. Of course, I love Yasmin Galenorn's Otherworld Series, and I was hoping that this one was going to be equally good. While this series is in its early days yet, I certainly think that this series will be just as good. I liked Kerris and I liked her shifter mate, Gareth and how they came together so easily. I loved this book and I am looking forward to reading more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Ticket to Oblivion by Edward Marston- When a young woman named Imogen Burnhope and her maid, Rhoda Hollis disappear on the Oxford, Worchester and Wolverhampton Railway, Inspector Detective Robert Colbeck is called in to find her. It seems that the two young ladies caught the train, but somehow disappeared en route. Her father, who is on the OWWR's board, is incensed, and demands that she be found, but that is due to the influence of her mother. But did she fall out of the carriage or was she kidnapped? As Colbeck investigates Imogen's disappearance, it seems that she might have been complicit in her own disappearance. The question is, who did she disappear for and with, and where is she now? And is she still happy about who she is with? Meanwhile, her putative bridegroom, Member of Parliament Tunnadine, seems to be more concerned with punishing those he deems guilty of Imogen's kidnapping and his interference is ruining the investigation. But when a member of Imogen's family discovers that Tunnadine has beaten his mistress so badly that he knocked out her two front teeth, blacked her eye and other injuries and Tunnadine kills an innocent man who the real villains were using as a go-between, can he and Inspector Tallis put the man in prison or will he manage to skate away without time in Prison? I loved this book. I loved the characters and how we saw new sides to all of the characters, including Inspector Tallis. Also, the return of an old foe for Colbeck, Leeming and Tallis was wonderful and I liked what happened, and the truth behind the disappearance of Imogen and how they made it so she got out of what her innocence had wrought. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hard Magic by Laura Anne Gilman- Bonnie Torres is newly graduated from college, and looking for a job, but her mentor, J, a member of the Casa Nostradmus, is supporting her while she searches for a real job. But when she gets a mysterious call on the phone, she goes to the job interview and finds four other young current users... and a dead body in the next room. But none of them go for the police. Instead, they share information and try to figure out what happened and what killed the apparent victim, Ben Verus. But then the man sits up and tells them they passed the test. He wants to set up a magical CSI, where people who want things investigated can go to them and find out what they need and want to know, untainted by either ties to the Council or the Lonejacks. But first, Bonnie and her new colleagues: Nick, Sharon, Nifty and Pietr, must adapt their magic to their new tasks and then put their new skills to work. But their first case appears to be a doozy. Two Talents are dead, and the new PUPI's must find out if their deaths are suicide or murder, and it seems that someone wants to see them all fail, and may even be willing to kill to make it happen. But can the PUPI's find their suspect and stay alive? I loved this book, which was a offshoot of the Retrievers series. I loved seeing the genesis of the PUPI's and how they wrangled their magic and spells to figure out how to read evidence. I loved this book and want to read more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dragon Lovers by Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Karen Harbaugh and Barbara Samuel- This book has four novellas of love involving Dragons. Jo Beverley tells the story of Princess of Rozlinda, the Sacrifical Virgin Princess of Saragonde. Her elder sister fell in love and used her lover to kill the last Dragon from the land of Dornaa. But when a Dragon finally arrives, the warrior who arrives wants to kidnap Rozlinda and her feed her blood to his dragon, as the Dragons in Dornaa are dying off and need the blood of the Sacrificial Princess to breed and survive. But Rozlinda has no idea of how matters stand in Dornaa, when she finds out, will she willingly give up her life to save the Dragons of Dornaa? MaryJo Putney tells the story of Sir Kenrick of Rathbourne, a wandering Knight who is looking to settle down with a piece of land of his own. He travels to Cornwall in order to help a Lord who wishes him to slay a Dragon, but soon realizes that it is the Lord who is a danger to his land, not the Dragon, and the Dragon's granddaughter becomes his healer, and soon, his love. But when the three of them conspire to overthrow the brutal lord, will Kenrick be able to marry the true heiress to secure his claim, or will he choose to stay with the woman he already loves? Karen Harbaugh contributes a story set in Japan. Anna is Dutch, and her parents have been killed, and she needs to raise the money to get home. But when the gentle scholar encounters a Dragon who offers to buy her books on medicine, and a Samurai shows up to escort her back to her lodgings, can she resist the offer by the Samurai to become his lady, or will she leave Japan behind? Finally, Barbara Samuels tells the story of Penny, who has moved to the Southwest to study with a famous weaver in order to learn better how to color fabric for her own tapestries. On seeing the house the broker is showing her, she finds a strange feather that looks like it's been dyed, and the house seems to smell like sugar or Cotton Candy. But, then she meets her new Teacher's grandson, she finds herself attracted to him, and begins finding more and more feathers of the sort she found on her first day. But when she begins being attacked for the feathers and being asked questions about Dragons, Penny can't figure out why anyone would think she had anything to do with them. But as she gets more and more into the graces of her Teacher, she finds she faces an important life decision. But what choices will she choose to make? I loved this book, I enjoyed all the stories, and if I was pressed to choose which was my favorite, I'd probably choose Karen Harbaugh's "Anna and the King of Dragons", as both the title and the story itself were a callback to the story of Anna Leonowens. But all the stories were excellent and well worth reading. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">I re-read Chalice by Robin McKinley.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Cast in Sorrow by Michelle Sagara- Kaylin Neya is a Hawk in the forces of Elantra, which means she works as a sort of Policewoman in the City, where she is a human among the otherworldly, elflike Barrani, Lion-like Leontines and Hawk-like Aerians, among others. But while she is human, she is set apart by the strange marks that appeared on her skin when she was merely a teenager, marks she cannot read and which allow her to do a strange sort of magic that she can't really control. Having become a Lord in Barrani society by surviving the test of name, in which she inadvertently took part, she accompanied her Barrani co-worker Teela into the Barrani country and has become an important part of an upcoming ritual, finding herself wearing a dress that is magical and is called "The Heart of the Green". Kaylin must act as Harmoniste at the telling, constructing a story out of the words the teller says, and at the same time, save the Green from the Ferals, what remains of Teela's friends and yearmates among the Barrani. Years ago, their parents wanted them to take part in the ritual, and her friends were warped by it, only Teela escaped, thanks to her mother, who died in the ritual. But as they come to the West March, the leader of the Barrani known as the Consort is injured, and attacks from the Ferals become worse. Kaylin realizes that it is up to her to save not only the Ferals and restore the Green, but to save her friend Teela from becoming like the Ferals, as they want to be united with her. But add to that that her sometime foe and sometime friend Nightshade, an Outcaste Barrani fieflord, is the teller, and Kaylin doesn't know if she will be able to save anyone, even herself. But can she do the impossible, and what will be the effect on the Barrani and Teela if she either fails, or manages to succeed? I loved this book. I love Michelle Sagara's Elantra series, and I always love reading about the sorts of scrapes and situations that Kaylin gets into. This one was even more interesting, digging into Barrani society and rituals and exploring Teela, Kaylin, her sometimes love Severn and the Lord Nightshade. I have to say that the book was really wonderful, with a sense of menace and at the end, I felt a sense of relief at what she was able to do for everyone. I can't wait to trad more in the series. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Storm of the Dead by Lisa Smedman- Eilistraee and Lolth have been playing a game of Sava, for all or nothing. Whoever loses at the board will die and all their worshippers. Already, Eilistraee has defeated her brother Vhaeraunn and absorbed his worshippers into her own. In this sava game, which is like a game of chess, the pieces are represented by actually worshippers in the real world. And now, another goddess decides to join the game, Kiaransalee, the Drow Goddess of Death and Vengeance. She wants to gain more worshippers for herself. But as Lolth and Eilistraee send their pieces and worshippers against each other and Kiaransalee, who will be the final ultimate winner? I liked this book. I liked the way the actual characters were used like Chess, or sava pieces in the game and how the characters justified how they were used by the goddesses that were "moving" them around. I liked the whole concept of having them duel to see who would ultimately prevail, but I wondered how to play a three-handed game of chess/sava. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Acendancy of the Last by Lisa Smedman- The sava game between Lolth and Eilistraee continues, and with no one else joining the game, it's down to the last two goddesses alone. Meanwhile, the Dark Elves discover how they became Drow, a curse. But the Drow's bent towards evil is the result of the Dark Elf race admixing with demons, Tanar'ri. But as Eilistraee's High Priestess, Qilue Veladorn, is affected by the infection of Ghaunadaur, Halisstra Melarn is seeking to overcome the worshippers of Lolth to make up for what she did when she was a Drow. Will she somehow preserve her Goddess or end up ultimately destroying her? I liked this book. In it, a large number of Drow become Dark Elves, and while a goddess dies, we find out where Drow came from and why they are so committed to Evil. I didn't like the ending, and yet, I did, because the Goddess who died was one of my favorites in the Realms. I really enjoyed this book and I felt sorry for so many of the characters at the end, and I found it a little hard to read. But it was a great story. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Indiscreet by Mary Balogh- Catherine Winters has been living in the small village of Bodley-on-the-Water for years, living a life both quiet and virtuous. But when Viscount Rawleigh, the lord's brother and his twin, returns with his brother and sister-in-law, Catherine smiles at him, thinking that Rex is his brother. When Rex takes an interest in the lovely Catherine, he thinks that she wants him, and given that she is a widow, that means she must be interested in a dalliance, right. Rex relentlessly pursues the lovely widow, but when he inadvertently destroys her reputation, he must marry a woman he thinks doesn't love him, and which he knows very little about. Additionally, he thinks she's a tease, and she's under an assumed name. But when he decides to reintroduce her to society in London, her hidden secrets all come up. But can she and her new husband handle the truths that will be revealed? I found this book a little hard to read, especially for Catherine, she *is* attracted to Rex, but she is also laboring under a series of very strict rules set down by her family. I found Rex an asshat and it took me until nearly the end of the book to win my sympathy. But in the end, I was glad I read the book. So, recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Luther and Katharina by Jody Hedlund- Katharina Von Bora is a member of a nunnery overseen by Abbot Balthazar at the Abbey of Marienthon. Lately, the nuns have been reading Martin Luther's works and Katharina and her servant, Greta, escape by going over the wall. On the way, they are nearly caught by a group of laborers who label Katarina and her fellow escaping novices as "Church Whores". The man who sneaks them away from the abbey, Merchant Koppe, drops them off at the Black Chapel with Martinus Luther, also known as Martin Luther. But while Luther returns some of the nuns to their families, there are others whose families don't want them. And so he arranges marriages for them. But Katharina, knowing well her position as the daughter of a Knight, holds out for marriage to a man she can love. And she cannot take her eyes off of him, despite the fact that they always seems to end up arguing. But will Martin take her to wife, even through she says she won't marry him, can he persuade her to change her mind? And when Martin's life comes under attack and Katharina becomes embroiled in it, can she save his life, and he, in turn, save hers? I was thinking this was going to be some kind of spiritual romance, which, in a way, it was But at the same time, I got a strong feeling of love between the two, and I liked that Jody Hedlund worked so many real people into the story. But I never felt the book was too preachy. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">My American Duchess by Eloisa James- Merry Pelford has come to Britain after breaking two other engagements because she fell out of love with her fiancés. Now, she has agreed to marry Cedric Allardyce, brother of the Duke of Trent. But when Merry escapes the ballroom and meets a mysterious man on the balcony who she connects with, she soon realizes that the man who she talked so easily with is actually the Duke of Trent. When Trent discovers that the woman he found so refreshing is his soon to be sister-in-law, he tries to warn her what his brother is really like. he cannot help but draw closer to her, even though she doesn't believe him. But when she realizes she must go through with a marriage to a boorish drunkard, can she find the strength to go through with is? And can Trent live with letting her go? I really enjoyed this book and the story. I liked all the characters, even Cedric Allardyce, and I enjoyed all their interactions. A lovely story, one that didn't seem to be as long as many others. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;"></span><span style="color: #33ccff;">Night Study by Maria V. Snyder- Yelena Saltana has been poisoned by her heart-mate, Valek's new second in command, Onora. But the poison wasn't what she thought.it was. Instead, it was something known as Starlight, which interferes with the stuff that she takes to prevent herself from getting pregnant by Valek. So when she realizes she is pregnant, she is both happy and unhappy. Happy because she *wants* a child with Valek, but unhappy because they are in the middle of a crisis in Sitia and Ixia. Meanwhile, someone has been using Curare to paralyze people. But in the greenhouses left behind by a supposedly-dead malicious magician, they are not only raising Curare, but another plant known as Theobroma, that can undo the effects of Curare. And then, they find a plant which crosses Theobroma and Curare, making Curare that can't be "cured" with Theobroma. But another word for Theobroma is Criollo, which can brainwash magicians. But as it seems that all the magicians in Sitia are under the influence of Theobroma, and maybe even the Commander of Ixia might be under the influence of the drug, can Valek, who has lost his magic block, uncover his real magic that may be the only thing that can save both countries... I found this an interesting book, bringing the story of Yelena forward. The only thing I had a problem with was knowing that Theobroma is the Latin name of the cocoa plant (Theobroma Cacao). So it's literally chocolate that's a mind-wiping drug. I kept being pulled of the story by that whole thought. I enjoyed the book, and it was good seeing all the characters again and learning more about them. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole- Rune Baneblood is a member of the Morior, a group of very old, very powerful Otherworldly beings who control most of existence. But when he is sent to try and bring down Nyx the Valkyrie, he travels to New Orleans, only to meet a woman. Josephine is a young woman who lived on the streets with her baby brother, Thaddeus. When she meets MizB, the Librarian of the local Library. MizB wants to adopt them both, but Josephine doesn't trust her. When she gets killed by a local drug lord, she somehow survives and looks even better that before she died. When she tries to get back to her brother, he doesn't recognizes her, and she is forced to leave him behind. But when Jo, who has a hobby of stealing small things to remember times in her life, she runs into Rune, she ends up stealing a Rune of his that he treasures, and he goes after her to get it back. Meanwhile, she finds him sexy, and decides to drink his blood But Rune thinks his blood is poisonous to everyone, but Jo, surprisingly, is able to handle it just fine. She already thinks she is a vampire, but Rune's blood can kill even vampires and she has other powers as well. But *what* else is she, and will she support Nyx and the Loreans or the Morior and Rune? And can she bring the two sides together before the two come to serious blows? I enjoyed this book a lot =. I liked Jo and Rune and how they came together, and I also liked the real truth behind her powers and why she could do what she could do. I loved how Jo came into her power and became a strong, confident woman with Rune's love, and how both of them changed and grew, right up until the end. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine by Tim Hanley- This book traces the history of Wonder Woman, from the Man who created her, William Moulton Marston. Wonder Woman started out as a mere Amazon, the best warrior of a an entire island full of female warriors. But while most people remember this about Wonder Woman, fewer people remember how much the Amazons liked bondage games and tying each other up, but it was done from a place of trust and love. But Marston had a bigger idea. He thought that women would inevitably take over society, and he was using Wonder Woman to prepare boys to submit to the coming female takeover. And Wonder Woman was also the first to use non-violent means to overcome her foes and the first to try and rehabilitate her foes and turn them to peaceful purposes. Sometimes she succeeded, but sometimes, as with the Cheetah, she didn't. It was interesting to see the true history of Wonder Woman, and I learned plenty of things I didn't know about Wonder Woman, so I found this book fascinating and eye-opening. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt- Anna Wren is a widow, and she needs to make money to support herself and her mother-in-law, as she is running out of money to support them. Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, needs a secretary who can withstand his rages and bad behavior. So when Anna bullies his Steward into giving her the job. She is able to satisfy his need for a secretary, but when she and Edward begin to become attracted to each other, he goes to London, and she gets angry that he is going to go to a prostitute. But when she saves a woman she finds in a ditch, she turns out to be a prostitute, and her sister, who comes to rescue, is also a lady of light virtue, a mistress to a lord. But when she offers Anna a favor, Anna decides to visit Aphrodite's grotto, where she wants Edward as her lover. She hides her face and her identity, but once she and Edward have become lovers, can she give that up, or will it just make her more determined to become his wife? I loved this book. I loved how Anna was smart and determined and makes her own life better and lives by the choices she makes. I also liked the fairytale that was used to illuminate the story, which was a sort of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" vibe. I also liked Edward, who is someone with some anger problems, but Anna stands right up to him. I loved the love scenes as well and how even the minor characters were very enjoyable. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Mission Gamma: Twilight by David R. George- The Dominion War is over, and now it's time to move forward. Bajor is approached by Cardassia to launch diplomatic talks. Meanwhile, the Defiant is about to be sent into the Gamma Quadrant on a mission of discovery and exploration. In command is Captain Elias Vaughn, and his crew includes his own estranged daughter, Prynn, Nog, Ezri Dax, Julian Bashir and an Andorian named Thirishar ch'Thane. But ch'Thane leaves behind his three bondmates, who he promises to return to when his mission is over. However, one of his Bondmates, Thriss, has been in a sexual relationship with ch'Thane before, is so despondent by his leaving before all four bondmates can come together to make a child that she commits suicide. But it's not certain that she actually killed herself, and Ensign Ro Laren, along with the Jem'Hadar Taran'atar, who must track down the truth about what happened to Thriss. Meanwhile, also, Ro is being romanced by Quark, who is running into problems in his bar, and Trier, the former Orion Slave Girl and lead Dabo girl, may have a solution, or she may only make things worse. But when Elias Vaughn and Prynn are trapped on a planet in the Gamma Quadrant, can he save them both, along with a number of other crewmen injured in the crash of their runabout? I liked this, but the sheer number of characters in the book can be a little overwhelming. Thankfully, the book was never overwhelming, even though the book is over 500 pages. It sets up a number of different storyline threads and characters and locations, but you never feel like you don't know what's going on or where you are. I liked the book, but it takes a long time to read. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit by Heather Jarman- Gul Macet returns to Deep Space Nine, bringing with him a surprise visitor, Ambassador Natima Long, who want to meet with first minister Shakaar. But Kira had found out that there is a reason why the talks between the Cardassians and the Bajorans have broken down- Shakaar wants them to fail. But why? And can Natima somehow persuade Shakaar to change his mind? Meanwhile the Defiant has encountered an alien race based on the planet Vanimel. Their DNA is especially fluid and Thirishar ch'Thane thinks he can use some items from their planet to fix the problem with his own race's reproduction. Meanwhile, Ezri Dax decides to try and mediate the problems between the two sides of the Vanimei people's arguments with the aid of her past selves, one of which was a well-known negotiator. But when the two sides are so different, can she bring them to a meeting of the minds? I liked and enjoyed this book. Not as much as "Twilight, which focused on Elias Vaughn and his daughter. This book focused on far more characters and it seemed like, more story threads than the previous book. The only thing that made me upset is that the previous story about ch'Thane's bondmate was sort of ignored for so long. Otherwise, not bad. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Cursed by Benedict Jacka- Alex Verus is a diviner mage, but he's gotten a reputation for being a battle mage since the fight over the fateweaver that Alex had been called in on to find. But when Alex managed to keep it from both of the magicians who wanted to steal it, and keep it from the dark mages also searching for it. He's still teaching his sometime student, Luna, and living over his shop, and taking on jobs for other mages so that he can call on them at some future point, like a job to kill a barghest living in an abandoned factory. But when Alex and his other mages break in, they find the barghest dead. It hasn't been killed by magic or bullets or blades, but when his good friend, Arachne, a giant spider, hears of the death, she becomes uneasy. Then, his student, Luna, brings someone to her shop who is looking for an item that he can use, despite being a non-mage. When he discovers a Monkey's Paw, he steals it from the shop. But when someone starts trying to kill Alex, he has to wonder if it has anything to do with either the Barghest or a ritual that the black mages, including his old former fellow student Deleo and her fire mage Cinder. But the true threat may not come from a dark mage, but rather one of the Light. But can Alex track down both Luna and Deleo and rescue them before the Light Mage sacrifices them to increase his own magic. I really enjoyed this book, and I enjoyed seeing Alex Verus again. I actually find myself liking the character and almost feel a bit sorry for him, because he is so damaged by his earlier life that it is almost impossible for him to trust. And I like all the other characters as well- Arachne, Luna, Sonder and others. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Ask a Queer Chick: A Guide to Sex, Love and Life for Girls Who Dig Girls by Lindsay King-Miller- This book is by a gay girl, who answers questions about what it is like to live gay, how she grew up, how she came to know she is gay, and how gay girls find other Gay girls, how two (or more) girls make love and other questions commonly asked about Gay People. I loved this book, because it gives clear, cogent answers to the questions and readers can take it or leave it. I found it amazing and extremely interesting. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Darkness Avenged by Alexandra Ivy- The Dark Lord, a demon who was manipulating the world, has been defeated, but the vampire, Santiago, wants to get back to his people. He also wants to encounter a vampire named Nefri, who lives in the otherworld and who he fell in love with, but she is so cold and removed, he cant be sure she feels the same. But when Nefri is sent by the vampire council to track down a threat escaped from the otherworld, it seems that threat involves Santiago, as it is his sire, Gaius, who believes his dead wife has returned and wants to be reunited with his "son", Santiago. But with him, he brings a terrible curse, a sense of emotion that spills over into everyone and everything about him, making him a threat to vampire society. But as Santiago goes after his sire, who he finds out has returned from Nefri's people in the Otherworld, it becomes clear that the threat Nefri is chasing is somehow connected with Gaius. But can the two of them track him down and bring him to justice, without letting loose their innate desires for each other, or can they find a way to live and love with both sets of responsibilities they have? I liked this book. I liked the nature of the threat, and I liked the whole idea of a vampire who incites violence and anger and other negative emotions like an infection. I also really liked how the romance between Santiago and Nefri was handled and how they really didn't spend much time feeling betrayed by the other, and basically, acted more like adults than whiny children. Good show! Recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-35492078854479913932016-03-05T16:53:00.001-05:002016-03-05T16:53:11.202-05:002016, Part 1<span style="color: #33ccff;">Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey: The Official Backstage Pass to the Set, the Actors and the Drama by Emma Rowley- Downton Abbey is one of the most popular television series, about the fortunes of a family before and after the first World War. This book covers the production of the show, from how the show was conceived, to the filming and planning of the show, from how the actors were considered and to the tiniest details, from costuming to the cars, furniture and even the letters and papers used. This is an amazing book with tons of pictures, from the "makeup" as worn by the female cast, to the tales of actors who must get dressed for their scenes on set or on location, and then wait for their scene to come up. I loved the story about how Laura Carmichael and Dame Maggie Smith were bonding over pictures of cats doing adorable things on the internet. I loved all the detail and how they did the various sets to make the most out of the spaces and ready-built rooms they had. In short, this was an excellent book about the making of a show. In short, a wonderful book with a ton of photographs, details and information. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Servants: A Downstairs History of Britain from the Nineteenth Century to Modern times by Lucy Lethbridge- This book is about the servant's spaces in houses, manors and other places where they worked, examining their lives and freedoms and non-freedoms as they must adjust to changing lives and conditions. In short, this book looks at the real lives of servants, and why they eventually went away. This wasn't anything like a straight line path. It took much for Britain's middle and upper class to give up their servants. And even so, the rich still have servants, though now they are called "Household Managers", rather than Housekeepers or Maids. And the Butler, of course, still has the sort of same cachet as it did in the past. It was a fascinating look at a time and a place in history and why and how house servants went away. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Homecoming: Archmage by R. A. Salvatore- The Darkening is finally gone from the north and the Realms are free of the influence of the city of Shadows. The Kingdom of Many Arrows has retreated in defeat and now Bruenor has decided it is time to retake Gauntlegrym from the Drow and their monsters that inhabit it. So, the Dwarves of Mithril Hall, Citadel Felbarr and Citadel Adbar gather together to retake the Dwarven City from the Drow who hold it. But meanwhile, in Menzoberranzan, Archmage Gromph Baenre is turning his mental power to learning the arts of the Psionicist. But while he seeks to use this power to increase his own ability to summon creatures, and demons, his teacher, Kimmuriel Oblodra, has a reason of his own for teaching Gromph. Will each of them get what they want when Lolth is in charge of the show? And when Gromph uses his power, will the Drow of Menzoberranzan survive what he brings to the city? I loved this book. The connection between the two stories means that, at the end of the book, their stories become wrapped together as it's up to Drizzt, Cattie-brie, Bruenor and the others must rescue the Drow (and Faerun) from the evil that Gromph inadvertently summoned. So, I look forward to seeing what happens.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Scandal Takes the Stage by Eva Leigh- Maggie Delamere is a play writer, but she was seduced by a rogue who didn't love her. But she came back to make a living as a writer of plays. However, one of her greatest triumphs, the bouffe (play with music) Cassandra, is hailed as a triumph. However, everyone wants to know when,. or if it will be done. Even the owners of the theatre are breathing down her neck to get it finished. and she is totally blocked when it comes to the story. Even Cameron, Viscount Marwood, is one of her biggest fans, and he wants to help her, but she rather brutally shuts him down every time he even gets close to her, even while she finds herself unable to stop thinking about him. But when he offers her the user of his country estate as a place to write, she finally accepts. Only when she is there can she find the peace of mind she needs to write. She also discovers that while in the past, the noblemen in her stories have always been the villains, now she is beginning to have feelings for Cam, and decides to maker her next hero a nobleman. But when her feelings lead her into a relationship with Cam, can she protect her still-tender heart and save herself from heartbreak? I liked this book. I liked the idea of a writer as a heroine, and of her relationship with writing, and how her block affected her. But I also loved how she worked through it and how Cam romanced her quite gently, and deduced some things about her past from her writing. I loved the book, I'd want to read more from Eva Leigh in the future. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Wicked Way to win an Earl by Anna Bradley- Delia Somerset dislikes the ton, but her sister is desperate to marry well, and so Delia decides to be her chaperone, despite being unwed herself, and on the shelf at a house party. The problem is that Alec Sutherland's brother is showing signs of being interested in Delia, and Alec thinks her a mere fortune hunter. So he decides to interject himself into their blossoming relationship and begins finding an interest in Delia for himself, despite the fact that he is affianced, and wants to marry the girl he chose. Who will win his affections, Delia, or his soon-to-be-bride? I started reading this book, and it was fine. But when I had to put it down to use the facilities, I became aware that I was not much interested in picking it up again, simply because it read like a rehash of tropes I'd read in romance a million times before. It wasn't that it was bad, but for someone used to reading romance, there isn't much to recommend it beyond the standard boilerplate romance. Did not finish, do not recommend unless this is one of your first romances.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Star Wars: Princess Leia by Mark Waid, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson and Jordie Bellaire- After the destruction of the Death Star, Princess Leia wants to do something to help the Rebellion besides being a figurehead and mourning her dead parents. From General Dodonna, she is told to just do what she has been doing- he doesn't want her to leave the base because there is a price on her head, and on all Alderanians. But she refuses to cower and mourn. Instead, she sets off with Evaan, another Alderanian, to gather her scattered people and keep them safe. Not that Evaan is completely on her side. She believes that Leia is an Ice Princess who won't even mourn her parents. But as they gather up the Alderanians, Evaan begins to see that Leia has her people's best interests at heart. But when the gathering of the scattered remnants of Alderan, a traitor within the ranks threatens to bring down the Empire on all their heads. And when The scattered peoples she is gathering come to the attention of the Empire, can Leia rally even those who are only half Alderanian to keep her people and their legacy, free? I loved this comic. I loved the look at Leia and saw that she was just as much of a kick-ass warrior as her mother, Padme Amidala, was. I mean, we get to see a kick-ass Leia in the original game, but she kinda got lumped into the "romance plot with Han Solo" thing. And I don't mind seeing Leia as strong and a kick-ass lady warrior. This graphic novel not only fills that niche, but also shows her as a diplomat and a charismatic leader who is a believable leader. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">"Fight Like a Girl: Learning Curve by David Pickney and Soon Lee- Amarosa's brother is dying, and fighting for his life. But when the Gods decide to grant her request for the access to the wishing well. If she can survive eight battles against opponents chosen to face her by the Gods, she will get to make a wish... and save her brother. But while she will have a weapon she was given that can be literally anything, she can also find things on the way. that she can use what will be more important is the knowledge of herself on the way that will determine whether or no0t she is successful. But when her brother takes a turn for the worse, can Amarosa's boyfriend reach her in time to get her to see her dying brother before she dies? I found this an interesting graphic novel, but the novel itself is somewhat confusingly laid out, with so many ads in the middle between chapters- chapters for the same other graphic novels over and over. I thought the story was okay, as was the art, but the story was a bit confusing and I don't know if I'd pick up the next one. Neither recommended nor not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">New Suicide squad: Volume 1- Pure Insanity by Sean Ryan, Rob Hunter, Jeremy Roberts and Blond- The Suicide Squad has been reconstituted, with Deathstroke, Joker's Daughter, Harley Quinn, Black Manta and Deadshot. They are sent into Russia to find out about a new weapon program. But when things go way south, Vic Sage, the new agent in charge with Amanda Waller, thinks she is totally to blame for the mess. But can Waller school Sage on what must really happen? And can Black Manta keep order in the squad itself, or will Sage's new additions break the team in ways that Waller cannot repair? I found this only sort of interesting. I wasn't interested in many of the characters, such as "Joker's Daughter" and Harley Quinn. I realize everyone ay not be the same, but since I know there is a suicide squad movie coming out, I thought I'd check it out. It was only... okay. I didn't really care and that didn't change for me during the graphic novel, so I wouldn't exactly recommend it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Prince of Dreams by Lisa Kleypas- Emma Stokehurst's family is upset that she is interested in a man named Adam, Lord Millbank,m who her family knows as a man wanting to marry a fortune. But she is comp[lately in love with Adam. Only her mother-in-law, Tasia';s sole family, Prince Nikolas Angelovsky, is very interested in Emma. Even though she has bright red hair and is uncommonly tall, Nikolas is only interested in Emma. But when he warns off Adam Millbank and seduces Emma into his bed, and promises her that she can bring her menagerie onto his estate and keep all the animals she has collected and even to rescue more. But when Emma marries him, convinced that Adam didn't love her as she thought he did, she marries Nikolas instead- also against the wishes of her family, but is convinced. When she is married to Nikolas, though, she begins to hate him when he treats her with extreme indifference. But when Adam returns, he tells Emma that Nikolas warned him off and that was the only reason he left her. Although he proposes an affair with himself, Emma turns him down, but it makes her hate him, yet she refuses to divorce him. But when Nikolas discovers a picture beneath another picture on his estate, the art restorer uncovers finds himself looking at a man who looks exactly like himself: his own ancestor, Prince Nikolai, who was killed because of the love of his wife, which made him lose favor with Peter the Great. But as he relives the life of his ancestor and the love of his wife, Emilia, can he loose the feelings he has for his current wife, Emma? I found myself wondering why I have such a strong bad reaction to romances with characters from Russia. I don't know if the way Russians are depicted, but each one sort of left a bad taste in my mouth. Nikolas especially seems to be heartless in pursuing Emma and yet when he has her, he doesn't want to actually care for her. I ended u not liking this much, because Nikolas lost my sympathy and never got it back. Emma was okay, and had my sympathy, but I just never felt that she and Nikolas should end up together. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Seduce Me At Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas- Winnifred, or Win Hathaway was always a delicate child, but when she was affected by scarlet fever, it left her even weaker. But when she has a chance to go to the south of France to undergo a treatment that could strengthen her, she takes it, leaving behind her "brother and childhood friend, a Romany named Kev Merripen. Kev has long loved her, but he is also afraid of harming her with his love and passion, and he thinks he is so far below her that he could never reach up to her level, even though he has been running her family's estate for years by the time she returns. She doesn't come back alone, though. With her is the doctor who cured, Dr. Harrow, who has not only has he cured her, he wants to be closer to her. But even though he has seemingly cured you, he wants a marriage in name only, so that she can remain healthy and like herself forever. But Win wants to fight for Kev- until he tells her that he cannot love her the way she wants. But when she decides to marry Dr. Harrow instead, Kev can barely keep his hands to himself. And he is also somehow linked to Cam Rohan, Win's sister Amelai's husband, who is also Rom. As Cam is determined to discover what links them, along with a tattoo of a pooka horse, each o a separate part of their body, can they uncover the truth in time to win her and keep her away from her Doctor, who he doesn't trust with his life? I actually liked this one. I liked Kev's intensity and how he and Cam sparked off each other and how Win brought him around to her own way of thinking. I felt this was enjoyable, but not so great as to knock my socks off. Recommended by not hightly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Natsume's Book of Friends by Yuki Midorikawa. Natsume is called out from his old school by a former classmate named Shibats, who fell in love with a Wisteria Spirit. But SHibata has an ulterior motive. There is a house on his block that is haunted by two dolls who were undergoing a battle to become the final doll, which is used to curse people, when the man responsible died. Now, Shibata wants Natsume to take care of the dolls. But can Natsume survive the curse dolls? Then, Natsume is approached by a Yokai who tells him a story of his aunt, Reiko, and how she won a bride from a battling pair of Yokai. Finally Natsume must help his friend Mr. Matoba escape from a spirit who wants to eat him. But his accidental destruction of a mirror may put both their lives at risk. Can they escape the spirit together? I love this series, and I liked the stories within. I really enjoyed the story about Reiko. Reading this series has made me want to learn more about her life and hear more stories about her.. I would definitely read more and can't wait for the next volume. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Too Hot to Touch by Lora Leigh- This is a book of three small novellas set in Lora Leigh's "Breed "series. "Christmas Heat" involves a Librarian named Haley McQuire and a Jaquar Breed named Noble Chavin. Haley found a traitor to the Breed, and reported it to Jonas McQuade. But when she is nearly killed by the traitor or his or her compatriots, it's up to Noble to protect her over the Christmas Season. "A Christmas Kiss", has Jessica Raines, a woman considered to be a traitor to the Breeds, and Hawke Esteban. But when he finally subjects Jessa to the mating heat he has denied for too long, can he convince her that what she thinks she knows is wrong? Then, in "Primal Kiss", Kita Engalls loves her father, but her father has been working against the breeds, and when Kita runs away, the Breed warrior Creed Raines, a Lion Breed shifter. But can he keep her safe when she starts the breeding heat deep inside him, and can he keep her safe from a truth she doesj't want to hear about her father? I liked these three novellas/short stories. In a world where the werewolves seem to hold supernatural sway, the Breed stories are a (literal) breed apart. While some of the details cam sound more "squidgy" than erotic (at least to me, this is a refreshing change from traditional werewolf and werebreedesque novels. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Reap the Wind by Karen Chance Cassie Palmer is not just ay old seer, she is the most powerful seer in her generation, the Pythia. But instead of being raised by other seers and the mages who are their support system, she was raised in a vampire court, and not many of the other seers seem to trust her. But now that is changing since she manipulated time to save a number of young seers. But she must help a demon lord find his half-human son, who happens to be her lover, along with Mircea, the Prince of the Vampire Court where she was raised. But when she gets inlved in an otherside war, all bets are off, and when the Mages decide to destroy Mircea, Cassie can't help but be drawn into the battle... I liked this book, I started out reading a related series, about Diana Basarab, Mircea's dhampir daughter, and Cassie was a character in that series. I do like this series as well, as the characters are fairly similar in how they snark at the world and take on challenges. I liked this book, though I haven't read all the other books in the series, or even the one before this, it was easy to figure out what was going on and to root for Cassie and her friends. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Lord of Legend by Susan Krinard- Mariah Donnington is not exceptionally good-looking and doesn't have a large dowry to recommend her, so why is Lord Donnington proposing marriage to her? And why does he leave her untouched on her wedding night? Mariah finds an exact double of her husband imprisoned on the estate, and thinks this is a mad brother or similar, but the mam seems perfectly fine, if unused to speaking. Not only does her husband leave her untouched, but soon after, he goes abroad, leaving her alone at Donnington with no one but her mother-in-law and brother in law for company, she frees the man, who she names Ash. But it turns out that the man and she are irresistibly attracted to each other. Who is he and why was he imprisoned at Donnington? Can she overcome her mother-in-law's blaming her for her husband leaving and solve the mystery of Ash before her husband, with his plans for her and the stranger, returns? And what are his plans for Ash, anyhow? And why did he marry her and leave? Ash may be more than he seems, with a connection to a world that Mariah's mother often sought. But will their relationship survive her husband's machinations? This book snared me with an unusual hook. Ash is Arion, King of the Unicorns. Mariah's husband needs her to be a virgin for him to be attracted to her. But I didn't find the actual book to be as interesting as the idea of a romance with unicorn. I mean, it was okay, but this book didn't set me on fire, and I felt no attraction to the hero, or to the heroine as well, even though I did like the ending. Recommended, but only slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Real Vampires Live Large by Gerry Bartlett- Gloriana St. Clair is a former actress and prostitute from the Elizabethan era (back then, actresses were usually both). Now, she runs a vintage clothing boutique. But a Vampire hunter on her trail is seeking not only her life, but endangering the lives of all the other vampires who live in her building. But in addition, since Gloriana hasn't really troubled to use her power as a vampire despite her long life, she is also finding herself being stalked by what are known as "energy vampires", who remove the energy a vampire stores up when they don't use their vampire powers. And since Gloriana tends to live just like a human, except for the blood drinking and the hot, hot vampire sex, she practically shines to the energy vampires. But when it seems that her best friend has fallen victim to the energy vampires, becoming addicted to their wares, Gloriana must go and try to find the vampires responsible and try to bring them down from the inside. But can she do that all by herself? I liked this book. Gloriana isn't one of those utterly perfect heroines who can't do wrong. I liked Glory, and her carefree attitude. I liked how she dealt with her friends and enemies both and how down-to-earth she was. I found myself loving the character of Gloriana and the situations she got herself into and how she got herself out of it. Recommended, and I want to read more about Gloriana.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The World According to Wonder Woman by Matthew K. Manning and illustrated by Paul Bulman-This book tells the new story of Wonder Woman, of her childhood, her new backstory and a list of her allies, enemies and the gods, of whom she is now one. Not only is she ruler of Themiscyra (known as "Paradise Island" once upon a time), and also the half-divine daughter of Zeus and her mother Hippolyta, and now the God of War after being the original God (Ares)'s pupil. Included is a map of Themiscyra and a limited edition poster of the image on the cover, minus the title, author and artist's names. I liked this book as an overlook at the new background of Wonder Woman. I noticed that the Gods are all less than human, except for Eros, Stryfe, Dionysus, and Hera, who know is on the side of humans. We also get to see some of Wonder Woman's allies and her brothers and sisters in the ranks of children of Zeus. I liked it, but it seems to be caught somewhere between being for kids and teens. Recommended, but more for tweens than anything else.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">DreamSeeker by C. S. Friedman- Jessica Drake is not the child of her parents. Her DNA is completely different and she comes from an entire other world, an alternate Earth. This earth has powers possessed by people known as "gifts". But Jessica's gift is Dreamwalking, which the people of the alternate Earth both fear and hate, thinking that such a gift will destroy, or can destroy the world. The only allies that Jessica has in the other world is The Green Man a hunter whose real name is Sebastian., and Isaac, the son of a Shadow Major. But he no longer wants to be a Shadow, especially after befriending Jesse. Now that she is back, she has to realize that her life has changed. Her family home has burned to the ground, and her mother is no longer herself, having suffered a stroke during the events of Jessica discovering Earth Prime. Now, Jesse has only one driving idea- to get a healer from Earth Prime for her mother. As it turns out, though, a Healer can't help her mother and she needs a Flesh Shaper instead. But how can Jesse return to Earth Prime. and get the aid of the people she needs with the gate to Earth Prime destroyed? And meanwhile, Jesse can help her, but the cost to himself may be more than he is willing to pay. Can he find the courage within himself to let down his own family? I never read the first book in this series, Dreamwalker, but I have long loved C. S. Friedman books like "In Conquest Born" and :"Madness Season". This book didn't disappoint me in the slightest. I enjoyed every bit of it and I wanted to see what was going to happen to Jesse and especially at the end, as Jesse now has dead Earth Prime spirits hunting her, and she can no longer trust one of the people who she once thought of as an ally. I enjoyed the book, the story and the characters, and I can't wait to see what happens. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">1635: A Parcel of Rogues by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis- The Diplomatic Embassy from the ESA was imprisoned in the Tower of London, but at the end of the Baltic War, they were broken out by spies working on their behalf. But not all members of the Diplomatic Party left England afterwards. Because Oliver Cromwell is looking for his sons, which have disappeared when the King and his men arrested Cromwell because of the histories that came out of the ESA, which reveals that Oliver killed him in the future world. Along with Oliver goes Julia Sims, an American Sharpshooter, her husband Alex MacKay, Darryl McCarthy, who, as someone whose family came from Ireland, deeply mistrusts Oliver Cromwell, as a hate that was passed down from his family and relatives. Also with them are Gayle Mason, who has taken a deep liking to Oliver Cromwell, and he seems to feel something for her as well. But when Richard Boyle sets a bunch of bully boys and assassins on the trail of the ESA party, they must find their way to safety and find Oliver's sons while keeping a low profile in England. But can they escape to Scotland and Alex's relatives without bringing the bully boys with them? And can they find Oliver's sons and escape England with them and then return to the ESA? I like this series, which starts from an interesting point and has only expanded on it from there. I enjoyed how the books expand each part of the story, following the war and what happens after. I find this "alternate history/time travel into the past" series to be very exciting and interesting. As someone who lives history and "What if?" stories, this series and this book scratches a very specific itch, but I love this series a lot. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Swords and Scoundrels by Julia Knight- Vocho and Kacha are ex-duelists who have fled their former home, the city if Reyes. This is especially hard on Kacha, who was the pet student of the Guildmaster of the Duelist's Guild, Eneko. Now, they survive by pretending to farm and by robbing the coaches of the rich that pass by When they rob a coach with Kacha's old lover, Petri Egimont, on board, they take everyone's money, swords, clothes and possessions, along with a chest with five locks on it- and they defeat a mage to accomplish this as well. Inside, there is plenty of money, and also papers. Unbeknownst to either Vocho or Kacha, the papers are from the former King of Castan, offering to sell out some mines in the country to the Ikarans if they will return him to the throne. The money is to bribe the councilors to be on his side. When Vocho gets the chest open, he and Kacha take some of the papers to Reyes with the aid of a friend named Dom and Vocho's manservant, Cospel. But going back to Reyes brings them back to the attention of the guild, as the Prelate, who blames Vocho for the death of a priest who was the Prelate's favorite. And as it turns out, someone is manipulating the situation from behind the scenes. But is it the guildmaster, Eneko, or is it the magician who has wormed his way into a relationship with the King? or is it someone else? I wasn't all that invested in Vocho and Kacha at the beginning of the book, I did get behind both of them eventually. I liked how both characters are presented as deeply flawed, but then, so is everyone in the books. I liked the reveal of why Dom seemed so very weird and strange, and how he changed so much when they went to Reyes. I liked the book and I would recommend it- just stick with it at first.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Legends and Liars by Julia Knight= Vocho and Kacha have been forced to flee to Ikaras, but the Ikarans have a order to capture all Reyens in the country. But Vocho and Kacha need the help of a mage, because Vocho has been tattooed on his back with a magical tattoo, and they need it removed. Through their friend Jokin, they find a mage named Esti, a plant mage who can remove Vocho's tattoo and set him free. But the cost for removing his tattoo that can control his actions. But part of the cost is a sucking wound that saps him of energy, and a possibly dangerous addiction to the Jollop she dispenses to help him with the pain. She also reveals to Vocho and Kacha that the Primate of the city, Bakar, has been driven insane by the potions delivered by Esti to the mage Sabates. But while Sabates seems like the one to defeat to free Reyen. It may be that his second in command, Alicia, is far more dangerous. But no one is going to pay more than Kacha's former lover, Petri Egimont. But can Vocho and Kacha return to Reyes in time to save Egimonr from Eneko's torture? I found this book to be much more interesting than the first one. It was easier for me to like the heroes, even though Vocho is still something of a whiny butt. I preferred Kacha to Vocho, even if she does seem far more stand-offish than her brother. I even felt a shred of sorrow for what happened to Petri, but the story seems to be over at the end of the book. Given that this is going to be a trilogy, though I suspect not. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Warlords and Wastrels by Julia Knight- At the end of "Legends and Lairs", Vocho and Kacha had succeeded in freeing Reyes from the troubles that beset it, and rose to positions high in the guild. Kacha became guildmaster, and Vocho a senior member who runs the guild when his sister is otherwise occupied- and it drives him crazy, because he likes dueling, but dealing with the day to day running of the guild and the complaints of the seniors, is driving him crazy. Meanwhile, Kacha has largely abandoned the running of the guild to daydream about Egimont, who she believes is dead. But Petri, who has been hideously scarred by Eneko, has found a new profession, training the bandits of a small northern valley how to fight for their leader, Scar. But his aid brings the attention of the regent of Reyes, Bakar, who sends Vocho and Kacha to deal with them along with a guard captain and a troupe, at Vocho's request, because Kacha needs to have her mind taken off her problems. But Petri Egimont's memories of his time with Kacha are no longer good ones, and he blames her for his maiming. And when Scar and her group team up with a wizard, the situation rapidly spirals out of control for everyone. What will happen when Kacha and Petri meet again. and will Kacha be forced to kill the man she once loved? I found this to be the best book by far of the three. I felt the characters were the most well-rounded in this book, and I sympathized with just about everyone (except the wizard, of course, but he's a scumbag. I also liked the open-ended nature of the book and how Vocho finally found love. It was an excellent book, one that I really enjoyed. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Driven by Kelley Armstrong- Elena Michaels is head of a werewolf pack based in New Jersey, but she agrees to take back a werewolf named Malcolm, an utter psychopath who killed humans for sport, but he proves he can take orders and promises to obay Elena, so she reluctantly allows him back. But the family known as Cains are also werewolves, but are considered mutts, due to not being connected to any of the clans. But when Davis Cain finds his family slaughtered and skinned, he goes to the pack for help and to try and save the rest of his family. But while Malcolm and many of the Weres don't understand Elena wanting to help and save the Cains, Elena isn't going to let other Werewolves be destroyed. But when she finds out what is really behind the attacks, will she be driven to punish both sides? I liked this book. It wasn't really more than a hsort story, but the characters looks are both disturbingly anime-ish and look like something out of "Twilight". by which I mean to say that the cover looks like a teen book rather than an adult novel. This troubled me, because I didn't think this was supposed to be a YA book when I first picked it up. The story was good, but I found it best to ignore the pictures that accompanied it. I mean what purpose did that serve. Is this supposed to be "Teen's first real adult werewolf novel"? I'm not sure, but the cover definitely doesn't represent, to me, the inside story. Recommended- just ignore the art.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout- Ayla, a half faery who works as a faery in the Assassin's Guild, is sent to hunt a werewolf in the Darkworld, part of the series of caverns, sewers and train tunnels that the faery races were driven into during their long war with humans. When the veil between the human world and the faery world collapsed, elves and faery races were thrown into the human world, but tensions led to war. Now, Ayal is hunting a were, but a Death Angel targets her, it becomes mortal because she is half human. She should kill him but leaves him alive. He recovers, but tracks her down... in order to kill her, he thinks, but finds that he doesn't want to kill her, but is in love with her. Meanwhile, back in Lightworld, Arya's mentor, the Faery Cedric, wants to marry her, and he is the brother of the Queene, Mabb. But when they are married, his sister is killed, and now Arya is in line to be Queene, even though she doesn't really love Cedric, but Malachi. And when the Faerie council won't let Cedric be King, and he realizes that Ayla won't be steered or guided by him, Cedric comes out against Ayla and implies she might have killed his sister. But Ayla is innocent of the deed, and must defend her new position against Cedric, including a duel against him to claim her place as Queene. But can she win against the man who was her mentor? I liked this book. I liked how Ayla started out wanting to just have a better life than she had, but once she becomes Queene, she is invested in doing what's right for her people.I really enjoyed the book and how she ends up choosing love over position. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Child of Darkness by Jennifer Armintrout- Cerridwen is the daughter of Queene Ayla and her lover, Malachi, but because of her black feathery wings, every Fae at court in the Lightworld is supposed to hide their wings.. But while Queene Ayla wants what is best for her daughter, that includes arranging for her marriage to Cedric, one of her advisors. But Cedric has fallen in love with a human gypsy and plans to escape Lightworld with her and her clan, and Cerridwen herself has fallen for a Dark Elf warrior who doesn't know of her Fae ancestry. When the Dark Elves make plans to wipe out the Fae with the Waterhorses, a bunch of surface Fae offer the Queene and her court shelter, but Ayla is too sure that this is a trap and refuses to fall for it. But when the threat of the Waterhorses proves true, Ayla and Malachi must risk all to keep their daughter safe. But can they save her from the wrath of the Waterhorses and let the rest of the court escape? Or will Cerridwen's love for the Elf put her in even greater danger than even her parents can save her from? This was the second in the Lightworld/Darkworld series, and I found Cerridwen a lot less interesting than I did Ayla. I mean, she came off as far more spoiled and less interesting than Ayla, and while it was okay, I didn't start caring about the main character until most of the way through the story. But I did end the book wanting to find out what happened to Cerridwen, it was a long way to go to get there. Recommended, but only slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead- Eugenie Markham is a Shaman, but she is also Queen of the Thorn Land in Faerie, which she was tricked into by Dorian, her Faerie lover. But while Eugenie is no longer with Dorian, she is having a romance with Kiyo, a Kitsune Vet who is also the father of a Fae child with a ruler of a fellow land. Eugenie is expected to give the child a gift when it is born, but isn't sure what the best gift is. Meanwhile, while riding through her land, she discovers that girls have been going missing, and she decides to go in search of the girls, as she is already searching for her own sister, Jasmine. But when she asks about the missing girls in Austin, where the other end of the gate near where the girls are missing comes out, she meets two shamans, Art and Abigail, who seem perfectly friendly, but say they know nothing about gentry girls coming over the gate into our world. But when she meets a magic-less gentry named Leith, she thinks that this is at last a man she can just be friends with. But when Leith causes her to be kidnapped and subjected to rape, Eugenie is all out for revenge. But can she take the revenge she wants? Or will she alienate everybody who loves her by taking said revenge? I loved this book, which shook up Eugenie's world in many, many ways, both in who she is with and her view of the Otherworld and the gentry, and shamans in general. I loved the book and can't wait to see what happens next. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">In the Midnight Hour by Patti O'Shea- Ryna is a Gilneal, a human offshoot with magic powers, and a troubleshooter, one of the more powerful ones. But she's become obsessed with a cartoon series called "Deke Summers, P.I.", but she's become aware that there is a human soul imprisoned in the cartoon, and she sets out to free him, she discovers that she only has a moon to set him free permanently. But Deke doesn't know why he was imprisoned. Ryne knows that her former mentor, Anise, has become even more powerful since she went to the dark side, but for some reason, she wants Deke out of the way. But why? Ryne must know, which is why she freed Deke from the cartoon. But can Deke remember what it was about himself that made him such a threat to Anise? And when it comes down to the final fight against Anise, can Deke make a difference when he has no magic at all? I loved this book. I liked the whole setup of Ryne and her sister, who had given up her magical powers because she fell in love with a human, who then left her. I also liked how both Deke and Ryne annoy one another long before they fall in love. I also liked how Deke shows up on Ryne's door at the end, and I just loved the entire story. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">True Blood by Patricia Waddell- When a passenger liner explodes in League space, Danna MacFayden is assigned to the tribunal who is looking into the deaths of the 40-something people on board. Also on the council is Cullon Gavriel, a True Blood of the planet of Korcia. Korcia considers a "True Blood" is one of the original ruling families which has come down to the present unmingled with those of non-ruling families. Korcia, through Cullon, threatens war on the League because one of the people on the leisure liner was a True Blood, and he wasn't the first one to die. But as Cullon comes to rely on Danna's psychic ability to read the history and feelings of the owners of objects, he becomes aware of a rebellion on his homeworld that could overthrow the current government. But when Cullon and Danna end up in a relationship, will they be torn apart by the conflict on Korcia and Cullon's True Blood status? Another book I loved. I looked for a good science fiction romance, and this book just fit the bill. I loved the world-building, the characters, and the situations in the book. I really enjoyed this book and loved the world. I hope that Patricia Waddell wrote more books, because I'd love to read more in this world. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Demon You Know by Christine Warren- Abby Baker is a mere researcher at a local TV station. When a friend of hers needs someone to run a camera, she reluctantly helps out, but in the fray at the mob scene that results, she gets a passenger, a fiend named Louamides. The Demon Rule has been looking for Lou, but when he tries to evict Lou from Abby's subconscious, he is unable to evict Lou from her body because Lou has a copy of the Solus spell which can put out the sun. With no way to get Lou out of Abby, she is in danger from Uzkiel, a major fiend who wants to take over the human world by extinguishing the sun that the fiends cannot stand. But when Rule begins falling for Abby, can the two of them team up to take Uzkiel down with the help of Lou, the most cowardly fiend in existence? I loved this book, which was one in a series about many different kinds of characters- Werewolves, wereleopards, Demons, fiends, vampires and so on. I liked this book, which was about Rule, a demon who acts as a policeman for his people. And while Demons are good guys, Fiends are definitely bad. And Rule looks down on those who have fallen in love. Now it's his turn to fall. And what a fall it is! I loved every bit of the humiliation Rule feels in his fall, and the love that results between the very Catholic Abby and the Demon Arulnagal. Highly recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-74837057286578880472016-01-11T17:59:00.001-05:002016-01-11T17:59:05.164-05:002015, Part 10<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sweet Revenge by Lynsay Sands- Kyla is being taken to the MacGregors, to marry their Laird. But when her party is attacked by men led by Galen MacDonald, he is there to abduct her to marry her, because the Laird of MacGregor killed his wife and unborn child, and he means to take Laird MacGregor's promised bride away in revenge. But when he finds her, she is injured, raving and in a fever. When she rises from the cart to attack one of the MacDonalds, they are impressed, but when she passes out after being put on her back, Galen is worried. And when he realizes she is running a fever, he takes her to the shore and bathes her in the water, and also gets turned on by her body and they share a kiss. When they get to the island that is the MacDonald land, he marries her. But when she recovers, she doesn't know what happened. Can she discover what she has agreed to while she was dead. And when she and one of the MacDonald women are kidnapped by the MacGregor and his men, and can she save her brother from the horrible woman he married, who tried to kill him. This was a good book and I really enjoyed the story. Lynsay Sands is ususally one of my go-to writers for vampire books, but this one had nothing to do with vampires. Instead it's historical and based in medieval Scotland. I liked the book. I liked the feistiness of the heroine and how the hero genuinely liked and appreciated her. I also loved the story, and all the threads that wove together to make it up. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Vampire Sunrise by Carole Nelson Douglas- Delilah Street is a private eye in Las Vegas, a Vegas which is filled with CineSims, a kind of zombie based on Characters and Actors from Black and White movies and television, Vampires and Werewolves. But right now, Delilah is more worried about her FBI lover, Ricardo Montoyo, aka Ric, Aka The Cadaver Kid. When she rescues him from the Karnak and the vampires who reign there, he is dead, but a kiss from her, along with her Silver Familiar, brings him back to life. To bring him back to consciousness, she even goes to Washington D.C. to bring back his mother, a psychologist, to help get him over the trauma of being drained unto death. But when she finally gets him back, she gets drawn into the case of the woman she sees in the mirror. The woman is the daughter of the Werewolf Mob Boss, Cesar Cicereau. She was killed, along with her vampire lover and fiancé, were killed by both sides, but now Loretta has had her fiancé brought back, and is seeking to come back herself. Delilah finds out that Loretta and her vampire Prince were killed because both the vampires and the Werewolves were afraid that they would have children, which was a threat to both families. And when Ric wants to go back to the Karnak and free the slaves of the vampires blood hunger, Delilah and her hound, Quicksilver, go along, only to free an Egyptian God named Shazmou, brother of the God named Bez. But when Delilah tries to find out who is behind the Karnak, and also to find Lilith, the woman who looks just like her. Plus, she must also deal with Snow, the sexy vampire who gave her the Brimstone Kiss in the first place. But can she and Ric overcome the vampires of the Karnak and find Quicksilver when he goes missing. And can she do it all without losing someone that she dearly loves? I found this an interesting novel. Delilah looks like a screen siren from the 1950's, except more curvy, and I liked not only her, and her obvious psychological problems, but that she deals with them and is freaked out about them appropriately. I found this an interesting novel. This isn't the first book in the series, it's the third. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Blood Memories by Barb Hendee- Eleisha Clevon may look young and innocent, which makes people want to take care of her, but she's neither young nor innocent. Eleisha is a vampire. And her innocence is just one of the ways she hunts. When her fellow vampire and friend Edward kills himself, she is with him, trying to persuade him to stay alive. But Edward has become unhinged- storing the bodies of animals and humans in his house, not to mention trying to cook and eat real food. He dashes out into the morning light and burns into ashes. Eleisha stays in his house through the day, tucked into a hidden space in the cellar. She is upset about Edward's suicide, but when he died, she made a mental connection with one of the men in the front yard. When he later tracks her down in a bar, she is freaked out, and she takes her charge, William, and goes in search of another vampire she knows, Maggie. Maggie takes her in and takes care of her and William. But when the same man shows up with another man and kills Maggie, she ends up making a mental connection with the man, a human psychic working with the police named Wade. Wade wants to know about Eleisha, but his companion, Dom, wants to kill not only Maggie, but William and Eleisha as well. Dom, who is another psychic, a psychometrist.who believes all vampires are heartless killers. But when Dom kills William, Eleisha and Wade flee together, and Eleisha discovers some things that she thought about Vampires are not only wrong, but deliberately misleading. But can Eleisha survive the vengeance of the vampire who made her when she discovers the truth? This was a new series from Barb Hendee, and while it took me a little bit to get into, Eleisha's story sucked me right in, and while Wade didn't interest me, I thought the truth behind the vampires was interesting, and how it took going into the minds of both the heroes, and one vampire who was not exactly a hero, but not exactly a villain, either, to discover the truth. Since this is going to be (at least) a trilogy, I am looking forward to more of Eleisha's story and seeing what other vampires might be left. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue by Sophie Jordan- When Aurelia was a child, her brother William brought home his friend, Maxim Alexander Chandler, Viscount Camden, and Aurelia fell instantly in love with him. But when she finally became a young woman, she wanted nothing more than to confess her feelings for him. But when she stumbled on Max and a servant girl having an assignation in the greenhouse, her heart is broken. When she makes a satirical picture of him as a devil with a small penis, his companions find the picture and call him "Cockless Chandler", he knows who drew the picture and begins to loathe her, thinking her a cold and calculating young woman. Now, years later, Aurelia's father is dead, having dissipated most of the family fortune. William has married a woman named Violet, and is trying to repair the family fortunes. This involved selling off most of the family properties, including the dower house, which has left Aurelia and her mother living with William and his wife. But Aurelia and Max are still enemies, tearing strips off each other every time they see each other. But when Aurelia becomes aware that her mother will be leaving at the end of the season, she decides that she must marry to have a life of her own, rather than going off and living with her aunt near Scotland. But much to his surprise, Max is told by William that he needs to stop living like a boy and live life as a man. And that means settling down and stopping chasing women and sleeping around. But Max can't because he's still hurting about the death of his parents and his sister. Yet, he finds he can't stand the idea of Aurelia marrying anyone- unless its him. But can Aurelia thaw his heart once she discovers that she never really got over her love for him? I loved this book. I didn't like when Aurelia and Max hated each other, but I liked the sparks they struck off each other every time they crossed wits. I really didn't like when Max piled on when other people were hurting Aurelia- that made me really start to dislike Max. and I ended up not quite liking him at the end, because it isn't until the very end that he repents- and only after Aurelia leaves him. I didn't think he deserved her at that point. Yes, I get that he was hurting, but I despised him for how he treated her. So, recommended, but not highly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A History of the Guillotine by Allister Kershaw- The Guillotine came to life just before the Revolution in France, and was used to kill both criminals and people whom the crown and the Revolution felt were enemies of the state. But while Dr. Guillotin proposed the machine, it was based on earlier machines. There was also a man called Louis who advocated the execution device, from which it was occasionally called the "Louisette", in his honor. This book traces the rise of the Guillotine, its construction, and then, the job it did and the men who did their duty by killing other men, along with their problems as the era went on, from how they were paid to their problems and the problems of even their relatives had in marrying and the way that children of the executioners experienced in trying to leave the profession or even marry outside of the other executioner families. This was a very interesting book, which went beyond the examination of the killing machine itself to look at the society and people who brought it to life and made it possible. It's not a long book, but I did find it interesting and fascinating. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Veiled Truth by Vivi Anna- Lyra Magice is a sorceress, and quite a good one, working for Nocturne PD. Five years ago, she nearly fell victim to Dhampir Theron Lenoir's wiles. But now, she is in Europe, where Theron is giving a lecture about Ancient Texts. After, he invites her to view his collection in his home, and when Lyra sees a grimoire that could be used to help solve a series of murders back in Nocturne, she asks to borrow it, but Theron refuses. Feeling she has no choice, she knocks him out and steals the tome, bringing it back to Nocturne with her. Theron follows her, and instead of getting Lyra in trouble, he agrees to help with the investigation. But while Theron must make his nods to the other vampires in town, he comes to attention because of his father, a very old, very domineering vampire. Theron has magic of his own, but even he seems unequal to the task of keeping Lyra safe, especially when it seems that the killer, whomever he or she is, has designs on Lyra herself. But can they discover who is behind the killings, and bring them to justice, And can they find love with each other after their tense past? I didn't expect much out of this book, since it was a category romance and yet, this book went way beyond the usual category romance to really appeal to me. I loved the world and all the different characters and parts of this world. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Legend of Lyon R3edmond by Julie Anne Long- The Redmonds and the Everseas have been enemies for a long time. But when Lyon Redmond sees Olivia Eversea at a ball, he immediately falls for her. Since their families are so opposed to each other, they must sneak around to see each other. Plus, Lyon's father wants him to marry another woman, which causes friction between them, But when Lyon finally confesses his love for Olivia to his father and wants to marry her, his father threatens to disown him, and Lyon leaves and goes to Olivia and asks her to leave with him and marry him. But she doesn't want to leave her family, and he calls her a coward and leaves. Five years later, Olivia is getting set to marry a man named Landsdowne, but her heart really isn't in it. When she starts seeing reminders of Lyon Redmond everywhere, Olivia is torn between laughter at some of the ridiculous things they are claiming about Lyon. But when Lyon shows up to carry her off to his own personal estate, can he convince her to throw over her engagement to get back together with him, and what will the result be among their own families? I probably should have liked this book more, but it was only okay. The book is a mix of modern-day and "back five years ago" parts. Which just made the story seem choppy and I wondered who was going to betray Olivia in the present day. And I was right. The ending was nice, but went on too long, even if they referenced characters in the novel. This was only okay.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Five Ghosts by Frank J. Barbiere, Chris Mooneyham and Lauren Affe- Fabian Gray is a treasure hunter, and quite a successful one. But when he encounters an item called a "Dreamstone", there is a terrible accident and his sister is put into a coma, and the dreamstone fuses with Fabian's body, allowing him to call on the ghosts of five literary characters to help him out in his travels. These are "The Hunter", analogous to Robin Hood, "The Samurai"- Miyamoto Musashi, "The Monster"- Dracula, "The Detective"- Sherlock Holmes and "The Magician"- Merlin. With the aid of these ghosts, Fabian can overcome almost any obstacle- except returning his sister from her coma. But he is in search of more Dreamstone, and even "The Isle of Dreams", where it is said that any dream can come true. But can Fabian find the Island with the help of his friends, Sebastian, Jezebel and another woman with Dreamstone embedded in her cheeks, who can call on the aid of her own Ghost, Sinbad? Or will Sebastian be foiled by his old friend turned foe, Iago? I had never seen this series, or even heard about it, until it turned up at my Library, and then I picked it up when I saw that a co-worker and fellow comics enthusiast had it on hold, I picked it up for myself. It's an excellent book, with great art and an engaging story. I liked the introduction of dreamstone and found myself wondering about it. It allows people to call upon the assistance of literary characters, and the ghosts aren't really identified- these are just "best guesses" on the part of myself. and other readers of the series, though it's clear that "The Detective" is clearly meant to be Sherlock Holmes, based on the fact that when Fabian is attempting to get the ghosts to agree to help him, he must struggle to "221B". And the character even looks like Holmes.. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir by Stan Lee, Pter David and Colleen Doran- This comic is a biography of Stan Lee, from the time when he was just a child, to early 2015, told in his own words and framed as Stan Lee giving a talk about himself. He also interacts with himself as a kid, at least three times. In it, he reveals his early life, his triumphs in the publishing field, and his defeats as well. At a time, he was ready to quit the comics industry because he was convinced that the kind of stories comics were telling was killing the industry, but his wife told him that he should make comics the way he thought was right- if he was successful, he'd have revived the industry- if he was wrong, and comics died, well, he'd planned on quitting anyway, so what did he have to lose? Of course, he did revive the industry by making comics characters more realistic and relatable. Teenagers who actually had real teenage concerns, and so on, Characters who were other than brawny jock he-men, like Reed Richards the brainy, thin scientist, and Bruce Banner, the alter-ego of the Hulk. Also, a lot of alliteration of names. This is a fun and interesting graphic novel, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. The writing is excellent, and the art by Colleen Doran is clean and clear- easy to understand. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Led Astray: The Best of Kelley Armstrong by Kelley Armstrong- This book contains 23 different short stories by Kelley Armstrong. All of the stories have been published before, in short story collections. Some of the stories are in the "Caineville collection, about a town run and full of faeries. "Rakshasi" involves a Rakshasa who wants to be free of her master, but to do that, she will have to find a way to kill a man who she may not attack, "Kat" has a woman raised by a vampire have to cope when her foster mother is attacked by vampire hunters, "A Haunted House of Her Own" has a woman who wants to own a "Haunted House" inn. But when it seems that something in the house wants her dead, will she get her wish? "Learning Curve" has a vampire being stalked by hunters. What will she do with them? "The Screams of Dragons" has a boy who dreams of golden fields in his dreams. But burdened with a grandmother who thinks he is a dangerous Changeling, will he become the savior Cainesville needs? "The Kitsune's Nine Tales" has a bunch of guards sent to exile a traitor, but will they listen to the Emperor's advice about him? "Last Stand"- During the Zombie Apocalypse, one woman desperately tries to keep her race alive. "Bamboozled" has a vampire and her hunter who move from town to town- why? "Branded" is a post-apocalyptic story about a girl in a fortress in the west. When the boy she loves stands to be revealed as a werewolf, what actions she will take to be with him? "The List" is about a vampire who is left off a list of "official vampires" made by an academic. What will she do to get on the list? "Young Bloods" has a young man who encounters a bunch of young vampires in a subway cat. But what will they do to him? "The Door" is another Post-Apocalyptic tale of a young girl whose parents must leave the house to scavenge for food and material to survive. When they pass on, who is left to take up their job? "Dead Flowers by a Roadside" has a man wrecked by the deaths of his wife and child in search of their spirits. But how will he find them? "Suffer the Children" tells the story of Addie, a survivor of her parents death and the village in which many children have died of a sickness. But when the mayor will do *anything* to bring the children back, especially his dead son, what will be the effect on the village? And what actions will be condone to get what he wishes? "The Collector" has a collector of Puzzles who is intrigued by a puzzle website and when they win a prize, goes to collect. But what is the prize, and does the collector want it? "Gabriel's Gargoyles" takes us back to Cainesville, and the town contest of finding all the Gargoyles. Can Gabe find them all and get the prize he wants for his aunt? "Harbringer" has a girl at college being haunted by the drowned dead. But can she interpret their message in time? "V Plates" has a were who wants to lose his virginity. But when the whorehouse he goes to is one of the dead, will he survive the experience? "Life Sentence" has an executive who wants the perks of being undead without any of the drawbacks. Can he find the happy medium before he runs out of test subjects? "Plan B" has a man who wants to kill his wife and marry his mistress. But will events go as he planned? "The Hunt" has a pair of hunters who book "a Real English Hunt" and get far more than they bargained for... "Dead to Me" has a woman haunted by her dead husband's ghost. How can she be rid of him? And "Devil May Care" has a Welsh Trickery Fairy taken for quite a rise by a girl who seduced him. Can he keep his son safe from and with her? This is quite a collection of stories. I loved this entire book, but my favorite stories were the Cainville stories. If you haven't read much of Kelley Armstrong, or even if you have, this book has lots to enjoy and much to enjoy and much to discover, all to the good. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Too Dangerous for a Lady by Jo Beverly- Lady Hermione Merryhew is on her way to see a relative who might give her and her married sister some money when he dies. In the Inn, a man intrudes into her room in the middle of the night. It's worse, because she actually knows him. At a long ago party in London, she met a dashing young Lieutenant named Mark Thayne. Now Mark, calling himself Ned Granger, is employed as a soy, ferreting out a group, known as the Crimson Band, who want to do the kind of overthrow in England, that the people in Paris did against the King. Mark has just stolen the plans for a series of letter bombs from the leader of the group's wife, Solange, a former revolutionary in France. She is the one who is most pushing the group towards violent, armed rebellion. And now, since he stole the plans, the group will be on his tail. But he doesn't tell Hermione what he is doing. He allows her to believe he is down on his luck and stealing to survive. He stays most of the night and moves on in the morning. In the morning her sister and family move on, but another chance encounter with Mark puts her on Solange's radar, and she sends one of her bullyboys, the Boothroyds., after Hermione. But when Mark goes after Hermione and her family with the help of his old friend, Braydon, he ends up killing one of the Boothroyd brothers and decides to stick around and keep her safe from the Crimson Brand while Braydom continues on to London to notify Mark's boss. But as Mark and Hermione grow closer, she wants to go to London with her relative, Edgar, to find a possible cure for the disease he has. But can Mark keep her safe from the remaining Boothroyd Brother and Solange and her murderous ways, and even if he can keep her safe, will he want to marry her when he has such an important job for the government, and could she live with the uncertainty of such a job? I really enjoyed this book. I liked the main character except that the main heroine's name crossed with the nom de espionage of the male character made me keep thinking "Hermione Granger", which is a problem for those who read and loved Harry Potter. Also, this is the second female character named Hermione which I read recently. I wonder why, and if the name is becoming popular *because* of Harry Potter. But the character is very much not Harry Potter's Hermione, and is a wonderful character in her own right. I also loved how she is willing to argue with Mark and she even wins, and he's able to acknowledge when she is right. I loved this book, and I would definitely recommend this to others. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Instinct: The Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Nick Gautier is a perhaps a typical young Cajun boy of New Orleans. But Nick isn't so typical. He's the son of a Demon called the Malichai, and as such, he has the power to bring on the apocalypse. Now that Nick's father is dead, Nick has inherited his powers, but he can't use them without losing part of his soul. But now, Nick's friend and bodyguard, Caleb, is sick, and something has taken away his demon powers. He's no more than a regular human. Also, it seems that something or someone set off the Apocalypse early, and when his mother is caught in the crossfire, Nick must go in search of the fruit which could save her life and restore Caleb. But as he finds out that he's even been more lied to when his aunt Menyara is actually a goddess named Cam who took away his mother's memory and was responsible for her meeting his father and becoming pregnant. But on his sojourn in the otherworld, Nick comes to know and trust Aeon, a Celtic God of Warfare. And when Livia betrays him, can Nick come back and keep from unleashing the wrath of the Malichai on the world? I loved this book, but it seems that the series is coming to an end. Nick is getting better with every moment, and his future self, Ambrose, has lost the power to contact him from the future. But I still want to read more. I enjoy young Nick before he becomes Ambrose, and I wonder what, if any, effect this series will have on Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series, and Nick/Ambrose's future in that world. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Jeweled Fire by Sharon Shinn- Princess Corene of Welce has gone to Malinqua with her with the Empress, Filomara, to possibly marry one of her nephews and ascend to the throne. But she isn't the only princess there. Along with her is Melissande, Princess of Cozique, and Alette, Princess of Dhonsho. There is also Liramelli, daughter to the Prime Minister of Malinqua. With Corene is her bodyguard, Foley, the only person she brought with her from Welce. From Melissande, she learns that in addition to Steff, Filomara's grandson by her daughter Aravani, she has three possible heirs: Garameno, her oldest nephew and best suited to lead, but crippled in a horse-riding accident years ago; Jiramondi, her second nephew, and as Melissande calls him, "Sublime", in other words, interested sexually only in men, and Greggorio, her third nephew, strong in body, but pretty much an idiot when it comes to ruling a nation. But it seems that Greggorio was romancing a woman named Sarona, but when her body is found in the secret well beneath the palace, Corene begins wondering who might have wanted her dead, and why.she was killed while supposedly running away from the Palace. When it seems that someone wants Alette dead as well, as she is getting close to Greggorio, Corene and Melissande must keep the Dhonshon princess safe and return her to the man she loves. But when the festival welcoming Steff to the country turns murderous, Corene will have to save herself from a murderer who wants his own chosen heir on the throne. But can Corene, who has decided not to marry for the throne after all, discover what she really wants to do with her life, and who she wants to be with for the rest of her life? I loved this book, which is part of the Welce Royal Family stories. But it seems that the next story will revolve around Lucy, one of Darien Serlast's secret agents/spies. I hope I'm wrong, but maybe not. I enjoyed this book, which was an excellent mystery as well as a romance and adventure. I enjoyed every bit of the story and the characters, which really made the story shine. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Superman: Sunday Classics- This book collects four years of Sunday Comics from the Superman Comic strip, which apparently was a whole different set of stories. Because these were published during the War years, many of the stories have to deal with Superman working on keeping up America's morale during the war, and with a short story of Superman rounding up Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini and bringing them before the world court in Geneva. They were good stories, albeit some of them went on for far too long, like the one with the Carnival of Stars from Hollywood touring the country to raise money for war bonds. Still it's not a bad collection and feels really hefty and weighty, with lots of story to get through. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Tower of Ravens by Kate Forsyth- No Horn is a half-Satyricorn who is unlike the rest of her tribe. She is about to become a woman, which means that she will be killed by the rest of the tribe if she hasn't grown horns. So she decides she must leave. And when she sees a group of winged, horned horses, she decides to make her escape on one. When her tribe catches the prisoner she freed, she kills him and takes his stuff and adds his teeth and a fingerbone to her necklace. When she makes her escape, she lands near the farm of Lewen and his parents, a former guard to the Righ and his mother, a healer and former priestess, along with her sister. They rename her Rhiannon and live with her until the group comes to pick up Lewen when they come to escort him to the capital city to join the guard. But as they and the other students head for the capital and choose the wrong area of the country, where a lord is trying to keep them in his castle and not let them travel on. But why? And why is his healer trying to kill Rhiannon? And can they get out of the castle before they find out why? I liked this book a lot. It had a great story, great characters and wonderful world building. I liked Rhiannon, and when her secret came out, it was amazing. I liked how she interacted with the other students and with Lewen himself. I liked how they fell in love and their time together, and how the other characters came to know Rhiannon and her character. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Devious Dr. Jeckyll by Viola Carr- Eliza Jeckyll, daughter of Henry, also has a second side, Lizzy Hyde. She has fallen for a Royal Society Soldier, Remy, who is infected with a disease that turns him into a werewolf. But when a painter is killed, Remy brings Eliza in to find the killer. But the truth is mixed up with Dangerous French spies, Her father, and her many friends and acquaintances. But who are the incorruptibles and what is their secret, and what may it do with a plot against the Queen? This book is the sequel to "The Dangerous Lizzie Hyde". Here, Eliza Jeckyll hasn't been having a good year. She hasn't become the doctor or police scientist she wanted to be, despite catching the villain of the last book-= and letting Razor Jack go. And her relationship with Remy has stalled, since he proposed to her, and she turned him down, flat. Now, we get to see more of Remy's family, and meet his boss, based on the real-life Ada Lovelace. I really enjoyed this book, but Eliza never wears the lovely blue dress she is depicted in on the cover. Seriously. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">First Time with a Highlander by Gwyn Cready- Gerard Innes is an ad executive who has just had a really successful presentation. But when he drinks some *really* old Kerr whiskey, he winds up back in the 1700's, where Serafina Seonag Fallon has made a wish for a man, using her friend's magical herbs and whiskey- also Kerr whiskey. She needs a man who looks like her fiancé, Edward, to get back her cargo from the ship which is said to be bringing it in. Not only that, but when Gerard wakes up in the bed of Sera's friend, Abby, she has a gold wedding ring on one hand. It's hard for Gerard to believe that he has somehow been swept into the past, but he can't help but use his marketing expertise to help people in the past. But as he draws closer to the beautiful woman, he can't help but want to stay with her. But when Serafina's friend Undine tries to undo the summoning and send Gerard back to his old life, can he stop the magic and remain where his heart is? I picked up this book because it seems it's always the woman who ends up in the past, but this book has the MAN being the one drawn into the past- but this isn't the first book by Gwyn Cready with a male character coming to the past from the future. I liked the reversal of the usual trope and I liked how Gerard and Sera fell in love. This book is recommended, but the silliness level of some of the stuff that happens may not exactly be your jam.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">After the Storm by Maya Banks- The Kelly family is right up there when it comes to helping people in trouble. So when adopted daughter Rusty finds a teenage boy looking for a job, she hires him to help out in the family hardware store. The young man, Travis, is trying to earn money for hiss sister, Eve, who ran away from her mother's second husband, and brought her two half-siblings with her when he started looking to turn her four year old half-sister into his "perfect wife". But when she took her relatives and ran from him, he had records falsified that make it seem like she is a deranged mental patient who could be dangerous to the two children she abducted. And Walt, her mother's second husband, is still on the search for her, so Evie can't go to the cops for help, or come to the attention of anyone who would try and "help" her, like doctors or social services. So when Travis comes to the attention of Rusty Kelly, Eve thinks that they must run, especially when Donovan Kelly promises to bring by a Doctor to see Evie's sick sister Cammie. But when a storm moves in and causes a tornado that takes the shitty trailer in which she and her siblings are living, Donovan and his team rescue Travis, Cammie and Evie and bring them to the Kelly family compound, Donovan falls in love with Evie. But when he decides to help her by taking out Walt, she overhears his plans and thinks he plans to betray her to save her half-siblings. But by the time Donovan finds out, she has already fled. Can Donovan find and rescue Evie before her Father-in-Law has her turned into a vegetable? This was a good romance that I really enjoyed. It was not hard to feel for Evie, who is trying to do her best by her half-sister and brother. She's been watching over her sister, who is sick, while her teenaged brother Travis finds a job to buy them food and medicine for Cammie. But all her work is for naught. Her sister is still sick and the horrible trailer she paid so much money to rent is destroyed. Later in the book, she thinks she is about to lose everything that means anything to her. This made me really feel for the heroine and made me feel that Donovan was that much more of a hero, and when he seems to betray her, it sent a pang right through me. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Return of Scandal's Son by Janice Preston- Lady Eleanor Ashby is going to London after an unfortunare fire in her home, only for one of her horses to be shot while she and her aunt are on the road, resulting in an accident. She stops the carriage on the road behind them to prevent a second accident and meets Matthew Thomas, a merchant who is travelling to meet a cargo ship carrying his partner. But when Matthew realizes that someone is trying to kill Eleanor and makes sure to stick around so that she will be safe. But Matthew has secrets of his own, and as he grows close to Eleanor, he finds himself wanting to make peace with his own family. And Eleanor has old, unhealed traumas of her own. Can the two of them overcome their adversarial relationship and find love together? I liked this book, which gave both hero and heroine equally screwed up pasts and emotional traumas. I liked this rather even-handed treatment of hero and heroine, and I liked the romance story. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Pirate Hunter by Laura Martin- William Greenacre is a Pirate Hunter, brought to the Caribbean by the Navy to catch the Pirate, Del Torres. But on his way there, he is shipwrecked, and barely makes it to the island, where he is rescued by Mia Del Torres, the infamous pirate's sister. But when she is taken prisoner by the governor of the island, she is told that she will be hanged unless she helps Will capture her brother. While everyone else on the ship seems to despise her, Will realizes that she has had nothing to do with her brother for years. He is also attracted to Mia, and loves her for helping to rescue him. But while she has helped him to find her brother, when he is killed by William, someone needs to pay- and that someone seems to be Mia. Can William rescue Mia from the forces of law and those who see her as nothing more than a pirate whore? Another good story, which comes very quickly, but I liked the characters and the storyline, and the problems and tensions they encountered piqued my interest. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Christian Seaton: Duke of Danger by Carole Mortimer- Christian Seaton is in France to find out about the death of a French Spy who died. While in Paris, he goes into a tavern and meets Lisette, one of the tavern servers. Christian is entranced with the young woman, but the owner of the tavern warns him off- the girl is her niece. But when Lisette agrees to meet Christian, it is to warn her that her aunt has decided to kill him for the "crime" of wanting her. Christian pooh-poohs her concerns, but when he is shot, along with the groom on his carriage, she comes back to help him. To keep her safe from her aunt's friends, Christian takes Lisette back to England when he recovers. But Lisette has many secrets, not all of which she knows, and when her secrets come out, it could mean that Lisette's secrets will change the ideas between the two nations. But will Lisette be able to find a future with Christian, or will her hurt feelings towards him in prevent them from getting together? I found this book only mildly interesting. Christian Seaton wasn't that interesting to me, but Lisette made up for it. I found her far more interesting, and a better character. Recommended, but not by much.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Born of Betrayal by Sherrilyn Kenyon.- Fain Hauk was once the most renowned men on his home planet of Adarian. But when his fiancée, Galene Batur, believes he is cheating on her with a human, she pushes him out of his military school locker room into the auditorium fully naked. He wasn't but he refused to tell her she was wrong. But when they meet twenty years later, Galene has become the leader of the Adarians military, she is put in charge of the liaising with the allies of the sentella. But the person she has to work with is... Fain Hauk, who she still holds a significant grudge against. And Fain is disgusted by the younger man she lives with, who he assumes is her lover as well as adjutant. But her live-in is actually their son, Talyn Batur. When he finds out the truth, he begins to try and make it up to her, and she, who never actually stopped loving him, begins to see how bad his life has been since they broke up. But when someone tries to kill Talyn and hurt Galene, can Fain keep her safe and get back in her heart, or will their past dispute sour their chances of love forever? I liked this book, mainly because Fain Hauk has appeared in past books by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and he had an okay history as opposed to a relentlessly horrible one. I also liked how strong Galene was, and her relationship with her son, Talyn. I liked how Talyn acted as their chaperone while they were "courting", and the end of both relationships. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Angel of Storm by Trudi Canavan- Rielle and Tyen are two different people from very different worlds. Rielle has been surviving as a weaver in a small town, whereas Tyen has become a teacher at a mage school. But when a the Angel, Valhan, returns, and says that he is going to take Rielle back to his world, as she has "paid back" all the magic she stole, by making things. But when he leaves her in the world of Inekera, Inekere tests Rielle's magic and abandons her in a different world, where she gets rescued and taken along with the Travelers, who travel between worlds. She also meets Baluka, the son of the travelers in charge of the band who rescued her. He is interested in her, and becomes even more interested as he teaches her some magic and wants her to learn more. Meanwhile, Tyen's school closes when it is learned that Raen, an extremely powerful magician, has returned after 20 years away, nobody knows where, exactly. No oner wants Raen around, but there are many plans to get rid of him, such as stranding him on a dead world, which has no magic, and would leave him there until he dies. But now that he is back, numerous academies of magic on many worlds will have to close, as Raen doesn't want there to be travel between worlds, or for people to be taught magic. With nowhere else to go, Tyen warns several friends of his about Raen's return, but when Raen catches up to him, Tyen feels compelled to agree to spy for him on the rebels who are determined to fight against him, in order to save his book, who is a woman turned into a book by Raen's predecessor. Meanwhile, Baluka has fallen in love with Rielle and asks her to marry him, and she agrees. But before she can marry him, Raen, who she knew as Valhan, and has been arguing that Her Angel is not Raen, discovers that he is, but leaves her relationship with Baluka to learn magic under the tutelage of Raen's friend, Dahli. But when she finds that learning magic made her ability to make magic go away. But when disappears, can he count on Rielle's help in bringing him back to life? I found this book interesting, but I was interested in seeing if Tyen and Rielle would meet, and as I suspect, end up together. I knew Rielle would probably not end up with Baluka or Valhan/Raen. I found Rielle's story a bit more interesting than Tyen's, but on the whole, the book is incredibly interesting and amazing read. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shadowrealm by Paul S. Kemp- Erevis Cale and Riven return to the Lathanderites with Abelar in order to see his son, Elden. When the Lathanderites flee ahead of the Shadowstorm into Shadevar lands, the Shadevar refuse to let them in until they destroy Kesson Rel. Also, Brennus wants to kill off his brother, Rivalen, so when their father tells Brennus to send Rivalen to Erevis Cale so that they can steal Kesson Rel's divinity from him. But when they go to Kesson Rel's homeworld, it is inhabited by countless wraiths who were made and left behind by Kesson Rel, and who blame him, quite rightly, since he left them there to die. But when Erevis drinks from the chalice where Kesson Rel obtained his divinity, he doesn't immediately become a god, it confers merely the possibility to become a god, and he must discover how to turn that ability into actually being a god, and then save the Lathanderites when they decide to stand against the shadows of the shadowstorm. But when the Lathanderites are about to be overwhelmed. can Erevis Cale and his friends bring the encounter to a successful conclusion? And what will happen when Erevis, Riven and Rivalen take on Kesson Rel? I liked this book, though I didn't read either of the first two books. This book leads into the one where Erevis Cale comes back to life, revived by Magadon, and Rivalen. So. I sort of knew where this was heading, but it was still good and interesting to read as well. This set up a very creditable threat in the Shadowstorm and made me fear it. I loved reading the book, and seeing how Kesson Rel failed, and how he was brought down. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue by Victoria Thompson- Frank Malloy and Sarah Brandt have gotten married and are in Europe for their honeymoon. While they are away, a friend of Mrs. Malloy, Frank's mother, visits her, wanting help for her daughter, Una, who has been arrested for supposedly killing her husband. Maeve tells her that Frank Malloy isn't home, but maybe they can help her anyway. They call on Gino Donatelli, who has been re-hired as a beat cop on the force, and Maeve and Gino go to the house where Una and her husband lived. There, they discover that Una's husband beat her, and there was a giant argument between her husband Well, they assumed it was her. But it turns out that her husband had a few visitors on the day he died, including the brother of his first wife, his partner, and possibly others. But while Maeve and the Deckers look into her husband's finances, Maeve has removed almost $38,000 from the safe in the game. But as they look into Mr. Pollock's affairs, they have to discover not only who killed him, but who searched the house, and the apartment of Pollock's partner. But can they uncover the right information and who was behind the crimes? I loved this book, which involved the more peripheral characters from the series, such as Gino, Maeve and the Deckers. The story was interesting and kept me interested and reading all the way through. I started out feeling sorry for Una, but by the end, I didn't like her very much at all. This was fine, and the fact that I cared about the character was excellent news. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Christmas Escape by Anne Perry- When Charles Latterly, Hester's brother, travels to a small meditteranean island over the Christmas Holiday looking for a place to escape to after the death of his wife, he doesn't find it as peaceful as he wishes it would be. For one thing, one of the guests, Mr, Walker-Bailey is a very unpleasant man who spends his time baiting another guest, a Mr. Quinn. who is a writer, trying to annoy the other man, which makes his wife frantic, especially when he accuses one of the guests of trying to kill him. Luckily, Charles meets a fourteen year old girl, the granddaughter of one of the guests, a Candace Finbar, whose bright personality and inquisitive mind, keep him interested and entertained. But when the volcanic mountain at the center of the island begins to erupt, it will be up to Charles to get everyone to safety, and discover the identity of a murderer. But will he survive the confrontation? I liked this book. I don't remember Charles Latterly as a character in any of the books, but I liked the other characters and especially Candace, as she and Charles end up in a family together at the end. I liked how she and Charles got along together and how they interacted. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">How to Fake a Moon Landing: Exposing the Myths of Science Denial by Darryl Cunningham- This hardcover graphic novel shows readers why these denials are wrong when it comes to the science involved and why you shouldn't believe them, either. The books cover seven different subjects: The Moon Hoax, Homeopathy, Chiropractic, The MMR vaccine Scandal, Evolution, Fracking and Climate Denial, along with a small section at the end on Science Denial in general, why it happens and why it is comforting to those who engage in it. I loved this book, because it presents the reasons why you shouldn't reject the science, and how things actually went down. The art is very minimal, except where it reproduces pictures of people and I liked that Darryl Cunningham went out of his way to show the real science and why you should reject the devialists' version. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Rebel Daughter by Lauri Robinson. Twyla Nightingale is a true daughter of the roaring twenties, right down to her flapper dress and bootlegging father. Her family runs a resort in Minnapolis which serves liquor, and when Forrest Reynolds shows up, she's upset, because she thinks he is here to romance her sister Norma Rose, who was once Forrest's girl, until he left them all nehind after he left to go to college. She once loved Forrest herself, but she's more worried that Forrest will interfere in Norma Rose's upcoming marriage to Ty Barrington, a lawyer who also tracks down crooks for the government. But Forrest has a reason for coming back to tow, and it has to do with his father, who is in prison in California for money laundering and counterfeiting and may be getting out of prison soon. Her father hates Twyla's and may be planning a terrible vengeance on the family. Forrest is trying to save his family estate, the Plantation, and keep Twyla, her father and her sisters safe. But can he do that when his father is in deep with real scum?I liked this book. I didn't necessarily get the feel of the roaring twenties from the book, but I did like Twyla and Forrest and I liked all the threads of the story which interwove all four of the Nightingale sisters. I found this an entertaining book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Shining City by Kate Forsyth- Rhiannon and her fellow students have arrived at Lucescere and been imprisoned. Meanwhile, Lewen and the other students have settled into their studies, but Lewen goes to visit Rhiannon every day and the two who escorted her to the city and trying to work to get Rhiannon spared the death penalty and released to live her life. But the Rig is upset at Rhiannon because she killed a young man who was his friend and supported him into the Rig-ship, so doesn't want to free Rhiannon. Meanwhile, Lewen is re-connecting with his friends Owein and Olwynne, the son and daughter of the Rig. Olwynne had hoped to have a romance with Lewen, but with him so stuck on Rhiannon, and focused on freeing her, she is getting upset with him and she burns for Lewen. While she decides to go too far in securing Lewen's affections, the Lord of Ravenscrag gets his ghilie into the healer's hall, not matter that she was involved in the plot. Meanwhile, another thing happens when Cait Anna does, destroying everything she made- including the choker she wore to take away Maya's powers. Bronwyn, Maya's daughter, protects her mother, but someone is planning on assassinating the Rig, and because of everything else that is happening, including Rhiannon's trial, there is nothing that allows anyone to forsee the death of the Rig. But once he is dead, who is responsible for his death, and can Rhiannion get Lewen back from Olwynne and rescue both Olwynne and Owein when they are kidnapped from Lucescere? I Really enjoyed this book, and it was interesting to see what happened to Lewen and Olwynne and everything that went on. I enjoyed this book, and can't wait to find and read the third book in this series. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Cipher by Diana Pharoah Francis- Lucy Trenton is a member of the Royal Family. In her land, using magic is considered at least bad, if not evil. She also collects Ciphers, magical devices with various properties. But when Lucy, who has been able to detect magic since she was just a child, is called on to work a catastrophe that brings down five ships, she discovers a cipher in the cargo that breaks out of its container and attaches itself to her, she isn't sure what it is going to do, but it quickly manifests with the ability to start fires or ice the surroundings around her. As most of the Ciphers made by Errol Cipher were meant to punish people, she wonders when it will kill or hurt her rather than the people around her. But when Marten Thorpe gets close to Lucy, he comes afoul of his brother, who has a plan to take down the Royal Family and conquer the country. But when Marten decides to take a stand against his brother and stand with Lucy, he also incites his brother to try and get rid of him. But when they are enslaved and put on a ship to be sold into another country, he must decide his own fate- be a slave or die with her in the <em>sylveth</em> tides that warp the body and turn humans and animals into monsters. Will Lucy and Marten die or fall together? I loved the world-building in this book and the character of Lucy. I was less happy with Marten, who comes off as weak, even when he is supporting Lucy. He sort of always takes the "Lesser of two evils" when helping her and has to be left no other choice to seem to do anything. The villains are Evil, but more like EVIL. They are so evil ,they come off as more than a bit cartoonish, and thus, less effective as villains, but in the end, the story does some really amazing things, and I did enjoy it. I also want to see where the story goes from here. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Daughter of the Desert by Noel-Anne Brennan- Forentel is the daughter of a general of the city of Tireera, and her mother is the chief Judge of the City. Erba is the Prince of the same city. But when Forentel is urged to marry by her father, her mother suggests becoming her apprentice instead. Forentel has no choice but to agree, but as she goes through the city, she sees a woman, a Tirdar woman, one of the lower class conquered by Forentel's people, the Versat. Later, at home, she finds out that she may be her father's daughter, but not her mother's. She was adopted, but even so, she is half- Tirdar and half-Versat. This leads her to head to the Tirdar quarter, where she sees the woman who looks like her again- only to watch her be killed. She flees the city. Meanwhile, Erba, the younger of two brothers, is son of the King of Tireeera. Erba wants to trace the origin of the Tirdar, but his tutor, who has been leading him in this direction, doesn't want him to go. Erba makes plans to leave anyway and goes on a hunt with his two best friends. But when his party is ambushed by Tireerian soldiers, he mustflee the city, where his brother has poisoned his father. But when both of them head to the Shrine to the Tirdar Lady of the Cats, they are thrown together, along with Erba's tutor, Filfa, they are forced to seek the city of the Tirdar, the Lost City. But can they survive the bandits, slavers and other obstacles on their way... together? Or will they be parted by events beyond their control? This was an interesting book, because I liked Forentel, and I started out liking Erba, but by the end of the book, he looked weak and silly, more like a little boy than a strong man, so while I was hoping she would be Queen to his King eventually, by the end, I didn't want them to end up together. Okay, and slightly recommended for Forentel's journey.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Devil in the Details by K.A. Stewart- Jesse James Dawson is a warrior who follows the code of Bushido and spends his life fighting Devils who have stolen other people's souls to get them back. To do so, he must put up his own soul as collateral. In the meantime, he works at a Hot Topic-like store called "It", and tries to support his wife and young daughter, who is only five. He also requires a lot of money- to pay his own medical bills and leave some behind for his family if and when he dies. When he's approached by an old hero of his, a ball player Jesse has idolized since he was young, he agrees to take the job, but he's warned off by the player's lawyer, who thinks Jesse is running a scam. Then, he hears from other fighters like himself, who are disappearing, perhaps dead. Meanwhile, a devil who has been plaguing Jesse warns him that his life is in danger, but Jesse is unwilling to pay the Demon's price. But as the time for the fight against his Hero's demon comes closer, Jesse finds himself in more than a fight for his life- but one that might mean the end of every warrior he knows, and an increased Demon threat for the world. I found this a quick and enjoyable read. Liked the idea of people who fight devils to retrieve other people's souls, and IO liked the damage Jesse takes with each fight he takes on. I also liked the whole bunch of other warriors we met, yet I found myself only feeling "Meh" about the book as a whole. It just didn't pull on me strongly enough to really feel it was compelling. So, neither recommended nor not.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Prodigy by Jan Clark- Rieka Degahv is a human starship captain in a universe dominated by aliens. Humans are looked down upon because their planet is nearly destroyed- it was hit by an asteroid. Most humans don't seem to realize that the aliens look down on them, but Rieka's father felt differently and raised her to feel the same. But Rieka has two friends among the aliens: Triscoe Marteen, a Centauri and Robet DeVark. When Rieka is accused of killing a Procyon ship, which were recently enemies of the Commonwealth, which all three of them work for, they come to her rescue and attempt to show that Rieka was manipulated into doing what she did. But as Triscoe and DeVark and their friends and family try to keep Rieka free, Procyons have infiltrated the Imperium and are trying to steal the newest ship actually built to attack and defend, the Prodigy. But was Rieka's attack on the Procyon ship started by the Procyons, or humans who trust the aliens more than their fellow humans? And can they stop the plot before it goes through? I found this an interesting book. I'm not sure if this book is part of a series, because some of the aliens, like Robet, are described as having "Bibbets", but we never learn what they actually are, or what the aliens look like to humans. I mean, the Boos seem to have claws like a lobster, maybe. It was hard to understand what these aliens look like, and/or how they differed from standard humans. Also, most of the aliens seemed to be pretty humanoid. It seemed that there were no non-humanoid aliens, which seemed iffy. It seemed like more of a screenplay for a world in which aliens had to played by humans. Even the Procyons are humanoid enough to pass as a Centauri with a little cosmetic surgery. In a way, this felt a little lazy as far as world-building, much less than that two aliens who have nothing genetically in common getting married and being able to... well... "fit" together. I found this somewhat ridiculous. So, the story was good and so were the characters, but the conceits behind them weren't. Recommended anyway. :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dark of the Moon by Susan Krinard- In the 1920's Gwen Murphy's father found evidence of a cult of people who dumped bodies, sans blood in the city. When she goes down to the docks to meet with an informant, she is attacked and dumped into the river. she is rescued by a strange man, who she finds out is Dorian Black, a man living in a Warehouse with a number of other homeless people. But Dorian isn't just any man- he is a vampire and he used to be the enforcer for the ruler of the city. When he realized the man he worked for was evil, he killed him and set off a war between his two successors. When Gwen takes an interest in Dorian, she becomes a target to other vampires, and they try to kill her. When they seem to succeed, Dorian joins a vampire organizations named "Pax", who want to bringpeace to vampire society- to punish the other vampires for killing Gwen. When he discovers Gwen is still alive, he gors out of his way to rescue her when she stumbles into a battle between the two vampires. But when his master tells Dorian to kill her to remove the threat that she is to the vampires, he turns her instead, and tries to keep her safe from the infighting. But the vampires are not safe from a third faction which seems benevolent, but isn't. When things go to hell in a handbasket, can the two of them take on the real villain and bring him or her down and restore 0order to the city? I expected to like this book. I mean, a vampire romance set in the 1920's? I was *so* there. But Forian turned me off. He constantly made decisions for Gwen that made me feel like she was in an abusive relationship, and I didn't like reading that kind of thing at all. I enjoyed Gwen, but when she finally fell in love with Dorian I still felt a bit like she'd fallen victim to Stockholm Syndrome. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Peshawar Lancers by S.M. Stirling- In 1870, a group of meteorites hit the earth, causing widespread devastation. England, facing starvation from the changed weather, moved its capital and many of its people to India, where they resumed control of their Empire under Queen Victoria. Now, 200 years later, the world has reshaped itself, with the major powers being France, Russia, China and a few others. Captain Athelstane King , recently injured in combat against the Afghans, heads for home, only to be attacked on his way home by an Afghani Pathan, who tells Athelstane that a Russian posing as a fakir has put a price on his head. But why? When Athelstane tells the Pathan that the man wasn't really a holy man, the Pathan joins him for vengeance against the man. However, it is not only Athelstane who is in danger, but also his sister, Cassandra, an academic. It seems the Russians want both Kings dead, and don't care who they take out in the meantime. The Russian Tsar worships Tchernobog, the dark God better known as Satan in the west. But the Russian in charge, Ignatieff has brought one of the Sisters with him, who have the ability to see the future. And to ensure the success of his scheme, both of the King Siblings must die. But when his seer, who has been having visions of Disraeli, leaves Ignatieff to help Athelstane, he discovers a plot against the throne itself and to bring Tchernobog to earth, but can he keep his monarch safe while staying alive to prevent Tchernobog's return? I loved this book. I'm not usually one for alternate history books, but I have loved plenty of S.M. Stirling's in the past, and this one was one of his best, if not his best. I loved all the characters, heroic and villainous both, and I'd love to read more set in this particular version of altered history. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz- When Madeline and Daphne were just girls, Madeline suffered an attack by a man who was defeated, killed and buried on the grounds of the hotel owned by her grandmother. Soon after, they left and never returned, with her grandmother starring a successful chains of hotels based in Arizona. Jack Rayner was once a criminal profiler with the FBI, but gave it up to start his own securith business. Still, when Madeline is attacked on Aurora Point by someone who killed Caretaker Tom Lomax, it is Jack who comes to her rescue, flying up to Aurora Point to keep her safe. It seems that the secrets of the past, including the identity of the man who attacked and tried to rape Madeline Chase when she was just a girl- and only by reuniting with her old friend Daphne, who she hasn't seen since that night, and Jack's brother Abe, a detective whose skills lie in the area of Cyber- Sleuthing, can the questions of that night be answered and the ghosts put to rest. But what does a popular securities guy and his political family have to do with the old mystery? And can they find out before one of them pays the price? I loved this book, which had a woman in jeaopardy (two of them, actually, and contained two romances, one between Madeline and Jack, the other between Abe and Daphne, running concurrently, with Madeline and Jack being given the lion's share of the attention. I loved this book and I loved the characters. I also really enjoyed the mystery and the eventual end of the book. This book really was superior and I enjoyed it the whole way through. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Ultraman, Volume 1 by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimaguchi- Many years ago, the Giant of Light paired itself with Shin Hayata to fight creatures from other planets who came to conquer the Earth. When it left, Shin lost all his memories of the time when he and the giant fought their foes, but it seems that it did have an impact. Shin has greater than normal human strength, and his son, Shinjiro, has inherited that. In a meeting with Mitsuhiro Ide, he remembers that he was once Ultraman, and the "Ultraman Effect" has reached out to not only encompass him, but his son. Then, when a new alien, Bemular, comes to Earth looking to take on Ultraman, it is up to Shinjiro to decide whether to take up the same job his father once had- to defend the earth from aliens bent on conquering or destruction. But is Shinjiro up to the job? I never saw or read the original Ultraman, but I did like this new series. I liked the themes of duty and making your parents/father proud of you and living up to their example. I also liked the idea of duty versus emotions. It was a good reboot, and I liked the new design of the Ultraman armor. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Ultraman, Volume 2 by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimaguchi- Shinjiro meets the alien Edo, who used to be known as "Zetton", and who had attacked earth at one time. He and the men involved in the Science force send out to fight an alien named Adacic. But the bad aliens aren't the only ones on earth, and other forced, like those of the administration, like the police, are becoming wise to the fact. But the main policeman on the job, Detective Endo, has a daughter who is an idol who is very interested in the new Ultraman, gets caught in the fight between Ultraman and Adacic, can Shinjiro make his father proud of him and keep the adulation of Rena Endo? And why does Moroboshi so look down upon Shinjiro? What is the Science Squad really up to, and what are they lying about? And will Shinjiro catch on? How soon? Another really good volume, although this one has lots of combat between Shinjiro and Adacic and the mystery with why Moroboshi seems to hate Shinjiro so much, there is a lot of other stuff going around. And I really still do want to see more. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Wrath of the Furies by Steven Saylor- Young Gordianus is in Egypt when he receives a letter from his old mentor, Antipater. Actually, it's not a letter so much as an edited part of a secret diary kept by Antipater, who it seems, has fallen in with King Mitridates, who he was spying for while on journey to see the Seven Wonders of the World. But while he faked his own death to take the name of Zoticus of Zeugma, Mithridates wants Antipater to keep his new name, but why does he want him to go unnoticed? He certainly has attracted the attention of Mithridates' queen, Monime, and not in a good way. Because it seems that Mithridates wants to murder all of the Romans in Asia Minor. And he wants to turn aside the wrath of the Furies before he does so. When Gordianus and his slave and lover, Bethesda show up with Girdianus pretending to be struck dumb, he is tapped to become part of the ceremony, along with a blind man and a deaf man. But can Gordianis and Mithridates and the others involved in the ritual make Mitridates rethink his plans to kill all the Romans in his empire? And what will happen if they fail? This was based around a real incident from history, and I liked how Gordianus was drawn into the mystery and the reason, why, at the end, he was revealed to have been brought in. This was an interesting an intriguing book of history wrapped around an engaging mystery. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">If He's Noble by Hannah Howell- When Bened Vaughn, a newly made gentleman, runs into Lady Patricia Wooten in a Wood when she's lost her horse, he decides to help her. But her problems run deeper than she realizes at first- for her aunt is seeking Patricia's brother, possibly to do away with him, as a means to getting her hands on Patricia and her brother's fortune and keep her husband as Duke, as he has taken over the title since Patricia's father passed. But neither Patricia nor Bened is aware of how far her aunt will go to do as she pleases. Can Bened and his family keep himself and Patricia alive and safe until she can find her brother and then save them both when her aunt comes after them? I found this book good. I thought that it was going to be far more lighthearted than the book actually was. But I did enjoy it, and how Patricia and Bened came together, and the teasing of a romance for her brother and a female seer. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">How to Seduce a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks- Zoltan Czakvar is a vampire who lost both his father and his mother. His mother to a mob, and his father to a group of warriors who came to avenge her. All he has to guide him in his vengeance is a single arrow, but when he meets a vampire who might have discovered who made the arrow, he does his best to track down those responsible. But it turns out the ones responsible were a group of warrior women who seem to be ageless and immortal. And now, the ones they are trying to protect are in danger as a warrior vampire warlord wants to conquer their land. But can Zoltan help them and Neona, the warrior he begins falling in love with, help keep the warrior women and their charge safe? Ad what are they guarding, anyway? I found this an interesting book, with two very interesting characters, but the women seemed not to realize that the men they had kids with weren't as long-lived as they were outside of their lands, but they seem to be ignorant of it in one case (why the father of two of the women didn't come back, but they also know that Zoltan shouldn't be still alive after all this time. So it ended up making them kind of look kind of stupid. Other than that, I enjoyed the story, so I'd recommend this book.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-73824528911940894612015-11-18T16:52:00.000-05:002015-11-20T12:25:49.453-05:002010, Part 1<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Wedding Cake War by Lynna Banning- Lolly Mayfield finally had the nerve to apply for the position of being a Bride in the town of Maple Falls. But finally, desperation pushed her to it. Lolly was about to marry Kellen Macready sight unseen- but when she finally got to town in Maple Falls, she found that she was not the first, but the Third bride to show up. And then the women of the Maple Falls explain to her that the town needs a new schoolhouse, and to raise money, they are holding a competition between the Brides with Macready as the Prize, with the entire town betting on the outcome. Lolly feels humiliated, until she meets the other two Brides to be. Fleurette McClair is a snooty woman from New Orleans, and Careen Gunderson is a perfectly nice girl from Maple Falls. Determining not to lose to Fleurette, Lolly throws herself wholeheartedly into the competition. Kellen Macready only agreed to this farce because the prize money was to go for rebuilding the school. His bachelor heart wanted no part of marriage- not even to Careen Gunderson. But when he finally met Lolly, he no longer felt he minded as much. But who will win the war for Kellen's heart, and will the woman agree to marry him after all. And can a man find something like true love with an entire town looking in on the contest? This was a cute book, and if I had been in the heroine's shoes, I have no doubt that I'd have been a bit annoyed with the situation as well. But the best part of this book is that there were no true villains and the story ended well for each woman in the contest- something that made me smile at the end of the book. Also, the contest reminded me a lot of reality shows, complete with a cooking competition. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hawken's Wife by Rae Muir- Hawken is a man without a past, his memory stricken from him by an accident in his past. No longer remembering anything from his former life, he's become a trapper and trail guide in the West. When he's hired to help a wagon trin make its way even further west, Hawken meets up with Meggie McIntyre, a girl who can ride as well as any man, and who has a fearless heart. She joined the journey on the Oregon trail to save her friend, Tildy, from an arranged marriage, but her father, Jim Mac, and brother have conspired to try and rein her in. But Meggie is seemingly irrepressible... and soon she finds herself longing for Hawken, who is traveling with two slaves on the run and a business partner with whom he intends to set up a trading post. But when the people of the town don't exactly welcome him and his business, can he find a second goal in life as a trail guide? And will Meggie still want him if he does? But more to the point, can a man who has no memories of his former life settle down with someone he loves without even knowing if he left anyone who loved him, like a wife, behind? How can he create a stable future based on an unknown past? Well, this was a cute story. Meggie definitely caught and held my interest with her unusual ways, like naming her horse John Charles. She's wild and a tad reckless, but at the same time, she knows what she wants, and what she wants is Hawken. It was nice seeing her thawing him and making him want to reach for a future with her, and the book is full of humorous stuff, like the character who thinks Meggie is a witch because when she asks for the Hail Storm to stop... it does. This was a good book, and I'd definitely recommend it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Avatar: The Last Airbender Cine-manga, Volume 1- On the world of four nations, the north and south are ruled by the water nation. Two young people of the water nation, Katara and her brother, Sokka, go out fishing, lose their boat and find an iceberg with a young man inside. The young man is Aang, a member of the vanished Air nation, who disappeared 100 years ago. Along with AAng is Appa, his flying Bison. But when Katara finds out that Aang is a Bender, she wants his help in learning how to Bend. It seems that she is the only Bender in her village, and her tribe has lost contact with its sister tribe in the North. While Aang is an Airbender, she tells him she believes in him, and he agrees to help her. But Katara isn't the only one interested in Aang. It seems that Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation has staked his Honor on catching the Avatar. And when Aang and Katara investigate an old Fire Nation ship, wrecked in the first years of the war, they fall into an old Booby trap and a signal is sent to the Fire Nation. But can they escape before the ship of Prince Zuko finds them? This was cute, but short and is clearly meant for younger readers than most manga. The art style is cute and so are the characters. I think I'd definitely recommend this Cine-Manga to younger kids. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Alan Moore; Wild Worlds- This book holds five stories written by Alan Moore. The first is a crossover between Spawn and the WildC.A.T.s. When Zealot and Grifter of the future come back to try and kill Spawn, he attacks the modern day WildC.A.T.s instead, but their battle is interrupted by the future versions of Zealot and Grifter, who explain their actions by saying that in the future, Spawn has become the ruler of the nation, under the name of the Ipissimus. Of course, the modern-day heroes decide to go into the Future and take on Future Spawn/Ipissimus. Spawn underwent his transformation when he found a strange amulet. But when they finally break through to the Ipissimus, he knows exactly what they are going to do... because modern-day Spawn is fighting him as well. He grabs the amulet and is sent back to the modern day, along with future Zealot. But the effect of the amulet makes the modern-day Spawn start to go bad as well... until he realizes that the future Zealot is his daughter. But will his actions change the future? The second story shows the end of the Universe, as experienced by the Superhero Majestic, and what happens at the end. Voodoo is a member of the WildC.A.T.s, but when she moves to The Big Easy to clear her head, she supports herself by returning to her job of stripping, but gets involved with a club where the dancers are dying off. But who and/or what is killing them, and why? Deathblow: By Blows follows the story of Genevieve Cray, a female clone who must survive a murderous world to discover why she is there and why she was made. But can she escape the grasp of those who made her in the first place? The last story has their own base attacking the WildC.A.T.s. But why, and what is making it do so? I liked all of these stories, and I especially enjoyed the first story, but my favorite was the one about Genevieve Cray, probably because I didn't need to know anything about the characters-mainly because the original Deathblow was a character from the WildStorm universe who was killed off. This story is classic Alan Moore, which is far better than the paint-by-numbers first story. My next favorite was the Majestic story. His whole story is that he's immortal. But I liked it a lot, as the character's nature is apparent throughout the story. Definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Cause of My Teacher by Temari Matsumoto- This book is a series of Shonen-Ai short stories about teachers and their students and romances between them. The first, and the book's name is about a boy in love with his young teacher who has already confessed his feelings and started a relationship with the man. But the boy loved his teacher's glasses. When the boy needs glasses as well, will their feelings change. My favorite story in the book is "Boy from the Palace of the Sea" has a boy Prince from a medieval seaside Kingdom who fall in love with his teacher/mentor and becomes his sex slave. But why would the Kingdom allow its Prince to become a sex slave to his teacher? I liked all the stories, but after a while they kind of ran together, so I would have to say that this book is okay if you are desperate for some Shonen-Ai, but otherwise, this book is easily missable and forgettable. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Official XXXHolic Guide Created by Clamp- This is your guide to all things XXXHolic, but really only for the first nine volumes, with guides to the stories, characters, fashions and even a insight of what "hitsuzen" means in the course of the story. It's a good book, but for an official guide, it's kind of sparse, considering how long the series went on for and this really only covers the first nine volumes, and the series went on for a full nineteen volumes. It doesn't really talk about many of the issues that came up later, and spends more time talking about Yuko's fashion choices than just about anything else. It's okay, but I would have loved to see something a little deeper and less stuff that reminds me of some of the same things that you see in Japanese fan magazines, like fan ratings of their favorites characters, pairings, scenes and lines. It's okay, and it reprints lots of interesting stuff from the first nine volumes. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sherlock Holmes: Return of the Devil by Martin Powell and Seppo Makinen- Sherlock Holmes, with a dearth of cases to keep his attention, he has retreated into his addiction to cocaine. But as he retreats from the world, his hallucination becomes yet more hellish. But he is not alone in his hallucination. All across London, other users of cocaine are having the same sort of hallucinations. Clearly, something has poisoned the cocaine supply of London, and to combat it, Sherlock Holmes must throw off his addiction with the help of his friend, Watson and take on Moriarty. But can even he overcome his need for a drug to keep him mentally entertained? I have long followed the career and art of Seppo Makinen, especially his Sherlock Holmes stories, starting with "Shadows in Gaslight", where Sherlock Holmes takes on Dracula. Well, this is a stand-alone story, mostly without any sort of supernatural characters. Here, they are here, but they are all Hallucinations. I liked this story, and I felt that this was an excellent story about the last case of Holmes' career. Originally published in two separate comics, this is still not a very long book, and the style is rather strange, but it was a good story and interesting. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Akiko Pocket-size #5: Bornstone's Elixir by Mark Crilley- Akiko is pulled out of School by, not her friends Beeba and Spuckler Boach, it is Prince Froptoppit who comes for on Mr. Beeba's orders. It seems that Mr. Beeba's old friend and mentor, Professor Lunderdorf, is dying and Mr. Beeba is determined to save him by searching for a legendary cure-all known as "Bornstone's Elixir". To do so, they split up, Akiko and The Prince must buy a large amount of Bornstone's favorite ale. Along the way, they meet a tall, handsome man named Kell, who interferes with Prince Froptoppit's pursuit of Akiko as a girlfriend. Later, he joins them to help them get the ale, while Beeba and Spuckler and Gax go off in search of a Yoodoo bird. But when they descend upon Bornstone, the giant man refuses to give up the Elixir that was developed by his father. Can the group persuade Bornstone to save Professor Lunderdorf., and can Kell be trusted with the Elixir? Then, in a short story, Akiko is invited to a tiny world by its queen, but will her friends ruin it for her? I love the Akiko books, and this series of short stories are really excellent and fun. Even the ending to this one is great, with Beeba having to manage Professor Lunderdorf's expectations. I really enjoy this series, and both kids and adults will find it enjoyable. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">DemonWars: The Demon Spirit by R.A. Salvatore- Even after being banished from Corona, the Demon Dactyl's influence continues to grow and spread. Having charmed the cleric Markwart, Markwart begins to carry out the Demon's desires, making it seem that the stone mage Avelyn was corrupted, and searching for him to kill him and confiscate the stones that allow him to wield magic. Meanwhile, Jillesponie, Avelyn's apprentice in magic, is growing in power, and accompanied by her husband the Ranger, Elbryan. They recruit the elf Belli'mar to help them in the absence of the elf Tumtum. But when Markwart finds that Avelyn is dead, he suppresses the trutj and when he discovers a centaur buried at the sight of the battle, he digs him up and has him carried off to be questioned. He then switches his focus to Pony, taking in her family to question them. But when Pony discovers from the priest, Father Jojonah, about Markwart's focus on her, she goes after him with her allies, only too late to protect her adoptive family. But can she, Elbryan, Belli'mar and their new friend, the thief, Roger, can she avenge her family and free the world from Dactyl's influence? I thought this book and characters reminded me a lot of R.A. Salvatore's other hero, Drizzt Do'Urden. If you consider Elbryan as an analogue to Drizzt, and Poni as an analogue to Catti-Brie, I found myself thinking that they were very much alike- Not completely similar, of course, but enough alike in how they described their skills that I was thinking "Hey, hold on a minute..." Not that this is a bad thing, but in my case, it made me the story easier to get into. This comic was good, with lots of interesting world-building and excellent art. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes R.A. Salvatore or fantasy. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Wolfsbane and Mistletoe edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner- This book is a series of short stories by different authors about Christmas and Werewolves. "Gift Wrap by Charlaine Harris has Sookie discover a Were named Preston Pardeaux in the woods on her property just before Christmas. Can Sookie keep him safe from his own clan? "The Haire of the Beast" by Donna Andrews has a witch who accidentally turns her boyfriend into a dog, instead of the man she was actually wanting to turn. But can she fix things in time for Christmas? "Lucy, at Christmastime" by Simon R. Green, Has Leo Morn drinking at Strangeways in the Nightside. He's remembering the first time he turned into a werewolf, and his girlfriend, Lucy. "The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron has two sisters, a werewolf and a vampire. But when her sister is attacked, can defend her, but the people in town are suspicious of them. But when a school bus of kids go missing can the Werewolf sister rescue the kids and change the mood of the town? Or even just one person? "The Werewolf Before Christmas" by Kat Richardson has a werewolf killing Rudolph before Christmas. But when Santa needs Rudolf, can a werewolf lead the reindeer on a trip around the world and find himself and his attitude changed? "Fresh Meat" by Alan Gordon has a man who raises dogs needing the help of his dogs when werewolf hunters come to kill him. But can he hide the truth of what he is from a neighbor who wants to get closer to him? "Il est Ne" by Carrie Vaughn has Kitty meeting a newly turned werewolf in a lonely café. Can she impart some Christmas cheer, not to mention hope, to someone who has hit bottom after their life has changed. And what sort of change can she make for him? "The Perfect Gift" by Diana Stabenow has a Werewolf and a Police Officer in Canada discover what each other is and perhaps make a close connection. "Christmas Past" by Keri Arthur has two people on the Supernatural Investigations Squad having to deal with a crime on Christmas Eve when the man is a Werewolf, but their past romance came to an end at his hands. The question is, can they get past that and make a new future? "SA" by J.A. Konrath has a man who is upset at what is appearing in his feces, and finds that he is eating people. But when he goes to "Shapeshifters Anonymous", will he find the help he needs? "The Star of David" by Patricia Briggs has a child welfare officer who needs help with a young boy who may be being abused by the family, can her father, a Werewolf, help her find the truth? "You'd Better Not Pyout" by Nancy Pickard has two Russian Vampires trying to prove that Santa is a Vampire. But are they right? And will they survive if he isn't? "Rogue Elements" by Karen Chance has a combat mage with a Werewolf mother tasked for a job dealing with weres. But is she really the person who is perfect to deal with this issue? And when she finds out the truth about the three missing Werewolf girls, can she contain her anger, and deal with the issues she has stirred up. "Milk and Cookies" by Rob Thurman has a were boy who is trying to persuade his Sister that Santa is real and exists. But how far will he go to keep the magic alive? "Keeping Watch Over His Flock" by Toni L.P. Kelner has a Werewolf boy who transgressed one of the biggest laws of his people. But will his explanation of why he broke the law get out of trouble? I liked this book- all the stories were great, and my favorites were probably the last two, the first one had quite a sting in its tail and the second one was just a great story. Don't get me wrong- they were all excellent. but those were the two I liked the best and found the most memorable. If I had to pick a third for my "Top 3", I'd go with "Rogue Elements" as the third. Nonetheless, Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Highlander's Touch by Karen Marie Moning tells the story of Lisa Stone whose mother is dying of cancer, has taken a job as a nighttime janitor to help ends meet and let her stay with her mother until she dies. But when Lisa touches a flask that was found near a river in Scotland in an office where she shouldn't have been she finds herself in 14th Century Scotland, in the Castle of Circenn Brodie, who has vowed to kill anyone who touched the flask. But intrigued by Lisa, he seeks reasons and excuses to keep her alive. But a fey named Adam wants Circenn to go back on his word, and is intrigued when Circenn keeps finding ways to keep her alive. But when he falls in love with her, can he send her back to the future to be with her mother, knowing he might never see her again? And who will Lisa choose, her mother or Circenn? I liked this book, but I preferred Karen Marie Moning's Fever series with Kayla MacLane. But it was a good romance, I was just irritated with the ending. in which Adam and Circenn manipulated time to save Lisa and give her a different past. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Horseman by Jillian Hart- When Katelyn Green loses her baby, her father-in-;aw decides that she won't bring anything else into the family. But when Dillon Hennessey approaches her to marry her, she feels she has little choice. But can the two of them find real love out of necessity, and can he persuade her that his feelings are true and restore her faith in life? This was only okay. Jillian Hart made me believe in the characters and wanted them to be together. I just don't particularly care for Westerns. so recommended only slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">One Lucky Vampire by Lynsay Sands- Nicole Phillips is a famous artist, known for her portraits. But when she and her ex-husband, a user, are getting ready for their divorce to be final. But when there are three possible attempts on her life in a very short time, her friend, Marguerite Argenau, hires a vampire named Jake Colson (also known as Stephano Notte) to guard Nicole, in the guise of a housekeeper. Jake Can't cook, but he can learn and he agrees to do it for Marguerite. Nicole insists that she doesn't think her husband, soon to be ex, is really trying to kill her, just that he is forgetful and perhaps a little vindictive. But when Jake nearly dies from taking a dip in Nicole's hot tub, which has been poisoned with Nicotine, it's obvious that there is something up... and Jake also realizes that he can't read Nicole's mind, which means she is his lifemate, or could be. But can he save her from whoever wants her dead, or seems to want her dead. And the question is, who is trying to kill Nicole, and why? And will Jake and Nicole end up together, or can she deal with the reality that Jake is a vampire? I loved this book. I have to say that the image of Jake on the cover really appealed to me, with the short beard and mustache and the leather jacket. With this in my head, I was prepared to be attracted to Jake, but the character as written was really attractive to me. He takes care of Nicole and he does a lot of stuff to keep her safe, even before he realizes that she is his lifemate. I just loved the character, and I loved the story, and if you like guys who appreciate the woman they are attracted to, this character and book will appeal to you as well. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Literature: The New York Public Library Book of Answers- More Unusual and Entertaining Questions From America's Leading Reference Resource by Melinda Corey and George Ochoa- The New York Public Library is the largest Public Library in American, Possibly save the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. But can you answer the questions in this book without looking at the answers? The categories cover American Literature, The Ancient World, Authors in Love, Deaths, Drama, Table Talk, Writer's Lives, Trick Questions and Popular Delusions and every area in between. This book gives you a lot to think about and covers just about everything, being taken from real life reference questions submitted to Librarians at the Library. My favorite section was the "Trick Questions and Popular Delusions, of course. I would definitely Recommend this book for those looking for answers.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews and Meljean Brook- This book is a collection of four stories, all dealing with Hellhounds. "The Brittlingens Go to Hell" by Charlaine Harris is about two female mercenaries, and have to fight their way out of Hell, and manage to get Hellhounds out of the deal. But can they escape the baleful influence of Lucifer? In "Angel's Judgment" by Nalini Singh, the leader of the Vampire Hunter's Guild believes that there is a traitor in the Guild, and the only hope she has is a Vampire Hunter who breeds his own Hellhounds. But when the two of them begin to have feelings for each other, will it endanger their mission? "Magic Mourns" by Ilona Andrews has Andrea Nash, subbing for Kate Daniels discovering that Cerberus, the legendary Three-headed Hound of Hell out of Greek Myth, has appeared in Atlanta. But where is it and what. or should that be, who is it looking for... and why? And Can Andrea deal with it before it tears a bloody path through Atlanta? "Blind Spot" by Meljean Brooks has Maggie Wren, who is looking for her employer's niece. But first, she and her Hellhound must recover a blind man who she finds sexy as all get our. But will there be time for romance, or even sex, when she is on the job, and what secrets does her new companion hold? I loved this book. I had never read about the Britlingens before, so that story was only okay for me, but I really enjoyed Angel's Judgment and "Magic Mourns". I haven't read that much Meljean Brooks, but the story is supposed to be part of her "Guardian" series. Even so, it was intriguing. I like the use of literal Hellhounds in three of the stories, and I can't even pick one favorite here. All the stories are good. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Doctor Who: The Tides of Time by Dave Gibbons and Steve Parkhouse is a reprint of the stories that appeared in Doctor Who Monthly during the time that Peter Davison was playing the 5th Doctor. "The Tides of Time" has The Doctor in a small English village when things from the past and the future. He meets a Knight from the Medieval Era named Sir Justin. The Doctor discovers the a hostile alien has taken over the Event Synthesizer, and the Doctor must put it back in the hands of its normal controller, but do so will require the help of Rassilon, the High Council of Gallifrey and Merlin the Magician. "Stars Fell on Stockbridge" When a local crazy comes across the Tardis in the woods, he realizes that the Doctor is an alien. But he also sees a star falling from the sky. The Doctor investigates with the man, they find an alien spaceship. But who or what is on board? "The Stockbridge Horror" has quarrymen finding the outline of the Tardis in a chalk Quarry. But when the Doctor discovers a strange character in black setting fires in the fields around Stockbridge, the Doctor must team up with Gallifreyan Agent Shayde to bring the being out of the Tardis's memories banks. "Lunar Lagoon" has the Doctor discover a Japanese Warrior on a small, unnamed Pacific Island. But when the Japanese takes him prisoner, can he escape? in "4-Dimensional Vistas", The Doctor finds himself on another small island, where he is accosted by a soldier, also from World War II, but the time is the 80's and The Doctor concludes that he is lost in time. But when Ice Warriors attack humans at the North Pole, can the Doctor and his new companion take them on? "The Moderator" has the Doctor facing off against a ruthless businessman who wants The Doctor's Tardis for his own. But when he sends an underling to "negotiate" with The Doctor, will the Doctor be able to survive the efforts of the Gaunts, Wrekkas and the Negotiator himself? I found this volume interesting. Some of the stories I really liked and some that I just found tedious. My favorite story was the book namer "The Tides of Time". I found Justin, The Doctor's new companion, to be refreshing and interesting, with his attitude of awe at the universe and his travels with the Doctor. I found the ending sad, but still interesting. Some of the later stories could be tedious, and I didn't necessarily enjoy the companions. Some of the stories seemed to drag on a bit, but overall these stories were very English and that may be the reason why I didn't get into them very well. Recommended, but this may not be what you expect.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sherlock Holmes: The Cases of the Twisted Mines by Steven Phillip Jones, Aldin Baroza and Seppo Makinen- When Sherlock Holmes is visited by the police in the Case of a Mr. Hyde, he interviews the man and discovers Hyde in possession of a check made out to Jeckyll. He insists he obtained it legally, but he cannot say why Jeckyll gave him the check. Holmes digs into the matter further, but when he is visited by Dr. Henry Jeckyll himself, he discovers that the good Doctor is hiding something. The question is... what? and when one of Holmes' Bow Street Runners sees Hyde jump out of Jeckyll's skin after he has a fit, can he uncover the truth and bring the miscreant to justice? In "The Adventure of the Opera Ghost", Holmes is intrigued by a private message in a Paris Newspaper. When he travels to Paris to look into the matter, he discovers that the Paris Opera House is haunted, by a Ghost, known as the Opera Ghost. But can Holmes Ferret out the secret of the Opera Ghost and the woman who seems to be the recipient of his regard, Soubrette Christine Daae? These bring Holmes to bear on two other Victorian Stories, Stevenson's "The Curious Case of the Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde", and Gaston Leroux's "Phantom of the Opera". One of them deals with what might be possible real magic (Jeckyll and Hyde) and one in which most of the "Magic" is merely smoke, mirrors and hidden passages. In the case of the first story, the comic hews closely to the original story, and in the second case, less closely, but still fairly close. I liked this book, and even the rather inconclusive ending of the first story was interesting, because Holmes' Deductive logic breaks down in a case where magic makes things possible. If you know either story, or have seen a movie (or play) will probably be able to tell much of what is going to happen, but's and interesting read anyhow. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Ben Franklin Takes the Case by Robert Lee Hall- This book is couched in the sort of "Hidden Manuscripts I found in some old pace" sort of story, supposedly a Case that Ben Franklin had to take on when he was in London before the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin was there to try and get England to agree to some of the Colonist's demands. While in England, Franklin goes to meet an old friend of his, Ebenezer Inch, only to find that he has been killed. Working in the ship is Inch's apprentice, Nick Handy. Nick is not happy with Inch's family, as they mistreat him and merely tolerate him. So when Ben Franklin takes Nick under his wing to teach Nick about printing and much else besides, Nick becomes Ben's amanuensis, apprentice and legs, to run about where Franklin cannot go because of his gout. Nick isn't only seeking the death on Inch, who treated him like a son. The question is, who is his father? Will Nick be happy with the answer, or come up disappointed with no answer at all? And can he and Ben Franklin discover who killed his beloved Master and bring them to justice? I loved this book, which is written in the language of the 1700s and includes the written neologisms of the time, like "Oh" written as "O" and so one. This makes the writing feel authentically old and the story feel more realistic. I liked Ben Franklin's characterization, and that of Nick Handy. I also found the story interesting and fun. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Vampire Hunter D, Volume 4 by Hideyuki Kikuchi and Saiko Takaki- In a Floating City Paradise, D rescues a woman named Lori and brings her to the city. Supposedly, the city is free of Vampires, but when Vampire Marks appear on the neck of the Mayor's daughter, D teams up with the Mayor to find any vampires that may have infiltrated the city. But the city is built on lies, and those in charge may not have the best interests in mind. The question is, what is going on, what is happening, and what does the strange, unsavory man known as Pluto VIII have to do with any of what is going on? Can D save the city, or is it already doomed by the choices its people and leaders have made? I liked this manga, which made D just as Ethereal and otherworldly as he appears on the covers of Hideyuki Kikuchi's novels. D is cold and reserved, withdrawn from people and most women, because he is a Dunpeal, aka a Dhampire, a half-human and half-vampire. D's world is both futuristic and medieval at once, and also highly magical, with D having some sort of demon face grafted onto his hand, and much of his items are future science masquerading as semi-magical devices, as most people have forgotten science. I liked the whole idea of a floating city, and the idea of the noble vampires, though we never see why the nobles arose or where or how. Recommended. nonetheless.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Blow Me Down by Katie MacAllister- Amy is a financial analyst who spends her downtime on the MMO game "Buckling Swashes", where her alter ego is the fierce "Earless Erica". And one of her fiercest opponents is Black Corbin, who, in reality is Corbin, the programmer of the game. But when the game is attacked by Corbin's ex-partner, Paul Samuels, everyone already in the game or those who log in afterwards is stuck in the Virtual World. To get out, they have to track down Paul Samuels in the game, under whatever identity he is using and defeat him in battle to destroy him and get back home. But to do so, they are going to have to work together and navigate the world of the game, and Amy is a complete neophyte where this pirate game is concerned. can she learn enough to take on the big boys and win along with Corbin? And can she and Corbin translate their lust for each other from the game to the real world? I loved this book, but it has a sort of retro feel about the whole MMO sort of thing. I liked the details of the game world, and how Amy and Corbin as "Earless Erica" and "Black Corbin" come together and discover their lust for each other. I also love how they come together as people., and their interactions with each other. This book rocked my socks off. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Bellmaker by Brian Jacques- Joseph was the Bellmaker for The Abbey, and his daughter, Mariel, left the Abbey to travel withg her friend, Dandin, who bears the sword of Martin the Warrior. But when they were in the hot southern deserts, they run into two female Ermines known as the Dirgecallers. They kill the Dir4ecallers, but are captured by the rat minions of a fox who is called the "Foxwolf", because he wears a wolf pelt. The Foxwolf, Urgan Nagru, and his wife, Silvamord, are trying to take over the north. They have conquered the lands of the Good Squirrelking, Gael SquirrelKing, and his wife Serena and their family. Dandin, Mariel, and their new friend, Bowly Pintips, are rescued from the rats by Meldrum Fallowthorn. Meanwhile, allies of Gael seek to rescue the King, but Gael and the leader of the Rescuers, Rab, must cover the escape of Gael's son Truffen, and are thought dead. Meanwhile, Martin the Warrior sends Jospeh a dream about Mariel and tells him be must sail to her rescue. Martin and his fellow Redwallers, Hon. Rosie the Hare Warrior, durry Quill, a Hedgehog, Rufe Brush, the Squirrel, and Foremole, must steal the pirate ship from two Rat pirates, The Pearl Queen and Slipp and Strapp. They must sail the ship south to rescue Dandin and Mariel from Urgan, But when they meet up with the Redwallers and Truffen and restore Gael to his throne and defeat the evil Foxwolf, his mate and their army of rats. But can the small group of Redwallers, Mariel and Dandin and a bunch of good animals defeat an evil army in the north? I love these books. Yes, they are for kids, and the stories are all good vs evil in its most simplistic form. But while certain races seem evil, Jacques has characters who can change. For example, the rat, Blaggut, who really, sincerely wants to change his ways, and ends up killing his evil Captain and making things up with the people (animals) of Redwall. It's a good adventure story, and will appeal to both kids and even teens. Heck, I enjoyed it and I'm an adult. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Mattimeo by Brian Jacques- Mattimeo is the son of Matthias, but a bit spoiled, as he has been lionized by the Redwallers since he was born. But when he fights the mean, obnoxious rat, Vitch, who, as it turns out, is helping Slagar, Masked Fox, who wants to infilatrate the Summer Feast and carry off the Redwallers to sell for slaves. He and his group pretends to be a circus troupe and drug the redwallers, then steal the Dibbuns, or the young children of the abbey, Matthias, Tess and Tim churchmouse, a Vale named Cynthia Bankvole and Sam Squirrel. They wake in St.Ninians Priory and are marched off to the distant kingdom of Malakiss, but the slaves aren't being told where they are being taken. Also with them is Auma, a badgermaid who had already been captured. The slavers also pick up Jube, a hedgehog who is sure his father is going to rescue him soon. Matthias and several redwallers are on the trail of Mattimeo and his companions, but when they reach the underground realm of Malakiss, all bets are off. Can Matthias and the Dibbuns fight to stay alive until help reaches them and will Mattimeo show the stuff to become a warrior like his father? Another excellent novel. Yes, it's very black and white regarding good and evil, but it's a thrilling tale well suited for kids and teens. The Dibbuns occasionally get on my nerves, but are otherwise okay as protagonists. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques- Martin the Warrior has often appeared in the Redwall tales as a benevolent ghost who helps the Redwallers and represents the best of warriors and the Warrior spirit. But he's never appeared as an actual character, until now. Martin starts out already a seasoned warrior. son of another Warrior, Luke. But Martin has been captured by the Tyrant, Badrang, and enslaved. Martin has sworn to escape, and he does, but without his father's sword that he swore to reclaim. Martin joins up with several other good animals, including a mousemaid named Laterose, or "Rose". The companions are separated, and while Martin, Rose and a Mole named Grumm are captured by shrews, but are freed after they save the life of the Shrew Queen's son, along with a Hedgehog named Pallum. When they finally reach Noonvale, Rose's home, Martin and Rose's father, Urran Voh, raise an army, but it is not large enough. It's only with the help of Boldred, a scholarly owl, that they finally raise enough animals to take on Badrang. They also meet up with their other companions, Felidoh, a squirrel, and Brome, Rose's brother, who have freed Badrang's slaves, with the help of The Rambling Rosehip players. But will the fight against Badrag cost Martin everything he has worked for? I loved this series, which uses animals as their "alien races, and which, Brian Jacques based on the people he saw working in England in World War II. I loved the story, and it was good to hear the original story of Martin, and it had both victory and tragedy. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;"><span style="color: #33ccff;">Charmed by Jayne Castle, Lori Foster, Eileen Wilks and Julie Beard- Is four short stories built on Paranormal themes. "Bridal Jitters" by Jayne Castle has Virginia Burch, who is about to marry a Ghost Hunter named Sam Gage. They are only going to be having a two year marriage of convenience, rather than a full-on covenant marriage, which means it can be dissolved after two years if they don't have any children, But when the two of them start developing real feelings for each other, will it impact their jobs? And can the find the man behind the difficulties they have been experiencing? "Man in the Mirror" by Julie Beard- When an overworked modern woman sees a Medieval Knight in a mirror, she gets pulled into it in an attempt to defend him. But what will happen to her in this ancient time, and can she somehow find love back in the modern day? "Tangled Dreams" by Lori Foster involves a Bartender who is attracted to a female customer named Allison, and she for him. But can two ghosts, Rose and Burke, bring them together by mixing up their dreams so that each knows what the other is dreaming and fantasizing about? "Pandora's Bottle" by Eileen Wilks has a girl named Dora who is fiancee to a stockbroker, but she is also torn between a man who happens to be a Djinn. But will she have to choose between them? I liked this book a lot, as the stories are all excellent, and I loved all of them, even the ones by authors I knew less well. Of course, "Bridal Jitters" was probably my favorite, because I really love Jane Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle/ Amanda Quick is one of my favorite authors, but my second favorite was "Man in the Mirror" by Julie Beard. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Galactic Gourmet by James White- Gurronsevas is a an alien chef who has decided to leave his job to take up a post at Sector General Hospital. His idea is to make the "hospital Food" there better, But his experiments only succeed in causing chaos. But when he goes on a mission to a planet running short of food which has been reduced to cannibalism, he bends his massive culinary knowledge to saving people from having to eat each other, can he find a solution that weans them away from meat so that their entire race can survive? I loved this book. I love the whole "Sector General" Universe to begin with, and seeing the arrogant Gurronsevas both succeed and fail as he moves through the hospital and working on both the food for the doctors and the patients. And when he really shines, of course, is when he must wean an entire race away from eating meat. I loved the story and seeing the Hospital in a frenzy over Gurronsevas's experiments. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Mind Changer by James White- This is another Sector General Novel This one focuses on the chief Psychiatrist, O'Mara, who has had a history of Sector General going back to when the Hospital was first being constructed, deep in Interstellar space. But now, the time is coming for O'Mara to retire, and train his successor. But what will Sector General be without its Chief Psychologist and the person who has always been there? And while O'Mara is used to ferreting out everyone's secrets, what secrets are hidden behind O'Mara's tetchy façade? And will he be able to move on from his old job, and what else does O'Mara do when he isn't in his office? I liked reading this book a lot. O'Mara has always been a character who had the same position in all of the stories, so seeing what lay behind that façade was endlessly fascinating. Highly recommended'</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Final Diagnosis by James White- Patient Hewitt has a real fear of aliens, but he's sent to Sector General. He is suffering from many different symptoms, but the doctors on his homeworld can find absolutely nothing wrong with him, and so they have labeled him a hypochondriac. As a last resort, they have sent him to Sector General, in hopes that the alien doctors can find something that they can't. As O'Mara probes Hewitt's mind, he tells his fellow patients, all aliens, his life story. But as the other alien patients fall ill with the same symptoms that Hewitt has, the Doctors begin to worry about the possibility of a cross-species of disease, which has never happened before. And to get to the bottom of this conundrum, the Sector General ambulance team will have to take Hewitt home to discover what is really going on, and what the "cure" may be. I loved this book, as it posed a truly unique medical conundrum, and all of the usual suspects are involved, Prillicla, Conway, Murchison, O'Mara, Charge Nurse Naydrad, and all are there to find the solution to the problem. I also loved what was reason behind the "disease". If you liked "House" or other medical procedural shows, this is the Sci-Fi equivalent. Highly recommended.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Heart Change by Robin D. Owens- Signet D'Marigold is the last of her family, and she lives alone on her flaired estate, but while her minor flair is for cabbling, and making shoes, no one can tell her what her main flair is, not even T'Ash, whose collection of gemstones, can detect any kind of flair. But then she gets a visit from Vinnie T'Vine, a young prophet, who tells her that he can tell her what her main flair is- she is a Catalyst, and he needs het to look after his fiancée, Avellana Hazel, who suffered brain damage after attempting to fly out the window when she was only three. Vinnie wants Signet to look after Avellana, and guide her through her Passage. Avellana's family want her to survive her passage, so they hire Cratag Maytree to look afterwards. Soon, Signet's life is full, with two other people living in her estate and a fam. Not only does she love Avellana on sight, but Avellana and Cratag come with fams of their own. But when Avellana's flair comes, it nearly destroys the Marigold residence. But can Avellana survive this destructive Flair? Meanwhile,.Cratag and Signet are finding love, but must deal with Signet's abandonment issues and Cratag's not inconsiderable issues as well. What sort of the life can Cratag and Signet have considering her flair and his, which is barely existent? And can they find a lasting love? I loved this book. I've loved all the Celta stories, which have a strong Pagan/Wiccan vibe to them, both in their approach to a religion and life in general. I also loved Signet and Cratag and their romance, and how they dealt with their problems. Neither is young, and their pasts add to their romance. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Queen's Bastard by C. E. Murphy- Belinda Primrose is a Bastard, the unacknowledged daughter of Queen Lorraine, trained since she was young by Lorraine's spymaster and lover. Belinda, completely unknown and can mingle in the courts of Echon, where she can seek out the enemies of Aulun. But when Belinda realizes she is the holder of magical power, will she betray her Mother and Aulun to dabble with Javier, the seductive prince whose mother's papers she is trying to get into. But Javier is much the same as Belinda- he, too, has witch power, and he wants her to stay with him, only it's dangerous to for her to stay too long in one place. But how can she have a life of her own while remaining her mother and father's creature? And can she just leave her duties and responsibilities behind? This book I bought because I love C.E. Murphy's Urban Shaman series. But Belinda is a much more difficult heroine to like, much less love. She spends half her time being heroic and epic, and even more time being a stone-cold bitch. As such, it's difficult to cheer her on when you are so busy disliking her. Even when she gets attacked, it was difficult for me to feel sorry for, something I wouldn't probably say about any other heroine. But it's a competent book and while there are very difficult passages, I can only lightly recommend it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hunting Julian by Jacqueline Frank- Julian is a hunter, sent from another world to find "Chosen", women whose energy can revive his kingdom, which is constantly on the edge of starvation and breaking down. Asia Callahan is looking to see who has made her sister an many other women disappear. But when Julian sees Asia, he realizes she is more than just Chosen, she is his Kindra, or his Chosen mate. When he lures Asia into his arms and into his world, will she be able to accept what has happened to her and to her sister, and more importantly, will she stay with Julian and help him and his Kingdom, or is she too focused on finding and freeing her sister to listen to what Julian and his people have to say? And can she listen to her body and heart to find out what she really wants to do? I found this book interesting, but annoying when it came to Julian himself. Asia started out as a strong character, but Julian and his people seemed to never have hit upon the idea of *asking* women to come save his world, and that annoyed me. It was all like "Let's go to another world and just steal all the wimminz we needs!" Later, Asia got more annoying, but I had a hard time thinking of Julian and his people as in any way heroic. It was okay, but Julian and his people just completely ruined the story for me. Not recommended.</span><span style="color: #33ccff;"><span style="color: #33ccff;"><br />
</span></span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-38263164216636260462015-11-12T19:29:00.000-05:002015-11-12T19:29:23.775-05:002015, Part 9<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Knight and the Seer by Ruth Langan- Gwenellen Drummond comes from a magical land, but unlike her sisters, her magic never seems to work properly. Her efforts to cast a spell properly land her in the lands owned by Andrew Ross, whose land has been invaded by his enemies, his villages burnt and people scattered. They might need magic, but Andrew only believes in revenge, and no strange woman who seems to have fallen out of the sky can make him believe any different. Until she works with him and his people to dig out and help him rebuild. Only then can he see that this strange young woman might be just what he needs to bring back peace to his lands- if only she'll stop speaking of magic and spells. Can Gwenellen make Andrew believe in magic once again, or will she be fated to return to her land of magic without the man she has fallen for? I liked this book a lot. I liked how Gwenellen needs to find true love to make her magic work and how Rafe was just the man to fill her needs. I also liked that in the end, she decided to stay with him, leaving her family behind, and of the magic she found where she was. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Her Dearest Sin by Gayle Wilson- Sebastian Sinclair is a honorable member of Her majesty's army, but when he is scarred by a man come to bring back Dona Pilar, he vows vengeance. Encountering her again while on a diplomatic mission, he steps in to shield her from the man who took her back, Julian del Castillo, who wants her for her money and her dowry, and he's made the ruler of Spain fall in line with his plans. All Pilar wants is to be free- she doesn't expect to feel anything for the man who stepped in to protect her- but before she knows it, he has become very dear to her heart, and she seeks to protect him from the vengeance of his own protector, Julian del Castillo. But when she must enter a fake marriage to flee her protector's wrath, can she keep her heart from falling for a gallant Englishman who promises to never let her go? Another really good book that I definitely enjoyed. I loved how Pilar sought to keep him safe even as he was trying to do the same for her. The two characters fall in love, but have to come to terms with what that means for themselves. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Viking by Margaret Moore- Meradyce is a a beautiful Saxon who has come to the attention of the married clean leader of her village, Kendric. Einar Svenson is the Viking who has been paid to come and kill the wife of that very same man. He thinks Meradyce is the wife, and carries her off instead, leaving the leader of her village stuck with a woman he hates. But as the village leader schemes to get rid of his troublesome wife and to get back Meradyce, Meradyce is already fitting into the Viking village as a midwife. And it's not only the women who have noticed. Einar, too, has noticed, and is slowly losing his heart to the beautiful Saxon. But when Ingemar, the Viking wench who wants Einar for herself, betrays the entire village to the Saxons, and Meradyce must keep the villagers safe while Einar and his men sail to the rescue. But can she keep the Vikings safe until the men arrive, or will she even be able to lead her new people to freedom on her own? I enjoyed this book. Yes, it begins with a trope of the woman being carried off by a rampaging Saxon, but at the same time, it moved beyond the trope in a good way. I liked how Kendric's children were also taken, and that was less important to him than getting Merdyce back (he only wants his son, not his daughter). I ended up enjoying it far more than I thought I would. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Masterful Mr. Montague by Stephanie Laurens- Violet Matchum comes to Mr. Montague to reassure the woman she is companion to about her wealth. Lady Halstead believes there is too much money in her accounts, but when she dies unexpectedly, it seems like someone from her family might have done it. Barnaby Adair and Inspector Stokes, and their wives, Penelope and Griselda, are on the case to discover not only who might have killed Lady Halstead, but who is responsible for the extra money in Lady Halstead's account, and is it the same person who might have killed her? And Montague might be falling for the beautiful Violet, but will she return his affections? I actually liked this book far better than the Cynster novels, and I liked how the romance was no longer so much between Adair and Stokes and their wives (although, to be fair, they did get a lot of time in the spotlight as well), and more to Mr. Montague and Violet. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Bloodforged by Erin Lindsey- Alix Black used to be just the King's Bodyguard, until she married the King's Half-Brother, Liam. But for the Kingdom of Alden to survive, Erik and Alix will have to appeal to the King of the land of Harrm, while Erik, who is horrible at diplomacy, is sent to the Republic of Onnan to find out where the massive fleet that the Onnans promised Alden is after too many months in construction. Finally, Lord Riggard Black must turn back the Trionate from invading the heartland of Alden with the help of Andyrithi soldiers and a female priestess of Wisdom. But when both Liam and Erik fail at their tasks, something seems strange about Erik, and Alex and Liam must uncover what happened to cause such a change, and deal with the results without informing Erik. But can they uncover the secret truth at the heart of the change? I hadn't read the first book, but I enjoyed this book very much, and the world-building was excellent. I really enjoyed the characters, and the change at the end was amazing, as well as the reason behind it. It actually reminded me a lot of the writing of Deborah Chester. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Updraft by Fran Wilde- Kirit Densira is the daughter of a trader in the spire of Densira in the city. All she has wanted her whole life is to be a trader as well, but when she opens a window during an attack on Tower Densira, she attracts a skymouth. But her scream drives it away, which gets her a charge against her by a singer, who adjudicate the laws, along with her best friend, Nat. They must clean out the lower four levels of Densira, where trash collects and those who cannot live elsewhere hide. The Singer wants her to become a Singer, but she would rather be a trader, and refuses. But when both of them fail their wingtest (the only way to get around the city), for stupid reasons, likely orchestrated by the Singers, they make an assault on the Singer's spire. Nat seems to fall to his death, where Kirit is saved and told to climb up into the spire all on her own. But even as Kirit struggles to join the ranks of the Singers and master her ability of Skymouth singing, she becomes aware that not all is right in the Spire, and that her father was a Singer as well, and was responsible for the death of her friend Nat's father. But the lies keep piling on, and when Kirit decides to lead a revolt in the Singer's spire, can she fight off Rumul, who has bribed the Windbeaters to help him win? I liked this book, which is a stand-alone book instead of part of a trilogy. But in this case, I'd love to see more about what happened in the city and about how Kirit and the others remake the roles of the singers in the city. I loved the world-building and the characters, even the ones who only appear for a very short time. I also loved how the entire city comes together to fight off the plague of Skymouths, and the entire ending. It's a wonderful book, and it seems like it should have been a YA, except that the focus (or one of them) is *not* on romance. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dark Warrior Unleashed by Alexis Morgan- Ranulf Thorsen is over a thousand years old, a former Viking Raider who serves as enforcer for Kyth, tracking down and disposing of Rogue Kyth as a Talion enforcer. But when Kerry Logan, a woman who likes hanging out in dance clubs and at sports events, foils the efforts of a firestarter to burn down a club she is dancing at by saving the people who were trapped inside with her by leading them to safety. But because she also comes to the attention of the Pyromaniac who set the fire, both Ranulf and the police want to keep her safe. But when the Pyro turns out to be a Rogue Kyth Talion, not only is Ranulf involved, but Sandor Kearn, another Talion who thinks that Ranulf is just a single hunt away from the dark side and Dame Judith, the leader of Kyth society. But there is more at stake than anyone realizes, because it seems that Dame Judith is dying and Kerry, having the power of healing, can be the one person who can replace her. But will Kerry even believe in the Kyth and her own powers, and who will she choose to be her lover and champion, Ranulf or Sandor? Given that Ranulf is mentioned on the back of the book first, that's kind of a no-duh kind of question, but because this is part of a series, it seems like this could be the beginning end, or a middle as well. I liked Ranulf. He went from overly world weary to wanting to engage with Kerry and actually enjoying himself once again. I could believe the character arc and the characters, and how they resisted making Sandor the bad guy. Yes, he's wrong, but in the end, he comes to realize that Ranulf is just as good as he is. I liked this book, and would definitely recommend it to others.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sister Light, Sister Dark by Jane Yolen- Jenna is the daughter of a townswoman adopted by a woman of the Hill tribes near the end of their existence. Even as academics fight over whether or not she was a real woman, her life followed closely to a prophecy given to followers of the Mother Goddess. But she also must survive three mothers and discover how to summon her dark sister, a twin from the other side of the mirror, to assist her when her adulthood journey goes disastrously wrong. But can she survive the alien warriors on the way who want to kill her for helping the son of an evil warlord, who wants to get away from his father and the rest of his family? I liked this book, which reminded me a bit of "The Handmaid's Tale", with the notes about academics fighting over the truth of the story and what it means. And, of course, the academic who is least credited it the one who is the closest to being right. I also liked the very mythic feel of the story, and the fact that the story itself was interesting and fun. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Living with Ghosts by Kari Sperring- The City of Merafi was constructed in order to keep out ghosts and spirits. But now, Valdarrien, dead ten years. has been seen by his best friend and brother-in-law, Thiercelin, who approached Gracelin, a failed priest of death, to try and banish his ghost or at least lay him to death. But Valdarrien wants to be reunited with his former love, Ioreth Yscoithi. Joyain wants to have a life free from strife, but as forces converge on Merafi, a sorcerer and a foreign ruler have come together to try and drown and destroy Merafi. But to undo their work, it will require a sacrifice in the city's name- a willing sacrifice. The question is, who will be willing to sacrifice themselves for the city, and can they find out who is behind it and how the spell on the city can be lifted. But while Thiercelin is fixated on his relationship with his wife, a counselor to the ruler of Merafi, and Gracielis is afraid of becoming a full priest and hooked on his indolent life as a lover to women for money. As the floodwaters rise and sickness spreads through the city, all the characters must come together to fight it and the people behind it. But can they triumph over those who would destroy Merafi? I found this book a little boring at the start, but as the story picks up, the story became more interesting. This is a stand alone novel, and it's a fairly good one. Slow at first, but picks up towards the end. And a very good story, with excellent world-building. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Rebel and the Lady by Kathryn Albright- Victoria Ruiz is on the run from Santa Anna and his army. But when her family sends her to the Alamo to take shelter, she meets Jake Dumont, whois looking for his brother, a doctor. But while he shouldn't be staying there and looking for his brother instead, he can't bring himself to give up the sight of this beautiful women, When it seems that Santa Anna will destroy the people in the Alamo, they must flee the doomed fort and find Jake's brother. But will Victoria leave with Jake, or will she face death to stay with her family? I thought this was only okay, verging on meh. I didn't find it all that interesting a romance. It's there, but I didn't get turned on by it or find it all that interesting. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Eternal Kiss by Laura Wright- In a world where vampires are a whole separate race and have their own vocabulary, the vampire race have a breeding male who is little more than an animal who is only interested in feeding. The Roman family are sons of the breeding male, and the vampire council in charge wants to bring back the breeding male from one of the Roman brothers. One of the members of the council is using an impure blood named Ethan Dare to make one of the Roman brothers give themselves up to the rite that will make one of them the breeding male. He has his eye on Nicholas Roman's brother, Lucian. But when a vampire veana female named Kate Everborne brings Nicholas a young male balas, or vampire male child, she tells him that the boy's mother said that the child was Nicholas'. But Ethan wants Kate and the child to bring Nicholas in to the council. But Nicholas is far more interested in Kate, who is a former resident of Vampire Prison. With Secrets of his own, can Nicholas persuade Kate that she wants to be with him more than to face the possibility of prison once more? I was interested to read another vampire romance, but this book was dragged down for me by all the esoteric terminology and all the terms that were flung around for vampire male and females of different ages. It just seemed unneeded complication to the story and was ridiculous. It's an okay story, but was dragged down by all the ridiculous terminology. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Griffin Stone: Duke of Decadence by Carole Mortimer- When Griffin Stone nearly runs down a woman on a forest road, he feels duty bound to offer her shelter in his home. But even as he looks for who she might be, it becomes clear that whoever she was running from is also the man that Griffin was sent into the country to look for. But as he true identity becomes clear, her memory of what actually happened becomes crucial to capture a true villain. But will Griffin be able to give up the woman who he calls Bella when she is discovered to be an upper class woman? I liked this book very much. Yes, it's based on the amnesia trope, but I liked how this one came out, which was neither overdone nor sloppily or lazily done. I also liked both Griffin Stone and Beatrix (which is "Bella"'s real name)'s interactions, and how he helped her recover her memory. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">How to Seduce a Scoundrel by Vicky Dreiling- When Tristan Gatewick gives his friend Marc Darcett, Earl of Hawkfield, the guardianship of his sister, Julianne, for the season while Tristan is away, he's told in no uncertain terms not to let Julianne get interested in any rakes, Hawk included. So when Hawk gets carried away by Julianne during a dance, he makes it immediately clear that he has no interest in marrying her, because he is afraid of his true feelings. But she doesn't allow herself to be brought down by his rejection. Instead, she and her best friend, and her chaperone, Mark's Aunt, decide to write a book on "How to get a Rake to Offer Marriage". But when it is finally published, it becomes the scandal and talk of London- including among Hawk's friends. But can Hawk face up to his true feelings for Julianne? And when he has to talk to Tristan about marrying Julianne, can he confess his true feelings for her and ask her brother for her hand, can he convince his old friend to let Julianne marry him? I actually enjoyed this book a lot, especially the writing of the book part, and I liked how Julianne teases and taunts Hawk with his feelings and finally gets him to tie the knot, when she has long had feelings for him. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Weddings from Hell by Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, Terri Garey, and Kathryn Smith- In "Till Death by Maggie Shayne, Kira McLellan doesn't believe in curses, even though her mother and father supposedly fell victim to one on her family. But when she is summoned back to Scotland to meet her family, she meets and falls in love with Scot Ian Stewart, and suddenly becomes aware that not only are curses real, but so is her own. And if she wants to save the life of the man she loves, she is going to have to break it..."Happily Never After" by Jeaniene Frost has Isabella, a girl who is marrying a local mob boss to save her Brother's life. Little does she know that her grandmother's former lover, a vampire, has been summoned to save her from her fate. But can she accept the love of a supernatural creature in his place? "Ghouls Night Out" by Terri Garey has Nicki Styx, who can see Dead People. When one of her sister's bridesmaids doesn't show up for the wedding fittings, Nicki discovers that the woman is dead, but she has to discover who murdered her sister's friend while taking her place. "The Wedding Knight" by Kathryn Smith brings back Payen Carr, a vampire, to stop the wedding of the woman he loves to the wrong man. But can Payen put paid to the wedding while keeping Violet safe and her out of his own arms? Or will she end up in Payen's arms? This was an interesting book, but I actually found the story "The Wedding Knight" to be the most interesting story, even though I usually like Maggie Shayne and Jeaniene Frost far more. Still, all the stories were good and interesting. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Husband's Wicked Ways by Jane Feather- Aurelia Farnham is a widow, living in Cavendish Square, but when a man named Greville Falconer arrives to let her know she's been widowed for real this time, Aurelia is astonished. She's believed herself to be a widow for over two years now. But Colonel Sir Greville Falconer tells her that she has been lied to all this time, she is very angry. But when he asks for help in bringing down a foreign spy, she is intrigued enough to agree. Putting herself in his hands, and they begin a mock-courtship to bring Greville into her world. But very quickly, the courtship becomes less a sham and far more real. but can they keep their real selves separate from the mission long enough to bring those they hunt to justice, or is Greville merely preparing yet another mission by pretending to be interested in her for real? And can she trust him to answer truthfully if she asked him? I loved this book, as I usually enjoy the whole "is this real or is the spy just playing a deeper game?" kind of question. I liked both the main characters and how they become entangled with each other. I also liked how they both have to tear their masks away to find out the truth between them. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Castle of the Wolf by Margaret Moore- Thomasina is beautiful and virginal, and she comes to the attention of Sir Rheged of Cwn Bron when he sees her passing out alms to the poor at night. But when the tournament her father is holding ends, it is Sir Rheged who wins and claims to the prize, only to discover it is worth a mere pittance instead of what it is supposed to be worth, Sir Rheged, who comes back and kidnaps Thomasina instead to persuade her father to make up the money, which he needs to help rebuild his castle from its state of disrepair. Thomasina is horrified to be kidnapped, but as she spends more time in Sir Rheged's company, she comes to see that he is not the savage that many make him out to be. As for Sir Rheged, he begins to realize that he has taken the real treasure from her father- Thomasina herself. But when she interferes in the feud between Sir Rheged and his greatest rival, can she mend the feud and bring the feud to an end? I liked this book, as I always love Welsh heroes (I admit it, I have a sneaking love for the underdog, and the Welsh were pretty much that in the Middle Ages), and this book was right up there as my catnip- Hero who is a successful knight, but people think him brutal because he comes from Wales, who finds love with a maiden who needs to see below the surface to find his finer qualities. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Secrets of Surrender by Madeline Hunter- Roselyn Longworth is a good woman, but when she makes the mistake of succumbing to the blandishments of Lord Norbury, along with his protestations of love, she becomes debauched by him, but when she refuses to be debased any further, he decides to auction her off to the highest bidder. But she is surprised to be bid on and won by Kyle Bradbury, a mere architect. But while the expects to be treated like a soiled rag, he continually treats her well and gently. By the time she is seduced into loving him, she realizes that Kyle has bid his future to win her, and only because he wanted to rescue her from Lord Norbury. In order to repay him, she will have to marry him and sacrifice everything that was to come to her to ensure their survival. But can Kyle, who has secrets of his own, save them both with hi talents? I liked this story, but while the beginning was similar to another book I'd read recently, I liked how Roselyn had to deal with what had happened to her, and with both of their choices in their lives. But watching their relationship unfold was very enjoyable and affecting to me. I enjoyed it immensely. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Match for Marcus Cynster by Stephanie Laurens- Niniver Carrick is the head of the Carrick clan, laid low by her father and older brother's bad decisions. But when the members of her clan start becoming a problem by seeking her hand in stupid and disruptive ways. When it gets really out of hand, Niniver seeks out the help of her next door neighbor, Marcus Cynster, looking to have a problem relieved by pretending to seek her hand in marriage and being her bodyguard to prevent overeager members of her clan from breaking in on her to force the issue. But her male clan members aren't the only ones seeking to marry her- and there are many secrets hidden in the past of her family that are hidden to blow her out of the water. But when someone else seeks to take over the clan, will the clan choose Niniver to continue to lead them, or let her go and let someone else take over? And when Marcus realizes that not only does Niniver need his help, but that she is the perfect woman for him, can he persuade Niniver to realize the same and to marry him? I loved this book, when I usually can't stand the many Cynster novels just because there are SO MANY OF THEM. It's a case of there being way too much of a good thing. I feel a deep weariness of sequelitis here. But this book focused far more on Niniver and showed her to be a strong woman who was doing a hard job, and doing it well, and she probably would have succeeded without Marcus Cynster's help, it just would have taken longer, so I liked it for that reason. Also, generally, Marcus is on his own much of the time- with his family off in the background. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready- Ciara Griffin used to be a con artist, but she is trying to go straight. But when she is hired to do marketing and PR for WMMP, the local radio station, which is about to be taken over by a conglomerate, she discovers that all the DJs who seem to know so much about their areas of music are actually vampires, who were musicians at those times and are deathly afraid of change. When Ciara is able to wrap her head around the whole idea of vampire DJs, she comes up with a way of telling the truth within a con, by pretending that the vampire DJs are human DJs pretending to be vampires for the promotion. But while there are other vampires out there who are not very happy with Ciara and the other vampires at the station for their "hiding in plain sight" game brings Ciara to their attention, and some of them want to kill her or turn her into a mere vampire Scooby Snack, she is also connecting with Shane, the youngest vampire at the station. But when the vampires are coming to the attention of both human and vampire hunters, she also has to hold off the people who want to buy up WMMP. But can she do all that and keep herself alive as well? I liked this book, which had a rather unique take on both vampires and the story. Vampires are so creatures of the time they were made that as time passes them by, they just don't change. It's possible that they can't, or just that it is very hard for them to do so, as time passes, they react badly-very badly, to things that are newer than what they knew. I liked that idea about vampires as it was something new- that their brains weren't as plastic as humans. I liked the romance, the characters, and the ideas in this book. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Duke Next Door by Celeste Bradley- Deidre Cantor is a young woman with a plan on her mind, to win her grandfather's vast fortune by being the first in the family to marry a Duke. So she marries Calder Marbrook, Marquis of Brookhaven and future Duke of Brookmoor. But her future husband had some secrets of his own he'd been hiding, like a spoiled, bratty daughter who most certainly DIDN'T want a new mother out of the deal. But when the girl becomes the fly in her ointment, can Deidre make her marriage somehow a happy one, and find a place in her heart for her new stepdaughter, or will the games she plays with Calder's heart bring them both nothing but sorrow? And when her games lead to an abduction, can her husband see beyond her games to find the love in her heart? I found Deidre rather mercenary, but during the course of the book, she actually won me over, whereas, I found Calder to be much more sympathetic all the way through. But in the end, I did want the two of them to find love and be happy. So I ended up enjoying this book. But I do say that it's not for everyone. So, recommended, but with a caution.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands- Nicholas Argeneau was once a vampire hunter. But when he was discovered to have killed a young woman who had known his dead wife, he was declared a rogue. When he's captured by his former fellow hunters, he meets Josephine Willan, who has been brought in to be a possible mate for his fellow immortals. But when she sees him in the process of escaping, he's the only one she is interested in. Nicholas wants to stay away from her, but he can't help himself when he injures her dog and feels that he must make it up to her. But when he tells her about what got him declared renegade, Josephine senses something wrong with his story and when they are recaptured, she makes a case for him being innocent. But can Nicholas, his old colleagues and Josephine discover the truth and set them both free to live and love for as long as they are together? I liked this book. I liked how Nicholas thought of himself as a rogue and yet he did his level best to keep Josephine and her dog and friends safe, even as she wanted to be with him very strongly. I loved both characters and the story and who was behind what really happened to Nicholas. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shadowlight by Lynn Viehl- Jessa Bellamy has a strange psychic talent to see into people's pasts merely by touching them. But her job as the head of a company dedicated to ferreting out frauds and tricksters comes into question when she notifies the FBI of a woman working with a con artist to defraud a company, she comes to the attention of Jonah Gennaro, the head of GenHance, a biotech company. He wants to kidnap and experiment on Jessa, with no guarantee that she would survive the process. But when she is kidnapped by Gavin Matthias from a meeting with Bradford Lawson, Lawson blames Jessa for the damage Matthias inflicts on him and his company wanting to fire him. But as Matthias tries to convince Jessa that her life is in danger, she tries to wonder why what she can see of his past is shrouded in mist. But when they must go on the run from Bradford Lawrence, will they come to the attention of the Kyn, and will Matthias and Jessa be able to keep each other safe? This was a series I read a long time ago, but I really enjoyed this book. I wonder why I haven't seen any more of this series or Lynn Viehl. I wish I could find more of her stuff. I liked her Kyn books and the Kyndred books as well, and this one is no exception. The villains are both evil and scary, one in a more intellectual way, and one as a definite evil threat. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Drink of Me by Jacquelin Frank- Reule is the leader of the Sange, who most of the people in the world consider savages. But when he leads a mission against the Jakals, who have imprisoned a member of his pack, he discovers a woman who has taken shelter in the second floor of the house where the Jakals have holed up and is projecting a feeling of limitless sorriw. He rescues the woman, who he named Mystique, When he returns to his capital city of Jeth, he discovers that the woman is recovering from horrible wounds, but she knows a little bit of his tongue. but she cannot remember her real name or where she comes from. Soon after, she takes up the job of healer as the Sange healer is completely unable to do his job and is actually killing people through inaction. Mystique takes over and gets into a relationship with Reule. But when the city is approached by people from the mountains, it seems that they are looking for a female murderer who fled their city, and it is quite obvious that they are looking for Mystique. However, one of Reule's pack has looked into her memories and knows she was telling the truth that she couldn't remember. But can she remember what truly happened in time to keep from being dragged off by her own people and tried as murderess? And will Reule defend her if he thinks he is married to a murderess? I am used to Jacquelyn Frank writing all sorts of Nightworld characters, but this one is not tied in any way to any of her previous series, and so I was rather confused. The cover with its Black and silver(ish) souple made me think of her previous Shadowdweller series, but as far as I can tell, it was a stand-alone novel. Even so, the story was something I loved. I loved how Mirage was not at all afraid of Reule and his people, even though others seem to think they are some sort of savages. But I liked how Mirage knew what she wanted and went for it, and the things she accomplished while she was in the city. I also liked the reveal of her background, and the truth, of course, but also felt that the conflict with Reule's second was sort of thrown in at the end for tension without much need, I felt. still I loved the book and want to see more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Wayward Moon by Denny DeMartino- Philipa Cyprion is a forensic astrologer, sent to the Baderes Space station to investigate the death of Duriken Sunteel, who attempted to merge with the station to save her world. However, the merger was interrupted, and her consciousness was forcibly rejected, leading to her death. It's up to Philipa and her lover and comrade Artemis Hadrien, to figure out who or what killed Duriken Sunteel. The only problem is trying to understand the alien society and why Duriken Sunteel wanted to even try to resurrect a dying world. But the aliens have their own theories, including something called a Shimbang, which is apparently some sort of evil, disembodies intelligence. But *something* is fooling around with time and space, and it seems like something may have to do with an alien race whose home planet exists at the center of the universe. But when Hadrian disappears into the mid-air, it seems the only way to get him back is for Philipa to travel to the planet and track him down for herself. But can the visit provide insights into who might have killed Sunteel, and why? I was not enjoying this book. The whole idea of a "forensic astrologer" just made my head want to explode, but I just didn't get into the characters and it seems like a whole bunch of things were going on that just didn't make sense. Why would astrological signs, visible from earth, have any influence on aliens? How does that even make sense? I found myself both boggled and uninterested in the entire book. I would not recommend this book, both for reasons of not making sense and for being deeply uninteresting. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Black Wings by Christina Henry- Madeline Black is an agent of Death, tasked with escorting souls to the door that will bring them into the afterlife. But when she takes over for a friend who has a hot date, she is attacked by something big and bad, and her friend is killed. But a new possible renter, Gabriel Angeloscuro, helps her out. It's only afterwards that she finds out that Gabriel was sent by her father, the fallen angel Azazel, to look after her. This is because another of Azazel's children, Antares, is after her. But not only is Antares after her, but Ramuell, the Nephilim, or half-angel, child of Lucifer, is after her as well, and has also killed her mother in the past. But Maddy has been dreaming of Evangeline, the long-ago consort of Lucifer, who somehow disappeared from her own world and the life of Lucifer, who she loved. Can Maddy discover what happened to Evangeline and her children? and why is Gabriel forbidden to have a romance with Maddy, and can Maddy defeat Ramuell without attracting negative attention from Lucifer? And can shedo so and keep her job as an agent of death? I liked this book a lot. I liked Maddie and I liked Gabriel and her Gargoyle, Beezle. I liked her introduction to her father (who was actually kind of frightening), and how none of the Agents of Death could see beyond the door, and how the fallen angels fell merely by wanting to have kids with human women. I also loved Gabriel's story and how and why he and Maddy couldn't have any kind of relationship. Definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Blood Angels: Deus Encarmine by James Swallow- Rafen is a Space Marine of the Blood Angels chapter. He's fairly experienced, but after a battle on the memorial world against a chapter of Chaos Marines known as the Word Bearers, he is reunited with his actual brother, Arkio, who comes to prominence with an idea as how to defeat the Chaos Marines guarding the spaceport and defend their ship in space from Chaos Marine ships. The inquisitor in charge, Stele, presents Arkio to the other marines as something to look up to, but when Arkio touches an ancient artifact, the spear known as the Spear of Telesto that Stele recovered from the orcs, it flashes and recognizes him. Slowly, Arkio begins to change over time, becoming more and more like Sanguinus, the progenitor of the Blood Angels Order. But as Arkio becomes colder and distant, Rafen has more and more trouble believing in his brother as the reborn Arkio, even though his fellow Marines have heartily embraced Arkio as Sanguinus reborn. But as everyone who might cast doubt on Arkio's ascension dies in horrible ways, who can Rafen call upon to advise him, and when it's demanded of him that he must agree that Arkio is Sanguinus reborn, can he bring himself to betray the Emperor of Man? I wasn't very familiar with the Warhammer 40K Universe, but this one was about one of the Blood Angels, one of the three chapters I Have heard of; (Space Wolves, Ultramarines and Blood Angels are the three) but I didn't find it hard to come up to speed on the book, who the Blood Angels were and what Stele and the Chaos Marines were trying to do. I found it grim and dark (but then, the whole Warhammer Fantasy Universe defines Grimdark, but it was easy to feel for Rafen, who wanted to save his brother and talk sense into him, but couldn't, and was losing everyone who he trusted most. Recommended, but unless you really like Grimdark (and I am only "eh" on it, you may find it depressing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Blood Angels: Deus Sanguinius by James Swallow- As Arkio returns to the center of space, the Blood Angels chapter is being ripped apart by Heresy. The two sides are those who believe that Arkio is Sanguinus reborn, and those who don't.. But as Arkio draws the two parts of the chapter closer to war, Stele and the Chaos Marine leader are close to coming to a war of their own, and when it comes to war between Dante, leader of the Blood Angels, will Arkio's corruption begin to show? If so, who can bring the brothers back together when the leaders of the Blood Angels come together to parley and are attacked by the Chaos Marines? Will the Chapter fall or stand strong, and will Rafen, now wanted as a traitor by those who have sworn loyalty to Arkio, destroy the man who made all of this happen? I enjoyed this book, but again, it's very Grimdark- as you would expect the world of Warhammer 40K to be. So I recommend, but YMMV.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">So Still the Night by Kim Lenox-Marcus Helios used to be a member of the Shadow Guard, until he underwent Transcencion to bring down a Rogue, and began a slow process of decline. His only hope is to find the three ancient scrolls that might tell him where to find a very special mirror that might be able to reverse his condition and save his life. Luckily for him, Mina Limpett's father was in possession of the two scrolls he needs most. But Mina left her father behind in the east and then came home to the family of her uncle. When Marcus shows up and realizes that Mina's father's is dead. but his body isn't in the grave, he approaches her to get het father's papers, but she isn't giving them up, or even giving Marcus a clue as to where he can find them. He should be angry at her, but he's too fascinated by her instead, and attracted to her. He marries her to get access to her father's papers. and also because this is the first woman he has ever wanted to marry in his life. However, this doesn't please Mina's aunt, who wants Marcus for herself, and Marcus' sister, Selene, is looking for an excuse to take his life. And then there is a woman calling herself "The Ripper's Bride" is out after Marcus and wants him for her own, as Marcus will soon flip to being evil and wanting to destroy all humans and the world. But when Marcus rejects her, will Mina find out more about her family, and will she ever be reunited with her father? I liked this book. It's not one of my favorite vampire romance series, but it's something different, and I enjoy it when I read it. Kim Lenox's vampires are quite different, and I do like that, but it's just not my favorite. Recommended, but not highly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Scottish Miscellany by Jonathan Green- Ever had questions about Scotland, like "Why do clans have kilts" or "What does an Egyptian Princess have to do with the birth of Scotland?" or "When does a broth become a Scotch Broth?", well then this book might be the answer to all those questions. I had a Scottish co-worker (before she retired), and I feel that she would have loved to have this book to show people who have questions about Scotland, Scottish heritage or other bits of Scottish life, like tartans, or why Scotland is known as "The Home of Golf". The questions are rather simple, but answers go into quite a lot of depth and are very interesting. This is a book that doesn't go to deep questions, but it's good for a lot of more generalized questions and specific answers. Recommended, just don't expect the answers to go too deep.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Her Vampire Husband by Michelle Hauf- In order to bring peace to the warring Werewolf and Vampire clans, Vampire Creed Saint-Pierre is supposed to marry Werewolf Princess Blu Masterson. Neither one wants the wedding, but both are being more or less forced into it. Blu by her father and Creed by pressure from the other vampire Clans. To the Council who has mandated the marriage, Blu must accept Creed's kiss. At first, she is unwilling to accept anything from him. She longs for her former boyfriend, the Werewolf Ryan, as he is less violent and abusive than her family. But when Creed treats her even better than her family and Ryan, she begins to question why she is following what her father and the other Werewolves want her to do. But as she falls deeply in love with Creed, he finds himself falling in love with her as well. And as both sides in the war are going behind each other's backs to cause strife and win the oncoming confrontation. But can Creed and Blu bring the clans into line by their actual love, or will it take more than that to bring actual peace? and is peace even possible? I loved this book. I first found Michelle Hauf from her Luna books series, Seraphim, Gossamyr, Rhiana. I liked that series, and this was the first other book by her I've seen (along with "A Vampire for Christmas", which I have recently acquired and am going to read. I loved this book, and I understand there are more in this series (and I want to find them, honestly!). I loved both characters, and I loved how they came to trust each other more than their respective sides, and I loved how Creed came to appeal to Blu. She seemed so confident. but she merely puts on a good game- she was actually abused, and Creed comes to love her despite his intention to remain unmoved. I also loved how both of them were willing to suffer for their love. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Touched by Light by Catherine Spangler-Dr. Julia Reynolds is an academic who has been scarred by an encounter with a killer when she was just a young woman. She and her sister have come to the attention of the Sentinels, a group of humans who are the reborn spirits from Ancient Atlantis. But when a Sentinel disappears from the radar, the Sanctioned Adam Masters, who used to be a high priest in Atlantis, comes to Julia, who is his perfect conductor, to try and find the man, as he feels the Sentinel isn't dead, but his presence comes and goes. The man, Matt, has been possessed by a Belian, an evil Atlantean, who was able to take him over because his wife died, and Matt is unable to deal with the loss. Matt's adopted son, Sean, is desperate to find his father, but it isn't until the three of them are joined by Julia's student, Miriam, who is Romany, that they are able to get a lock on Matt. But Julia is troubled, because the man who attacked her and left her permanently injured, Bennett, has just been released from jail, but he wants Julia back, who he felt led him on. And Julia hates Adam, and feels that he and she could never be joined, even though they she is his perfect conductor, and when they do come together, their connection is explosive. But for them both to have any chance, they will have to exorcise the Belian, save Matt and deal with Bennett, and Julia will have to accept that she and Adam are perfect for each other. But can she bring herself to stand his high-handed ways? I thought this book looked interesting, and it was, but to get there, I had to put up with a lot of stuff that was annoying, like the high-handedness of Adam and Julia's extremely annoying prickly personality. Eventually, both of them grew on me, but it was a tough row to hoe to get there. I ultimately found the book rewarding., but this isn't for everyone, and it isn't an author I'd willingly seek out to read more of. YMMV, but a cautious recommendation for me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Knight's Broken Promise by Nicole Locke-Gaira of Clan Colquhoun was on her way to visit her sister in the village of Doonhill. Unfortunately, she gets there after the inhabitants have been slaughtered almost to a man by the English. English Knight Robert of Dent, known as Black Robert, goes to the village to see what one of the men under his command has done. There he finds Gaira, her niece and two other children who have survived the battle in the village. Gaira, who is fleeing a man who she was wedded to without her consent, needs to bury the adults and bring the children back to her home clan. But when she knocks out Robert inadvertently, he ends up agreeing to help her get the children back to her clan, the two of them are thrown together, and both of them find themselves falling for the other. By the time her husband comes to get her back, he believes that she has been unfaithful with Robert, and Robert defends himself and Gaira, they are inextricably bound together. But with both sides let them be together? I liked this book. Medieval romances are my catnip, so this book was right up my alley. I loved both characters, though I did find it a little annoying that Gaira is so open and Robert so closed off. I did like how each fell in love with each other, even though Gaira didn't know who "Black Robert" actually was. And I loved the ending and how they finally ended up together. Recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-89705253896460431512015-10-31T15:36:00.001-04:002015-10-31T15:36:12.504-04:002015, Part 8<span style="color: #33ccff;">Pumpkin Scissors, Volume 5</span><span style="color: #33ccff;"> by Ryotaro Iwanaga- As the battle at the ball continues, Alice must win against a skilled Lodelian Bodyguard. But if she wins, can she bring the wrongdoers to justice, all of them, without getting them killed by Section 1? And when the Princess of Lodelia comes to the Empire to try and gauge its readiness, can Machs save the Empire from her wrath? Another really good book, with lots of action and thoughts on nobility. I love the way each section sets off each other, and the section with Machs was really funny and gave insight into his character. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Lady's Hazard by Miranda Jarrett- Bethany Penny, one of the three Penny sisters, has made a fortune, like her sisters, from their gaming hell, serving members of the landed and gentry. But she is still more interested in serving food for the poor rather than the spoiled scions of the rich. However, when someone begins poisoning the poor with the food served at the poor kitchens around the city, Bethany considers that the most heinous crime imaginable. To find the culprit, she teams up with Major William Callaway, a titled man who lives more like the poor in the streets. For it seems that all of the men who have been killed are from the military- and are all from the regiment he led. He no longer believes in love or caring, until he finds in Bethany a kindred soul, one who truly does help out of the goodness of her heart. But as their search draws them closer together, can the man who doesn't believe in love and the woman who thought she would never marry find the kind of love that makes them stronger together than apart? I love Miranda Jarrett, and this book is one of the main reasons why. William Callaway has lost faith in everything and Bethany Penny no longer believes in marriage for herself, but through their working together, they find out they were both wrong. An excellent book, but I can't say the villain of the piece caught me entirely by surprise. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Angel in Chains by Cynthia Eden- Azrael was once leader of the death Angels, but when his fellow angel Keenan fell over love of a woman, Az was angry. However, he falls for the anger he feels, and when he remembers who he is, he wants nothing more than to reclaim his position as an angel and his status. Howeverm when he sees Jade Pierce being harassed by shifters, he can't help but intervene. She isn't sure who Az is, but she is more frightened for him than for herself. It turns out that when Jade was young, she fell in love with a shifter boy, but his father was abusive and he wasn't much better. But when she finally got up the strength and courage to leave him, he wouldn't let her go. So she made her way on her own. But her former boyfriend and lover wants her back, and is willing to kill anyone who gets in the way of having her- Az included. Az, who has regained his power to kill with a touch, discovers that he can't use it on Jade's ex, because he is part-angel. And her ex wants to get Angel dust, made from destroying Angel's wings. When he can't get them from Az, he summons another angel and destroys her wings. But when Az decides to take the man out, because he wants Jade for himself, how can he destroy an evil shifter who is also part angel? And can Jade love Az, even though he is now a fallen and no longer an angel? I liked this book, because I will have to admit that I really took a dislike to Az in Angel of Darkness. It was nice to see him fall and see how he redeemed himself on the Earth, and also how he fell in love and gave up on being an angel for Jade. I enjoyed it, but seeing Az get his comeuppance was also rather nice, Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt- Lady Phoebe Batten is beautiful, but also almost completely blind. To guard her, her brother haa hired Captain James Trevillion, who himself is injured and has a hard time walking. But when she is nearly snatched several times in London, he takes her away to his family estate, disguised as his wife. As for Phoebe, she is angered by the way Trevillion is always there, preventing her from trying to live her life in the way she wants. But when she is dragged agaist his hard body when he rescues her from kidnappers, she soon becomes aware that her irritation covers a very real affection for him, an affection that is quickly turning into something more than just lukewarm. But when he takes her to his boyhood home disguised as his wife, she soon becomes aware that she wishes the role was more real than anything else. Can she convince both James and her brother that this is a good idea? James has longed from Phobe from afar, but when she begins heating things up between them, can he convince her it isn't a good idea, or will he succumb to her charms? I liked this book, especially the byplay between the two characters and how they, despite the damage to their bodies, liked each other for whom they are. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">About a Vampire by Lindsay Sands- Justin Bricker is a Hunter working for the vampire council, but he has been left alone while his partners found their lifemate. He, of course, gave them plenty of advice on how to win their lifemates over. But when Justin meets Holly when she breaks in on him and Anders disposing of Rogues in the mortuary cremation oven, he chases her and causes her to fall, right on the pair of scissors she'd been carrying to use against any zombies who might attack her. With her lifeblood gushing out, and him being unable to control her, He turns her to save her- and now must teach her how to use her powers as an immortal. Only one problem- Holly is married. Holly, for her part, has lived all her life with either her parents or her husband, who she grew up with as her best friend. But when she is abruptly turned immortal by Bricker, she must come to terms with her new, better body, and drinking blood. But when she must return to her husband, how can she give up Bricker, who she got close to? And what will she do if her husband is also a potential lifemate for her? I liked seeing the obnoxious Bricker taken down a peg. He's always been so confident with women, but seeing him struggle to woo Holly (thanks to the interference of his friends) was really amusing, since he previously claimed to know it all. But the ending was nice, and how things neatly knitted up the story was very good and wonderful. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare- In her first London Season, Madeline Gracechurch was so uncomfortable with the crowds and masses of people that she decided to save herself the hassle of catching a husband. On a trip to Brighton to see a relative, she made up a fiancee named Logan MacKensie and claimed she had met and fallen in love with him in the city, and that he had to leave on campaign. In the meantime, she wrote him letters about what she was doing (while talking about how much she hated society and how she was doing this to get out of being married), and when he was no longer useful, she killed him off and "mourned" him. However, when she is willed a castle in the Highlands, she goes there with her aunt Thea. However, soon a man turns up her her door, the real Captain Logan MacKenzie, who has gotten her letters all these years. He is looking for a home for himself and his men, all of whom were wounded and some crippled by the war. He threatens to blackmail Maddie if she doesn't go along with his plan, threatening to expose her using the letters she wrote. So Maddie has no choice but to go along with his plan. But when the flesh and blood man she thought she created begins to actively woo her, and she finds herself not panicking about him, can she keep her heart in line and resist falling in love? Or is her heart already irrevocably lost? And will she still be able to follow her career of being a wildlife illustrator if she gives her heart away to Logan? I loved this book, as it follows Maddy sort of paying for the mistake she made in making up a supposed fiancee to spare herself her fear of crowds and people in large numbers. I also liked Logan and his men, and how she dealt with them all. I also liked that she didn't give up on her dream. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Dream Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn- Kellen's mother gave birth to her away from home, but she insists that she gave birth to a boy, not a girl. Therefore, Kellen was raised as a boy would be, and her father, a traveling trader, stayed only as long as he could deal with his wife. When a truth-teller came to the village and her mother dragged Kellen to see her, the truth-teller told her that Kellen had been born a girl- had always been a girl. But her mother was still unable to accept the truth. When she went to school, she met a boy named Gryffin, the son of the local innkeeper, who, unbeknownst to most, horribly abused Gryffin after he was forced to take the boy in. Kellen has two dreams, to have her mother accept her, and for Gryffin to be safe and well. But when the village is visited by the Dream-Maker, now an old woman, can she make those two dreams come true for Kellen. When she goes to find Kellen to bring him to the Dream-Maker, she finds she cannot- he has gone missing. The next day, after the Dream-Maker leaves, she finds that his uncle had dragged him out of town, beat him again, further damaging his already-weak legs, and left him in the woods to die. Kellen rescues him and takes him to work with her, ensuring he has a place with an old schoolmate of theirs. Then word comes through the land- the Dream-Maker's magic has passed on. And it seems that Gryffin has it. But when they must separate for a yeat, will Gryffin remember Kellen at the end of it, and can they have any kind of future together? I loved this book, which was a continuation of The Safe-Keeper's Secret and The Truth-Teller's Tale. A Dream Maker has the power to make wishes come true, but only for others, and not for themselves. And their powers come from the hard lives they have led. But can Gryffin make Kellen's dreams come true? I loved the poignancy of this romantic story and how Kellen saves Gryffin and in the end, he saves her. I loved every aspect of the story and the many characters in it, even Kellen's mother. This is a book you simply must read. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Rise of the Gryphon by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love - Evalle is an Alterant, a human mixed with some sort of supernatural race. She fights trolls, demons and other sorts of deadly things, but she is an outcast among the Beladors who serve the Druids. More than anything, she wants to find out her origins and help the Beladors, getting back in their good graces. In hopes of catching a traitor among the Beladors and rescue a friend they captured, she tries to infiltrate the deadly Medb coven in hopes of finding out informtation, along with her partner, Storm, a deadly Skinwalker. But when she is tricked into donning a bracelet intended to lead her into a trap, Evalle must try to keep Storm, now her lover as well as her partner, safe. And to do that, she must enter a deadly fighting competition against other Alterants and win, becoming one of the finalists. Dogged by a young witch whose powers are growing, and the leader of the coven from becoming immortal, along with her Dark Druid mate, Cathbad. But when it turns out the leader of the Medb needs the strongest Alterants for an attack on the Belador home dimention, can Evalle find the answers she needs while keeping her friends and lover safe? And what do the Medb know about the Alterants, anyway? I liked this book despite not having read the other books in the series, but the story hung together anyway. I wasn't completely sure of all the players and details, but it's a great novel withg plenty of interesting twists and turns. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Call to Arms by David Weber, Timothy Zahn and Thomas Pope- Travis Long is an excellent spacer with one little hang-up: rules are meant to be followed. Living in a time where most commanders are slack about enforcing those rules, Travis has run into many problems in the Manticoran navy. Now, there are problems in the admiralty, with the politician in charge of MPARS agitating for increasing the size of MPARS and decreasing the size of the navy, Travis' brother is working with Winterfall to do his bidding. But with a mercenary group, the Volslungs, seeking to conquer Manticore to secure a possible Wormhole Junction on the edge of Manty space, it's up to Travis and his fellow spacers to try and keep Manticore free and destroy the ships of the Volslungs. Thankfully, they have been ill-informed about the ships in the Manticoran forces by a traitor, and it's possible that MPARS and its ships being the only thing standing between Victory and Defeat. But as Travis tries his best to keep his ship and Captain alive, can he be s decisive factor in the battle for Mantcore? I liked this book, esecially the growing romance between Travis and Lisa Donnelly, and the final battle in Manticore space. This was a seriously good book, and I can't wait to read more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Legacy of Lehr by Katherine Kurtz- Mather Seton and Dr. Wallace Hamilton are a husband and wife team sent to Beta-Geminorum to bring Lehr cats back to the emperor for his menagerie. No sooner do they have the highly-intelligent, psychically active cats on board the ship Valkyrie that strange things begin happening on board. The cats, supposedly demons to a number of alien races, seem to be killing and attacking people on board the Valkyrie. But both Seton and Wallace, and their men, believe that it is impossible for the cats to escape from their cages. When scraps of blue cat fur are left behind at the scenes of the attacks, and the victims appear to have been carved up by claws, everyone suspects the cats as the culprits... but are they really? And how can they prove it if the cats aren't at fault? This was a great sci-fi mystery, with an entirely sci-fi ending, and wonderful characters and alien races. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare- The daughter of a prominent author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight is down to nearly her last penny when she hears she has inherited a castle from the Earl of Lynforth, she travels there, only to be confronted by the nearly fully-blind Ransom, Lord Rothbury, who contests her ownership of the estate. But with nowhere else to go, Izzy can't leave, and she intends to stay in the castle, defending her claim on it, for as long as she can. But while Izzy has grown up on stories of love and romance, it seems she has outgrown them all, except perhaps for the one of beauty and the beast- especially if the beast is a lord who no longer believes in love or dreams, and especially hates the sort of faerytales that Izzy's father wrote. But he is willing to employ her to help him read through his backlog of mail and find out why her uncle thought he owned Ransom's castle. But as they share his home and Izzy keeps falling for Ransome, he realizes he can no longer live without her- even if the Moranglians (followers of her father's tales) keep showing up at the castle dressed in medieval garb and knightly armor. But now Ransom's solicitors want him declared insane- apparently so that their tricking his accounts is dismissed. But when he chooses that moment to propose to Izzy, can she keep him safe from Bedlam and accept his proposal as well? I liked this book- it was a cross between fairy tales and true love, and I did sort of suspect the twist that Ransom figured out along the way. I liked Izzy and I like Ransom, and their romance is wonderful. Naturally, it takes some time for Ransom to warm up to Izzy, but I really liked them both, and the ending when he declares his love for her is wonderful. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Angel Betrayed by Cynthia Eden- Sammael, known better as Sam is a former Death Angel who fell from Heaven when he decided to kill humans who had attacked a village, killed women and children, but not before raping them horribly. Ever since then, he has been cast out on the Earth. But now he is approached by a woman named Seline O'Shaw, who claims she needs protection from some people who are intent upon killing her. Sam turns her down, but when she is attacked on the street, he takes her to one of his many homes to keep her safe- only to find out that Seline is a succubus- or part succubus, to be honest. He's expecting her to betray him, but he's not expecting her to intrigue him. And when it turns out that Seline is working for a punishment Angel named Rogziel, who wants to punish all the fallen angels on earth, the two of them end up working together to defeat the Punishment Angel, who is going after fallen who fell for things like love. When he starts killing even relatively innocent Fallen, Sam decides to take him on- and also his brother Az, who Rogziel has imprisoned in his base and is torturing. But when Rogziel also decides to kill Seline, that's when Sam hits his limit. How far is Sam willing to go to save the woman he loves, and, more importantly, how far is she willing to go for him? When they are separated between love and hell, can anything on earth reunite them? Or are they fated to be separated forever? This is the second book in the Fallen series, but I really ended up liking it. Sammael is usually equated with Satan in a lot of religion, but Sam is strong, hard and uncompromising, much like his angel-self used to be. He's also possibly the first fallen angel and we get to see others who fell for a variety of reasons, from love to curiosity, to wanting to protect their human. We also get to see different kinds of angels from guardian angels to punishment angels to messenger angels, not just the Death Angels. This expanded the universe in a very good way, and we also got to see Uriel, one of the major angels (archangels) in the story as well. I liked how the dichotomy of Seline was revealed, as you would think someone half angel, half devil would be quite... different. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Disaster Profiteers: How Natural Disasters make the Rich Richer and the Poor Even Poorer by John C. Mutter- Natural disasters happen, but you might expect that when they do, both rich and poor are given equal chance to come out from under the debris and rebuild, rebuild better and rebuild stronger. Or maybe not in less equal societies, where the ones in charge don't distribute aid equally, but surely in America, that isn't the case... Sadly, though, even in America, in areas struck by any kind of disaster, the poor end up less well off and the Rich are barely touched, and even get more of the pie than they did before. Mutter shows why this happens- even in countries like the US, but also in places like Haiti, South Korea and Thailand. It really opened my eyes to how unequally even our society distributes wealth and why it's the poor who have the hardest time when even everyone loses just about everything they have. A fascinating book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Turning Season by Sharon Shinn- Karadel is a vet in the tiny little town of Quinton, living on the edge of town and trying to live a normal life. But Karadel is a shifter, and not really very normal at all. At any time, she can suddenly feel the shift come upon her and have to hurry home to throw off her human clothes and revert to being some sort of animal. And when she has animals to feed and look after, it's even harder. But luckily, she has people around her, humans and shifters both, who know who and what she is and take care of her as much as she takes care of them when they shift or become injured. People like Bonnie, a human who is raising a shifter named Alonzo with her lover Aurelia. Celeste, another shifter who maintains a happy-go-lucky attitude towards life, and Ryan, another shifter who is Karadel's ex-boyfriend, who tries to lighten her up and who is the male "twin" of Celeste. But complications come to Karadel's life when a local man tries to rape Celeste outside in the alley of a new nightclub they went to. Karadel has bonded with Joe, one of the Bouncers, and as they get closer, chaos rises from Celeste's having turned into a bobcat and clawed the man to get away. But as Karadel deals with inconvenient shifts and her new boyfriend, an even bigger dose of chaos comes to town when someone attempts to abduct Celeste and hurts her very badly. Ryan is furious, and when he goes out for vengeance on the two men who hurt her, all the shifters Karadel knows are caught up in the battle. Can Karadel find the normality she wants amid the backdrop of what is going on in town, and can she prevent one of her friends from making a mistake with their life? I wasn't sure what to expect from this series, but this is very much like a literary novel, only with shapeshifters. Or, to quote the title of the earlier book in this series, "Still Life with Shape-Shifter". It seems so ordinary a book, but at the same time, somehow profound and at all times wonderful and amazing. Each of the characters is well and exquisitely drawn, and I loved reading it. I even read it twice- that's just how good it is. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and more tell us about Crime by Val McDermid- Val McDermid is a mystery writer, and these days, whether you are writing police procedurals or any other kind of mystery, you'll want to keep yourself up to date on the whos, hows, Whats and Whys of forensics, which is all about gathering clues from many different sources to either find suspects or eliminate ones already found by the police detectives. This book covers ten different areas of clue detection and also how the clues are collected at the scene and, finally, used and abused in the courtroom itself. The book covers fire scenes, bugs, DNA, facial reconstruction, Pathology, Toxicology, Anthropology, Digital Forensics and more on its way to showing us how many ways there are now to ferret out clues as to who killed this person and how- the why usually belongs to Psychiatry. It's a fascinating book that covers everything in a fairly fine detail and shows how the science in question was used in real-life crimes to solve the old "Whodunnit?" question. While there are other books out there for writers that give more detail (usually in a single book about a single kind of detection, this book gives a fascinating overview of it all. Highly recommended, whether you're a writer or just fascinated with things like the CSI series.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Siren's Call by Jane Castle- Ella Morgan is a song talent, a very strong one- specifically, she can sing people into sleep- or death. Her kind is known as a Siren, and she is used to people thinking of her as some kind of monster. But when she sings a killer about to marry her friend into a sleep to prevent him from killing her or her friend, she is happy to have her skills and powers. Shortly, though, she leaves the company she is employed at to become a freelance dream interpreter- and in her first case, she helps a dust bunny to free its friends from a man who wants to use them to test out an old alien relic- a destructive one. While on the case, she meets Rafe Coppersmith, son of a rich family dealing in mining, who has recently found a new area under the island of Rainshadow. The two of them connect, and he promises to take her on a date. Shortly thereafter, he is recalled to Rainshadow to help his family, and falls prey to a horrible psy-fever that is destroying his mental talent. But he returns to Ella to hire her, because his family needs her help with Dinosaurs that prey by using their own songs to hunt in the Wonderland Area under Rainshadow. Rafe, even if he suspects Ella is a Siren, needs her help too badly to let her turn him down. And when he saves her from men trying to abduct them, is willing to leave with Rafe to go to Rainshadow. But she will be taking alon</span><span style="color: #33ccff;">g Lorelei, the Dust Bunny who adopted her after she saved its friends. Now, in the catacombs underneath Rainshadow, can Ella keep everyone alive while steering Rafe through the depts. of his psy-fever? I loved this book. I loved Ella's powers and her struggle to hide them, and I loved the revelation of music talents and what she was capable of. Moreover, I loved Lorelei and the rest of the dust bunnies and how Ella came up with a new profession for Rafe after his talent shifts. In short, I loved everything, and I suspect the next novel will have something to do with the city of Ghosts and Fog. I love this series very much. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">An Arranged Marriage by Jo Beverley- When Eleanor Chivenham was young, she hated her brother for his unbridled lifestyle. When he sold her home out from under her, she had no choie by the terms of her father's will but to move in with him. But when he sells her for the night to an Earl who believes she is a lightskirt, she can no longer stay with him and leaves, running away, even if she does lose her money to her brother by doing so. When the Earl finds her again, he explains that it wasn't him who took her innocence, but his brother, who has returned to Paris in the meantime. But if she is pregnant, the child will be part of his family, so he will take care of her until his brother returns and can be persuaded to marry her. When he does marry her, Nicolas promises her to tell her the truth, unless he cannot. He also lets slip to her that it really was his brother who got her with child, but Christopher likes men instead of women and thus cannot marry her, which makes her distrust hos brother. Meanwhile, Nicolas must try to win the heart of a female spy and prostitute to get her to turn over the knowledge she has to England about a plot against the Emperor of France, but when Eleanor has tried to make her life with Nicolas worth living, he finds he cannot pretend to be in love with another woman when it is Eleanor he loves. And as they grow further apart, can they ever find their way back to each other before he is forced to go the distance with Madam Bellaire? I liked this book. Jo Beverley writes/wrote some really good romances, and some of my favorites of the 1980's. This book is from the 1990's, but she still has her charms. I don't know if I would have been as patient as Eleanor is with Nicolas, but I loved reading this book and it took me back to everything I loved about Jo Beverley. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Marriage Test by Bettina Krahn- Griffin de Grandaise is gifted with a sense of smell that is extremely potent, so much so that a smell which is merely unpleasant to ordinary people is like a whiff of pure garbage to him. Also, it means that food made with substandard ingredients or even spoiled ingredients, is pure garbage to him and he cannot eat it. So he has looked for the perfect chef to suit his tastes for years. Joanne of Childress is the daughter of a former nobleman who was dumped into the convent of the Brides of Virtue when she was only a child. Thanks to her cooking, the convent has enjoyed unusual peace and serenity among the nuns and novitiate. The abbess wants Joanne to take vows, but Joanne has no such calling and wishes to be free to be a normal woman, even though she truly enjoys cooking. So when two of Grandaise's men stumble on the convent and sample her cooking, it is rumors of her cooking that draw Grandaise to the Convent of the Brides of Virtue. But when the Bishop and the Duke of Avalon are also feasting there, it means the Abbess cannot simply send Grandaise away. Instead, he leases her from the church for one year and agrees to return her to the convent with her virtue intact, or be punished by the King of France. Meanwhile, Grandaise's neighbor Verdun believes that Joanne is merely a mistress, and since he is to marry his daughter to Grandaise, which he is against, he decides to make Grandaise marry Joanne, thus bringing the King and Church's wrath upon his head, and marry his daughter off to a fat German Prince. But when Joanne and Verdun's daughter Sophie decide to take it into their own hands to solve things, can the men do anything but go along? And will the true culprit behind the incidents between the two Noble lords feud ever be brought to justice? This was an older book, but the story was very interesting, it being all about Medieval cooking and cookery. In fact, Bettina Krahn said she tried to make the dishes as authentic as possible to medieval recipes and at the same time, delicious-sounding to modern ears. In this, she succeeded, and I really enjoyed reading the book and the sensuality of food and taste revealed within. Highly effective and wonderful. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Drink of Me by Jacquelyn Frank- In the outlands where the Jakals wander, torturing and killing people to feed on their pain and despair also live the Sange, who drink blood in the act of passion with their mates and are thereby feared. So when a woman who feels sorrow very deeply is rescued by Reule, leader of the Sange, he cannot help but try to help her, as he can feel her sorrow beating on him. But when she awakes, she is amnesiac, unable even to remember her own name, and when Darcio, his shadow, tries to read the memory of her body, it seems that she was wounded before she crawled to where he found her, but just remembering that far back hurts. Reule names her "Mystique, and before long, she saves one of his broodpack from dying with her ability to take on the pain and wounds of others to heal. Taking the place of the Physician she ousted, he finds himself falling for her and making her his Prima, or wife. But when people who look like Mystique, the Yesu, come to the Sange city looking for a murderess, Reule knows they mean Mystique, but can she regain yher memories and remember why these men seek her and provide a true explanation to what actually went on, or will Rye, Reule's heir cast her out for her crime without listening to the truth? I like Jacquelyn Frank's exquisite romances among peoples who aren't human and have never been human. Like this one, which apparently takes place in a very different world than the Nightwalkers/ Shadowdwellers universe. All we learn of here are the Sange, the Jakal and the Yesu, none of which I am aware of from the other series.. Nonetheless, I liked the interesting world, the characters, and the Sange, which are analogous to vampires while not actually being vampires (having fangs and drinking blood are the only two things Sange and vampires have in common.. Nevertheless, I loved the world-building and the glimpses of the world and peoples we saw. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Closer to the Heart by Mercedes Lackey- with the crisis of Amily taking over as King's Own from her father, Nikolas finally past them and Amily and Mags in love and to be married, the King has decided to make political hay from their marriage by turning it into a low-key diplomatic event. However, the ambassador from Menmellith comes riding into Haven, the Capital of Valdemar, hell-bent for leather with horrible news- the Regency Council that rules Menmellith for the ten-year old boy who rules as King has heard of a horrible plot against the King by one of the Lords passed over by the Regent Council, and he is backing his bid against the King with weapons purchased in Valdemar- bearing the marks of Valdemaran swordmakers. The King has no idea of who bought the weapons or where they are coming from, and who, if anyone in Valdemar, is behind the plot. With no time to waste, Mags, Nikolas and Amily must look into the matter, and one of Amily's latest ideas, of a service to train unwanted spinsters for working for the crown in the guise of "Crown Approved Maids", recruits a young woman named Keira, who is willing to do anything for Valdemar, even give up her purity, if it helps the Kingdom. So as Nikolas goes among the master smiths to find out who purchased the weapons, Mags, Keira, Lord Jorun, Nikolas's mentor and a former street boy named Coot go amongst the Mine-Owners to see who might have lent money to this venture. But as the King attempts to keep a diplomatic delegation delayed by coming up with ploys to keep them from making easy headway through Vakdemar, Mags and Amily are kidnapped from the grounds of the collegium itself. But can they escape from their jailer and put paid to his plans? I loved this book- I loved how Mags and Amily forestalled all the fuss over their wedding by getting married on their own beforehand and the way the structures they'd set up helped them track down the actual plotter and put his plans to an end. While I am getting over the constant irritation over Mags' tortured dialect, I still wish he'd talk like the other characters, as it takes me twice as long to read a line written in his own way of speaking than "normal" speech. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Redeemed by P.c. Cast and Kristin Cast- Former head of the Tulsa House of Night and agent of Chaos Neferet has returned from her exile with a bang, killing an entire church full of worshippers and taking over the hotel where she once lived in the Penthouse. Now, styling herself a goddess, she's killed sixty people and used their deaths and their souls to barricade herself within. Meanwhile, Zoey Redbird is in the jail at the Tulsa Police Department, taking the blame for two homeless men she killed by accident. But, as it turns out, she didn't kill them after all, Neferet did soon after she emerged from her cocoon. Freed of the responsibility for atoning for those deaths, Zoey returns to the House of Night with the idea to call a meeting and decide how to deal with Neferet. Along with her are the teachers, including Lenobia, and Thanatos and all of the "Nerd Herd", including Aphrodite and Darius, Kalona, Rephaim, Aurox and Detective Marx, among others. Meanwhile, back in the Hotel, Neferet gets an event planner to work for her, under threat of death or sacrifice to Neferet's chaos allies, and Thanatos sets up a barrier of flame around the city, including around the hotel. So when Neferet sends her event planner out to try and get 1920's costumes for a ritual Neferet wants her to set in motion, Neferet's minions are burned and destroyed while the Stockholm-Syndrome'd planner is left unharmed. Meanwhile, Aphrodite has received a vision that the Goddess wants Zoey to use the old Magic to defeat Neferet, but to do so without running into the same problem as Neferet, she must be pure of intent. But how can Zoey guarantee that? Deaths mount as Neferet takes out Kalona, who is no longer immortal, and Zoey agrees that he deserves a second chance, allowing him to return to the side of the Goddess Nyx. But as deaths mount on both sides, can Zoey discover how she needs to defeat Neferet and the Old Magic she needs to use? For the last book in the series, everything came down to several battles, but each one, and the ending, were, frankly, perfect in my view. Yes, plenty of people died, both the good and the wicked, but I loved the ending and I was glad to have read the entire series up to this point. The last few pages of the book were beautiful and I hope I can read more stories set in this world. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">An Ancient Peace by Tanya Huff- The Galactic Council is made up of the Elder Races and the Younger Races. The younger races were brought in to fight a war for the Elder Races that they were no longer capable of fighting, having evolved past the need for fighting and war. But the war turned out to he an experiment set up by polymorphous plastic aliens as a social experiment and now the war is over. Some among the younger races, however, are still looking for conflict, and someone has gone in search of the home system of the H'san to raid their tomb planet, because apparently long ago, the H'san had horrendous weapons and buried them with their dead. Now, artifacts are coming onto the market, so ex-Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr and her team, including her husband Craig, must go in search of the H'san System and whoever is plundering the tombs of the long-dead H'san. Backtracking the artifacts sold on the planet of Abalae, they discover that the seller was a Katrien named Jamers. Also, her family was a dependent of the Katrien named Presit, a journalist that theyw worked with to cover the threat of the plastic aliens. Presit promised to go in search of Jamers for her family's ruling female, but apparently the location of the original H'san homeworld is known to the Elder races. Unbeknownst to them all, the team sent in search of the weapons is now stuck on the planet, fighting off a wave of H'san zombies (actually, animated dead bodies through science, and only Torin and her Team can get them out. But the planet doesn't give up its secrets easily, and escaping is harder than it seems. Can Torin recover the other team, leave behind the weapons and bring her own team safely home?, or will the H'san planet be the death of them all? I really like Tanya Huff and her writing, and this series brings back one of my favorite characters of her, Confederation Marine Torin Kerr. This time, she is transitioning from being a soldier to working for the Bureau of Justice, and while most of her team are ex-military, Torin is still suffering from dreams and nightmares from her time at war. I liked this book, and the story was interesting, but seeing the team take on challenges and work together, unlike the other team, was interesting and great, to see the example to be like and not to be like. I wonder if any of the people she rescued will end up joining her in the future. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Darkness on his Bones by Barbara Hambly- James Asher is an Oxford Don who used to be a spy for England. But when he is injured and nearly dies in Paris, it is his wife, Lydia, who comes to his rescue. James nearly died when someone threw him from the steeple of a Church, and through his dreams and memories, it seems that someone in Paris is after a vampiric artifact known as the Fascinum that is said to ensure powers over vampires so that they obey the elder vampire who has it to the best of their ability. But not only the vampires are seeking it, but the German High Command as well, and Asher wanted to destroy it so that no one could get their hands on it, as it would be dangerous no matter who had it. But apparently, he got closer in his investigations than he realized, because someone tried to kill him. Now, the only way to save his life is to find the Fascinum and to do that, Lydia must call on the vampire who first introduced James to the world of the undead, Don Simon Ysidro. But can the three of them working together find the truth behind the existence of the Fascinum and escape to England before the Germans overrun Paris at the start or World War I? I loved this book. Some of it is told in flashback, as James Asher remembers in his coma, while other parts are as Don Ysidro remembers when he was both human and vampire in Paris. It's an excellent book and I loved peering into all its corners and secrets, like an antiquarian book. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">I re-read Astronomy by Ian Ridpath, specifically the part about the constellations.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hell's Foundations Quiver by David Weber- The Fight by Charis, Corisande, Emerald and Chisholm against the Church of God Awaiting is still ongoing, but while the church lands fight to keep up with the technical advances of the Heretics, the church is coming closer and closer to the realization that this might be a battle they could lose, a realization that Zhaspar Clyntahn, chief Vicar of the Church, fights tooth and claw, but others in the church are not as blinkered as Clyntahn when it comes to the truth. But even as the fight goes on, it seems that there is another faction in the church, the followers of Kohdy, who have the journal of Seijin Kohdy from the time that the church was established and fought against Shan-wei. But will they be on the side of the church, or the side of the rebels against the Church of God Awaiting? And as the battles heat up, can the rebels recruit Earl Thirsk of Dohlar when Zhaspar Clyntahn decides to take his family hostage to ensure he doesn't go over to the enemy? And can they let the Earl know that before Clyntahn decides to do something irrevocable? I loved this book. It's a mix of fighting, wars and battle and philosophy and talking, but the long war is having an effect on everyone, including the PICA of Nimue Alban, now fighting as Merlin Athrawes, and his "sister, also known as Nimue, who Merlin wants to keep safe from the bad acts he's had to perform. Merlin is getting a bit stressed and I can only wait to see how it plays out in the future, and I want to see Clyntahn and the Gang of Four get what is coming to them. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Edge of Darkness by Christine Feehan, Maggie Shayne and Lori Herter- This is a book of three short stories/novelettes. "Dark Crime" by Christine Feehan is about Blaze McGuire, whose father, a former Marine, is killed by a criminal family. Since he taught Blaze, and her friend, Emeline, everything he knew about defense, and Blaze about explosives as well, Blaze decides to get revenge on the four men who killed her father and tossed him into the street like a piece of trash. The only person on her side, with Emeline in Europe. is another crime lord, Tariq Asengard, and his partner, Maksim Volkov. But that might be more than she knows when it turns out that Coonan, head of the Criminal Syndicate that the Halloran brothers help him run, is a Vampire, and Maksim is a Carpathian dedicated to destroying Coonan. But when Blaze is forced to take the fight to Coonan, can she and her new mate, Maksim, pull off the task? In "Dead by Twilight" by Maggie Shayne, Chloe Madison, a vampire Cop is on the track of someone who has been killing people as a vampire does. So when she saves Shepard Daniels, a BCD cop who is also on the trail of the killers. Chloe hates vamires, and so does Daniels, but when they come together on the Vampire Crimes unit, each finds themselves rethinking that idea. But can they track down the vampire behind the crimes? "Cimmaron Spirit" by Lori Herter has Annie Carmichael, an Archgaeologist, working on a Anasazi ruin on land owned by Brent Logan, who wants her to marry him. But at the same time, she is connecting with Rafael de La Vega, who also claims the land the ruin sits on. But when she discovers that Rafael is also a vampire who lairs in the ruins, can she choose between the two men, or risk giving up everything that matters to her? This was an okay book. I am getting tired of reading the "mate bonding" tat Christine Feehan writes about. It was boring me so badly, I skipped over that part, and lost nothing from the story. Literally. I was more interested in the conflict between Blaze and the Halloran brothers than I was in the bonding of Maksim and Blaze. I also smelled a sequel coming with emeline and I just... didn't care. I think Christine Feehan is going to drop out of my reading list for a while. My favorite story was the one by Maggie Shayne, as she brought back in characters from her Silhouette Shadows series, and it was welcome to see them. Recommended, but not for everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Lord Fenton's Folly by Josi S. Kilpatrick- Charles Theler, known as Lord Fenton, first met Alice Stanbridge when they were children. But in an attempt to irritate his father into seeing him as a man backfires and has him close to losing his birthright, his only choice is to beg his mother for help. His mother brokers a deal with his father and Fenton must shape up, take an interest in the estate, and marry- and Fenton, who lives in utter horror of marriage, chooses Alice Stanbridge as his bride, with the urging of his mother. Alice has been in love with him since she was a girl, but when she finds out that Fenton only picked her because she was convenient, she is outraged and treats him with disdain. Now, as his mother grows sicker, there is only one thing that can bring them back together- their mutual regard for Lord Fenton's mother and the secrets that wait on Foxcroft, his mother's dower estate. But will the secrets revealed there bring them together or shatter them completely apart? This book was kind of a meh. It looks like a magnified version of the Harlequin Historicals, and that is pretty much what you are getting. There isn't really much romance- Lord Fenton and his bride never share so much as a lusty moment together until the very end of the book, and even then, if it happens, it happens off-screen. Also , the book reminded me a bit of a Inspirational romance, only without the religion parts. It was okay, but it didn't make me impressed with the writer or the publisher. Neither recommended nor not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews- Kate Daniels lived life as a mercenary, until her father returned. a mage centuries old, she fought him to keep him from taking over Atlanta. Now, Kate and her boyfriend/mate Curran, formerly the Beast Lord of Atlanta, are trying to live life on their own, but their pack ties are bringing him problems. Monetary problems. To solve it, the pack tries to cede the Mercenary Guild, which they own shares in, to Curran to pay him for his own investments in pack businesses. Unless Curran is willing to destroy those businesses he backed, he can't be paid any other way. But the Guild is in disarray and they are dealing with a magical artifact that can take anyone over. When that impacts the Guild, Curran decides the only way to save the Guild is to take it over and make sure it is done right. But when their problem is an Efreet straight out of Persian lore, can all of the guild, even with Kate and Curran's help, take it on? And Kate's father isn't out of the picture, either. He wants a relationship with Kate, but how can she keep him from pushing her into taking over the entire city? I really enjoyed this book. It's nice to see Kate and Curran thriving and Kate's adopted daughter, Julie. I liked all the set pieces and the story behind the Efreet and why it was after a member of the pack. and I really liked the battle at the end, with members of the pack helping Curran out. It was a win/win and I loved every minute of it. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourne- Veronica Speedwell is a lepidopterist who has just buried her last aunt and is looking forward to starting out on a new expedition to Malaysia. The vicar of the church where she and her aunt have been living wants her to marry a local farmer with six children, but she most definitely does not, and says so. But when she returns to her cottage only to find it is being burgled, she is rescued by a German noble, Count Von Stauffenburg, who tells her that her life is in danger and she needs to come with him. Since the Count is an old man, she agrees and he takes her to London and puts her into the care of an old friend of his named Stoker. But when news comes that the count had been killed, Stoker takes his promise to take care of her seriously and whisks her off into the countryside to keep her safe and discover why her life is in danger. There, she learns that the Count is not the only man who was looking for her- but why? While she is not a virgin and likes men (especially foreign men, and is attracted to Stoker, she also refuses to get into relationships with English men, so while she finds him super-attractive, she decides not to touch him because he could cause her to be labeled a fallen woman if their relationship got out, But Veronica's secrets may be more interesting than she thinks... or knows. Can she and Stoker find out the truth, and take on the ones who want her? I liked this book, which was first in a new series, I suspect that Stoker and Veronica will end up married at some point, but I liked their byplay and the science that they clearly both knew. A really excellent book with engaging characters and a wonderful mystery. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Fool Me Once by Steve Hockensmith with Lisa Falco- Alanis McLachlan is the daughter of a con-woman. When her mother died, she took over the White Magic Five and Dime to make amends to all the people that her mother fleeced. So when Marsha, an abused wife and her mother's most profitable clients, comes looking for help with dealing with her husband, Alanis tries to help- but Marsha's husband ends up dead, and the police are looking at Marsha as the killer. It's up to Alanis to find out what is really going on, and figure out who the real killer or killers are. But can she do it without falling into the clutches of the police herself? I don't remember reading the first book in the series, but I liked the chapter headings, which are the suit of wands as interpreted by Alanis' mother. And not only does Alanis have to deal with baggage from her mother, but an actual family of shady con-men and grifters, and competition from right across the street, along with a good man and another con, and trying to live her life honestly. On the other hand, every time they mentioned her name, my mind filled in "... Morisette", which was a bit ditracting. Recommended.</span><br />
<span style="color: #33ccff;"><br /></span><span style="color: #33ccff;">No. 6 Volume 1 by Atsuko Asano, Art by Hinoki Kino- Twelve year old Shion is smart enough to have it all in City Number six, but loses it when he gives sanctuary to a young boy named Rat who has escaped from confinement and bears a violence chip implanted in him. Shion and his mother are ousted from Chronos, the high-class area of the city and forced to move to Lost City, the low-class area of Number six. But when Shion and his co-worker find a dead man in the park they overse, it's a puzzle, because the man was young but looks desiccated and old. When the same thing happens to Shion's co-worker the very next day, Shion sees a black bee emerge from the body, and he is apprehended by agents of the city who claim Shion is responsible for the deaths. He is saved by Rat, who helps Shion flee the city to the area outside, where Shion soon finds that he, too, is infected. But can Rat help him cut out the infection before Shion can die, and what will be the effects if he can? This was an interesting beginning to the series, and I found it to be somewhat horrifying, but given that the center of the city was called "Moondrop", yet looked like a giant beehive gave me bad vibes. Very bad vibes. So I am sort of looking forward to reading the rest, and at the same time, not looking forward to it. It seems like this might possibly turn into a horror manga. Still, recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">No. 6 Volume 2 by Atsuko Asano, Art by Hinoki Kino- Shino has survived his encounter with the black bee, but the shock has turned his hair white and left a red line around his body. Now that he has escaped the city, he must learn to survive in the West Block, the outside of the city where people struggle to get into the city or live out fairly hopeless lives beyond its walls. But while Shion, never having to survive on his own before, struggles to live his life in a new way, he and Rat start piecing together the truth about the city, helped by a former boyfriend of Shion's mother, Karan. And inside the city, scientists and administrators discuss how to make No. "A holy city" in more than name. Shion wants to save the city where he spent most of his life, but Rat tells him that if Shion tries to save the city, that will make them enemies. Shion and Rat also meet with Dog-Keeper, a person who rents Dogs to people staying in the halls of an old hotel to keep warm. Dog Keeper acts as an informant for Rat, but they have something of antagonistic relationship. The scientists in the city talk about needing a female subject, and Shion's longtime friend Safu must return to the city when her grandmother dies. This was a bit more confusing than the first volume, but shows us how conditions are in the area outside the city and why people are desperate to get in there. We get no more real clues about the Black Bees (or possibly wasps), but the fact that they need a female subject right before we see Safu return doesn't bode well for Safu. I'm still waiting to see where this story is going. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Scottish Play Murder by Anne Rutherford-Suzanne Thornton's company of players work out of the Globe Theatre, but when an actor named Diarmuid Ramsay demands the lead in the play of Macbeth, and plays himself as if he were actually Macbeth, Suzanna and the other actors are torn between envy at Diarmuid's abilities to transform himself into the part and superstition about putting on a play so seemingly cursed. But when a player and minor musician is found dead soon afterwards, Susanna finds herself once more thrust into the role of sleuth to try and discover who might have wanted their drum player dead. Added to rumors that Diarmuid Ramsay is possibly a conman who makes off with all women's valuables, and an argument between Diarmuid and a pirate that resulted in the death of the pirate as well. With no one seeming to trust Ramsay and Susanna not sure if she can trust him with her heart, not to mention her possessions, she must decide if she will allow Ramsay into her life or stay with her former beaux Daniel. I liked this book as well, with interesting characters, and Susanna herself is one of the better ones. A former prostitute and player who is cautious about giving her heart and her body, especially since she works with her son and former love. I liked all the characters and am eager to see what happens with Diarmuid Ramsay in the future. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Stockholm Castle Mystery by Joyce Elson Moore- When former soldier Johan Sokolewski travels to Stockholm to attend a college for music, he is instead told to go to the castle and gets a job as a royal musician. But on the night before he arrives, a goldsmith is killed while examining some of the treasure the Queen, Cristina, inherited from her father. But also, a Bible named the Silver Bible is stolen from the same library where the Goldsmith was killed. The Queen Mother, Eleonora, is very upset at the theft, and decides that she will investigate who might have taken the book. She uses her dwarves as a jury and decides that Zofia, the court astrologer and alchemist, is the culprit, and that she stole the book for her father. But Johan has met Zofia and thinks it absurd that she might have stolen it. When he expressed this to the Queen Mother, she puts him in charge of an investigation to clear Zofia, and if he cannot find the true culprit within 20 days, Zofia will be thrown in jail. Johan isn't used to being a detective, but he enlists Gunne, one of Eleonora's dwarves, to help him. But can he discover the true culprit when he never knew any of these people before a few days ago? And can he keep Zofia's good opinion in the process? I've never read any books by Joyce Elson Moore before, but I really enjoyed this book. The castle is a bit bland- I mean, it could be anywhere, not just Stockholm, but I hope that future books flesh out the Swedish background of the series in a more specific way. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Inspector Colbeck's Casebook by Edward Marston- This book is collection of thirteen short stories set in the world of "The Railway Detective". The last tale in the book was written first and is very different from the series, because the short story was written before the series. "Wetting the Coal" has the body of a guard found in a coal bunker and Colbeck must discover who killed him, "Rain, Steam and Speed" has a valuable picture of a train stolen neat a train stop, and the nobleman who wants the picture to go on display is offered the picture back... for a price, But who are the thieves? "The Railway Church" has a murdered body found in the first church ever built by a Railway, Colbeck must discover who killed Claude Exton, "A Family Affair" has a retired railway official robbed of his wallet, Colback and Leeming must discover who the thief was and if a poor musician is his accomplice, In "The Hat Trick", a married couple looking for where the man proposed is startled when a man is thrown from a passing train, lands on a rock and dies. But who is the man, and who killed him? "Helping Hand" has Tallis helping out an old vet by setting him up with Colbeck for employment in his yard. But when there is a theft, is the vet to blame, or the worker who they already have? "Songs for a Swedish Nightingale" has Jenny Lind disappear while under the watch of Inspector Colbeck, can he find out where she has been taken and why? "Suffer the Children" has the money for the workers is stolen, Colbeck and Leeming's sons must discover the money and who stole it. "The Missionary" has Colbeck tracking down a man who Superintendant Tallis feels he stole money from him by misrepresenting himself. But who is this man really, and what is his real profession? "On Guard" has a murdered guard's attacker tracked. But was the guard the target, or was it merely a mistake? "The Barber of Ravenglass" has a woman's body found in a torched railway car. But who was she and why was she killed? "Puffing Billy" has Colbeck's wife, Madelaine travels north to sketch the train "Puffing Billy". But when her drawings and sketchbook are stolen from her room, Colbeck and his wife must find the thief. And finally, "The End of the Line" has the murder of a Railway Executive on a line in which there were only four men on the train, including the murdered man. But who killed him? I liked these short stories, but it's true that "The End of the Line" is very different from the other stories, with very different characterizations from the normal stories. My favorite story was probably "Puffing Billy", as it had the most interesting story and the most interesting thief. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Discoveries in the Shriver Family Attic: How a Woman and Her Children Dealt with the Battle of Gettysburg by Kajsa C. Cook- is the story of the Shriver Family as told as a fiction book for children as Sadie and Molly Shriver return to their former home in Gettysburg with two fictional children, Amy and Jason. It tells the story of what happened to them and has pictures of the Shriver family and their property, along with inside of the house. Parts of the story are told from the point of view of Hettie and one a dream of her husband in Andersonville, where he died. It's sort of a story for kids, but very expensive for all that ($8.95 for a slim volume was rather steep- I get that this money probably goes to support the people who restored and run the Shriver House, but still...that must have been hard to stomach for the person who bought it. Would I recommend it? No, neither to read nor purchase, as it feels like its for kids a lot younger than could actually read it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Shriver's Story: Eyewitnesses to the Battle of Gettysburgh by Nancie W. Gudmestad- This book retells the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of the Shriver family and their family and friends in Gettysburg from December, 1861 through July 7th (and afterwards), 1863. There is also a small section at the end of the back where the restoration is described and the artifacts found in the walls, and floors of the Shriver attic. I enjoyed this book more than the "Discoveries in the Shriver Family Attic" book. This one is written for teens to adults and contains more details and more pictures, which is always a good thing, such as that the family also fairly went by Schriver as well. I enjoyed this one much better. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Chosen by Jeanne C. Stein- Anna Strong has been a vampire for less than a year, but suddenly, everyone seems to want her. On vacation with her model-vampire boyfriend, Lance, she finds herself the object of interest of his maker, Julian Underwood. But while she thinks she can fight off anyone, especially with Lance's help. But when he serves her up to Julian, she becomes so angry that she would do anything to get back at him. So when the leaders of all the vampires across the world meet under the wife of former North American leader, Williams, she is forced to meet Lance in battle, Judith Williams thinks that Anna will be unable to kill Lance. But is she right, or will Anna roll over for Lance? I stumbled into this book without reading the rest of the series, and it was okay. I didn't feel that Anna was as strong as other readers seemed to think. It's okay, but only lightly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Marrying the Major by Joanna Maitland- Hugo Stratton was once a light-hearted, happy young man, and Emma Fitzwilliam was the girl next door who fell madly in love with him. When war on the Continent was declared, Hugo sailed away to war, but a commission as a Major didn't prevent the war from taking a major toll on him. Now and exhausted, embittered man, Hugo must marry, and it seems that only Emma is willing to do so out of the love she bore and still bears for him. But with the man she loves so different from the man she fell in love with, is there any hope for the two of them to have a happy marriage? Emma believes that Hugo isn't damaged as he thinks, but can she coax the man she fell in love with to engage with the world again? This was a good, engaging romance with a damaged hero who is depressed about his ability to cope with what he's seen. This was my (current, anyway) catnip, and I realty enjoyed reading it. Recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-39918779139531767472015-10-16T15:10:00.000-04:002015-10-16T15:10:50.346-04:002015, Part 7<span style="color: #33ccff;">From a High Tower by Mercedes Lackey- Giselle is the daughter of a poor man and his wife, burdened with too many children to feed. When her father happens upon an untouched garden behind an abandoned house, he raids the garden to feed his family. But then the woman who owns the garden catches him and requires his newest child, a daughter, in payment. With no other choice, he agrees, and the Earth Master takes the child and adopts her as her own. Giselle, who has powers over air, lives at the top of a tower in room with huge windows on every side. Her only quirk is that her hair grows with unnatural speed- fast enough that you can actually see it lengthen over mere days or weeks, and she must cut it every so often. But once when her mother is away, Giselle is befriended by a woodsman, who seems like he could be her friend, but when she lowers her hair to draw him up to her tower, he ends by trying to rape her, and she is only saved by the intervention of her adoptive mother. The woodsman is thrown from the tower and disappears and Giselle is left to learn defense from her mother and some members of the local foresters. One of the things she learns is how to shoot, and because of her practice and air mastery, she becomes VERY GOOD at it. When her mother finally passes, she begins earning a living by pretending to be a man and moving from town to town and entering shooting competitions. However, when she is cornered by an army recruiter and threatened with being inducted into the army, she reveals her true sex and the man attempts to attack her. She calls on her elementals to defend her by taking away his air, but he falls dead, and she must flee, hating herself for inadvertently killing him. She falls in with another Earth Witch who absolves her of killing him, and tells her to keep her eyes open for another opportunity. At the next big towm, She encounters an American Wild West show and shows off her shooting skills. The owner, a man named Cody, hires her as a new lady Sharpshooter, and she meets a Crow shaman named Fox, who also happens to have Air Master powers, but of a totally different kind. Even his Air Spirits are different. But along the way, she begins to feel unfriendly eyes on her. And when they are joined by Rosa, the local female huntmaster, they continue to run into various sorts of spirits to be put down. Because Giselle has grown close to the many people in the production, she invites them to shelter the winter with her in the former abbey that was her home, which the others gleefully accept- they will stay for free, allowing them to save more money to return home with. But an old trouble follows Giselle home, and she and her new friends must defeat it in the midst of the coldest winter ever, and one of their foes is a cold mage (the evil opposite of a fire mage). Can they and their familiar spirits deal with the problem? This book is based around the fairytale of Rapunzel, but continues on long after the traditional end of the fairy tale. In book terms, this is reminiscent of "Reserved for the Cat" (the show business aspect), but includes tantalizing glimpses of American Spirits. It's also, intriguingly, the first one to skip a romance entirely, and I honestly can't say I missed it. I felt it was a solid but not stunning example of Mercedes Lackey's writing. It's a good, solid book, but it isn't going to blow your socks off like some of the other books in this series. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dragon Fall by Katie MacAlister- Aoife Dakar is a half-Irish, half-Senegalese transplant to Norway from America. She, her parents, and her brother and sister moved there when she was young. But when Aoife has a date with a man who believes in magic at the local Gothfest, she sees him murdered by two strange men. When she reports his murder to the police, she is taken in to a mental asylum when the man turns up alive. Two years later, she is released, only to find a black dog who she hits with her car and an apparently wounded and nearly-drowned man washed up on a beach. He is Kostya, a dragon, and he is trying to undo a curse that struck the dragon clans. But he also experiences an attraction for Aoife, body and soul. Can he keep her safe and prevent her from discovering his secrets while plumbing her own, this woman who may be his heart's mate.? I started this book, but lost interest very quickly. I couldn't find myself seeing through Aoife's eyes, and how even her family didn't believe her and sort of shunted her off into treatment. Kostya, too, was not to my taste and I just threw it down after a very short time. Did not finish. Would not recommend, YMMV.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey- Mags is a Herald who was once an enslaved boy in a mine. Now that he knows his background, and has fallen in love with Amily, daughter of the King's Spy and King's Own Herald Nikolas, he finally is able to put on his Whites and move on into working for Valdemar, as he has always wanted to do. Nikolas, his mentor, wants him develop new personas he can assume if needed, this time among the nobles. It seems that two Valdemaran noble families, The Leverances and Kaltar, both decided independently to bring their children to court to marry them off to make good matches. However, both are in a great feud over a long-ago broken attempt at betrothal between the two families. They must be kept apart and kept from feuding while they are in the capital. But a chance accident kills Nikolas when he is walking through Haven and Mags brings him back to life with what is essentially CPR. However, the death breaks Nikolas' bond with Rolan, his companion, and Amily becomes the new King's Own while Nikolas is Chosen again by another Companion. Now, with the experienced King's own replaced by an untried girl, the court is in an uproar, until Mags points out that Nikolas still being alive is a good thing, as he can advise Amily if needed. Also, there is trouble between the two feuding houses, and Dia, youngest daughter of Lord Leverance, falls madly in love at first sight with Brand, son of Lord Kaltar. With Mags watching over Brand and Amily over Dia, can they contain the feud fighting between the tow family's retainers and orchestrate an end to the feud with a marriage? Meanwhile, Mags is also being kept busy breaking up a thief-ring and taking the boys the Thief Lord was using and turning them into messengers and having them educated. And when the worst happens, it is up to Amily and her new-found powers as a Herald that must come to save the day. I really enjoyed this book. In the vein of the Elemental Masters series and the 500 Kingdoms series, this book's story was more or less based on "Romeo and Juliet", but this one has Dia, the female character, falling in love at first sight. The ending, though, is wildly different and unexpected. Lackey leads viewers into expecting one thing and then surprising them with quite another. It was a surprise and a welcome one, and I enjoyed this book far more than the Collegium Chronicles books. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Art of Sinning by Sabrina Jeffries- American artist Jeremy Keane is in England to try and get one of his paintings accepted by the Royal Academy for a show. At a wedding he bumps into the Earl of Blakeborough, and both commiserate over how hard it is to find husbands for their sisters- the right kind of husband, that is. Blakeborough's sister Yvette Barlow is someone Jeremy wants to paint, so he agrees to paint her portrait in return for helping get his own sister, who is coming to England, married off to a respectable man. But he also wants Yvette for a model for his new painting, "Art Sacrificed to Commerce", which will have her scantily clad. She agrees if he will help her find a former actress, as she is the mother of her other borther, Ben's son. Ben has just been sentenced to transportation for his crimes, and Yvette wants to get her nephew to safety. Jeremy also agrees, but he finds himself falling for Yvette in a way he has never done before. As they spar and he paints, and he awaits the arrival of his family in England, can he make peace with his past and find out if Yvette is really the lady to conquer his heart? I liked this book. I like how Jeremy was very much like a rogue and Yvette is much attracted to rogues. But in the end, he turns out to not be much of a rogue after all. And the situations where he and Yvette come together to be both lovely and intense. And both had to make peace with their pasts. Yvette is just as damaged as Jeremy is, but the truth of the situation has been hidden from her. I loved the ending and how he transformed his painting in such a way as to provide a private viewing experience for both of them. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Archangels' Enigma by Nalini Singh- Naasir is a particularly Feral vampire who works as part of Raphael's seven. He has been hunting for his mate for some time, but hasn't found her. But Rafael pulls him off the hunt to find a sleeping Ancient named Alexander. Alexaner disappeared into sleep over 400 years ago, but Lijuan believes he is a threat to her because of an ancient prophecy. She is determined to kill Raphael while he still sleeps- a major crime among angels, but Lijuan. believing herself a goddess, doesn't care. Both Raphael and Lijuan know there is a scholar, Andromeda, working in the refuge, who is a historian and who may have a clue as to where Alexander's resting place lies. But as Naasir travels to meet her, he discovers that she smells like a woman he could be mated to. Only she is kidnapped from the refuge before they can start their search. She is brought to one of Lijuan's palaces in China, built by a long ago artisan named Suyin. Lijuan also wants to know where Alexander went to ground, and Andromeda speculates that he could be under his old palace in lower Africa. She also discovers that Suyin is still alive and being imprisoned by Lijuan, one wing cut off every time she wakes from healing trance to prevent her from leaving. But Naasir is balked from claiming Andromeda because she has taken a vow of celibacy and will only release herself if she can find a certain ancient book. So as he rescues her and Suyin from Lijuan, they must race to discover Alexander's true resting place so that they can awaken him and help him defend himself against Lijuan. And to finally claim his mate Naasir must travel back to where he became and find Andromeda the book she wants. But she is trapped by her vows to her parents' sire, and must serve 500 years in his court- something sure to destroy her spirit. Can Naasir find a way to free her from her vow? I loved this book. I love all Nalini Singh's books, but this one really took my breath away. I loved the reveal of who and what Naasir is, and how he and Andromeda came to love and care for each other. One of her best books ever. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Safe at Last by Maya Banks- When Zack Covington was just a boy, he met and fell in love with Anna-Grace, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Zack saved her, got her a job and was working to make a life he could live with her when she abruptly disappeared. Cut to the soul, Zack kept searching for her. And when he got injured in his career as a quarterback, he dropped out of pro sports to become a federal agent, still on the search for his "Gracie". But he's had no luck So he decides to move on with his life. But before he can he has one last job- to protect the exhibition of an artist at an upscale art gallery. But when he sees the last painting the artist has completed, he goes nearly crazy, because the artist is Gracie. Only she wants nothing to do with him, and runs from him in a panic. Desperate to know why she fears him so much, he pursues her- and pisses off the gallery owner, who is her friend. But when he finds Gracie beaten up and left for dead in the front yard of his apartment, he has no choice but to find out why his enemies attacked her, and to try and keep her safe. But the secrets she holds might break him- or break them both. Can he live with what happened to her and why she left, or will he decide to take revenge on the ones who wronged her? and can he win back the love of the only woman he has ever truly loved? I don't usually read books like this one, but this made me glad I did. Yes, there was a lot of angst and drama in the story, but I loved how his honest reactions won Gracie back to him and what he did to the people who had conspired to wrong her. This is a book that embodies a lot of pain, but the outcome is heartwarming. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Aquaman: SubDiego by Will Pfeiffer, Patrick Gleason and Christian Alamy- When there is an Earthquake in California, part of San Diego crumbles into the bay. Everyone, including Aquaman, believes the people of the city that crumbled into the bay dead, until a boy makes it to the surface, and promptly dies. It turns out what killed him was not lack of air, but lack of water. He had grown gills and somehow survived under the sea. Aquaman looks for other survivors and finds a girl named Lorena. Something has changed her DNA to allow her to adaprt to being underwater and surviving by breathing water instead of air. Nor is she the only one. And with no one able to look after the people, it's up to Aquaman, Arthur Curry, to take on the responsibility. While Lorena and Aquaman patrol the city together the question becomes how did all these people have a fortunate mutation that allowed them to survive? Or perhaps it wasn't a mutation after all. Aquaman must track down the person responsible and make them do something to fix it, especially since some of the women who survived are pregnant and their babies have only a 50/50 chance of being born water breathers, And when he finds the person, he must convince him to fix the problem. Finally, Aquaman must deal with crime in the undercity, and find and keep out the kind of criminals responsible. But can Aquaman find out who really is behind the earthquake and sinking of Sub Diego? I don'tusually read Aquaman, but I liked this story a lot. I liked seeing how Aquaman became Sub Diego's protector, much like Superman is for Metropolis and Batman is for Gothem. It was a fascinating and engaging tale, and the ending had me looking forward to more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Ant-Man: Second Chance Man by Nick Spemcer, Raymond Rosanas and Jordan Boyd- Scott Lang is a former criminal who took up the mantle of Ant Man from Hank Pym. He and his wife are divorced and he has one daughter, Cassie. So when her mother decides to move to Florida and take Cassie with her, Scott feels he has no choice but to follow, even turning down the offer of a job he really wanted from Tony Stark. Once down in Florida, he needs to make a living, and discovers an ex-villain who is in a giant bear suit, who happens to be angry at Hank Pym. But Scott Hires him and sets up a security company so he can make a living in Florida and be close to her. His attempts to help set up security systems with his ants are somewhat less than successful, and when Cassie gets kidnapped by Augustine Cross, Scott must rescue her, because Cross needs Cassie's heart to resurrect his father, Darren Cross. Specifically, he needs Cassie's heart, and he has kidnapped the doctor who saved Cassie's life as well. But can Scott save her in time and take care of Darren Cross as well? I rather liked the Hank Pym version of Ant Man better, but this book felt like I was watching a sad sack try to do good, and fall short at almost every turn. I get that Scott wants to do good by Cassie, his daughter, but he ends up screwing it up and making his ex-wife angry at seemingly every turn. It was an okay book, but not who I prefer as Ant-Man. Ends up as Meh for me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Batman Detective Comics: Volume 5 Gothtopia by John Layman, Jason Fabok and Aaron Lopresti- Things have never been better in Gotham and Batman is right on top of crime, aided by Catbird (the former Catwoman), Bluebelle and Brightbat. But first Batman must take down a woman infected with the same serum that made Man-Bat and Jim Gordon remembers the time when he started on the Gotham police force. But when a seemingly-crazy Poison Ivy shows up telling people that they are being gulled, he takes her to Arkham Asylum. Soon, Batman comes to realize that she is right, as seemingly normal people are committing suicide for what seems to be no reason, all over the city. When Batman himself discovers there is something deeply unsettling going on, his friends take him to Arkham as well, where it turns out there is a new Doctor in charge, Doctor Crane, and he has been poisoning the city's water with something that allows them all to live the life of their dreams, which makes their resulting terror just that much greater. But can Batman team up with Poison Ivy to defeat Scarecrow's latest plan? In "The Chemical Syndicate" we get to see an alternate beginning for the Joker, and in "Old School" we see the evolution of Batman from his earliest days to more modern versions of himself. But is it all a dream? "Better Days" shows future Batman making one last tour around the city fighting crime. "Rain" show what might have happened had Bruce's parents been saved when he was a child, and the choice he makes to let history remain the same, and "Twenty Seven" shows what might happen to Batman in the future, when he clones himself to keep the city safe. Will his latest clone take up the mantle, or choose a normal life? This was a really great graphic novel, one I truly enjoyed reading, "Troubled Waters", the first story, about Jim Gordon, shows the kind of corruption endemic to the city, was an interesting one, although it was more about Jim Gordon than Batman. Which is what I like, that some of the 'background characters", who are Batman's allies, have just as deep and interesting stories as he does. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Spider's Trap by Jennifer Estep- Now that Mab Monroe is dead, Gin is trying to run the city's criminal enterprises in her place, but being an assassin and not a crime boss, she is having less than total success at the job. But when Gin survives an assassination attempt, she wonders who has a price on her head. Only it turns out that it might not have been meant for the Spider after all. Long ago, you see, when Fletcher first began teaching Gin his business, Gin was given the job of guarding a young girl for a short time. The girl's father was trying to kill her, and Gin felt badly enough that when the man came for his daughter, Gin ended up killing him to save the obviously frightened girl. But it turns out that her father wasn't the only monster in the family, and now the other one has come back to finish the job the father started, and the former girl victim has grown up to become part of the criminal underworld. The killer is after the woman who killed his father, but he doesn't know the real culprit. Can Gin take him out before he takes out either her or the former victim, and settle an underworld dispute in the process? I loved this book, and I love the entire series. Gin often reacts in a manner less like the assassin she is supposed to be and more sloppy and less thinking. But every time, she cleans up after her own mess. I would just like to see one nvel where she remains a cool assassin throughout and doesn't end up screwing the pooch by being overconfident and screwing something up. Other than that, there is much to recommend in this series, and a lot to like. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hunter by Mercedes Lackey- Joyeaux Charmand is a Hunter, those who keep the Cits (aka Citizens) safe from the monsters of Otherland who spill over into our dimension from another. But she's not alone in her task- she has creatures called "Hounds" who are also creatures of otherwhere, but on the side of the Hunters who can call them. Joy has been called in from the Hinterlands to protect the Cits of the Capital from monsters that try to get in a kill the humans, or even steal them away. But unlike in the Hinterlands Joy came from, the capital views the Hunters as entertainment and watches their hunts through Closed-Circuit TV. But soon Joy cottons onto something that the government doesn't want the Cits to know: The Othersider attacks are getting closer to the city, some even inside the barrier that supposedly keeps the Cits safe. But when someone tries to eliminate Joy, she can only see one way to become too powerful to attack, to become an Elite Hunter. But can she and her pack of Hounds survive the grueling test to become Elite, especially when the man she will face off against in the final test is a Hunter who hates her, blaming her for the death of his brother? I liked this book. It had a sort of YA/Teen vibe to it though the book isn't specifically targeted at the YA audience. Primarily is a female main character who is in a romance, but doesn't know if she can trust her partner, and a tendency to explain things about the world over and over and over again. For adults and some older teens, this will probably become a bit tedious and annoying, but ut's an otherwise solid book. I suspect that this is first in a new series or trilogy, and that the next one will probably be named Elite. Also, Christians might be angry and/or annoyed by the way their religion is viewed in this book. But while the world holds "Christers" partially responsible for the "Diseray", or the semi-apocalypse that destroyed the world. You might think this comes from "Disarray", but it's actually from the Dies Irae, or "God's wrath", since it wasn't the *actual* apocalypse. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Only a Promise by Mary Balogh- The Survivors Club is a group of Men and one Woman who lost a great deal during the Napoleonic War. Ralph Stockwood lost his friends when he convinced them to come to the war with him, and he struggles to overcome his guilt for getting his friends killed, and also for surviving without them. Chloe Muirhead was savaged when her own sister ran off with the man she was intended to marry, and became and laughingstock in the ton when the scandal became known. She no longer believes in love, and to escape from her family, has become a companion to her mother's Godmother, who is Ralph's Grandmother. He has been summoned to find a wife and carry on the family name, but knows himself incapable of Love, but what woman would marry him without such an emotion. He is surprised when Chloe suggests they marry. She does not need love, but she does want a family, and with her scandal still a subject of gossip amongst the ton, her only hope for doing so is Ralph. He is taken back by her offer, but begins to see the obvious advantages. But that is not the only reason why Chloe is an outcast. She also bears a great resemblance to another woman of the ton, and it seems that she and that other woman are related. Ralph urges her to find out the truth, and she helps him reconnect with his own family... and the families of his friends whose sons he feels responsible for the deaths of.in France. But can they make peace with their pasts and move on to a life of love, or is Ralph really incapable of love as he claims? I have loved all the "Survivor's Club" books, and this one was one of the better ones. After his friends were killed, Ralph's emotions went dead to deal with the shock of losing his friends. He still mourns them, but cuts off all his emotions to save himself from pain. It's up to Chloe to help him regain his ability to feel love, while he helps her deal with some painful emotions of her own. But of course, Ralph never really lost his ability to feel love, he was just deliberately blocking it out. This sort of disappointed me, because the other Survivors lost things they will never regain, like sight, and Ralph's injuries were more emotional than truly physical, and I liked that the other books in the series were not miraculous total healings. I still enjoyed it, but I was disappointed that the series has moved from people who stay injured and must deal with it for the rest of their lives, to someone with scars, but who is healed of his emotional wounds. Still recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh- This second to last book of the Survivor's Club series deals with Imogen, Lady Barclay, who lost her husband in the war on the peninsula against Napoleon. She lives on the estate of her stepfather, in the dower house, which needs a new roof, but the man she hired for the job is dragging his feet. So she is living in the house of the former Earl, along with the New Earl's Aunt and her companion. The new Earl inherited the estate years ago, but has never been there for a visit. A golden boy who has gotten everything, Percival Hayes is feeling at a loss,like something is missing in his life. When he is abruptly reminded of the estate he inherited, he makes immediate plans to go there, never expecting the estate to be anything but a run-down old pile. He gets there only to find his estate overrun in unwanted pets, and yet is intrigued by Imogen, who seems to him more a statue cast in marble. Determining to break through her reserve and her refusal to rely on anybody but herself, he challenges her at every opportunity and finally succeeds in breaking through her well of reserve. He also meddles in her affairs without telling her, getting the roof of her house repaired. He also sets down the law with his aunt about how many animals she can take in at once, and finds himself being adopted by one of her unsightly "pets". But when he propositions Imogen to become his mistress, she isn't willing, but is willing to have a short affair with him before she leaves for her annual "Survivors Club" meeting. But while she has confessed some of her deepest secrets to him, does he have any to confess in return? And when he wants to marry him, can she leave the shadow of her dead husband behind to embrace new love with a whole and open heart? And in the meantime, can she discover the truth behind her husband's death on the Peninsula, and what might have been behind his capture, and bring the true culprit to justice? Or will the shadow of her dead husband remain over her for the rest of her life? I liked this one, as both characters have things missing in their lives, and each has to push the other to reach, grow and branch out. It takes Imogen a bit longer to let go, but eventually, even she realizes that she must move on with her life. But in doing so, she must acknowledge the real truth of what she did and why it was so very painful for her. I loved this book. Yes, this one had a mental block the hero and heroine must overcome, not a more permanent disability, but this was a book where the survivor was a woman, and I loved it mainly for that reason. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Trapped by Scandal by Jane Feather- Lady Hermione Fanshawe, better known as "Hero", is used to doing what she wants. When she encounters an old lover, William Ducasse, during an outing in London, it brings back their adventure together, when she went in search of her brother in Paris, who had gone looking for his fiancée and found her imprisoned in the Bastille. Together, William, Hero, her brother and his fiancée had escaped from both the Guillotine and Paris, and while Hero's heart was captured by William when they became lovers, he refused to put her in danger by continuing their association after they had escaped back to England. However, William is being chased by a Spymaster for the French side, who is looking for William to being him to "justice". But William wants to protect not only Hero, but some other secrets he is hiding as well, and his foe is looking to get William through any means possible. And since he and Hero have been spending time together, she will do admirably as a lever to get to him. Bur when there is a kidnapping, Hero and William will have to work together to keep their necks unsevered, and decide together what they both really want. I liked this bopok a lot. I liked that the Heroine's name was Hermione (which kind of reminded me of Harry Potter), and at the beginning of their association, she is mourning the loss of her fiancé in the War. It's her relationship with William that leads her to believe that life goes on, but she also has to overcome William's reluctance to begin a relationship with her because of the secrets he's hiding, and the people he could put into danger if he slips. I loved how the two were not able to deny their desire for each other, and how William finally decides he cannot control Hermione or her heart. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman by Lorraine Heath- Steven Lyons has returned from the war against Napoleon with a secret- he no longer remembers anything that happened to him during the war. His memory of it is just a big blank. But when Mercy Dawson comes to him with his son, he can only do the right thing and marry her. Even if she only begs his family to keep his son safe and use her as his nursemaid. But even though he can't remember the circumstances of their meeting or his making her pregnant, he could never deny the mother of his child. But while Steven is hiding the truth of what he remembers from his family, Mercy is also hiding a secret, one that could rip her heart in two if anyone, especially Steven, found out. And when a woman who served with her in the war threatens to out her secret, but will stay silent for money, Mercy cannot pay her. But will the truth of her circumstances move Steven, or cause him to leave her? And can she deal with being parted from her beloved son? I loved this book, as the whole "Secret Baby" was here turned on its head. The Secret that Mercy is hiding is completely unexpected and was a completely new twist for me. But even so, I love how Steven came to love her and how they came together in the end to protect Steven's son, the only one who really mattered to them both. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Tremaine's True Love by Grace Burrowes- Tremaine St. Michael is a wool magnate who has come to Nita Haddonfeld's brother to buy a flock of merino wool sheep, hoping to improve his own herd. Nita is the black sheep of the family, more interested in keeping her family's tenants and sheep safe and well that in keeping her own self well. Tremaine doesn't expect to get along with her, but he finds her the least affected and most sympathetic of her family, even as he worries for her going out to tend sick people when she takes no care for her own life. Lord Haddonfeld makes Tremaine a bargain. If he marries Nita, he will give Tremaine the sheep as a wedding present. But Tremaine isn't the only one who is interested in the sheep. Digby, Nita's sister's fiancé, is also interested in the sheep, but Nita believes there is something wrong with Digby- and not just in the way he treats his sister and her son. Tremaine meets the boy and is also concerned for him, as Digby seems to be trying to kill the boy so that he can get the boy's inheritance. Tremaine and Nita must solve the mystery and put everything to rights before she will marry him. But can he get her to be more careful of herself when she is so used to caring only for others? I liked this book, but it wasn't exactly my favorite. There was lots of stuff that went on, but the characters were somewhat incidental to the plot as a whole, and I sort of felt it took away from the romance aspect. Recommended, still</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Loki, Agent of Asgard: I Cannot Tell a Lie by Al Ewing, George Coelho, and Lee Garbet- Loki has been reborn, but is trying to change his fate by changing his past and trying to live life in an aboveboard and straightforward manner, even though he is the God of lies and deception. To do so, however, he had to resort to a horrific act. But when a sorcerer's pact made the world change, it made Loki the only truthful, upstanding member of the Asgardians, and changed the formerly good ones into their opposites. He works for Freya, the All-Mother, and for every mission he successfully undertakes, one of his mistakes from his past is erased. In this way, he hopes to change his ultimate fate. Along with him for the ride is Verity Willis, a human who can sense whenever someone lies to her. Meanwhile, old Loki is still around, seeking to meddle in the life of his younger self and make him unable to change his fate. When Loki is kidnapped and imprisoned by Doctor Doom, Doom's kingdom of Latveria falls victim to the Red Skull and his power o incite Distrust and hatred, only Loki, and the power of the sword of truth can help, and so verity works with Valeria Richards to free Loki and save Latveria. Then, Loki works with the Avengers, made of all former villains, to deal with a group of villains attempting to break into a casino and steal money. Then, he must deal with Thor, and wield Mjolnir to defeat his brother. Which lead to Loki revealing his crime, and being rejected by not only Thor, but the whole of Asgard. But when even Veiry rejects him, Loki is imprisoned by his older self, and is about to be shown the way things need to be.... I found this an interesting take on Loki. You cheer for him, wanting to be better than he was, and trying to change his fate, but he still makes very bad decisions, and reaps the rewards (so to speak) of his crimes. I want to see if he really can make himself a better person, but I don't have much faith that this is going to end that way. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Bizarre London : Discover the Capital's Secrets and Surprises by David Long- London is a big city with a long history, and David Long traces fascinating bits of its history from Roman times all the way up through the present day, through crime, business, trade, ghosts and all sorts of fascinating topics. There is a list of merchants who have Warrants from the Crown to supply the Royals, the Oldest still surviving businesses in London, and more, including a Hatter whose business has been extant since 1676- not long at all after the Great Fire of London. This book holds a fascinating and intriguing look at the history of a great city and where some of its skeletons are buried. If you have any interest in history, or in London itself, this is a book that you will want to pick up. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Devoted in Death by J.D. Robb- When Eve Dallas is called to the scene of a murder in a seedy alley in downtown New York, it's of a body so mutilated that she nearly misses a vital piece of evidence, an E and D carved in the shape of a heart. Unsure of what those initials might mean, she tries to follow the evidence, only to find another body, this of a brilliant concert violinist, who has been murdered and mutilated in the same way, and with the same markings. Evidence is that a pair of killers have moved into New York, a pair of killers with murder on their minds, and seemingly nothing to lose. But the trail doesn't start in New York, but far across the county, and Eve is kept busy tracking a long trail of murder and a pair of killers getting better at what they do. But all is not well when they start taking prisoners to slowly torture, but Eve must work fast before another victim ends up dead and dumped on the streets. And with two victims in their grasp, Even will have to work faster than ever... I loved this book. I loved the backstory of the two killers, and how they came together, and I loved how Eve caught them, even the interaction between their victims was amazing and intense. I did think that the book was going to be about another person obsessed with Eve, because ED could also stand for "Eve Dallas", but I loved how the book didn't go there. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Angel of Darkness by Cynthia Eden- Keenan is a death angel, meant to escort humans to their final reward when they finally pass on. But when a vampire attacks Nicole St. James, he can't stand by and remain unmoved. Instead, he attacks the vampire to save her, but fails, and then he falls for failing in his duty. His last thought is of Nicole and wanting to find her again. Two years later, Nicole is a vampire on the run, and Keenan has finally remembered her after his fall from grace. But when he comes to her aid yet again, can they finally be together forever? Nicole thinks she can't have a life, and Azrael, Keenan's former superior, is tantalizing him with promises of being lifted to heaven again if he can just do his duty and let Nicole die. But Keenan is finding that wanting Nicole is far better than wanting Heaven. But can he keep her safe from the men hunting her and stay alive himself? Or will he fall to her foes and the danger she is in? This was an interesting book. These books use Angels, but don't really seem to reference God all that much. As well, while Azrael is the angel of Death in the Bible, in these book, Azrael is merely the leader of the Angels of Death, and is not really referred to as a Archangel. This makes the books just fine to read if you want the flavor of Angels without too much spirituality. Whereas this series does have a fallen Angel named Sammael (aka Sam), he's not the Devil, and while there may be Demons, they aren't really demonic forces serving Samael. There appear to merely another kind of supernatural creature. So while there are Angels, they aren't explicitly tied to Christianity very much. This may be a good point or a bad point for you. For me, that added to the worldbuilding in the book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher (The Cinder Spires, Book 1)- In a world shrouded in mist where terrible creatures roam freely, the Spires have sheltered humanity from time immemorial. But each spire is like a country unto itself, finding fierce rivals among other Spires. In Spire Albion, Caprtain Grimm is an Aeroship pilot, of the small but fast Merchant Ship Predator, which in between shipping runs, also acts as a Privateer. But it appears that Grimm's past as a Privateer against Spire Aurora is catching up with him, when his ship is ambushed the Auroran Warship Itasca and through Grimm and his men escape, Predator is severely damaged in the fight, with the lift crystals that power the ship damaged, it will cost more than his ship is worth to replace them. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn Lancaster, one of Spire Albion's noblest families, joins the guard, seemingly over her mother's wishes. But when another recruit, Bridget Tagwynn, last scion of the formerly prominent family, and her companion, Rowl, Gwen and her cousin Benedict end up counseling Bridget for a duel against Reginald Astor, first son of the Astor house. But the duel is interrupted by an attack of Auroran Marines on Spire Albion. Spire Aurora has declared war, and the three and Rowl must fight against the Marines attacking the spite. In so doing they come to the attention of the Spirereach, Leader of Spire Albion (though usually in name only). He replaces The Preadtor's Crystals in exchange for Grimm taking an Etherealist and his apprentice (along with Gwen, Benedict, Bridget and Rowl) to the Habble section of Spire Albion, there to hunt down the marines that weren't killed or captured. But the Marines aren't the only things that they have to fear. Another Etherealist is with the Marines, trying to destroy Habble Albion from within. And she is working for an ancient evil that has its eye on humanity. But as fleets crash and the Marines conspire, can Grimm and the others keep Spire Albion safe, or see it all end in fire? I loved this book. I was expecting it to be good, but not *this* good. Grimm, though painted as a coward by his former superiors, has honor and courage, and the other characters, including the cats, who are also sentient, are absolutely amazing. I could barely put this book down to do anything else, and I stayed up late into the night reading it. If a sort of steam-punky fantasy with power crystals replacing steam engines is up your alley, this will definitely drive you over to the next street. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Elemental Magic edited by Mercedes Lackey- I re-read this book, missing the series after having read "From A High Tower". It was just as good on re-reading it as it was the first time. Again, Highly Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Rose for Major Flint by Louise Allen- Major Adam Flint is an officer in the gunnery corps. But in the aftermath of the battle, he comes upon a young woman caught in a rosebush and fighting off four deserters who want to attack her. But when he rescues her, he finds that she cannot speak and doesn't seem to remember who she is, so he names her "Rose" for the brambles she was caught in. Taking her back to Brussels, he thinks she is a camp follower with another unit, but she indicates that she wants to stay with the men in their lodgings in Brussels. It's only after she gets her voice back that they begin to grow even closer, and they become lovers, only for Adam to discover that Rose is a virgin. Worse, she begins to remember who she really is- a lady who is the daughter of a rich family who have taken shelter in Brussels. But as they grow closer, can Adam admit that he has fallen for Rose and really wants to give up fighting after following the rum for so many years? And can Rose believe him, or will she let him go because soldiering is all he is good at? This was a Harlequin, and fairly short, but I really enjoyed the story and the way the characters came together. Adam may be a bastard who has made a life as a mercenary, but can he really do that for the rest of his life? Or will the lovely Rose be the one to make him see the virtues of settling down with a good woman? Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">No Conventional Miss by Eleanor Webster- Amaryllis Gibson is one of two daughters of an eccentric academic, and loves science and inventing. But she also has a talent for seeing and hearing ghosts, which has bothered her all her life. She ignored it in hopes it would go away, but it doesn't seem to be fading. However, when she must marry, she hopes she can avoid the problem and settle down. However, while she would be glad to see her sister wed, it is she who gets caught in a compromising position with Paul Lindsey, Viscount Wyburn, and must marry to settle the gossip put about herself by an old neighbor who seeks to cause trouble for her. Afraid of being cast into a madhouse, Rilla seeks to hide the truth from her soon-to-be husband, even as the ghost of his mother urges her to help him and to find the truth about her death. Another excellent book that I really enjoyed, with a red-haired heroine who, as it could be said, "Hears Dead People. I loved the tension between Rilla and Paul, and Jack St. John, the villain of the piece. I also loved how Paul loved her for herself, enough to accept her for ALL her talents. Highly Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Tegami Bachi, Letter Bee Volume 18 by Hiroyuki Asada- Lag reunites with his friend Largo, a former Letter Bee who has been persuaded to rebel against the government of Amberground. But as Lag learns more about his birth and what happened on that long-ago day of the flicker, not to mention what the government is trying to do to solve the problem, and what the rebellion seeks to do, he decides to listen to a Spirit Insect in the Outlands, and try to figure out how to solve the problem of the Amber Sun without anybody being killed, even if it means sacrificing himself to ensure that no one else has to die. But as his friends among the Bees deliver his letters to his friends and acquaintances, they speculate on what is happening with Lag and what he may be becoming. But when Lag returns a year later, will anyone recognize him and will he still be human? This series is drawing to a close, but tantalizes readers with more mysteries yet to come. I'm still finding myself interested and reading. Recommended.</span><br />
<span style="color: #33ccff;"><br />The Rogue You Know by Shana Galen- Susanna Derring is dreadfully tired with the way her mother treats her. Nothing she does is ever right, and since her brother Sam married a girl from the Rookeries named Marlowe, she's been wanting a chance to have an adventure of her own. So when Gideon Harrow, a sneak thief, breaks into her room and hides a piece of valuable jewelry he's just stolen, she blackmails him into taking her to Vauxhall Gardens if he wants the jewelry back. And he takes her reluctantly. But as their night adventure turns into a three-day trek, he discovers that Susanna is as passionate as she is sheltered, and doesn't seem the slightest bit restrained in expressing that passion. And Gideon, friend to Marlowe, who was shattered by her falling in love with and marrying another man, finds himself forgetting Marlowe as he deals with Susanna. As for Susanna, she is going to Vauxhall to find out the truth about her mother, but finds herself falling for the Rogue and sneak thief she blackmailed into taking her. Sure he isn't nearly the rogue he claims to be, Susanna can't help but fall for him. But with the pickiest mother on the planet, how can she persuade her mother that this thief from the streets is the perfect man for her? I didn't know what to expect from this book, but it was genuinely funny and very sweet as well. Seeing Gideon's reaction to how Susanna talks a room of rogues after Gideon's neck into letting him take her to Vauxhall gardens was wonderful, and I loved how he managed to turn his life around and win her mother's approval. Recommended.<br />
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Pumpkin Scissors, Volume 3 by Ryotaro Iwanaga- After encountering a soldier in a fireproof suit, Corporal Oland is told the truth- the supposed fireproof liquid that shields the skin of the soldier in the suit is just an anaesthetic meant to shield them from feeling their skin being burned. Meanwhile, the Pumpkin Scissors are called out to a water treatment plant being held by saboteurs, one of whom is the man in the fire-proof suit. He is the only one left of his squad, who died when they took off their suits to take a bath. But when Oland and the rest of the Pumpkin Scissors try and stop the Saboteurs, can he keep the man in the suit safe with the knowledge he has, or is it already too late? Then, Alice must attend a ball with the rest of her families, two sisters who have already married and want Alice to do so as well. But when the ball in invaded by the poor, who blame the finance minister for embezzling the money meant to feed their families to line his own pockets, can Alice keep the protestors from killing anyone? And does she want to defend the finance minister for what he has done? Another excellent look at a country in turmoil and trying to rebuild after the war. I like the characters and I like the stories. My two favorite characters are Corporal Oland and Lieutenant Alice Malvin, though all of the characters are wonderful, which is a rarity in a manga with such a large cast. Highly recommended.<br />
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Pumpkin Scissors, Volume 4 by Ryotaro Iwanaga- The ball continues, and Alice must deal with the protestors. As the rest of the Pumpkin Scissors come to the ball to find and help her, they find that the crimes the finance minister committed are real. But when he's confronted, the two guards make attempts to take Alice and Corporal Oland down. But Alice can't take the side of the minister nor the side of the protestors if she really wants to propagate justice. Can she push aside the soldiers from Section 1 and allow Section 3, Pumpkin Scissors, to mete out real justice for everyone? I loved this book. It takes place mostly at a ball, but the story was real and immediate. Alice has to work on her own, without her commander, but even so, Zechs and the others are backing her up. I loved how her sisters realized that they can't make her fit a role, they can only let her do as she needs to do to fix things. And they also realized that she has it harder than any of them when it comes to doing her duty to everyone- Emperor, people, nobles and justice. The battles, both of words and swords, were amazing and really made this volume shine. Highly recommended,<br />
</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-44416584430605413252015-09-10T09:42:00.001-04:002015-09-10T09:42:57.642-04:002016, Part 6<span style="color: #33ccff;">Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris- Elizabeth Bennet has married her Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and they are all set to begin their lives of Wedded bliss. But Caroline Bingley is upset, for she had planned on wedding Darcy herself. Instead, she marries an American named Parrish with almost unseemly haste, merely a week after Elizabeth married Darcy. But soon she begins wandering at all hours and is found by the Darcys in a bad area of London, clearly not herself. She injures herself and no matter what her husband and friends try to do to help her, it seems she is determined to kill herself. The only thing which seems to comfort her is Mr. Randolph, a scholar who has a collection of supposedly mystical objects on display at the British Museum. But is he the author of her difficulties, or the cure? And can Elizabeth and Darcy discover the truth behind what is happening before it reaches out to engulf them as well? This was an excellent book, and a very intriguing mystery, as well. Darcy and Elizabeth have achieved a real communion and are now joined body and soul. But despite their great and fulfilling love for each other, they are still willing to help Caroline Bingley, who treated Elizabeth abominably in Pride and Prejudice. Though she and Caroline are by no means the closest of friends (they may not even be friends), they are the only ones she can call on to help her when things go pear-shaped in her marriage. I have never really read Jane Austen's novels, but the characters seem true to what I did read of them, and I found myself enjoying both characters and the mystery both. And as time passes, you also get to see Darcy unbend a bit (never in public, always when he is alone with Elizabeth), which was a nice treat. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris- Fitzwilliam Darcy and his wife Elizabeth have settled into Pemberly, but it so very well reflects the character of its former Mistress, Anne, that Elizabeth finds herself feeling a bit unsettled. Though already carrying the heir to the Darcy name and the estate at Pemberly, the two of them must find someone to attend her lying-in and birth. Elizabeth is content with a midwife, but Darcy wishes to engage a physician out of a fear of what may go wrong. Meanwhile, when Anne Darcy's desk is moved for Elizabeth, she finds a note written by Anne to her, or that is to say, to her son's bride. She asks the new Mrs. Darcy to find an heirloom that was lost, one which will ensure a happy birth to her son's offspring. Elizabeth decides to look into it, but first she and Darcy head to Bath to meet a Dr. Severn, a physician in Bath who also resides in London. He is willing to look after Elizabeth but is quite put out that she wants to stay at Pemberly for the birth. Elizabeth is not sure she likes him, but his stories of childbirth accidents and other interventions he has done convince her and Darcy to retain him, for a large sum of money for looking after Elizabeth at Pemberly. On the way home, they stay at Northanger Abbey for the night, meeting its Master, but the only servant they see is the Housekeeper. Their own servants fall ill for the night, and while they find a set of diamond Jewelry in the rooms where they are staying, they leave it where it is. Also, the man who is master of the place is Swathed in bandages, leaving but one eye visible. Though they are invited to stay for some time, they leave the next morning, put off by the coldness of the place. When they reach the next town, they are stopped by the local magistrate, who accuses them of stealing the jewelry and finds it hidden in a hidden compartment of Darcy's cane, which he did not even know was there. Soon, it is revealed as a ruse- The cane is not Darcy's. but a close copy, and to be released from the local Gaol, he must be remanded into the custody of his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, an overbearing lady who very much dislikes Elizabeth. But as they work to find out what really went on at Northanger Abbey and find the culprits responsible for framing Darcy, they are drawn into a mystery over a missing piece of Ivory wanted by more than one person. But can they save Darcy from the Hangman's Noose and restore the lost heirloom to Elizabeth before their son or daughter is born? I liked this book as well, and I found it interesting and wonderful to read. Elizabeth and Darcy are loving with each other, and this book revealed a lot of why Catherine De Bourgh disliked Elizabeth so much. Unfortunately, this doesn't destroy her antagonism, or prevent her from being an extremely unpleasant woman. Interesting mystery, great characters well-written and a great ending. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr- Eliza Jeckyll is a Victorian Crime Scene Investigator, but she hides a secret second life as the bold and often violent Adventuress, Lizzie Hyde. But the fact that she is female doesn't bode well for her career in the police force, and her superior, Inspector Harley Griffin, is the only reason why the Police have tolerated her this long. But when mutilated bodies start turning up with pieces missing, all female, and there are burns made by Aether nearby, Both sides of Eliza's personality must go to work to solve the mystery and to deal with Remy Lafayette, a captain of the Royal Society and noted hunter of unspeakable things who happens to be hiding his own secrets from the world. But when the bodies continue to pile up, Eliza finds out that there are secrets in her life that she never knew existed, and she wonders how many people have been lying to her, and if the established truths of her world are quite so established. But can she discover the truth when she's not even sure she wants to know the many truths that underlie her own existence? I lobed this book. Eliza is more than a female version of Henry, she is his daughter by his wife. The implications are that Henry not only passed on his powers to Eliza, but that he used her in his own experiments, and she still uses his same to become or "Bring out" Lizzy. But Eliza is not the only person in this universe with strange powers. There are Faeries, Werewolves and even worse things hiding in the shadows. I liked the slightly steampunk-y nature of the world and the way it was combined with fantasy and a murder mystery. I liked both Eliza and Lizzy, although we don't get to see much of Remy Lafayette because Eliza/Lizzy is the main viewpoint character, I want to see more of this world, and if Harley Griffin lives up to the promise of his name... Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">People of the Songtrail by W. Michael Gear ad Kathleen O'Neal Gear- when a group of Viking settlers come to the New World to set up a small community in the wilderness, they encounter a group of Native Americans led by Chief Badasut of Whale Rib Village. When another trial village is destroyed, and some of the mercenaries are guilty of the slaughter, in order to live in their new homes, one of the Vikings, Gunnar, must rise to the occasion to make peace. But not everyone in the new world is there to settle peacefully, Thorlak, a magician, is after a specific relic. But his apprentice, Thyra, is the daughter of a seer. who Thorlak killed. But when she aligns herself with the seers among Badasut's people, she finds out that her mother and father both may not be dead after all. But can she survive Thorlak's plans to retrieve the artifact, and can she prevent the evil man from getting what he wants? As the two sides begin to clash, everyone must decide which side they are on. I liked this book, but it's not as large at other books by the Gears, and I preferred the Native American characters over the Vikings, though my feelings were more mixed by the end on the book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Noble Destiny by Katie MacAlister- Charlotte Collins has just returned from Italy on the death of her husband, an Italian Count that she eloped with. But now she is in dire straits, as her husband died without a penny to his name, and she needs to marry, and marry well, to keep herself in the style to which she has become accustomed to. With most of her acquaintances and her own cousin abandoning her for a new life with her husband and son in Jamaica. However, thanks to the efforts of her brother, no one in polite society will receive her and her opportunities to meet men- eligible, titled, and wealthy men, are few. However, she soon latches onto a former suitor of her Alasdair, or Dare MacGregor, a handsome Scottish Earl. Dare is also in bad straits. His sister is getting married, but his estate is in debt, and he is busy dodging mommas who want him to marry their daughters. But he has never forgotten his feelings for Charlotte. Sensing she wants something, he attempts to dodge her advances as well, until she sets a trap for him and gives him no choice but to marry her. But can the two of them make a successful marriage after so long apart and how will both overcome their shocking lack of money? I really did not like this book, and it was all due to the heroine. She is supposed to be slightly dotty, daffy and madcap, and she just completely set my teeth on edge with her malapropisms and mischosen words, which made reading her dialogue a chore for me. On top of that, she whines, she's mercenary, and I simply disliked everything about her 30 pages into the book, I wanted her to go away, and by the middle, where I stopped reading, I was would not have urinated to put her out were she on fire. She ruined the book for me, and this book became one of a very few I could not finish because of how much I despised the heroine. Do Not Read. Would not recommend.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">She Hulk: Disorderly Conduct by Charles Soule and Javier Pulido- Jennifer Banner is approached by an inventor who has replicated a shrinking ray and wants to market it. It's the same as one of Hank Pym's earlier designs, but when Pym contacts Jennifer, he reveals that there is a hitch- that design makes things explode and they must find the inventor, who has tested in on himself, before the device can blow up the city. But can Ant-Man, Hellcat and Giant Man find the inventor in his own back yard? Then, Jennifer is approached by Captain America to defend him against charges that he killed a man back when he was merely Steve Rogers. Jennifer calls Matt Murdock to help, but he's already on the case- on the side of the prosecution. And Steve agrees that he was responsible for the man's death. Can Jennifer show that the Death wasn't really Steve;s fault? Finally, the Blue File comes back to bite Jennifer as she uncovers the real reason it exists, and who was really behind the disappearance of an entire town. Can she discover the true meaning of the file and bring the villain to justice? And finally, the end comes back to the beginning when Jen's old law firm represents the city in a case against the Inhumans, for whom Jen is their lawyer. Is this Jen's chance for a little payback? I liked this volume more than the first. Sure, it wasn't all that great in the art- some of which I felt was downright ugly, but it got the point across just fine. The stories, however, were really good, and that was the best part. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Avengers: Milennium by Mike Costa, Mast, Geoffo, Carmine Giandomenico, Paco Diaz and Enis Cisic- Things are slow at Avengers Towee when Quicksilver barrels in, having run all the way across the world from Japan. It seems that while on vacation there, Wanda felt something unnatural and on investigation, she and Pietro found an Abandoned Hydra base. But something is buried there, and they need to find out what it is. The Avengers come in to back her up and discover a time portal in the basement. Assuming that the members of Hydra have gone into the past, the team goes along, looking to defeat them, but the time portal spits them out in different times. Captain America, Quicksilver and Hawkeye are taken to prehistoric times, where Hydra has set up a base. Bruce Banner and the Scarlet Witch are sent to the future, and Spider-man, Iron Man and Black Widow are sent back to the second World War. But while Hydra has the means to send people to different times, they have no way to return- and their ace in the hole, which they think will allow them to win the war against the Avengers, is still hidden. But when their plan comes to fruition, can the Avengers find a way to regroup, and defeat the Hydra goons in every timer peiod and restores the future to the way it should be? And who will win in the contest of the Burgers, In-and-Out or 5 Guys? The book ends with two stories from the past, one in which the Avengers are returned to the time of World War II,and another in which they are unwitting pawns in a battle between Kang and the Grand Master, with the prize being Kang's gaining of the power of life so that Kang canrestore his love, Ravonna. Only the Black Knight stands in Kang's Way. This was an interesting idea and I loved how the story used *both* Bruce Banner and the Hulk to equally great effect. A Wonderful story and I liked the through time aspect. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Seraphina by Rachel Hartman- Humans in Gorsedd have unusual and powerful neighbors in Dragons, who can fold themselves into human shape. Everyone thinks that humans and Dragons cannot interbreed, but Seraphina Dombergh, now assistant Court Composer, knows differently. She is the offspring of a female dragon and a human ambassador, though it was not until Seraphina was born and her mother died that her father knew what and who he had married. But now someone is determined to break the treaty between humans and Dragons, and they have killed Prince Rupert and beheaded him, taking the head away- the usual signs that a Dragon did the killing> not all the people who disapprove of the treaty are on the human side, and several dragons study in the city in human guise, like Seraphina's uncle, Orma, who is a scholar. But as Seraphina tries to keep her own secrets and investigate Prince Rupert's death and who might be behind it, she finds herself thrown into the company of the Bastard Prince Lucian Kiggs, the fiancé of Seraphina's own student, Princess Glisselda. But the figures in Seraphina's head, whom she has always though of as figments of her imagination, might be real people, and when Seraphina finally meets one of them, she gets the inkling that her, and other half-dragons like her, might be the way to a true and lasting peace between humans and Dragons. But can she do all that while ferreting out a traitor and hiding her half-dragon nature from the court? I loved this story. It's long, but the world-building is excellent, with Dragons being very strange and different from humans in mind and emotions. Not only does Seraphina keep secrets, but other people know some of them, but don't let her know. This looks like the first book in a series or trilogy, and I honestly can't wait to read more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Iron Man: Fatal Frontier by Al Ewing, Kieron Gillen, Carmine Di Giandomenico and others- Tony Stark is enjoying a party at his home in California when someone tries to bomb Hollywood. He backtracks the bombs to the Moon, where he finds an Android named Uparnik, who was sent to the Moon by the Soviets to prepare it for them. In the process, he discovered what he calls "Moon Mercury" or what the Americans are calling "Phlogistone" a nearly unparalleled source of energy, made by cosmic rays. After fighting Uparnik, Tony saves it, telling the robot that they should have been friends. Uparnik agrees and brings Tony back using the Phlogistone to restart the core keeping him alive. Other nations come to the moon in search of the Phlogistone and make a new community there which Tony runs as a combination of Mayor and Sherriff. But when everyone, including Doctor Doom, rush to secure the new element for themselves, Side effects of the use of Phlogistone begin to become apparent Can Tony overcome those who seek to keep the Phlogistone for themselves, and can he eliminate the side effects before it drives him insane and megaslomaniacal? And will Uparnik let him destroy the one thing that has brought people to the moon, which Uparnik wants? This was an interesting story. Uparnik is literally two-faced, one side a builder, the other a destroyer, and his discovery may have doomed Tony forever. It was a long and twisty road, this story, and yet one I found enjoyable. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">To Hold the Bridge by Garth Nix- This book is comprised of nineteen short stories written by Garth Nix, everything from Superheroes, the Supernatural and more. The name of the book is the same as the first story, a novella set in the Abhorsen universe. Morghan is a young man who has lost nearly everything. But a chance find in his family's possessions, a charter for the Field Bridge company. Morghan knows Charter Magic and hopes that if he serves in the company, his life will be made. But once he passes the very difficult tests, he is even further tested when he must hold the bridge along with the other shareholders when they are attacked in the middle of the night. But can he and his companions hold the bridge all by themselves? "Vampire Weather" has a boy named Amos living in an isolated village at risk of vampire attack when the weather goes cloudy. But when Amos meets a girl new to the area, can he save her from a vampire, and will his village still accept him afterwards? "Strange Fishing in the Western Highlands" has a young Doctor meeting Hellboy and discovering the truth of his family and his father's beliefs. "Old Friends" has a former God facing off against an old opponent- but can he defeat his opponent after so long? "The Quiet Knight" has a strong but badly scarred boy in the SCA and he finally finds a lady to suit him. But will she mock him or like him? "The Highest Justice" has a girl taking her murdered mother to see the King for Justice, aided by a Unicorn. But is she really after justice, or revenge? "A Handful of Ashes" has a mage student defending her college from a pack of spoiled young girls who should know better than to play with magic of the sort they are fooling with. But can she foil the ritual in time? "The Big Question" concerns a young man named Avel and his need to know the answers. But when he is abducted from his home, will his trip provide those answers? "Stop" has a professor asking questions of a man about to die. But the answers are anything but what he expects. "Infestation" follows a group of vampire hunter- the pros and a young man who seems to know more than what he is telling. But will they all learn their lesson? "The Heart of the City" has two religious men as they seek to summon an angel who embodies the heart of the city to save it and its King. But the threat is nothing like what they expected... "Ambrose and the Ancient Spirits of the East and West" follows a magician as he reluctantly serves King and country in the lands of the Fae. Will he survive the mission unscathed? "Holly and Iron" follows two princesses, one with Holly Magic, and one with Iron Magic. When her sister, the hope of her life, is killed, she must embrace both sides of herself to triumph over an ancient enemy in the heart of her father's Kingdom. "The Curious Case of the Moondawn Daffodills Murder" follows Magnus Holmes, the less famous cousin of Mycroft and Sherlock, as he looks into an occult murder on behalf of Inspector Lestrade along with his keeper and doctor/nurse. "An Unwelcome Guest" has a not quite truly wicked witch as she seeks to get rid of a young girl who has taken up residence in her house and refuses to go. But how will she do it? "A Sidekick of Mars" tells the story of another man taken up to Mars, one who clashes with John Carter. Can Lam Jones survive Mars with John Carter. "You Won't Feel a Thing" has a boy turned into a monster with a toothacge. Can his family save him when infection sets in? "Peace In Our Time" has a woman confronting a man who may have unleashed an apocalypse. But why? And "Master Haddad's Holiday" has an assassin sent to a world to do a job, posing as a simple trader. But he isn't the only person after his target, and there are also people after him. Can he survive his own assassins, outwit the target and escape successfully? I got this book because I had read Garth Nis's "Abhorsen" Trilogy, and I really enjoyed it. I thought there were going to be more short "Old Kingdom" stories than "To Hold the Bridge", but all of these tales were short and satisfying to read. My favorites were "To Hold the Bridge", "Strange Fishing in the Western Highlands" (because I love Hellboy), "Handful of Ashes" and "Holly and Iron" Truth be told, all the stories were great, but these were the best. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Gath Nix, and just picked up the Abhorsen Prequel "Clariel" on its strength. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Amecomi Girls- What if all the heroes and villains of the DC universe were girls? Or at the very least female, and most of them were teenagers? That's the conceit behind "Amecomi Girls", which takes its name from the Japanese loanword for "American Comics" We start with Princess Diana, who is fired up to defend her homeland, the island of Themiscyra. The American Military already knows about Themiscyra, but Diana isn't so sanguine about the man's world. Meanwhile, Batgirl and Robin (also female) defend Gotham from Duela Dent, daughter of "Smilin' Jack the Joker" Dent. On her side are catgirl, Poison Ivy, Harkey Quinn, Cheetah, and unbeknownst to everyone, Brainiac (also female, of course). While Batgirl's friends include Powergirl, Steel and Powergirl's newly arrived cousin, Kara Zor-el. But when Brainiac helps Duela take over the city, the heroes must team up to fight the villains, and Supergirl, who has been infected with Black Kryptonite. Can Wonder Woman save the day? This is sort of a pseudo-anime book, even though "Amecomi" is loan word from Japanese meaning "American Comics". I thought it was an interesting idea, but a lot of it is showing women in costumes that are kind of fanservice-y, and I couldn't really get over that or how shallow and not very interesting the story was. I was not a big fan. It's only okay, to me, but YMMV.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman- Seraphina is a half-fdragon. All her life, she and her father have lived in Goredd, but now, with war with the Dragons looming, she has been asked by the leaders of Goredd, Prince Lucian Kiggs and Princess Glisselda, to travel to Ninysh, and Samsam to contact the other Ityassari, the half-Dragons to whom she is connected in her head. The one she least wants to find is also the most powerful, a woman named Jannoula, who seemed like a friend, but tried to manipulate Seraphina as a young woman. Seraphina was so scared of Jannoula, that she had to trick Jannoula's Avatar in her own mind into a special cottage/shack she built to wall her influence away.</span><br />
<span style="color: #33ccff;">As she travels through the southlands, she discovers that Jannoula is alive and well, and that she has been contacting the other Ityassari, and that she can even take them over and leave a "hook"in their brains. Seraphina is the only one who has been able to banish her permanently, and to do so, she apparently had to give up all of her own power as a half-dragon, so she cannot see the glow of power like other half-dragons. But with the Dragons at war with Goredd, Seraphina is going to have to dig into secrets owned by the dragons and the humans and find answers she doesn't particularly want to face. But with Jannoula taking over Goredd with her powers, can Seraphina save everyone and her beloved country from the Dragons and their rogue generals? And when even Seraphina's love turns against her, can she rise to claim back her power and win the day? I liked this book. I didn't like that Seraphina was powerless and stuck for a good deal of it, but it makes you understand how hopeless she feels. Still, I loved how she managed to seize her own power and rise to confront Jannoula, and how she was able to heal the wounds of war. Highly recommended, though it's a bit uncomfortable to read in spots.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker- Elizabeth Grey is one of the best Witch Hunters in the business, eager at hunting down witches and bringing them to justice under the crown. But when witch herbs (that she uses to remain not pregnant from the King's attentions) are discovered on her person, she is accused of witchcraft and dragged off to prison to be put to death, just like all the witches she has apprehended over the years. But then she is rescued from her cell by Nicholas Peverill, the last remaining truly powerful witch in England. But while Elizabeth thinks of Nicholas as a foe, and schemes to bring him to justice, thus proving her loyalty to the crown, she discovers that not everything is as she believed and that her former master, the Head of the Witch Hunters, Blackwell, has not only lied to her, but to the country and all of the Witch Hunters. For he, too is a witch, and he wants to be the only and most powerful in the realm, to better control the King and country. But bringing him down will not be easy- he has cursed the realm with the very tablet holding the rules against Witchcraft. But now Elizabeth is counted an enemy of the state. Can she free the land from Blackwell without revealing her status as a witchhunter to her new allies? I loved this book. Once I picked it up, I read it straight through to the end, barely putting it down to sleep. It hooked me in and kept me interested all the way through. An entrancing story that teens will love. Highly Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">'Thrones and Bones: Frostborn by Lou Anders- Karn Korlundsson is the son of a freeholder, and is due to take over his father's hold when he is older. But Karn is less interested in running the freehold than playing "Thrones and Bones", a board game that is like chess or checkers. When he makes an excellent trading deal by beating the other merchant at a game, he is happy, but his uncle is not. Thianna is hakf-human, half frost giant, her mother a warrior who fell from the sky into a giant community. Thianna has never fit in, being not quite as tall, but faster and more agile than a giant. When other human women come to the community on their own flying mounts, Thianna doesn't trust them and hides. When her father goes to trade with the humans, Thianna, having learned the rudiments of Frost Magic from a frost giantess, goes along with him. Likewise does Karn come with his father to trade. They become fast friends, and when Karn's uncle tricks him into releasing the spirit of an old Human reiver, Helltoppr, When Karn's father shows up to try and rescue Karn, he loses and the giant imprisons him in stone. Thianna and Karn must flee far and fast, relying on each other's skills to survive the frosty weather. But when they stumble on an old city inhabited by a fearsome wurm named Orm, they will have to survive the creature, with the aid of a horn that belonged to Thianna's mother and which it appears that the other women with flying mounts are searching for. But can they survive the city and return to free Karn's father and the other victims from the reiver, and put the plot of Karn's Uncle to ruin. It's a lot to ask of a half-frost giant and a Norrongard boy. But with Karn's facility at puzzles and Thianna's great strength and agility, they at least have to try. I loved this book, which reminded me of all the adventures I used to go on in Dungeons and Dragons. Karn and Thianna are tested, again and again, and while they don't always come out on top, they develop a deep friendship and the ability to work well together. I found this book to be an excellent adventure, and well worth the read. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Thrones and Bones: Nightborn by Lou Anders- Karn and Thianna were parted at the end of "Frostborn', and since, Karn has been learning how to run the farm, while Thianna has been experiencing life in the human lands. When she needs rescuing, however, Karn eagerly goes off to help save her life. Meanwhile, we are introduced to a Desstra, a Svartalf who is well-trained as an operative, but whose tendency to trust makes her not fit in with her other classmates. She graduates, but is assigned to a team who is going to retrieve an ancient relic. coincidentally, the same one that Thianna possesses. She disguises herself as a normal elf and works with Karn and Thianna to retrieve one of the horns of Osius. But Desstra's people want it and want to steal it from everyone else. But as they get caught up in a war against the seat of the Gordion empire, Gordasha, they must keep the rediscovered horn from both the people of Thica, where Thianna's mother hails from, and from the Svartalfar, led by Tanthal. In addition, they must restore the lost king of Gordasha to his people, and survive a deadly chariot race to win. But can they convince Desstra to leave her people behind, and live where people's lives reflect her heart, in the surface lands? Or will she betray them and return to the darkness with the rest of her people? I liked this sequel to Frostborn, and the character of Desstra, who is a dark elf whose values align more with the surface people than those of her homeland. It's interesting to see her growth as a character and how her differences compel her to help Karn and Thianna. But it takes all of them to solve the puzzle and discover the horn. Even Orm makes a reappearance, as he kidnaps Karn to inform him that Thianna is in danger. I loved the story and the increased size of the world. Since the Horns of Osius are so powerful and wanted, I assume there will be at least a third book about Karn and Thianna (And now Desstra as well). An excellent adventure, filled with fun and danger. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">My Reckless Surrender by Anna Campbell- Diana Carrick approaches Tarquin Vale,l Earl of Ashcroft, the notorious rake, with a proposal, to engage in a little affair with each other. Tarquin senses something decidedly ... off. about the proposition, and he turns her down flat. But when he meets her again, he cannot resist kissing her, and from kisses, he goes on to decidedly more dangerous touches. But even as she seems to be falling for the man, she is keeping secrets, like the fact that she has been paid to seduce him by Lord Burnley. He wants Diana to become pregnant by Tarquin, and he has promised her Ashcroft at the end of it. And as Housekeeper in Ashcraft, she has grown to love the place and be has promised it to her. For Tarquin is a by-blow, and thus, in Burnley's eyes, not suitable to become Lord of Ashcroft. But if the evil older man gets his way, It will be a child of Diana's body that inherits, and with himself as the bridegroom to her. But does Diana have the courage to defy Lord Burnley and stand with Tarquin, who she has come to love? Or will the wedding end with her married to Lord Burnley and Tarquin cast out of his home once more? This was an okay book. I disliked the heroine quite a bit for her lying to the hero. While the turns her down, Tarquin treats her far better than she has any right to expect. Especially when their entire relationship is a trap. On the other hand, she isn't privy to all the things Burnley is willing to do to Tarquin, and she goes to Tarquin willingly, having fallen in love with him, so... I do feel a little uncertain of my rating, because I REALLY dislike romances where one party lies to the other over and over and over again. But in the end, I find it a respectable romance. It didn't knock my socks off, and I didn't expect it to. Neither Recommended nor not recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Clariel by Garth Nix- Clariel is the daughter of two goldsmiths, but her ambition is to be a Forester in the lands arund Estwael, but her mother, who is related to the same family that the Abhorsens come from, travels back to the Capital, Belisaere, bringing Clariel and her father along with her. All Clariel can think of is of ways to return to her beloved forest, but that doesn't seem to be in the plas for her. Reluctantly, she sttend the special school for children of the high guilds, and since the Goldsmith's guild is currently in charge of the city, she is one of the higher ranked students there, even though she has just recently arrived. Also attending is the son of of the Guildmaster of the Goldsmiths, whose son seems poised to enter the guild. Her mother wants her to marry the Goldsmith Guildmaster's son, but Clariel finds him far too arrogant and mean for her. Instead, she makes a friend in Belatiel, and tries to find a gift that will please her relative, the King. She also dislikes Kilp, the Guildmaster's son, because he attacked her in disguise when she was first walking in the city, and she nearly killed him before being pulled off by her bodyguard. But when her parents go to meet the Guildmaster of the Goldsmiths for dinner, her mother discovers a horrible plot against the Kin, and her parents are killed. Clariel and Belatiel are forced to flee far to the south, to take shelter with the Abhorsen, a man more interested in hunter than in dealing with Free Mages. But as Clariel's own power comes through with the help of Mogget, can she take revenge on Kilp and his father for killing her parents? And what form will her revenge take? This book's story serves as more of a cautionary tale in the Abhorsen universe. Clariel has Charter magic, but also ties to free magic through rage that her line is also heir to. All she wants to do is be a forester, but out of thwarted dreams and in seeking revenge over the death of her parents, she makes a bad choice and ends up becoming something she never wanted to be. I fully expected Clariel to become the Abhorsen, but the choie she makes is quite a different one, and thereby, as they used to say, hangs a tale. I liked the book despite the rather depressing outcome and I'm glad I read it. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn- Anthony Bridgerton is finally looking for a wife, and the gossip columnists have said he is looking to wed Edwina Sheffield. But little beknownst to everyone, Edwina's half-sister, Kate Sheffield, is determined to keep her sister away from rakes, of which Anthony Bridgerton is surely one. But her interference in Anthony's "courtship" of her sister has fixated him not on Edwina, but Kate instead, who exasperates him even as she tempts him. But shared history with traumatic events exposes their inner selves to each other, and Anthony's reaction to seeing a bee means that the two of them become engaged, and neither can cry off or Kate's reputation will be utterly ruined. But can she face living with the man that she considers a terrible rake, and can he show her that even rakes can be reformed... in time for their nuptuals to be able to last? I generally don't find myself very attracted to the Bridgerton novels. They are okay, and oh boy, is there a lot of them! but this one sort of sneaked in under my radar, and the backstories of the two characters, how they were similarly shaped by traumas in reaction to tragedy, ket my attention quite happily. I actually somewhat enjoyed this book. It didn't quite blow my socks off, but it was a good, solid romance. I'm not about to read other Bridgerton stories, but this one was enjoyable. Recommended,</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-84133202384047008942015-07-30T11:38:00.000-04:002015-07-30T11:38:45.337-04:002015 Part 5<span style="color: #33ccff;">Viper Game by Christine Feehan- Wyatt Fontenot is a Ghostwalker, born and raised in the swamps of Louisiana, Cajun Country. But when he returns home on leave with the Fortune brothers, Malichai and Ezekiel, he learns that all is not right in the Swamp. Grand-mere tells him that a building has been costructed in the Swamp, and some of the security men have been harrassing her when she goes into the swamp to collect herbs for healing. Wyatt is enraged, and goes into the Swamp with his compatriots to deal out a little Swamp Justice. But he also encounters two someones who he never sees, but only senses, and is intrigues. When Le Poivre, aka Pepper, shows up at his Grand-mere's house, he discovers that, like him, Pepper has been enhanced with Animal abilities, and hers include a venemous snake. She was intended as an infiltrator and femme fatale who could kill men as easily as seduce them, but she doesn't want to kill anyone, and her sexuality was also enhanced so that she is always craving sensual contact. But she and Wyatt, despite her efforts, start to bond when he agrees to help her free the rest of the women and children still held at the facility. There is one child she has already bonded with, Ginger, but when they go into the facility to free the children, they discover that the mad scientists in charge of the same program that changed Wyatt and his Ghostwalker compatriots mingled his and Pepper's DNA to create these children, making him a father and giving him a family all at once. But Wyatt will have to convince Pepper that he really wants her, and that she isn't using her pheremones to convince him to want to be with her before she can be his, and their family can truly be complete. But can he convince this shy, prickly damaged woman that he truly wants to be there for the long haul and convince her to stay with him? I like Christine Feehan's books, but her Ghostwalker series has always been kind of on the edge of "Meh" for me. And so it was with this one. I liked Pepper, I liked the setup, but the romance simply didn't scratch my itches for me. I mean, the sex is hot and all, but I was just never truly into it and that left me feeling rather uninvested in the story. So this one is "Meh" for me. If you like the GhostWalker series, you'll probably enjoy it. Otherwise, it's just okay.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Rule Breaker by Lora Leigh- Gypsy McQuade lives with a terrible pain. She was saved by the Breeds when attacked by Coyote Breeds when she was younger, but her brother, Mark, older and wiser than her, was killed, leaving her outcast from her own family. Not only does Gypsy blame herself for what happened that niight, so do her parents, and she can never make it up to them. So she works at her mother's party planning business and keeps her distance from the Breeds. But when her parents are hired by Jonas Wyatt, and the Breed Council to plan two very important events, she is thrown together with one of the men who rescued her, the Lion Breed, Rule Breaker. Rule is attracted to her, but he's sure she isn't his mate. He's just anxious when he's not around her, and distracted when she is. But as he uses the assignment Gypsy has been given to get closer to this woman that he wants very much, he discovers that she may be working against the Breed. But can he track down the truth, or will Gypsy be killed and he cast from the Breeds forever? But rot goes deeper than he knows. Can he keep Gypsy safe and protect her from the hurt that is sure to fall upon her? I liked this book a lot. I don't generally find the Breed books as hot as some others (like those by Emma Holly), but I enjoy the stories and this one was both tragic and sad. It was wonderful to watch Rule and Gypsy slowly move together, even though Gypsy is in many ways scared of him. But the traitors are close to her, and I loved the outcome of the story. This is mildly hot, but it was the story, not the sex, that kept my interest. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Windfall by Rachel Caine- Joanne Baldwin has left her days of being a Weather Warden behind. Now, she's working at a small Tv station in Florida, being the sexy assistant to a lecherous weather forecaster and, sadly, living hand to mouth. It's made even worse when her sister, heading for divorce, moves in with her after her husband leaves her. Now, in addition to dealing with her depressed and shopaholic sister, she has a man who blames her for the death of his partner investigating her, and she has to deal with the knowledge that the Djinn she loves, David, is slowly fading. Plus, she's apparently engendered a Djinn child, and a Hurricane is bearing down on the state and an assassin on her tail. Teaming up with her new BFF, Cherise, while her sister is romanced by a studious Brit, she must survive Bad Bob's partner in crime and a Hurricane bearing down on her. And without the support of the Weather Wardens. But can she do all of that and keep her sanity in the bargain? I love this series, and this book kept me more than entertained when I was in the hospital. This one has perils aplenty and laughs galore as Joanne painfully wins her way through. I loved the new character, Cherise, and their slimy boss, who finally got his comeuppance in the end. This book was Cathartic, but in a good way. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Firestorm by Rachel Caine- At the end of the last book, Joanne was warned by her Djinn lover that Mother Nature was waking up from her slumber, and she was really angry at the humans. Plus, the Djinn who was leader of the Djinn, had committed suicide, and the new leader had chosen David, her lover, as new leader. Plus, the Weather Wardens had broken the agreement between them and the Djinn, making the Djinn... understandably upset. With little time to warn the rest of the Weather Wardens, Joanne takes off to New York to try and tell them what's going on. But many Weather wardens are missing, presumed dead, in the wake of the Djinn attack, and Joanne is the only person who might be able to lead them. Because all the weather diasters they have fought over the years were merelyMother Nature fidgeting in her sleep, and this will be nothing compared to her awake fury. And another Djinn is using the Djinn pissed off at the Wardens to attack them. His name is Ashan, and he is NOT happy. With all this on her plate, Can Joanne survive the coming Apocalypse, or will she lose everything and everyone she loves in a desperate struggle to keep earth and its humans alive? Wow, the tension in this series is really building, to more and more apocalyptic events. In this one, Joanne and the weather Wardens must face off against Mother Nature herself, or at least put her back to sleep. Cherise continues to be a strong secondary character, and the ending of the book puts us in doubt as to what will become of Joanne. Again, I read this in the hospital, and it really took my mind off my problems. A fascinating book with lots of stuff going on. Joanne may be brought low, but not down. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Thin Air by Rachel Caine- Joanne never expected to wake up naked and freezing in a forest. But not only did she do that, she also woke up without her memories. Without these, she cannot channel her Weather Warden powers or remember who the two men who found her are. One man says he is David, her lover, and one man says he is Lewis, a Weather Warden like her, But Joanne has lost her powers along with her memories, and she needs to regain them, or she will slowly fade away. But who would hate her enough to try and steal her life like this? And who will she choose to go with. Her old friend and onetime lover Kevin, or David, the Djinn who won her heart? This was an Amnesia story, but one done well, and when the ending finally came, we discover who stole her memories and why. Also, the Weather Wardens are still dealing with the problems of the Earth out of control, and Weather Wardens infected by Demons. Who can Joanne trust, and can she win free to try and make everything right? That's the question Joanne is forced to ask, and what she would give up to make everything okay. An interesting book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb- When Leonore Bastwick is killed, and a message left by the body claiming that the killer did it for Eve Dallas, Eve is blindsided, but is also determined to catch the murderer. When a small time illegals dealer named Ledo is killed, the killer leaves another message saying that he or she is doing it for Eve. Apparently, the Killer believes that Eve is their best friend, and that he or she is taking out the people Eve wants to, but cannot for job reasons. But when the killer fails at taking down their third target, they shift their focus to Eve's friends, angry that Eve hasn't been supporting the killer. Can Eve save her friends and acquaintances from a killer who wants personal attention from her, in the worst of ways? I liked this book, because Eve spends so much of her time shunning personal connections. She thinks she has this very small circle of friends, but this book shows how many lives Eve has touched, and how many people she can actually call friends of hers. Especially people on her squad and people in her circle of people at work, all of whom are concerned about her and want her to live and succeed. How many people the killer had to choose from when they started going after her friends (with the aim of becoming Eve's Best Friend) was pretty amazing, and this book had a tension to it that I really enjoyed, because this time, to use a cliché, it's personal. I especially loved Eve discovering how much fan mail she gets and how many people think they are having other-dimensional sex with her. It was amusing to see her reaction. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dead Ice by Laurell K. Hamilton- Anita is approached by the Feds with an unusual case: someone has been raising zombies to make porn. But while that isn't so unusual, but the spirit of the Zombie is still inside the dead body, retarding its ortting and making any sex film with the zombe truly disgusting. At the same time Anita is tracking down whoever made this film, she is also dealing with her wedding to Jean Claude, Master of the City, and a smaller ceremony of commitment to those she really loves, plus, she needs to find tiger lovers to ensure that Marmee Noir stays dead. All in the day of the life of Anita, yes? Then shy does everything suddenly feel so wrong? And did the zombie master who raised the zombie find out his resurerrection techiques from the woman Anita killed for wanting to make "perfect" zombies like this man is raising?, and has he passed on his knowledge to others to do the same? I liked this book, which had not just one but three entertaining plots and subplots. The one with the Zombie women was horrific, the with the wedding was serious but also had plenty of humor, and the stuff about selecting a new tiger lover was a bit more humorous, with some serious bits. In all, It added up to an extremely enjoyable read, and I am certainly looking forward to the next one. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Cat's Lair by Christine Feehan- Caterina Benoit is on the run, and she's rightly scared of the man who is after her, who happens to be a thug, crime boss and killer. But when she meets Ridley Cromer, a martial arts instructor who teaches at the dojo where she takes lessons, she is cautiously intrigued by him, and he forges a deeper connection with her, installing a security system in her "home" a warehouse owned by the boss of the coffee house where she works as a barista. But Ridley is hiding just as much as Cat and with just as much reason. But when she is betrayed by the DEA, it is Ridley, under his real name as Eli, who must protect her from the man who is after her. But he isn't a man, but a Rogue leopard shifter. Luckily, so is Eli, and Catarina is one as well, although she doesn't know it. But having been terrorized by Rafe Cordreau all of her life since she was 8, Catarina is not at her best fighting her, and Eli wants the same thing that Rafe does- to be her mate, and he seems just as pushy and violent as Rafe is. But can Eli keep Catarina safe, and himself as well, when Rafe calls in every marker he is owed to find her? and can he save her when Rafe savagely attacks her and leaves her for dead> This is a leopard-shifter book which, unfortunately, was only meh for me on story. The book is linked to Christine Feehan's Carpathians novels (and her Ghostwalkers series), but I just found myself uninterested in the story or the characters. I liked Cat surviving on her own just fine, but the "romance" smacked to me of Stockholm syndrome, and although Eli eventually found that he loved her, for me it was too late to save the romance for me. Not really my favorite.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Menage by Emma Holly- Kate Winthrop is the small-town owner of a bookstore called Mostly Romance, which is nice, but doesn't make her a lot of money. She also rents rooms to two college students, Joe, a moody music student, and Sean, who takes courses in business and prelaw. When she comes home at night and catches them in her bed, with an item of "ostensibly" her underwear, Sean suggests that Joe invite her to join them, which she does, and then the three of them become lovers and sometime partners. But as the relationship goes on, things begin to change. Joe becomes an actor and composer, and while all three of them are close, it seems Joe has fallen in love with Kate, whereas she doesn't want to limit his life and refuses to deepen their relationship when he goes off to New York to act. Even Sean's relationship with Kate seems to be slipping into something more business than sexual. But when Joe returns to woo Kate properly, can she resist falling for his charms? And where will Sean stand in all of this? I love this book. Emma Holly's softcore erotica fairly sizzles with Kate finding affection with both young men, but loving Joe just a little bit more than the way she feels for Sean. The sex is copious and hot, and the way Kate takes control and "masters" Sean was wonderful in and of itself. Hightly recommended for the hot sex and bondage and BDSM done right.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Half-Breed Vampire by Theresa Meyers- Slade Donovan is a vampire who hunts down threats to his race, and Raina Ravenwing is the local game warden in the area.. But when a new strain of wolves show up, werewolves, Slade's actual heritage is revealed, and his entire world is being called into question. Raina, too, finds that her assumptions about her family and heritage are just plain wrong, Even as their worlds are being ripped apart, Slade and Raina find themselves clinging to their newfound feelings to survive in a very different world. Are they really as far apart as they feared? This was oksy for a Silhouette novel, although, being a Harry Potter nerd, I kept thinking of the heroine as "Rowena Ravenclaw". It's obviously part of a series I haven't read, but I wasn't sure why the vampires couldn't just tell Slade who his parents were and all and cut out a lot of BS in the middle. It was not even really okay. It kept my attention, but this was not a story I particularly enjoyed. Would not recommend.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The FanGirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks by Sam Maggs- So you're into a thing. REALLY into it. How do you connect with other people who share your passion online? Well, luckily for you, fangirl, there are tons of things to like and people to share your obsession with on the internet. This book calls out different types of Girl Geeks: Sherlockians, Potterheads, Disnerds and True Believers/Marvelites, among others and tells you how to connect with other fans and how to take part in fan-related activities like cosplay, writing fanfiction, attending cons and taking on the trolls who inhabit the internet and seems to hate you or everything you love. While this book is great for Girl Geeks who may be new to geekdom, older fangirls will find a sort of "Been there, Done That" kind of attitude, though even this old fan found new things from this book to love and enjoy. Recommended, mostly for new fans, though.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sensation Comics featuring Wonder Woman, Volume 1 collects ten stories about Wonder Woman in one volume. Each story is complete and by a different writer (or writers) and artist (or srtists). Gothamazon by Gail Simone, has Batman injured and missing from the streets of Gotham. With the various of his foes running rampant, Oracle calls on Wonder Woman to come take Batman's place. But Wonder Woman refuses to be or act like Batman. Obviously, his approach hasn't been working. Maybe it's time for an Amazon to try her own brand of justice? Defender of Truth by Amanda Deibert shows Wonder Woman taking on Circe and making the difference in the life of a child. Brace Yourself, by Jason Bischoff, shows Diana growing up on Paradise Island and how she becomes strong enough, and determined enough, to win her chance to leave. Taketh Away by Ivan Cohen has Wonder Woman believing her powers from the Gods and Goddesses have been taken away, leaving her no more than an ordinary human. But when she must take on Cheetah, can she defeat the villainess? Bullets and Bracelets by Sean E. Williams has Wonder Woman as a rock star, but when she is attacked at her latest concert, she takes some time off to get to know two regular girls. But when the boy who attacked her shows up with a gun, can she make a difference? Morning Coffee by Ollie Masters has Diana going after Catwoman, who has stolen the Golden Fleece. When the Dragon of Colchis shows up, Diana must take it down, then catch the wayward cat who took it... No Chains Can Hold Her by Gilbert Hernandez has a Wonder Woman from another universe crossed over with Supergirl and Mary Marvel When all three are kidnapped by Kandar Ro and Sayyan, emperor of a distant planet. Can the three women defeat the alien pair and return each other to their own universes before anyone is the wiser? Attack of the 4500 Foot Wonder Woman by Rob Williams has Wonder Woman inflated by Henry Pym's "Pym Particles" to fight Byth, Creature of 1000 shapes. But when she finds out why he keeps attacking, can she discover a way to put an end to his rampages, permanently? Ghosts and Gods by Neil Kleid, has Wonder Woman and Etta Candy fighting Ra's Al Ghul with the help of Deadman, aka Boston Brand. But in a mythology where Ghosts only exist in the lands of the dead, can Wonder Woman accept Deadman for who he is and use his help to defeat Ra's? Dig for Fire by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman has Wonder Woman sent to Apokolips to retrieve two Amazons who are attempting to destroy the planet. But when she is captured by Darkseid, can she make a bargain that will preserve the planet, and Diana's sisters? I liked this collection of short stories, especially the first story, which shows her taking on Batman's Rogues Gallery and winning, thanks to Joker's bet with Two-Face that leaves him unable to kill anyone for the night. And amazingly enough, she makes a big difference in city, to the point where even Batman is impressed. I loved all the stories in the book, and show Wonder Woman from different perspectives, different art styles and even different places. Highly recommended, I can't wait to see more.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Night Pilgrims by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro- St. Germain is in Egypt, a Coptic Monastery where he tends to the hurts of the monks. But Rakoczy Sidi Sandjermin must move on due to political tensions. Luckily, he has been asked to travel with a group of pilgrims led by Sieur Horembaud to find the fabled lost cities of Christianity. None of the other seekers have ever returned, but that doesn't discourage them. With them is a knight, Torquil, who has been badly burned by the sun, and Rakoczy is tasked to care for him with the aid of Soror Imogen. But her presence actively undermines Rakoczy's treatment and so he asks for a different helper. Bondame Magrethe, Soror Imogen's sister-in-law, on the Pilgrimage to heal her brain-wounded husband, takes her place. But as the journey goes on, Rakoczy grows closer to Magrethe, while Torquil dies of his injuries, and Soror Imogen goes mad. As other pilgrims die, give up their journey or are wounded in a run-in with bandits, it is Magrethe, Rakoczy and Rogier, his servant, who keep on in the face of hardship. And Magrethe falls in love with Rakoczy, but can he show her who and what he truly is without inciting her hatred and disgust? Would she agree to become as he is, given her great faith? And when Rakoczy is wounded, will she stay with him or move on? Another excellent Chelsea Quinn Yarbro book, with Pilgrims traveling south at night to cross the desert, so that Saint-Germain can join them. The Pilgrims are people of their time, and one, Heneri, who starts out as Margrethe's cousin by marriage, protector and chaperone, decides to convert to Islam rather early in the book, leaving her and Soror Imogen alone, which accentuates Imogen's descent into madness. It's a fascinating look at a fascinating time in history, and I really enjoyed the entire book. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sustenance by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro- It is the 1950's and the War is over, only to be followed by a cold war Between Russia and the United States. It is also the time of HUAC, and people being declared "UnAmerican" for the slightest of reasons. One of those people is Charis Treat, a writer and scholar who comes to Europe to escape the madness that her own country has become. Because of her interests and Scholarship, she, too, has been branded a "Communist Sympathizer" and has left her husband and sons to preserve her marriage and her husband's career. In Paris, she falls in with a group of writers and academics who have been similarly labeled. She comes to the attention of St. Germain when he approaches her to publish her next work through Eclipse Publishing. Charis is relieved to find someone willing to publish her work and help her find support to live in Europe so far from her family. St. Germain becomes interested in her as more than just an academic, but when her husband tells her he is divorcing her, it comes as a complete shock, and she and St. Germain become intimate, and he shares the truth of his condition with her. However, forces in the American Government are determined to investigate him as a possible communist or sympathizer, and want the records of his company. which he is determined not to give them. Matters come to a head as HUAC begins to be discredited and someone is determined to make an example of St. Germain. But can even he survive the explosive force of a bomb, and how will he live after being "eliminated" so thoroughly? Here is history that we think we know the truth of, but often forget was lived by people forced to leave America after being declared "Communist Sympathizers". Life was not easy for them in a Europe still rebuilding after the war, and being the "man or woman without a country" was hard, parted from family, friends and everything familiar. And we feel with and for Charis, so when her husband wants to divorce her, it feels like a profound betrayal for a woman who has been so faithful to him. I really got caught up in this story, but I was disappointed by the ending. Yes, I know that St. Germain has few surviving lovers, but this ending seemed especially cruel and unnecessary. I really enjoyed this book and it was uncomfortable and good at the same time. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Minecraft Combat Handbook by Mojang- Lots of people, kids and adults alike, love Minecraft. Minecraft is like LEGOs, but with added monsters in survival mode. There is also PVP combat held on servers. This book covers the basics- Monsters, Potions, how to build weapons and armor to protect yourself and what the health levels and types of monsters there are, from Silverfish, Creepers, Zombue, Skeletons and Witches all the way up to Zombie Pigmen, Blazes, Endermen and the Ender Dragon. It also covers potion making, enchanting and how to spawn enemies like Withers, and the Ender Dragon. Then it goes into PVP and how to construct traps, make cannons and dispensers and how to build a base, both normal and "epic" versions. Anything you need to know about combat and/or PVP is definitely covered in this book, along with other extras like dyeing leather, achievements available in game, and how to battle the Ender Dragon (but what it drops is kept a secret). For those looking to get into Minecraft, or those looking to up their battle expertise, this book is definitely for you. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Thor's Serpents K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr- Ragnarok has come, but Matt and his friends Reyna, Ray, Owen, Fen and Laurie are working yogether to try and ensure that the world survives. But with Matt's grandfather working to end the world, Matt is on his own when it comes to getting help from his family. Or is he? It turns out that Matt's Uncle Paul is working to save humans, along with his friend, Alan. But when Jotuns, huge giants covered in fire, show up in town, Matt is going to have to learn to fight them in a hurry. And Astrid, who has been hanging around with Loki's Wolves, turns out to be the Midgard Serpent. Or, well, one of them, and Matt is going to have to fight her. Or is he? Astrid likes him, she doesn't want to fight him, she wants to go out with him, but she may not have a choice. Add the Norns showing up and a very real countdown to the end, and Matt and his friends have more on their plates than ever before. Can they save humanity, themselves, and win through to the end as still being friends? This is the finale to the trilogy, and I really enjoyed it. The book is fairly hefty, but there was a lot of stuff to see and cover, so it didn't feel overly inflated. I liked the subtle spiking up of tension throughout the book, and the ending was wonderful. I really enjoyed this short series. It sort of reminded me a bit of Percy Jackson, but for the Norse Gods. There is a resemblance, but no real correlation, as the series are very wildly different. Still definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Who Buries the Dead: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery by C.S. Harris- When a man is found decapitated at Bloody Bridge, Sebastian is called in, away from his wife and newborn son. But he can find little about the killer. One of the witnesses is too frightened even to remember clearly what he saw. But Sebastian's investigation puts him squarely at odds with an old foe of his, a British man involved in the Spanish War who slaughtered an entire house of nuns and children to achieve an objective, and who apparently doesn't feel ashamed at what he did. For Sebastian, who witnessed the slaughter, he is upset and hates the man, and feels a strong need to bring him down, especially when the man threatens his wife and son. But no one around the other man seems to care, including his wife, and the man with the missing head may have been involved with the theft of the head of Charles Stuart, whose tomb has been rediscovered outside London, and which a great many relic collectors would just love to get their hands on. But can Sebastian solve the mystery of the murder, find the head and return it to its grave so the King doesn't get angry, and save his new family all in one case? I love this series, and even if C.S. Harris made up the condition that gives Sebastian his "extra powers", I have loved every single one of these books, and this one was no exception. I love the characters, especially Hero, Sebastian's bluestocking wife, and even his son is wonderful. I am looking forward to any and all sequels if they continue to be of this quality. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Scoundrel by Moonlight by Anna Campbell- When her sister is seduced and abandoned, Eleanor, or Nell Trimble, discovers that her seducer is none other than the Marquess of Leath.Dorothy, having lost the child, is on her deathbed, and she confesses all, including that the marquess keeps a book of his conquests, which he showed to Dorothy. Dorothy also asks Nell to take revenge on Leath by destroying him utterly, so Nell takes a position as a housemaid in the home of the Marquess's mother. She quickly rises from housemaid to companion, and when Leath returns from London, it is because of the scandal of his sister running off with and marrying the leader of Leath's opposition. To quiet the scandal, Leath plans to rusticate in the country for a while, but when he meets Nell, his antenna twitch and he is sure she isn't what he seems, while she attempts to search the house for the book he supposedly posseses. However, her experience of him one on one is the opposite of a rake. Yes, he excites her most powerfully, but she appears to have the same feelings for her, and yet, he holds back from seducing her. Nell feels that her first impression may have been wrong, but when he asks her to become his mistress, she doesn't agree. Only when her feelings can no longer be dened does she finally agree to a relationship with him, knowing he can never take her for his wife due to the difference in their stations. When she finds confirmation of her fears after their first night together, and takes the evidence to Leath's worst enemy in the government, can he find her and explain to her the real reason the incriminating letters are in his bag, and can he join with his former enemies to bring down the real enemy? This book is fairly large and hefty for a romance, but it was robust in all the right parts, and the tension between the Hero and heroine was well-done and their slow turning of suspicion into lust and then love was excellent. I found this book enjoyable, but it did a slow burn sort of build-up to the end. And then, the end was still sort of slow when it probably would have benefitted from being a bit more fast-paced. Still recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Darius by Grace Burrows- When his sister is disgraced and his brother collapses in grief after the death of his wife, Darius withdraws from society and becomes a "special friend" to certain women. But never a lover. He usually lets them abuse and beat him for money. But when he is approached by Lord Longstreet, an ill and dying Lord, to give his new wife a child, he offers Darius enough money to do what he wants afterwards, so Darius agrees. However, as he prepares to become a woman's lover for coin for the first time, he discovers that he may give of his body, but at the same time, he can't help but let his heart follow. And Vivian is not the woman he suspected. She was the companion of his Lordship's first wife who Longstreet married to avoid her destitution, and to prevent her from returning to the arms of her abusive family. Completely untutored in pleasure, Darius cannot help but be enthralled by her gentle, genuine, and unstudied ways, and by the time she must leave, he and she no longer want to be parted. But she must return to her husband. And while she tries to forge a connection between them, something more than just lust or convenience. But when the women who pay Darius for his company refuse to be cast over, Darius finds he must step up to gain his own freedom and be with Vivian when her husband finally passes. But can he win free of two very vindictive women who will stop at nothing to possess him? I liked this book a lot. When readers are first introduced to Darius and his way of life, they will assume he is nothing more than a gigolo, but that proves not to be the case. Even so, his own self-opinion is very low because of what he does, and he doesn't believe he deserves love or affection. I loved how Darius seduces Vivian, and the connection that is forged between them. All, as it turns out, with the collusion of Lord Longstreet himself, who schemes for them to remain together after he is gone. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">From the Charred Remains by Susanna Calkins- Lucy Campion is a maid in the Lord Magistrate's house, and the magistrate has helped to educate her. But now that the Great Fire of London has come and past, Lucy realizes that the household doesn't really need her, and she should find another job. Her task hauling away debris from the fire results in her seeing two young boys find a body in a cask in the remains of a tavern, and when Lucy tries to find our how the man in the cask died, she ends up at a book sellers, where she offers to sell the true story of the finding of the body- but she also decides to work for the printer as a bookseller and servant as well. Lach, the printer's apprentice, is scornful of her, but the Printer agrees to take her on. Lucy finds herself rubbing elbows with the constable investigating the death and being privy to several reveals in the case. When a purse containing a poem belonging to the dead man shows up, she is approached by a woman who claims to be the subject of the poem and to know who the man is. But is she right, and who did the man to death on the night of the fire? Impelled to find the truth, Lucy must dig for the answers, without falling prey to the same murderer. I liked this book. Lucy is a wonderful protagonist, a smart woman who doesn't revel in her intelligence, but is humble when trying to find the truth. She dogeedly works away while working to find out what is going on, and is instrumental in finding the killer. I really enjoyed the mystery and the different characters we encounter in the process. I didn't really see the ending coming or who the real murderer was. Excellent book and Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Spell Blind by David B. Coe- Justiss Fearsson is a weremyste, a kind of changeling who can do magic, but doesn't change shape. He is tied to the phases of the moon because as the new moon approaches, he is able to draw more on magic, but it also comes with a significant drawback- he goes crazy on the night of the full moon. Justiss is called out by his old partner, Kona Shaw, to the body of a state Senator's daughter which has been killed and left behind, her eyes taken out and possibly destroyed. The killer dubbed by the press as the "Blind Angel Killer" was a case that Justiss was assigned to before he left the force because of his moon madness- it was hard to explain any of his "phasings" as anything but periodic mental breakdowns, and his superiors wouldn't put up with it. But many of the cases Justiss is investigating all seem to lead back to the Blind Angel Killer, and of a magician whose powers flare a bright red to his magical senses. Over time, his magic had gotten stronger, and Justiss fears what the Blind Angelkiller might be... and who he might be becoming. As he is drawn into the case once more, Justiss becomes known to the killer, who sees him, rightly as a threat. But when Justiss is targeted, can he fight off the worst serial killer he has ever seen, and discover who and What he is? Or will Justiss just be added to the list of victims of the Blind Angel. And when he finds romance with a Blogger named Billie, can he keep her safe as well? This was an unusual book, with an unusual premise and hero. Even though Justiss was something new to me, I liked his story, his background, and the other characters in his life- even how he explained his powers to Billie, and how she eventually came to believe him. This was an excellent book, and I very much enjoyed it. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dark Shadows- Return to Collinwood by Kathryn Leigh Scott and Jim Pierson- Dark Shadows started out as just another soap opera, albeit one with a very gothic bent. But when the failing show began to introduce more and more supernatural elements, culminating with the rise of the vampire, Barnabas Collins, from the family crypt, where he'd been imprisoned and chained for over 200 years, the show took on a new life and new popularity. This book tells the story of Dark Shadows from its beginning as a soap opera, all the way through the movies that were made of it, two revival series, and now the movie starring Johnny Depp. Told mainly by Kathryn Leigh Scott, who was part of the soap from the very beginning, she tells stories of the 60's and 70's series, and the making of the first movi. The stories continue with Jim Pierson, and he tells of the revivals and of being contacted by Tim Burton and Johnny Depp before the making of the new movie. This book has plenty of photographs and stories about production and the stars. I never watched the original series, but I watched the 1990's revival with Ben Cross, and I had a friend who introduced me to the original series. This book was wonderful to read and very enjoyable. I loved the pictures of the casts of all three series, and it was a very fun book to read. Recommended, especially if you are a fan of any of the series/movies.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Suspense and Sensibility by Carrie Bebris- Recently married, Elizabeth Darcy and Fitzwilliam Darcy, are enjoying married life, but a letter from Elizabeth's mother reminds her that she and her new husband have a duty to see Elizabeth's sister, Kitty, married, and quite happily, at that. Which to their mother means a man with a title. But when Kitty meets Henry Dashwood of Norland, she becomes entranced by him, and he seems equally taken with her, despite her lack of connections or money. His mother is not s happy with the relationship that develops between Harry and Kitty, and neither is Harry's sister. Harry, who has been poking about on his estate, has found a portrait of his debauched ancestor, his Great Grand-uncle, Francis Dashwood, which he decides to rescue, as his resemblance as a young man to Henry is great. There is also a beautiful Grecian Mirror, which Henry thinks is a real antique, possibly. When he becomes disgusted by how his own family is treating Kitty, he leaves the home and his mother, having proposed to Kitty, who has happily accepted. However, soon after his engagement, his behavior changes to become as debauched and pleasure-seeking as his distant ancestor. Kitty and even Henry's family are upset by this turn of events, with Henry's mother and sisters blaming Kitty, and Kitty blaming Henry's mother. But when Henry loses the family estate in a game of cards, Kitty ends their agreement to marry, and his mother cuts him off from the inheritance. Elizabeth is shocked by the change, but discovers that the mirror houses Henry's soul, which has been exchanged for that of his ancestor. Can Elizabeth and Darcy find a way to free his soul to inhabit its body once more, and what might be needed to do so. Furthermore, what will become of Henry with the rest of his family cut off from him? I really enjoyed this book, which was interesting because I have never been a big Austen reader. But this book combined the characters with an interesting and intriguing mystery, and I really, really enjoyed it. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Masque of a Murderer by Suzanna Calkins- Following the move out of the Magistrate's House, Lucy Calkins is still working as the Printer's assistant and apprentice. But not much has changed. When the Magistrate's Daughter, Sarah, returns to England, she recognizes Lucy on the street. Sarah has become a Quaker, and she recently returned to England after spending time in America. But upon her return, Sarah is summoned to the house of an old friend, Jacob Whitby. Jacob has been run over by a cart and is dying, and Sarah is asked to go to his house to visit him. She takes Lucy along to accompany her, but when she is left alone with Jacob, he tells her he didn't fall in front of the cart, he was pushed, and that someone in the circle of the Quakers is a fraud, and that his wife may be in danger. He begs Lucy to find out who the traitor is and keep her safe. Soon after, he dies. Luxy is asked to take down his last words before he dies so a pamphlet can be published about his life. She does so, but also does a little snooping around and discovers some things that definitely don't add up with the Quakers. While Sarah is a true and devoted Quaker, and Ahivah, another Quaker seeress, seem to be genuine, she has no idea who the traitor is . But can she find out before Sarah or another Quaker dies? And can she keep herself and Sarah safe as the traitor gets closer and more people begin to die? Another excellent book with a wonderful interesting mystery and some interesting information about Quakers and their activities in the new world and England. Lucy is growing closer, not only to Adam and the Constable, but also to Lach, her fellow apprentice, and he gets to help with the investigation. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Seduction of Lady X by Julia London- Lady Olivia Carey is the one bright spot in Harrison Tolly's life. Harrison is the steward to Lord Carey, who is a vain, venal man who holds hid wife in contempt because she has not yet been able to give him an heir. But this is more due to the faults of her husband, who has a decided fondness for drink and whose lovemaking has devolved to a few minutes of groping, then thrusting until he reaches his end, usually being too incapable with drink to do even that. But when Harrison is informed that he is heir to the Earldom of Ashwood, he turns it down so that he may stay with the Careys. However, Lady Carey's sister is pregnant by a man she met when she was traveling in Spain, and Lord Carey is going to use that as any excuse to be rid of his wife's sister, who he hates. To help her out, Harrison says he will wed her sister as opposed to Lord Carey's idea to send her to a nunnery in Ireland. But this causes a rift between Harrison and Lord Carey, one that comes to a head when there is a rumor started that Harrison is Olivia's lover. Lord Carey rides off to confront him, and there is a terrible accident, and the new heir throws Harrison off the estate after the funeral. But just before, Olivia and Harrison become lovers at last, even though Harrison is still promised to marry her sister. But can Harrison, Olivia and her sister prevent a terrible tragedy and find happiness for them all, even if it means flouting convention and following their hearts? I liked this book. Harrison Tolly is being pulled in many different directions in this book, and so is Olivia. Each value their integrity more than just about anything, but Olivia's husband treats her with indifference at best and hatefulness at his worst. He doesn't beat her, but that is because Harrison stuck up for her when Lord Carey first tried, and by the end he does hit her once again. He blames her for her inability to conceive, when his drinking seems much more to blame. Harrison knows he loves Olivia, and that it is hopeless to be anything more than an admirer from afar, but she is completely oblivious to his feelings, thinking of him merely as a friend. It isn't until near the end of the book that she discovers his feelings and that she shares them. A lot of this story is hard to read, but mainly for the way Lord Carey treats his wife. The other parts are much better, and made it hard to put down and stop reading. Yet, I did enjoy the ending and the romance, such as it was. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Natsume's Book of Friends, Volume 18 by Yuki Midorikawa- Takashi Natsume can see Yokai, or spirits. His grandmother, Reiko, had the same ability, but was shunned for it. So, she would challenge the Yokai to contests and insist on them writing their names in her book when she defeated them, which gave her a hold and a power over them. Though Natsume has the same powers, he wants to free the Yokai from their enslavement to whoever holds the book, and has been freeing the Yokai who come to ask for their names. In the meantime, he helps out various people with their Yokai problems, helped by Madara, a very powerful Yokai who inhabits a porcelain cat and is called Nyanko-sensei. In this volume, Natsume is approached by a goat-yokai who wants to find a yokai named Ake, They both work for the same Yokai who is their sensei. Now, theit sensei is ill and the goat-sensei wants to find his fellow student to challenge him as to who will be in charge when their master passes. But Ake is hiding and being fractious. But can Natsume find Ake and be an impartial judge over the process? Next, a famous exorcist has passed away, and his granddaughter knows he has a study full of his tools, but she cannot find it. Cam Natsume and Natori uncover the man's study before the rest of the exorcists do? Finally, a girl is in the forest, looking for a yokai she met in the form of an owl. The owl left behind a ring, and she wants to return it to him. But the Owl can't have her remembering him and must take away the memory. Cat Natsume and Nyanko-sensei help her find the owl yokai and return his ring to him? And when the spirit must wipe her memory in return, can Natsume sav her from this fate?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">As Twilight Falls by Amanda Ashley- Kadie Andrews is a photographer, photographing ghost towns across the old West. But when she gets lost and wanders into the town of Morgan Creek, she quickly discovers that she can't leave- the town is home to five vampires, and she is claimed by one of them to be a blood donor for him. But then the town's founder, Rylan Saintcrow, arises from his slumber and claims Kadie for his own. Kadie finds herself angry at being imprisoned, but at the same time, she finds herself attracted beyond measure to Rylan, and reluctantly begins to fall for him. Still, she is trapped in Morgan Creek, and so is everyone else who wandered into town. Most of the vampires in town are male, but there is one woman, who has men to serve as her vessels, but she is so horrible to them that at least one of her victims wants to be killed rather than continue to live in the town. But as she and Rylan grow closer, Kadie intercedes on behalf of the town's inhabitants to get Rylan to loosen their restrictions. And when the Vampires in town rebel and want to leave the town's safety, Rylan decides to let them go. Only, when they finally leave, Vampire hunters start arriving in town. Only a few, at first, then more and more. And that, it turns out, was partly why the vampires were sheltering here, in Rylan's protection. But when the hunters have a connection to Kadie, she will have to return to her family, and her sick and dying sister, to learn what it is that is going on, and the secret that has underlain her family for years... I liked this book, especially the reveal of the secrets Kadie's family is/was hiding. There was no clue about this early in the novel, but I loved how the characters in Morgan Creek were fleshed out and ended up being ale to leave at the end and the choices they made. In the end, Kadie, too, needs to make a choice, and what she chooses made me smile. I really liked this book and the mostly non-violent way that Rylan dealt with the vampire hunters. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas- When Nick Gentry of the Bow Street Runners is given the job of tracking down a rich man's runaway soon-to-be bride, he thinks of it as nothing more than an easy job, but when he finally finds Miss Charlotte Howard, he is dumbstruck. Working as a servant, Charlotte lives in fear of being dragged back to face the man who claims to be her fiancé, as he has been her jailer for most of her life, dictating what she learned, how much she could eat, and so much more. Nick finds himself drawn to the lovely Charlotte and decides that the only way he can save her from the Rich Lord who claims her is to marry her himself and save her. Charlotte, falling for Nick and afraid of what her erstwhile Fiance will do if he gets her back, agrees. But Nick, who has been trained by a madam to be a world-class lover, has never given his heart before, but this time he will, and when he returns to London to the stunning news that the Bow Street Runners are disbanding in favor of Robert Peel's new Police Force, Nick is thrown for a loop and is compelled by his brother-in-law to take up his family's noble title, which is the last thing he wants to do, he realizes that with Charlotte to protect and love, he no longer wants to risk his life as he did before. But when Charlotte's former fiancé tries to put her sister under the same constraints he put Charlotte under, and to blackmail her family into handing over her sister and Charlotte as well, can Nick and his former colleagues rescue her before the unthinkable happens? I actually liked this book. I liked Nick and Charlotte both as they are both strong and strong-willed people. But instead of taking the easy way out and have them fight each other after they start the marriage, Lisa Kleypas has the danger they face together mostly external. The internal struggle is for Nick, who doesn't want to give up his job as a Runner to be a Lord. But that is soon put pad to when he realizes, as a married man, that he can't go on risking his neck the way he has. An excellent novel that pulled me in with good writing and kept me there with plot. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Revenge of Lord Eberlin by Julia London- Tobin Scott's father was hung when he was just a boy, accused of stealing the Countess of Ashwood's stunning ruby jewelry. Following their father's death, Tobin, his mother and sister moved to London. Shortly thereafter, his mother died and he was forced to send his sister into service and take a job on a ship. But this also proved the making of his fortune, as he made money dealing arms, and returned to England a rich man and a titled one as well, having purchased a Dutch title when he was abroad, from a noble fleeing the war there. Now, he returns to the village where he was born and lived most of his life, only to find that the woman whose evidence was used to accuse and convict his father has also returned to Hadley Green. Lily Boudine was only a child when she woke to see Tobin Scott's father riding away from the estate late at night, but she had no idea that her innocent statement of fact would be used to convict Tobin's father and put him to death. Alas, things also didn't go well for Lily's aunt died, and she had to take shelter with her Irish relatives. Recently, she was informed that she had inherited Ashwood. But when Tobin moves into Tiber Park, he decides to ruin Ashwood and Lily both as a price for condemning his father to death. Lily knows that Ashwood could fail and decides to fight Tobin every step of the way. But Tobin is distracted by Lily's beauty, and when he threatens to take her innocence in exchange for leaving Ashwood alone, she agrees. But once he tells her about what happened to his family, she becomes determined to find out what really happened to the ruby jewelry that went missing, and she will not let it go until she finds the truth. Tobin, already distracted by her beauty finds his heart coming to care for Lily. But how can he keep up his plans for revenge when he discovers the truth about his father and Lily's aunt? Can he still destroy Ashwood when he has come to care for Lily? This is a book whose story was started by a theft, and a tragedy. Lily saw Tobin's father riding away from the estate, and when she told her nanny what she'd seen, her testimony was used to both accuse and convict him. Tobin thinks she lied about what she saw, but this was one thing she didn't do. Lily never thought about what would happen to Tobin's father, nor Tobin and his family, but her search for the truth brings them together and makes them both much happier people. I liked this book, and both Lily and Tobin, who were strong and stubborn. But Lily is able to convince him that he has misjudged her and also find the real reason his father was leaving the estate so late. also, Tobin is afflicted with what I assume is PTSD over his father's death and only being with Lily eases the symptoms. This was a fantastic book, and the second book in a trilogy, of which "The Seduction of Lady X" is the third. An interesting and enjoyable read. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Dangerous Gentleman by Julia London- Adrian Spence has long been his father's whipping boy, while his younger brother Benjamin is his father's golden boy. But when Adrian is tricked into killing his best friend by that very same man, his father has had enough, and disinherits Adrian in favor of Benjamin. Adrian, though, knows Lilliana Dashell, the woman who Ben is contracted to marry. When he can no longer bear his father's cruelty and Ben's standing by and letting it happen, he goes to Lilliana and tells her that he has fallen in love with her and wants to marry her. She has always been enamored of him, and breaks off with Ben to marry him. Adrian considers it a revenge well-taken and tires to put Lilliana out of his mind. The one place he cannot ignore her is in the marriage bed and there he turns into a tender, masterful lover. But he refuses to let her be anything more, and Lilliana can tell something is wrong. She tries to get closer to Adrian, but he keeps her at arms length. It is only when he has a horrible accident that he is able to overcome that distance between them. But Ben, Lilliana's former Fiance, cannot seem to stop coming around and implying to Adrian that he and Lily are still very close., Perhaps even in the Biblical sense. When Adrian regains his sight, he doesn't tell Lilliana right away, which she views as something of a betrayal. But when they are nearly forced apart again, they must realize that Ben is pushing them apart, and that his father's animosity may have nothing to do with Adrian, but rather his mother. Can Adrian resist taking revenge on his father when the truth is revealed? Another good book, though this one was a bit harder to read. because of the supposed infidelity to the marriage on both sides. It isn't until Adrian and Lilliana realize what is going on and dig for the truth that each realizes how much the other loves them, and they finally manage to move past the hurt. Adrian and Ben are not nice characters. Oh, they seem innocent and steadfast, but the bitterness between them and the fact that each is willing to betray and backstab the other make them not very likeable characters. I only came to like Adrian because he really did come to care for Lily, but I didn't like him for long periods of this book. Lilliana comes off best, and I felt like Adrian didn't deserve her. Recommended, but not highly.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-29188532908177220212015-06-11T09:33:00.004-04:002015-07-11T13:58:37.801-04:002015, Part 4<span style="color: #33ccff;">Baptism of Fire by Andrezej Sapkowski- Geralt continues to search for Ciri, who has been tansported to a deadly desert by a malfunctioning portal. She relies on herself and her training as a Witcher and sorceress. But when she calls on the power of fire, she reaches too far and is nearly taken over by an inimical force and saves herself by shutting down her magic, for good it seems. Making it out of the desert, she winds up being captured, and then freed when a group of young human and elven bandits known as the Rats arrive to free their leader. Normally, they are six, but Ciri, calling herself "Falka" joins with them, losing herself in their banditry and killing, getting further and further from her true self. Geralt tries to go in search of her, having heard that Ciri is to be married off to a King. But he knows she is elsewhere, having dreamt of her. And likewise, she dreams of him. Geralt, accompanied by the Bard Dandilion and a human woman archer named Malva, tries to travel down to where he last saw Ciri, to track her down. Joining with a group of Dwarves and a gnome who are escorting a group of women and children dispossessed by the war, they discover a physician named Regis who also comes along with them when he finds out his village was burned. But as they are cut off from traveling south by the actions of the fighting armies, they each discover truths about each other and are forced to make hard decisions. Meanwhile, Yennifer is transformed back into a human by the elven sorceress and is forced to join a group of sorceresses who want to impose their own vision upon the world. Can they do it without consequences? And will Yennefer stay true to the magicians when they have forced her to join them on threat of being returned to statue form. But men still seek after Ciri, can Geralt find her before the Bounty Hunters do? I liked this book. It's kind of obvious that Anderzej Sapkowski's political views have informed his writing. Or at least the political history he seems to have lived through, as this is a very sort of world-weary sort of fantasy that isn't like much of what I have read from other authors. Yet still, I enjoyed it very much, it being more gritty and just different from Western Heroic Fantasy. These characters have more flaws and scorn being "heroic", but end up being heroes anyway by sticking up for their principles and those they love, and the villains, aside from the monsters, appear to be attached to nations and kings rather than idealistic or simple outright villainous simply to be villainous. A goodm nuanced fantasy novel from a superb author. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J, Maas- Feyre is the last hope of her family. With her father crippled and their mother dead and their fortune gone, she saves them by going out and hunting deer in the woods that border the fae lands. But when she kills a deer and a wolf, she realizes that the wolf is very probably a fae. But she doesn't care, skinning it and taking both pelts to the market to sell, and venison to her family to feed them. Her two sisters are too naïve or too uncaring to hunt for them, so it lands of Feyre to do so. But her killing of the Fae wolf leads to her being abducted by Tamlin, one of the High Fae Lords, ruler of the Faerie Court of Spring. Instead of killing her, he tells her that he needs her life for the life of the Fae she slew. But all she must do is live with him, among his people, and while at first, she makes plans to escape, she soon realizes how futile such plans are, and how many things are waiting in the woods beyond Tamlin's manor walls waiting to kill her. Slowly, her feelings for him begin to change, and things go from bad to worse. a Plague is brewing in the Fae lands, one which could imperil the human lands as well, and Feyre's only hope at breaking the curse is to decipher a riddle set to her by the true blight on the Fae Kingdoms, Amarantha, or to complete three impossible tasks set by Amarantha herself. But even if she manages to complete the tasks will the evil fairy give up the prize she wants, Tamlin? Or will Feyre win her way out of Amarantha's tricks and snares to win her and Tamlin free? This story sort of retells the story of Tamlin, but with a number of twists and the ending is completely different. I really liked it, I loved the way the story built and the little pieces that seemed to mean nothing at first and ended up having a big impact on the story. Sarah J. Maas is a very good storywriter, and while I was disappointed at first that it wasn't another Celaena Sardothian book, this is very good nevertheless. It also has elements of Beauty and the Beast in it, with a curse needing to be broken by the words and actions of the heroine, and perhaps a bit of the story of the Fisher King as well. Excellently done and Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dayshift by Charlaine Harris- Manfred Bernardo is a psychic, a real one, but he's also a fake, and does readings over the internet. When he goes from the town where he is living, Midnight, Texas, to Dallas and stays in a hotel to give personal (and expensive) readings to a number of clients. But his first afternoon Client drops dead in Manfred's room, and it happens after another resident in the small town is sighted after two people in another room die. Manfred, though, knows that she was there to kill the two, but has no idea how his client died. Worse, her mentally damaged son insists that Manfred killed her and took a fortune in jewels from her purse before she died. Being a psychic and therefore considered a shady character, Manfred must clear his name before police attention is focused on him and on Midnight, where a number of very interesting people live. Plus, there is an old hotel in town that gets renovated so that it can be turned into an eldercare hostel. The question is, why is the conglomeration of companies banding together to do this, and what do their plans have to do with the town. That's not the only upset in town. A young boy arrives in town and grows up unnaturally fast while staying with the local reverend, who makes money as an animal cemetery as well as being a preacher. And the other resident in town who Manfred saw in Dallas, Olivia, might be a contract killer. The man she lives with is a vampire. And Manfred is a friend of Sookie's. With all these threads converging on the town, Manfred is going to have to solve the mysteries with the help of Olivia, and the residents of Midnight will have to work together to figure out what is going on and why before the situation becomes deadly. This is a spin-off series from Charlaine Harris' "Sookie Stackhouse vampire mystery/romances. This one more about the mystery than the romance, and I liked it a great deal. Manfred has grown and matured since meeting Sookie. In this book, he actually qualifies as an "upstanding citizen" and does his level best to try and solve the mystery and save his fellow Midnighters. There are far less vampires and were creatures in this book, and more seemingly otherwise normal people. It's different than Harris' other series, but still good and well worth reading. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Born of Defiance by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Talyn Batur has lived his entire life as an outcast from his people, the Andarions. With his father not recognizing him, his only recourse was to the military, and though he is a smart, dedicated, intelligent soldier, he is stuck at the level of major and discriminated against by his own superior all because of his birth. When he contracts with a house to have a mistress, he must pay them many times the normal going rate to have Felicia be with him. She is born out of wedlock, but recognized by her father, but even so, her options are also limited. Studying medicine, she also sells herself, much as her mother did. But she only accepted Talyn because he treated her well and promised her a place close to her college to live in. When she moves in with him, she discovers how badly he is treated by his own superior, and the many cruelties the man inflicts on him. Despite her intention not to get emotionally involved, she ends up falling for Talyn, motivated by his obvious feelings for her and the loving, considerate way he treats her. But when she grows tired of the way he is treated by her superiors, she calls in the help of her half-brother, who gets him reassigned to the palace. But even here, the mistreatment follows him, and the man he is supposed to be guarding is a friend of his former commander, gets him cashiered and thrown onto a notorious prison planet with his legs broken. Even so, Talyn manages to survive and help a group of prisoners to stay alive. But when his mother, who is also in the service, finds out what has happened to him, she takes action through her friend, the sister of the current Andorian Empress, getting him retrieved. But Talyn has had his fill of the monarchy and being mistreated. When a rebel approaches him about overthrowing the current family on the throne, he is all for it. But can he keep Felicia safe while staying a fighter in the ring all the while overthrowing the royals in the coming coup, which will demand of him that he take a leadership role? I loved this book. Yes, Talyn's people are harsh, and he has a really sucky life, but his mother loves him and he's extremely good at what he does. The reason behind his superior's hatred of him is believable and horrible at the same time, but I loved how Talyn and Felicia came together and how they never doubted their feelings for each other and never descended into sniping or yelling at each other. The ending ties into other books in the Sentella series as it ends with the overthrow of most of the royal family and the revelation of Taplyn's true father and clan (s). It' a good book, if a trifle hard to read at times because of the abuse Talyn suffers. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Spider Men by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli- Spider man is swinging through the city one night, taking down crooks, when he notices a blast of purple lightning coming from a rooftop not far away. Where it came from, he discovers the lair of Mysterio, and a portal powered by Stark Technology, presumably stolen from Tony Stark. But when he and Mysterio have a fight, the portal flares and Peter is sucked in... only to appear elsewhere, and seemingly, elsewhen. Where it once was night, now it's day, and his while the city appears unchanged, he is confronted by a smaller man, a teenager, wearing a spider-suit. They fight, and Miles uses his Venom sting to knock Peter out. Cottoning to who Peter is right away, he tries to remove Peter's mask. But Peter, waking, objects to this and learns some of what this universe is like from Miles and Nick Fury. But he breaks away from them, trying to find out if it is really true. Peter goes to his apartment and finds out that in this world, he's dead and people think his costume in poor taste as if he is trying to ape the original Spidernan. But when Peter goes to see his Aunt Betty and Gwen Stacy, they think he is trying to start something, until he pulls off his mask and shows them his face. There are explanations all around. Meanwhile, back in the original comics universe, Mysterio has sent a robot double of himself to kill Spider-Man once and for all, but the two Spidermen fight him off and with the help of the Avengers and Nick Fury, return to the original comics world to deal with Mysterio, But can they defeat him before the portal collapses and strands either one in the wrong world? I don't generally read Spider Man (never did, really), but I loved this graphic novel, which was smart, funny and snappy. The best funny scene was where Nick Fury asks Peter what he is like in Peter's world, and Peter can only say, "White." and Ultimates Fury is like "Sad to hear that." The book ends on a mini-cliffhanger as Peter tries to see if there is a Miles Morales in his own world and appears shocked at what he finds, but the novel leaves us in suspence. It was a great book and I really enjoyed the crossing over of worlds and characters. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole- Evie, theEmpress of the Current Arcana, has been kidnapped by Aric, the Death Card, and imprisoned at his base. But even though she has come to have feelings for Aric, she is also in love with Jack and when she heard Jack had been captured by the Lovers, the most twisted and evil cards of this cycle, Evie left Aric's fortress to try and save the boy she loves. But Jack has been busy since she was gone, forging together elements of an army, accompanied by several other members of the Tarot, including the Fool, Judgment, The Tower, The Moon and others have encamped across the river from the army lead by the father of the Lovers. Jack is their prisoner, but they have ways of cloning themselves, and can mingle their blood to create copies of themselves. They also have a secret, and to discover it, Evie, Jack, Aric and the other trumps will have to work together to deal with them. But with Evie the focus of love for both Aric and Jack, can she keep their friction to a minimum and keep them all safe by using her powers? I love this series and I love these characters. I don't know who Evie will pick, it's turning into rather a "Team Arci/Team Jack kind of situation. People have theorized that Jack is an Arcana, possibly the Sun (given his skills as a leader, I am thinking possibly the Emperor, but only if he does turn out to be an Arcana, which is far from assured. I am personally trending towards Aric, myself, But I am willing to be persuaded. So much happened in this book that it seems like it should have been longer, but I like the mix of character and action moments, and how Evie struggles against the Red Queen, the more "outcome oriented" part of her personality. It was also nice to see Jack and Aric come, if not to actually like each other, respect each other for their abilities and talents. I can't wait for the next installment! Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Murder on Amsterdam Avenue by Victoria Thompson- While waiting to be married, Sarah Brandt and Frank Molloy have purchased a home together, which Frank is having remodeled to suit them and their family. But now that he is no longer a policeman, Frank is building another type of business entirely, as a private detective. When Sarah's mother discovers that Charles Oakes, the son of an old friend, has died unexpectedly, she takes Sarah along on a visit to console the family. But Charles' father hires Frank to look into the death and find the man who killed Frank, who was poisoned with arsenic. As it seems that he had no enemies outside the home, Frank concentrates on the servants working in the house, and Charles' wife, who isn't exactly mourning him the way that she should be, But when a servant named Daisy, who used to work for Mrs. Oakes when she was a slave and Mrs. Oakes the daughter of the plantation owner, is also poisoned by arsenic concealed in pieces of candy that she took with her to the home of a friend, Malloy wonders who might have wanted her dead as well, and why. Working with another former member of the force who he hires after Gino returns from the War in Cuba, he and Sarah's adopted daughter Maeve join forces with Gino and Malloy to find the real killer and bring him or her to justice. I love this series, which marries turn of the century New York with a family dynamic a bit like Anne Perry's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels. Though this series was always a bit more gritty and grounded in realism than the Anne Perry books, I like both of them, and this book was no exception to the series. Some of the elements of this case seemed to call back to earlier cases, like when Malloy investigated the truth behind the facts of the death of her husband, I found this quite wonderful and believable, especially the reasons behind the murder, which speak of hidden secrets and shame. Highly recommended once again.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hulk: Omega Hulk Book 1: by Gerry Duggan and Mark Bagley- The Hulk has evolved again, this time into "Doctor Green", with the physique of Hulk and the mental prowess of Banner. And he wants to eliminate all the other heroes ad villains whose powers derive from gamma radiation from the world. So he sets up a lab, working with other scientists to make antidotes to Gamma ray irradiation. The irony is, of course, that he, himself, is immune to his own cure. He will be the Hulk forever. He tales out the Abomination, Atom Bomb, the Red She-Hulk, Skaar, and even Hulkling, who isn't gamma-irradiated, just a shapeshifter. But will he be able to take down The Red Hulk, aka longtie Hulk foe "Thunderbolt" Ross? And when one of the scientists working with Doc Green turns herself into a living tree and takes over all the plants near her, using them to kill humans, Doc Green has to take it on himself to deal with her. But why did she do this? I thought this was okay. It's definitely a breath of fresh air for the Hulk Franchise, I thought it harkened back to The Joe Fixit Character. Even though he's intelligent and tries to control his temper, he's still a scary guy, as he's willing to use the strength of the Hulk in his own ends. I thought it was okay, but not completely enjoyable. Slightly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua-Ada Lovelace was a mathematician and daughter of Lord Byron who was turned towards mathematic pursuits to keep her from having a "poetic" disposition. Charles Babbage was also a mathematician 20 years her senior who invented the first computer, "The difference Engine" and later "The Analytical Engine". Ehen Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage met, it was a match made in heaven, as she saw more uses for his machine beyond just mathematical calculations. In writing code for the machines, Ada became the first programmer (of sorts). After this historical introduction, Sydney Padua moves on to rebrand them as mathematical adventurers in a parallel but different steampunk universe. In the first, Lovelace and Babbage must fix things at the Bank of England when the American Banking system collapse. In the process, they invent the steam engine and give one man the idea for the railroad. "Luddites" shows a bunch of angry "computers" people who do sums for a living, like accountants) attacking the engine which has taken away their jobs. Lovelace and Babbage must handle this with... MATH. In "User Experience" George Eliot, aka Marian Evans must make her way through the Engine with her manuscript in search of spelling errors, but will she survive the experience? In "Mr. Boole comes to tea, and shows Boolean logic. "Imaginary Numbers" takes Ada to the land of fantasy, i.e. imaginary Numbers, in a manner reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. The book ends with recollections of people who knew Lovelace and Babbage, and some papers about them and their ideas. I liked this book, which is art graphic novel and part text, with numerous and copious footnotes. The story of the two protagonists was interesting, and several stories, while taken from actual history, mirror things happening today. This graphic novel is very geeky, but fun. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Devil Takes a Bride by Julia London- When Grace Cabot sets out to seduce Lord Amherst to save her sisters from penury and disgrace, she ends up in the embrace of his brother instead, the Earl of Merryton, who is known to be staid and humorless. But when they are found together in a shocking and profound kiss, Grace must marry him, and since he is so cold and seemingly unfeeling, she wonders how she can ever be happy with such a man. But that cold, staid, humorless exterior hides a man in pain, who must put up a passionless front just to survive living day to day, and as Grace discovers her new husband's deepest secrets, she must heal them if their marriage is to survive. But will she always long for the love and the man she never had? I really liked this book. Jeffrey, Lord Merryton, is like anything but his title. He's not merry, has an obsession with order, and with the number 8. But all of these are hiding a shocking secret from the past and a terrible history. And while Grace doesn't react very well to her husband's needs at first, she eventually begins to understand him and she is not shocked by his needs and desires. I was a little disappointed that the desires he felt sort of went away when Grace was willing to do a few things with him, but otherwise, I found the book good and interesting. Recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Ugly Duchess by Eloise James- Theodora Ashby is the ward of the Duke of Ashbrook, and has been raised with his son, James Ryburn, for most of their lives. But when his father loses the estate, he tries to force James to marry her an secure her fortune so that they can save the estate. James is resistant at first, thinking of her as a sister, but soon his discovers that his true feelings for her are far more tender and intimate. He does end up marrying her, and they begin to save the estate together, until Theodora overhears her new father-in-law congratulating his son on the success of their scheme. Theodora, overhearing them, is shocked and crushed. She tells both men to leave forever, and settles down to getting the estate out of entail and dressing the way she wants rather than in endless pink and ruffles. Soon, she goes from an ugly duckling to a swan. Meanwhile, James has become a sea captain, and then a privateer. But just as Theodora who has heard nothing from James for 7 years and has been unable to find him, is about to have him declared dead, when he returns in a spectacular fashion. But can the two of them reconnect when both have changed so radically? I liked this book a lot> Both characters change from when they are separated from each other to when they finally reconnect and rediscover their love at the end of the book. Theodora blossoms into love, then shuts herself off for fear of being hurt again. But I loved how they got back together and rediscovered their love at the end of the book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes- Cassie Hobbes is a natural profiler whose mother was killed by a serial killer. She was taken in by the FBI to join another group of talented teens like herself- broken by life, but coming out of it with seemsingly supernatural instincts for reading emotions, telling lies, Profiling or for seeing patterns. In the first book, Naturals, Cassie discovered that the killer who killed her mother wanted her as well. Now, her friend and fellow "Natural Profiler", Dean, is drawn into a case by a serial killer who is mimicking his father's killings. But just as they did for Cassie, the entire team of naturals wants to help Dean and find the copycat who is killing in the same way as his father did. But for what reason, and why does Dean's Father want to know and control Dean? And now they have a new protector to deal with, Agent Sterling, Brigg's wife, has returned to the force and wants to get the naturals program shut down. But she also wants to protect Dean. But why? What history do they share together, and can they find the copycat before any other women die? Another excellent title. I really enjo0yed the whole "Criminal Minds for YA" vibe, and the characters. Cassie and her fellow Naturals intrigue and absorb, and even the adults are always interesting. Lets teens see Criminal Profiling from the inside and see how the FBI works. I love Cassie, though. No more love triangle this time around, at least I hope. If you're a teen, or you know one who enjoys the whole "CSI/Criminal Minds", this series might scratch the itch you feel for more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">By Tooth and Claw by S. M. Stirling, Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint and Jody Lynn Nye.- An alternate Earth tale, in this alternate, the asteroid did not strike the Earth, and the dinosaurs did not go extinct. Instead, the earth is inhabited by two very different races of intelligent beings, the Mrem, a humanoid feline race, and the Liskash, a reptiloid Dinosaurian race. The Mrem are fierce warriors, but the Liskash have mental powers. Now, a great disaster has come, and the great water has invaded the lands occupied by both the Mrem and Liskash, forcing both to struggle for survival. "Bury My Heart" by Mercedes Lackey and Cody Martin tells the story of the Long Fang, who lived to the south and were nearly drowned by the rushing tidal wave of the waters. Left smaller and much, much poorer by the Tsunami that engulfed their lands, they struggle to make their way t safety. But though Sartas Rrem, the leader and his mate Reshia, do their best to try and lead their clan to safety, a large group of Liskash are on their trail. Can Sartas Rrem and his warriors hold them back long enough to get the rest of the group to (relative) safety? "A Clan's Foundation" by S. M. Stirling- When a group of escaped Mrem slaves from a Liskash holding rescue a Wild Mrem Warrior, he must help them to become a unified tribe if they want to join the Clan of the Claw. "Sanctuary" by Eric Flint has a clan of Mrem on the run from a Liskash Warlord. But when they help and are rescued by a group of outcast Liskash, they must make a lasting peace if they hope to outwit and evade the forces of the general- a route that will take them across the long water and see the Mrem and Liskash joining their mental abilities to win their way to safety. Lastly, "Feeding a Fever" by Jody Lynn Nye tells of a Mrem clan of dancers beset by disease. When the servant of the Dancers makes a detour to gather plants and food from a nearby swamp to tempt the dancers into eating, they are captured by a group of Liskash who want to turn the Mrem into slaves. And only the ingenuity of the Dancer's servant can save them from death, humiliation and slavery forever... I liked these stories, which are more of a shared world story than a cohesive whole. Still, I really enjoyed each separate story, and both the conflict and cooperation between the Mrem and Liskash. My favorite was a tossup between "Survival" and "Feed a Fever", both of which were strong stories, each in different ways. Still, all the stories here were above average. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">His Wicked Reputation by Madeline Hunter- Gareth Fitzallen is the bastard son of a Duke. While two of his brothers love him, one of them, Rupert, hated him and sought every chance to bring Rupert low. Making his own way as a factor for sales of fine art, Rupert is skilled in the art of seduction of older, willing women. Eva Russell is the daughter of a gentleman, reduced to near-penury by the deaths of her father and brother. She and her sister live in genteel poverty, alleviated by the money she makes from copying pictures that she finds in the attic of the manor house down the lane from her own. But when she meets Gareth on the road and realizes that he is the owner of the house, she must stop her copying of the paintings. So she does so, but realizes that her new paintings have made much money for her and her sister. She plans a trip to the house of a relative and meets again with Gareth there. In the meantime, he has been assigned a task by Ywain, called Ives by his brothers, to track down paintings that went missing from the manor house of a noble, all of which belonged to wealthy nobles, who sent them into safety during the Napoleonic Wars. But as Gareth tracks down the paintings, he and Eva become closer, then lovers, when her house is broken into and her paintings ruined by forces unknown. Not the paintings she copied, but ones she did on her own. But when Gareth offers her and her sister the chance to stay in London, she sees one of her paintings up for auction at Sotheby's, and when she tries to tell the man that she did the painting, he treats her as if she is crazy. But as the assaults on her home continue, it is clear that a group of Ruffians think that her brother hid a great treasure with her, and they want it back. The treasure turns out to be at least part of the missing paintings, and Gareth must keep Eva and her sister safe while they discover what exactly happened to the paintings and where they are now. But will Eva be put in gaol for forgery, or can Gareth save her and convince her that she did nothing wrong? And will Gareth leave his life of lechery and finally settle down with Eva, the woman he has come to love? I liked this book a lot. I liked how Gareth and Eva interacted, and their interactions with their relatives as well. I would love to see if Eva became famous for her painting as well. But this was a superior romance novel nonetheless. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Red Flags: How to Spot Frenemies, Underminers and Toxic People in Your Life by Wendy L. Patrick- This book shows you how to spot the people in your life who willo hurt you and cause you pain because of who they are. In a way, this book reminded me of that book on the 5 most dangerous kinds of people, because this book pretty much covers the same ground, only in a different way. They both focus on the need to look beyond the surface, to see what people are really like underneath, which mostly involves looking at them when they are at home and in spaces and places they feel at home. Mostly, putting these into action involves paying attention to what people say and do and not just accepting them at face value. It's filled with interesting information and interesting stories of how the people she warns you against can leave you hurt and blindsided when they turn on you. And interesting book and recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Orion and King Arthur by Ben Bova- Orion is an operative, a construct made by the future human who masquerades as the God Aten in time. He uses Orion to intervene in situations and twist the situation for his benefit. When Orion helps Siegfried overcome both Grendel and his mother, he discovers that one of the children Grendel's mother has in her lair is none other than Arthur. He helps Siegfried rescue the hostages, and later, is returned to Britain by Aten to ensure that Arthur doesn't become King. But Orion finds King Arthur to be noble and worthy of respect, and aided by the Lady of the Lake (Orion's love and a creator like Aten) and Merlin (another creator who calls himself Ares), they elevate Arthur to the Kingship despite Aten's wishes and plots to the contrary. But even Orion is unable to Keep Arthur safe from every plot, and Aten's attempts to punish Orion and even destroy him is only making Orion stronger. Soon, he may become Aten's equal. But will Aten allow it? And can Orion save the King from his foredestined end? And can Even Orion stand against the might and cunning of his creator? I thought this was a new book, but as it turns out, this is part of a series. Orion is the main character, and he is both a servant of Aten and a foil to him. Aten wants to manipulate history to make himself and the other creators possible, and Orion works to undo that. But despite Orion's "meddling" in the timeline, the Creators somehow still exist. This book doesn't really explain how this is possible But by the end, Aten has declared his intention to destroy Orion, so there will be at least one more book in the series. I greatly enjoyed the book, as it showed mostly Arthur and Orion interacting as friends as well as noble (or Dux Bellorum- War Leader) and Liegeman. If I see any more of these, I will certainly pick them up. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Lady is a Vamp by Lynsay Sands- Jeanne Louise Argeneau is a researcher at the Argeneau blood clinic, working on issues that concern immortals, but one night, she is kidnapped from her job by Paul Jones, whose daughter, Olivia, is dying of a brain tumor. John wants Jeanne Louise to turn his daughter and make her immortal, saving her life. Jeanne Louise is startled, but soon realizes that Paul is her lifemate when she cannot read his mind. Soon, the two of them are in love and on the run from the Immortal Enforcers who will do anything to set Jeanne Louise free. But she no longer wants to go free, nor does she want Paul punished for what he has done. But when the Enforcers, including her Uncle, Lucian, show up to "rescue" her, it precipitates a crisis that may end up parting them forever. Can Jeanne Louise live with the knowledge that the man she loves will die long before she even grows old? Or will a solution be found to their dilemma? I liked this book, usually, the books are about an immortal male and a human female. Sometimes, both the male and female are immortal, but this is one of a few that broke the mold. I liked the interaction between Jeanne Louise and Paul even back when he hard her a prisoner, and after she fell in love with little Livvy and him, it only got much, much better. This was a wonderful book and well-worth the read. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Immortal Who Loved Me by Lynsay Sands Sherry Carne is a big success. Though she is barely thirty, she owns her own, successful kitchenware shop. But when the shop is invaded by three men chasing a young girl, things quickly go out of control. The men are immortals, and fangless vampires as well. The girl is Stephanie, also a fangless vampire, because she and her sister were turned by these vampires long ago. But unlike them, they aren't crazy, They do, however, want Stephanie. Sherry, dragged along in the girl's wake, helps her out and Stephanie's relative, Basileos Argeneau, is called in to assist. Stephanie, who is extraordinarily good at reading these things, believes that Sherry could be Basil's lifemate. There is a complication, though. While lifemates cannot be read by their lifemate, Sherry is difficult to read anyhow. Which can only mean that Sherry has been around a vampire most of her life, and has developed the mental shielding that comes inevitably when someone is able to read your thoughts. And since no one knows of any vampires in the area, it must be a rogue. Sherry must uncover the secrets of her own life to help Basil find out who might have been influencing her and uncover the truth about herself and her own birth. But can she live with the results? This book was only okay. I usually like the Argeneau vampires books, but this one I found merely middle of the road and kind of boilerplate as it all went. Sherry finding out about her past and how she came to be (as well as he secret of who the vampire close to her was good, and the rest was </span><br />
<span style="color: #33ccff;">just okay. Recommended, but not highly.<br />
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Forbidden Magic by Jo Beverley- Meg Gillingham was impoverished by the death of her parents. Now, she tries to keep everything together for sake of her sister and brother. Finally, with Christmas coming and out of options, she resorts to a magical item that has been in her family for generations, the Sheela-mg-gigh, a rude carving of a woman. She wishes for someone to rescue her from their situation and prevent their landlord from despoiling her sister for his own wicked lust. Into her home comes Lord Saxonhurst, who is in a pickle. He was raided by his grandmother, and she rules hm as harshly as iron. So, he needs to fulfill the promise he made to her, to marry by his 25th birthday, which is a mere few days off. Then, a maid who used to work for Meg tells him about her, and Meg about Sax (as he is called), and suggests that they take care of each other's problems by marrying. It seems the perfect solution on paper and would get them both out of their difficulties. But will Meg and her siblings be able to adapt to Sax's crazy household and lifestyle? And when his grandmother continues to try and control Sax, can Meg help him stay out of her clutches and free? Because when she uses the magic of the Sheelagh, it always exacts a price... This book was acually mad fun. Taking place in the Georgian Period rather than the Regency or Victorian gives it a different air, one of unstated and unbridled sensuality and hedonism. I loved both Meg and Sax, but mostly Sax, as he was really helpful to Mag. But he's not without his own problems, and Meg definitely helps him with that. I loved this book and am really glad I stumbled on it. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh- Lord Brocklehiurst has been scarred in war, and his features often make him seem ugly to his wife, who is in love with another man, his brother. But when he comes on a skinny and starved looking prostitute with a strange air of self-possession, he cannot help but engage her. Wen she turns out to be a virgin, he realizes that he has done her wrong. He buys her food and attempts to do more for her, but she disappears into the night, leaving him with only a name, Fleur. Isabella Fleur Bradshaw is a woman of secrets, and on the run, attempting to survive on her own. When she loses her virginity, she is at the end of her rope, but she is soon hired ats a governess by the wife of Lord Brocklehurst. His wife is fretful, and is soon sure that her new governess is her husband's mistress, but he refuses to let her be let go. Like her mother, the daughter is fretful and complaining, but Fleur soon brings her out of her attitude. As Fleur and Lord Brocklehurst grow ever closer, they must keep themselves from breaking his marriage vows within his house, and a House Party brings all of Fleur's secrets into the light. But can she face them to be free to finally love him? And when Lord Brocklehurst's brother returns, it causes tension between him and his wife. But what will become of these two star-crossed lovers, can they ever be together? This is one of Mary Balogh's early romance stories, and as such, isn't much like her later works. It has adultery (on both sides of a marriage), and a very mournful tone. Both Lord Brocklehurst and Fleur live in such constrained circumstances, and they aren't free to be together, which leaves the book with a mournful yet hopeful tone. And there is so much tragedy... so much. It was interesting, but not so much romantic as some of her later works. I liked it, but it's not a book for everyone. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Storm of Shadows by Christina Dodd- Rosamund Hill is a daughter of two archaeologists, now dead. Aaron Eagle is a Chosen One, descendants of two very special children born to a mother who abandoned them. Both had powers, but while one twin used them for good, the other used them for evil. Aaron is of the Chosen Ones, who use their powers to help Humanity. They need Rosamund's help to track down a prophecy left by a dark-skinned prophetess that could help save the Chosen Ones, who are almost the only Chosen Ones left after an explosion took out the others. But Aaron and Rosamund are not alone in looking for the Prophecy. Lance Matthews, a member of the Others, and markedly handsome and cunning, wants Rosamund's services for the Others, the group that came out of the evil twin. And he got to Rosamund first. Can Aaron convince her to help him whole keeping her safe from Lance Matthews and find the prophecy before The Orhers get it? I liked this series, not quite so much as her earlier "Darkness Chosen" series, but enough to really enjoy this books, which is a whirlwind trip around the world and shows us how Powerful the Chosen and The Others are. I liked the characters, and while this is not the first book in the series, I didn't feel left out or left in the dark by the story. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf by R. A. Salvatore- Bruenor and the Companions of the Hall return to his home, where the Drow and their forces, including the army led by Harrtusk, now ruling Obould's old Kingdom of Many Arrows, are besieging the far north, trying to bring down the Many Dwarf Halls and the independent cities in the area with the hopes of building a Drow Kingdom under the Darkening, which permanently blots out the sun and the stars from shining. But in addition to the forces of the Dwarves, the forces of the Drow are rent from within by infighting and tensions between clans. Plus, Tos'un Armgo and Tiago Do'Urden don't always agree, with Tiago fighting boredom in his new lands and Tos'un ready to use his half Drow daughter, Doum'wielle to his own advantage. Only the threat of Quenthel Baenrae keeps them in line, as do the efforts of Gromph Baenrae, the Mage and Head of the Sorcere. Meanwhile, Regis and Wulfgar have been separated from their friends and must survive in the Underdark tunnels beneath the North, which they manage to do quite handily. But when Jarlaxle intervenes, accompanied by his lover, the two Copper Dragon Sisters, the tide really begins to turn. But who is really on the side of the Dwarves and who is merely opposing Matron Mother Quenthel and her forces? And can the Dwarves work with the humans and Sinnafein and her elves, along with the folk of Silverymoon to free the north of the Drow? This book was... okay at best. I have noticed that I don't really get as excited about Drizzt and his companions as I used to. Part of that is that Salvatore and the publisher seem to be all too willing to give into Drizzt's many fanboys and keep writing about him, when I think he should have been left to pass into obscurity once more. With so many Drizzt books about, sooner or later, I would hope that R.A. Salvatore ran out of enthusiasm for writing about the Drow and picked up some new characters. I am very upset that, say, Cadderly was killed off (and his lady-love Danica). I wanted to read more of those characters, but they just weren't as popular as Drizzt. And I think this series and these characters are jumping the shark at this point. Yes, the battles are still massive and thrilling, but all the joy seems to be gone, and I'd like to only read the next book when R.A. Salvatore has found that joy in writing again. So, still recommended, but only slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Rushed to the Altar by Jane Feather- Jasper Sullivan, Earl of Blackwater, is not a wealthy man. So when his uncle proposes to leave his fortune to Jasper and his brothers, with one stipulation: each one must marry a former prostitute who they saved from her profession. Jasper encounters Clarissa Astley the daughter of a prosperous merchant, when she is living in a brothel and searching desperately for her younger brother, just a child, who has been taken away from their home by her guardian, who wants to eliminate the heir, her brother, and then force her into marriage so that he can take their parents fortune. But on her own, she is unable to find him, and reluctantly, she needs Jasper's help. In return, she agrees to marry him to spite his already spiteful uncle and give him enough money to live on. But when the hand of her Guardian reaches out to snatch her away, Clairssa will have to escape the man she fears the most, and find a life with Jasper, who she is in love with, in the bargain. But can they outwit their foes and triumph before Clarissa is dragged away to a lunatic asylum and his uncle disinherits him? I liked this book. I'd read another book in the series, and all three brothers seem to be getting around their uncle by marrying women who aren't actually courtesans, they just looked like they were. But I liked all the characters, the romance was wonderful and the ending was actually rather appropriate for the villain. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">New Spring by Robert Jordan- This is a prequel to the Wheel of Time stories. It starts in the White Tower, as Moiraine Damodred witnesses a foretelling from one of the Tower's Seers. Afterwards, the seer falls dead at Moiraine's feet and precipitates the search for the newly born Dragon Reborn. Moiraine and her best friend Siuan Sanche, join the search for the mother of the Dragon Reborn, looking for women who gave birth in the sight of Dragonmount, which covers a lot of ground. Siuan and Moiraine are sent to one of the army camps to record the borths, with women lining up to do so because the Amyrlin seat offers a reward to any woman who has given birth to a child in the time allotted for the birth. But soon, the test to become a Aes Sedai is given to both of them and both pass, becoming sisters of the Blue Aja. Siuan is taken into the spy service, Moiraine is chocen to learn more magic. But soon she becomes convinced that she knows who the mother of the new Dragon reborn is... or might be, and takes off on her own to investigate. Along the way, she meets an outlander named Lan Mandragoran., he Uncrowned King of a country swallowed by the Blight. As he and his companions are drawn into the conflict between Darkfriends, Black Aja and all too human enemies, Moiraine, Siuan and Lan will have to work together to defeat the dark and find the Dragon Reborn. But how long will it take her to find them, and can she meet the Black Aja and Darkfriends she meets along the way? I actually rather enjoyed this book. It takes place twenty years before the series and ends a few months later, but we get to see the forces being marshaled to look for the Dragon Reborn, who has just been born. Sadly, Moiraine doesn't find Rand until 20 years later, but we get to see her encountering Lan for the first time and how they bonded (and how she bonded him. This book sets up the rest of the series, and like the first books in the series, things actually happen fairly swiftly. This makes it a fast read and it's also surprisingly good. I really enjoyed it all the way through, even if Moiraine *doesn't* find the child she is searching for. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Loving Daylights by Lynsay Sands- Jane Spyrus is a tech geek who designs gadgets for spies. Disturbingly, though, all of the gadgets she designs seem to revolve around sex. A Mini -Missile designed to resemble a bright pink vibrator, Tampons that act as locator beacons, and a condom that reacts to male excitement by shrinking to a fraction of its former size. But when her next door neighbor is kidnapped by her boss, Jane must team up with her grandmother, a feisty ex-spy now confined to a wheelchair and her neighbor's hot brother, Abel Andretti, to find Jane's friend. Luckily, she borrowed a few of Jane's "tampons". But in the process, Jane is called upon to actually *be* a spy, something she isn't quite prepared for. And when Abel, an accountant, and she start getting closer than she's ever been with a man, Jane finds herself pulled in two directions. But can she rescue her friend *and* land a man who is constantly impressed with her mind and ideas, and seems to think she is sexy as well? This book was a mix of laughs and hotness. Jane is clumsy, lacks confidence and is better with technology than people. But when Edie goes missing, Jane will do anything to find her, even become a spy and not just a tech. As she bumbles through the case, she gains skills with people, dressing sexy and builds confidence. And Abel, after a less than successful first meeting, finds himself enjoying both sides of her. I liked their chemistry and how they treated each other, and I would definitely recommend this book to someone looking for a fun, comedic modern romance. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sinful in Satin by Madelaine Hunter- Celia Pennifold's mother was a courtesan, a very rich and famous one. Her mother attempted to sell Celia into the same sort of life, Celia ran away to the country and found a different sort of life working with other women in a gardening business. Now that her mother is passed on, Celia has returned to London to take up residence in one of her mother's houses, the other being sold to pay off her many debts. Unbeknownst to her, though, Jonathan Albrighton, a spy, rented the house from Celia's mother, and is interested in finding her mother's account book, which will shed light on certain diplomatic spying that went on long before. Celia also wants to find it, to find out who her father really is, and why her mother never told her, as she took the secret of the reality of Celia's parentage to the grave with her. But as Celia tries to make a new, quieter,more sedate life for herself, phantoms of the past are knocking at her door, from the man she once loved to the man she is coming to care for deeply. But one cannot go digging into a hidden past without turning up hurtful secrets and when Celia uncovers the truth of who her father is, it may open up a world of new secrets, and the truth about her mother in equal measures. But can she live with the truth of her parentage and the shame of having been born the daughter of a courtesan? And can she find love when a man wants her for nothing more than her body and maidenhead? I liked this book as well. Celia is someone who has lived with the truth of who she is for a long time, and she thinks she has very little illusions about how the world works. But she still does have some, and it up to Jonathan to help her with finding her true father. Jonathan is a spy, trained not to have emotions, but when he starts getting close to Celia, all that changes, and he has to face that he has been lied to as well. I found this story engrossing, for pretty much all of it. And would definitely recommend it to others.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt- Temperance Dews is a widow working for her family's Foundling Home, along with her brother, Winter and a servant named Polly. The home is on the edge of St. Giles, a poor, crime-ridden area of London. One night, en route to retrieve a child who has been abandoned, she is followed home by Lazarus Huntingdon, Lord Caire, a man well-known for his passions, and the twisted ways in which he fulfills them. Caire is in St. Giles to track down the Ghost of St. Giles, reputed to have murdered Caire's mistress by gutting her. But he is unfamiliar with the area, and Mrs. Dews is very familiar, So he asks for her help, offering first money, and then a sexual relationship with him. But Temperance is further-seeing than that, and holds out for an introduction to the Ton, so she can get her Orphanage and Foundling Home a patron who will support them with money donations. A deal is struck, but as they start and continue the search, they discover an inconvenient longing for each other, and they must help each other face the demons in their past before they have any hope of being free of their baggage. But is love too much to expect for these wounded hearts? I loved this book. I'll admit it took a while to warm up to both characters, but you don't get the sense of how injured they are until near the middle of the book. Eventually, they do end up confronting their past demons, and I loved the true identity of the villain. This is the first book in a series about St. Giles, and several characters are teased as sequel bait, but not in a way I particularly minded. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt- Godric St. John is the Ghost of St. Giles, but when the woman he married comes to London to invade his run-down home, he wants her to go away as quickly as possible. He doesn't want to give up being the Ghost or the memories of his first wife, who died early, and the woman he married, Lady Margaret, "Megs" Reading, he has promised to be a husband to in name only. But Megs wants two things from her trip to London, to kill the Ghost of St. Giles, who murdered the man she loved, and to beget a child of her own after she lost the child of her lover. Godric married het to save her reputation, and because her brother forced him into it. But now that Meg is living in his house, doing her best to bring his home back to life, he finds his heart coming alive as well, and when she discovers his secret, he has no choice but to take her along on his search for the murderer of her love, both to prove his own innocence, and to keep her from harm. But can they have a true marriage of equals and find the love they have been denying? And will Godric agree to give up being the Ghost for Megs? Another really excellent book, the fifth in the "Maiden Lane" series. of which this is book 5. I liked seeing Godric and Megs strike sparks off each other, and finally come to admit that they loved and cared for one another. I see that in the time between "Wicked Intentions", several characters have been paired up, and Godric was one of the characters from the first book that it was good to see again. Several years have passed, but the character is a little grimmer and darker than he used to be, sort of Regency Batman. Nonetheless, I enjoyed every minute of the book. Both characters hurt each other and get over their past ties to form a new one with each other, and it held my attention every step of the way. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Redshirts by John Scalzi- Andrew Dahl is an Ensign newly assigned to the Universal Union Flagship Intrepid. Older than the usual Ensigns, he is a refugee from Forshan. But Human, not alien. He was a seminary student of the Forshan religion until a religious Schism wiped out the abbey he had made his home. With nowhere left to go, he joined the Union Academy and was assigned to the Intrepid. But soon after he arrives on board, he discovers a curious fact. Whenever someone is looking for Ensigns for away missions, everyone seems to disappear. In asking his crewmates, he discovers that this ship has an abnormally high casualty rate. While the Captain and Science Officer are never affected, new recruits to the ship seem to die like mayflies every time they beam down to a new planet. It's so much more than other ships in the same fleet, even ones tasked to dangerous missions in the Union, that the lower crew members have been avoiding going on away missions. But what could lead to such an increased threat of death? There are crew members, mostly the Captain and the Bridge Crew, who never seem to be affected, except for the Astrogator, who is regularly menaced, but always saved at the last minute. But when a theory of what s happening is proposed by a crewmember who seems to have literally disappeared, can Dahl and his friends on the lower decks discover if the theory is true and work to ameliorate what is happening before they die as well? The books ends in three novelettes that examine characters in the past and their reaction to meeting the crewmen from the future, and how they deal with that. This is an amusing, yet also horrifying book. There are plenty of nods to Star Trek, but the true culprit is a rip-off cable show. And the landing parties usually consist of Captain, Science Officer, and Ensign Expendable, sometimes more than one. What it would be like to live on board a ship where to attract the notice of the senior crew is basically, to die, was unexpectedly chilling, making this an effective mix of humor and horror. It sounds like it might be funny, but to the characters caught in the trap, it's no joke, and I enjoyed it very much. It reminded me of the Stargate SG-1 episode where we see a TV series based on the Stargate SG-1 team, and while that is played straight rather than for laughs, this book is going to stay with me for a long time. A very long time. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett- When Polly Perks' brother Paul marched off to war a few years ago, the troops were promised that the war would be short and victorious. But when her father falls ill (and the local god, Nuggan, has declared a woman owning a business is an abomination, she decides to cut her hair, run off to join the army and follow him to bring him back home. But Polly's nation, Borogravia, is badly outmatched by the forces of Zlobenia,. and even worse, Zlobenia is allied with Ankh-Morporkh, who has sent Duke Commander Vimes to oversee the War. But as Polly joins Sergeant Jackrum and the rest of her newly-recruited squad of In and Outs, she begins to realize that being a man is harder than she thought, and that most of the "men" in her group aren't even men at all. But can this Monstrous Regiment of Women, dressed like men, end the war with Borogravia and Ankh-Morpork and bring peace to the land? And can they survive the march to the front and bring down the fort where the forces of Zlobenia are holed up, free High Command and get out again safely? For Nuggan has declared women dressing like men to be an abomination, along with the color blue, oysters and rocks) and just being in their position means that they, too are an abomination. Can they still win the day? Terry Pratchett is known for his humor, and writing comedy, but this book edged much closer to satire that out and out comedy. In his novel, "The Truth", Terry took on the press. But here, it's the military mindset- mostly of the commanders and planners rather than the soldiers left to carry out their orders. Vimes is not the only character from previous books to show up here. Buggy Swires, Sergeant Angua, William deWorde and Otto Chriek, among others. Plus, there is a vampire and an Igor, and numerous other typical characters, and a troll as well. I loved this book, and I would definitely recommend it for a good dose of humor. Highly recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-60437184387676092782015-05-23T14:37:00.001-04:002015-05-27T15:02:03.343-04:002015, Part 3<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Rules for a Proper Governess by Jennifer Ashley- Roberta "Bertie" Frasier is the daughter of a cheat who makes her living as a "Touch" or pickpocket. When she picks the pocket of Sinclair McBride, a Scottish Barrister, on the orders of her brother, she has already been intrigued by his getting off a lady's maid who Bertie counted as a friend. But when he catches her after she picks his pocket, he is set upon by bullyboys or street toughs, and Bertie ends up saving his life. He lets her go in thanks for the saving him, but when she encounters his son and daughter later in the street, they have climbed the scaffolding of a building and their lives are in danger. Bertie risks her own life to get them down and bring them home safely. When their current governess quits, McBride sees how his children listen to Bertie, and hires her to be their governess, since all the other ones he's hired have failed to get them to listen or to inspire their respect. But as Berie serves longer in McBride's household, his feeling towards her are growing increasingly muddled, and he wonders if he can lose his heart to a London pickpocket. But how can he not, when Bertie is not only loveable, but strong, smart and brave? And as for Bertie, how can she not fall in love with McBride, who is all those things himself? I loved this book. The hero and heroine were such strong characters, but willing to work with and respect each others skills and talents. I loved their slow development of feelings for each other and the children, who weren't just plot moppets, but actually contributed to the story themselves. They were little handfuls, but intrigued by Bertie in a good way. I loved every bit of this book, and the characters. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sentinel Wars: Binding Ties by Shannon K. Butcher- Lyka Phelan is a slayer, but she also hides a secret which could mean the end of her if it were to be found out. Joseph is a Theronal, a leader of his people. But time is running out for him to find his lifemate, as the number of leaves on the birthmark tree on his chest are falling, and even though he is frustrated by being leader, he knows he is best suited for the job, so he sticks with it instead of going out and fighting with the rest of his people. But when Lyka's home compound is invaded and destroyed by the Synestryn, her brother and a group of Slayer children are captured by the Synestryn, and Lyka wants to join in the hunt. But Lyka is the sister of the leader of the slayers and so her life shouldn't be put at risk, lest her death lead to the unraveling of the contract between the two races. But when Joseph denies her the chance to search for the missing with the others, , Lyka pulls out her trump card: She, too, is Theronal, one of the few Theronal women left, and in exchange for Bonding with Joseph, he must let het go to search for her brother with him and his team. But, as Eric is forced to mate with the Synestryn leader to satisfy her need for a Slayer/Synestryn crossbreed child, he must also try to save the young children who have been captured along with him. But can he keep his revulsion for the Synestryn leader in check long enough to keep the children safe? And after all this is over, what will happen to Joseph and Lyka? and do they have a happy ending when Joseph is nearly killed in battle with the Synestryn? This book had a cover like a sword and sorcery novel, but it read more like a romance. It's actually somewhere in between. with a romance set in a fantasy universe. I don't think I've read this particular universe before, but it was interesting. I just did feel like I'd missed a lot of backstory that would have made this story better. Recommended. But remember this story is not the first in the series, and you may have little idea of what is going on because of it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">If the Vicount Falls by Sabrina Jeffries- When Jane Vernon was young, she was in love with Dominick Manton, second son of the Duke of Rathmoore. But when his elder brother inherited, Dom soon found himself disinherited by his brother in payment for not calling the police on their half-brother. Left penniless, Dom was forced to find work as a private detective, but regardless, she still wanted to marry him. To protect her fortune, Dom staged a scene that made her break off the engagement. Now, years later, his brother is dead and his sister in-law, Jane's cousin, Nancy, is missing. Jane wants to investigate, but Dom wants nothing to do with it. However, with Jane determined to do right by Nancy. he is reluctantly drawn in to helping Jane find her cousin, and discovers that while he and Jane may have broken off their engagement, the feelings for each other have never really gone away- on either side. As Dom discovers he still loves Jane more than anything, and she discovers that she still has strong feelings for him, they must work together to find Nancy and restore her to the bosom of her family. For Nancy is pregnant with the heir to the Duke of Rathmoore, and it is up to Dom and Jane to try to save her and her unborn child, if possible. But can they do that when their passion for each other is flaring brightly? This was another great book with two strong characters. It starts rather slowly, with Dom refusing to confront his desire for Jane or any feelings he once had for her, and Jane still being angry at him. Over the course of the story, they are forced to confront their feelings for each other, and I loved how they finally came together in the end. I loved every interaction between the two, and definitely recommend this wonderful book.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Accidental Countess by Valerie Bowman- Lady Cassandra Monroe has long waited for Julian Swift to return from the continent. But he isn't her betrothed, he is her cousin's fiancé instead. But when her cousin confesses to being unsure about her betrothal to Julian, Cassandra is forced into pretending to be Patience Bunbury, a made-up friend of her cousin who her cousin uses to get out of obligations which she cannot outright refuse. But when Cassandra is forced to pretend to be Patience at a false house party, she is disconcerted to find that Julian appears to have taken an interest in Patience in a romantic fashion, which disconcerts her greatly. But as her dreams of romance with Julian come true, how can Cassandra revel to the man she loves that she is not the woman she is pretending to be, but the friend from their childhood? And when the deception is finally revealed, can Julian trust the woman who he thought he loved but who fooled him so completely? Can he listen to his heart without being led astray by the anger in his mind? Can there be a happy ending for these two accidental lovers? Another really great book that I loved in aftermath more than when I was reading it. I liked the ending, but the reading of it was actually pretty painful for me. I hate when characters actively lie to each other, and this book had tons of that, so it wasn't my favorite when I was reading the parts where Cassandra was lying to Julian. But when they finally came together, that part I loved. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Avenger's Angel by Heather Killough-Walden- Uriel and his fellow Archangels came to earth millennia ago to search for their promised brides, the Archesses. But despite living on Earth in human form, they have been unable to find any sign of their promised brides and are losing hope. They only have God's word that these brides even exist. Also banished to earth is the Angel Samael, who also lives as a human and owns the world's largest media company, the better to search for the archesses. But Samael, who was banished from Heaven for rebelling against God, wants to steal an archess for himself. Eleanor Granger has grown up knowing she was different her whole life. With her ability to heal and control fire, she has lived life on the run from anyone who wants to study and control her. But when she meets Uriel in the guise of Hearthrob movie star Christopher Daniels, he knows she is meant to be his- now he just must convince Ellie of it. But when Samael steps in, Uriel goes from human to vampire, like the one he played as Christopher Daniels. Can he control his new condition long enough not to harm Ellie and convince her that they are meant to be one? And will his brother angels find their own archesses? More to the point, who are these people out after Ellie and what do they know about Ellie, Angels and the Archesses? And why are they trying to kill Uriel and mate Ellie? This was an interesting book, but I wasn't wholly into it. I got that Uriel was supposed to be like Robert Pattinson, but I just found myself unable to get into the whole book until near the end, but even so, I was left kind of unimpressed with the ending. While Ellie seems like a real person, Uriel didn't turn me off, but neither did he really appeal to me. Neither recommended nor not. This was a "Meh" for me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare- Clio Whitmore has been engaged to the same man, Piers Brandon, the Marquess of Granville, a diplomat who works for the highest levels of the British Government. But though she loved Piers at the start of her engagement, or thought she did, eight years of waiting, of not being a bride, have taken their toll on her spirit, and now that she has inherited a castle, she wishes to dissolve their engagement and live by herself. But Rafe Brandon, Piers' brother, will not sign the papers allowing her to escape the engagement. He is determined to save his brother's engagement, even if it kills him- or he must plan the wedding himself! But when she begins to share the castle with Clio, he finds himself slowly falling for her, and giving her all the things his own brother hasn't, such as strength, being there and the confirmation that she is beautiful and worthy of love. Slowly, Rafe starts wanting her for himself, and not for Piers. But when another of his brother's possessions, an old dog that Rafe has been caring for, dies, can Rafe finally admit to Clio what he really wants- and admit it to himself at the same time? I loved this book. Although sometimes uncomfortable to read in spots, it was, in others, a laugh and a lark. When Rafe finally admits to himself that he can stop being the rebel everyone expects him to be, be can finally reach for his own happiness. And as for Clio, she has to learn to believe in Rafe and his feeling for her before she can accept him as her own. Glorious, and I loved the ending. Recommended</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy byJulia Quinn- Richard Kenworthy needs a bride, and when he stumbles across Iris Smythe-Smith, the only one at the musicale put on by her family who can actually play an instrument, he thinks he has found the perfect bride, one with an income and one also who is overlooked. Iris, for her part, is surprised when Richard pays her attention, as she has always disappeared into the background of her family. But she comes to accept him, and when he asks her to marry him, she asks for more time, but he presses the issue by deep kissing her where her mother is able to see, and she is forced to marry him right away, even though she probably would have said yes eventually anyway. But Richard will not touch her on their voyage north to his home, and although he does exhibit romantic feelings towards her, he refuses to make love to her, and she doesn't know why. Until his two sisters return home almost two weeks after they have married, and Iris discovers why Richard needed a bride so badly and what he intends to do. But while Iris finds herself feeling betrayed by Richard's actions, she still loves him, and as she attempts to make a reconciliation, Richard, feeling stung, retaliates. Can they find a way to resume their loving relationship, or is their relationship doomed forever to be cold and loveless? For most of this book, I actually liked it, however, what Richard does and how he lied to Iris made me enraged on her behalf and I didn't think he did enough to make amends before the book and story ended. This ruined the book for me, and I would not recommend this book to anyone because of the possibly rage-inducing ending. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick- Ursula Kern is the owner of The Kern Secretarial Agency and once of its finest secretaries, Anne Clifton, dies under mysterious circumstances, Ursula decides to look into it herself. However, to do so, she must stop working for Slater Roxton, an explorer, as his own secretary while she goes to work for Valerie, Lady Fulbrook, Anne's employer. Lady Fulbrook is a poet who publishes most of her work in an obscure American Literary Journal, and her husband is in charge of various businesses, but when she leaves the house for the first time, Slater is waiting for her and tells her someone is watching her. He is determined to help her if he cannot dissuade her from her plan. But Lord Fulbrook appears to be up to his eyebrows in a scheme involving a drug known only as ambrosia, which once made men have pleasant dreams and visions, but is now more likely to drive them mad and/or murderous. But what happened to Anne and why exactly was she killed? Can Slater and Ursula find out before whoever killed Anne kills them as well?</span><span style="color: #33ccff;"> Because Anne, too, appears to have been involved with the making of Ambrosia, and now Ursula can no longer avoid the implication that Anne was doing something possibly illegal; But can she and Slater, who are discovering that they have feelings for each other, must unravel the mystery and find the true culprit before he or she disappears. I really liked this book. It didn't have the psychic powers, but the Ambrosia reminded me a little of the formula from the Arcane books, though the ambrosia is far less dangerous (while actually being more dangerous for seeming essentially harmless). But I liked the chemistry between Ursula and Slater and the elements of the mystery, and also the revelation of who the actual villain was. I also loved many of the side characters, like Slater's mother. The book was an extremely enjoyable read, albeit less steamy than some of Amanda Quick's other books. Still recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Behold A Pale Horse by Peter Tremayne- Sister Fidelma is a Dalaigh, or a lawyer of ancient Ireland's Celtic peoples. She is also a religeuse, and she has recently come from Rome, where she helped solve a mystery for the Pope. She is in Genua when she says an old religious man who is attacked, but she comes to his rescue and when he learns that she is from Ireland, he tells her that the monastery he hails from has a monk there who hails from Ireland and who was recently attacked, and his life is despaired of. Fidelma,, who was a student of the monk, brother Ruadan, travels to the monastery to see him and bring him word to his people. But little does she know that the monastery is on disputed ground, and two different provinces are going to war over it. But when someone kills Brother Ruadan and rumors of lost treasure abound, Fidelma must discover the truth of what is going on and uncover the traitors who are hiding among the monastery's monks. She works with another monk there, Brother Eolann, also a child of Ireland, to ferret out the traitors in amongst the monks of the monastery. But can she restore a rightful lord to his throne and solve the several murders which preceded the crisis. But can she do it on her own without the help of Brother Eadulf? This book was a throwback to earlier in the series, before Eadulf and Fidelma married and became parents. I missed the presence of Eadulf in this book, because he appears in neither this book nor the one set in Rome. I've gotten so used to him being Fidelma's aide, that it was kid of strange to read a story without him. But this was an interesting story about murders in a monastery, heresy and battling lords, not to mention a missing treasure that may or may not have been found. I really enjoyed this book and the mystery, and Fidelma's interactions with the people around her. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Seventh Trumpet by Peter Tremayne- Sister Fidelma has left the religious and become once more simply a Dalaigh Brehon or advocate in the Brehon law courts at the level of Anruth, or one level lower than the highest level, Ollamh. Fidelma was recently turned down to become the Brehon Judge for her brother's court of Muman, and she is still smarting over it. So when a young man's body is found facedown in the river by a farmer, Fidelma asks to be allowed to investigate. Also, the man wore a brooch showing he was from neighboring kingdom. He had been stabbed in the back, but who could have committed this outrage? Fidelma, Eadulf and Enda, a warrior of the Nasc Niadh, or King's Elite unit, are tasked with discovering the murderer and bringing him or her to justice. As it turns out, the murder may have more to do with rebellion and revenge than anything else, and with Fidelma's brother Colgu having finally found a possible bride, this is the prefect time to rebel against him if they want to seize the throne. But who could be behind the plot, and why have they turned an otherwise innocent monastery into an armed castle? Can Fidelma stop the plot against her brother without further bloodshed or will more deaths come about before it is ended? Another excellent book in the Fidelma series (can't really call it the "Sister Fidelma" series when she's no longer in religious orders). Here Fidelma is just a Princess and Brehon, but she is still remarkably effective as an investigator and detective. Sometimes she misses things, but Eadulf is there to pick up any slack she might leave, and sometimes his "outsider" status allows him to pick up a nuance or clue that Fidelma and Enda might miss. This was an intriguing story, involving Colgu finally possibly getting married. Fidelma thinks the girl he is interested in is a vapid airhead (not in those words, of course), but she turns out to have more depths than anyone suspected. In any case, an excellent novel and mystery. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Atonement of Blood by Peter Tremayne- After traveling many of the areas of Ireland seeking evildoers for Cashel and Colgu, its King and Fidelma's brother, Fidelma and Eadulf are finally home to stay for a while. But on a winter feast day, during a feast, a religious comes into the room and stabs Colgu while calling out a woman's name, Liamuin. He also kills Aedo, the chief Brehon of Muman who shields the king with his body and takes a blow meant for him.. The guards cut down the intruder, but Fidelma and Eadulf are left with the question of who perpetrated this horrible deed. and who Lamuin was. They backtrack the man who stabbed Colgu and left him gravely injured, but when he recovers his wits, he has no idea who Lamuin is or why the man seems to have thought that Colgu might have known her. But it turns out that the man was from the lands of the Ui Fidgente, who have been foes of Muman in the past. But was this aborted assassination another attempt at war by the Ui Fidgente, or was it simply the actions of a deranged man who was in love with a woman long dead? And can Fidelma find the true person behind the conspiracy to kill her brother, and who was Liamuin, and why was someone willing to kill in her name? This book was another excellent mystery, involving twisted love and hatred many years old. So many twisted threads come together in this book, but the outcomes here are positive ones, with hatred being overcome and peace re-established at the end. I loved ho Fidelma was off her game here, being distraught over the serious wounding of her brother and the possibility that he might die. It made her act differently, but she loses much of her "stiff upper lip" because of her worry. It was good to see her be human and somewhat emotional. I mean, it is her beloved brother we are speaking of. But I liked how she even managed to impress the Ui Fidgente with her deductive abilities. She was not only able to find the killers, but she helped recover a Ui Fidgente relic and give them some measure of peace and payback for atrocities committed by both sides. A really compelling mystery and book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Dark Side of the Road by Simon R. Green- Ishmael Jones is a very strange young man who works for "The Colonel", his boss in a mysterious agency which investigates things that man was not meant to know. Ishmael is invited to the Colonel's family holiday gathering, and when he arrives the house is cut off from the world by a howling blizzard. However, the Colonel is dead and no one at the house is what they seem to be- not even Ishmael. As he investigates the death of his boss and the influence of the Colonel's family, it becomes obvious that something has infiltrated the family estate- any only Ishmael is qualified to deal with this thing that is slowly killing everyone off. But how many more will die before he unmasks the creature and deals with it? I liked this book, which reminded me a lot of the first Nightside novel, and, in fact, doesn't seem to be connected to either his Shaman Bond/Eddie Drood character or any of the Nightside novels. And while he fights horrors, Ishmael is a different sort of creature, of man, entirely. I was intrigued by his story and of his past, but I have a feeling this will end up much like Simon Green's last two series. If you enjoyed them, as I did, this series will scratch that itch inside you for more. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Tracker by C. J. Cherryh- After the recent trouble with the rebellion in the assassin's guild, things are finally returning to normal, and the Assassin's guild is re-forming, with an eye towards looking after their own affairs. Jase is going to be going home along with Cajeiri's ship-friends. But just when Bren can possibly think about relaxing for once, a rebellion aboard the space station, as well as the return of the kyo from deep space mean Bren, the aiji-dowager and Cajeiri must return to the space station to deal with the diplomatic greeting of the kyo. However, a human named Braddock has seized control of the children who have come back from the planet and is trying to agitate for another space station for the people from Reunion. As well as there are supposed to be equal numbers of humans and atevi on the station and with the arrival of the Reunion refugees, the station is strained by the sheet number of people it is being asked to support. And the Mosphei commander of the station has fallen in with Braddock and is refusing orders from Mospheira. It's up to Bren to settle matters for the arrival of the kyo and set the human and atevi come to an agreement over what happens on the station. But can he accomplish all this *and* find Cajeiri's friends, who have been seized in a hostage attempt? I love this series. Atevi are not at all like humans, even if they look like them in large part, and the humans are more fractious amongst themselves than the atevi are. I love Bren and Jago and Cajeiri and the Dowager and all the other characters in this series so very much. The aliens are convincingly inhuman and the humans come off badly by comparison. I love that Bren seems to be the perfect bridge between cultures, what all people in his position should be, but which only Bren has become. Amazingly well-done and highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Henni by Miss Lasko-Gross- Henni is a cat-like humanoid living in a village with her father, mother and sister. When she is young, her father is denounced to the village priests by her mother, who is a fanatical follower of the local religion, and her father is killed. Before this, her father had confessed to Henni that he was unhappy in his marriage and didn't really lover her mother. Later, Henni delivers a meat pie to the priests for her mother and discovers that her mother has sent a bribe to the priests to marry her well. Disillusioned, Henni retreats to the edge of the village to think, and in a burst of rebellion, crosses the lines that you are not supposed to cross or you will lose your soul. When she feels no different, she returns after crossing all three lines, but her sister rejects her, and she meets a man who brands her with his ring and tells her to run off. She is found by another set of people, who are like Henni but they wear clothes. Assigned to an old man who is supposed to teach her the rules of their culture, Henni tricks one of the guards when she hears that a piece of art has been left outside the village, she goes to see it, running afoul of the religious laws and is sentenced to death. But she manages to talk her way into merely being banished, and discovers the artist who left the art- the blind son of a court painter who fell out of favor when secular art was abolished, and who died a bitter man. His son was an artist who refused to knuckle under and was blinded, his eyes torn out. Still, he opens Henni's eyes to how one can pretend to follow the law while subverting the spirit of it, and Henni discovers that the artist has a book that once belonged to her father, which means that he must be alive somewhere... But does Henni have the courage and strength of will to try and find him on her own? I loved this graphic novel, which is all about being yourself and following your convictions.. It does get a trifle heavy-handed at times, but it shows how certain societies control people (or try to control people) for their own benefit. It's not a comfortable read, but I think it's a wonderful book and story. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes- The Complete Collection by Jeff Johns, Book 1- The Avengers are coming down off saving the world when cities across the world begin disappearing, and the Wasp and Yellowjacket are caught in Washington DC when it disappears. It, along with the other cities, reappear in some strange dimension, somehow conjoined with each other into one huge, super-massive conglomeration. But it isn't peaceful. Meanwhile, Wanda the Scarlet Witch, ends up being possessed by some strange entity and attacks Warbird and She-Hulk. Meanwhile, Henry Gyricj is assigned as liaison to the Avengers and the rest of them must decide if they can deal with him. Also, an entity named Scorpio, the Holder of the Zodiac, attacks, and Ant-Man asks a question apparently no one has ever asked before. If Zodiac is a key, what does it unlock? Meanwhile, the cause of the strife turns out to be the forces of order and chaos, normally one bing, but now separated. Can the Avengers bring them back together to reconstitute the original being. The rest of the comic reprints the Vision: Icons book, where we see the origins of the vision and see him reclaim his memories and emotions from the "Brother" who stole them from him. He reconnects with his long-dead creator through his granddaughter and a young boy whose father is in the military while defeating his erstwhile brother. I liked this book a lot, and the stories within. The Vision story was wonderful and I can't wait to see how the end impacts the main storyline of the comic. The one of the war between order and chaos was also good, and I liked all the side stories that were incorporated. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sculptor by Scott McCloud- David is a sculptor who once had it all, wealth, money and fame, and threw it away when he gave an interview about his art. Now struggling after his earlier success, David finds himself drinking in a bar when he is approached by his Uncle Harry. But his uncle is dead. It's actually Death himself. He asks David what he'd give for his art, and David tells him "anything". So Death makes a deal with David. David, if he accepts the deal, will live 200 days but in that time, he can sculpt anything he sees in his head with his bare hands. But in those 200 days, David, while making a lot of art, meets a girl, Meg, an actress, and falls in love with her. He finds his inspiration, loses it, and finds it again. But as he explores his art and his artistic vision, he struggles to come up with something... something big, that he can leave the city, and people, after he's gone. Through love and life, David finally finds the inspiration, but can he finish it before his deadline with Death? I'm a writer. I make my living with words, but I have none to describe this beautiful story and how it left me feeling when I finished it. I am quite literally, speechless. Read it. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Jason by Laurell K. Hamilton- Jason Schuyler is one of Anita's sometimes lovers, but she tends not to call on him even though he's into some pain the bedroom, he also is in love with a dancer, J.J., and she just doesn't "get" why he'd be into such a thing. Jason asks Anita to try and help him explain, and she sets up a bed session to show J.J, *why* they like it. But J.J. Turns out also try and help Anita with her first female lover, Jade, a black tiger. Jade's former master really did a number on her and it is making Anita unhappy when she tries to make Jade happy in bed. But is there something Anita can do to help, and can J.J. help her find what that "something" is? This isn't a big story. it's small and intimate, and happens mainly in bed and all involves relationship stuff. Some people might not think that this is a good reason to write a book, but it's a small, self-contained story, more of a novelette or novella than novel. And a lot of space is taken up with part of the author's next Anita Blake book. I enjoyed it, but this sort of story isn't for everyone. If you don't mind pretty much a side story about Anita, you'll enjoy it. Otherwise, give it a miss.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Somewhere I'll Find You by Lisa Kleypas- When Damon Savage was a mere seven years old, he was married to the daughter of a man who gave his father a loan to pay his gambling debts. The girl was barely out of diapers and Damon never agreed to the marriage, and now that he's older, he wants an annulment. But he can't find the woman he was married to, Julia Wentworth. Her family refuses to tell him where she is, and none of his hired detectives have had the least luck. While Damon has a lover in the pretty widow named Pauline, Lady Ashton, he isn't sure he wants to marry her, but he does want to be free to make his own choice. Until he meets the actress, Julia Wentworth, and wants her for his mistress. But unbeknownst to Damon, Julia Wentworth is his wife, and she knows who he is. When he finally finds out she is the woman he's been looking for, and that she is also the woman he wants, will he still want to marry her and let her go? As for Julia, who has found fulfillment in her role of an actress and in the theatre herself, will she agree to give it up to become wife and lover to Damon? Can she have both or is it all one way or another? I started out thinking this book was going to be good, but the way Damon acted once he discovered that Julia was his wife just turned me right off. He's stalker-y and overbearing in a way that harkens back to the sort of Alpha Assholishness of an earlier breed of romance novel. I get that Julia fell in love with him, but I wondered why. He only seemed to be nice when he was getting his own way. In fact, I found a lot of the men in this story rather reprehensible in behavior. Normally, I like Lisa Kleypas. I didn't like this book, or Damon.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh- Miles Ripley, the Earl of Severn is being pushed towards an engagement by his mother and sisters, who have the perfect wife for him, or so they think, a beautiful blonde named Frances Galloway. But Miles fears being married to an empty-headed woman who thinks of little but herself. What Miles says he wants is a wife dull and plain as dishwater, someone who can be a true companion to him. So when he meets Abigail Gardiner, a distant member of the family, who has been dismissed unfairly from her job as a governess, and only asks him for a letter of recommendation from him, he offers her a job in his own house, as his wife. Abigail is startled, to say the least, but eventually accepts and marries Miles within a few days. He does tell her that he wants to be married and why, but doesn't tell her about his "requirements" for a wife. Abby may not be dull as dishwater, but he soon finds himself in love with an entranced by his new wife, and wants to ensure that she is happy. But when people learn of his requirements, who are already gossiping about how plain Abby is, and she learns what Miles said, can she live with the hurt she feels? And when the Galloways and their daughter Frances start making trouble for Abby, is there anything Miles can do? And can he allay her hurt feelings over his words in a way she will accept? I loved this book, which was gentle and lighthearted. In fact, I think it was my favorite book written by Mary Balogh that I have read so far. I loved Abby and Miles and the whole family of each. Abby loved and looked out for everyone in a way I found noble and admirable. I enjoyed the story so much that I never wanted it to end, which is high praise for a book like this. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Love Him or Leave Him: But Don't Get Stuck With the Tab by Loni Love- Loni Love is an African-American comedian with lots of sass, but she also seems to have her head on straight when it comes to men, so people are usually asking her for advice about their man problems. Since so many people asked her and seemed to like the advice she gave them, Loni wrote this book to help every woman. And her prime rule is to love yourself first, and don't accept being second in anything to the man you are with. Knowing your own worth as a woman and loving yourself is being confident enough to also put yourself first, because then, no man can take advantage of you or use you. But she hasn't always had it together, and she shares stories from her own life and the life of her friends and the people she knows about that illustrate her points. I found the book amusing and informative and I could definitely see it helping a lot of people. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Angel Court Affair by Anne Perry- Thomas Pitt is asked, as head of Special Branch, which usually investigates terrorism threats, to keep an eye on a woman named Sofia Delacruz, an English Expat who lives in Spain as the head of a religious movement. She is known to be a fiery speaker, but her Theology is what really causes people to denounce her. When she and two of her female disciples disappear from the Angel Court House where they had been staying, it's up to Pitt to discover what happened to her and who kidnapped her. Meanwhile, a threat comes into the police threatening to kill Sofia unless her husband, back in Spain, denounces her as a Scarlet woman and home wrecker before the world and her audiences in England. So, of course, Pitt must also investigate what really happened in Spain, but his men are already being stretched thin, and while there are many rumors about what Sofia did in Spain, her brother, who happens to be a Trustee of the national Bank of England, so he sends Vespasia Cumming Gould and her new husband, his old Boss, Victor Narraway, to Spain to investigate. But can he and his men discover what has become of Sofia Delacruz, and more importantly, why she was kidnapped in the first place? And can he do it without creating an international incident? I actually liked this book a lot, which delved into the religious feelings that her characters had or, in Pitt's case, rarely thought about. Sofia Delacruz preached the sort of Theology which wouldn't seem out of place today, but which would have been frowned on by many at the time. This made it an interesting and thought-provoking book for both reader and characters, but the outcome of why she was kidnapped and why the kidnappers wanted to discredit her led in a very different direction than I thought it would. This book is definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">She Hulk: Law and Disorder by Charles Soule, Javier Pulido and Ron Wimberly- Jennifer Walters, Cousin of Bruce Banner, was a shy attorney when she took a bullet meant for him and only he could save her life with a blood transfusion. Now, she's an attorney who moonlights as a crimefighter, and spends most of her time in She-Hulk form. But when she breaks with the firm she formerly worked for over compensation issues, she takes on a case of a woman whose husband invented part of the Repulsor tech that Tony Stark, Iron Man, uses and goes after him to get compensation for the man's widow. With the money she gets from that case, she opens her own law office and goes to work on a case involving Victor Von Doom's son, who REALLY doesn't want to succeed his father. But can Jen, as She-Hulk really drive the point home? Then, she decides to investigate "The Blue File", a case she was assigned back when she worked for her original employers. But investigating this is actually dangerous and may not be capable of being solved. Can Jennifer and Patsy and her secretary get to the bottom of what is really going on? I didn't particularly like the art in this graphic novel, but the stories were solid and they were entertaining to read. Still slightly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Avengers: Time Runs Out Volume 2 by Jonathan Hickman, Key Walker, Scott Hanna, Stefano Caselli, Szymon Kudranski, Mike Deodato and Mike Perkins- As the Illuminati's actions come home to roost, the Avengers are split in two. Iron Man is imprisoned and Spider Woman and the Black Widow track him down only to leave him there when he protests wildly that only he can save them. But as he does so, the Avengers are rent in two, with one side supporting the Illuminati, the other side the Cabal. And meanwhile, Valeria Richards warns both her father and Doctor Doom that neither can hope to win. What they have to do is not fail. But when the forced come to a clash, will they fight the real threat, or fight each other? And who will come out the winner when the Multiverses clash? This was only okay. I haven't read the first volume and I suspect it would be a little more understandable if I had. This graphic Novel is not one you just pick up and si down to read, so if you want to pick this one up on your own, it's a hard row to hoe. Apparently, the Illuminati have made mistakes and universes are being destroyed, and Black Swan, a hero from a different universe, has show up to try and get people to stop it. But the Illuminati, especially Iron Man, don't want to admit they were wrong, and so everything goes to hell in a handbasket very quickly. It's kind of depressing to read and I honestly had a hard time finishing it. Not recommended for me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shutter by Joe Keatinge, Leila DeLuca, Owen Gieni and Ed Brisson- Kate Kristopher used to be a world-reknowned explorer, but she's been retired for many years. Now, however, for some reason, someone is out to kill her. She isn't sure why, but apparently, she has siblings she never knew about and a younger brother who was born shortly before her father died. As Kate seeks to find out who is trying to kill her and why, she also has to stay alive and keep her newly discovered brother safe. But that's going to be harder than it sounds...as her father raised her siblings as well. Going on the run with her brother and Alarm Clock Cat (who resembles a Felix the Cat clock, is she up to the challenge after years of being a normal person? This graphic novel looked interesting, and Kate's world is not our own, it has non-human races, magic and curses, among other things. I'd be interested in reading more, at least to find out why the rest of her siblings (save her younger brother) want her dead. I was more intrigued by the world Kate lives in than Kate herself, who seems like a standard "action girl" stereotype. This one was a meh, ranging into recommended territory.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Not Always a Saint by Mary J Putney- Daniel Herbert is a doctor who lives alone with his sister. Ever since his beloved died while he was away at school, he has done his best to give medical aid to everyone who needs it. One night, a young woman named Jane comes to him, battered by an abusive husband. He treats her and lets her go, but his sister decides to open a house for women who need shelter. Seven years later, his parents and brother die of the pestilence, leaving him lord of the manor, which he has a duty to perpetuate. He decides to go to London to find himself a wife, someone older, who can run the estates while he tends to the patients at his practice. Jessie Kelham is a very beautiful woman whose looks have always brought her trouble. Now that her beloved older husband is dead, she is left as guardian of their young daughter, who has inherited the estate. But her husband's older son is incensed that he didn't inherit and he hates Jessie. Afraid that he will bring a suit and take control of her daughter, she heads to London to find a husband, older and kind, who will not mind raising her daughter as his own. One night, they meet across a crowded ballroom, but Jessie is determined to avoid Daniel until she has no choice and their discovery in a room together forces them into an engagement and marriage that it seems both of them really want. But when Jessie's past comes back to haunt her, can she and Daniel win their way free to have a loving marriage that both want? I thought this was a wonderful romance. One of the plot twists I saw coming right away, as to why she turned him away at first, but her son-in-law forces her hand. I loved the hero, the heroine and pretty much everything that happened between them. There is not a thing wrong with this book Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes- Cassie is very good at reading people, and has been her entire life. But when her mother was killed by a serial killer, she became able to read just about anyone. One night, while at work, she is approached by an arrogant boy who tells her to tell him how he takes his eggs. After he's left, he leaves behind a card for Agent Tanner of the FBI. It seems that Cassie is a natural profiler and they want her to join similarly gifted young people to solve cold cases. But all of her fellow "naturals" have something in their past to be ashamed of, like Dean, whose father was a serial killer and who shares Cassie's ability to profile people. Lia is a consummate liar, but is a human lie detector. Sloane is phenomenal with numbers and science, Michael can read the emotions of people. But when the serial killer from Cassie's past fixates on her, can she and her newfound friends use their ability to find the killer and capture them? I loved this book, which combines science, psychology and a really gripping story that pulled me in and kept me there. Each character is well crafted, and I didn't see the end coming. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Lazarus Curse by Tessa Harris- Thomas Silkstone is a young Physician living in London. He is approached by the Royal Society to catalogue a load of sample plants and animals recently retrieved from the West Indies. Of the three men on the expedition, two have died, and only one, the artist has been returned to London. Since Silkstone is a science-minded man, he is perfect for the job of cataloguing all the animals and plants from the expedition. But when the artist, and the specimen of calalue, a plant retrieved from the Indies goes missing, Silkstone must find out what happened to the artist and unravel the secrets of the plant, which is said to have the power to bring the dead back to life. Another problem that besets him is that of an escaped slave he finds in the street, neaten nearly to death. He brings Joseph back to his lodgings and cares for him there, but his master wants him back, and Silkstone's landlady is willing to betray them for the money. Meanwhile, on her estate, Thomas' lady love Lydia Farrell, from whom he has been separated by force of law, must deal with matters at her estate and her newly returned son. But when she hires a new estate manager, has she found the right man? And when it becomes clear that people in charge of the British Empire want to use the Calalue to make their armies invincible and turn enemy soldiers into slaves, can Thomas discover what the herb really does and if this scheme will even work? I liked this book, and the ending really shocked me, but I liked the mix of old world and new, and the story of the calalue plant, which is more like the plant used in making Zombies rather than actually making people come back to life. This is a book I will want to read the next one of, just because of the shocking ending. Definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Vermonia Volume 8: The Return of the Queen by Yoyo- Unsuccessful at defending Vermonia despite all they have done and the lessons they have learned, the only pillar left standing is the pillar of Wind, which, unbalanced, is causing strange weather all over the land with unrestrained Yami magic Now, they must defend the final pillar or Vermonia falls. Uro wants the Bolirium, but does it reside within the staff of the Queen, or does one of the warriors have it? And can they prevent Uro from getting it and protect the Queen when she reappears? The final battle was a fitting end for this series, and, as we get reminded, they have an entire life to live in their own world, aka "The Blue Star", but they will be able to visit Vermonia if they are needed, via the objects of power that they discovered. This short series was pretty good, and reminded me a bit of "Magic Knight Rayearth, at least a little. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski- The Kingdoms of Milfgard and the North are about to come to blows, and Geralt's ward, Ciri, who carried Elder Blood and is the last living princess of Cintra, is wanted by all parties in the war for their own purposes. Meeting up again with his love and sorceress,Yennifer, he reconciles with her and escorts her to the sorcerers conclave on the island of Thanedd. But intrigue is being plotted on the island, and even as Yennifer plans to enroll Ciri in the school there, Ciri doesn't want to be a sorceress. She would rather be a Witcher or have adventures. So when she runs away, she is found by Geralt and Yennifer both. They argue, make up and end up traveling to Thanedd together for the conclave. But something is going on. The intelligence services of various kingdoms and principalities have agents there, and someone wants the Conclave to collapse. When fighting breaks out, Geralt barely escapes with his life, Yennifer is captured in statuette form and Ciri escapes through a malfunctioning portal. Geralt goes in search of them both, but the Conclave erupts in flames, and many of the magicians are killed. But as he goes in search of both women, can he deal with the treachery of the Kings behind the chaos and find the women he loves? This was an interesting book. Geralt isn't into politics and intrigue, and it costs him big when trouble starts, and he's forced to battle innumerable foes. Likewise, Yennifer assumes that her magic and fellow magicians will keep her safe, only to be quite surprised when she fails. It's the carpet being jerked out from under everyone, and it's a big shock that separates everyone, with no sign, at the end, that they might ever find each other again. This book, this series, has quite a different feel to it than most Western Fantasy. A sort of world-weariness and distrust of government that you don't generally see in the West. Still, it's different enough to enjoy while remaining very readable. Recommended,</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-68921424024272743152015-04-24T11:53:00.002-04:002015-04-24T11:53:16.548-04:002015, Part 2<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter- Torin is an immortal warrior who opened Pandora's Box and was possessed by the Demon of Disease- every time he so much as touches someone, they grow sick, and if they don't die, they become a carrier. Keelycael is the Red Queen, the last of her kind, a Curator- also immortal and possessed of immense power. Both of them have been imprisoned in an otherworldly prison, and Keelycael is angry at Torin for killing her best friend, a human who was supposed to bring him comfort, but whom he touched and infected by mistake instead. While Keelycael wants nothing more than to rip Torin into teeny-tiny shreds, she also finds herself attracted to him like nobody she has ever met before. He seems a little sad and hesitant of hurting her, even if she wants to kill him. For his part, Torin knows that Keely, also known as the Red Queen, is deadly, but he thinks she is an extremely fine woman as well. So when he accidentally infects her, he is desperate to save her, not knowing that she will get under his skin before he can blink. She is also the only one who can find Pandora's Box and lock the demons it once contained away forever. But can he convince her to do so and save him and his friends? and once he's had a taste of her, can he ever give her up? Torin isn't the only one who wants Keely. Hades and Lucifer both want her on their side of the war they are fighting with each other, since whoever manages to get her help is guaranteed to win. The question is, can Torin win her heart before Hades, her old lover, can steal her away from him? I enjoyed this book a lot, both characters are imprisoned, but because Keely's friend has died of disease, She is quickly confused by her growing attraction to the mysterious Torin, but the cycle of them wanting to be with each other and Torin rejecting her because of his fears of causing her harm with the diseases generated by his demon quickly became annoying and tiring to me, because he never really takes the time to discuss his fears with Keely, he ends up rejecting her over and over, and regretting it only minutes or hours later. This happened no more than three or four times, but I still found it annoying. Aside from that, I liked the romance between the two characters, but some of it just annoyed me. Still Redcommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean- Georgianna Pearson never really got a season, as she fell in love with a man who seduced her in a hayloft and got her pregnant, then left her. Covered in scandal when she was only sixteen, she has since returned, bent on revenge, as Chase, owner of The Fallen Angel, London's Most Notorious Gaming Hell. Here, the price of admittance is an important secret, and those who don't pay their debts are utterly ruined. But her three fellow owners are now all married, and Georgianna finds herself entering the marriage mart again to find a husband, one which will allow her daughter respectability and open doors closed to her as a bastard child. She has chosen Lord Langley, who she hopes she can get to the altar herself, without blackmail, even though his secret is also one she knows. But Duncan West, the most famous newspaperman in London, meets Georgianna at a ball, and is immediately intrigued by her. Though he has already satirized her in print, he finds himself sympathizing with her and wanting to help her in her quest- that is, if he doesn't reach out and take her for himself. And Georgianna wants him, too, even as she struggles for the title and respectability that Langley would bring her. But Duncan West has his own request to make of Chase, the proof that a powerful politician is guilty of Treason, one who holds West's own secrets over his head as blackmail. When such powerful desires collide, what can be the fallout? Will Anna choose love or a title, and can Duncan seduce her into his own arms? This is fourth in a quadrology of books, the others of which I have never read. But I really enjoyed this book, and wished I could have read the others as well (currently, the library I work for doesn't own them). I like Georgianna, so determined to get what she wanted for her daughter, whom she loved fiercely. I also loved Duncan, although he also came off as controlling occasionally, he, too, had a younger relative whom he loved, in this case, a sister, who could also be hurt by his secrets coming to light. I found the story surprisingly easy to read, and I really missed it when I had to put it down to do other things. I'd definitely recommend this book to other readers, and Sarah MacLean is a writer to watch. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Green Lantern, Volume Five, Test of Wills by Robert Venditti, Billy Tan, Van Jensen, and Bernard Chang- The Guardians of Oa are gone, and the Green Lanterns are alone in the universe, which is a signal to those who resent these Guardians of Law and Order to try and bring them down. The Lanterns have discovered that using their powers is somehow depleting the universe, and will bring about its death that much sooner. With the Green Lanterns exiled from Earth in favor of the Red Lantern Guy Gardner, the Durlans shift shape to resemble Hal and use his image to declare that the Lanterns are now in charge of the Galaxy. Hal must find a way to convince a multitude of races and peoples that the Corps is not becoming an authoritarian organization hell-bent on controlling the Universe. But not even all the Lanterns are on his side, and something is preventing the rings from recognizing their true owners. Hal and the rest of the Lanterns of multiple spectrums must work together to restore order to the universe and honor to the name of the Corps. But can they succeed against an enemy that can take on anyone's shape? I don't normally read Green Lantern, but this one sort of appealed to me. It certainly made me remember Chameleon Boy from the Original Legion of Superheroes, but we can see why nobody trusts Durlans- here, they try to take over the entire galaxy. We also get to see that Reep Daggle's ancestor, Ren Daggle, was on the side of the Lanterns. It's a long, hard war that tests everyone, but it's an entertaining read, and I did enjoy the comic. Recommended, even for those who may not be Green Lantern fans.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Festive in Death by J.D. Robb- Sima, an employee of Trina, the lady who does makeup for Eve when she needs to be glamorous, discover the body of Sima's ex-boyfriend murdered in his apartment when they go to prank him, Trina calls Eve Dallas. The man, personal trainer Trey Ziegler, has been killed with a blow to the head from his bodybuilding trophy and a knife shoved into his heart bearing the message, "Santa Says You've Been Bad! Ho Ho Ho!". Eve discovers that the trainer has over one hundred and sixty thousand dollars in his locker at work, and an herbal tea full of chemicals that mimic Zoner in his "Bag of Tricks". He's also been sleeping around on Sima, and she's not the only one he's played dirty tricks on. But who took it into their mind to kill him? Eve must investigate the death of a man she is coming to despise, while preparing for a holiday party with Roarke and her friends. But can she bring the true culprit to justice and unweave the tangled web the killer has created? Another excellent book by Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb. I loved that the murdered man was a scumbag, but Eve really shines in this case, and she gets her man, so to speak, in both ways. I also loved the party things. Eve will never be a woman comfortable at a party, but I loved how she took the time to get everyone the perfect gift, Roarke included. I even liked the murder investigation, and how Eve uncovered the true murderer from a field of suspects. Another shot out of the park. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Blood on the Water by Anne Perry- William Monk is a commander in the River Watch, and he and another watchman named Orme are out on the Thames when a pleasure boat named the Princess Mary explodes for seemingly no reason one night. Though Monk and Orme do their best to save people, there are many, almost two hundred people, who die. But before he can do much investigating, the case is taken away from him by the Home Office, because some of the dead were politically significant, and there is a dread of Foreign unrest, especially in Egypt, where the Suez Canal is being built. Suspicion centers around a man named Habib Beshara, an Egyptian who may have criminal connections, who debarked the boat before it left the dock. What the investigators cannot discover is a motive- why did he do it? After a trial, he is quickly convicted, with public sentiment being that he is surely guilty. However, shortly after his conviction, it is discovered that he is dying, and therefore is saved from execution,which angers many people. Worse, though, is that Monk discovers one of the men at the trial who testified to Beshara's whereabouts was clearly lying, and thus, the conviction must be overturned and the true culprit found. But when they do find the man who may actually be responsible, can Monk also discover the reason for the crime? And what will that reason reveal about the true state of Britain's involvement in the Suez and the conduct of their soldiers there? This book is like two mysteries in one. First there is the investigation by the home office, the second by Monk himself, both of which are very well done. Like Monk, we can feel his frustration when the first investigation seizes on the easy culprit of Habib Beshara, and when they stop looking for the real culprit and instead try to convict the suspect they already have. And in the second we identify with the danger as someone attempts to kill Monk to prevent him from finding the true killer and the reason for the sabotage. Anne Perry does very well at making us sympathize and feel for (and with) Monk as he attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery, and in the end, we feel something for the villain of the piece as well. Not enough to sympathize with him, but enough that we can see <i>why</i> he felt he was justified in killing so many people. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz- Grace Elland found and killed a murderer back when she was only sixteen. Since then, she has mostly gotten over her post traumatic stress syndrome. But when she finds the body of her boss, Sprague Witherspoon, dead in his room with a bottle of Vodka close at hand, she finds it hard to control her jitters- because the brand of Vodka is the same one that she was forced to use to kill the man who was going to kill her when she was only sixteen. Now under more stress than ever, as the police seem to blame her for murder, or for the siphoning of money from Witherspoon's accounts. She is invited to dinner by her friends, Irene and Devlin, to dinner and a blind date at their home. But Grace suspects that Devlin, who also happens to be the chief of Police, is trying to decide if she really is guilty and called in her date, Julius Arkwright, to get another opinion. And she is right, but Julius Arkwright, though he makes a very bad initial impression on Grace, is intrigued by her and senses that she is not guilty of any kind of crime. In fact, she seems to be haunted, and when she confesses that someone has been e-mailing and texting her Witherspoon's daily affirmations subtly changed into threats, he can see the effect it has on her. But who is behind the killing of Witherspoon and who wants Grace dead, and why? Though Grace is attracted to Julius, and he to her, she hires him to help her plot out a new career for herself, and inadvertently ends up getting involved with Julius' ex, who left him for his business partner and whose family business is now failing and nearly dead. His ex is assuming that Julius is behind it, but, to be honest, he's lost interest in being a venture Capitalist. As he finds a new career for Grace, can he find a new career for himself as well? I liked this book, even though it had nothing to do with any of the psychic powers universes that Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle) usually writes. Like her earlier novel "Soft Focus", this one is completely grounded in the normal business world. But Grace comes off as a sort of naïf who doesn't seem to notice that she is the only one who has her Boss' best interests at heart. She is literally the only worker in the office who didn't have something going on the side, and while there is more than one "Bad guy", the ending of the story managed to shock me.. in a good way. I had no idea, right up to the end, who the bad guy/bad guys were, nor why they were out after Grace. And the connection to her life came totally out of left field, although, to be honest, she only did this through narrative slight of hand. This was a good book, but the book isn't always telling the truth about the facts, which will definitely leave you feeling left out at the end of the mystery. Still, recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Seelie Wars, Book One: The Hostage Prince by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple- Snail is an apprentice midwife of the UnSeelie Court, working for Mistress Softhands. The Faerie Queen of the Seelie Court is pregnant and due to give birth soon, and all three midwives and their apprentices are needed for the birth. But when something goes wrong and the Queen detects magic being used against her, she fires back, killing one of the apprentice midwives and causing the other midwives and their apprentices to be imprisoned and questioned under torture. Prince Aspen is the Seelie Prince who is assigned to the UnSeelie Court as a hostage. But when his tutor reveals that war is going to be declared, he helps Aspen to prepare for departure- as when open war breaks out, Aspen's life will be forfeit- as will that of the UnSeelie Prince in his father's court. Fleeing to save his own life, Aspen encounters Snail, and the two of them join forces to save themselves. But all is not as it seems, and the Ferryman between the Seelie and UnSeelie kingdoms forces Aspen to ask all he meets three questions that might free the Ferryman known as the Stickman. And Snail finds herself far more useful to the quest to get to the Seelie lands than Aspen. But can she develop feelings for a boy who often treats her life a slave, and sometimes like a friend? And what will happen between the Seelie and UnSeelie realms now that Aspen has fled? This book sets up the entire trilogy that follows and it does a very good job of that, even as to what kind of creature Snail is, and why she alone is able to do things that no other faery can do. I liked the story and both of the characters, and I liked how the two of them made it to freedom by working together. An excellent book and one kids will really enjoy, although it's slightly more girl-centric since the series is more about Snail than Aspen. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Seelie Wars, Book 2: The Last Changeling by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple- Snail and Aspen made it to the Seelie Court, but were forced to flee from there as well when they discovered that Aspen had been lied to, and no war had been declared. But with Aspen's flight from the UnSeelie Court, that had led to war, and so now Aspen and Snail, renamed Nomi have taken to the road as a minstrel and his helper. But the leader of the circus they fall in with, Professor Odds, seems very interested in Snail and rather contemptuous of Aspen. All in all, Professor Odds is very odd indeed and seems to have an ulterior motive for taking them both on. Snail, apparently, is not all she seems, and the professor is fomenting revolt against both the Seelie and UnSeelie for their crimes against another race, and he wants Snail to join their ranks because of who and what she is. But when Seelie and UnSeelie clash, Aspen's father is killed, and Aspen must take the throne. But can Snail and Aspen's friendship survive the revelations to come, and can Aspen and Snail take out the person who is really behind the whole war? Another really excellent book that continues the patterns set in the first book- Snail is the more important character, but we do get to see at least some answers to Stickman's questions from the first book. Fleshing out the story and helping us see the bigger picture for once, this is an excellent story and very readable. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Hoarder in You by Dr, Robin Zasio- Robin Zasio has worked with many hoarders and "collectors" whose homes and lives were overwhelmed by the stuff they go and refused to get rid of, which overtook their houses and their lives. Dr. Zasio looks at hoarding, why it happens and why it isn't so easy to deal with- you can force the people who hoard to throw their things out, but if you don't deal with the underlying issues, the problem will always reoccur- you must deal with the psychological reasons for the hoarding before you can have the hoarders get rid of their things. And the reasons can be varied. The main problem with hoarders is that they cannot deal with being able to not buy things, or pick up what seems to be trash that they feel they can repair. And even if you aren't a hoarder, you can be a collector- and Dr. Zasio also covers how to deal with your collections so that they won't take over and become the basis of hoarding. With the same rules she uses on the "Extreme Hoarders" show, she shows you how to deal with the items you have accumulated, and where to get help if you need it with your hoarding. I felt this was a good book o read. I am a collector, but I feel I could turn into a hoarder if bad things happened, so I was interested in seeing what she recommended. I found this book very helpful, and I definitely think it could be helpful to others. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Truth About Nature: A Family's Guide to 144 Common Myths about the Great Outdoors by Stacey Tornio and Ken Keffer- Nature is beautiful, and we often treasure wisdom hanged down to us by our parents, grandparents and other people. Some of this "wisdom" is wrong. Separated into four categories based on season, this book debunks common misconceptions about nature, from the story that "Squirrels remember where they bury their nuts for the winter", "Bees die after they sting you", "Flower Bulbs are Always Planted in the Fall" or "Mice Eat Cheese". These are given debunked and discussed as to why they are wrong. Interspersed with the discussion and debunking of myths are pages where readers are prompted to do actual science, and discussions about larger issues about animals and biology. If you like animals and have taken a college-level biology class, or even watch lots of programs about animals on the Learning Channel or the Discovery Channel (or Animal Planet), you'll almost certainly know most of the true facts already. Still, it's not a bad book, and really is more meant for parents to read with their kids rather than for adults to read on their own. It's not a bad book by any means- full of information, facts and illustrations. A cut above for parents wanting to be sharing science and biology information with their kids. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder- Avry wasn't a healer until she was poisoned by a death Lily. When she survived its venom, it unlocked her magic and made her a Healer. Then She was kidnapped by Kerrick, Prince of Alga, to resurrect the King of Alga, Ryna, who had been locked in magical stasis. Now that Ryne is back to normal, Avry wants to return to Zabin, where she goes undercover to help the soldiers, teaching them how woodcraft and how to move silently in the forest, hoping it will help them when King Tohon's troops, an army of the dead, arrive to conquer the country. She has plans to reveal herself as a healer before Tohon's troops invade, but until then, she wants to do something more proactive to help her people. Meanwhile, Kerrick goes north to rouse the people of Alga. Ryne is Kerrick's brother, and Ryne is to head to Zabin first. But when the tribes of the north attack Kerrick's troops, he is taken prisoner, along with his young cousin, who stowed away in the baggage train and who is being used by the tribes to control Kerrick's behavior and to extort him into not escaping. As Kerrick lives among the tribe and slowly gains their trust, he treats with them to come and help the Kingdoms fight against the menace of Tohon, who leads an army of the dead. But his delay with the tribes gives Tohon the means to conquer Zabin and Tohon, who wants Avry for his own, takes her prisoner, intending to seduce her to his side. And, he has Avry's sister, Noelle, to threaten to keep Avry in line. Avry will need all the help she can get- from both the death Lilies and the Peace Lilies, if she is to help defeat Tohon's army and wipe out the menace of hus undead. But can she do so without losing everyone and everything she had come to love and care for? I didn't read the first book in this trilogy (and the third book hadn't been released yet), so I was a bit at sea when starting this novel. That being said, the backstory reminded me a great deal of "Poison Study", but in a slightly different way. And how Avry fell in love with the man who imprisoned her, like Yelena did Valek (and how similar the ending sounds Valek and Kerrick are... But I liked the story and how Avry was determined to do the right thing. Despite how similar the stories of Avry and Yelena were, I did like this book and found it a good read.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Cast in Sorrow by Michelle Sagara- Kaylin Neya is a Hawk in Service to the Ruler of Elantra. One of the races who dwell there are the Barrani, elf like creatures who are functionally immortal (can be killed by damage, but who do not die of age. The Barrani don't like Kaylin because she survived a test which most Barrani fail or choose not to take. The idea that a mere human could succeed where Barrani fail is distasteful to them, and most of them would rather kill her or let her die rather than live as an embarrassment to their race. Even so, not every Barrani hates her. One of Kaylin's closest friends is Teela, a fellow Hawk. So when Kaylin is invited to a special Barrani ceremony deep in the woods, she must accept, and Teela comes with her to safeguard her. But then Kaylin's home is firebombed with a mage bomb, and it has two different magical signatures on it. However, Kaylin seems to be the only person who can see the second signature. Plus, people are disappearing from the fiefs, and the same mage signatures. Who could be stealing people, and why? Can Kaylin discover the secret before she must leave for a Barrani Ceremony? I really like this series. which I started reading years ago, Kaylin has discovered more about the glyphs on her skin, but not why they are there or why she was chosen to be the one who carries them. This book delves into the story of the fiefs and why people are going missing, and she begins to travel to the ceremony she will be taking pert in. But even here, someone is trying to kill her, and she must fight back to survive not only hostile Barrani, but the other "lost" Barrani who want to regain An'Teela and their names,. An excellent book looking at a uniquely alien society. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara- Kaylin neya was invited to take part in a Barrani ceremony. But on her way there, she was chosen by fate to wear the dress of the Teller, who fulfills a unique role in the Barrani ceremony. But when attacked the "Lost Barrani who once took part in the naming Ceremony with her fellow Hawk An'Teela, the party of Barrani and Hawks must take shelter with the Lord of West March, who is related to the Barrani Consort. But something is happening inside the forest, related to the lost Barrani. The ceremony requires Kaylin to tell a story in a way that the Barrani can understand. It's possible that this will cause the Lost Barrani Ferals to be reclaimed and get their names, or it could unmake the world. When the Consort is sunk into a coma, it is Kaylin, as a healer and user of magic to rescue the Consort's spirit from whatever has it now. But will Kaylin be able to fulfill her duties to the Green and to the Consort and fulfill her part in the ceremony in a successful way? Or will she do the green even more harm than it has already suffered> And will she survive the ceremony to return to Elantra at the end? Another excellent book in a great series. Kaylin and the Consort have a strained relationship, as well as with the rest of the Barrani. The only thing that gives them comfort is that Kaylin is merely mortal, and will only be around for what seems a short time to the Barrani. It was kind of strange seeing things through Barrani eyes, but in the end, although I only understood a bit more about these enigmatic elf-like beings it was a welcome change from knowing even less. An excellent continuation to the story from the last book. Hihgly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King- After being on a mission for Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and his American wife Mary Russell plan to go on to California to deal with unfinished family business. But on the ship there, which will also pass through Canton and Japan, they meet a young Japanese woman named Haruki Satp, who Mary is intrigued by while Holmes deals a lesson to the son of th Earl of Darley. While his father is a known (to Holmes) blackmailer, the son is a card cheat, and Holmes teaches young Darley a lesson by being a better cheater. But Miss Sato turns out to be more than a mere well-educated foreigner, and her family needs help in dealing with a Blackamiler who is seeking to extort monies from the Emperor of Japan with a missing copy of a very special book whom the Emperor should not have given away when he was a young man. Darley, the Blackmailer is summarily dealt with, but when the Blackmailer strikes again, Haruki is sent to England to deal with the aftermath. Can Holmes and Mary Russell help her find the missing book, and the map which it was supposed to hold? And can they be entirely comfortable with the motives of Haruki Sato?? I loved this book, and the glimpse we get of the true Japan before it was so highly Westernized. I loved the character moments, and the multiple reveals at the end. This was a really excellent mystery and I read it through in less than a day. An excellent book, well-researched and full of story. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Mangaman- story by Barry Lyga and illustrated by Colleen Doran- Ryoko Kiyana is a transplant from far away- not Japan, but another dimension, another reality. Stunned by his appearance, he is kept on a military base as Dr. Capeletti tries to figure out how he got here and send him home, repairing a rift through which monsters called Kaiju occasionally break through into our world from the spaces between "our" reality and others. But when Kiyoko begins falling for Marissa Montaigne, who has fallen out of love with her current boyfriend, it causes trouble in her school, which he has also begun to attend. However, nobody but Marissa seems to like him. He leaves behind speed lines and sweat drops in his wake, but she is intrigued by him, and as a castaway from another dimension, he can see through the edges of the panels, and discovers that not only can he see past the edges of the panel, he can walk though them as well And he teaches Marissa to do the same. But when Marissa's ex-boyfriend decides to challenge Ryoko to a fight, it works against him as none of Ryan's punches hurt Ryoko's, while Ryoko's fighting prowess sends her ex to the hospital. Ryoko only wanted to get back home, but now he has Marissa to distract him... Will he want to find his way back after falling for Marissa? I really liked this book The story was intriguing, with a nominally manga character interacting with Western comic book characters, but ultimately Ryoko falls a bit flat for fans of manga, his world seems to be a mashup of various genres of manga (his girlfriend is an ex-magical girl who used to have a locket that could change her in any way she wanted. She changed into a boy, and the locket was broken, leaving her a boy in girl's clothing. And Ryoko's appearance is "off", even by Manga's standards. But I really enjoyed the story, and the ending, while something also of a disappointment to me, was still pretty wonderful. Good for fans of both manga and comics, there is a lot to love here, some disappointments, but I found the story to be wonderful nevertheless, Recommended</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Castaway Planet by Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor- The Kimei family are traveling on the Ship Outward Bound to a new planet to help start a colony when there is an accident and their ship/Shuttle is separated from the rest of the Outward Bound mid-flight. With them is Sakura's friend, "Whips", real name Harratrer, a Europan "Bemmie" are on the Kimei family pod after the accident, and separated from the other ships in Hyperdrive, the family must find a planet on which to survive until being rescued. However, shortly after touchdown on the planet, their ship is lost, and the family and Whips must survive on a planet with nearly no resources and alien life which is mostly hostile. They need to make what they can to survive and thrive, but can they ever be rescued, in the wide vastness of space? This book is science fiction, and I thought it was a stand-alone novel, until I saw it was the new novel in the "Boundary series. As I haven't read any of the others, I can't say if the Kimei family will appear again in the future, but I pretty much loved the book, which is pretty much a sci-fi retelling of the Swiss family Robinson in space. Most of the action devolves around the family surviving and thriving around the planet's challenges, so if you are expecting something more action-oriented, you are going to be disappointed. But for someone who enjoys a more "Man vs Nature" (even if the "man" is often the 14-year old Hitomi Kimei, an aspiring pilot) will enjoy this book very much. Each of the family helps the others to survive, headed by Laura Kimei, a physician and her husband, Akira Kimei, biologist. Along with Sakura's sisters, 7 year old Hitomi, 10 year old Melody and Caroline, an aspiring 17 year old geologist. Each of the family is given lots to do, and their struggle to survive is quite affecting and interesting. There is some action in the family's interactions with the local wildlife, but this book is rather more sedate and slower paced. Recommended, but be sure you know what you are getting before you pick this up.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Once More My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath- Drake Darling is ennobled now, but he was once a commoner and because of that, many in society will never accept him as good enough. Especially not Lady Ophelia Lyttleton, who spends her time snubbing him and giving him the cut direct. But when she is abducted and thrown into the Thames, she loses her memory and is found by Drake, who decides to take his revenge by telling her she is his housekeeper and making her be his servant for a day. But the ruse lasts for far longer than that because he is afraid of what she might do to him for playing the prank on him. And then, he finds himself attracted to her, by her inability to let animals or orphans be abused, and how she somehow inserts herself into every corner of his life. As for Opehia, she becomes very attracted to Drake, and even gives him everything. But when she regains her memory unexpectedly (at the sight of an old friend), she is devastated by what he is done and is angry that he didn't stop her from giving him everything. But when she must rescue her aunt from a husband who she thinks is trying to poison her, she needs Drake's help. The question is, can she trust him every again? I found this book, okay. I felt that Drake should have owned up to what was going on much sooner, and he comes across as a real ass about using Ophelia like he does. Yes, she is very cruel to him, so he feels like he has a reason, but not wanting to face up to what he'd done made him look rather weak. The romance was otherwise okay, and he does give her abuser a highly satisfying (Metaphorical) boot to the rear, so that was a good ending. But if you dislike the idea of a man being cruel to a woman who has been made an amnesiac, you must not be as forgiving of what Drake does. Heck, I didn't even like it. Neither recommended nor not recommended. Your mileage about the hero may vary.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Once and Future Duchess by Sophia Nash- After a scandalous night of drinking and debauchery, Prinny, the Prince Regent, has decided that it is time to make those around him marry, and his next candidate is James, Duke of Candover, who has an absolute aversion to marriage after two failed engagements. Isabelle Tremont, the Duchess of March, has loved James from afar for a long time, but when he refuses to marry her (because he claims he cannot inflict on her a marriage without love and affection, they agree to each "vet" candidates for marriage for each other, as Isabelle has also be ordered to marry by Prinny. But while Isabelle battles a broken heart, James finds himself unable to suggest her an alternate candidate for marriage that he can stomach marrying her. Isabelle was long his friend, and as each tries their best for each other, he finds that his emotions are engaged on her behalf anyway. But can he swallow his pride enough to suck it up and admit to his love for her and propose marriage to her? And can Isabelle accept his apology and give her heart wholeheartedly to James when she had been metaphorically slapped in the face by his lack of interest? Will their be wedding bells between them after all? This book had a very interesting pemise, and I rather like James coming to terms with his feelings when he realizes that he can't bear to see his old friend love another and realize he has feelings for her after all. As for Isabelle, she has to get over her feelings of hurt and realize that James doesn't really know how he feels about much at all. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Night Shift by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearing and Milla Vane. This short story collection has four tales of shapeshifters and magic. Nalini Singh contributes "Secrets at Midnight". Bastien Smith hasn't yet found his mate. But when he is intrigued by a scent carried on a female relative, he discovers her: a human teacher named Kirby, he finds himself getting worried for her: she is having srange symptoms: vomiting, pain and weakness. Then he discovers that Kirby is an orphan whose parents died in a fire, and his wanting to help her find her family makes him discover all her secrets- like how she may not be human after all... Illona Andrews contributes "Magic Steals". introduces Tigress Dali Hanimau, who is in love with Jim Shropshire, leader of Clan Cat. There is an incursion of Eastern demons and curses invading her neighborhood, which is good because Dali's job, which she was born into, is to take care of threats just like these. But when Jim tags along, Dali thinks that he will find out just how weak she is and reject her. But Jim doesn't seem to mind... "Lucky Charms" by Lisa Shearin, has Makenna Frazier, a seer from the south, starting her first day on the job with SPI, Supernatural Protection and Investigations, when she discovers that all the seers before her have died, and messily, on the job, Luckily, her partner, Ian Byrne, has been set to look after her by the head of SPI, Vivian Sagadraco, an actual dragon. But their first case turns out to be looking for a Leprechaun Prince who disappeared during his own bachelor party, and everything goes downhill from there..."The Beast of Blackmoor" by Milla Vane has a female warrior woman who seeks to bring down a threat to people deep in a forbidden land, and her only guide is a warrior who failed to defeat that same menace long ago. But when he begins to develop feelings for her, and she for him, will he crew everything up when he tries to deny his feelings? This was a great collection I loved every single story, but to my mind the best was "Lucky Charms", because it had to set up a whole universe and I loved the many different story threads. It was the standout story to me in a book filled with standout stories. Though each is quite different, together, they make the perfect little packet of story goodness. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Ill Wind by Rachel Caine- Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden with control over air. But when her senior mage, Big Bob Burlingame, wants to see her, she has no idea that he is actually host to a demon- until he puts it into her. Now Joanne is infected, and the only way she can get rid of the Demon without dying is to get a Djinn and get it to take the demon from her and host it himself, which will save her and doom the Djinn. But Joanne hasn't got a Djinn and has no way to get one. Unless she can speak with her old friend, former Weather Warden Lewis. Lewis, however, is no longer a Weather after stealing three Djinn Bottles from the Wardens. Joanne needs to ask him for a Djinn. but he's disappeared. On the way to Oklahoma, where divination tells Joanne she can find him, she picks up a hitchhiker named David, who she ends up catapulting into a relationship with. Wanted for killing "Bad Bob" by the other Weather Wardens, she also has them on her tail, wanting to catch her and take her powers away from her. Can Joanne elude them, find Lewis and stay alive while removing her Demonic Taint? Or will she lose her race against time? I loved this book. We get to live inside Joanne's skin, inside her mind, and it makes the book seem very real and immediate. Joanne loves fast cars and handsome men, and the story of how she came to know Lewis is actually rather amusing. I enjoyed every bit of this thrill ride of a book. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine- Joanne was saved from her demon, but at a high cost. David, her lover, turned out to be a very powerful Djinn and he turned her into a Djinn as well. Now Joanne must come to terms with her new form and learn what it's like to be in the same position as the Djinn that she and other Weather Wardens have done through the years. And she has come to the attention of Jonathan, the leader of the Djinn, who decrees that Joanne must be trained, but not by David, who is too close to her emotionally. Instead, she is given to another former human turned Djinn named Patrick, who enslaves her to teach her some hard lessons about the nature of Djinn. But as David is trying to close a hole in the Aether that has suddenly appeared, Joanne is enslaved again, this time to another Warden, who passes Joanne to her son, who treats her like a slutty variation on "I Dream of Jeannie". Joanne must learn to use the usual tricks that the Djinn use to thwart those they do not want to serve. And when the woman Warden enslaves David, Joanne must work to free him before the woman can order him to make her his lover… or kill Joanne. And there is still that hole in the Aether to deal with which apparently only Joanne can. Fresh out of freedom and fresh out of ideas, Joanne must find a way to free herself and take care of the hole, even if it means dying once again… This was unusual, in that Joanne finds out what it is like to be a slave, to not have a choice in who she serves, just like the Djinn who work with the Weather Wardens. And when she finds out that her own existence is responsible for the hole in the Aether, and that she has made David less powerful simply by existing, it's hard not to want to sacrifice herself to save his life. In short, Joanne is delivered of a lot of shocks, and she still manages to rise above them and live. Very excellent, and highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Chill Factor by Rachel Caine- Now human again, Joanne is sent to Las Vegas where her former human "master from when she was a Djinn has set himself up in style and is ruling over the city. Kevin, who has been abused by his mother and had a really terrible life, may be somewhat sympathetic, but now that he has power, he's ruling over everyone and everything. And she isn't the only one who wants to stop him... Who is this secretive organization called Ma'at, and why is she having flashbacks to the first time she was sent to Las Vegas? Because the last time she was in Vegas, the man she was sent to investigate turned out to be using his powers to profit... and "Disappearing" the people who were sent to investigate if he couldn't bribe them to ignore his "irregularities". But when Joanne survived he and his partner's attempts to "disappear" her, she came back to kick his butt. Now, his father blames Joanne for his son's death, and he's the leader of Ma'at. So while they offer her help to get rid of Kevin, it doesn't mean that they have her best interests in mind. And even if she can take care of Kevin, does that mean she actually needs to kill him? And will she want to keep up her association with the Wardens when they have screwed her over so thoroughly? Another really good book, this one has Joanne dealing with the menace of Kevin, who has decided to go to Vegas and live out every dream he'd ever had. But this book through lots of twists and turns at Joanne, and revealed some of her backstory, making her that much more kickass.. The ending was also a surprise, both parts of it. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Windfall by Rachel Caine- Joanne Baldwin used to be a Weather Warden, but now she's trying t live life at an ordinary girl. And to be honest... she's not doing very good at it. She's living in Florida and working with the local weatherman. But she's certain he's hiding something. But she no longer cares to find out. Even though she and the other assistant weathergirl, Cherise are being constantly humiliated on the show, they are more interested in drinking, shopping and sunbathing. After all, that's normal life in the south for a pretty young girl right? Until Joanne's sister is left by her husband and she gets nothing, and even then, her sister meets a handsome, polite Brit who she seems to have fallen in love with, and he with her, while David is slowly dying, and needs her energy to survive, do most of the time, he must spend it in his bottle. Add to the mix a revenge-obsessed cop who wants Joanne to admit she killed his partner, her sister pending lots of Joanne's money because she is addicted to shopping, a scheme involving destroying real estate for money, and man who wants Joanne to heal his ex-lover whom he may have nearly tortured to death, and Joanne is in for a real hum-dinger of s time. And that isn't even with the approaching hurricane.. The readers who find the Weather Warden series exciting are going to find this one a change of pace. All Joanne seems to interested in is having nice clothes, a perfect bronzed beach body and men. All the female characters are like that, which was rather disappointing. But some of the characters still managed to surprise me, and all of the female characters managed to ride above the stereotype for a while (except for one, and I wasn't expecting much from her anyway, to be truthful).I loved the comeuppance the "handsy" meteorologist got, but things look a little bleak for David towards the end. He seems to be going Ifrit..I hope not. But I'm willing to read more to find out. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop- Meg is a Cassandra Sangue, a blood prophet, who sees things in visions when she cut herself. But each blood prophet only has 1000 cuts in them and after that, they die. So the Others, the monster-like native that populate America, have taken her in under their wing, because unlike other humans, she doesn't smell like prey. She isn't the only Cassandra Sangue around. The others rescued the imprisoned Cassandra Sangue and tried to return them to their proper homes. But now the Cassandra Sangue are committing suicide in large numbers, or dying because of trying to cut themselves without their razors and dying from blood loss. What makes Meg so different? How was she able to survive when so many of her sister in Power are dead? Meg and her human friends must find ways to articulate how she keeps herself sane in an-ever changing, expanding world. And other humans have other Cassandra Sangue in "Breeding factories" which are now illegal to use. Unable to pray for raising the girls, they are dumping them on roads, pregnant and alone, but only after making them fear the others, first./ On top of this, some humans in the old World, like Cel-Romano, want the humans in Thasia to rise up against the Others. There is a motivational speaker in charge of the "Humans First and Last". A human from Lakeside, Monty, the policeman, his daughter is found travelling alone on a train, and has been taken in hand by a Pedophile, He protects her, and when they reach Lakeside, They discover a stash of valuable gems hidden inside her bear, and blood on the outside. Gems from Jewelry that humans claim was stalen by others, but which some humans think is money being funneled to HFL. Can Meg save her fellow humans and Cassandra Sangue from starting a war with the Others, sure to end badly, very badly, for the humans? I has assumed that this was a trilogy, but now it seems it's going to be longer, and I was relieved to hear that, because I love this series and the hints of a romance that seem to be developing between Meg and Simon Wolfgaard. I like the sort of "picks sides thing developing, but I am quite sure that this isn't going to end well for the arrogant humans. Not all the humans are arrogant, of course, but the readers sympathies are definitely going to be with the Others in this The arrogant humans across the sea deserve to get their butts handed to them, and it will be interesting to see if this can end without the arrogant ones being wiped out. Highly recommended- can't wait for the next book!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Witch with No Name by Kim Harrison- Now that Rachel Morgan is in a relationship with her former boss, Trent, an elf, and she has defeated a problem with magic and the elven Goddess, everything should be coming up roses for her, right? Not so much... The vampires want their souls back. Rachel could give them to the vampires, but she knows that for most of the elder vamps, it will be a death sentence. Now, she isn't necessarily opposed to killing them, but the vampires who are left can and will run wild without the older vampires there to control them. Plus Al, Rachel's mentor among the demons, wants nothing to do with her after she helped the elves, who are trying to exterminate the demons. The last thing that Rachel expects is an offer of help from the elves. But when the Elves conspire to rid themselves of the Demons, the Vampires and their problematic goddess all at once, it's up to Rachel to stop them before they damage the world irreparably, but can she defeat the Elven High Priest before he does something he cannot undo? Or will her solution be worse than the problem? This is the final Rachel Morgan book, and it was nice to see the threads get all gathered together and nicely tied up at the end. Everybody gets what they deserve and the demons get redeemed, such as they are. I liked the sting in the tail about how the elves also get what they deserved and that Rachel and Trent get a happy life together at last. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Twice Tempted by Eileen Dreyer- Five years ago, Alex Knight thought he'd saved his friend Ian's sister from homelessness and disgrace by returning her to the home of her grandfather. But when it seems Ian has been killed, her grandfather brutally rejects her and casts she and her sister Maeve out onto the street. Now, Fiona has fond dreams of Alex and the single kiss they shared, but she cannot forget that Alex dumped her with her uncle who rejected her and her sister so brutally. But when it turns out that there are people out after her and her sister, Fiona must turn to Alex to keep her safe from those who would kill her and discover what she and her sister might have taken that would make them a target. And as for Alex, e's never forgotten the kiss he shared with Fiona. Can he keep her and Maeve safe from a nest of enemy spies while she and her sister decipher the new message that could endanger Alex and his friends? And Can Alex save his father, who seems determined to work himself to death? I loved this bok, which took several romance conventions and turned them on their heads. First of all, Maeve, who seems younger and more childlike than Maeve (and who, in light of modern diagnoses, is clearly on the autism spectrum) is actually the older sister to Fiona rather than being younger, and while Maeve could be the subject of a sequel, her romance is happening at the same time as Fiona's. Otherwise, the tropes were well-used and I liked how both sisters were brilliant, each in their own way. I liked Alex and Fiona (and Maeve and Chuffy) a lot, and since the book revolves around all of them, this was a very good thing. The romance and the plot were satisfying, and I found the ending delightful. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder- Avry is a healer, able to absorb the hurts of others into herself, who heals wounds and diseases with ease. But instead of being celebrated, she is hunted, because Healers like Avry are being blamed for a plague that decimated the Fifteen Realms, and are hunted to extinction. But when compassionate Avry slips and heals a child, it turns the city where she has taken refuge against her, and she is captured. Freed by a group of what she thinks are bandits, Avry discovers that the leader of the group, Kerrick, wants her to heal Prince Ryne, who was infected with the plague and who is being held prisoner by Tohon, a death Magician who wants Avry for his own ends. But Avry has been learning while she is with Kerrick and his men, and she has discovered the truth of where the plague came from what she might need to do to save the Fifteen Realms. But can she do so without falling for either of the men who she suspects wishes to use her? And can one woman with healing powers heal the realms and return peace to the world? I read this book after the second book in the series, and I was honestly stunned at how bleak Avry's position is at the start of the book. Obviously, as Fantasy novels with a strong romantic element, Avry does end up with one of the men, and since I'd read the second book, I knew who it was going to be. Even so, I liked the story of how she and Kerrick grew closer and learned from each other, and the powers that each of them had. Even Tohon, the villain of the piece, was handled well, and you could see why Avry would be attracted to him. Excellent book and definitely recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder- Avry might have taken care of Tohon, placing him into the same kind of stasis that he'd once put Prince Ryne into, but his lieutenants are still active, as well as other threats, still plague the fifteen Realms. And Tohon's army of the dead is still on the march as well. But now Kerrick is missing, and Avry must deal with threats on her own while Kerrick, who is tied deeply to the forest, must discover how to undo to himself what he did to wind up in this condition in the first place. And he and Avry must make the Realms safe for everyone, and restore the rulers of the various regions to their thrones. But how can they when there is so much unrest, and Tohon sis till manipulating events from behind the scenes, even in stasis? I loved this final book, which I had been waiting to read ever since the second one. Plenty more happens to both Avry and Kerrick, and Tohon, even though he's supposed to be in an unbreakable stasis. Avry raises her own dead soldier, and finally finds the cure for the plague which Tohon created. The ending was wonderful and sort of triumphal for Avry and Kerrick, and I liked the outcome of what happened to the both of them, and how they ended up bonded and loving each other. Highly recommended ending to the series. Definitely worth the read.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs- Charles, son of the Marrok, or highest ranking werewolf in America takes Anna to the southwest to buy her a real riding horse that can be her own. He's also going to be meeting an old friend of his, Joseph, who he met when Joseph was a young man and they broke horses on ranches together. But now Joseph is old and dying, and although Charles offered to change him into a werewolf years ago, Joseph chose not to be changed. Charles is apprehensive about seeing Joseph again, as Joseph has never changed his mind. However, something in the area is making people go crazy and attempt to kill children, including the wife of one of the pack wolves who happens to be pure human. But when the rage infects her and tries to make her kill her children, she fights back and the only way to save her is to change her into a wold, and Charles is asked to do it. Complicating the situation is a fey who may be kidnapping children and an FBI investigation into a missing child that ask Anna and Charles for help. Can they uncover the true culprits and buy Anna a new riding horse without getting killed, or will Charles find this case as stressful as being an enforcer to his father Bran, the Marrok? And will be finally be able to relax into his new role, whatever it happens to be? As for Anna, as the only nown Omega Wolf, can she soothe and heal the wounds between Charles and his friend Joseph, and help him accept Joseph's choice to die a human, after all? This was a great book, with plenty of tension and Charles and Anna being neaky, loving and working together to solve the answers to what was going on. Anna shows why she is the perfect mate for Charles, she's an Omega, but she is also still a werewolf,and she actually ends up really exerting her power for the first time and puts two strong Alpha werewolves to sleep at once. I loved this book and the story and will definitely read more of Patricia Briggs she's at the top of her game as a writer, and it shows.Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron- Jane Austen goes with her mother and sisters to visit her brother, a parson, and his wife and family, for Christmas. They are invited to a Christmas Party by s friend of the family, who happen to be rich members of the ton. But when a messenger arrives from a Navy Admiral to his wife who is also at the party, he is killed in the woods the next day, and the message he was carrying to the Admiralty, the only English copy of the Treaty of Ghent, his death becomes a crisis for the Admiralty. Jane teams up with a Guest at the party, the artist Raphael West, to solve the mystery. But does the death of the young man have more to do with his duties for the Admiralty, or a woman's jealousy? I love Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries and it seemed as if this one took longer to write than usual. I love Jane Austen as a detective, because her known sharp observations of people in society and those around her demonstrated a fierce intelligence and ability to observe others closely, which are also suited for being a detective, and thus, make her admirable suited for her role in these books. And Jane certainly does put her observation skills to the test here, paired with another excellent observer of life, an artist. I liked the way that Jane and West interacted, and although we know that Jane spent her life as a Spinster, I loved their scenes together ad wished she might interact with him again in another book. This is a wonderful book, once you get used to the rather stilted manners of the time, and I recommend it highly to those who like historical mysteries, Jane Austen, or both, Or even those who just like a well-plotted mystery tale.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-62090624638707235772015-02-05T09:52:00.000-05:002015-02-05T09:52:30.449-05:002015, Part 1<span style="color: #33ccff;">What a Lady Needs For Christmas by Grace Burrowes- Lady Joan Flynn is a woman with problems. She is a lady but dreams of designing her own clothing and having the designs be adopted by a design house. So when she was approached by Lord Valmonte, whose family owns a fashion house, and he invited her to bring some of her designs, she was over the moon. But Valmonte drugged her, and though she doesn't remembered exactly what happened afterwards, she feels that he compromised her while she was drugged. Worse, she left a portfolio of her latest designs behind. Fleeing to be with her brother at a house party, she finds that the train to Scotland has no seats left, and the clerk refuses to help her. She is rescued by Dante Howell, a widowed Welshman who is no lord- he's in trade, owning a series of cloth mills in the Highlands. He's travelling to the very same party at the estate owned by Joan's parents, and he offers her a place in the private carriage he's reserved for him, his sister, daughter and man of business. Joan accepts only because she is so eager to get away from the source of her compromising. Along the way, Dante cannot help but notice that Joan seems depressed, and when he learns the nature of her distress, he offers to marry her and give her child, if she is bearing one, a name and her a husband. But Valmonte follows her to Scotland. His family has seen Joan's designs and assume they are his. Joan cannot tell Dante about her designs, but she makes all her own clothing, and Valmonte uses her feeling of having been compromised to blackmail her. She cannot confess to Dante, and Valmonte's backmail is killing her soul. But what can she do, and will she and Dante ever be able to be happy if he thinks she is cheating on him? I did like the two main characters, and I probably would have found the :Lady Joan is a virgin so shy that she doesn't know how sex works or if she's even had it to be bad, but given how Joan didn't remember *anything*, reformed that particular trope for me here. And I liked the hero very much as well. He is neither a complete rake nor a saint. Just a decent man who is maybe looking for a little something out of his marriage besides love and companionship However, the villain, Valmonte (shades of Dangerous Liaisons, there) was very villainous, admittedly not of the "Kick puppies and steal kids' candy" variety, but he is a total ass. I enjoyed every stage in the romance and while it isn't filled with tons of sex or passion, it is one that just might capture your heart, especially Dante. Definitely one to read and look out for. Recommended highly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas- Celaena Sardothien is only sixteen years old, and she is already the Kingdom of Adarian's most feared assassin. Always masked, no one outside the guild knows what she looks like, and even though she is young, she is Arobynn Hamel's the guildmaster's protégée and next in line to succeed them. Sam, another young assassin, is a thorn in her side she despises. But when Arobynn sends them to make deal with slavers, Celaena reacts badly to even the idea of selling slaves in Adarian. Same doesn't like the idea either, especially when some of the slaves are only children. She and Sam make a pact to free them, but will they be able to work together to accomplish their goals? Afterwards, Arobynn sends Celaena to the Red Desert to be trained by the Silent Assassins. On the way, she meets Yrene Towers, a serving wench who wants to train with Healers, as he mother was a healer, and both she and her mother once had healing magic. but with her money gone. she took a job in an inn, and tries to save for the trip. Since her master constantly docks her pay for "infractions", she finds this impossible to achieve. But when Celaena stays in the Inn, various ne'er do wells in the city attack her and she kills them. And when Yrene helps her, Celaena rewards her with the means to finally achieve her dream. Next, she travels to the home of the Silent Assassins to be trained by their master. Most of the Assassins are literally silent, and Celaea is befriended by a young woman who is there to learn to rule her kingdom. She also is used as an ambassador between the Assassins and the nearby Sultan, who wishes to drive the assassins out. But how far can Celaena trust her newfound friend, and when the Sutan's men finally attack, can she save the Silent Man's life? Finally, Celaena returns home </span><span style="color: #33ccff;">from the desert and finds that not only does she have feelings for Sam, but he has feelings for her. But when they attempt to make their exit from the guild, they must also leave the city to make their lives elsewhere. And only the city's worst crimelord and his number one man stand in their way. Can Celaena save Sam from his foolish decision to take them on? This book is a collection of four Novellas about Celaena Sardothian before the beginning of the book series about her. Here we get to see her at the top of her game as an assassin. but she's not invincible and her heart can lead her into trouble that not even her own formidable skills cannot get her out of. The book ends with her in a very low state, and sets the stage for the first chapter of "Throne of Glass", but this book and these stories flesh out who Celaeba is and was and why she ended up where she did. These are highly readable and Celaena is very kick-ass as a character. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas- Celaena Sardothian was an assassin, sentenced to life in the salt mines of Endovier. Rescued by Prince Dorian Havillard to be his candidate for the role of King's Champion, in reality the King's Assassin, she is promised her freedom after a mere four years, rather than five, if she wins the contest. Celaena agrees, but the contest is being held in the seat of the King's Power, the Glass Castle, in the city of Rifthold, where she spent most of her years with the Guild of Assassins. But almost as soon as she is ensconced in the city, Dorian is warned off by his father, the King, the same man who sentenced her to life in the Endovier salt mines. Most criminals sent there only last a month, but Celaena has survived there for a year, and she came within an inch of the walls when she tried to escape, another unheard-of coincidence. But something is afoot in the castle. The other champions are dying, killed and their bodies turned into little more than bloody meat and rags, their brains missing. And the long-dead first queen of the country has set Celaena a mission- to find who and/or what is responsible for the killings and stop them. And her only allies are the Captain of the Guard, who is a childhood friend of the Prince, and a foreign Princess of Eyllwe, who pretends not to know much Adarian, as well as the Prince himself, who is growing increasingly frustrated with his father's reign. But can Celaena do anything to protect the others, or even herself, along with winning the contest? And when she is drugged before the final battle, can she overcome the machinations of those who wish her to fail and emerge triumphant? I loved this book. Celaena is defiant and sassy in even in the midst of slavery and she spends the entire book kicking ass and taking names, even if metaphorically. Even in the midst of things which would turn almost anyone off, sh manages to keep her cool and emerge triumphant, even if it means resorting to magic that she has a deep distrust for. I loved the character of Celaena, who, even if she was an assassin, still has a woman's heart and a cool head to go with her steely resolve, iron will and sassy tongue. She sparkles here and its obvious that most of the male characters have fallen for her by the middle of the book. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas- Now King's Champion, Celaena has become his assassin, ranging far and wide and taking out the King's enemies. Unbeknownst to everyone, though, she has been allowing his enemies to put themselves in exile and bringing home rotting heads from the local mortuary that resemble those of her target. But when the King sends her to root out a conspiracy against him in Rifthold, she realizes that she knows the man who is supposedly one of the ringleaders, and they knew each other when Celaena was younger. But even if he is one of the most highly paid, best Courtesan in the city, and she isn't sure he is actually plotting against the King, she offers him the same deal- 30 days to put your affairs in order and fake your death or die. He offers her information about an actual plot against the King he's heard of, and as she makes plans to take out the plotters, and romances Chaol, Captain of the Guard, both the first Queen of Adarian and her friend Princess Nehemiah are warning her that there are further problems afoot from other Realms and that she must deal with them. But when the King kills Nehemia in the process of questioning her and Chaol is kidnapped by conspirators, she kills many of the conspirators and nearly kills Chaol for conspiring with the King to keep her out of the castle that night. The Conspirators reveal that they want to overthrow the King in favor of the last living Princess of Terrasen, said to still live after the rest of her family was slaughtered ten years ago. But Celaena finds herself fighting against the King's first minister, a man who shares a strange sort of magic with the King. And Dorian, the Crown Prince, is discovering that he holds magic as well, and he is extremely conflicted about it. The only person he can seem to confide in is Celaena, who is now angry at Chaol. But when her discoveries about magic in the castle come to a head, it's uncertain that Celaena will survive to flee the King's wrath. With the truth about her known, what will become of Celaena, and can she survive the wrath of a King who can wield magic? I loved this book even more than "Throne of Glass", as it had Celaena walking a narrow tightrope when it came to following the King's orders. So much happened in this novel that I had to keep reading it and reading it long after I should have gone to sleep- it's just that good. This novel ran the gamut from happiness to sadness and desolation and back. If you like strong heroines, this book is definitely the one for you. She is a strong heroine, but still possesses a woman's heart, and that was really interesting to read about. And with the revelation at the end, about who and what Celaena really is, wasn't exacty a shock if you have been reading the books closely enough. I love this series and would not hesitate to Highly recommend it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Only Enchanting by Mary Balogh- Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby, is a member of the Survivor's Club, a group of men and one woman who have survived the War against Napoleon greatly changed. Favian fell from his horse, hitting his heas, and as a result, his wits were disordered and he still speaks with a stutter. But he hates his former fiancee, who left him when he was injured and married his best friend instead, as they had been told that Flavian would never recover. Recently, though, his former best friend died, and his family thinks it wonderful that his former fiancee still has feelings for him and want him to marry her. He only feels revulsion at the thought. When he goes to visit another member of the Survivor's Club and his new wife, Vincent, Viscount Darleigh, he meets Agnes Keeping, a young woman who lives with her sister, and who is the closest friend of the Viscountess Darleigh. And while he finds her "only Enchanting", Flavian cannot stop thinking about her, She, too, falls for Flavian, for his good looks and wicked words, and when he returns several months later, he asks her to marry him, and she accepts. However, Flavian hasn't told her everything she should know, like about his former fiancee, it's partly because he still hasn't regained all his memories back, and he can no longer remember much about how he even came to be engaged to be married. So it will be up to the both of them to deal with the fallout of Flavian's impetuous marriage and the machinations of his former fiancee to meddle in their lives. But can Agnes forgive him for not telling her everything? This was a good romance novel, one I really enjoyed even though the Hero has a number of problems left over. His head injury has made him prone to violent and debilitating headaches, and he cannot remember much of his earlier life. But I did like the way he and Agnes interacted, and the love that they found between them. I also liked the villain, because it wasn't until you got to know them better that you realized how villainous they were. This book comes closes to being a " all problems solved by the end of the book" sort of book, but not completely. Definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Shocking Secret of a Guest at the Wedding- Jackson Channing is a banker. the second in command to his grandfather at Graham, Merryweather and Lockwood Bank. All of his life, he's been told that this father is dead, slain by Indians out West, but much to his surprise, one night, just before Jackson's engagement to Lucinda Merryweather, the daughter of his grandfather's partner, his father shows up, and he finds out that his mother and grandfather have been lying to him all his life. His father offers him a chance to get to know the other side of his family, and eventually, Jackson takes him up on it. They go to the wedding of Jack's cousin Camille, one of three sisters born to Jack's uncle. At the party, before anyone knows who he is, Jack meets and dances with Theodosia, or "Teddy" Winslow, a party planner who is also a lady of the ton. And before he knows what he is doing, he finds himself kissing her and bantering with her, and she finds herself intrigued. But, the next morning, when she finds out that Jack is a member of the family, she is miffed at him for not telling her who he was/is. But when she continues to run into him, because she is a friend of the family, even if she is irritated with him (and she often is, after a few minutes in his company and listening to him talk, she always finds herself intrigued by him again. However, Teddy has secrets of her own, including being in debt because her father made many bad investments and killed himself as a result. So when her mother attempts to get her to marry a distant cousin who inherited her father's title, Jack steps in and pretends to be her fiancé. Her mother isn't happy at first, but since the title Jack will inherit from his uncle is better than the one Teddy's father had, she goes along with it. And then Teddy's supposedly dead fiancé shows up wanting to blackmail her over her father's debts and back into a relationship so that he can inherit his family's money from his mother. Can Jack save her again with his knowledge of banks and investing, and will Teddy still agree to call off their false engagement afterwards? When Jack's mother and maternal grandfather show up in the bargain, there is no guarantee of a happy ending. Or is there? This was an okay romance. It had some very witty lines, but the characters, especially Jack's mother, kind of left me cold. Even at the end, when there are signs that she will get back with Jack's father. I couldn't believe that either man would or should forgive her as easily as they seemed to. And I also found that Teddy was rather cold and standoffish at times- that kept me from warming up to her very much. But it was still a fine romance, just not anything standout for me. Recommended, but only slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Call to Duty: An Honorverse Novel- Book 1 of "Manticore Ascendant" by David Weber and Timothy Zahn- Travis Long grew up mostly ignored by his mother, and needing guidance since his father had died. But when he nearly gets caught taking part in a robbery with a group of boys he thought were his friends, he finds a different way to get that structure he needs by joining the Manticorean Navy, which is dying since all they get to fight these days is the occasional Pirate. Most of the Navy is in mothballs. But during his training, Travis ignites ire for wanting to do things "By the Book", and reports to his superiors that his fellow students are cheating, especially on their work on the Impeller nodes. which is what keeps the ship flying. Travis is upset because mistakes there can cripple or kill a ship, but no one but him seems to care. When his superiors try to have him Cashiered from the service for cheating, he is saved by the section head of Engineering, who takes him on as a student. When a shakeup changes the commanding officer of the camp, their collusion is discovered, but as exposing it would mean more damage to the Navy, the transfer is reluctantly upheld. Meanwhile, the Navy has had an idea about the mothballed Battlecruisers, split them in half and make each half into a separate, smaller ship that will be more cost-efficient to run and save the Navy money on maintaining ships that aren't used. Travis' half-brother Gavin, a minor lord, gets involved with the project because of his low status and relative youth. And the King's son has an idea for revitalizing the Manticorean economy- build a shipyard and make their own impellers and wedges instead of buying them very expensively from the Solarian League. To do so, they travel to the relatively nearby system of Haven, who is selling off a number of older ships at cost to help the smaller systems defeat pirates. But an attack on the Havenites by a disaffected group forces them to work together with the Manticoreans to protect themselves. Can Travis come up with an idea to defeat the pirates, or will some of the more important diplomats from both sides meet their end at the hands of the pirates? I liked this book. It reminded me a lot of the Honor Harrington books, with a relatively minor officer who distinguishes themselves, but it takes place when Manticore is still tiny star nation of a single system, and instead of Honor being held back by supporters of a man who tried to rape her (and got his just reward when she kicked his butt), Travis is held back by accusations of nepotism on behalf of his brother, and by his own "Do it by the Book" way of thinking that very few of his fellow cadets and officers seem to share. It still manages to be an absolutely kickass adventure and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I *do* miss treecats, but hopefully, we'll see some more in the future. I definitely Highly recommend this book, and I want to read more. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Ties That Bind by Jayne Ann Krentz- Shannon Raine is an artist living in a small artist's commune on the California Coast. Then, one day she finds she has a new neighbor when Garth Sheridan moves in next door. She in intrigued by the handsome man, and wants to know more, so she invites him to dinner that night with a friend o0f hers and her boyfriend. Shannon thinks Garth is a writer, but actually, Garth is the President and CEO of a high-tech company, and he intends to use the cottage he's rented to relax on the weekends- not to get to know the locals. But he thinks Sahnnon is coming onto him, and when he discovers she isn't. he's already been thinking about her in that way, and he realizes that a sexual relationship with her would be the perfect cap to his relaxing weekends away from the office. And Shannon, despite her professing not to want Garth, finds that her body has other ideas. However, Gath's controlling tendencies and his wanting to micromanage every moment of Shannon's life throw then into conflict, and when Shannon decides she wants to be more a part of his life than just a weekend relaxation, Garth seems to blame her for the ensuing chaos and the discovery that someone is stealing secrets from his company Can Shannon convince him that she isn't a corporate spy, and can he lighten up enough to stop controlling everything so much that he chokes the life out of their relationship? Or will the stresses between the two of them end up shattering the two of them apart? I usually love Jayne Ann Krentz, no matter which of her pseudonyms she is writing under. This book, however, I found a bit troubling. I did not feel that much sympathy for the hero. In the end, he did manage to tone it down, but the story implied the hero was justified at his attitude, and Shannon is naïve and wishy-washy, and unable to protect herself from an angent who would prey on her naivete. I wished that Shannon could have come off a little stronger, as she sometimes seems a sheep among the wolves when she is with Garth, and I disliked the imbalance of power among the sides of the relationship. I did feel better about the two by the end, but it was a rather hard slog to get there, and as it isn't a very long book, I ended up wishing Garth could go die in a fire at times for quite a bit of the story. In the end, this book ended up at "Meh" on the scale for me. Just not as enjoyable as I was hoping it would be.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins- Snake Bite by Andrew Lane- Sherlock has become too much of a thorn in the side of the Paradol Chamber, and in revenge, they kidnap him and set him on a boat bound for China. But while for a member of the Paradol Chamber, being kidnapped from their comfortable lives and being forced to live as a merchant sailor, Sherlock is a teenaged boy who finds this more of an adventure than a torture or even a hardship. He settles in, works hard and uses his time on board as a learning experience, including learning Chinese from the Ship's Cook and beating off an attack by pirates after the ship's Cargo. In Macao, a strange Dutchman joins the party, and the rest of the crew think he's a demon, since he hides his face and almost never leaves his cabin. But when Sherlock saves some papers from the man's cabin during the pirate attack, the man reveals that he suffers from a rare skin condition caused by ingesting colloidal silver, which he does because of silver's anti-disease properties. The silver particles collect under his shin, dying it a silver blue color. When she ship finally gets to China, even though Sherlock didn't sign on, the Captain gives him some money and some time to enjoy himself in the city. There, Sherlock gets invited to his family home by the cook, Wu Chung. and is befriended by a boy, Cameron Mackenzie, who is factor for a group of British Merchants. An American ship wishes to head up the river to make better maps of the area, and is asking for permission from the local officials. Wu Chung decides to take a job with the Americans to stay closer to his family, and tells Sherlock this, but he is ill after having only worked his first day, and dies later that night. His family believes him to have been bitten by a snake, but no snake is found in the house, and Wu's son believes that there are no holes a snake could have climbed in or out through- he has been most diligent in patching them all. But when Cameron's father dies of the same cause, Sherlock finds cause to believe that both men have been murdered. But by who and for what reason or reasons? Can Sherlock team up with Cameron and Wu's son, Wu Fung-Yi, to find and unmask the murderer while on the run in still-primitive China? And will he ever get back to England, his teacher and Virginia, who he has feelings for? I liked this book, which continued the "Young Sherlock Holmes" book series, at the end of the last book, Sherlock was kidnapped and put on a ship by members of the Paradol chamber, who intend the voyage to be something of a torture for him. But as his brother Mycroft points out, members of the Paradol Chamber might find it a torture to be deprived of home and family and all, but Sherlock is a sixteen tear old boy and will find it to be more of an adventure than a torture. And so it proves to be. Sherlock learns both Cantonese and T'ai Ch'i from the cook and uses his knowledge to solve the murder of Wu Chung as well, even if he isn't sure that Wu Chung was murdered until Cameron's father suffers a similar fate, and his snake bite wound is exactly the same as that of Wu Chung. The mystery is tense and yet adventurous and I liked the ending, even if it leaves Sherlock unhappy and half a world away from his family and friends. This is a book for young fans of Sherlock Holmes, and stays true to the character of Holmes as he is developing his unique powers of observation and ability to solve crimes. An excellent mystery and adventure combined. Hightly recommended, both for the series and this book.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Mammoth Book of Warriors and Wizardry- anthology edited by Sean Wallace - This book contains 25 short stories involving men and women getting involved with some sort of magic. "Small Magic" by Jay Lake involves a warrior sent to guard a small fortress at the end of the world from barbarians, along with other members of the legion. When their superior officer is killed, and the other men start deserting, only this one warrior's oath to his King keeps him from joining them. But will his Oath be enough to keep him safe? "King Rainjoy's Tears" is the story of a female scholar/bard who travels with her thief lover to retrieve King Rainjoy's three tears, which he gave up, along with human feeling, to properly lead his Kingdom. But can regaining his tears give him back all the feelings he lost? "A Rich, Full Week" by K.J. Parker has a Wizard dealing with a lingering spirit of a man who was also a wizard. But will he be able to banish the spirit forever? "Woman in Scarlet" by Tanith Lee tells the story of a warrior with a sentient sword. But when the sword bonded with his soul abandons him for another, how can he live with himself, or forgive the spirit in the sword? "Flotsam" by Bradley P. Beaulieu tells of a fish-man with too close ties to the humans asked to aid them in their wars. But what will be the cost to himself and his people if he agrees? "A Warrior's Death" by Aliette de Bodard, a failed Priest of the War-God must discover who made an improper sacrifice to the God he once served and why they would do such a thing. But the answer may mean the death of his civilization. What will he report to the head priest? "A Siege of Cranes" by Benjamin Rosenbaum has a man named Marish who returns from hunting to find his village burnt to the ground and his wife and daughter missing. When he goes in sake of Vengeance on the raider's did it, he is joined by a non-human and might have to battle a demon. But can he give closure for the people who died? Fox Bones, Many Uses" by Alex Dally MacFarlane tells the story of a foxwoman and her half-human baby. When the human lord declares war on the non-humans, she and her people must either decide to fight, or just go. But will either decision bring safety? "Where Virtue Lives" by Saladin Ahmed: has a doctor-mage facing off against a ghul who has abducted a merchant's wife. Also in the city is a Holy Slayer who wants to apprentice to him. But while the mage is getting old, the Holy Slayer needs guidance. Can hey find what they need in each other to finish the case and rescue the woman? "The Effigy Engine: A Take of the Red Hats" by Scott Lynch tells of a war mage tasked with destroying a carriage turned into an Engine of War, Along with his mother, leader of the Red Hat Mages and her own partner, rhey must find a way to kill the unkillable and survive in the process, "Strife Lingers in Memory" by Carrie Vaughn tells of a Mage's daughter who marries the ruler of a Kingdom who survived the battle to free his legacy from his enemies, but paid a terrible cost to do so. After years of helping her husband through the aftermath, can she survive when the nightmares start in her? " A Sweet Calling" by Tony Pi follows a sugar mage who must defeat a rival sorcerer. He can summon up magic from thr animals of the zodiac when he shapes them out of candy. But what will be the cost of doing so, and how will he pay it? "The Narcomancer" by N. K. Jemisin follows a mage of the goddess of dreams and death, His task is to collect the dream fluid from people before they die. But when he is called to a small village by the wife of a dead headman, one of his other wives, little better than a slave, asks the Narcomancer to father a child on her. But he has been sworn to celibacy, which conflicts with his duty to bring comfort in the game of his goddess. Which will he choose to follow? "Golden Daughter, Stone Wife" by Benjamin Sriduangkaew tells of a female magician and her golem daughter. When her husband dies, it is up to her to return the golem to the Mage's Guild. But the Golem has become as dear to her as a daughter. Can she outwit the female mage sent to retriever her "daughter"? "Effigy Nights" by Yoon Ha Lee tells of a mage who uses an effigy to bring sleep and disarm his foes. But when the party seeking his help is incapacitated by a similar lump of stone, can he bring a good outcome to the situation for his temple? "Wearaway and Flambeau" by Matthew Hughes When a thief is employed by a man to try and steal an item from the Wizard's Home, the Thief discovers a way to use the situation to his and his employer's advantage. But what will happen when both of them reach too far? "At the Edge of Dying by Mary Robinette Kowal has a mage who gains power from being near death traveling through his Kingdom at war, fighting on behalf of his King, but when it is revealed his wife is dying, she is suddenly more powerful than he. Can they defeat the wizard in charge of the enemy to keep their homeland free/ Or will the Wizard sacrifice everything for his dying wife? "Vici" by Naomi Novik take a son of Rome and pairs him with a dragon, at first to kill it, but when he succeeds in turning it into a mount instead, and nearly turns against his former masters, what will Rome do to him? "Abjure the Realm" takes a bard that serves his King and makes him question his loyalty when the King chooses to war on his own sister, a sorceress with powers over the dead. What will he do when he realizes that the sister is innocent of the charges that the King makes against her? "The Word of Azrael" by Matthew David Surridge tells the tale of a warrior who encounters the Angel of Death once upon a battlefield, and who spends the rest of his life trying to meet the Angel again and discover his destiny. "Lady of the Ghost Willow" by Richard Parks tells the story of a Samurai troubled by a female spirit who is making him unable to sleep. but can a fellow samurai track the cause of the trouble? "The Singing Spear" by James Enge has a smith being called upon to destroy a magical weapon that he made. But he knows it cannot be destroyed- not without unleashing a great evil on the world. So what can he do? "So Deep That the Bottom Could Not Be Seen" by Genevieve Valentine takes the last descendant of a Native American Shaman to become part of a magical council. Only she has no powers and doesn't believe the council can change anything. When she meets others of a magical bent, can she prove what she knows to be wrong? "Warrior Dreams" by Cinda Williams Chima has a war vet living under a bridge. He used to be a warrior, but he doesn't want to fight any more Can a faerie convince him how much she and her people need him to be their champion? "The Magician, The Maid and Other Stories pits a magician from anther world against a woman who wants him dead for killing the man she loved. But when both of them find an unexpected connection, can they see beyond the blind hatreds of the past to find a different life? This was an interesting collection of short stories, and interestingly enough, I liked most of the stories in the novel and didn't really dislike any of them. I did have favorites, but my top three were probably "Woman In Scarlet", "Strife Lingers in Memory" and "Wariior Dreams" were my top three favorites of the bunch, while "Golden Daughter, Stone wife was the one I liked least, but didn't dislike. This book is way above average for an anthology and comes out at Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas- Celaena Sardothian, formerly Aelin Galathynius, has been sent to the country of Wendlyn by the King of Adarlan to kill off the royal family- a task she has no intention of doing. Instead, she seeks out Maeve, her mother's aunt, to demand answers about the magical artifacts that the King is trying to get so that he can take control over the world and all their Kingdoms, even as her former lover, Chaol, , who has bargained for her to be sent from Wendlyn so that she can be safe, has to work with her cousin, Aedion, now one of the King's Own Generals. Aedion pretends to be the King's Man, and wears the same sort of ring that the King and his minister do, but is he actually supporting the King, and will Chaol resort to treason to inform Aedion of what happened to his cousin? Meanwhile, Celaena goes to Wendlyn to meet her aunt, the Queen of the Faeries, who assigns her to a part-fae named Rowan to train in her magic. But Celaena has blocked every trace of her magic because of her past, when it was too strong to be controlled, and trying to get her magic to work, even here in a world where magic isn't blocked by the King's long-ago ritual, is dangerous, not only to her, but the people around her. Can she learn to use her magic properly in time, and just what must she do to get it to come at her beck and call rather than being controlled by her magic? Will she remember more than just scraps of her past life, and can she save Rowan from the horrible position he will be put in? More to the point, can she come away from a conflict with her powerful aunt without getting literally burned? And can she save the part-fae from a monster imported from Adarlan and made from the King's Magic when he sends it against the people of Wendlyn? Lastly, the King of Adarlan is working with the Witches of The Western Wastes, training them to ride monstrous beasts to be part of his army. Manon, leader of the Thirteen, is undergoing her own apotheosis as she works to become wingleader of the Witch forces. But with a Wyvern that started out as a bait beast, can she win victory on the field and make sure she leads? So much goes on in this novel among many main characters. Not only Prince Dorian, Captain of the Guard Chaol and Aedion, but new characters like Manon are introduced and enough time is spent with them to show that they will be an important part of this series moving forward. But we get to see a whole lot of character development and things are starting to come to a head for Aelyn/Celaena and her friends and possible future foes. I am thinking no more than a book or two remain in the series, but It's possible something could delay the ending. Not yet, though, I hope.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">To Love a King by Shona Husk- Felan ap Gwyn is the Prince of Annwyn, and Annwyn is dying, led by the breakup of the marriage between his mother, a human, and his father, a fae. Felan was once in love with Jacquelyn Ara, but it all fell apart when she lost the baby she was carrying. She knew it was an ectopic pregnancy and had to end it to save her own life, while Felan thought that Jacqui's mother, who never approved of their relationship, persuaded her to have an abortion. When he left, it was for a long time, and Jacqui was upset that he hadn't even asked her what happened. But now he needs a bride, a human willing to give up her soul and become semi-immortal to save Annwyn. And he needs to find her within two weeks. Felan wants Jacqui, whom he never really stopped having feelings for. But can he persuade Jacqui to come back to him and try again, even if doing so brings her nothing but pain? For Felan isn't alone in seeking the throne, his cousin, Sulia, is also looking to become queen. But if she does, Annwyn will become a very dark place indeed. And unlike Felan, Sulia is already pregnant by her male lover, something that Felsn has yet to accomplish with Jacqui, but can he romance her, get her pregnant and get her to give up her soul to save Annwyn to beat Sulia at her own game? I liked this book. despite the greatly shortened form of the romance (which takes place over less than a week, and I could see that Jacqui and Felan had feelings for each other. In fact, being menaced by Sulia only brings them together faster, once they acknowledge their true feelings. I liked Felan, I liked Jacqui, and although it took me a lot of the book to watm up to the main characters, I did end up believing in their happily ever after. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Deadly Descendatn by Jenna Black- Nikki Glass, former private investigator, has discovered that she is a descendant, one of the many-times removed offspring of the Greek Gods. And her particular progenitor is Artemis, goddess of the Hunt. For that reason, she is wanted by the Olympians actual children of the Gods. But the reason they want her is to track down other descendants so they can be killed, even otherwise innocent women and children. Nikki won't do that, so she has joined forced with Anderson, descendant of a Death God, who has gathered a group of descendants. But when she helped find his wife, who had been kidnapped and imprisoned at the bottom of a lake for years, neither she nor Anderson knew that the constant torture of dying over and over had driven her insane. Now, she is irrationally jealous of Nikki, and the Descendants have been asked by the Olympians to find a Descendant who has been killing men in DC, and who is descended from a Death God. But as Nikki investigates on Anderson's behalf, his wife's paranoia escalates, and she attacks Nikki, who is also attacked by the Descendant of Anubis, who controls a pack of hyenas who are infected with rabies and whose bite is even capable of infecting another Descendant, who should be immune to all disease. But as they prepare to try and take the Descendant of Anubis down, the tension between Anderson and his wife brings things to a head and could lead to Nikki's death once again. Can they bring the man down and discover *why* he hates Konstantin so much? This is the second book in the series, which I didn't know when I picked it up. However, we're not so far into the story that I found it hard to catch up on the story so far. I found it very interesting. The Descendants and the Olympians share immortal souls known as Liberi, and there are a limited number of them around. The Olympians try to prevent more Liberi from coming into being, and if they do arise, can kill the Descendant and steal the immortality they have for themselves. Needless to say, we get to see this through the eyes of a Descendant, which makes the case for the Descendants more compelling than the case of the Olympians. I'd definitely like to read more, but I'd also like to see the Olympians point of view- since the Greek and Roman Gods aren't the only gods who have human descendants (We see descendants of Loki, Anubis, and other pantheons in the story.) Recommended, even highly, and I want to read more.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Rogue Spy by Joanna Bourne- Camille Leyland is s French Spy gone deep undercover in England. But over the years, she has stopped acting as a double agent and her loyalties and sympathies now lie with England, and the two old ladies, masters of cryptography, that have taken her in. But when her cover is broken and a French assassin sent to kill her or her two "aunts" if they will not give up the incredibly secret cypher in their possession, the only way to keep them safe is for Camille to go on the run. Thomas Paxton was once also a spy for France, but he isn't French and his loyalties are also now to England. But when he realizes an infamous French Assassin is loose in England, he can only investigate with the help of his friends. To his surprise, he finds Camille as the object of the assassin's intentions, and as they once knew each other in the spy school both were "trained" at, he knows he must try and save her- as long as she is no longer Spying for France. As for Camille, Thomas Paxton is the only boy she ever had feelings for, and the man is more than the boy ever was. as they are thrown together by the attempt on her life, he struggles to keep her safe, but cannot help the feelings he develops for her. For her part, she finds the man much more compelling than the boy, but does he return her intense feelings? And once she finds the family who once abandoned her, can he live up to their impossible standards? Can two people who were once hurt and abandoned young children ever find solace and even love in each others arms when a ruthless killer is after them both? I really enjoyed this book, for many reasons. For one, Camille is the more experienced one in the bedroom. Though Pax pretended to spend money on Prostitutes, he only drew them, so when he finally takes Camille to bed, he is a bit anxious at making love to her properly. She's had sex with two men, and though it was pleasant, it's nothing to what she feels for a man she truly loves. I also liked that both characters were extraordinarily competent, and neither one had to ride the idiot bus for the plot to go forward. I also liked their history and the snippets we saw of their pasts in France. Both were picked up as indigent children, abandoned by their families, and forced to be spies. It was an interesting take on the idea of spies and I am sure occurred in some real history somewhere. I just found myself really liking both characters and the way they interacted, and the way their shared history brought them together. Well done, well told and definitely highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead- Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of the group who is supposed to look after and clean up after Moroi Vampires. But the Alchemists think Sydney is a traitor, because she has entered into a relationship with Adrian, cousin to the current Moroi Queen and a user of Spirit. But Sydney has been captured and taken to a retraining facility, where she will be brainwashed into toeing the Alchemist line. Despite horrible mental and physical torment, she is able to hold out for a long time- and soon finds out that she isn't the only Moroi Sympathizer in the facility. Thanks to her ability to use magic and the ink she discovered that can cancel out the effects of the Alchemist tattoo ink she is able to "inoculate" the other sympathizers undergoing re-education to resist re-inking of the tattoo. And Adrian finds himself drawn back to court by his mother and discovers the true state of affairs between his mother and father is not what he thought it was. And with his own tendency to drink himself blotto to forget the pain of losing Sydney, he must exercise some discipline if he wants to get her back. But to rescue Sydney, he's going to need lots of help- and that won't prevent her from being taken by the Alchemists if Adrian and his allies somehow manage to find out where she is and break her out. But will his plan to find her succeed? I was slow to warm up to this series, but I actually kind of like it now. Reading about the mental and physical torture that Sydney undergoes was hard, but I did enjoy this book, both sides. Sydney and Adrian have to suck up and keep soldiering on without each other, and it's hard for both of them, but I really enjoyed the book, which is part imprisonment story, part prison break and part chase. I loved this book and this finally got me liking both characters with the way they "manned up" and helped each other find Sydney. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Ice Dragon by George R. R, Martin, illustrated by Luis Royo- Adara is a "Winter Child", born in the winter, one of the coldest ones ever known. She neither smiles nor cries and her skin is always chilled. She also manages to bond with an ice dragon, which most men think is impossible. But when war comes to her home and her farm is attacked, Adara's only hope is the Ice Dragon, even though it is the middle of summer. Can she find a way to save her family and destroy the fire Dragons of the enemy? I found this tale to be short and yet still profound. I loved how it is told so simply and yet so beautifully, and the illustrations by Royo are perfect: delicate, yet with plenty of detail and wonder. A lovely fable for children. Highly recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-90527097559030089132014-12-03T15:55:00.004-05:002014-12-31T23:52:16.998-05:002014, Part 11<span style="color: #33ccff;">Almost a Bride by Jane Feather- Jack Fortescu is a man on a mission, and that mission is finally taking *everything* away from Frederick Lacey, Earl of Dunston. So when the Earl loses his fortune and family home "With everything in it" to Jack, he blows his brains out, leaving behind his sister, Arabella Lacey, to take the fallout for her brother. But Arabella doesn't know the terms of the agreement, and Jack wants to keep it from her so that he can force her to marry him, all so he can have his final revenge on Frederick, who he thinks killed Jack's sister and his lover in the French Revolution. But Arabella agrees to marry Jack, and finds that the man she loves has been lying to her through her connection with French Emigres. But when she discovers that Jack's sister is still alive in the Bastille, she will not let him go alone into France to rescue her. And as Jack stays married to Arabella, he starts to discover her brilliant mind, loving heart and sense of wit, and finds himself unexpectedly falling for his bride. But can he let his revenge go to enjoy an entirely unexpected love? I found this one a little hard to get into. Jack is such a jerk for most of the book because he's fixated on Revenge. I thought Arabella deserved far better. But both characters sneaked in and stole my heart. It's hard not to feel for Jack and his feelings of hatred for Frederick Lacey- and with good reason. I found this a difficult romance, but ended up loving how the characters came together. I almost wish it lasted a bit longer so we could get to see Jack as a changed man and loving Arabella a bit more. Still an excellent book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy- Summer Wine Lee knows nothing about being a lady. Raised on the frontier of America, she grew up in poverty, until her father struck it rich for her mother, who was already dead. He continued to amass wealth for Summer, and Summer came to New York to live with him, only to fall in love with Monte Tarkington, one of the richest families in New York. He also loves her, but his family will not accept her until she has been presented to the Queen. And so she travels to London, only to discover it isn't as easy as that. She needs lessons to prepare herself for London, so she approaches Byron, impoverished Duke of Monchester with a proposal- get her introduced to the Queen and polish her so she can be accepted. Byron is as well known for his viciously truthful tongue that makes the ton fear him. But this American who has offered him the chance to regain the money his family lost isn't afraid of him- perhaps he should be afraid of a woman to packs a knife beneath her skirts and is ready to jump in and save him from someone who seems set on killing him. Constantly surprised and taken aback by her, he finds himself drawn to her beauty and fearlessness, and soon, he no longer wants to teach her so she can go back to New York and marry Monte- he wants her for herself. As for Summer, the dashing Duke becomes more than a teacher- he becomes a friend and a lover, but can she deny what ahe finds she really wants to return to New York to marry the man she thought she loved? Or does she have the will to reach for something she never knew she wanted? This was an intriguing and engaging story. Summer starts out as a fish out of water, but also finds that the skills she learned as a child in the American Southwest can be equally needed in England. But it is Byron who finds himself the most changed. Renowned for his poisonous tongue, he is only accepted because of his rank and his friendship with the Prince. The things he wants- the things he cares about, are far removed from his daily life. It was nice to see him change and grow to accept Summer, and the effect they have on each other through the course of the book, and I liked the ending very much. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Viking Takes a Knight by Sandra Hill- John of Hawk's Nest is a valiant Saxon Knight who wants nothing else than to be left alone in peace to raise bees and perform his experiments with honey. But others around him are telling him that he needs a good woman to ease his needs. Ingrith, a Viking Princess, runs an orphanage where she raises the son of the Prince, who is now in danger from a relative who has taken the throne and wants the boy killed to ensure the succession. With another threat from the Captain of the Guard, who intends to make her his leman, against her wishes, she flees to John's Castle, hoping to hide the boy from his relative and keep him alive and her from the Captain's Bed. But when she takes charge of the Castle kitchens, John is irritated with Ingrith, but cannot help but notice her... finer qualities. Ingrith, too, finds herself more attracted to John the longer she stays in his company. As they come together, both body and mind, John will have to go to Ingrith's father to take her to wife. But can he win her wild heart? This was an okay romance novel, but nothing all that good really stood out about it for me in a good way. However, what really made me annoyed with the story was the phrase, "Man parts", used by pretty much everyone, no matter their culture or background. Really? Neither the Vikings nor the Saxons have a more prosaic or earthy term for that part of the body? Not even Ballocks? It grated on my nerves after a while, and I found it offputting in the extreme. It's horrible that it's often the little things that so ruin a story that later make you look back on things with a jaundiced eye. I mean, the word may sound like it should be courtly and old-fashioned, but to my ears it just falls lame, and flat. So, I wouldn't recommend this book because I still cringe when I think of reading the love scenes. Save your money. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Silver Nights by Jane Feather- Sophie Golitskova's mother died in childbirth, on the run from the forces of the Czarina Catherine, who they were accused to wanting to overthrow, and her father shot himself rather than be captured. Their daughter, Sophia Alexeyevna was taken to her grandfather to raise. But when Catherine orders her to marry Prince Paul Dmitirev, she sends a young Cavalry Officer, Dmitriev's aide, Adam Danilevski, to deliver the news and escort her back to the capital for her marriage. Sophie does not want to be married, but both Adam and her grandfather conspire to get her to accept the marriage. She and Adam become close- almost lovers, but not quite, as he takes her to meet her bridegroom. Prince Dmitirev doesn't actually want Sophie, though- he wanted her mother, who was won instead by Sophie's father. Because he doesn't want his new bride, except as a sop to his pride, he determines to completely rule her-something foreign to the spirited Sophie. And just when he thought he had the job finished, she rebels against him, and he sells her beloved horse. When she continues to defy him, she becomes Adam's lover, and the Czarina colludes with the lovers by assigning her husband fat from the two, and looking the other way. But finally Dmitryev has had enough and sends her off on a visit to her grandfather in thin clothing and without any heat. Only Adam's interference saves her, and he returns her to her grandfather, loving her through the winter. But she is pregnant with his child, and when her husband finds out, he is determined to separate the lovers once and for all and to kill Sophie if he cannot make her his. Her only hope is Adam. Can he find her and rescue their son in time? Reading this romance was hard. I mean, I loved the story and the love between Sophie and Adam, but her husband was a real piece of work, and the evil he does to Sophie, and to Adam as well, made me sick. In a way, it was almost too real to be able to dismiss as merely a story. Paul Dmitiryev is a monster, and he is so realistic, it's really disturbing, because you can see that actually happening. But I found the romance a little dry and almost... too mannered for me, which was strange, considering the supposedly untamed nature of Sophie and what happens. As a result of the sickening monster who is the villain and the almost too dry nature of the romance, I found myself not enjoying the book very much. It was simply not my cup of tea. So, not recommended from me, but I have a feeling that other people would find this more interesting than I did.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Gentleman Never Tells by Amelia Gentry- Gabrielle was taking a walk with her hound, Brutus, after witnessing the love between her fiancé and her sister, Rosabelle, when she came on Lord Brentwood walking his deceased mother's laphound, Prissy. In moments, she is in Brent's arms, kissing him for all she is worth, with he gladly returning her ardor. But when they are caught by her father and her fiancé, she can't betray her sister's dalliance and instead keeps her silence. The betrothal broken, her father forces Brentwood to offer for her and they become engaged. But when she offers to let her former Fiance offer for her sister, instead, he claims that he was only kissing her because Rosabelle enjoyed kissing, and that he feels nothing for her. Gabrielle is shocked, but knows she will never marry him. But as she finds herself falling for Brent, they are thrown together when he goes in search of his mother's missing dog, finding that other nobles are also missing their dogs as well. Brent also is in London to take care of his half-brothers, born out of an affair that his mother had with a man she met in London. Now that his mother is dead, he wants to protect them from finding out about their real parentage and thinking ill of their mother. Plus, he keeps Gabrielle's secret about being the one to initiate the kiss, because a true Gentleman never tells. But can she find a way to keep Brent, the man she is falling in love with, and her family as well? This romance made me smile. Yes, there are some genuinely uncomfortable moments for both Brent and Gabrielle, but generally, their romance was made of happy moments and it left me happy to read. While there was nothing "knock your socks off" about this story- it was still a solid romance that, at the end of the book, left me with a smile on my face. Definitely a book to feel good about. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Black Butler, Volume 8 by Yana Toboso- The Big top assassins continue their rampage, and Ciel and Sebastian, along with Ciel's servants, must fend them off with weapons and cunning. While it might be possible to save the assassins, Ciel determines that they are too badly damaged to risk them re-entering society. However, he does as one of them asks and goes to save the rest of the orphans from the orphanage they come from because the assassins </span><span style="color: #33ccff;">are trying to free the other children there. Then, Ciel is visited by his fiancée and has to have a new wardrobe made. But the designer is crazy and wants to dress Ciel like a toy doll. Can Ciel fight for his right to dress like an adult and can Sebastian save him from having the scar that seals their contract be seen by the fashion designer? I like this series, which sort of riffs on the same things that "Yami no Matsuei" or "Descendants of Darkness" does so well. It also puts me in mind of "Godchild", with a detective having a devoted Butler who helps them, and it sort of mixes the two genres. I find the character of Sebastian an intriguing study in contrasts. Despite being a literal devil, he usually ends up fascinated by the evil that humans are capable of- apparently, humans are or can be worse than devils, and Cain and his opponents often show this. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Black Butler, Volume 10 by Yana Toboso- Ciel's been giving a Royally sanctioned dinner party, but three people have been killed, including Sebastian. Seemingly at an impasse, one of the guests steps forward to try and solve the murders and determine who is responsible, but Ciel has already sent for help- a vicar named Jeremy Rathbone, who arrives just as the guest determines that someone from the outside, not a part of the guests, must have committed the murders. But can the Vicar determine the true murderer, and is Sebastian really dead? This book is the end of a locked room-type mystery, although it's less a room than an entire estate cut off from the world by a horrible storm and an overflowing river, but it manages to remain a creditable mystery, though readers familiar with the work of Arthur Conan Doyle will notice that the solution is very Holmesian and even the supposed "vicar" is strongly based on the appearance of Jeremy Brett from the Sherlock Holmes TV series from Granada Television. Nonetheless, an interesting book to read and a fun story. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh- Duncan Pennethorne, Earl of Sherringford, has fled from the ton after a notorious scandal. But now that five years have passed, he's been informed that his grandfather is cutting him off from the funds that sustain him, his servants, and his son, Tobias. Traveling back to London to confront his grandfather, he discovers that the old man is holding him to his promise to marry before his grandfather's 80th birthday and have an heir by his 81st- and he only has two weeks to fulfill the terms of the agreement. Sebastian sets off in search of a wife who will have him. By contrast, Margaret Huxtable gave up on the idea of marriage, or even romance, to raise her three siblings after their parents died. The man who she was in love with and promised to wait for betrayed her when he was on the continent, and now that he has returned, she wants nothing to do with him. However, her only other prospect for romance and marriage has since met another woman and married her as well, leaving her alone. Literally running into Duncan on the dance floor, he proposes to her right away, liking the looks of her, and she accepts, but thinking he is merely joking. When she realizes he is being honest, she decides that she won't agree to marry him- but she will agree to be romanced, with the possibility to marry him at the end of his time. He agrees, but can he give Meg the love she yearns for while still hiding so many secrets from her? And can Meg heal the rifts inside Duncan's family and help him regain what he's lost? I liked this book, which had a very strong hook to draw me in- Duncan was exiled from the Ton because of a scandal- but the blurb doesn't make clear what the scandal is. But let me say- it's a doozy. Duncan ran off with his brother's wife at his own wedding. Of course, there is more to it than that. Considerably more, and therein lies the truth of the matter and the reason why it happened. But Duncan's good fortune in finding the right woman to marry and his wife's ability to love and be loved is what underlies the story and makes the ending worthwhile. I loved how open and honest Meg was and how I could understand why Duncan lied about so many things to her- by that time, I was invested in the story and wanted to see both Hero and heroine end up happy. Recommended, though this is an older book and you may have o search for it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Mars Up Close: Inside the Curiosity Mission by Marc Kaufman, with a forward by Elon Musk- Mars is almost a twin to earth- nearly the same size, but even though it is in the habitable zone of the sun, Mars is dry, dessicated and dead, especially when compared to Earth, with an abundance of free-flowing water and an equal abundance of life and life forms. But Mars may have once had water- many features on Mars seem to have been sculpted by water, and they continue to whisper to scientists that Mars may have looked even more like Earth when it was younger. But could the secrets of Mars' green past still be found buried in the present? And with a human mission impossible at this point in time, how will we be able to find the evidence if it is? Adam Steltzner, a rock guitarist, designed an SUV-sized rover to explore the surface of Mars, absent any humans. And so began the story of the Curiosity rover, and the incredible journey it undertook across the surface of the red planet to probe into the Martian past. Filled with hundreds of photos and charts, this book tells us both the human story of the Rover and the many people at NASA who made it work, fixed it when there was a problem (from many millions of miles away) and who shared in the triumph of the Curiosity mission. We get to see everywhere along the way, from the time Curiosity landed, through the glitch that nearly ended the mission and into further triumphs later on. This book was packed with information and the stories of those who worked on the Rover mission, and the story of the Rover itself. If you wanted to know anything about the Rover and its mission, here is the place to find it. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">New York Christmas by Anne Perry- Jemima Pitt is now in her twenties and she is acting as a companion to Delphinia Cardew, and acquaintance of hers to New York City to marry Phinnie's fiancé, Brent Albright. Both families are rich and while neither is titled, their marriage will definitely be an affair to remember. However, Brent's brother Harley asks her to help him find Phinnie's mother, a woman who abandoned her husband and daughter and ran off for no apparent reason, to keep her from attending the wedding and spoiling the occasion, Jemima is glad to try and help. But when Phinnie's mother turns up dead and is found by Jemima, he throws her to the wolves, in this case, the New York Police and accuses her, in a roundabout way, of killing Phinnie's mother, Jemima is imprisoned and questioned. To save her own life and find the real murderer, Jemima must team up with Patrick Flannery, the Irish policeman assigned to the case. It turns out that Maria Cardew, Phinnie's mother, was nursing the owner of the apartment. Trying to track down the woman, Jemima, freed with the help of Celia Albright must discover her own hidden detective instinct to determine not only the true killer, but save herself from the Hangman's noose. This was a short but wonderful novel, part of Anne Perry's Christmas series. Here we get to see Jemima, the daughter of Thomas and Caroline, finally come into her own and help solve a mystery. And it's a great one that ties into the American location they take place in. Also, though we haven't seen a section from Jemima's perspective before, I found her an engaging Mix of both her mother and father's point of view. I liked the ending and perhaps Anne Perry, like Elizabeth Peters, is going to do a "next generation" series, where the children of the two original characters come into their own and take on many of the same roles. I can only hope! Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Love on the Dark Side Anthology by various Authors is a collection of soft-core erotica of the paranormal variety from a company known as "Black Lace" In "What Witches Want" by Mathilde Madden details Lilith, Queen of the Witches as she attempts to find a man to be her lover. Can she do it by giving up her power? "The Black Knight" by Olivia Knight has a faithful Knight ensorcelled and imprisoned by a wicked enchantress. Can his lady-love and her mother save him from the woman's clutches? "My Earthquake in Leamington Spa" by Kristina Lloyd has a Married woman finding love and a satisfying love life with a Butler of another era, who she visits by traveling through a time portal into the past. But can their relationship last when all she wants to do is be with him? "Stranger to My Shores" by Sophie Mouette has an oceanographer find a merman washed up on shore. She saves his life, and he gifts her love, but can the two of them be together when he is a creature of the tropics and she lives and works in Cape Cod? "Lust for Blood" by Madelynne Ellis tells of one woman's Odyssey of sex and seduction with two vampires, "Sun Seeking" by Janine Ashbless has a tourist in Greece getting seduced by a pair of Greek deities living on a small island, "Power Play" by Katie Doyce has a supervillain fall into the clutches of a very sexy Superhero on vacation, but while they play a game of seduction, will she let him go at the end, or throw him in jail for his crimes? In "The Shadow of Matthew" by Gwen Masters, a woman mourning the death of her husband gets a little supernatural visitation from the dearly departed. "Magic for Beginners" by Sabine Whelan has a student of magic in love with her teacher, but will they come together before she explodes in frustration> "Sweet Dreams" by A.D.R. Forte has a woman meet one of her co-workers in her dreams for tremendous sex. But can it last? "Girl of His Dreams" has a woman with the power to enter and manipulate the dreams of others try to seduce a co-worker with her powers. But will her plans succeed? "To Stand Between the Wild and the Human" has a researcher on a deserted isle meet a mythical creature- a kitsune. But when she begins falling in love with him, can their experience end happily? "Watching the Detective" by Portia DaCosta has a woman dreaming od a sexual encounter with her favorite fictional but was it really just a dream when her boyfriend has dreamed of watching her? "All I Want for Christmas" by Mae Nixon has a video store employee summon her own succubus for Christmas. But what does se really want? "The End of the Pier" by Angel Blake has a man encountering the BDSM model of his dreams. But will their encounter end the way he wants it to? I was interested in this book mainly because I love reading Emma Holly's story, which sit firmly on the line between romance and erotica. But this book was a mixed bag for me Some of the stories were good, and others were only okay or did nothing for me. My favorites were "The Black Knight" and "Power Play". The rest just didn't scratch that same itch. I suspect that this will be true for everyone, but it is a nice overview of what's available. Neither recommended nor not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Black Butler Volume 9 by Yana Toboso- The Queen commands Ciel to throw a party for a relative of hers visiting from Germany. It must be Ciel because the man wishes to meet leading industriaists and Ciel runs the Funtom Corporation. The man proves to be quiet a problem, especially when drinking, as he manhandles an actress invited for the dinner, and will not let her go. He also drinks like a fish and Sebastian has to haul him off to his room. Later that night, though, the man is dead, and Sebastian and the other guests must find the killer. But he isn't the only one who is killed- when Sebastian looks into the fireplace in the murdered man's room, he is struck from behind and killed. Ciel is angered by his Butler's Death, but he'a also angry at Sebastian for dying.. But when another guest is discovered dead, it's up to Ciel and a young Doctor with an interest in mysteries, to solve the whodunit and unmask the murderer... This volume neatly sets up a locked room and "locked house" mystery, but doesn't (as yet) reveal the murderer. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read, and seeing Ciel's reaction to Sebastian;'s death was very affecting, but we are already getting clues that make it clear that things are not quite as they seem. Despite having already read Volume 10 and knowing who the murderer was, I still found the story quite suspenseful, and I enjoyed reading it. Tension is handled well, with the suspense ratcheting up and up as the story goes on. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Black Butler, Volume 12 by Yana Toboso- Ciel and his fiancée are sailing on the Campania, but there is a zombie loose on the ship.Ciel and Sebastian team up to take it down, but it's not the only one on the ship. One of the guests has created a machine to bring the dead back to life, and he's traveling with quite a few corpses in his baggage, all stored in the lower baggage compartment. But when one zombie becomes hundreds, two reapers show up and start killing the zombies, inadvertently helping Ciel, Sebastian and Elizabeth and her family fight off the zombie plague. Elizabeth thinks Ciel will reject her if she shows off how good at combat she is, but she also wants to keep him safe. But the reapers care nothing for the living and they very much don't like Sebastian. Soon, the walking dead outnumber the living, and Sebastian and Ciel are separated as they attemopt to keep more Zombies from being produced. But who is really in charge of the mysterious "Aurora Society", and why do they want to save humans by re-animating the bodies as bloodthirsty killers? And who or what gave them the idea in the first place? This volume starts out with a single zombie and escalates from there. As more and more of the living dead show up to plague the living, the more chaotic and out of control things get, until the entire ship is in chaos- and the reapers don't care to help the living, except indirectly. In fact, the reapers plan to destroy the ship and sink it, killing everyone on board, before they are stopped and coerced into doing things in a way that will allow the other humans to survive. But who will be among the survivors is still an open question, mong others. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Black Butler, Volume 13 by Yana Toboso- We finally meet the mastermind behind the Aurora Society, and learn why the Kaiser wants zombies- and the answer isn't pretty. The remaining humans, Elizabetgh and her family, Ciel and the others must team up to prevent further deaths. But even with the assistance of the two Reapers, are Ciel and Sebastian enough to overcome this new foe? And in the midst of Death, their foe calls up the memory of the first meeting of Ciel and Sebastian and find out how a devil became a Butler and Ciel came to take Sebastian into his service. But Can Sebastian really die? And what would happen to Ciel if he does? Another tense and suspenseful volume. In the midst of a Zombie outbreak, a supernatural fight is going on, one that will have the fate of the world at its stake. But Can Ciel and the others survive the villain and ensure that he meets a just fate? I am hoping the next volume is the conclusion of the fight, because the whole "Zombies" thing is getting old. But the villain and his motivations are finally explained, and it was a welcome change to see. The backstory of Sebastian and Ciel is fascinating, and I want to read more of that. More mysteries tantalize the reader, and I found them fascinating. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Revenant by Kat Richardson- Harper Blaine has been living with her boyfriend, Quinton, who lives life as a ghost in the system to escape the clutches of his father, James Purlis. Quinton has always been wary of his father, but now his niece has disappeared and his sister is asking for his help. Making her way to Portugal with the help of a vampire she knows named Carlos, she is shpped to Portugal as a dead body, with a spell on her yo make her seem that way. But once in Portugal, it seems that Quinton's niece was kidnapped by her own grandfather, along with being given two very creepy presents. Harper determines that the two people with Purlis were magicians who deal with death, and that they are responsible for kidnapping Soraia, and that the magicians need the litle girl for a rritual they are going to do. The only help Carlos can give Harper is that sometimes, someone must sacrifice something precious to them to make a ritual work right. But what does Purlis want so badly that he'd give up members of his own family to accomplish it? And what do the magicians want from Purlis in return? And furthermore, what history do the magicians have with Carlos, a vampire who was also once a magician? And can Quinton, Harper and their allies save Soraia from her grandfather and from whatever vengeance the magicians are planning before a magical catastrophe falls on Portugal/ I read this book almost all at once while waiting to see a Doctor, and I have to admit, I was hooked from the very first page. I liked the way that Harper saw Portugal and how Kat Richardson described the History of Portugal affecting the ghosts there. Naturally, Europe is far older than Portugal, so there are more ghosts there and as a different culture,the way that the Portuguese people saw and reacted to the ghosts in their midst was different and interesting. While I really enjoyed the main plot, I also found the subplot with Carlos and his history and later, how it tied into the main plot, incredibly gripping. I liked the way that even Carlos, an immortal vampire who you think would be immune to or have thrown off his emotional baggage by now, found that to be not the case. In short, this book kept me engrossed and engaged right up until the very end. Definitely recommended, along with the entire series.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz is a book of 150+ recipes of all sorts, based on foods, meals and drinksmentioned in the Harry Potter books. You'll find everything from the proverbial soup to nuts (no actual nuts, but there are recipes with nuts in them. Unlike some cookbooks, which arrange recipes by type (breakfasts, appetizers,, main dishes and so on). This book arranges meals by where they are eaten, from "Good meals with Bad Relatives" (foods that are metnioned in the chapters where Harry is with the Dursleys, to foods on sale in or near Diagon Alley, to the feasts at Hogwarts, dinners at the Weasley home of "The Burrow", all the way to the treats available in Hogsmeade at Honeydukes and similar shops, this book brings on the fun aspects! It's not all British foods, though, as the book was published after "Deathly Hallows" and covers both some French and German recipes enjoyed by students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, as well as the lovely Fleur Delacort, so recipes like Bouillabaisse and Blanmange make appearances as well. Most of the recipes are rather classically English, but they are also all pretty much from scratch, which may take a bit of time, especially for sweets like cakes, whereas most Americans tend to make premeasured cake mix rather than measuring and mixing the ingredients themselves. On the other hand, there are recipes here for things that are really interesting, like Real English Muffins and the like. If you are interested in Harry Potter and trying to make things like the characters in the books eat, this is definitely a book you are going to want to look into. I haven't tried any of the recipes, but they look good, and they were developed by a French-trained chef, so they should be extremely edible and delicious. Worth a read- recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Rise of the King by R.A. Salvatore- The Companions of the Hall are reborn and reunited, but the machinations of the Drow, specificially MAtron Mother Quenthel Baenre of Menzoberranzan, is bringing wat to the North, and Drizzt and his companions feel that they must intervene as the Kingdom of Obould Many-Arrows is overthrown by a Warlord named Harrtusk under Drow leadership. The Orcs then combine with the Frost Giants, Goblins, Ogrillions and other monstrous humanoids to wage war on the Kingdoms of the North, including Nesme, Silverymoon, Everlund and the three Dwarf Citadels of Clan Adbar, Bruenor Battlehammer's Mithral Hall and Citadel Felbarr, among others. The sheet size and ferocity of the Orcish army and its allies leads to many towns and cities being overrun and some of the dwarven leaders being killed. With the Dwarves penned up in their lands by the sheer size of the Orcish led army, the Silver Marches Confederation falls apart, leaving the cities weakened still further. Drizzt and his friends meet up with Athrogate and help defend Nesme, then try to reach Mithral Hall, but Regis and Wulfgar are separated from the others while Drizzt, Bruenor, Athrogate and Cattie-Brie reach Mithril Hall and do some fast talking to prove who they really are. But without them, Nesme falls to a trick by the Drow and their Orcish army, and there is no guarantee that Drizzt and the companions of the Hall will be able to prevail against the sheer numbers arrayed against them. Will Drizzt and his friends fall attempting to save the North once again, or will the Drow overreach themselves and find themselves defeated? Meanwhile, Jarlaxle and his lieutenant in the Bregan D'Arthe, Kimmuirl Oblodra, discover what Quenthel Baenre has done to Dahlia, now ensconced in the role and person of Darthiir Do'Unrden, Matron mother of that house and firmly allied with Quenthel. But her mind is broken and it's unknown if the person of Dahlia even exists any more. What will happen to the north, regardless of the way things fall out? Wow, so much stuff happens in this book, and yet, it still all ends on a cliffhanger, with the Companions separated and both sets of characters in trouble, and events all up in the air around them. So much battle happens, and we nearly lose a character from the Companions several times, that this one had an air of actual danger and excitement to it. I found the characters better in this one, and the story kept my interest throughout. I've gotten used to the changes of the characters in this one now, or rather I should say that the characters have become more like their old selves, and it's hard to not to feel a glimmer of excitement that I used to feel when I first read R.A. Salvatore's books years ago. I feel cautiously hopeful for this series. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Heart Fortune by Robin D. Owens- Glyssa Licorice is a member of the highly flaired families of Celta, her family being hereditary librarians. She has already met her Heartmate, a man named Jace Bayrum, and while they connected on a sexual plane, he fled from her because he doesn't want to be tied down to anything like a mate. An adventurer at heart, Jace is working on an archaeological site- the crash of one of the Celtan Colonists original spaceships, the Lugh's Spear, assisting with excavations there. Off a recently ended relationship with a woman named Funa Twinevine, who decided she also wanted a realtionship with Andic Sanicle, Jace declining to share her and giving her up, Jace is the first one to enter the ship and is nearly hurt. But the reverberations of his near-death reach Glyssa, who decides to take her destiny in her hands and join the expedition so she can make a deeper connection with Jace. But doing so is a big risk to her careet, and Jace, who has been connecting with Glyssa in his dreams, has also been tagged with the reputatuon of being unlucky and a possible saboteur on the expedition. By the time Glyssa joins him, Jace is feeling ostracized, and Glyssa and the daughter of the two people leading the expedition, who happens to have a crush on Jace, are the only ones who will spend time eith him- and Jace and Glyssa's new Fams, Glyssa's FoxFam, Lepid and Zem, the HawkcelFam that Jace saved from a broken wing. As they research the origins of the ship, it becomes clear that the expedition *does* have a saboteur, but it isn't Jace. Can Jace and Glyssa discover the real saboteur and save the contents of the ship before the saboteur can make off with valuable artifacts from the past of Celta? And can Jace overcome his background to trust Glyssa with his heart and make her his? And when they are trapped in the ship together, can Glyssa uncover the source of Jace's flair and find a way to save them all from a horrible, Lingering dearh? And can she overcome the way Jace treated her to claim her HeartMate and found a new life for them? I love the Robin Owens Celta stories, which are almost something like the Harmony books of Jane Castle, only the Celtans already had some sorts of mental powers and were seeking a place to build a society on that. Psychic powers are also increaing in strength and potency, causing unrest between those who want the pople with new and greater powers to be added to the "Noble" families, while others do not. But this book eschews that part of society to focus and the origins of the colonists and the people who are investigating that origin. That being said, this is a romance novel and that's what the story is pretty much taken up with- the feelings of the characters and their varuous encounters with each other. I did like the story, as I wanted to be an archaologist when I was younger , and the story fed right into that. The romances Robin Owen writes are always fine, and this was just another wonderful one- this one was hampered by Jace's past and his family, and Glssa's hurt at him. However, to stay alive at tne end, they had to overcome their feelings on both sides to survive, and I liked the ending. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Heart Fire by Robin D. Owens- Antenn Blackthorn-Mossused to be wild street kid after his sister was killed in a fire and he was adopted into a gang run by his older brother, who killed Nobles in a really horrific firebombing. Antenn was saved by the Blackthorn family, adopted, and became one of their sons. Now an architect with a budding careet, he is contracted to build a Cathedral for a non-mainstream religion called "The Intersection of Hope". He is assigned to work with a priestess named Tiana Mugwort, whose mother holds those beliefs and who must write a new ritual to consecrate the temple to the four deities of the Intersectionist faith. But even though Tiana's mother is a member of the Intersectionists, Tiana is of the more popular Celtan religion of the Lord and Lady. But she has bad memories based around the church because of a murder that was blamed on the members of the Intersection of Faith, whose incense was left at the scene of the crime. Tiana's family was attacked by a mob because of it, but Tiana thinks it had less to do with that and the fact that Lord Equisetum wanted a job that Tiana's father was also in the running for. But as she works with the members of the other church (who wish to be known as the Hopers), new clouds are gathering. Though her family lost their own estate and now live in the BalmHeal Estate, which hides itself exceot to those who need healing), Lord Equisetum is violently opposed to the temple being built outside the city- and to Tiana herself, as well as Antenn. Both previously outcast and now accepted by the dint of their trying, Antenn and Tiana find themselves attracted to each other quite deeply. Only Antenn has blocked knowledge of his Heartmate because he didn't want to be distracted from becoming accepted and building his business. When the protection is finally removed, he discovers that Tiana is his HeartMate, and she is upset at how he has hidden from her all this time. She channels the rage she feels into a case against Lord Equisetum investigated by IlexWinterberry. To remember what happened that night, Tiana will have to relive it as if she was there, and gain enough courage to swear out a complaint against Lord Equisetum. But as protect against the new temple being built intensifies, someone seems determined to stop it from being built. Can Antenn and Tiana protect the temple from the forces converging to force it never to be built and bring Lord Equisetum to justice? This was another great Robin Owens romance. Both characters in this one are or have been outcasts, and know what it is like to be looked down upon- and hated and hunted. But both are trying to overcome their origins. The love between them is unexpected and yet sweet, and I liked how they both had cat Fams, and the way they interacted with each other- and how they helped each other defeat the threats to the temple they were building. I really loved this book, and these two characters. The only downside is that we don't get to see what happens to the ultimate villain who is causing all the problem. His fate is discussed, but not revealed. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Archangel's Shadows by Nalini Singh- Ashwini is a Guild Hunter, a friend of Elena, and Janvier is a hundreds year old vampire who has been interested in Ash since she first tracked him down on behalf of an angel. Luckily, Janvier made up with the angel and Ash wasn't forced to kill him. However, both of them share an interest in each other. Now, Cleaning up in the aftermath of the attack by Lijuan on New York, Ash is assigned to find who or what has been killing and mummifying dogs in the New York Sewers. Janvier has been assigned to find out why vampires have been turning feral and bloodthirsty- which may be related to a new drug on the scene. Ash and Janvier think their problems might be related, and they team up to find answers, Janvier helping Ash with the mummified animals- and humans that are turning up, and Ash helping Janvier track the drug. Doing so makes them become cloaer, but Ash is hiding a secret from Janvier, one that affects her whole family, and may be why she is so opposed to becoming a vampire like him- it has to do with her power- the ability to read people by skin to skin contact. But as she and Janvier become closer, even becoming lovers, she can't help but let him into her life- which includes all of her secrets. But will Janvier be angry when he finds out what she has been hiding from him, or will he understand? And can Ash and Janvier track down the villains responsible for the dead animals and the drug? I liked this book. Ash's secret is kept not only from Janvier, but from the reader as well until very late in the story, which lends it a strength and weight equal to its later impact on the story. We, as readers, get drawn into the head of Ash and when the big secret is finally revealed, it's portentous in a way few other secrets are in romance novels. And I found this book gripping and emotionally engaging in a way I haven't found many others lately. This was a wonderful story with great world-building, and I loved to see all the other characters that showed up in it again. Lovely, just lovely. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt- Beatrice Corning is the niece of the Current Earl of Blanchard. Before her uncle became Earl, he was not a nobleman, but a fairly wealthy member of the merchant class. He doesn't make a very impressive Earl, but he is determined to remain Earl. As for Beatrice, she knows she is supposed to marry, but she has only ever been attracted to one man: the son of the former Earl of Blanchard, whose picture hangs over the fireplace in the home that now belongs to her Uncle. So when Reynaud St. Aubyn finally returns home from the colonies, he goes back to the home that was once his- but if Beatrice's uncle has his way, he won't be welcome there. Reynaud is no longer the man he was- years enslaved by the Native Americans have changed him in deep and fundamental ways- more than the scars on his body and the tattoos around his eye- he has been betrayed by someone among his own men, and now that he is returned to England, Reynaud is determined to get his life back- starting with the title that should have been his, and justice on the member of his command who betrayed him, and blackened his name in the process- because the rumor is that the betrayer had a French mother, and in all the men captured by the Indians- that could only be Reynaud himself. And he finds himself attracted to Beatrice, and wanting her as he has wanting nothing before, save freedom. But can he win her if she hurts her Uncle by taking back his title? And if she doesn't want a title, how will he win this beautiful, fascinating woman for his own? I found this book only okay- It's the last in a series of four by Elizabeth Hoyt in the :Legend of the Four Soldiers" series. I hadn't read the others in the series, but that was actually fine, as most of the novel focuses on Reynaud and the way he feels after living for seven years in captivity among American Indians in the Colonies. The other characters come in near the end, when they are tracking down the true identity of the traitor. In truth, I wasn't all that taken with Reynaud, even considering what happened to him, he treats people like an ass a lot of the time, and his jerkish behavior made it hard for me to like him. Yes, he has an excuse, but his behavior towards Beatrice made me want to kick him hard in the ass- because he deserved it. And because of that, I wasn't as invested in the ending. Neither recommended nor not. I found the hero's behavior towards the heroine not really excusable, even with everything that had happened to him.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell- Judy Melinek is the daughter of a man who committed suicide, a doctor, and who was left emotionally adrift by him killing himself when she was just a teenager. She wanted to become a doctor like him, a surgeon, but the hours were killing her. Back when she was originally graduating from Medical School, she'd been offered a job in the Medical Examiner's office. When she flamed out of being a surgeon, she went back, asking if they could recommend a job for her, and to her surprise, they were holding a spot open for her. Here was her real introduction to the job- to the plain English she'd have to use instead of medical jargon, and the bodies she would be working with- their circumstances of death, and the rulings she would have to make- Accident, Homicide, Natural, Therapeutic? Each one of those means different things. If a robber fires his gun by accident while in the commission of a robbery, the death could be accidental, but the death would also be death by gunshot- even though the robber shot the victim, it was not a planned killing. Whereas a doctor trying to remove an old bullet during an operation may cause a therapeutic death by bullet- he was trying to improve the patient's life by the operation, but the therapeutic operation ended up killing him... and so on. Part of Dr. Melinek's training took place in New York City before and during 9/11 and she speaks about what it was like to work in the ME's office during that time, and the personal and professional toll it took on her. This was an amazing book that only took me a couple hours to read, in between doing other things. A fascinating look into Judy Melinek's life and the life of the people she touched, and who touched her as well during her time in New York. Really excellent and Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Rita Mae Brown- "Sister" Jane Arnold is the Hunt Master of Foxhounds for the Jefferson Hunt in Central Virginia. When the dead body of a man is found in the grave of an old horse in Kentucky, along with the skeleton of a dog, Sister must discover who he is and why he was buried with the horse and the dog. Surprisingly, he turns out to be the grandfather of her love, Gray Lorillard, who was thought dead in a whorehouse years ago. Now, his wife, Gray's mother, wants to know the truth about how he died, and who killed him. And it's up to Gray and "Sister" to find out for her. But he's not the only dead body. When a Vet known and beloved by the community is killed in her office, Sister is sure that the murder is connected to the body of the dead man, the horse and the mystery. But how many more people will have to die before the truth comes out, and what is the truth behind the murder that everyone seems to be working so hard to keep silent. The Hounds can hunt game, but will they be successful on the hunt for this murderer? I found this an interesting change from Harry and the goings on in Crozet. Sister is much older than Harry, and far more into the Hunt scene- the main characters here are Hunting dogs and foxes rather than cats and pets. Even though the body is discovered in Kentucky- it has repercussions in Sister's world and among the people she knows. It's not quite as well developed as Crozet, West Virginia, but it will, given time. Recommended- just be prepared for an entirely new cast of characters.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Santorini: The Prehistoric City of Akroteri by Christos G. Doumas, Ephor of Antiquities- The tiny island of Santorini and the ancient village of Akroteri are all that remains of an island destroyed by a volcanic eruption and explosion- the story of which became known as Atlantis. But Santorini is still inhabited, and the beauty of the white-washed houses mingles with leftover tufa and blocks from the old eruption. This book explores the island, from the remains of the palace to the beautiful stone stairs that run from the harbor all the way to the cliffs. The book is filled with pictures of the island itself, and of the Palace at Akroteri, showing Minoan-esque art, pottery and wall frescos, many of which have been greatly restored. None are on the island, owing to the fact that the Volcano is still active (albeit underwater in the center of Thera). I really enjoyed the book- there are more pictures than text, but the views of the island are superb, and the text is full or information about the island, if a little stilted in English. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Urban Legends: 666 Absolutely True Stories that Happened to a Friend... of a Friend... of a Friend by Thomas Craughwell- This book collects Urban Legends- stories that are supposedly true, but generally aren't. Most of them are used to "warn about people who stray off the straight and narrow of Christian behavior, while others entertain through Schadenfreude or just a "Can't look away" sort of feeling. Others purport to tell us the true story behind people we think we know. These stories are entertaining, but all of them are false. In reading them, though, we learn more about outrselves- and what kind of people we are. I enjoyed this book, and laughed at the stories. Yes, you can find other books in the store about Urban Legends "Spiders in the Hairdo" and the like, but this book collects a huge number in one place, sorted by type, the ne plus ultra of Urban Legends. recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Future Falls by Tanya Huff- Charlotte "Charlie" Gale is a member of the magical Gale family and is a "wild" Power- she has the ability to travel through "The Wood", an otherworldly nexus that can lead anywhere, any time. And her sense of music is what allows her to travel where she needs to be. But Charlie has learned that the Earth is about to be obliterated by an asteroid that cannot even be seen from Earth, and she is trying to stop it by whatever means are necessary, calling on her family, the Fae and anyone else she can think might have a vested interest in saving the Earth. Her second problem is Jack, another Gale member who is also a Dragon Prince. Jack is seventeen, and he has fallen desperately in love with Charlie, but because she is 30, marrying him, or having any kind of a relationship is verboten, as Gales can only marry those in the family within seven years of their age. Even as Charlie works to save the earth, she must fight her attraction for Jack. They are best suited for each other, but unable to be together. And Jack is convinced that the best way to deal with the problem is for him to go to the Fae courts and give up four years of his life learning to be a sorcerer so that he can destroy the Asteroid before it can crash into the Earth. But with Charlie working on the problem- and a new Dragon no one knows in town, can they save the earth and find some way around their own problems at the same time? Or is the Earth on an inevitable course for destruction? Despite this book being about a relatively serious problem, it also had a strong hint of "teenage romance" because of Jack. But while Jack sort of doesn't confront his problems in anything but a head-on manner, it was easier to read than any anime romance, with added meddling (with good intent) from the Aunties, and plenty of pie, this book was another triumph for Tanya Huff. who I have enjoyed reading. Recommended, but if this is your first Gale novel, you're not going to want to start here.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Burning Dawn by Gena Showalter- Elin Vale is a human, kidnapped from her home and taken to some alternate plane to be imprisoned in a camp where she is tormented and tortured daily. But nothing compares to the torture of Thane, a Sent One who is the very image of an Angel- when he isn't being used as a sex slave by Malta, Princess of the Phoenix. Malta has Thane so enslaved through her pheromones and a drug which heightens their effect that all he can remember or want is being Malta's sex slave, open to her in every cruel and dominating thing she does to him. But Elin has access to the cure for the drug, and if Thane will take her with him when he escapes, she will give him the cure- and hopefully return to Earth at the same time. But Thane's experiences with Malta have left him craving pain with his pleasure, and while he finds himself powerfully attracted to Elin, he doesn't want to abuse her for his own pleasure. As for Elin, she is attracted to Thane, but all she wants to do is go home to Earth and live her own life. But when she falls in love with the man who saved her, nothing is going according to plan. As Thane must track down a demon Prince on Earth, can he keep Elin safe, and will he survive learning her deepest secret? I wasn't quite sure what to think about this book. It's not the first in the series, and yet, I didn't fee; it had all the information and backstory I needed to not have read the other books. In other words, for me, this book was not the best entry point to the series. Everything else was fine, but I felt too far behind in terms of what was going on in the story to really follow it. Recommended, but not especially highly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Josette Laqndry has grown used to being the only person in her family who doesn't believe in magic or the supernatural. But when reality bites her hard on the butt, she agrees to bethe videographer and photographer for some friends of her sister who are investigating a supposedly haunted house. Left alone in a room with a huge, full-length mirror, she finds herself tripped and falling face first through the mirror, and into another place. Cadegan is a warrior who is also half-demon. All his life, he has struggled against evil, but a betrayal from a brother left him stranded in a land which is an antechamber to Hell, and ruled over by demons, fae and Night-haunts. He rescues Josette and keeps her safe, trying to help her return to her own world. But her way is blocked, and Cadegan must serve the Night Haunts to get a key that can return her to the human world. In the meantime, he must gather the ingredients needed for the potion the Night Haunts want to make, though for what end he does not know, and hope he can keep himself alive long enough to get Josette free. But she has also fallen for Cadegan, and now she doesn't want to leave without him. Leaving him imprisoned in Hell's antechamber becomes anathema to her, and nothing, not even her sisters, will move her. But Cadegan doesn't know the whole story of his life, nor why his brother betrayed him so. When he is finally free with Josette, the threat he represents to the world isn't over. But can his and Josette's best efforts be enough to change him... for good? I love Sherrilyn Kenyon's series, and this one broke the mold of "Hero with the worst backstory ever". I mean, it's still not good and he's still pretty tortured, but I didn't feel like Cadegan was competing in the competition to be the worst history in the history of the world type stakes. I liked the chemistry between him and Josette, and how Josette, despite not wanting to believe in magic and/or ghosts, didn't spend time in a futile, "This can't be real, I MUST be hallucinating" type spiral. She accepted magic and weird stuff in a realistically speedy manner, considering what she was going through and experiencing, and I liked that. And the romance made me smile in a good way. Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Flying Too High: A Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry Greenwood- Phryne Fisher has but recently moved to Ausralia, and she is in the process of moving from her previous lodgings in a hotel and into a real house. She is also in the process of setting up herself as a detective and solver of mysteries. So when a distraught woman approaches Phryne ay home and asks her to prevent her son from killing his father after they argue, Phryne pops around to the son's airfield to have a word with him, gaining his respect by wing-walking on a plane during a flying lesson. However, the father is later slain and the son, with whom he'd just had another blazing row, gets the blame, and Phrune. who almost certainly knows the son had nothing to do with the death, looks into the death on behalf of the family. Meanwhile, a young girl whose father came into lots of money after winning the lottery is kidnapped by a group who want a sum of fat cash for their trouble. But the girl, who had sneaked out of the house to buy candy with a threepence she'd found in the street, is smart and has her own ideas about how to stay safe. But can she keep the Pedophile who wants her for her body away from her, and stay close to the man who only wants to keep her safe? Ands can she discover who killed the Aviator's father and why before he is charged with the crime and tried? This was a very interesting sort of novel. Phryne is without some of her usual supports, yet is her usual irrepressible self and manages to pull out the right answers despite the lack of some of her favorite people to work with. I enjoyed seeing Phryne work and seeing her triumph over the mysteries that beset her. Recommended, most definitely.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dangerous Personalities: An FBI Profiler shows you how to Identify and Protect Yourself from Harmful People by Joe Navarro with Toni Sciarra- Joe Navarro is an ex-FBI Profiler, in the same unit as Robert Ressler, John Douglas and similar FBI Profilers who led the country in profiling serial killers and other dangerous criminals. But now, he turns his attentions to helping ordinary people find and keep themselves safe from the five most dangerous types of people you are likely to meet: The Narcissistic Personality, The Unstable Emotional Personality, The Paranoid Personality, The Predator, and those who are some combination of two three or more of the above. He takes us step by step through each personality, showing how and why they are dangerous and how they can be dangerous to you, your life, reputation and money. Each chapter is leavened with stories from real life, and most of them are absolutely horrifying. After showing the type of people they are, and discussing how each type brings you down in all sorts of ways, there is a checklist, in ordinary English, asking you questions to evaluate whether or not a person is that type. People who show few attributes are less destructive, but can still have wide-ranging effects on your life, those with more can be extremely toxic and deadly to have in your life. Finally, the chapter on the combined personalities discusses how sometimes the combination can be worse, qualitatively, than a single dangerous personality alone. The last chapter describes how to protect yourself from these people and even to get away from them, if you need to. In many cases, it comes down to listening to your gut, and keeping away from them in the first place. Sometimes, as when the personality is your child or other relative, it can't be done.. In which case, other strategies can be used. I liked this book very much, as it is written for laymen, using the language of laymen (plain English) and discusses these people as regular people would talk about them.. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hate Crimes in Cyberspace by Danielle Keats Citron- Most people would agree that the internet is not exactly a welcoming place. As many communities that exist as places for open discussion and support, there are an equal number or more that enjoy hating, hurting and bringing other people down, verbally or in other ways, out there. But sometimes, worse than just people badmouthing otjers on the internet, hate campaigns will spring up that attempt to do more than slander, hate on, or "punish" people for their views. These attacks often come off the internet and extend into people's real lives with bosses being contacted and filth spread around the people they are targeting, sometimes with effects that aren't known until much, much too late. And these attacks don't even have to be targeted because of malice. Sometimes, it's just a circle of people trying to outdo each other in bile, getting worse and worse with the users not knowing or caring that the person they are attacking it a real person with real feelings. This book focuses around three real-life cases of hateful criminal behavior in cyberspace: towards a law student, an actor, and a tech guru, examining each case and showing how the crimes affected them in real life. Some are still dealing with the fallout and other stories are shown in which the person affected never went to the police, or who went to authorities and got no help. As one Policeman said who was approached by a victim who was being harassed and cyberstalked on Facebook, "What's a Facebook?" Often, small-town police forces are unable and/or unwilling to deal with this sort of crime online because of lack of knowledge and lack of technology, leading the attackers to get away with it. I found this book troubling to read because of recent stories like GamerGate, the attacks on Briana Wu and Anita Sarkeesian, and the knowledge of how much police and law enforcement are still playing catch-up in this technology game. It was frightening and disheartening that in a world where so much appears to be moving forward, we are still experiencing a strong move backwards to old attitudes and old hatreds. I can only hope our knowledge and enforcement can close the gap so that those responsible for these attacks can be caught more successfully and stopped. Frightening and highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Crimson Angel by Barbara Hambly- Benjamin January has returned to New Orleans, his wife, Rose and his son, John. He doesn't want to leave his wife and newborn son again, but Rose's white half-brother Jefferson Vitrack tracks her and Ben down with stories of treasure remaining on the Cuban estate of their ancestor and as proof brings a gold and ruby angel figurine which is spoken of in family legends. But he can't persuade Ben to go in search of it, because Ben and Rose already have all the money they will need for some while from Ben's last adventure. But when Jefferson Vitrack is murdered, it seems that he isn't the only one who is out after the treasure and Ben and Rose must leave little John behind with Ben's sister Olympe and her husband and go in search of the fabled treasure to keep it from the hands of a ruthless man willing to kill on behalf of it. Accompanied by Ben's friend Hannibal Sefton, now weaned from Opium and clean of vices, they must track down the truth of the treasure and what really happened on the Le Rouge Ange plantation before the revolution, and what happened to those who survived after it. Whispers of an evil French bokor and the toll he took on the slaves of the plantation may have more to do with why the locals see the place as haunted, and Ben's memories and a journal may be all that stands between a ruthless man and a secret he is trying to quash. But can they survive the hunters and the slave catchers and the others who are sniffing around for any trace of treasure? I really enjoyed this book. It was a look at the major island communities in the Carribbean during the slave times and after the slaves had managed to free themselves. It's an even more treacherous environment than the one Ben is used to inhabiting, and as they say, shit gets real very quick. I loved how the mystery became less about missing treasure than truth, but there was some of each in the story. I loved the ending as well, and the truth being an explosive thing. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws for Assassins by Robert B. Baer-Bob Baer worked for the CIA and at one point, he was tasked with assassinating an assassin working to drive the Americans out of the Middle East, Hajj Radwan, which means "The Delightful One". But the many schemes cooked up to try and eliminate Radwan failed, because Radwan knew what the CIA didn't- how to use assassination as a weapon of terror, and how to boil down the act to one target, one bullet and the kill. And that's it. American had forgotten, or never learned these lessons when it came to dealing with the Middle East and the people who opposed them there. They used killings as a means of boasting, or warnings, and failed to kill of Radwan, who knew about being the perfect killer, the coldest assassin, better than the Americans did. And here, Baer lays out the essential laws of Assassins and assassination, and tells the story of Radwan and Baer's hunt for him. I should have loved this book- I always enjoy true stories and tales about bringing people to justice, but this book was almost... boring to me. I found it hard to get through and the baggage of Baer weighs down the story instead of being fascinating. Instead of a tense hunt for a ruthless assassin, it becomes a tedious story told by a boring uncle. The facts and "laws" that he passes on may be sound, but I felt the rest of the story, of Baer;s hunt for Radwab, actually dragged the book down. Not recommended unless you need to fall asleep.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Collision: Book Four of the Secret World Chronicles by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee and Veronica Giguere- John Murdock has been brought back to life by Seraphym, but he no longer remembers her- or the last ten years of his life. Seraphym is thrown into a tailspin by his lack of memory, and since she has given up her status as a celestial to save him, it's doubly disheartening that he doesn't remember their love, and worse that he seems to be hearing the chorus of the divine that she gave up to save him. But when a secret Thulian base is discovered in the valleys between India and Nepal, it's up to all the world's super and metahumans to gather together and destroy it. But can the humans , infiltrated by Thulian agents, keep their plans secret enough to take the Thulians by surprise, and can the metahumans in their separate factions, work together well enough to destroy the Thulians? And can the humans, and their new "Secret" meta Steel Maiden, persuade the alien Metisians be peruaded to weigh in on the human side against the Thulians? And will their coming together of races save them, or damn them all? This was an interesting book. Part of the book is taken up with the mystery of what has Seraphym's sacrifice made of John Murdock and what new powers has it given him, and even more to the point what has it taken away. The book builds to the attack on the Thulian base, and the aftermath, and lest we forget, some Thulians escaped, meaning this isn't the endgame, but I loved how it all came together- the deepening of the relationship between John and Seraphym, and how he was the keystone needed to overcome the Thulians at the end. I am looking forward to reading more in this shared world, and seeing what happens. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Traitor- Sebastian St. Clair is half French and half English. He fought in the Napoleonic wars, but on the side of Napoleon. And worse, as a torturer, used to get information out of captured British officers. Now that the war is over, he is back with his English relatives, specifically his aunt Freddy, who has engaged a new companion, Millicent Danforth, a young lady who takes up the life of a companion to escape her own relations. But while Sebastian deals with ex-English officers trying to kill him for his actions during the war, he is the Baron and needs a wife and an heir, and his gaze lights upon Millicent, who is still smarting after leaving the two aunts who loved her because they were about to die and could no longer shelter her from the rest of her family, who wanted to turn Millicent into an unpaid servant to her brother's family. To save Millie and because he has fallen in love with her, Sebastian marries his Millie, all the while about to meet another man, a Scotsman, who is willing to beat Sebastian to death with his bare hands. But can they find who is sending these officers after Sebastian and reveal his real role in the war effort? Or will hidden foes be the death of Sebastian yet? I liked this book, which I read after I'd read the sequel, "The Laird", about Sebastian's servant, Michael Brodie. Even so , I enjoyed the book, even though I knew that Michael was hiding a very big secret of his own from Sebastian all through the book. I liked the romance between Sebastian and Millie and I loved the reveal of her secret, and how Sebastian helped her begin to overcome it. This book is extremely enjoyable, even if you read it out of order. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Laird by Grace Burrowes- Michael Brodie left homeland and new Bride to follow the drum to the war against Napoleon. Left behind in Scotland was his new Bride, Brenna, and his father and Uncle, Angus. But when Michael returns after so long away and long after the war had ended, he finds his bride quietly furious at him, and to a land much changed. Tenants have died and some have left Scotland for America. Michael slowly begins romancing Brenna, but it's been so long for him that he barely remembers how to do so. And when his little sister, Maeve, arrives from Ireland to be with him because her other sister is finally pregnant, he must deal with Brenna's strange behavior towards the girl in keeping him away from Angus- whom Brenna already dislikes intensely. But his Brenna is hiding far more secrets than that, and Michael must deal with them, and the change in his and Brenna's relationship as well as the arrival of his sister. Can he untangle the knot his clan holding has begun and cut out the rot that has taken root at its core, or will the damage of a hidden foe cause too many problems to resolve, sundering Michael and Brenna apart? I loved this book, which is part of the "Captive Hearts" series, I thought originally that it had something to do with a book of a different series by a different author, but this series is really excellent and engaging. I loved how Michael and Brenna interacted, and when the villain was revealed for the horrible person they were, I could really believe it all. I loved the ending, and I want to see more in this series. Definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Scandal to Remember by Elizabeth Essex- Jane Burke is a conchologist who wants to join a Royal Society expedition to the South Seas. She is invited along on the strength of her initials, and the belief that she is her father. Lieutenant Charles Dance is an officer newly come to the Tenacious, and what he finds sickens and disgusts him. The ship is in no way ready to sail- it's practically rotting in port, and Dance needs to use the prize money he has acquired just to refit the ship well enough to keep her afloat. He finds Jane Burke an unwelcome distraction, but her ability to hold up under pressure reluctantly draws his admiration, even as things go from bad to worse on the ship. The purser absconds with the money, including the funds that were supposed to go towards buying food for the expedition members, ad the Bosun is actively cruel. Meanwhile, the sailors think that Jane's presence endangers the ship simply because she is female. So when the Captain commits suicide and the ship founders attempting to cross Cape Horn in the midst of a horrendous storm, someone locks her below decks while the ship is sinking. Dance goes back to find her, rescues her, and they sail away from the wreck on her pinnace, which she was taking along with the expedition. The other sailors decamp in the ship's boats and Jane and Dance end up on a small atoll in the middle of the ocean, where they recover and become lovers, as Jane starts her own personal expedition there. But rescue brings not salvation, but danger, for the rescuers are led by the Bosun, who blames Dance for the ship's sinking. Can Jane and Dance prove that he was not responsible before an Admiralty Court? I liked this book because Jane is a scientist and she acts like it when she is aboard ship. She is capable of caring for others like a woman. Some of the situations on board she helps with, but in other cases, she causes more problems for Dance. I liked that he esteemed her for her mind and thinking ability, as well as the fit of her garments. And when they finally became lovers- well, most of the book was chaste, the part after they land on the Atoll was where the romance really became physical. But the seeds were laid long before that. An excellent book and one I really enjoyed. Recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-53293840117701480422014-11-08T11:27:00.003-05:002014-11-08T11:27:31.589-05:002014, Part 10<span style="color: #33ccff;">Fireborn by Keri Arthur- Emberly Pearson is a Phoenix, a supernatural creature of fire who is reborn over and over with the help of her fellow phoenix/soulmate, Rory- who she can mate and produce children with, but not really love. Emberly was in love with a cop named Sam, but he discovered her relationship with Rory, but not the details and assumed she was cheating on him and just left her. She is still bitter about it, and hasn't gotten over him leaving her like that, but at the same time, when she has a vision of Sam being killed, she does her best to intervene and prevent his death. When she meets him again, though, he's changed. and not in a good way- he's darker and colder and now working for the "Paranormal Investigation Team" or PIT. He's investigating a bunch called the "Red Cloaks, who were made from humans trying to become immortal using vampire blood. Sam's own brother was killed by a Red Cloak, and he's holding a grudge. But when the scientist who Emberly has been working for is killed and his death has ties to the Red Cloaks, Emberly can't resist getting involved- and in trouble with her former lover. There is also Jackson. fire Fae she meets and forms an intimate connection with, who happens to be a P.I. coming at the case from a different direction. But when things start to go south, she keeps running into Sam, and seeing hints of the man she once loved inside his new, harder, colder persona. But can she solve the murder of the Scientist she was helping, or will Sam shut her and Jackson down? And might this case kill Emberly and make her unable to rise again into a new life? Can she resist falling for the man she once loved all over again, or will heartbreak be the only thing he can give her now? I liked this book, which reminded me of the Riley Jensen books, but I really didn't like Sam, who it seems to me will be one of the men in Emberly's life. But the rest of it was wonderful, and I like Emberly's relationship with Jackson, and I like the whole "Sex-positive" message of the books, which allow Keri Arthur's characters to sleep around without making them seem bad or wrong for doing so. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Carousel Tides by Sharon Lee- When Kate returns home to Archer's Beach, Maine, it's to look after the old Carousel run by her family. But her grandmother is missing, presumed dead, and Kate, once guardian of the land, is slowly dying after haing severed her connection to the land when she was only a teenager. Now, she feels the need of the land to have her back, and strange events are stirring in Archer Beach- and an old enemy of Kate's has returned and wants her, and the power she has. For Kate is really a Faerie Princess, and her mother gave herself over into the keeping of Kate's Enemy to keep her daughter free. But Kate has spent so long running from her problems- how can she deal with things she has spent most of her life avoiding, and her old enemy is stronger than ever. If she couldn't do anything about him then, how can she now? But while Kate has enemies, she also has friends and allies, and the creatures imprisoned in the Carousel might be on her side in this battle. And this stime, she's not just fighting to protect herself- but everyone and everything else in town, who will all suffer if she fails to deal with the dark Fae coming after ber. Luckily, she has far more and stronger allies than she knows.... I saw this book, and was intrigued by the cover, so I picked it up and read it. It reminded me a bit of the SERRAted edge tales- the cover art. And to be honest, I wasn't disappointed at all. The story started slowly, with hints of the problems to come. Kate is ignoring what she is and who she is, and she's dying because of some bad decisions she made- all of which she will have to unmake to save the town and the people she loves- and has come to love. I loved the different characters, even though it's hard to know who to trust until nearly the end of the book. And I loved the reveal of who the characters were and what's at stake. All in all, a book which is well worth reading. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Red Madness: How a Medical Mystery Changed How We Eat by Gail Jarrow- When people in the Southern US, mostly poor and low wage workers, started dying of a mysterious disease known as "Pellagra, nobody could agree on how they caught it or what caused it. What they did know was that the disease generally started with intestinal upsets and diarrhea. Eventually, the sufferers would develop horrible rashes on their skin, especially in places that were exposed to the sun. This would occur for years, after which the Pellagrin (an Italian name for someone suffering from Pellagra) would slide into insanity, which then, inevitably led to death. When Pellagra broke out in the South, it didn't take long before it became an epidemic, especially in areas heavily involved in cotton production. But the actual cause of Pellagra was murky. Some maintained that the disease was caused by moldy corn- but even those who ate Fresh Corn were afflicted. Others determined that the disease was caused by some infection- yet nurses in hospitals and asylums, who were living with and often next to Pellagra sufferers, were not becoming infected. And some people were saved by going into the hospital- many were not. Many physicians tried to determine the reasons that people were getting the disease, but it was a Jewish Doctor, Joseph Goldberger, to solve the reason for the disease and discover a cure. But once he found it, would other doctors and the people of the south accept his conclusions? This was a fascinating book- I'd heard about Pellagra, but didn't know much about it or how pervasive it had been. Nor all that much on how it was cured and why it is so little known today. Pellagra was a nutritional disease, like beriberi and scurvy, but discovering the cause was not easy. This is a book for teens, and it's written like a medical mystery, but the pictures of the sufferers are pretty horrific, and the small biographical snippets about sufferers of the disease are scattered throughout the book. This book made me think a lot, and while the stories of the sufferers are horrendous, the outcome is interesting, and even after Joseph Goldberger died, work had to continue to ensure the cure was something that could be given to everyone. An amazingly interesting book that really kept my interest. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Lord of the Changing Winds: The Griffin Mage, Book One by Rachel Neumeier- Kes is the dreamy daughter of a farmer in the country of Feierabiand. She loves horses, but spends most of her time wandering the hills outside her village. But when the village discovers Griffins have come to her village of Minas Ford, her life turns upside down. Kes, who might be a mage, is asked by the griffin Mage, Kairaithin, to help heal his people. but he does not tell her than doing so will change Kes from a woman of earth into a woman of fire- one not sustained by food, but by heat and light. But the arrival of the Griffins is also changing the land around Minas Ford, from fertile farmland to desert sand, and the King of Feierabiand tries to drive the Griffins out of his land, only to find himself and his forces outmatched- and his mages, earth mages all, are bitterly opposed to the Griffins and Kes, the new fire mage. But can the Lord Bertaud, also a noble of Feierabiand, discover a way to make peace with the Griffins, and keep them from invading Feierabiand and have them help the Feierabiandans from being invaded by their sister nation of Casmantium? And what will become of the Griffins and Kes? I liked this book, the first in a trilogy. I have liked Griffins ever since Mercedes Lackey's Skandranon series, and while these Griffins are infinitely more alien, I liked these Griffins as well. I found myself unexpectedly fascinated by the story, and really enjoyed every bit of it. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Land of the Burning Sands: The Griffin Mage: Book Two by Rachel Neumeier- Gereint Enseichen of Casmantium is a slave, but he is a slave who would be free. So when the Griffins change northern Casmantium into a wasteland of burning sand, he hides from his master and hopes to escape his own imprisonment and servitude by making his way over the mountains. But a chance encounter with a scholar whom he saves in the desert gives Gereint the hope which he could be free. He is sent to the Scholar's Daughter, a maker who is trying to understand the nature of rocks so that she can help design a bridge to the neighboring country of Feierabiand. But when Gereint is discovered to be a slave, he is imprisoned and forced to serve the country's only remaining mage, Beguchren, who imposes some very strange conditions on Gereint as they travel northward to deal with the Griffins. But following after them comes Tehre, the scholar's daughter, and Lord Bertaud of Feierabiand. Can they save Casmantium from the Griffins who want revenge on Begruchten and his people, who attacked them in the first place, and can Gereint become the mage that Begruchten wishes him to be? And can they reach a peacable accord with the Griffins? This was a different book, but while characters from the first book turned up her again, including Kes and Kairiathin, the story mostly focuses on Gereint and Tehre as the main characters. The Griffins seek revenge on Casmantium for attacking them in the first place, and will not be denied- and Casmantium needs mages, specifically Earth mages, to stave them off. But it's not quite so easy to make an Earth mage, even from a talented maker, as it seems. Only Tehre might have accomplished the feat of turning herself into a mage- and she was both uncommonly intelligent and gifted. I liked this book, despite it being about the "opposite side" from the first book, and really identified with Gereint. I wanted to see him freed and happy, and while I sort of cordially despised Beguchren for 99% of the book that he was in, I was happy to see how he ends up. Recommended, and I can't wait to read book #3.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">These Lawless Worlds Book #2: Scales of Justice by Jarrod Comstock- This book was one I remembered reading back when I was younger, one of those peculiar to the late 70's and early 80's, with as much sex as story, and where the sex was part of the story. Aleria Farrell is a judge whose beat includes the outer worlds of the galactic scene. So when a garbled message about the extinction of an entire species is received, it is she, and her alien, silver-skinned bailiff named Jemall, who are assigned to the case. But getting there means a trip of weeks through space, sharing space with an orono, or intelligent dolphin named Rosmer. The message was received telepathically, and Aleria is a sensitive, so Rosmer must work with her to develop her telepathic powers on the trip to the planet, known as Kahiko. When they arrive, they are greeted by the natives, and the leader of the planet, Prince Neihinei, guides them around, keeping them safe from the dangers and showing them the many beautiful places. Aleria finds herself being seduced by the planet, and then by Nehini and the other natives. She even partakes of their chief diversion, Sumati. And in doing so, she discovers what is truly happening on Kahiko- and it is up to her and her friends to put a stop to the genocide, and ensure that Kahiko is able to become part of the Confederation. But will it be so easy to change the entire economy and way of life for the whole planet? And can she make the Kahikans understand the concept of a taboo? I was actually surprised by this book- today, it reads more like a urban fantasy or romance novel than a strictly Sci-Fi novel, but the sex wasn't as out of place as I had feared it might be, and the story held up surprisingly well. I enjoyed the book all over again. There *is* so much sex in the story that you will occasionally forget what the main characters are there for- but the conclusion to the book, where Aleria must pass judgment on the planet of Kahiko, is very well done, and I never got the impression that she is anything but a judge, but she is also a woman. Reommended, if you can find a copy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">I Could Pee on This and other poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano- This is a small book of poems from a cat's point of view, put into four general categories, from Work, Play, Family and Existence, and each poem channels the essence of what it is to be a cat. From "I Lick You" "I lick your nose. I lick your nose again. I drag my claws down your eyelids. Oh, you're up? Feed me." Others are similar, and if you are a cat owner, you are sure to get a chuckle on pretty much every page, and a smile of recognition if you don't. This book is so close to how a real cat acts, it's amazing. Highly recommended,</span><br />
<span style="color: #33ccff;"><br />Blood Games: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel by Chloe Neill- Merit is the Sentinel of Cadogan House and the lover of Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan, When she challenges him to a foot race, it's to help the vampires of the city gain more acceptance. It also gets the winner a dinner of their choice to be enjoyed with the loser. But while Ethan wins (just barely), someone makes a half-assed attempt on his life and tells him to stay out of the running for the vacant seat on the worldwide vampire council. Meanwhile, Merit is summoned to a crime scene by her grandfather- a woman has been killed , two swords shoved through her body, and because vampires use Katanas, this leads to the assumption that a vampire killed her. But Merit and her second are able to reveal that the swords used are just replica Katanas, not the authentically old ones that a real vampire would use, and a vampire would not treat Katanas so shamefully. Meanwhile another "attempt" is made on Ethan, telling him to step down or people will be hurt. But the vampires will be there to judge his strength will be in Chicago soon, and another female vampire, from Georgia, also wants the seat. Is she the one behind the threats to Ethan and Merit? Meanwhile, another woman's body is discovered, this one marked with Pentagrams, leading to the suspicion that a magician might have done it, so Merit calls on the assistance of her friend Mallory, a witch. She reveals that the pentagrams are actually Pentacles- like those in the Tarot Cards, and that the dead bodies are from a specific tarot made by a man who died, whose wife sold the copies of the cards he'd made. But who is using the cards as a template for murder, and why? And can Ethan successfully navigate the challenges ahead, and can Merit as well, while tracking down a vicious murderer? With Ethan's former lover trying to cause tension between them, and whoever is trying to persuade him not to run for the council seat, Merit has more to worry about and more to keep her eye on than usual. But what happens if Ethan loses? Or if his inability to confess misdeeds from his past sunders himself and Merit apart? Can Cadogan House survive the turmoil that is coming, and the murderous rampage of a human determined to kill? I'd never read any part of this series before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Nor is it anywhere near the first book in the series, but I found it easy to get into and the story was enjoyable. Very much so. There were scenes that made me laugh aloud (like the one where they go to a convention and people think Merit is cosplaying as herself.), so I really enjoyed this book, and I want to read more. Highly recommended, and I am going to look up others in this series now.<br />
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Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier- This is the third book in the Ruby Red Trilogy. Gwen is supposed to fulfill a wonderful destiny to bring healing and good health to the human race, but nobody seems to want to tell her how. The leader of the secret society that sends her back in time, the Count, aka Ragocy de Saint-Germain, has taken a high interest in Gwen, but she finds him creepy and doesn't trust him. Her cousin, Lucy, and Lucy's husband, Paul have left the Circle of Twelve over not trusting the count, but Gwen seems to be the only person who believes them that the Count is up to no good, and Gideon, Gwen's partner in their time excursions, has recently told her that he doesn't love her after all, sending Gwen into a tailspin of hurt and pain. With so much to do and find out, can she discover what the Count is really up to, find who he is working with the in the future, complete the circle and discover the cure for death and disease, all before the Count can have her killed so that he can become immortal himself? And can she survive the death that is coming for her? Because for anyone to win, she or someone else must die- and it's sure that the Count isn't going to let it be himself- all he wants is immortality. But can Gwen deny him what he wants? This was an interesting book. So much gets revealed in this book- who Gwen really is, who the Count really is and what he wants, and who is really on her side and how to get what she wants. But it's up to her, not any of her allies or her friends, to defeat the Count, after finding out who he is in her time. And while one of the revelations is what allows her to defeat him, he sort of goes with a whimper, not a bang. At the end, Gwen's entire conception of who she is completely changes, and yet, she's still traveling in time to meet her allies. I wonder how the circle has changed, and what they use the time traveling devices for now. I was not really all that impressed with the third book, which I felt descended into way too much confused story threads that could be slightly hard to follow, but it was still an interesting book, and I'd still recommend it. Recommended, but not as highly as the first two books in the series.<br />
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Women in Game of Thrones: Power, Conformity and Resistance by Valerie Estelle Frankel- examines the female characters in the Game of Thrones series, both in the books, and in the television series, which differs from the books in ways both large and small. For instance, in the books, Daenerys is much more a chooser of her fate. When she goes to marry Khal Drogo, she accepts his advances almost eagerly, where in the show, they play the scene more as a rape, because the character is supposed to be so young (the actress playing Daenerys, is not as young as she is supposed to be in the books, of course. But these changes change the characters in ways that make them much more problematic than those in the books. In a way, this cheapens some of the characters, but there are also characters that have grown and deepened compared to the books because they subsumed other characters into themselves, or proved popular/interesting and were kept on by the producers because of public interest. These changes and the story roles the female characters play in the series are spelled out, and their problematic aspects noted. While this book is told mostly from a feminist perspective, it does point out the places where the TV series "Falls down on the job", when it comes to making characters as interesting as the books- and where the books also have problematic portrayals of women. In short, the books have more well-nuanced, well-rounded female characters, but there are shockingly few in both areas who could serve as real feminist role models. Even the "best" female character for this portrayal, Daenerys, is portrayed in the TV series as the white savior of darker peoples, a problematic portrayal because they are also portrayed as worshipping her. However, she seems to be going back to her origins, where she will connect with the wisewoman in their city and emerge with more wisdom. It remains to be seen if this will be borne out in the series, of if they will play with the story some more. I don't follow either the TV series or the books that closely, but I enjoyed this book immensely, as it goes into tropes and stereotypes and which ones are in use for the different characters in both series. Given a choice, if I ever do start reading through the entire series, I think I will pick that of the books, because I feel, given the information here, that the series runs into the "Flanderization" of the book characters, that both their positive, negative and problematic aspects are increased to make for better TV Drama. Highly recommended.<br />
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Death Blows: The BloodHound Files by D.D. Barant- Jace Valchek was once an FBI profiler... in our world., But she was kidnapped out of our world and taken to another one, where humans are rare and sorcerors, vampires (called 'pires), Lycanthropes (called 'thropes) and Golems (known colloquially as 'Lems) all exist in place of humans in our world. Jace was kidnapped because her skills as a profiler are badly needed, and while she has been promised that she will eventually be allowed to return home, Jace has been trying to track down the name of the Shaman who kidnapped her from her own world and into this new one, as she isn't exactly happy about the entire thing.. But now she is faced with a new case. In Addition to her search for Aristotle Stoker, a human from our world who is preying on the Supernaturals of her new world, someone is killing off members of an all-Supernatural team of Superheroes. Their exploits were chronicled in comic form, but Comics in her new world have been outlawed because their nature is to change opinion, and some have spells woven into them that would allow sorcerors to power spells that could effect the entire world.. But when someone goes after the heroes of yesteryear, is it because of a case they too part in, or is it to power just such a spell? Meanwhile, the Vampire in charge of the office is pregnant- only the baby's father has been killed, putting her life at risk. The 'thrope the office uses as a physician is disappearing for no explainable reason, leaving Jace in charge of his dog- another 'thrope that seems barely intelligent. And someone is crossing the bonds of reality again, and Jace still has no idea who the man who brought her across is- or wether the strange people of her new world will ever let her go... This was another urban Fantasy I picked up at random, but which I found to be interesting and worth keeping. I liked the conceit of the world, with the humans as being a vanishingly small subset of the people on the world. Here, we get to see more about how Vampires can be born, how 'Lems are made and animated, and what can go wrong with that, and why Jace's skills are needed. Despite humans being a minority, most killings are straightforward depending on what Supernatural did the deed. Humans killing would be a tremendous outlier, and so they need s human expert on humans killing to understand Stoker and why he would kill- Humans in this world just don't do that. That's what made it all so interesting. Definitely recommended.<br />
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The Dee by Lynsay Sands- Lady Emmaline Eberhart wants a child to be the heir to her husband. But except for her wedding night the man has not shared her bed nor done the deed with her. So she petitions the King to get him to order her husband to lay with her. The King asks her what exactly happened on her wedding night, and seems very unhappy about what he hears. However, as her husband is returning to her, he dies in an accident, and the King assigns her a new man to take to husband right away, Amaury deAneford. Amaury has never seen Emmaline, but assumes she is either very old. or very ugly- why else would a man resist bedding a rich heiress? But when he meets her, he finds himself wanting her, and bedding her immediately- in a way that far surpasses what her first husband did, and completely changes what she thinks of as "Bedding". Because it seems that her first husband's mother and brother have their own ideas about lady Emmeline and her inheritance, and they want her brother-in-law to take over where his brother left off. Only they are foiled by Amaury having already bedded Emmaline in a way that makes it clear that she was sill a virgin up until that point. But when someone keeps trying to murder Amaury, he doesn't know who to trust, and Emmaline doesn't want to confess it was she who saved him by shooting arrows at his attackers out of the forest. Can the two of them overcome their fears of commitment and trust issues to have a real, loving marriage and prevent the schemes of her ex-mother-in-law and ex-brother-in-law? Or will Emmaline have to don mourning clothes once again? I generally enjoyed this novel, though inretrospect, it seems suspect that someone who lived in medieval times had no idea of what the marriage bed entailed, as they would have seen animals- especially horses, sheep and cattle being mated pretty much everywhere. Okay, the book is 17 years old, but still! It became harder to justify the longer the book went on. At the very least, in medieval parlance, Emmaline's father did her a great disservice. In that, the setup of the story made me wince, so it was less successful for me as a whole. The love story was fine, but the background made me sad. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Marriage Spell by Mary Jo Putney - Abby Barton has long been fascinated by Jack Langdon, Lord Frayne. So when he is wounded unto death, and she can help heal him with her Wizardly Powers and a circle of healing with other wizards, she does so. But her price for the healing is to marry him- or at least, that is what she tells him and his friends. When she does go to heal him, though, she discovers a great well of magic power within him, and she draws on that to help heal the shattered vertebrae in his neck. But while Jack is grateful, he is also somewhat appalled, as he hates wizardry now- though as a child, he was fascinated with it and even used it himself. But his father had Jack shipped off to Stonebridge academy to curb his interest in both magic and doing magic, and it seems to have worked. He is grateful to Abby for saving his life, but when she offers to let him cry off of the marriage, he won't do it. yes, the upper class hates magic, but Jack has become very attracted to Abby and both this and a sense of duty to his word make it impossible for him to back down. But along with his marriage come a series of other shocks, that he has been ensorcelled to make him hate magic, and that his own sister shares his magical gift, which makes him seeks out the spells in his own mind, and discovers that this is not the only spell cast on him- he has another that makes him avoid his home, and one that makes him almost dangerously reckless with his own life. Ones that he cannot help but conclude were placed on him by his mother's second husband, who inhabits the family home and who has turned Jack's mother into a pale shadow of her former self, focused only on her new husband. But as Jack and Abby try to deal with the horrible pall than hangs over the estate- a clear consequence of his stepfather's magic, Jack will have to deal with the fact that not only is he a mage, but a very strong one- and the consequences that will come out of that, for him and his friends and Abby. I liked this book. I never encountered this version of a world before, but I found it interesting and wonderful to read. The world-building is accomplished wonderfully and seamlessly from the first page of the book, and it hardly took any time at all before I was invested in both the book and the story. And I loved both characters. Jack is a bit of a prat, but as we find out, he has sort of been magicked to be that way, and he does love Abby very much, which excuses him very nicely. I am pretty certain I am going to end up keeping this book, which I loved. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Gilded Web by Mary Balogh- When Alexandra Purnell escapes a hot ballroom for a breath of fresh air outside, she hardly expects to be kidnapped. But when two men mistake her for the younger sister of a friend of theirs, one who is rumored to be going to Scotland for a quick marriage against her family's wishes, Alexandra finds herself becoming the object of blame, by both her father and her now-former fiancé and his family But the man whose house she was kidnapped to is the only one to stand up for her and offer her marriage to overcome what many will see as a failing on her part and a scandal. At first she believes that her father and fiancé will support her. But when they blame her as well, and people who she formerly thought of as friends cut her, she finds herself accepting the offer of Edmund, Earl of Amberly, to be his wife and now fiancée. But along with his offer comes the realization that she is very much attracted to Edmund, and that the two of them inspire heat in each other as well as warmth. Free to be a woman for the first time in her life, and awakening to her own sensuality. Alexandra must find it within herself to accept the changes in her life and take the freedom and love it will afford her. The question is, can she, with all the strictures she has lived with all her life? This didn't seem much like a Mary Balogh novel to me, , but to be fair, it's also one of her first novels and I suspect her style was still gelling at the time she wrote it. But it was still enjoyable in its own way- I just found I prefer the style that Mary Balogh has now over the style she started with. And the strangest thing is that I can't even put the difference I experienced in words, I can only say it was different and not necessarily in a good way to me. Not recommended, and YMMV.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Crash Go the Chariots by Clifford Wilson- Pretty much everyone who lived during the 70's is familiar with Erich VonDaniken, a Swedish Con Man and Fraud who published the book "Chariots of the Gods", which theorized the completely debunked theory that non-white indigenous cultures (and even some white ones) were completely incapable of constructing the magnificent monuments that litter the ancient world and that these monuments had to be the work of "Gods", human appearing aliens who did all the actual construction work, and who the primitive humans therefore worshipped as Gods. I was interested in this book, because in the beginning, the author presents reason and science based evidence for rejecting VonDaniken's claims. This is the best part of the book. However, when he starts rejecting VonDaniken's claims because they go against what the Bible says, my newfound enthusiasm for reading the book went away. He makes a point of rejecting the "Stories, Legends and Superstitions" referenced by VonDaniken, but has absolutely no problem accepting the very same "stories, legends and Superstitions" when they come straight out of the Bible. In fact, in several cases, he insists the Bible are stories of truth, when in point of fact, there is no evidence beyond the authors belief that this is so. He also goes beyond to accept that several mentions of Gods from other cultures seem to be true- a fact contradicted by Christian belief, and then sort of wishy-washily concludes that evil spirits also exist. This book was a great disappointment to me, and to be honest, I would rather read a reason and science based rebuttal to "Chariots of the Gods" than this sort of weaksauce. Not recommended unless you are a Christian, and even then, some of the things asserted by the author may end up taking you aback.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Born of Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Dancer Hauk is Andarion, a race which loves perfection and savagery in battle. But Hauk, scarred in an accident hen he was young, was always seen as less than perfect. But when his elder brother died escorting him on his Endurance, and Hauk managed to survive, his brother's wife and his own family blamed him for his death and scarred him even further. And when Hauk was required to try and take his brother's wife as his own and protect her, she cruelly rejected him, scarring him even further. Every year he was required to ask her and every year she rejects him and scars him again. But this year, her son by his brother is ready for his own Endurance, and once he makes the climb, it is up to Hauk to ask again- and this time, Dariana has said she will accept him. But on the Endurance, he discovers SumiAntaxas, a League Assassin who was sent, not to kill him, but to get information that Hauk is a member of the Sentella, a group dedicated to fighting the League wherever they may be. But she is driven not by love of her job, but by love of and for her daughter, being held by the league and threatened with death should Sumi not do her job. But as Haukhelps and protects her, Sumi discovers that Hauk is incredibly brave and warm, much the way his other brother, also known as Hauk was, and as Sumi discovers the truth behind the tragedy that shattered her own family, she finds in Hauk a man to fight for and with, and to love more deeply than she ever thought possible. But Hauk is sworn to Dariana, and can be killed if so much as touches another woman- and Sumi wants to touch him very much. With two youngsters to protect and a large number of mercenaries out to kill him, can Sumi and Hauk keep each other safe without succumbing to their desire for one another? And with Hauk pledged to a woman who hates his guts, can he ever find true happiness with the thought of having to submit to Dariana riding over him? Wow, this book was pretty amazing. Yeah, Hauk had a bad childhood, but it hasn't yet been flanderized to the frankly insane levels you see in the Dark Hunter books. I liked Sumi, whose childhood was also pretty awful, and who hated to kill, but did it anyway to keep her daughter safe. I liked how Sumi came to feel about Hauk and discovered his finer qualities, and I liked how Hauk threw over the traces and threw it all away to love Sumi and be with her. The ending of the book made me smile Happily, and it was nice to see the villains get what was coming to them and see everyone safe and happy at last. There are some instances of (alien) cursing in this book that are not translated, like <i>minsid</i>, but it's rather mild, all things considered. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Night's Honor by Thea Harrison- Tess is on the run and needs somewhere safe to hide. She thinks that maybe hiding in a Nightkind demense is the only place she can go to ground. So when she applies for a job at the Halloween Ball given by the Vampires, Her "application" is short and to the point. She's not pretty and yet she is the smartest person in the room. But she only gets one interview- the Xavier DelToro, who asks what she can do and then makes her prove she is telling the truth. Tess is terrified of Vampires, and Xavier especially, and while he has her in mind for a special operative and puts Tess through some very specialized training, he is also intrigued by her, and Tess finds her fear of him slowly fading- not enough to allow him to drink from her, but when they spend even more time together, as he insists on teaching her to dance the waltz. But when the past she was on the run from finally catches up to her, she has to decide if keeping his trust is more important than saving her own life... or perhaps he can help her with her problems. But can even a four hundred year old vampire go against one of the Nightkind elders on her behalf and help her win? And will she ever be able to have him drink from her vein so that she can share his power and resistance to aging? This book is set in the same universe as the series involving Dragos, only this one involves Vampires and Djinn, another set of powerful, reclusive Nightkinf. Since we haven't yet met any Djinn, we are completely unknowing what Tess's boss can do to her for straying from his employ. The tale was a really interesting one, and I liked both Tess and Xavier, their histories and how they came to end up being a couple- I also like Tess's fear, which wouldn't be unnatural for a human in this universe, and the romance aspect I felt was very well done- both how Tess came to be interested his Xavier and vice-versa. I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy: Prelude by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Wellington Alves, Manny Clark and Jeff David Ramos- This comic collects 8 short stories of the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy before they came to join up. The first tells of Nebula, a childhood companion and adversary of Gamorra as they trained under her father, Thanos. Nebula tries her best, but fails when compared to Gamorra, and has several parts of her body replaced with mechanical parts as a result. Then, we get to see Rocket Raccoon and Groot as they go on a little job for someone when they are running short of money to refuel their spaceship. Afterwards, we get to see Gamorra herself interacting with the Collector, Taneleer Tivan- an actual prequel to the movie. We also get to see a comic from the 70's, when Drax the Destroyer and Iron Man fought together to free Drax from his captor, Thanos, and his minions. Next is a tale of Adam Warlock, fighting against a group of religious fanatics who want to bring him into their faith and make him espouse their cause. Along the way, Gamorra is about to rescue him, but Adam Warlock doesn't need her help. Then, the Hulk finds himself in the world of Rocket Raccoon and helps him against a sinister figure who wants to enslave Rocket's girlfriend, Lylla. We see the origin of Groot from "Takes to Astonish", and how he once attempted to take over the earth through the plants here, and finally, we get to see the new origin of Starlord as J'son of Spartax crash-lands on earth and meets Meredith Quill, and they share time together as he repairs his ship. But when their son is born, J'son's trail is backtracked, and two aliens kill Meredith, and Peter kills them with the gun his father left behinf, which looks like a mere toy gun to everyone else, since only someone with the blood of J'son can wield it. But it also becomes the reason that Peter Quill becomes a NASA Astronaut and ends up in space. This book was interesting, as it combines both new and old stories to weave the tale of the Guardians before they met and joined up together. The older stories are interesting, but the Drax there doesn't much look like his movie self. Still the stories were interesting and even if the Starlord story has been reprinted in another graphic novel, it was interesting and fun to read. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Leopard by K. V. Johansen- Ahjvar was a famous assassin known as the Leopard, but he is hiding in a small town on the coast, looked after only by a young male servant known as Ghu. So when Princess Deyandara, comes looking for him at the behest of a Goddess, he isn't inclined to listeb- even when the Goddess promises him the remission of a curse that leaves him alive and deathless- he's lost too many and too much to do anything but live a life sunken in misery. But when he leaves to escort her back to the place where her brother is, to keep her from those who would make of her a queen, the nightmares return, and he is also being sought. Splitting from his companions, Ahjvar must make his own way out of the pickle he is in. Meanwhile, the goddess of the waters takes a new Voice, a young dancer named Zora. And unlike the Goddess's previous Voice, she achieves a closer union with the Goddess of the Waters, speaking not only for the Goddess, but with the Goddess's actual voice. But the Goddess is actually the spirit of a long-ago young mage who accompanied her mad brother, and hoped that death would finally allow her to escape him. But he brought her spirit back, and she merged with the waters to hopefully escape him forever. Mages are now anathema to her, and she uses what is left of the spirits of mages to serve as her guards. She also is served by a group of raiders who are killing mages, and rulers, to ensure that her worship rules the lands- and it is these raiders who another Goddess wants Ahjvar to slay in return for a peaceful death. Meanwhile, another woman from the North comes with her demonborn lover, carrying a sword meant to slay seven devils who escaped from the coldest of the cold hells- but as they come near Marrakand, who can tell what weaving these disparate threads will form? This book was a did not finish for me. I got about 7/8ths of the way through the book, trying to push on and read the ending when I realized I just didn't care about any of the characters enough to finish reading the book. So many characters are introduced so quickly that I just ended up not caring about any of them. The book spends time introducing the various characters and then giving us various snippets about them that I hoped to be able to weave together as the story went on. But it wasn't enough for me and I gave up in disgust before the end. The stuff we see isn't enough to get me to care about the characters as much as I wanted to. It's not just the characters mentioned above, but many others, more minor to the story, who are given this treatment and I felt that the story became a fairly disjointed mess to me. I couldn't finish it, and I really don't recommend it. I was hoping this book was going to be something like "The Nightrunners" books based on the cover, but it wasn't, and I couldn't help but fault it something for that.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">All my Patients Kick and Bite: More Favorite Stories from a Vet's Practice by Jeff Wells, D.V.M.- This is the second collection from Vet Jeff Wells and has more stories from his practice in the Western US. From dealing with the tight-fisted father of a little girl whose cat was very sick to encountering new cattle with extremely long horns who would NOT let him deal with an injured calf and a llama who had to have its toenails trimmed and was very much not impressed with his vet, these stories are sure to delight and amuse with stories of sick animals and their sometimes crazy owners I really enjoyed this book, which reads very much like the tales of James Herriott, but with a more American feel. As well, Dr. Wells shows us how often it is that the human element provides help and aid to the healing of animals when he tells a story about a little boy and two beloved ponies, and how the young boy was led into a life in medicine by his experiences with his ponies. This is a heartwarming book that made me smile, laugh, and nearly cry. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Illusion by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Nick Gautier has been an outcast all his life. His father was a demon called a Malachi, and his mother was the rather saintly young woman who had attracted him. But while other people may have rejected Nick, he has the love of his mother, who raised him as a normal young man, who happens to be charismatic, but snarky, and with a will that cannot be denied. Awakened early to knowledge of who and what he is by his older self, who has become a thoroughgoing demon who is destroying the world, his older self is trying to change the future by changing his own past. But this time, this Nick Gautier, is his last chance. If Nick succumbs to the power of his bloodline or is killed- or his mother is killed: that will be the end, for Nick and the World. And now, Nick falls asleep and wakes up in a different body, a different life, where his father is Bubba Boudreaux and he has been raised a short and more ordinary life. But when Nick tries to figure out how he got there, and how he can back to his real life, home and time, he is blindsided by how, in this new world, his allies are gone and some of his allies are now his enemies. He also finds that his soul or spirit has been riven from his body and placed in the body of this world's Nick Boudreau. Meanwhile, in his own world, his friends and allies have noticed the change and are trying to get their Nick back. But when Demons in both worlds seek to kill Nick while his body and soul are separated, can Nick summon his allies from his own world to defeat the Demons in both worlds? And when it seems Nick can be rescued, can Kory, whose spirit left her body to go to her Nick, be left behind forever? I have really enjoyed the "Chronicles of Nick" series. I like seeing Nick how he was before he was the utter bastard that losing his mother and finding out that he was a Malachi Demon turned him into. But this new world has some rather horrible stings in the tail that aren't present in his own world, and they are fairly horrifying in and of themselves... but you'll have to read the book to find out for yourselves. In any case, I loved the book and I would heartily recommend it, even if it's YA, adult readers will also find a lot in it to recommend it. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Natsume's Book of Friends, Book 17 by Yuki Midorikawa- Takahashi Natsume has always been able to see Oni and other spirits. But unlike his aunt, who challenged the spirits and collected their names into a book to summon them because she had no real friends, Takahashi has made friends with many spirits by returning their names to them. He now lives with one: Nyanko Sensei, a powerful spirit living in the body of a porcelain cat who everyone sees as a real cat. When Natsume discovers another spirit, Aoi, who is looking for a human girl he once played with, Natsume agrees to go look for her. But the girl is supposedly getting married, and Aoi is pleased she found other humans to be with, as he will live very much longer than she will, and not age in the bargain. But the woman who Aoi once played with has her own agenda- she wants to live with Aoi. But can Aoi give up his duties to live with a human? Next, Nyanko Sensei invites Natsume to a party among the spirits. But when Natsume tries to follow him, he ends up getting drawn into a strange game and bothered by dreams. Can Natsume find a way out of being "It" in a game of hide and seek amongst spirits. The last story is a side story about Natori Shuichi, and how he started down the road to become an exorcist. He only wanted to find out how to remove the little tattoo of a lizard that crawls around his body. But when he is challenged by other exorcists, he is determined to beat them. But will he be happy with the outcome of his quest? Another interesting volume. Given the nature of how humans and spirits usually have unhappy outcomes, I don't think the first story will end happily at all. But the story about the game was cute and short, and it was interesting finding out more about Natori. Definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Poison Fruit: Agent of Hel by Jacqueline Carey- Daisy Johanssen is a half-demon who works for Hel, Queen of the Underworld as her agent in the tiny town of Pemkowet. But now the town is in trouble. It's being sued for an incident that happened on Halloween, and the same lawyer who is suing the town is also buying up large pieces of town for an unknown client, which Daisy doesn't trust. But when Daisy suspects that the enemy lawyer who is also half-demon, is using his magic against the judge in the case, she mobilizes the town's coven against him- but outside of Pemkowet and Hel's Domain, there is little magic can do to affect the judge. But when all their plans to defend the town fail, they learn the true nature of the opposition against them- it's Persephone, Queen of Hades, who wants to take over Pemkowet's underworld, and she is using the court judgment against them to bribe the town council with money to sell the Underworld to her. But Daisy isn't down with that plan- she is a servant of Hel, and even with Persephone offering her an equivalent job, she can't just leave Hel behind. Even as Daisy struggles to have a relationship with Stefan, the ghoul, she must join together with the members of the town to defend Hel's Underworld when it comes under attack by the forces of Persephone. But, if, as the signs are telling her, she must accept her demonic heritage to prevail, how can she do so without breaking the world? And Can she do so without laying waste to everything and everyone she loves? I liked this book a lot, even if it was the end of the series. Everything is wrapped up in a satisfactory fashion, and we get a HEA for Daisy at last. I can't say much more than that without spoiling a good deal of the book, but Daisy makes a lot of changes in the Supernatural world, in a good way, and she changes in outlook and determination. If you have enjoyed the rest of the series, you will definitely want to read this one. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Lady Windermere's Lover by Miranda Neville- Lady Cynthia Windermere was never asked if she was willing to marry the Earl. She simply went along with the marriage her family contracted. Her husband, Damian, married her for the rights to the property that came with her on marriage, because he had foolishly lost his family home at a hand of cards when dangerously drunk. After the marriage, he entered a career in the Foreign Office. Now, returned to his wife a year later, he finds himself intrigued by this woman who is a complete stranger to him. As for her part, Cynthia is less than thrilled by the return of her erstwhile spouse, and has been taking her irritation with her missing husband out by spending his money on horrendous "antiques" and using the proceeds to help out French Emigres. But as much as Damian wishes to get to know his wife better, he also believes that she is secretly carrying on an affair with Julian, his former best friend, who he believes should have reined him in when the was about to wager his home. But can he overcome this hurdle to find out the truth of Cynthian's affections and claim her for his own. But Cynthia must also confront the man who is her husband over his abandonment of her and the treatment she has suffered at his hands. Can both of them overcome their estrangement and have a happily ever after? I was so not feeling this book. He Hero acts like an entitled jerk for so much of it, I kept wanting to serve him heaping helpings of "Slap on Toast- Hold the Toast".. It does help that he slowly gets better, but it is a very long, slow process., and after a certain point, my patience with Damian was completely gone. In short, this book was not a good one for me, and I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone, unless you have a lot more patience with the hero being a jerk that I did. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">It Takes a Scandal by Caroline Linden- Sebastian Vane was once a happy, charming man, until he came home from war with a shattered leg and the necessity of caring for his father, who was slowly going mad. Add to that a scandal over money stolen from the family of his next door neighbor, a quarrel with the same over his friend's daughter being in love with him and going missing, and his father abruptly disappearing, and most people think that Sebastian Vane is mad at best or a horrible villain at worst. With most of his property sold off by his mad father, he lives in straitened circumstances with a minimum of servants. When Abigail Weston, the eldest daughter of one of the richest men in England, moves in next door and meets Sebastian, she can see nothing wrong with him, and is instead intrigued, digging to find the true story of this fascinating, elusive man. But when she begins to be romanced by Benjamin Lennox, the man who was once Sebastian's friend and who he quarreled with over his sister so long ago, Sebastian knows that Abigail will never choose him over Ben. But he hasn't consulted with the lady, and she has definite ideas where Sebastian is concerned. But can she uncover the truth of the events surrounding the disappearance of his father and the quarrel between him and Ben before Her father and Ben's father have them neatly sewn up together into matrimony? And can she have the man she truly loves? I really liked this book. Sebastian is the perfect tortured hero and he treats Abigail so well, at first trying to avoid her because of the scandal that surrounds his name, but she wins him over quite handily, and he wins her heart when he is willing the show her the whereabouts of a missing grotto constructed for a former King's Mistress. I like how they bond over dogs, and all their interactions together. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Escape by Mary Balogh- Benedict Harper was seriously wounded in the Napoleonic Wars and came close to losing both legs. With his friends, "The Survivor's Club", they bond over having survived what seem to be life-shattering injuried. Even though his legs can barely hold him up, Benedict holds out great hope of being able to walk again some day. But when he visits his sister, he meets a young widow named Samantha McKay, who is being oppressed by her husband's family. She married him because she fell in love with him, and found out, to her sorrow, that he was massively unfaithful to her. Worse, he couldn't be faithful. And shortly after he went to war on the continent, she had to live with his family and the judgmental creatures they were, ready to restrict any aspect of her life simply because they thought it "proper". But when he came back from war injured, Samantha became his tireless nurse- which he resented and acted like a child, always demanding her attention. Now that her husband is gone, she feels nothing but relief, but because her husband's family thinks she should remain in deepest mourning forever, she is still chained by the presence of her sister-in-law. When she meets Benedict, it is not a happy or easy meeting for either of them, but as they begin to spend more time in each other's company, she likes the feeling of being free with him. And when her sister-in-law objects to Samantha spending time other than in mourning her former husband. Samantha rebels- and causes her sister-in-law to withdraw back to Samantha's father-in-law, who insists she come back to the family seat and live in propriety- i.e. under her in-laws thumbs. And he sends a complement of burly men to make her comply. But Samantha's mother inherited a cottage from her aunt, and that cottage has become Samantha's property via inheritance. On the strength of the connection, Samantha journeys to Wales to see the cottage for herself- and Benedict, unable to let her travel alone- goes with her as he "husband", only to find himself growing closer than ever to Samantha. In the freedom of Wales, the two become lovers, but Benedict must decide for himself how much freedom he wants, and whether or not to accept his injuries as limiting himself forever. But can he find healing and a new life with Samantha, or will she reject him for a new life of her own? I really enjoyed this book, which is one of a very few where the hero doesn't magically get better as a result of the heroine tending him (or having sex with him). I liked that the limitations he experienced at the start stayed with him through the book. The only thing that changes in his attitude towards himself and his own body. But the heroine, too, must change and accept that her mother was a flawed person and be able to build a life of her own before she can accept Benedict in her life. I loved how they came together, and how their romance progressed, all through the book. I liked that the choices were hard, and both characters really changed and grew over the course of the book. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Don't Swallow Your Gum: Truths, Half-Truths and Outright Lies about your body and Health by Dr. Aaron E. Carroll and Dr. Rachel Freeman- We've all heard the warnings. "Don't Swim for an Hour after eating or you'll drown!", "Don't Swallow your gum- it stays in your stomach for 20 years!" "Cover your head or you'll catch a cold!", but how many of those are actually true? These two physicians make and show the real truth-sometimes surprising, about your body and what goes on in it. My favorite statement in this book was under the category of "Shaving your hair makes it grow back in darker and thicker". If this was true, Male Pattern Baldness (Alopecia) could be cured by shaving your head numerous times... Amazing how we never think about this, do we? I found this book amusing and interesting. It's written to be fun and funny and yet really inform you and get you to think. Highly recommended for a short, fun read.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Fool for Love by Eloisa James- Henrietta MacLellan has always wanted a husband and a family of her own, but her health is too fragile to even be able to dream of having one of her own. However, when she meets Simon Darby and his two sisters, she finds him disturbingly beautiful and finds herself beginning to dream of things she has always been told are forbidden to her by her health. She even writes herself a steamy love letters as if it was from Simon, but her dreams will remain just that, dreams, will they not? Until her friend convinces her to use the letter to win Simon for her own by initiating a scandal that will force him to marry her to retain his good name. But Simon, already falling for Henrietta, and loving the way she interacts with his sisters, isn't willing to take the common wisdom about Henrietta's health at face value. In danger of making a fool of himself over her, can he convince her that she *can* have what she wants, and himself as well? I found this an interesting book. The Hero and Heroine are locked into old patterns of thought and behavior, but through meeting each other, they are forced to change and grow. I liked how Henrietta wrote a fake love letter to herself. It wasn't quite steamy as we think of the term, but for the time, it was certainly a bold declaration of love. And I love hoe they cast off old modes of thinking to finally be with and love each other. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Trapped at the Altar by Jane Feather- Ariadne Daunt has grown up in a small valley all her life, her family on the outs with the Royal Family because of their religion. She is in love with Gabriel Fawcett, a musician, but her family wishes her to marry Ivor Chalfont, , who is of the King's religion and who they hope can restore the Daunt's close ties to the crown. Forced into marrying Ivor and taking on a mission to restore her family's good name, Ariadne wonders how she can fall for a man who she only thinks of as a good friend. As for Ivor, he has loved Ariadne since they were children- but he will not allow himself to give a name to a bastard child. Since he cannot be sure of Ariadne's affections, how can they ever work together on the mission for her family if she is pining for another man. But when Ariadne starts to fall for her husband, everything is different- and when she meets Gabriel in London, will she choose to run off with him or stay with the husband she has come to love? I spent a good deal of time irritated at Ariadne through this book. Yes, she was in love with another man, but at the same time, Ivor treats her a little badly because he knows she has been with Gabriel and wants to ensure that any child she bears is actually his. But she acts like she will never fall out of love with Gabriel and keeps Ivor on tenterhooks about her real feelings until very late in the book, making it much harder for him to trust her- and I couldn't see where he was all that much in the wrong. Thus, I never really got invested in Ivor and Ariadne as a couple, which made this book less successful for me, even though it ended with them together. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like: A Comprehensive Compilaion of History's Greatest Analogies, Metaphors and Similies by Dr. Mardy Grothe- This book shows the best of the literary and other worlds in crafting bon Mots on themes of love, marriage, Age, Death and similar subjects- both for an against. The cover is illustrated with a fish on a bicycle, bringing back the claim of Feminist Gloria Steinem about "A Woman Needs a Man like a Fish needs a Bicycle", which spoke to the idea that a women needs a man- or a relationship with a man, to be happy and fulfilled in life. Other ideas abound in the book, and I found myself enjoying the book greatly. The only drawback is that there are sometimes almost too may thoughts on a particular topic and I found myself growing tired of reading about it. This is not a book to open up and read straight through, but to put aside and read when you are interested in the topic being discussed, or to leaf through when you are thinking. It's not a bad book, but reading it straight through can be a bit overwhelming. Nonetheless, recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-21819319680030663742014-10-04T15:24:00.001-04:002014-10-08T15:45:37.341-04:002014, Part 9<span style="color: #33ccff;">Kalona's Fall by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast- A long time ago, Mother Earth made the gods and goddesses as her children. But all but one of them left the earth out of boredom. The only one left was the Goddess known as Nyx, and she found the earth lovely and beautiful beyond all measure. Because she stayed, Earth gave her gifts: Power over the elements, including spirit, and, because she wanted a lover and companion, Mother Earth asked the Sun and the Moon to create companions for her; Lover, companion, plaything and friend in each. They were Kalona and Erebus, and while Nyx loved Kalona, he felt unequal to his brother. The Earth Goddess commanded a competition between the two, Kalona wanted very badly to win. But can he compete with his seemingly better-favored brother as he inadvertantly helps create the Vampyres and seems to do wrong every time he tries to do something good. But can even the immortal lover and plaything of a Goddess deal with the guilt and the darkness that he has seemingly helped unleash< or will it defeat him forever? I loved this book, which was written rather like a fairytale, but at the same time, helped me understand Kalona's love and frustration. It even ends like a fairytale- but here there are no "happily ever after"s. I felt bad for Kalona after reading this book, and it's so unlike the other books in the series- but not in a bad way. A more mythological way. Definitely recommended, though. A wonderful companion to the "House of Night" series.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank- Docia Waverly is on her way to work when a car nearly runs her down. Jumping onto the guardrail of the bridge she was walking on sees her pushed over the side and onto the rocks below- and she can't even say why it happened. But while she is dead, for lack of a better term, she is approached by a strange woman who asks Docia to mingle her soul with that of the woman so that she can be reborn into the world, Docia finally agrees- because she doesn't want to die so young, and also because she wants to find out who was responsible for doing this to her and why. Shortly after returning to the world (and her brother Jackson, a cop who practically raised her), Docia is attacked again, but saved by two men who take her away to a luxuriously appointed mansion where she is told that the woman who is sharing her body is Hatshepsut, the Queen of the Nightwalkers, and that her love and husband, Menes, will be reincarnated shortly, by the same method she is experiencing, to join her. However, one of the men who rescued her, Ramses, she finds herself attracted to. And he, to her as well, which is troubling to him because Menes, his friend and King, should be her only love. Something about the woman who shares her body, Docia, is attracting him, and despite everything in him that says he should keep his hands off of her, he cannot resist her. But the Nightwalkers, including their Gargoyle allies, are fighting against some of their own- former priests and priestesses from Old Egypt, who wish to control their society and make the rules. Odjit, a female priestess, is ruler of the Rival faction and would like to see Docia and Hatshepsut dead. But when she and her minions abduct Docia and Ramses, Docia must cone to terms with her attraction to Ramses and Vincent, the man he shares his body with. Or is she even Hatshepsut at all? And if she isn't the Queen, who is she really, and what does she have to do with the ongoing war? And if she isn't Hatshepsut, who and what is she to Ramses, and can they discover a way to end the war between the two sides of the Bodywalkers? This was the first in the series to the book, Forever, which I read a short while back. This tells the first story in the tale, how Docia became a bodywalker, and how Jackson ended up getting involved, along with his friend, Leo Alvarez. It was interesting because it pretty much lays out the source of the Bodywalkers, and their society and why they are at war with each other. It also introduces some of the other Twelve races of the Nightwalkers, including the Gargoyles, The Djynn, The Wraiths, The Night Angels and others, two of which we know are also the vampire-esque Nightwalkers and the Shadowdwellers from earlier series of her books. It also mentions a prophecy about the twelve Nightwalker races having to come together to do something, and that sounds intriguing. I liked the characters and the worldbuilding, and I loved the romance and the story. A wonderful read. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Wedding Wager by Jane Feather- Lady Serena Grantly was born to the nobility. But when her widowed mother wed a gaming man, her life soon became one of shame and disrepute, with the remains of her mother's fortune fueling her step-father's life. By the time she met Sebastian Sullivan, she seemed not to care for anyone. But she fell in love with Sebastian and shared as much as she could of herself with him. When her father was forced to move on by gaming losses, she threw Sebastian out of her life and followed her foster father-s omething she has always regretted. Now, finally back in England, she is determined to leave her foster father behind and foil his burgeoning romance with an innocent daughter of a wealthy tradesman. But what she didn't count on was Sebastian coming back into her life. Sebastian, for his own part, feels he has gotten over the way that Serena crushed his heart, but once he sees her again, he can't get her out of his mind. Meanwhile, he must find a bride from beyond all bounds of decency and redeem her if he wishes his family to not become destitute- and his two brothers also share in this mission. His older brother has already found a bride, but Sebastian can see no other woman for him but Serena. Does he have a chance to rekindle their love for each other, or will her schemes to undo her stepfather interfere with their own romance? More to the point, where does Serena's heart really lie, and can she overcome her step-father's abuse of her to reclaim the life and love she should never have had to give up? I liked this book. Serena and Sebastian spend so much of their time wearing masks- that only they can see what is really behind the mask and see each other. This gives their romance a tension and also a strength that I loved to read. Serena's history is often sad, but she never feels sad for herself or gives into sorrow or hatred (and she really dislikes her stepfather- but who can blame her? Reading this made me smile a lot, and I always enjoy smiling as I read. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Crave the Night by Lara Adrian- Nathan is a ruthless Generation One Breed, raised in a prison by Dragos, a mad Breed male and trained to be a ruthless warrior and assassin. Rescued from slavery by his mother, Corinne, and her own mate, Hunter, he spent the rest of his life trying to be an Order Warrior instead and trying to adapt to being more normal. But he's still struggling with allowing people- even his own mother, to show him love and ternderness, because he was ruthlessly punished for either allowing it or showing it on his own. However, Nathan was recently kissed by a female Breedmate named Jordana Gates, and despite his task to find and bring down Cassian Gray, a seeming Breed who runs a gambling den/fighting pit in the heart of downtown Boston, Jordana keeps showing up as part of the case- Her friend, Carys Chase is in love with one of the Breed fighters in the pit, a male named Rune, and Jordana and Carys are close friends. Jordana is supposed to be marrying a Breed male Lawyer, Elliott Bentley-Squire, but it's a choice being pushed on her by her father, who wants her to be married and mated before her twenty-fifth birthday. The question is, why? But she cannot keep away from Nathan, and to be honest with herself, she doesn't really want to. Something about his danger and wildness bring out a deep, hidden wild side of Jordana's own. But Cassian Gray isn't human or Breed- he's Atlantean, the race that wants to kill all the Breed, and the humans as well, so when Cassian Gray makes a visit to Jordana before he is killed by his fellow Atlanteans, Nathan wants to know why- and Jordana has no answers to give him. But as Nathan sticks close, drawn by his feelings for the cool, but passionate Breedmate, both he and Jordana will have to unpack all their assumptions about each other and who and what they are- because Jordana is more than just an ordinary Breedmate, and the secrets behind who she is may save more than just Nathan and the Breed. Wow, this was some book. I read this one in something of a fever, as it scratched a real itch for me to do with my "Bad Boy" and "Hot, Dangerous lover and lovemaking" wants. Reading this book left me a little breathless and I couldn't put it down for very long. I was craving bad boys and hot loving, and that was exactly what I got and then some. This book scratched all my itches and made me want more of the same. Definitely recommended, and it's nice to see more Breed books now that the Dragos arc is finished.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Love and Let Spy by Shana Galen- Jane Bonde is a female spy working for England, trying to bring down the French Spymaster, Fonce. But as she grows older, she is no longer able to travel viably on her own, and her own uncle has decided that she must be married. He has even picked out her groom- Dominic Griffyn. As for Dominic, he has a past as a bastard to contend with, and is quite content on his own. But his mother and stepfather require him to marry Jane, who he's only heard of as a paragon- a diamond of the first water who is wanted by men everywhere. He only wants to raise horses and live his life, but neither of their families will allow them their wishes. But can Jane still track down Fonce with her fiance and husband following her everywhere, and will Dominic realize that his wife is actually a spy? Worse, will he get caught up in her chase and either give the game away or ensure she is unable to do her job? Is there hope for love and redemption on both sides in this marriage made on paper? I looked at the back of this book and thought it sounded interesting, at the very least, so I picked it up- but alas, it was not to be. Neither character really appealed to me, both were rather too mannered to make me think of kickass woman or manly derring-do and the story as a whole just left me cold. This book was a "Did not finish" for me, as I abandoned it anout 1/4 of the way in. If you like regency-era spying (or slightly earlier) and pastiches of James Bond, only in a female vein. this book might appeal to you. Unfortunately, it didn't hit me where it needed to. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Forsaken by Jacquelyn Frank- Leo Alvarez is only human, but it was his hand that laid low the Vampire Priestess Odjit, and when his friend, Jackson is nearly mortally-injured by the Imp God Apep, Jackson is only saved by the intervention of Faith, a messenger Night Angel, a being with black skin, white hair and chartreuse eyes, and blue-white wings. She stabilizes him, but healing Jackson and restoring his souls to balance is going to take a Marid Djynn, and to find one, Leo and Faith must use a niknak to find Docia's Djynn friend, SngSing, who might know of a Marid Djynn who can do the task. But none of the other bodywalkers can leave, so it's up to Leo and Faith to do the job. Leo, however, hates Nightwalkers of all kinds, having recently been kidnapped by one and held under torture. But he may have to give up his prejudices when he travels with Faith, as his bad feelings hurt her in ways he wouldn't want to inflict on anyone, no matter how damaged he is inside by what he has undergone. And when they find the Djynn, he has a job for them to do, stealing a nikkie- a living niknak. And even then, he demands a price for the healing- a price that Leo himself must pay. But is Leo willing to do that for an old friend, who he doesn't even view as his friend any more, and is Leo able to let go of his bitterness to find love for himself? I liked this book, but there were also a few things I didn't like about it. For one thing, I expected the "Night Angels" to be a little more alien and less human than Faith was written, and her family seemed less Angel-y and more like a normal human middle-class family with wings and a condition that turned them albino-white in the sunshine. I found that a bit disappointing. Yes, I know we, as readers, are supposed to be able to understand these characters, but aside from her features and her powers (flight, the ability to read minds and send souls to rest), the character of Faith was very mundane, especially when you get the reveal towards the last third of the book. And for some reason, that just rankled me- Don't get me wrong, the romance itself was great and the story was extremely enjoyable, but the character of Faith just seemed too ordinary to have the role she was playing, if that makes any sense. I liked how Leo reacted to Faith, but the way they got around his distrust of her was handled with a very convenient cop-out- I would have liked to see him deal with his antipathy and distrust and not have it so easily hand-waved away. Other than that, though, the story is fine, with lots of hot romance and love. I just wish the problems I had with it were handled better. Recommended- your mileage may vary.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Fire Rising by Donna Grant- Sammi Miller owns a pub in the Highlands, but her ex-boyfriend business partner is up to his ears in trouble- and now he's in trouble with the mob. He confesses to Sammi that he's been laundering money for them through the pub, and also that he's been skimming off the top- and now he's been caught at it. He warns Sammi, telling her to run, but before she can, the mob man guns him down in cold blood, and Sammi is forced to go on the run. As she leaves, the pub is blown up behind her, and she's wounded in the shoulder. Haunted by the feeling that someone is watching her, she keeps moving, heading towards Dreagan, a small Scottish village that is home to Dreagan Industries, a producer of Whiskey. Unbeknownst to Sammi, it is also the home of the Dragon Kings, and her sister, Jane, who Sammi wants to take shelter with for a short while, is the mate of a Dragon King named Banan. Also a Dragon King is Tristan, who fell out of the sky one day two years ago, and who is the newest Dragon King to show up. Tristan, though, used to be a Dark Warrior named Duncan Kerr, until he died and lost the Warrior inside him. He was somehow reborn as a Dragon King, but his memories of his life with his twin brother Ian are dim and confused- and he can't even be sure if he really was Duncan. But when Sammi shows up in Dreagan, her sister is determined to help her, and Tristan finds himself attracted to her. But both of them have ISSUES, and Tristan is drawn into a conflict with both Ulrik, the Dragon King of the Silver Dragons, who wants to kill and Dominate mankind, and the Dark Fae, who want Sammi for reasons of their own. As they try to survive and make sure of what and who they really want. Tristan must decide what he must do regarding his possible twin, and Sammi must deal with the fact of what Tristan is, and what being the possible mate of a Dragon King might mean for her. She also has to come to terms with the fact that her sister and Banan's enemies used her to get to her sister and deal with the lies Jane and Tristan told her- but can both of them do that and make the right decisions that will lead to them finding love and keeping those they love safe? I read some of Donna Grant's Warrior books and this new series nicely dovetails into that one with Tristan being Duncan Kerr reborn. Although we don't get *why* he was reborn as a Dragon King, we do get an awful lot of worldbuilding (even though this isn't the first book in this series, but the third. I liked both characters fine, and I liked how Sammi tries to get through life on her own, without relying on anyone- and when she has to rely on someone, she doesn't like it, because I am that way myself. A really great book, a good romance, and an interesting backstory and world. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shadows Before the Sun by Kelly Gay- Charlie Madigan was once human, but now she carries the powers of three other races inside her. Also, her partner Hank, a Siren, has been kidnapped by his people and brought to Elysia, his world, to be punished for the crime of running away from the towers that protect the city- towers which are run by young children who are only supposed to serve for seven years, but who actually never leave. Hank managed to get free, and he knows the truth about what goes on in those towers, and it's little better than slavery for the children who serve there. They are kept so isolated with magic, that by the end of their term of service, they are unable to leave, because they cannot function in the real world. But Charlie is determined to get Hank back, so she goes to Elysia, where she meets Alessandra, a seer who she has had dealings with in the past. Alessandra has seen a vision that means Charlie's mission is something that Alessandra needs to help her with, so Alessandra claims Charlie as her bodyguard and helps her get to see the Circe, the Siren Witches who act as advisors to the King. But as Charlie searches for Hank, he is undergoing the NecroNaMoria, a horrific curse that ties his soul to his body after he has died and keeps bringing him back as he undergoes horrific torture, which is slowly driving him insane, and he cannot even die to escape the torture. But as the forces at home deal with Jinn Crime Boss Grigori Tennin search for Akhneri, a divine being, Charlie must discover a stone tablet for a mage from Earth and also find and free Hank from his fellow Sirens- only the Circe have a secret to hide, and it's not just the secret that Hank knows, and they are willing to kill anyone who stands in their way- up to and including Charlie- and of using Hank to do the deed. Can Charlie get Hank to remember who he is, and does she have any chance of standing up to Hank's people and ths who would do her and her partner wrong? And what does it all have to do with the Siren's "stolen words" from out of the past, and can Charlie kill the Death that just might kill her because of the powers she now holds? Well, this was the last book in the four book series, and I never did read books one and two. Yet, I really enjoyed this book and the whole sroryline- I liked what happened, and I liked how she dealt with everyone around her. She's not a perfect character, but Charlie Madigan is very interesting to read about, and I wanted her to suceed by the end of the book. The evil she fights is truly disgusting, and I like that sometimes evil can be unapologetically evil- but here, we get to see that this evil is bigger than we thought. Enjoyable book, and if I ever see the first two, I'ddefinitely pick them up and read them. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The World of Shannara by Terry Brooks and Teresa Patterson- Terry Brooks wrote the Shannara books starting back in the 80's, and since the first story about the Sword of Shannara, the world has steadily grown and expanded. But Terry Brooks never really wrote down the history of his world, it's all come out of his books, from the "Knight of the Word" series starring John Ross, which eventually folded into the Shannara Universe, all the way up to the books in 2008, this volume collects all the stories about Shannara, and the main characters and the items and people mentioned in the stories, into one coherent volume that lays out the maps of the lands, pictures of the characters (who have generally heretofore only appeared on the covers of the books, and the various artifacts and legends of the lands that make up Shannara. If you are interested in the backstory of the Shannara books, , and if you want to know the stories and legends of Shannara and have them collected all in one place, this is the book for you. It's a coffee-table sized book with pictures in both color and black and white, maps and discussions of everything Shannara-related. I's a beautiful book and I liked the depictions of the various characters and the story of how the land has changed and grown since the first book. The only thing is that the prequels, about the Knights of the Word and how that world became the world of Shannara, are limited to a single chapter in the back of the book- and not a very large chapter at that. I have enjoyed all the books, and this volume really struck a chord in me, showing how the world has changed from "our world", to Shannara. And... is it just me or is Parkasia supposed to be the remnants of Florida? (Possibly a shoutout to Xanth, perhaps?) I liked this book, and if you want to see overviews of the books published up to 2008 all collated into one place, or if you just really love Shannara, this is the book you are going to want to have on your shelf. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Valentine Wedding by Jane Feather- When Edward Beaumont dies on the continent, he sends both his sister and the home office a message. But since he was in possession of a message showing the plans for the Spring Offensive, enemies of England go in search of the information. Back in England, Ned's sister Emma is upset to hear of her brother's passing, but is even more upset when Lord Alasdair Chase is put in charge of her finances, which her brother left completely to her. With her increased consequence, she is sure to be a hit on the marriage mart. Once, she and Alasdair were in love and engaged to be married, but a betrayal set them apart, and now Emma wants nothing to do with Alasdair, because she keeps forgetting the betrayal and remembering the many years of friendship and love between them. But when she learns that Alasdair only has control of her fortune until she gets married, she vows to have a lover and a husband by Valentine's Day. Alasdair thinks he is all right with her moving on- until actual suitors show up for her hand and he realizes that he has never stopped loving her. And he must stick around her and find the cipher that was actually sent to her by Ned and not the Home Office. But at least one of her suitors is actually an enemy Spy attempting to Romance her to get the Cipher which she presumably has possession of- and when he loses her back to Alistair, the Spy and his men attempt to take out their frustrations on Emma- and only Alistair can stop them. But will he be able to win Emma's heart after how he shattered it the first time around? And can Emma forgive him and open her heart to him again after all these years as they become lovers once more? Or will the betrayal that broke them apart do the same thing again? This book was like catnip to me- former lovers split apart by a misunderstanding, but unable to keep their hands off each other and unable to stay angry with each other. It was nice seeing a broken apart couple that actually forget why they broke up when they get back together- and how Alasdair chooses to take out his competition was both funny and touching. I loved this book, and both characters came off well, even though Alasdair was being sort of a prat about why Emma was angry with him. "Oh, she found out I have a secret baby with my mistress, how dare she be upset and angry about that!" ::Rolls my eyes.:: Still, I loved this book and enjoyed the story. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Crimson Campaign: Part Two of the Powder Mage Trilogy by Brian McClellan- Taniel Two-Shot is a famous Powder Mage. His father, Tamas, overthrew the King of Adro, because he was running the country into the ground financially, and willing to sell out his people for more money to continue spending. However, the country of Kez, who the King was going to sell out to, invaded when it was clear that Adro was not going to capitulate under Tamas. Now, Tamas' command has been cut off from Adro by a counteroffensive from Kez, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines and deep in the mountains of Kez. His only hope is to make his way home, but Kez Cuirassers and Cavalry are hot on his trail, and his army is without supplies. Can Tamas make it home in time to save Ardo? Taniel, now responsible for the death of the God Kresimir, but none of his superiors believe that he actually killed the God. He has also been lost in a drugged stupor as he tries to deal with what he has done. But he is roused by the forces of Rikard, a former councilman who wants to be elected first speaker, and wants Taniel beneath him on the political ladder, since Tamas will not take the reins of power himself. But when Taniel returns to the army, his father is considered dead by the command, and he is merely one more Powder mage- except that Taniel refuses to cede ground to the Kez troops and wins the regard of the troops below him as he stops the High Command from throwing away the lives of the troops, then allowing the Kez to win the land they were trying to defend. Additionally, he discovers that Kresimir isn't actually dead, and is looking for the man who shot him to have revenge- and the only person who might be able to protect him from an enraged God is Ka-Poel, his savage aide. And back in Adopest, Inspector Adamat will do anything to get his family back, including working with a crimelord named Vetas. But when he discovers that Vetas is holding his wife and son, he must find a way to bring the crime lord down and save the woman he loves. But what cost will he end up paying to save her life? And will he and his family ever be the same afterwards? This is an excellent volume to follow up to "Promise of Blood", and I was engaged all the way through the book and the story, even if certain parts were very hard to read. All the main characters caught my sympathy, and even a lot of the secondary characters as well, from Privileged Borbador to Ka-Poel. This is a surprisingly interesting book and series, and builds smoothly out of "Promise of Blood", and I will be very ineterested in reading, "The Autumn Republic" whenever it comes out. Highly recommended and extremely enjoyable.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The House of the Four WInds by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory- The tiny country of Swansgaard is overblessed with daughters- twelve of them, but with the birth of a single brother, the King and Queen must face facts: they are not rich enough to make a dowry for all twelve of their daughters, so their daughters decide that when they turn eighteen, they will leave Swansgaard and make their fortunes elaewhere. The first to leave is Clarice, a young woman who has become an expert swordsman. She wants to set herself up as a fencing master, but realizes that she doesn't have a name or the experience to do so. Instead, she signs on a ship to the new world, hoping to make a name for herself there, but disguised as a man to keep herself safe from rape. Unforunately for her, she signs on with a Captain Sprunt, and soon wishes she hadn't, as he beats and mistreats his crew and eventually makes them rise up against him in a riot of blood. Clarice/Clarence, having befriended Dominick, the navigator, sides with the crew and is the one who kills the captain during the melee. Afterwards, the crew discovers that much of their supplies are false, and they do not have enough to reach Hispaniola like they had planned. However, Sprunt was guiding their ship somewhere, and Dominick, voted the new Captain of the now-pirate ship, finds that the Island is inhabited also by pirates, who do not really trust the crew despite having Sprunt's necklace that is used to be able to even see the island. They want Dominick to sail to get a certain treasure to be allowed to leave the island, which requires taking on a woman named Shamal, who is filled with inimical magic. She wants Dominick for herself- but for what end, and why is she trying to use magic to win him to her side? And what can Clairce do to prevent her plan from succeeding? I saw this book, and even though I don't usually read stuff like this, I trusted Mercedes Lackey's name enough to want to read this book. And I can't say I was disappointed. Clarice starts out thinking she has seen it all and won't be affected by her travels, only to learn that isn't so in the hardest and worst way. I loved thr growth of her character, and how she and Dominick started as friends and slowly grew to be more, even before her secret was revealed. I loved this book a lot, and I am definitely looking forward to reading about the other princesses (although I think twelve is a lot for any series). Highly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Mist-Torn Witches by Barb Hendee- Amelie Fawr and her sister Celine are the daughters of a seer, and when their mother dies, they have no way to support theselves, except that Celine pretends to see visions of the future, as their mother had. Amelie, for her part, acts as her sister's protector. Celine's first "Vision" is for a young man whose father wants him to marry a rich heiress, but his heart is already given elsewhere. She advises him to marry the woman he loves. Later on, however, Rhiannon. the bride he rejected comes to see Amelie, but she has already been contacted by Rhiannon's supposed fiance, and bribed to make her accept the marriage. Celine has a vision of her new husband accusing Rhiannon of infidelity and having her killed, and tells Rhiannon so. This leads to men attacking their shop and burning it down, they are only saved by the timely intervention of Jaromir, the Captain of the Guard of Sub-Prince Anton, who is the brother of the man Rhiannon would have had to marry and the man who first sought out Amelie and Celine all those years ago. Now, he has a new mission for the girls- discover who is killing young women of his court, and stop them. These are not the usual sorts of killings- the bodies are withered and shrunken- and there is no sign of who is doing the killings. But to catch the killer, each sister will have to reach within herself to grasp the magic that is their legacy, and adjust to a life of balls, fancy dresses and nobles willing to kill for what they want. But the death of their mother has bereft them of information they need to survive. Can they open up to their abilities, and discover the twisted hand behind the slayings, and can they make a new life for themselves, a life they so desperately want? This is an offshoot from Barb and J.C. Hendee's The Noble Dead series. The sisters appear in one of those books, and the two series are set on the same world. Apparently, there are two kinds of witches: Mist-Torn witches, who have their magic from the time they are young, and Cauldron Witches, who must work at magic and throw in a bit here and a bit there into a cauldron. But the two girls, because their mother died early, know nothing about magic or their own family. There is already another book in this series, and I cannot wait to read it. And to be honest, I liked this series a bit more than I liked the Noble Dead series at the outset. The series was easy to read, and a fast read as well. I enjoyed the book and I can't wait to read the next one in the series, which is always a good sign in my book. Recommended.</span><br />
<span style="color: #33ccff;"><br />Wild Wolf by Jennifer Ashley- Misty is the owner of a flower shop, one she has struggled to make work and build her clientele. But her brother is an ex-con, and when men he knew in the pen show up at the Flower Shop looking for him, the only person Misty can think of calling for help is Graham, her sometimes boyfriend who happens to be a wolf Shifter. He, along with some friends of his from Shiftertown, succeed in driving off the cons, but both Graham and Misty are wounded and Misty finds herself offered water by a drifter who turns out to be Fae which nearly enslaves them both, making them want more faery water. Misty consults a book she owns for how to remove their compulsion to drink the water, but while the cure helps her, it doesn't work on Graham, and he, who has been hungering for her, only finds solace when he is "tasting" Misty. And she returns the favor. This leads Graham into even more trouble, as the other shifters of Shiftertown can't find out that Graham is partially enslaved by the Fae, and his relationship with Misty is looked down upon by the other shifters, as Misty is only human, and they want a lupine shifter for Graham's wife. But when the Fae turn up claiming to have made the Shifters and want them back as their soldiers, it's up to Graham and Misty to track down the Fae responsible and free Graham when he is kidnapped to tbe first Shifter to act as a stud to breed a new army of Shifters, it's up to Misty to save him, and when the Fae use the human authorities to "Check" the collars the shifters have to wear to control them, can Graham and Misty save the shifters and help them survive to be free? I thought I might enjoy this book, but several factors came together to make this only a "Meh" experience for me. For one thing, the hero is really an asshole. I know that all sorts of weres and shifters are supposed to be "Bad Boys", bur this went beyond that and into "asshole" territory. Graham, although he rescues Misty and generally treats her well, I just couldn't get into him as a hero. Also, I know someone named Graham and every time his name was mentioned, I got a strong sense of, "No, Graham isn't like that..." And even the other Shifter characters didn't really appeal to me, so I ended up finding this book just marginal. So, this might appeal to others, it was not my cup of tea. Neither recommended nor not. Just "meh".<br />
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Murder and Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood- A Choir conductor has been murdered, and DI Jack Robinson asks for Phryne's help on the case. Hugh Tregennis wasn't well liked, by anyone on the chorus, but it hardly called for poisoning him and stuffing a musical score in his mouth. But the manner of the death is strange, because the poison would have killed him long before the strangulation was effective. And if someone wanted him to suffer, why poison him, as it rendered him insensible? Phryne joins the chorus as a soprano, but she is also distracted by the presence of an old friend, John Wilson, a doctor who is an "invert" (gay), but who also finds Phryne irresistable. John is treveling with Rupert Sheffield, a mathematician and former codebreaker who is in Australia to deliver lectures on the science of detection. But John is in love with Rupert, while Rupert hardly seems to know that love, or even feelings, exist. Additionally, someone is going out of their way to try and kill Rupert, and John may need Phryne's help to catch the culprite. But when yet aother conductor is murdered, Phryne finds herself needing help to catch the true culprit or culprits, and hope she can stop them before yet another conductor is murdered. But can she tie together the threads of murder into a coherent whole and keep her old friend and his inamorata alive- as well as bringing John's love, Rupert, around to seeing him as someone to love who loves him as well? I liked this book, the descriptions and the singing, and the callbacks to Sherlock holmes in "John Wilson" and "Rupert Sheffield" (who is described in such a manner as those fans of a certain actor will be kicking themselves if they don't recognize him. But it was an interesting story, and I liked the reveal on who the actual murderer/murderers were, even that "Rupert Sheffield" learns to admire the mental faculties of women. And at the end, in the afterward, the author points out that deduction is a purely female skill, and Sherlock Holmes gets lauded for it becuase he is male- an actual woman would not get lauded for such a skill. And that gave me something to think about! Highly recommended.<br />
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Air Bound by Christine Feehan- Airiana Ridell has lived with the fear of going crazy, like her mother, who spiraled into a funk of alcoholism and drinking, and then was murdered when Airiana was only sixteen. Luckily, Airiana met up with five other women who had the same kind of trauma in their past, and now they run a farm together. But lately, the patterns she sees in the clouds have been getting more insistent and she is insistenet that something bad is going to happen to her and her sisters. So when an unnatural fog rolls in, she is not surprised to be kidnapped by Maxim Pakenskii, a man who shares the same sort of powers over air that she has. Maxim has been hired by Airiana's missing father, Theodotus, to bring Airiana to him and work on a project she came up with as a child- one that could have devastating consequences for the world as a whole. But her father isn't the only man who wants Airiana. a Greek Billionaie also wants her, and has hired Max for the same reason. And Max wants her for himelf, and can't stop wanting her, no matter how much he tries. But as this hardened mercenary succumbs to Airiana's charms, can he leave his old life behind to choose a new one with her- and the four young Italian children they saved from lives as sex slaves? And can Max adopt a new identity that will pass the scrutiny of the government to be able to live a long, full, loving life with Airiana? I have read some of the other "Bound" books by Chritine Feeshan, and this one was only okay, I felt that the heroine trusted Max too fast, and felt it was more Stockholm Syndrome than anything else, since he made a decided effort to be nasty to her. In most cases, I don't like the whole 'fated mate" thing, because it's generally lazy writing, but here, Christine Feehan made it work. I liked the mix of romance and danger, action and, um, "action". So, overall, recommended.<br />
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Star Ward Omnibus: Infinities- This book collects three "what if" stories from the original Star Wars Trilogy, exploring what would possibly have happened if, say, Luke's Proton Torpedo malfunctioned in the canyons of the Death Star, letting it survive. Leia is taken prisoner by the Empire, becomes the Emperor's pet and is turned to the Dark Side. Luke, meanwhile, becomes a Jedi under Yoda and must bring down the Empire and the Emperor, still. The Second "What If" is, what if Luke had died of his injuries and the cold before Han got to him on Hoth. This also ends very differently, with Leia taking Luke's place as Yoda's Student, but The Emperor and Darth Vader believe Luke is still alive, since there are still disturbances in the Force. Lastly, the third "What If" story involves What if Leia had blow up Jabba's Palace with the Thermal Detonator before she could rescue Han? Han spends far longer suspended in Carbonite while Luke and Leia search for him, but the outcome of what happens to the Emperor and Darth Vader is quite unexpected, and I really loved the stories in the book. They were different, but different in a good way, and I found the stories entertaining and fun, as well as sad, considering what happens in each. I can't stress that if you haven't read this particular graphic novel, you should. I highly recommend it, especially if you like alternate history, paths not taken and what if stories. And even if you don't, you'll still probably enjoy it.<br />
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Batman/Judge Dredd Collection by John Wagner, Alan Grant, Simon Bisley, Glenn Fabry, Val Semeiks, Cam Kennedy, etc.- This grahic novel collects four stories that mingled the world of Judge Dredd with that of Batman. In the first Story, Judgement in Gotham, Judge Death escapes through dimensions to Gotham. Batman finds the belt and puts it on, ending up in MegaCity One. But he soon comes to blows with Judge Dredd, who doesn't like Vigilantes. Can Judge Anderson bring a solution? And meanwhile, in Gotham, Judge Death teams up with Scarecrow to bring some true terror to Gotham City. But Real Mean has also come to Gotham and is on his trail. Can a restored Batman and Judge Anderson return the evildoers to MegaCity One? The Second Story, Vendetta in Gotham, involves Judge Dredd appearing in Gotham dpecifically to kick Batman's Butt. Meanwhile, the Ventriloquist and Big Boss are plotting the death of a local politician. Can Batmas survive Dredd and still rescue the politician? And why did Dredd come back now? "The Ultimate Riddle" has Batman, Judge Dredd, the Riddler and a host of other people kidnapped by an alien King from another dimension to fight for his pleasure and kill each other. But is it true, or are their perceptions being warped in some way? Finally, in "Die Laughing", the Joker warps his spirit into MegaCity one, where he encounters the four Dread Judges, who have been encased in a crystalline material to keep them imprisoned, but the Joker and they are intent on locking themselves in with a group known as the Seventh Day Hedonists, who are locking themselves away forever in a pod that will serve as their personal paradise. But when a senior Judge is infected with ths spirit of Judge Mortis, he declares Judge Anderson an outlaw, and she is shot before she can make her way to Gotham City, where she warns Batman of what has happened. Now it is time for Batman to revisit MegaCity one and help Judge Dredd battle and contain the four Dread Judges and return Joker's spirit to his body in Gotham. But can Batman really fight four evil spirits, or will the futuristic weapons of Dredd and his fellow judges end up bringing them down? The volume ends with a Lobo/Judge Dredd Story. Lobo is guarding an entertainer known as Uncle Funkle. But it turns out that Uncle Funkle is dead, and a shapeshifter has taken his place. This shape shifter has a brother who is after a gemstone called the Star of Mars, owned by President Richer Rich, a scion of the Rich family. The shapeshiter's brother wants the rings for the power they will give him. But when Lobo comes hunting the imposter and Judge Dredd the ring, will the universe, and their fores be able to stand against two such formidable men? This was an interesting Grpahic Novel. The art is mainly done by British artists, and I can't really say I found the art all that interesting. In fact, I found it downright ugly in the first three stories, and only "Die Laughing" made me *not cringe* when it came to the art. It was just not to my liking when it came to style. The stories themselves were interesting, even if large portions of the second one was just a long, extended fight scene that seemed to be a little off right up until the rest of it. Though we never get to see Judge Dredd's opinion of Batman after that, I'd wager it did change. Needless to say, I liked "Die Laughing" the best of all the stories, for both art and plotting. The Lobo story at the end has both Lobo and Judge Dredd in it, but they never really interact (and that might have made the story even more interesting, honestly. The art was okay, and the story was somewhat needlessly twisty, but otherwise okay.<br />
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The Avengers: The Legacy of Thanos by Roger Stern, John Byrne and John Buscema- The disappearance of Thanos leaves his starship, Sanctuary II, behind. Monica Rambeau, the new Captain Marvel, visits it in space. However, she isn't the only person on the ship. A group of alien mercenaries, led by a woman named Nebula, intend to use the ship as a base to take on the Skrull Empire, so when they take her prisoner, Monica discovers that they have warped to another galaxy, leaving her no way to find her way home. Reluctantly, she agrees to work for them. Meanwhile, back on Earth, The Vision steps down from being the leader of the Avengers because a fault in his brain led him to try to take over Earth throught its computer system. The Wasp is voted back in charge, and the Scarlet Witch leaves with the vision to testify before the Joint Chiefs. She is replaced by The Black Knight, and Hercules receives a new costume from Hephaestus after his old one is destroyed. The rest of the Avengers find themselves reacting to a situation in the Savage Land, as a massive, armored warrior known as Terminus destroys the machinery that keeps the Savage Land warm. Terminus, however, is taken care of by Hercules and the Black Knight. And then FireLord show up in Manhattan, and Spiderman defeats him, but the Avnegers take him back to the mansion to have him pay for the damage he caused- backed up by the strong fist of Hercules. In search of Captain Marvel, who has managed to send a message to earth, the Avengers go in search of her, only to find the Skrulls in the midst of a Civil War, fighting over who should tule them. Since Nebula wants to take over for herself, even though she isn't a Skrull, the Avengers end up clashing with Nebula and her forces. But during the battle, Starfox, who is the brother of Thanos, discovers that Nebula is his Grand-Niece, and when the Beyonder attempts to "Help" the Avengers by Banishing her beyond the bounds of the Galaxy, he is incensed and insists on going in search of her. But first they must help the Skrulls settle their internal disputes, and even the Fantastic Four ends up being drawn into the conflict. This was an interesting book. The Avengers has changed roster many times over the years, and we get to see that quite well here, with characters as varied as Starfox, FireLord and Hercules, not to mention Simon Williams, Wonder Man. These stories take place both on and off Earth, and in some of the strangest places in Marvel Earth, but the story throughline is mostly about Monica Rambeau, Captain Marvel, and her experiences in Skrull Space. And that is quite an adventure. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who loved comcis or the Avengers. Recommended.<br />
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Star Ward Omnbus: Dark Times Chronicles the adventures of two Jedi after the fall of the Jedi Order. Dass Jennir, a Jedi of low power and no particular skill, comes to the planet of Telerath and discovers that people are being endangered by fighting between two gangs, one of which ships slaves. He is hired by a local bar owner and Madam, Ember Chankell, to take out one of the two gangs, but she is secretly working with the head of the other gang. When Dass Jennir ends up getting the two gangs to go to War with each other, But when the fallout nearly gets him killed and his former allies are left in danger, Jennir goes in to rescue them, and decides to taken Ember back to her family on Vondarc with the help of a group of smugglers he once helped and who have been searching for him. Meanwhile, Darth Vader is hunting down the last survivors of the Jedi, Jennir included. But Dass is being hunted by a Bounty Hunter named Falco Sang, and he stacks Jennir on Vondare. Jennir had rescued a bunch of young Children from a man on Esseles, and then killed him and took the man's droid for his own. But the droid, who Jennir has since rebuilt, was transmitting Jennir's location back to the man's family, who hired Sang to kill him. Jennir rescues Ember from Sang, and leaves him behind on Vondarc, where he is found and questioned by Darth Vader, who takes him prisoner and puts him through harsh training. Meanwhile, there a bunch of orphans traveling with a Whiphid Jedi named Master K'Krukh who land on the planet of Arinnea and become part of the planet's refugee population, but have no intention of staying there. In the camp, they meet another Jedi, Master Zhao, and with him, they make their escape in the middle of the night. However, Arkinnea is hiding a terrible secret, and it's something that neither the Empire nor the Separatists would like; Arkinnea's troops are pretending to resettle the refugees in the north and is instead dumping them from a height to die... all because they don't want to deal with aliens on their planet. But can K'Krukh, Zhao and the others find a safe place for the orphans, all Jedi, to settle? Taking the thread of Dass Jennir and his friends up once more, the story switches back to them. They have found another Jedi, Beyghor Sahdett, who has a plan that may end up taking out Darth Vader. But he and Dass Jennir need another jedi to help them, and go to Kestavel to enlist the help of Master Huldorra. But Sahdett is leading them into a trap for the Emperor, and Vader, who has been having his own worries about what the Emperor is doing and possibly maneuvering him into a trap, must go to Kestavel to take care of him. But who will die on Kestavel, and will any of Dass Jennir's friends, allies and lovers escape? Or will he simply be another Jedi swallowed up by the Empire? This was a long but interesting story with Dass Jennir and his friends. I liked the many twists and turns of the story and how allies and enemies and friends shifted around Ember starts as a seeming ally, but actually an enemy, then becomes an ally, a friend, and a lover in fairly short order when she realizes what a good man Jennir is. I found each of the stories satisfying to read, and very entertaining. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Hot Zone by Jayne Castle - Sedona Snow was and still is a talented gatekeeper, but when she is abducted during an ordinary job and kept in a secret laboratory in the Alien Labyrinth underground, and dosed with some mysterious formula, she never realized that she could develop a new talent- one for controlling fire. But thanks to a Dust Bunny she names Lyle, she is able to escape the underground lab and returns to her Marriage of Convenience Husband, Brock Prescott, who, it turns out, dissolved her marriage a mere two days after she disappeared and immediately shacked up with his personal assistant- all without ever even sending out a searching party for her. Feeling angry and abandoned, she sells everything and moves to Rainshadow Island, a place for outcasts and weirdoes like her. But due to several new discoveries on Rainshadow, a Guild Boss named Cyrus Jones has been assigned there to take over- along with a number of other hunters. Sedona finds herself attracted to Cyrus, and he to her, but she has to be careful about divulging her new, extra talent, as legend has it that multi-talents are dangerously unstable. However, it seems that someone wants Sedona in the worst sort of way, and it's not just some mysterious people out after her- both the families of her parents, who broke Covenant Marriages to be together and have Sedona, her ex, and the Guild all want her for various reasons. But when an ex-Hunter discovers a new location in the catacombs under Rainshadow, Sedona and Cyrus are left behind and trapped in a dangerous Blue Quartz forest being hunted by unknown monsters that make their homes <i>under</i> Rainshadow. But unlike the man who Sedona blames for her kidnapping in the first place, Cyrus Jones means it when he says he doesn't leave any of his people behind. And when Sedona and Cyrus succumb to their feelings in a crystal cave, can Cyrus convince Sedona that what they experienced in the cave was only the result of their coming together and not the crystal in the cave? And when it appears that the families of her parents want to reconnect with her again, will she be able to forgive them for the way they treated not only her, but her parents as well? And when the Jones family's formula resurfaces on Harmony, can Cyrus put a stop to its dispersal, and save Sedona from a treachery she never expected? I liked this book a lot. Sometimes I think Jayne Castle/Jayne Anne Krentz/Amanda Quick can do no wrong with the writing of her romances- I've enjoyed just about all of them, and with the exception of a few niggling things, all of them have been pretty wonderful. This one is no exception. I liked the hero and the heroine, and how the two of them were attracted to each other from the start, and not in some lazy, "Fated mate" kind of way. (I mean, fated mate stories can be okay, but some of them are just an excuse to bring the hero and heroine together in some way that allows the author to be lazy and not write actual attraction and wooing.) I also like how Sedona fell for Cyrus- after realizing that he is a Guild Boss who takes care of his people, and he stays behind with her to get everyone else on the team out of a dangerous situation. Though I didn't find this book as steamy as I thought I might, I did enjoy it enough to enthusiastically recommend it to everyone. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire- October "Toby" Daye has gone through a lot and done many things for the both the Kingdom of the Mists and her own liege, Sylvester of Shadowed Hills. But recent events, and the ascencion to the throne of Queen Arden Windermere, have changed things, not the least of which is Toby's relation to royalty. Though Queen Arden owes Toby much for restoring her to the throne, the relation to Sylvester and his wife, Luna, has deteriorated to the point, where she no longer really calls them friends. But when Sylvester's twin brother, Simon, shows up on her doorstep after Toby is acclaimed the Hero of the Kingdom of the mists, he admits it was him, along with Oleander De Merelands, who were responsible for kidnapping Luna and her daughter, and turning Toby into a fish for almost 14 years. But the one who hired him to do all those things is still around, and it's someone that Toby knows- and now they are back. Toby must find out who hired Simon, and save the Luidaeg when the employer, one of the firstborn, comes to take revenge on the Luidaeg for answering Toby's Questions. And then, Toby must find a way to deal with the threat once and for all without killing off Sylvester, Simon, Tybalt, Quentin or any of her other friends and allies. But can she stand against an actual firstborn and win a fight with some who has been stabbing her in the back the whole time? Wow. This latest Toby Daye book was wonderful. It doesn't take very long at all in time in the book, but so much happens. The book's story pulled me along, and I didn't want to put it down at all. I loved so much about this book, as we get to see so many people who Toby has touched in her life, and many of them come to help her when she is in trouble, no matter how much Toby wants to work it out on her own, to prevent others from being hurt. But the story will delight you, even as it makes you worry for and about Toby, and the ending made me smile. Highly recommdned</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Valentine by Jane Feather- Sylvester Gilbraith is stunned to find himself the heir to the Earl of Stonebridge. Though he's part of the family by blood, his branch of the family has never been accepted by the Belmonsts, the line of the family that was usually in the succession. But the Earl has put a sting in the tail of the inheritance- Sylvester must marry one of the Earl's four granddaughters to inherit the money that should go with the estate. In the thirty days before the Earl's granddaughters are informed about the unusual codicil of the will, Sylvester travels to the Earl's seat and sets about finding one of the granddaughters to be his bride. He finds himself attracted to Theodora, the one who was the Earl's unofficial heir, to whom he left the running of the estate. But even as she battles with Sylvester, she does find herself attracted to and wanting him. The question is, will Sylvester's lies and omissions end their love and their marriage before it is truly begun? And when it seems that someone is out to kill Sylvester, for reasons unknown, can Sylvester keep himself and Theodora alive from someone who is willing to injure or kill both of them to get what he wants? I liked this book. Yes, Theodora is amazingly headstrong, but she is also out for justice and while she hates Sylvester seemingly for who he is, she is also the perfect wife for him, fiery and able to keep up with him while her sisters want other things out of life. I really enjoyed this book, and how both characters saw beyond their flaws to really end up falling in love. Recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-78239512704397348162014-09-05T12:54:00.002-04:002014-09-05T12:54:56.911-04:002014, Part 8<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction, David Aja and Javier Pulido- Hawkeye is back, and when he gets badly injured in an accident, he gets out of the hospital, only to fnd himself near a building in Bed-Stuy where mobsters are harrassing the residents. Moving into the building, he sets himself against the mobsters while becoming close to the building residents and saving an abused dog as well. But unlike the other Avengers he works with, Hawkeye has no real superpowers, and his whole shtick is shooting arrows. Trick arrows. Okay, really good trick arrows, but still... Can he take on guns and gangs, and villains like Madame Masque, armed only with a bow and arrows? Okay, this book was interesting, but they kind of made Hawkeye the Buttmonkey of the Avengers. The Doof. The Goofball for whom nothing ever goes right. Kind of like Old School Spiderman. And while that's a lot more characterization than Hawkeye has ever gotten, it still kind of rankled me. Because he's been recently made more popular thanks to Jeremy Renner playing him in the Thor and Avengers movie, but this kinda felt... disrespectful to the character, who as I remember in the older Avengers comics, was always a strong and kinda competent guy. Not so much the buttmonkey of the group. I felt slightly offended reading these, and I am sad to say that the feeling never quite went away, even when Hawkeye pulled it all out in the end. I also found the Russian mobsters constant use (some would even go as far to say overabuse) of the word "Bro" to be annoying and eyeroll inducing. It may have been meant to be humorous, but I didn't find it amusing in any way, just annoying. I wouldn't recommend this series, but it might float your boat.<br />
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Hawkeye: Little Hits by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Steve Lieber, Jesse Ham and others- Hawkeye now owns the building that he saved, but his actions have attracted the attention of high-caliber villains like Kingpin. With a Price on his head, Hawkeye must make it through and save the building, his tenants and their families from the wrath of the criminals, along with a serial killer known as the Clown. But with the mobsters also after a dangerous ex of his, Darlene Penelope Wright, not even Kate Bishop may be enough help to pull Hawkeye's fat out of the fire. But when she abandons him, how can he stand against the forces arrayed against him? I only read this because I got this and "Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon" at the same time. Less Bro in this volume, but he's still the buttmonkey, seeming consistently down on his luck, and I really didn't find this rather thin graphic novel to be any better than the first. Not my cup of tea. Not recommended.<br />
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Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews- Dina DeMille owns an inn in the Avalon Subdivision of a small town in Texas. Unlike her perfectly ordinary neighbors, Dina may not stand out from the crowd, but her inn is something special, with a mix of magic and technology, and visitors from other dimensions often stay there. When dogs in Dina's town start dying, she suspects her neighbor, Sean Evans, ex-military and newly moved into the subdivision. He also happens to be a werewolf, which is why she suspects him of the killings. Sean is on edge because he wants to protect the area in which he lives, and he doesn't like Dina interfering in what he considers his own business. But when Dina kills the thing that has been killing the dogs, it's not a misplaced mountain lion or cougar, but a dangerous extraterrestrial hunter. And when a contingent of Vampire Lords of House Krahr show up to hunt the rest of the thing's pack and its master, Dina will have to scramble to help both Sean and Arland, the Vampire Marshal of House Krahr, who have a vested interest in hunting the thing down. But are she and the inn, which is still, very weak, up to the task? And when both men show and interest in her and more, can she keep her feet on the ground and her mind on task for what they face ahead? This was a very obscure Ilona Andrews book, but that didn't make it any less awesome. There is so much story packed into this surprisingly slender book that I was constantly amazed that it wasn't thicker. I'd love to read more of this series, which is surprisingly light on the romance aspects. More a "He's hot and I find him attractive" rather than outright snogging or shagging. There is definitely something of an attraction triangle, with Dina as the hypotenuse, but it's not overwhelming. Really excellent and I want to read more. Recommended.<br />
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Victories by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edgehill- Spirit White and her friends have left Oakhurst Academy behind and are fleeing after the death of their friend Muirin. Spirit, who has long thought she had no magic, has found out she has magic after all, the magic of Spirit, which was neither acknowledged nor taught at the academy. Worse, the man in chanrge of Oakhurst turns out to be Mordrd in disguise. Now left on their own, the only hope they have is reaching QUERCUS, a user she met on the internet who seems to know more than he is telling. When they reach their destination, they are met by a woman named Vivian, who takes them to meet QUERCUS, who is the spirit of the actual Merlin. Now, it is up to them to fight Mordred and the Dark Knights, and to do so, they will each have to remember their past selves, find the four Hallows and destroy Mordred. But that won't be easy with the Shadow Knights on their tail and the rest of the students locked up in Oakhurst Academy. Can they find the Hallows, Destroy Mordred's unkillable body and fight the final battle- and win? I really enjoyed this book, which was the ending of the series. Lots of interesting stuff happens, and we get to see why Spirit White is the only Spirit magic user at the entire school. The ending was a bit of a disappointment- not the fight against Mordred. which was great, but the ending where magic has somehow inexplicably diminished with the death of Mordred and the passing of all the reborn spirits. It just didn't make sense as to why, but other than that, I really liked the book, and wondered what would become of the magicians and the world. I assume the former "Mark" would do something about that, it's sort of left like that. Admittedly, most people wouldn't know they had magic without someone telling them that it exists, but again, to me it felt a bit disappointing. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Thanos: Redemption by Jim Starlin, Keith Giffen, Dave Sharpe- Thanos has given up on destroying the universe as a present to Death, the only thing he loves and instead decides to aid those he has harmed, including the inhabitants of Rigel-3. After staving off a coup by the Rigellian military against their Grand Councillor, he discovers that their current problem is that one of their colony worlds is about to be attacked and devoured by Galactus. Thanos decides to stand him off, but during the course of the conflict, he discovers that Galactus is trying to collect the Soul Gems to end his own endless hunger. However, Galactus is being made a pawn of by an entity known as Hunger, who destroys realities. He tried to prevent Galactus from releasing Hunger, but is unsuccessful. Then, he teams up with Galactus, who now realizes his error, to destroy Hunger. But can they destroy such a thing> Afterwards, he travels to the Kyln worlds, the universe's largest prison camp, where the Beyonder has reincarnated in a mortal female form. There he battles her with the help of Peter Quill, Star Lord and Gladiator of the Shi'ar Royal Guard, who has had himself incarcerated to monitor the Beyonder's new body. Thanos fights her but can he prevent the Beyonder from escaping and being reborn? Also freed is the Old One, who once served Galactus as a Herald, but now only seeks to destroy him. A fact which he cannot usually do. However the previous battle with Hunger has weakened Galactus, and now he might succeed, So Thanos goes to Galactus to warn him. But can he prevent the Old One from destoying the weakened Galactus? and what will he do with The Old One if he does? This was an interesting collection of stories, but as with all things, Thanos's "Redemption" didn't last long. In the Comics, he died and was reborn and went right back to his old ways almost immediately. Which only goes to show you, nothing changes for very long in comics. It was interesting to see Thanos try for redemption, but he doesn't make a very good hero. He's a little too easy with killing people to really make a good hero. But it was certainly a good experience to read these stories and see Thanos trying to help those he had wronged. I particularly loved the scene where he speaks with Lady Death as a young child, and she tells him the score- if he kills everything, there will be no death, since death requires life to exist. It was also nice to see Adam Warlock being Thnos's sidekick and fellow traveler for a bit. Entertaining if nothing else, and recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Murder in Murray Hill by Victoria Thompson- Frank Malloy is a cop, but he's hiding something from his fellow officers- he's about to become a very rich man, thanks to a millionaire dying and leaving Frank all his money to look after his daughter, who Frank rescued in a previous case. The minute this news comes out, Frank will be a Pariah in the station house, so when a man asks Frank to look for his missing daughter, Frank takes it on, knowing it might be his last case. Frank discovers that the daughter had been responding to a fellow she met through a lonely hearts ad for months, and she disappeared in her best clothes- probably a sign that they were going to meet. But when he succeeds in tracking the man down, he finds out that Grace Livingston isn't the only woman the man has kidnapped and is holding in his home, making them into his bawds. He calls in Sarah Brandt to help with the women, who have been brutalized, and also discovers that the man has been killed, possibly by Grace Livingston, before they ever set foot in the house. And there are signs that the two women in the house were not the man's first victims. However, then Frank's inheritance information comes out and he loses his job. Still, he isn't able to give up the case- not when the officer he had to hand the case off to is a drunk and wants to arrest Grace Livingstone for the crime- only Frank doesn't believe she did it. Also missing is the man who helped the kidnapper, and when he turns up murdered in the house, a former inmate of the house and the man who bought her away from the kidnapper become more important as they have to find out if the person who killed the kidnapper also killed his servant. And what if the killings don't end there? Meanwhile, Frank and Sarah decide to marry, but can they get Frank's mother to warm to the idea? She has never liked Sarah, thinking that Sarah will take Frank and his deaf son away from her. Can they persuade her otherwise, and can they come to an agreement on which house they will buy to house their growing family? Another really enjoyable book. I like the way Frank and Sarah interact, and despite Frank inheriting a ton of money, he hasn't changed, being essentially the only honest cop in the lower ranks of the force. He may have lost his job, but he remains a cop at heart, and seeing him transition to a private investigator was wonderful. Sarah hasn't had to change as much, but it was nice to see her move on and make friends with Frank's mother at last. A lot is going to change, but the heart of the series will remain the same, and I look forward to reading more. The subplot with the three women who were caught in the scheme was also very enjoyable, and I liked how they also became friends despite what had happened to bring them together. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hunter by Jax (Jacquelyn Frank)- Tatyana is a lawyer in a Manhattan office, but when she goes to see what has become of her brother Dimitre, who has fallen out of touch with her, she finds herself cold and stranded in the Catskills wearing only her party dress and a shawl. Leaving her car to try and find someone, anyone, to help her, she stumbles across a giant house and heads for it. In the house lives a coven of Magic users, and one of their own, their protector, Hunter, has recently come home after a long time away. Hunter is unusual in that, despite being the protector of a coven of good Witches, he comes from a family who has long been part of evil. Only the master of the coven he protects, Ryce, saw the good in him and befriended him. And when Tatyana rings the door and falls into a faint, it is his arms that she falls into. Both of them are immediately attracted to each other, but when an evil coven attacks later that night, Tatyana ends up helping them all and discovers magic of her own. To protect her and her emerging abilities, though, Hunter must make her his thrall to protect her from members of the evil coven who will try to make her a thrall as well. But while thrallship in a good Coven is akin to mentorship, being a thrall to someone in an evil Coven is more like being a slave, both sexual and magical. And thrallship comes with an almost addictive desire for the thrall to serve the master- in every way, both physical, magical and sexual. Given the attraction that already exists between Hunter and Tatyana, they have a hard time keeping their hands off each other. But when Dimitre returns to the house (because he has also found magic and joined the coven), they are trying to determine exactly what kind of magic Tatyana has. And as her relationship with Hunter heats up, so do attacks by the evil Coven, whose master is Hunter's actual brother. But can they take out the evil coven before the members of that coven destroy the Coven Hunter has sworn to protect? I liked this book. I liked it a lot. There were definitely some plot holes (Tatyana's entire outside life seems to disappear without worries after she arrives at the house, and no one seems to miss her, not even her other brothers. I found this a little annoying, but the story stands well on its own, and I can see more sequels dealing with the unattached members of the Coven. I enjoyed what we saw of the other members and I think I will enjoy reading books about them, Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Midnight's Lover by Donna Grant- Ian Kerr was one of two brothers who were Warriors, and they shared the same Warrior between them. But when Ian's brother Duncan was killed, Ian lost control of the God which was in his body, having to control twice what he did before. So, he ran off into the mountains, where he takes shelter in a cave, trying to control Farmire, the God within him, living on whatever animals the god chooses to hunt, but having contact with no one, lest he snap and kill them by mistake. Danielle Buchanan has been raised in Scotland ever since she was a child, but she knows she is a descendant of the Druids and has magic. Unfortunately, she hates her magical talent. When she finds things, she can tell who owned the and must return the item as soon as possible or she suffers terrible pain. So when she finds a key hidden under some snow when she turns down a friend for a date, she must return the key to MacLeod castle. On the way there, though, she is involved in an accident and winds up in Ian's cave. Reluctantly, Ian agrees to escort her to the castle, however, he discovers that Farmire seems to be calmer in her presence. Along the way, they are tracked by forces belonging to Deirdre, and Ian must help another warrior, one not allied to either the mie (Light) or droch (dark) Druids defend his home. And once they reach the castle, the key tells Danielle she must wait. For there is a spy in the castle, and he wants Ian out of the way so he can more easily betray the other Warriors into Deirdre's control. But when Ian voluntarily imprisons himself to keep Danielle safe, can she unmask the traitor and keep Ian, the other Warriors and their wines and husband safe from the traitor, and will she ever find out what the key opens? More to the point, can she convince Ian that they were meant to be together? I found this book really interesting, until I found out that each Warrior turns a different color when his God comes out, and I had this sudden vision of Monsters in Power Rangers colors, and I couldn't keep from laughing. Aside from that, it was a suspenseful book and one that I enjoyed, but the hero was so stubborn that at times, I wanted to kick him in the shins. But I did love the story and the love and caring that grew between Ian and Danielle, and how they unmask the traitor. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Promise of Blood: Book One of the Powder Mage Trilogy by Brian McClellan- Field Marshall Tamas has acted to overthrow the corrupt King of Adro, and the Cabal of Privileged who supported his rule. But as the members of the Privileged known as the Circle died, they all said "Do not break Kreismir's Promise. While claiming that it means nothing, Tamas calls on the talents of Adamat, the former police inspector, to track down the meaning of the saying. Also called back home is Tamir Two-Shot, Tamas' son, himself also a Powder Mage, who can manipulate the power in black powder to guide bullets and do magic. They can also ingest the powder, which gives them energy and extends their senses. Tamir comes with his companion, Ka-Poel, a savage from the lands of Deliv. When Tamir saved her life several times, she followed him to repay her debt. When his estranged father sets him to apprehending a Privileged who was with the Royal Cabal the night before the coup, he must work with another female Privileged and a mage killer. but the woman is more than she seems, and seems immune to all of their powers. Then, the nation of Kez declares war, because the King was about to sign a treaty with Kez to eliminate most of Adro's debt, which had been racked up by the King, and get more money for himself to fritter away. And not everyone in Adro is happy with Tamas' actions- and a crime lord wants to influence Adamat's investigation, threatening his family to do so. And then there is corruption in the people who are backing Tamas' coup, and Tamas himself is kidnapped, and a star of gold implanted in a wound near his knee, rendering him powerless as a mage. But he is truly trying to do the best for his country- only the country is broke, bankrupted by the now-executed King. Can he, Adamat and Tamir pull together to save the country from the forces that threaten it? And what of the rumors of the return of the Gods? Can Tamas trust them not to destroy Adro for what he has done, or are they just a tale, as everyone believes? This was a first for me- a tale of magic set in a world where the most common form of magic involves guns and gunpowder. But the story was taut and gripping. Just when you think you understand what is going on, something else comes up and you are back to where you were before. I liked the characters while also despising them for some of the things they did. Tamas comes off as unsympathetic at the beginning, but by the end of the book, you do begin to see something of his point of view. I can't say too much about the plot, because that would give away some of the twists in the story. But this story is something I will definitely be reading more of- it was just that engrossing. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Circle of Desire: The Damask Circle: Book 3 by Keri Arthur- Ethan Morgan is a werewolf whose niece is missing, She is one of a number of abductions of children recently, who have been found dead and drained of their souls. Ethan is desperate to find his niece, but the chief has also called in Katherine Tanner, and her grandmother, Gwen. Katherine and Gwen are witches, but Katherine is also a shapeshifter, able to take the form of a bird. She also wants to find the missing kids, but she knows that there is a werewolf and something else, something much, much worse, that is responsible for the abductions. But she finds herself attracted to Ethan, and he needs someone to be his lover through the moon heat, which will drive him wild with animalistic sensuality. But Ethan is also hiding secrets as well as his heart, and as he and Kat search for the abducted children, fight zombies, a werewolf and a Mara, Kat will have to decide if she can help Ethan overcome the baggage that is holding him back from shifting, and keeping him aloof and distant from others. But will she be able to get Ethan to trust her enough to open up to her? And when their times together end in Kat conceiving Ethan's child, can he overcome his past and admit his love for her, or will one or both of them end up dying in the Mara's lair? The Damask Circle books, just like the Nikki and Michael books, are as much about the cases the characters are trying to solve as the romance, but n this case, just like the other Damask Circle books, the story drives the romance, and vice-versa. I did like the romance in this book, but the wqay Ethan kept basically wanting to dip his wick without making a real connection with Kat pissed me off. Thankfully, He got the equivalent of a clue by four to the head, so the ending made me happy that they ended up together. Recommended, but Ethan might make you angry before it is all over.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Batman: Zero Year Volume 4: The Secret City by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and Danny Miki- Bruce Wayne has been missing from Gotham for years, travelling the world. But he is back now, under the cover of darkness, trying to save the city from the criminals who have taken it over. But as he faces off against the Red Hood and his goons, Bruce will have to make a decision as to what is more important to him- his last remaining family, headed by his uncle Phillip, who also runs the corporation bearing his name, or fighting the evil that lurks in the criminal underbelly of Gotham. But when the two separate worlds collide, which will he choose to savem and can he find a way to save both? And what will the birth of Batman mean for Gotham> The end of this graphic novel shows how the training Bruce underwent made him into the man he was- learning driving from a thief of expensive cars, thinking outside the box from a strange explorer and fighting from a queen outside of Norway. Each tries to teach him what they are best at, but Bruce has his own way, and fits their training to his own ends. Can he survive the lessons they have to teach? This was an interesting graphic novel. We get to see Bruce struggle with what he is trying to do- so much more than he struggles as Batman. He clashes with his family, with Alfred, with the police and the criminals in a way he never does after the becomes Batman- because during this series, he is becoming himself, struggling to put the lessons he's learned into practice in Gotham. And eventually, we know he succeeds, but it's interesting watching him get there. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Secret Mistress by Mary Balogh- Lady Angeline Dudley was raised in the country, far from London and the rest of the ton. Her brother is a rakehell, but he is the only family she has left, and the only one who can help her navigate the world inside London in her first season. She is too cheerful and direct for most of the ton, but when she leaves the safety of her room at the inn, she encounters two other men. Edward Ailsbury, Earl of Heyward, defends her when another rake thinks she is a woman of light virtue- he can see that she is dressed far too well, and too soberly, to be a courtesan. But from that meeting , Angeline concieves a passion for Edward, and wants to marry him herself. Edward, though, feels like a passionless stick, stuck in a life of duty. When the woman he would marry turns him down, he offers for Angeline- also to be turned down for lack of passion and feeling. But as they continue to meet and interact with one another, can he see that they are very well suited for each other, and that, indeed, she could make him the happiest of men if only he could let go of his ideas of himself and allow himself to feel? And as for Angeline, can she see Edward as he really is and persuade him to let down his guard and let her into his heart? I like Mary Balogh, and this is very Mary Balogh- down to how the characters passions are engaged long before they end up in bed together, In this case, though, Edward is very self-doubting, and torn between Angeline, who he does like, but feeling he has to make a decision now and to do his duty to his family. Angeline, for her part, wants Edward to be happy, and even if it is not with her and she is feeling horrible about it, tries to shove him in the direction of the woman he asked to marry him years ago, thinking his heart is still engaged there. But it's up to the other characters to take a hand and ensure that Edward and Angelline will end up together and happy. This one takes a while to come together, and it requires all the book for them to realize how very much in love they are. So recommended, but you might get tired waiting for that ending. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Simply Magic by Mary Balogh- Susannah Osbourne is a teacher in a Miss Martin's School for Girls, and during the summer, she usually stays to help take care of the students who have no home to return to. but this time, she can have some time off, and a former fellow teacher, who married a member of the nobility, invites her to stay for the summer. And there she meets Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, who is immediately captivated by Susannah's looks and wits, though she remembers him and wants nothing to do with him even if he has no memory of meeting her. Peter is staying awsy from his mother, who wants nothing more than to have him settle down and raise a family, but Peter is tired of living life to his mother's wishes and decides to stay around Susannah, who he finds more interesting than any other woman he has ever met. But Susannah still wants nothing to do with him, and he must find out why this intelligent schoolteacher so appeals to him, and why she also wants nothing to do with him- and the fault lies in the pasts, and the parents of both of them. But can Susan forgive Peter's mother for causing her father's death, and can Peter forgive his own mother for lying to him. But can both of them forgive each other enough to find love with each other through the unexpected bond they share?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Nocturnal by Jacqueline Frank, Kate Douglas, Jess Haines and Claire Willis- This is a book of four short stories. "The Phoenix Project" by Jacqueline Frank begins with Amara, who has been kidnapped and held with others in a strange facility where they undergo various tests. But when she is forced to undergo another test and paired with a kidnapped Cop named Nick, they must survive what has been done to them and escape to get retribution on those who endorsed the experiments. But will they ever be the same again? In "Crystal Dreams" by Kate Douglas, Mari is the daughter of two hippies. When her father falls sick, Mari takes over running their shop in Evergreen, California so that her mother can be together with her father. But when something Demonic slips through a portal from another world, Mari's only hopes are Darius, a Lemurian Guardsman from a third world and her mother's book of spells that she has never believed in. Can she bone up on magic in time to save herself, Darius, and the entire town? "Spark of Temptation" by Jess Haines gives us Sara Holloway, a P.I. with an aversion to Magic. Coming off a less than successful case, she finds her boyfriend, a local cop, being even more controlling than usual and demanding that she quit the case. But Sara can't do that. And her new partner, the Mage Arnold, is throwing off sparks that make her uncomfortable- and not just because of the way her skin feels about his magic. But as the case they are on heats up, can she and Arnold find a meeting of the minds and hearts- in time to save both their skins? "My Soul to Take" by Clare Willis involves Maggie Dillon, a native of New Orleans and the doctor at a mental ward. But when she finds herself reacting to Derek, a musician who clains he is possessed, she must turn to alternate sources for help when her psychiatric skills fail her- like her sister, the Voodoo Queen. But can she free Derek from the entity that haunts him? I liked this book a lot. The stories were very interesting and each gave good story on the supernatural. My favorite was "The Phoenix Project" followed by "Spark of Temptation", but all of the stories were good and interesting to read. I liked how the stories did world building, even with so little space in which to do so. Even better, I ended up believing in each romance, again, despite the lack of length of the stories. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hot Lead, Cold Iron by Ari Marmell- Mich Oberon is a private eye working in Chicago in the 1930's. But he's more than just a private detective- Mich is a fairy, a Knight of the Seelie Court, and a self-imposed exile from Faerie. But when he is contacted by the wife of a mobster to find her missing daughter, who has had a changeling taking her place, Mick will have to search both Chicago and the Otherworld to find her- *and* find out why she was taken, and by whom. Either that, or have his secret revealed to the world. But if the cold iron in the city and the case doesn't kill him first, maybe, just maybe, he might find his way to repairing the reputation he never cared about before. This was, for me, a book I found interesting when it was returned to library by someone else. I love historical detective stories, and I love stories about elves and such, so I figured that this book was in my "golden zone". Well, not quite exactly. It's really soaked in the kind of "noir detective" side of the pool and that doesn't quite appeal to me as much as other periods in history. But reading about the fae in this particular Chicago captured my interest, and the case's twists and turns really kept me entralled. I ended up enjoying the novel, bit not quite as much as I expected to. Still. not a bad series, and one I would probably read more of in the future. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Defenders of Shannara: The High Druid's Blade by Terry Brooks- Paxon Leah is no noble- he's just one of many descendants of the Leah family. No longer nobles of any sort, he runs his family's shipping business for his mother and tries to keep an eye on his sister, Chrys, who has been running pretty wild lately. Paxton is just about to try and rein her in, at least a little, when he hears from the barmaid at the local bar that Chrys lost money gambling with a stranger, and when she couldn't pay what she owed right away, the man kidnapped her. Paxon takes his family's sword off the wall and goes in search of his sister, who has been kidanpped awayto Wayford. When Arcannen, his sister's kidnapper, lays him low at the local airfield, Paxon follows him with the sword. In Wayfield, he discovers that Arcannen has magic, but not that many people like him. Kidnapping his sister back, he is forced to fight Arcannen and discovers that the sword has magic after all- magic enough to defeat Arcannen. But Paxon has no idea how to use it. Contacted by the Druids, Paxon goes to meet them, and they agree to tutor him in magic and fighting- if he will serve the Druids for a time. Unbeknownst to Paxon, who agrees to the druid's offer. Arcannen isn't done with the Leahs, and it wasn't really Chrys that he wanted- he wanted Paxton and his blade- and his sister Chrys for an assassin. But who is she supposed to assassinate. As Paxton gets caught up in looking for a traitor amongst the Druids, and taking on various tasks, Chrys is kidnapped again and one of Arcannen's allies works to turn her into the assassin Arcannen needs. But can Paxon and his friends and allies amongst the Druids rescue Chrys and keep her safe? And can they also uncover the name of the traitor amongst the Druids and bring him, her or them to justice? I read the original Shannara books years ago, and I've eagerly followed the stories since, even the ones where they linked Shannara and the "Knight of the Word" books This one was no exception to the rule of how wonderful these books are. I connected with the characters right away, and the last books, about Arlingphant and Aphenglow Elessedil are referenced here- with the Druids restored, and the surviving sister now Ard Rhys. But plots abound., and there are rumbles of things going on under the surface that I am sure will come to fruition in future books, And I will definitely be there reading. Hihgly recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hill of Bones: A Historical Mystery by the Medieval Murderers (Karen Maitland, Susanna Gregory, Bernard Knight, Phillip Gooden and Ian Morson- This unusual Mystery series involes murders that takeplace through different times and eras in history- but around the same location. Here, the location is the Hill of Solsbury in Bath. Phillip Gooden starts off the book with a story of two brothers who go to join Arthur's forces at Solsbury Hill. One brother, Geraint, is carrying a dagger with an ivory hilt carved in the shape of a bear that he was given by a seer/witch and told he would know when to use it. But his secret is discovered by a fisherman in a coracle, and he may have to defend it with a murder- and save Arthur's ife as well. The next part of the book takes place in the 1100s, when a Knight who once supported King Richard, Symon Cole, and his wife, Gwenlian, are sent to Bath to solve the murder of its guardian by King John. John will take away Symon's lands if he cannot solve the murder and bring the culprit to justice, and confirm him in his lands if he solves the mystery. Gwenlian doesn't trust John and does some investigaiting on her own. But can she bring the culprit to justice and save her too-trusting husband from death? The Next part is written byBernard Knight and involves treasures, plare and a pyx from Bath Abbey. A Lay brother is charged with the thefts, but Riocas, a cat-catcher and Selwyn, the Royal Steward, must band together to free the innocent Lay Brother and find the true culrpit or culprits. The Next story tells of a man named William, who survived a shipwreck, who uses his abilities with medicine to become a prophet of God. He gets gullible villagers to follow him, but when one of his followers is murdered, he has to find out who really killed her, to save his own neck. But is he truly innocent after all? The next tale by Phillip Gooden, concerns a travelling player named Nick Reville. After playing a role in Bath, he is approached by a woman who wants him to impersonate her cousin to her dying Uncle. Nick reluctantly agrees to do so, and the man gives him a small chapbook before passing away. However, Nick is attacked several times for the book, and when the man's son arrives, Nick must help him find whoever is after the book in order to save his own life. But can he find the secret of the chapbook and who is after it in time?Then, in a tale by Ian Morson, Joe Malinferno, a sometimes con man and sometimes researcher and his companion, Doll Pocket, come to bath to open a mummy case for a rich patron. But when a murder occurs on Solsbury hill where the exhumation occurs, Queen Charlotte, one of the attendees, is implicated in the crime, and it's up to Joe and Doll to figure out who really killed the victim and who might have wanted to throw suspicion on Queen Charlotte. Lastly, the ending tale, by Bernard Knight, shows the history of the Hill when a dead body is discovered there, and it turns out to be a case for the archaeologists. But when competing theories come to blows, is anyone safe? This was quite an unusual idea for a book, but not the first book in this series. I wondered how it was going to work, and in practice, it turned out to be very good and interesting. The first story sets the scene and the last one lays it to rest, as missing items and dead bodies in plenty are recovered on the hill. This was unusual for a mystery book, and is more like a connected series of short tales, but all were well told and kept your interest from the first to the last. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews- Kate Daniels is the mate of Curran, the Beast Lord of Atlanta, head of the Shapeshifter Council. But she is also the only daughter of Roland, one of the most powerful mages in the world, and since he's awakened, her ties to him are coming out, and that means nobody is safe. But when Curran is invited to another shapeshifter's territory who he is trying to make peace with, it's Kate as his mate who must attend the monthly conclave with the Masters of the Dead, those who rule and control vampires, which are brute, mindless beasts who will murder anything in their vicinity if left uncontrolled. But when Kate gets to the Conclave, she discovers that one of the local masters, Mulradin, has been killed by a local Werewolf- a woman who spends her free time making love in her beast form, which other shapeshifters consider unseemly. Added to this is the fact that the wolf Alpha is the wife of the former Alpha, and her Beta is pushing for Alpha status, because the Alpha just isn't strong enough. Said Alpha also blames Kate for the death of her husband, so Kate is unwilling to intervene in the conflict. But when Kate and Ghastek, the other Master of the Undead, are kidnapped by Hugh, her father's servitor, Kate and Ghastek must survive until Curran can come rescue them. But they aren't just anywhere, but a very specific place- Mishmar, her father's tower/place of torture. Protected by crazy, ancient vampires and magic, she, Curran, Ghastek, and their allies must then continue to survive and get out of Mishmar, and even then, Katehas to find a way to get her father to leave her, Atlanta, Curran and everything else she loves- without becoming her father in the process. But can she find a way that won't leave her becoming the same kind of thing that her father is, and will still protect others from him? The book ends with a short story about Kate's adopted daughter, is bored with her school and doesn't want to go. Kate wants her to attend a school for users of magic, but when a young girl disappears from the School, Kate asks Julie to investigate the disappearance because someone as young as she is wouldn't stand out as much as Kate. But can Julie find out Lisa's secret and discover what has become of her? And will she end up attending the school later? I got into Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels books when the first book came out, which, hard as it is to believe, was seven years ago. This book seems like it could be the end (right up until the very last lines, but it isn't, and I am glad the series will be ongoing after this one. But this book does make some major changes- not just in the life of Kate and Julie, but of Curran and Atlanta. I loved this book for how much we are still learning about the characters and cultures of the various wereanimals. Here we see more about some of the twisted sex lives of certain weres, and certain humans, and we also learn about the early life of Ghastek, and why he became a Master of the Dead. It was quite enlightening as well as being entertaining. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I felt that everything had changed by the end of the book. This is one you shouldn't miss if you like the Adventures of Kate Daniels.. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Eye of the World Graphic Novel, Volume Five by Robert Jordan, Chuck Dixon, Marcio Florito and Frances Nuguit- The Ta'veren have become separated, but events are drawing them back together in Caemlyn. Rand and Matt make it there first, and Mat is ill. They take rooms in an Inn called "The Queen's Blessing", where Rand meets Loial, an Ogier. Meanwhile, Lan, Moiraine and Nynaeve rescue Perrin and Egwene from the Children of the Light. Rand also goes to see a captured Logain, the False Dragon, and climbs the walls of the palace to see the procession, but when he falls into the gardens surrounding the palace, he meets Elaine Trakand, the Princess, and her companion, Gwyn. Taken before the Queen on suspicion of being an Aielman, Rand must defend himself from a green-robed Aes Sedai wh does not believe him. But the Queen, Morgause, sets him free, but tells him to stay in the city while Elaine leaves for Tar Valon and the tower of the Aes Sedai. But when Moraine and the others arrive, she discovers the source of Mat's illness, a blade that Mat stole from Shadar Logroth and didn't tell anyone about until they were separated. Moiraine is able to take it from him, but evil follows the blade and radiates from it. It was about to take Mat over, but she is able to help him a little bit- enough to bring him back to what he was, temporarily- but she can't remove the blade from him without killing him. Forced to flee the city, the band, now including Loial, must travel the darkways of the Ogier. But will the ways be intact? and can they escape the trollocs, Myddral and Fades by using the darkways? Another excellent graphic novel that better illustrates the Eye of the World novel- though we're talking an ungodly number of grphic novels if they adapr the whole thing.into graphic novel form. But it's well done, and I enjoyed seeing the book in this form, and seeing more depictions of the characters than just on the cover. I can't imagine doing the entire series this way- because it would take up so much room. But it's nice to read nonetheless. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Forever by Jacqueline Frank- Jackson Waverly has come back from the brink of death by bonding with Menes a pharoah from a race of Nightwalkers. But Jackson, who is slowly bonding with Menes, is also interested in Doctor Marissa Anderson. Menes is interested in finding the perfect women to bond with the woman he loves, the Pharoah Hatshepsut, but Jackson, a canine-handling cop, is more interested in Marissa, who is avoiding her feelings entirely. But when Jackson, on a hunt for a missing kid, is attacked by the Nightwalkers who are inimical to his own faction, he's dorced to bond more quickly, and reveals his secret to Marissa in the process. But the other side's leader makes a mistake of his own and bonds Odjit, his female leader, with the spirit of Apep, god of destruction. And while he cannot undo it, he must make his peace with Menes and Ramses and their allied Nightwalkers to defeat Apep. But Jackson's friend Leo is his prisoner, and being tortured by Chatha, a Nighwalker who delights in torture, and bonded with a Down's Syndrome child-man. As things change,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Guardians of the Galaxy by Jim Valentino- This graphic novel contains the old school 70's versions of the Guardians, and not the characters from the recent movie. Here, we see the Yondu, Martinex, Aleta. Charlie-27, Major Vance Astro and Nikki. Charlie is a Jovian, from Jupiter, while Nikki is a Mercurian, from Mercury. Nikki and Charlie are friends, but he wants to be something more. First, Yondu, who is the last male of his race, goes crazy, wanting to hunt down Force, who exterminated his people- especially since the only female of his race hates him. But Yondu wants to mate with her to bring back their people, and he is incensed that the Guardians are being late at hunting down Force. Meanwhile, Aleta is looking for some love of her own, and looking at Vance Astro, bearer of Captain America's shield. She and Martinex were once married, but when he killed her children and imprisoned her inside him, her love turned to hate. But Vance, imprisoned in his own suit lest his skin oxidize on contact with air, only has his little pocket dimension where he can shed his costume and be a human again- a dimension that Aleta can enter, as she can switch her form to being only light. Meanwhile the ship warps to a planet named Haven, home of the last of the Mutants from Earth, They fled, looking for a home of their own, but with each succeeding generation, the number of mutants lessened, and the number of normal humans grew, until now, a world of humans in ruled by just seven mutants, and they have become tyrants. Their ruler is Rancor, a descendant of Wolverine. Giraud, a human, is rescued from a mutant-induced interrogation, and the Guardians Quiz him on what life is like on the surface. He gladly answers their questions and begs for their help in unseating Rancor and the other mutants. But while some of the Guardians go off to see for themselves what is going on, Martinex seeks out an ancient power to help free Giraud's people. And when the other Guardians are attacked, it's up to this ancient force, the Phoenix. But can he find someone willing to bind with the Phoenix, and when Rancor decides to destroy the planet rather than let the humans win, can the Guardians save the rest of the people?And even if they can save them, can the Guardians accept one of thr Havenites as a new member of their team. Afterwards, the Guardians have an encounter with the Ghost Rider, they meet up with their opposite numbers when they run afoul of Mephisto, and Aleta disappears, along with Martinex, perhaps forever. And finally, the Guardians return to Earth, only to find it in the midst of a Civil War, but can they ferret out the true villains amisdt the chaos? And which Superhero from Old Earth is still alive? The Guardians undergo changes in their line-up, and who will remain at the end of the book? This was the old Guardians of the Galaxy and had a very different set of characters from the Newer Giardians in the movie. For instance, two of the Guardians are from Humans who colonized both Mercury and one of the moons of Jupiter. Charlie-27 is extremely strong, thanks to the higher gravity of Jupiter and Nikki exudes heath through pores on her head, giving her a literally flaming head. And while the guardians of the movie seem to get the goofier stories, the stories here are prety straight-up insofar ad their seriousness level goes. It's not a bad book, but if you're looking for a Guardians of the Gakaxt movie-tyoe story, you aren't going to find it here. Nonetheless, it's an excellent book and there's lots of interesting stuff going on. I just wish they'd used the characters better. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Captain America: Loose Nuke- Cap has just gotten back from spending ten years in an alternate reality where Arnim Zola ruled the world. Coming back with him is Jet, Arnim Zola's daughter, who was trained to rule the world. But Cap's life for those ten years are something quite different, and "The Iron Nail", a new villain, is determined to expost S.H.I.E.L.D., and he'll use every dirty trick to do so, Even exploiting both Cap, who is both in mourning for Sharon Carter, who was killed just before they got out, and Arnim Zola's son, who Cap had raised for the ten years, teaching him to reject the attitudes of his father, and accept Cap's Americn Ideals. But Cap's needed immediately and doesn't have time to mourn, no matter how much he needs it. He's sent after Nuke, a former American Soldier from Vietnam who was given a version of the Super-Soldier serum that drove him just a bit crazy. But it's more the mental conditioning they tried to use on him that cause many of his continuing problems. But when Cap, who is broken up inside, catches up with Nuke, will he be able to reatin hia ideals, or will he let the rage festering inside him come out? And how will Cap deal with Nuke, who is both a victim and a villain? This was a very rare experience, to read a book where Captain America has been driven to his breaking point, and he's being forced to go even further with a man who seems to be a villain, hurting the others who have attacked America in the past. But can Cap unwittingly foil the plot put in place by Iron Nail, and who is the one who gave "Iron Nail" his powers (It looks like it could possibly be Fin Fang Foom, but I honestly have no idea. Also making an appearance in the book is The Falcon, who sees Steve and his need for healing, but is unable to convince Maria Hill that Cap really needs some time to adjust. We also get to see Cap as a boy, and see his mother, the reason why Cap grew up the way he did. One thing I didn't understand about this book is how we get to see both Ultimates Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and normal Earth 616 Fury in the same book without it really being explained. Also, the book ends on a cliffhanger with a villain who strongly reminded me of the Riddler in design (not powers or name). I will be interested to see what this new villain does and how he deals with Cap- and how, and when Cap deals with him when they finally come to blows. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume from Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century for Every Level of Society- Consultant Editor Melissa Leventon- This book is exactly what it describes, but it features the artwork of two older artists, Frierich Hottentoth and Auguste Racinet. And while the drawings of various times and places are nice, as the text says, they are not always correct- sometimes te artists changed colors, or misattribted what they were copying, or just got it wrong. Which often made me wish that these were based on new drawings instead of correcting various older ones. Still, it's a large and extensive catalogue of drawings show changes in fashion through the ages and the various wrinkles of what fashions changed where and wny. The back of the book is packed full of pictures or various details, like hoods, collars and necklines. It's a wonderful book- huge and weighty, and is full of different fashions and when and by whom they were worn. For those interested in the history of fashion, it's an invaluable book- but with the caveats I mentionef before- I would have preferred new drawings based on actual remaininf costumes and outfits. Still definitely recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-91924828862588052442014-08-07T09:50:00.002-04:002014-08-07T09:50:43.896-04:002014, Part 7<span style="color: #33ccff;">When She Was Wicked by Anne Barton-Annabelle Honeycote is a poor seamstress, taking care of her ill mother and sister on her salary. But since that isn't enough to keep her family fed, she must also resort to a bit of blackmail to keep up her finances. But when her latest targets are the sisters of Owen Sherbourne, the Duke of Huntford, their brother takes umbrage and sets out to unmask her. Finding out about her situation, he determines his own revenge- make his sisters each a dozen dresses and stop blackmailing others. To ensure that she keeps her promises, he takes her into his home. But having her around is harder on him than he thinks it will be, and he cannot forget how beaiutiful she is, and personally kind to his sisters. But as he continues to help her and her family, he begins throwing all thoughts of revenge out of his mind and instead finds himself wishing that she would stay longer, like, perhaps, for all time... But can a Duke marry a penniless seamstress without completely turning the world upside down? I like this book a lot. Annabelle starts out in a hard place, barely able to keep her family fed, and with her mother all but wasting away due to "Consumption", with Annabelle having to pay the Doctor to look after her mother and for the medicine she needs. To do so, Annabelle, must blackmail the Ton for money to survive. But through her time with the Duke, he helps her by finding out that the Doctor is a charlatan, and the "Medicine" is nothing more than highly addictive opium. And, of course, the attraction between himself and Annabelle is just the icing on the cake. I loved seeing how Annabelle and Owen literally turned each other's lives around, and the surprise at the ending of who Annabelle was related to that allowed Owen to have the love he wanted. This novel is a book I tore through because I liked it so much, and it left me feeling satisfied in the need for a romance department. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Odin's Ravens by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr- Matt Thorsen and Fen and Laurie Brekke have found the Shoeld of Thor and met several other children of the Gods, including Baldwin, the reborn Baldur. But Baldwin is dead, poisoned by Mistletoe, and unlike in the old stories of Ragnarok, Fen, the son of Loki, cried for him. This should end Ragnarok, right? Well, apparently not, but they still travel to the domain of Hel (or in this case, a woman calling herself "Aunt Helen") and retrieve Baldwin to take him back to the real world. But when they go after Thor's Hammer, they have to fight Draugr, and also return to Blackwell, where their families live. But a betrayal in the place they least expected it draw them into another fight, and several reversals of Fortune leave them wondering if anyone they know is truly on their side. And as Fen makes a bad decision of his own that may have far-reaching consequences- can he undo what he did or find a way out of his choice? And what will become of the reborn Gods and their attemtpts to forstall Ragnarok? Another excellent book with elements both creepy- Helen's skin looks like that of a mannequin, and the smell of the Draugr- sort of Viking Zombies, made this another excellent book. It reminds me of Percy Jackson and the Kane books without the framing devices of another year at camp. Seeing the Norse Gods used (after all the Marvel Movies with Thor and whatnot), this was a nice change of pace. The characters remain interesting, and I like every single character in the books, from the Norns (fates) to the Valkyries, Draugr and even the mythological creatures that show up. I a really enjoying these books, and I definitely look forward to reading more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The WInter Bride by Anna Gracie- Damaris Chance is one of four young women who are pretending to be the nieces of Lady Beatrice Davenham. In reality, each of them fled from a whorehouse they had been sold to, or in the case of Daisy, worked as a servant in. But despite their friend Abby having married a lord, Damaris doesn't want to be married. Having lived with her father, a missionary in China, and survived there after he was killed by a local warlord, her experiences have soured her on the whole idea of being married. However, Lady Davenham convinces her to have a season in spite of her doubts, to view it as a chance to have fun instead of looking for a husband. She reluctantly agrees, and the whole household discovers that while Abby and her husband are abroad on their Honeymoon, they have been put into the care of Freddy Monkton-Coombs, the friend of Max, Lord Davenham- who Abby married. As for Freddy, he notices Damaris right off, but he is not interested in marriage- until he receives a letter from his mother in the mail, telling him she has arranged a house party on the one night a year that he always comes home, and that at the end of the house party, one of the young women she invites will become his wife. But when Freddy asks Damaris to accompany him as a fake Fiancee, and that they will dissolve such a relationship at a future time so that they will never need to actually marry- she discovers that Freddy ia shunned by his family for the crime of causing the death of his brother. But the things his parents tear into them about, and the way she relishes the verbal skirmishes with his mother, make him realize that she is the only person who accepts him for who he is and refuses to put the blame on him. But when they are trapped alone in a house for two days by rising floodwaters, Freddy tells her that now they *must* marry, because in the eyes of the proper world, she is compromised, even if nothing actually happened. Damaris realizes she has fallen for Freddy, but is that enough to make her go to the altar with him? And can she confess what she has really been doing to Lady Davenham all along, or is their marriage foundered before it has really begun? This was a bit of a hard book to read for me- I suspected some of what happened to Damaris before it was revealed, but the actuality was far worse than what I had suspected. And yet, it was nice seeing how Damaris cared for herself. Yes, she looked a bit mercenary agreeing to become Freddy's false Fiancee for a deed to a cottage nearwhere Addy and her busband was going to live, but I also liked seeing Freddy come out of his shell and Damaris as well, to be the prople they should have been before their families happened to them. The ending didn't make me cry, but it did give me a warm glow in the chest region, and I couldn't quite put this book down to sleep- I ended up staying up far too late to finish it. Nevertheless, definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison- Rachel Morgan started out as a mere witch, but has now become a daywalking demon. Still living with her roommate Ivy, a vampire, in a converted church, she lives with Bix the Gargoyle, Jenks the Pixie and his children, and works as a bodyguard for Trent Kalamack, the elven lord who is also a very rich businessman. But something strange is happening to the Ley Line Rachel claims as hers- magic is shooting out of the line, magic that is causing very strange reactions all over the city-and she is only sure of one thing- she isn'tresponsible. Or is she? As it turns out, the magic that is coming out of the line has the same aura of her, but what is coming out is less like magical power- and more like spirits. Specifically, elven magical creatures who are part of the Elven goddess. And they seem to be very attracted to Rachel and her magic. But where are they coming from? And why do more and more of them keep coming through Rachel's Ley Line? Her only hope is to work with her boss, Trent Kalamack- but none of his people seem to want Rachel around. Including Trent's fiance Ellsabeth, who thinks that Trent and Rachel are all but knocking boots together. And then there are the vampires, whose leaders haven't been seen in weeks, and its causing problems with the younger vampires, who are causing problems without the elders being able to keep them in line. And there is a new group calling itself "The Free Vampires", who want all the elders gone or destroyed- which could end up destroying the county. How do they all fit together and what do they have to do with the Elvish magic infusing Rachel's Ley Line. They just think of it as power- but the Elvish Goddess is real- and she's pissed. Can Rachel and her friends survive their wrath as she attempts to take back the magic as her own? I don't often read Rachel Morgan books because there haven't been that many of them that I have read. But this one was packed with action and story, and ended up enjoying it a lot. Rachel's been through a lot of stuff from her first book, but she always kicks ass and takes names, and it was pure pleasure seeing her do so here. And the romance/relationship beats were also good, from admitting she had feeling for Trent Kalamack, to actually starting something with him, even though she might lose her mentor in demon magic for doing so, this book was a definite "win" in my eyes, and one I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Nine Lives to Die by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown- It's getting close to Christmas in Crozet Virginia, and winter brings truckloads of snow and distributing care packages from the local churches. On her trips to deliver those packages, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, reconnects with her former math teacher Cletus Thompson, now deep in the bottle and unable to drag himself out, and Flo Rice, who once worked at a local stables, but has become strange and suspicious with age. When her pets, Tee Tucker, a Welsh Corgi, MRs. Murphy, a tabby cat and Pewter, an overweight gray cat, find a golden bracelet that falls off the arm bone of s skeleton being dragged off by a coyote, they hide the bracelet in the stables, in an old horse helmet, so that they can "give" it to her on Christmas. but when she finds it prematurely, it turns out to have disturbing implications in the disappearance and presumed death of an old teacher. And in the present day, two men who work with the Boys Charity, Silver Linings, end up murdered, their index and middle fingers cut off. Also, three checks are stolen from Silver Linings and soon recovered. But there isn't anything off about the group's financials, and no money seems to have been stolen. So who murdered the two men and why? And what, if anything, did Siolver Linings have to do with the murder? I always love the Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, and this book is a prime example as to why- the animals. in this case, do as much detective work as the humans involved in the case, and while several red herrings are dragged liberally through the case, it's only at the end when we see the true picture, andit always blows me away. I love the interactions betwee the animals, old and new, and the way they look out for each other. The people are often cattier than the actual cats, but I love how Harry's pets love and look out for her, and the way they are interwoven in the case. I wish I had my own cat like Mrs. Murphy, and I love the Biography of Rita Mae Brown's real cat, who is called "Miss Pie". This series is wonderful and deserves to be shared with other lovers of animals, and mysteries. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe- Princess Breena of Elden grew up pretty, but also knowing her place in the world- she is to marry well so that her husband can ally with Elden. But when the Blood Sorceror attacks and kills her parents, they send her and her siblings far across their land to survive and take their vengeance. Breena, who has been dreaming of a man, finds herself in a foreign kingdom, with only a man little better than a beast, a mercenary, and his two brothers to help her. The man, Osborn, is berserker, and he has been dreaming of a woman ever since his Kingdom was destroyed and he was left to care for his brothers alone. First by becoming a mercenary to raise money, and then by raising them alone by himself. When Breena comes along, he doesn't want anything to do with her-seeing her as an impediment to his quiet life of raising his brothers. But Breena needs help so desperately, she is willing to do anything for Osborn. And he cannot resist the siren call of the dream lover he has been dreaming of. But can he teach her to take care of herself and then bring himself to leave her? Or will he be able to marry a Princess, the woman who has dreamed of him, and he of her, for years? And who will be able to defeat the Blood Sorceror and his men? Well, this book was based on a very well-known fairy tale. It might help to know that Breena is blonde haired, and she eats the food of Berne and his brothers, which has been left to cool while they take a walk. Yes, it's Goldilocks and the Three Bears. (Osborn literally means "Bear warrior"), but obviously, this book has a more romantic and sexual slant. I liked the book, as Breena really did her best to learn and while Osborn wasn't being all "emotionally wounded warrior", he does show her real caring and compassion. And the ending was the best, showing how both of them had grown, with the promise of a happier ending. Not stellar, but not a bad book by any means. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Grendel Affair: A SPI-Files Novel by Lisa Shearin- Makenna Fraser is a seer from the South, and she trained as a journalist, working for a scandal rag before she ended up working for the SPI, Supernatural Protection and Investigation bureau. It's run by an actual Dragon Lady (Vivienne Sagadraco), and Makenna is partnered with a former cop, Ian Byrne. Among her co-workers are also Werewolves, Vampires, Elves and other supernatural beasties- takes one to catch one, right? Well, in this case, Makenna and the others might be in over their heads when an off-the-clock favor reveals the remains of a strange creature and a murdered man. The creature turns out to be a Grendel. Yes, like Beowulf Grendel- someone has imported a breeding pair of Grendels into the city just before New Years Eve, with the intention of having them go wild on Broadway and 42nd street on New Years and letting the resulting carnage rip the scales from the eyes of ordinary humans, causing chaos and letting the mastermind take advantage of the chaos to turn humans into slaves and meals. And whoever did it isn't alone- they are working with Ghouls and Vampires who want a return to the old, bad ways. Only Makenna, Ian and the department can find and stop the Grendels before there is mass slaughter and save the city and humanity itself. But will they be able to sort out the clues in time? I really enjoyed this book- the worldbuilding was great, and I found the details of how the various people and races worked together at the SPI to be as realistic as one could expect this sort of urban fantasy to be. I really liked the revelation of the identity of the anragonist, and the final battle, which took up about the final 1/4 of the book. Makenna is apropriately squishy and more than aware of how unprepared she is to fight, and she works on changing that. Lisa Shearin hasn't been one of my favorite authors, but now I am asking myself, "Why?", because this book was seriously awesome to me. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer by Bill Maher- Bill Maher is a flaming Liberal and TV personality. This book collects many of his "New Rules" segments from his show "Real Time with Bill Maher", along with a few longer rants/observations in between chapters. Subjects are arranged alphabetically, and are just the words he used on his show, with the occasional accompanying pictures to illustrate what he is speaking about. In that this book preserved his "New Rules" for posterity, it's great. But if you've watched the show, 99% of this material you will already have seen. For someone new to Maher, it's great. For someone who already watches, well, not so much. This could be great or "Eh", depending how much you have watched.of "Real Time".</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Demon's Bride by Zoe Archer- Leo Bailey is a member of "The Hellraisers, a group of young men who have always been on the lookout for themselves. That is why, when they called up a devil by accident, they each gave into their need and greed and asked for different boons. Leo, who was born into straitened circumstances, made the request to be able to see how other people's investments would do when he held a coin that was once theirs. He has used this talent to make vast amounts of money, and now he has taken a wife, Anne Hartfield, the bookish daughter of a Baron with a money probelm. Leo has always been Hungry for more, but as his need to bring down the wealthy and powerful grows apace, he finds Anne an antidote to his need for wealth. But the tattoo of flames that appeared on his shoulder the night he made the agreement for hiw power grows as his hunger to ruin the rich and powerful does, and there is a threat to the Hellraisers from a former one of their own, and when he realizes that his power is turning him darker, he may have to go against his friends to reclaim the man he once was. But can Anne, the wife he has lied to, ever trust him, and will she help free him from his agreement and help him regain the soul he lost? Or will the powers of the Hellraisers give birth to a literal Hell on Eartj, as their desires and power grow ever greater? I love me some Zoe Archer, and this book was one by her that I had never seen before. But I am extremely glad that I ordered and read it, as I enjoyed how the hero and heroine came together. There is no actual before the marriage romance- the book begins with the party after Leo and Anne have been married, but there certainly is romance there, as Leo doesn't deflower Anne until later, and he treats her all along with a tenderness that will eventually be the undoing of his hellish ambitions. And that's what makes the novel so great. Anne's attraction to her husband and her confusion about what is going on with Leo and her marriage, pull the readers into the story, and Zoe Archer's writing keeps you there. I found this book really enjoyable. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh- Ivy Jane is a Psy, but one who feels she was deeply flawed. Forced to rebuilt her mind after a very bad reconditioning when she was barely out of childhood, it turns out that she is one of the few E's in Psy society, the E standing for Empath. Vasic is an Arrow, a psy commando who has been forced into jobs and situations he never wanted to do after the Arrows served under Councillor Ming LeBon. Now that Kaleb Krychek holds the reing of the Arrows, he is assigned to guard and protect Ivy Jane as part of an experiment to see if the E's can save Psy Net and the destabilization that is threatening to destroy it. Gathering a group of E's from around the world, Krycheck hopes that Sascha Duncan can help the E's regain the skills that they need to save PsyNet. But it won't be easy- the psychopathic parts of the NetMind that make up the dissolution would like to do nothing else than crush the E's, and even with the fall of Silence, the emotionlessness that was supposed to do away with Psy Psychopaths, there are Psy who fear the emotions they were not supposed to feel and want a return to Silence. Vaqsic himself is a broken man, one who wants nothing else than to die for the actions he was forced to undertake under Ming LeBon, and an experimental piece of Psy-tech in his arm might end up killing him anyway. Can working with Ivy Jane, and the emotions she raises inside of him heal Vasic, and can a man and a woman so broken ever find Solace and healing in each other? And what of the piece of technology on his arm that is killing him? Will he ever be able to have a futute with Ivy Jane, if he is destined to die? Wow, this book really blew me away. I was still uncertain if I would find a Psy-Psy romance enjoyable (apart from "Heart of Obsidian". But reading this book with Vasic and Ivy Jane made me a believer in Psy-Psy romances, and it was pretty damn hot, in the bargain. I loved every moment of the story as the E_psy's found themselves and started to turn the situation in the Psy-Net around, and Ivy Jane even managed to save Vasic, with the help of his great-grandfather. It was glorious to read, and for that reason, I dub this book, Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Girl with the Windup Heart by Kady Cross- Griffin King and his friends track down a killer known as "Lady Ash", who burns her victims from the inside out. But in the course of apprehending her, Griffin is drawn into the Aetheric plane and imprisoned by his longtime foe Garibaldi, also known as the Machinist. Garibaldi imprisons Griffin in a machine of his own creation which drains his Aetheric Energy and feeds it to the Machinist, which only makes it stronger. Meanwhile, back in the real world, Emily, Finley Jane, Sam, Jasper Renn and his girl Cat are looking to get Griffin back, and Mila, the girl who was built to contain the Machinist's mind, is living with Jack Dandy, and getting irritated that he will spend time with his doxies, but hasn't any for her. He tries to tell her that he isn't good enough for her, but she is human enough to have fallen in love with him. Leaving him to make him miss her, she takes a toom in a boarding house with girls who work in Picadilly Circus. When they leave one morning and witness a carriage accident, Mila steps in to save everyone involved, and her obvious strength gets her a job at the Circus, working as a strongwoman. But it also draws the attention of Lord Blackhurst, Jack's father, whom Jack would love to ruin. Blackhurst wants Mila for his own, but Jack ins't willing to let her go. Can Jack save Mila from his father, and does she even need or want to be saved? And back in the Aetheric Realm, Finley must deal with Lord Felix, the lord who tried to debauch her and whose house she was running from when she met Griffin. He is more powerful than Finley on the Aetheric plane, and he has tied his victims to him, using them to attack Finley. But can she overcome his power, and will she and her friends be able to save Griffin and restore him to life? Because Griffin is slowly dying as his energy is sucked away by the Aetheric plane. Can he end the threat of the Machinist before his life is lost? And what will become of Mila and Jack when her landlady is abducted to force Mila to comply with Blackhurst's wishes? This seems to be the end of the series, as all of the threads are neatly snipped off at the end of the book, but maybe we will see more adventures from Finley, Griffin and their other friends in the Future. I certainly hope so, as this series was really excellent, and this book most of all, Mila gets the reader's sympathy, as she deals with becoming fully human. We get to see snippets of her time with Jack before the book, and how much he admires her. It was nice seeing him finally become more than a thug, and more than a rowdy. Everyone ends happy and even Finley gets to meet her father and lay some of the tension between them to rest. A Really excellent end to a terriffic series. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Gate 7, Volumes 2, 3 and 4 by CLAMP- Chikahito has been taken in by Hana and her group of protectors as they refight a battle that originally took place in Japan's warring states period. Hana and her friends need to make allies amongst the undecideds, so she and her fellow warriors recruit a daycare teacher who is the reborn general, Yukimura Sanada, and her fellow reborn the Sanada Juuyuushi, culminating in a battle which decides Sanada into backing Hana. Meanwhile, Iemitsu Tokugawa, born into the disturbingly pretty high schooler, befriends Chikahito by pretednding to nearly collapse on the street, and later, by attending the dame school as him. Chikahito has no idea who Iemitsu is, and has no idea that his interest in Chikahito has some sort of ulterior motive. But as battle lines are drawn, Hana continues to live her life and collect allies and Oni for the battle, including one that looks like a tiger, but who can shrink itself down to housecat size.. But why does Hana look to Chikahito for approval, and who is he, really? Why are both sides so eager to have him on their side, and why is he so clueless, when everyone else seems to know who they are or were when they were reborn? Questions abound. I actually kind of liked this series, despite having so many questions about it. It sort of keeps the ultimate reason why everyone is fighting to itself, but we the readers get the sense that all of this is of great import. But real explanations are thin on the ground to nonexistent, and only a general sense of where this is going is given to the reader. It does intrigue me enough to continue reading however, and to see what is really going on. What is the point of collecting sll these Oni? And is Hana a boy or a girl? She (and I only say she because she dresses and looks female) is held up as one of the biggest mysteries of all. In short, it's a bit confusing, but I do enjoy it, and will keep reading. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Natsume's Book of Friends, Volume 16 by Yuki Midorikawa- Takahashi Natsume can see spirits naturally, a condition which has caused him many problems in the past. Now living with a pair of loving foster parents, he wants to keep his problems with seeing spirits from them to save them from worry. Along with the spirit Nyanko-sensei, he tries to serve as a bridge between the problems of spirits and the problems of people. His friend Taki can only see spirits with the aid of her special spirit circles, but they cause problems for the spirits she sees and some think the use of her circles is an attack. So when a huge spirit passes through her circle and is trapped in her house, she needs Natsume's help to find and free it. But the reason it was passing through is a problem of its own, and Natsumi must find another spirit to get the first one free, and its growing attachment to Taki may cause problems for her further down the road... Then, Natsume's friend Kaname and several classmates from school travel to his aunt's inn to help out during a festival. But when an important festival prop is stolen, It's up to Natsume to track down the thief and get it back, or Natsume and his friends will suffer. But was the theft deliberate or inadvertant, and can he convince the thief to return what he or she stole? Finally, three adorable bird spirits have their pot stolen and seek out Natsume to get it back from the whit Ogre that has stolen it. But when they hear that Reiko Natsume is a monster, they give up on that plan. But when Natsume steps in to help anyway, can he bring the story to a happy conclusion and convince the ogre to return the pot? I find this series interesting. The story started out about allowing the Spirits whose names are in the book to reclaim them, but since then, the story has broadened out into being this kind of spirit bridge and about the other humans who can see spirits. I find it very interesting and enjoyable, and the stories keep me coming back. Definitely highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Crossed Blades by Kelly McCullough- Aral Kingslayer used to be a Blade, the holy weapon of the Goddess of justice. But since the other gods banded together to destroy the goddess and kill and disband the blades, he's survived on his own as a shadowjack, a thief for hire, and lost himself in a bottle, trying to deal with being one of the only survivors of the blades. But when he discovers he's far from the only Blade left alive, he took Faran under his wing to teach her what he needs to know. But when an old lover of his, Jax, returns looking for him, he isn't sure whether to be sad or happy that the bones of his face have been reworked to make him unrecognizable. But she has also taken young Blades under her wing, and they are being threatened to make her find and betray her former comrades. And she isn't the only Blade or Senior blade still around- Kelos, Aral's mentor is also still alive, and may have been the traitor responsible for allowing the Temple to be attacked in the first place. As Aral wrestles with the concept of what is right and wrong, and can humans allow only the Gods to determine whether an action is right or wrong, he must help Jax and faran free the other young Bkades and discover the truth of who was behind the attack on the temple. But can he get over his personal failings to do so, and how can he help bring the Blades back together as an organization without betraying his now-dead Goddess? Is Aral up to the task? I am really loving this series. I loved the first book, and this one goes one better, finally lifting Aral out of the gutter to pur him back at the head of many missing Blades. But he's had to wrestle with the concept of divinely defined right and wrong and how the Blades can survive the death of their Goddess without becoming just a group of assassins for hire. All the while performing deeds that will save the young Blades who survived the fall of the temple, and unmasking traitors among thoe who survived.. I really loved this book, and the character of Aral and his shade, Triss. Worth reading and you might love it, too. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shards of Time by Lynn Flewelling- Alec and Seregil are growing bored with life in Rhiminee when Seregil starts having dreams again and they learn that the governor for the sacred isle of Kouros has been murdered- him and his countess at night in their beds behind a closed and locked door. The Queen appoints Klia, her aunt, to be temporary governor and also sends Alec and Seregil to deal with the problem- disguising their Nightrunner status by giving them properties on the island and naming them Lords there. Along with them come the Wizard Thero, now head of Oreska House and Princess Klia's lover, Micum Cavish, longtime friend of Alec and Seregil, and Thero's apprentice, Mika. Everyone on the island is convinced that Ghosts are to blame for the death of the Governor and the disappearance of people around the island. Long ago, the island was home to Oracles, and the governor was restoring the old seat of the Oracles and the cave where they used to prophesy. Could his mucking about there have somehow raised Ghosts? And while Alec and Seregil love their new estate, the Plenimarans who used to control the island kept Aurenfaie as slaves, and while the slaves there were freed when Skala took control during the last war, many of the former slaves are too ashamed by their former status to ever go home. Can Alec and Seregil's estate become a haven for them on Kouros? And when Klia is abducted to another world to become hostage because of her ancestry, can those she loves rescue her while she keeps herself safe? This book is, sadly, the final book in the series, but the threads of this one came together in a wonderful way that kept me engaged, enthralled, and reading the entire way through. This book exposes the characters to a new kind of danger and a horrific new foe that will really turn the reader's stomach even as you worry for the characters. Still, it's the relationship of Alec and Seregil that really underscores the entire book. A wonderful, fitting end to the series, and one I am both delighted and saddened about. Maybe after Ms. Flewelling finishes Grad School, she'll have more time to write and we may see some sort of continuation of the series. I live in hope, and Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">High Seduction by Vivian Arend- Erin Tate is a chopper pilot working for Lifeline, an elite search and rescue team based in Alaska. But the last person she expected to see step through the door is her old lover Timothy Dextor, a paramedic looking for a job with Lifeline. But even though she doesn't want to face him, she knows he's a top of the line paramedic who can easily handle the job. She is uncertain about whether she can work with him since their personal life imploded. But while what they had together was so good, Erin isn't sure she can trust herself- or her heart, around the man she once loved. As they grow closer through their work, they take up the threads of their old relationship. But how can Erin and Timothy be together when Erin isn't sure she can trust him? As their sex life heats up, the conflict is coming to a head. Can their relationship survive- this time around? I didn't end up enjoying this very much. As a romance it was okay, and it had some good exciting moments, but I had a hard time connecting with Erin's sub tendencies and I jst wasn't in to Tim as a character. I mean, the sub/dom relationship is well-played in some ways, but not in others. In short, there wasn't much negotiation beforehand, and I just ended up not being into it. Just not my cup of tea. Not recommended for me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries- Lady Celia Sharpe is the last of the Sharp siblings left to marry, and she has two months to marry before she and her siblings are entirely cut out of her grandmother's will. She has her sights set on three different men, and she wants the Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter, who has been working with her family, to find out what he can about the men so she can choose she best and most suitable man. He thinks none of them are good enough for her, but then, he hasn't confessed to her that he is most hopelessly smitten with her. On her behalf, he agrees to investigate, but she has also had a memory about her parents that calls into question everything she and her siblings thought they knew about what happened to her parents. but as Jackson looks into her parents deaths, she insists on going along to help him question her old nanny. Unfortunately, they must spend the night in a small cabin when someone starts shooting at them along the way- shooting at Celia, Jackson suspects. But when he confesses his affections for her, can Celia make her grandmother see that despite his lack of a title, Jackson is the perfect man for her? Or will her Grandmother cut all her grandchildren out of the will for Celia's "mistake"? And can two such utterly different people find love with each other? Reading this book was lovely. Though both characters start out at least somewhat disdainful of each other, over the course of the story, we get to see how much they actually esteem each other- Jackson thinks that Celia is incredibly beautiful and goddesslike, where she values his intelligence and insightfulness. But by the end, both love each other enough to defy their families to be with each other, and celia's grandmother is forced to admit that the twop of them are spectacularly well-suited to each other. I loved every moment of this book. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Spider by Jennifer Estep- When Gin Blanco receives a gift of Roses an and anniversary Card, it brings back memories of one of her earlier jobs as "The Spider", one of the first, actually. She was hired to take out a businessman, Cesar Vaughn, whose shoddy work practices may have caused a collapse in a new shopping mall that killed many people. That may be bad enough, but along with the job arrives some evidence that he physically abuses his young daughter, and that decides Gin on taking the job. During her spying portion, where she learns as much about her target as she can, she meets the target's son, Sebastian Vaughn, and quickly ends up falling for him. Everything seems to be wonderful- he lavishes attention and dresses on her. But when his sister's birthday party is over, Gin finds herself drugged and is only saved by the intervention of Sebastian's sister, Charlotte- and it turns out that it was Sebastian who was abusing her all that time- and now he plans to kill Finn and her mentor, Fletcher. But can she save them in time, and does she have the power, and the will, to return and take revenge on the man she though she loved, a Stone Elemental with much stronger powers than she will ever have, and put his menace to rest once and for all- and how will she ever forgive herself for killing an innocent man? This book shares many similarlities with other Jennider Estep "Spider" books. The story is about how Gin tends to go into situations half-cocked, makes a miscalculation, is helped by others and ends up surviving and triumphing in spite of the mistakes she made. I sometimes have to wonder how Spider got to be as successful an assassin as she is if she constantly screws up in this manner. Still, the story is a fun ride and enjoyable to read, and she throws in a reference to her other series, with the superheroes, with a dress for Gin made by "Fiona Fine", who is the main character of "Hot Mama" (and totally another book you should pick up). So, even with the uneven message about Gin and her abilities, I still enjoyed this book, and would still recommend it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">People of the Morning Star by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear- Cahokia is the largest city-complex, and part of the largest grouping of peoples in America. It is mostly run by the Four Winds Clan, and one of their members, Chunkey Boy, is host to the resurrected Spirit of the Great Leader Morning Star, making him akin to a god. But not everyone is happy with the leadership of the Four Winds Clan, or Matron Blue Heron, the leader of the clan. But when an outside force arises, wanting to bring down Cahokia and the Four Winds Clan, it will be up to a motley selection of people to stop it. including Matron Blue Heron, Lady Night Shadow Star, sister of Chunkey Boy who is in mourning for her husband, slain recently in battle, a thief known as Seven Skull Shield, Fire Cat, the man who slew Night Shadow Star's Cousin, and Piasa, Jaguar Lord of the underworld, who speaks to Night Shadow Star. For if they cannot save the city, fire, darkness and chaos will sweep the land, destroying everyone and everything it touches. But who is the mysterious warrior known as "Bead", and why does he want Night Shadow Star so much? and what spirit is he seeking to conjure with his sacrifices? Can Cahokia win against a man who seems to have the spirits, and a tribe known as the Tula, on his side? I enjoy reading these novels of Ancient America and Ancient Americans, and all of them take place before Europeans set sail for America and American shores. This game takes place in approximately 1100AD, and Native Americans had built, Cahokia, a huge mound city in the Mississippi Valley. But, like any concentration of wealth and power, some are seeking to bring it down and destroy it, and Bead is one of those. Like some people, the rulers of Cahokia don't see it coming, but once they become aware of the threat, have to mobilize to respond to it. And out of this, the story grows. These novels are always interesting, and i completely enjoyed this one. I sort of had an inkling as to who Bead was, but the details of his crime and why he was banished and "killed", was pretty unexpected. There is lots of killing and gore and adult subjects (Seven Skull Shield makes his living seducing woman and stealing srtifactsthat belong to their husbands), but the story is amazing, and the intrigue and infighting made reading it and the twists and turns of the story, something I found incredibly enjoyable.. Highly recommended, bith as a book and a series, despite the fact thatr none of their characters overlap between books.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Immortal Crown: An Age of X Novel by Richelle Mead- Justin March is a religious investigator who works for the Republic of North America, known as RUNA, which is made up of what remains of Canada and most of the North of the former US. His protector is Mae Koskinen, a super soldier who comes from one of the few remaining pureblood strains. Although RUNA has no official religion, religion is somewhat frowned on, and Justin's job is to prevent any foreign religions from getting a foothold there. Which makes it doublyironic that Justin himself is one of the elect, God-touched and possessing the powers of the God Odin. But he isn't the only one in his household. Mae, it seems, has been having dreams, and in their last adventure together was gifted with an amber blade, but she isn't sure she wants to be part of the designs of the gods. So when they are sent into Arcadia, another nation that is made up of what was formerly the southern states of the US, he doesn't want to be there. But Mae's niece has been kidnapped across the border by the Arcadians, who practice plural marriage, with one man and many women. This leaves a shortage of women for their sons, thus their need to enslave women from elsewhere and make them part of their society. But in addition to having to visibly live by Arcadian mores while they are there, Justin must ferret out a plot by the Arcadians to infiltrate and take over RUNA by taking out their communications system, while Mae must find her neice, guided by the God-sent dreams, and find a way to take her and the other enslaved girls home while evading the Arcadian forces. But will Mae welcome the Goddess who is guiding her actions, and what will be the fallout of their trip into Arcadia? Can they smuggle some of the women into RUNA, where they will have much better lives, and what can be done about Arcadia and their repressive religion? And, at home, Justin's adopted daughter wants to become a reporter, but can she stomach the tasks that her mentor, a muckraking reporter, wants her to do in rooting out the secret religionists that make their home in RUNA? This was a very interesting book. This is the second in the series and I haven't read the first, but the threads of the story were fairly easy to pick up, and I really liked the characters. I did feel that the nation of Arcadia was laying it on a bit thick, and people who feel strongly about religion are going to find Arcadia rather distasteful to them, being highly religious, filled with plural marriage (much like the Mormons), and keeping women in a slave-like state. Yet, for me, it was interesting to see the Arcadians dealing with the same problems as the offshoot of the Mormon community that have plural marroage- lack of enough young women for everyone. And the family we see seems to only have male children, so I have to wonder what happens to daughters- we generally don't see that. And, of course, the head of the Arcadian religion is a hypocrite on top of it, sleeping with women to ease his burdens while denying other priests the right to do the same. So, again, this will be very distasteful to people of religion, as it caricatures modern religion very highly, and the only "sane" religions are ones they will categorize as pagan. It will not be a happy reading atmosphere for them. I had no problem with this book and found it very enjoyable, but some people won't, and you should be aware of that before reading. Recommended, with caveats.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Ides of April by Lindsay Davis- Flavia Alba is the adopted daughter of Marcus Didius Falco and his wife, Helena Justina. Now a widow, she has turned to her father's old profession, informing, and makes her living as a professional informer, a detective-cum-witness who works in the seedy underbelly of the Roman world. She is living in her father's old, ramshackle building, all by herself, though she does have a porter, a former gladiator, who protects the building. Hired to look for witnesses to a horrific accident that killed a child, Flavia becomes aware that someone is killing off women. When a matron she was talking to is killed shortly after Flavia speaks to her, and called Flavia's name as she was dying, she takes on the case and the company of two men, Andronicus, a slave of the plebian Aedile, Tiberius Manlius Faustus, and a fellow informer named Tiberius. But as more women die from no apparent discernable cause, she realizes that someone close to her might be trying to guide her in certain directions- and may even be interested in taking her out. But can she discover the true culprite before time runs out, and she becomes the victim? I really liked this book. My only complaint would have been that we never see Flavia consulting with her father. Oh, it's the reign of Justinian now, and things are different, but it would have been nice to see the two generations working together. I suppose that Lindsay Davis was afraid that Falco would take over the story, and I suppose that's a good reason for not doing it. But I liked Flavia's voice and the very ancient Roman sensibilities that she and the other characters in the book espouse. I even liked finding out the true identoty of the murderer, and seeing her work out who it was, as well and the appearance by Postumus, her brother, who sort of reminded me of Ramses from the Amelia Peabody Emerson series. I enjoyed this book and will almost definitely end up reading the series. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Enemies at Home by Lindsay Davis- Flavia Alba, recovered after the events of "The Ides of April" is approached by Manlius Faustus to help him investigate the deaths of Valerius Aviola and his new wife, Mucia Lucilla, strangled to death in their bedroom during the night. The problem is that their house was full of slaves who claim they heard nothing, and now some of those slaves have run to the temple of Ceres and taken shelter there, because if they are blamed for not helping prevent the deaths or apprehend the murderers, they will all be put to death as a reminder of what happens to slaves who betray their masters. It turns out that the house was a hotbed of competing interests, with Mucia having brought some of her own slaves into the household, some of which clashed with the slaves who were already there. And then there is Myla, a slave who was Valerius' choice of a mistress and who had just given birth to one of his children. Also, silver from the house has been stolen (or gone missing) and there is a bad gang in the area which makes a career of theft. Could they have had something to do with the deaths? Or Valerius' ex-wife, who raised three of his children mostly on her own and who is angling to get the house where Valeriu and Mucia were about to move to put in her name. Can Flavia untangle the threads and find the real culprit or culprits and bring him, her or them to justice? A second very good book in the series, and one I quite thoroughly enjoyed. This was sort of a locked room mystery- only the room wasn't really locked. But the slaves claim to have seen and heard nothing- a claim that Flavia quickly shows to be false. So it's possible that the victims didn't even get the chance to cry out fot help. I found this a really enjoyable book, even the ending, which was sort of gross. I have my own suspicions as to what fouled the well, but those weren't borne out in the book.. This was an enjoyable look at roman "justice" and it's something I definitely will be reading more of. Recommended</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sapphires are an Earl's Best Friend by Shana Galen- Lily Dawson is a celebrated courtesan known as the Countess of Charm. But in reality, she is merely a fallen women who puts on a very good show, and works for England as a verydiscreet spy. Sent by her handler to find out the truth of whether the Duke of Ravenscroft is a famed spy known as Artemis, her job is to search the house while the Duke attempts to seduce her, and she puts him off by holding out for marriage. The only fly in the ointment is the Duke's son, Andrew Booth-Payne, the Earl of Darlington, who Lily was madly in love with, but he was in love with her friend, Juliette, now married. The memory of her constant rejection stiffens her spine when Andrew decides to keep Lily away from his father by making a play for her himself- only to find himself becoming steadily more enamored of the woman he has constantly overlooked.. But can he bring himself to fall in love with someone so wildly unsuitable, and will his feelings for her hold after he discovers the true reasons fot accepting his father's invitation to his house party? As for Lily, despite her disdain for the man who never even knew she was there, she cannot help but develop feelings for him, but can she tell him the truth about who she really is and why she is there without losing whatever connection there is between them? I enjoyed this book more than I though I would. Shana Galen is a new author for me, but the colors of the cover attracted my attention. I may be a ruby birthstone gal, but Sapphire blue is one of my favorite colors, and the cover is mostly that color. I found a delightful book that made me want to read more and I never lost sympathy for both hero and heroine throughout the book, and the ending twist just blew me away. Well done, and someone whose writing I want to read more of, Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shaman Rises by C.E. Murphy- Joanne Murphy used to be a cop before she nearly died and gained shamnistic abilities. While she was trying to keep her job as a cop, she recently quit to begin a new life aa a dedicated Shaman. She is also having a romance with her former boss, Morrison. For the last year, she has been fighting the Master, the most evil entity in the otherworld, who is trying to destroy the world that exists. But now is the time for the final showdown, and it's not just her own ass on the line this time. She has built a web of people who care for her, and people she has helped, and the Master doesn't scruple to keep away from them if they can be used to get to Joanne. Not only that, but Anne, the wife of her friend, Gary, is somehow still alive and under threat from the Master, who is using her soul to feed himself the dark emotions he thrives on. Joanne will have to find a way to free her, and bring down the Master, while keeping Anne safe and alive. But will Joanne be able to do it, or will she end up failing, and bringing an end to the world as well. Because the Master is threatening the whole of Seattle with his powers, stirring up fear and anger and hatred, and if Joanne doesn't find a way to beat him this time, her entire world is at stake... This is the last book in the series, and a more fitting ending I couldn't think of. Joanne was a bit of a mess in earlier books, but she has finally discovered who she is at heart, and aside from the stuff that happens here, she's at peace with all sides of herself and who and what she is- and she'll need that knowledge to defeat the master, along with the help of her friends and teachers. Lots of stuff happens in the book, too much of it dark to really call it "enjoyable", but it does show the menace of the threat they are facing very well, and I really enjoyed the book and the story overall very well. As I said before, a very fitting end to the series, and I will be looking forward to more books and series by C.E. Murphy in the future (perhaps more of the negotiator series, HINT. HINT... ?) Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Trouble in Paradise by Liz Ireland- Ellie Fitzsimmons is, as they say, "a gal in trouble". Pregnant and alone, she traveled into the west to set herself up as a widow and give birth to her child where nobody knew her to escape the shame of having a baby as a unwed mother. but when she stepped off the train in Paradise, Nebrasks, a place where she'd been corresponding with a landowner on various subjects, she didn't expect to meet a man who would appeal to her in every sort of way... Roy McMillan was the brother of the man she'd been correspondibng with, and he wasn't interested in either marriage or romance. But he found Ellie hard to ignore, and he couldn't help of thinking about her in a romantic way. But can she bear to tell him her true circumstances and will he reject her when she does, and make it impossible for her to live in Paradise? This was a cute book, and even though the main characters go through lots of ups and downs, I liked how they came togerher and how Ellie managed to change Roy's outlook on so many things. He's not the only one whose outlook changed, though, and this was a fairly feel good book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Midnight's Master by Donna Grant- Gwynne Austin is a woman on a mission. Her father, a noted academic, has disappeared in Scotland, and since he is her only parent left, she leaves her life behind to go looking for him. But when she gets to Scotland, she runs into Logan Hamilton, almost literally. Logan is a man from the 1600's,. propelled through time by the Druids in search of another Druid, Deirdre, a drough, or evil Druid, who has been opposed by Warriors, like Logan himself. Long ago, the greatest warriors of each family were brought together by the druids and unimaginably powerful Gods conjured into their bodies in order to defeat the Romans. Logan felt that he could be a warrior, and the spirit of the God inside him was wakened by Deirdre, who then imprisoned him, and when Logan and several others managed to leave, he returned to his village to find it gone, along with his family. He dedicated himself to fighting Deirdre, but when she escaped into the future, the mie, or good druids, sent him as well to follow her. Logan and Gwynne are drawn to each other, and Gwynne herself is of the Druid line. and she may be the guardian of a special book of Druid lore, known as the Tablet. But the tablet can only be touched, and the tome that leads to it, can only be deciphered, by its guardian. Could Gwynne be that Guardian? And will she choose to stay with Logan when he never speaks to her or love, or will she break through his emotions and spend an eternity with him in the Highlands? This was an interesting book, and I actually enjoyed the story behind the main book, although it seems that there can be an interesting parallel to stories set in the past, as several of the characters are already paired in the books, but I haven't seen those characters in other books. I wonder if their stories will be told as well, such as the character who is the only female warrior- now there is something I'd like to read! I'm not sure if the twist with Gwynne's father made sense, but there was plenty of story, and plenty of romance, and a satisfying lack of "Predestined love", which almost always seems to be a crutch to short-circuit the relationship. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Broken Homes by Ben AAronovitch- Peter Grant is a police constable with a difference. He is also learning to be a mage from his mentor on the force, Nightingale, who is inexplicably unaging, along with being a master of Magic. But Peter still has work to do, along with Lesley, his co-worker, who must wear a mask to hide what remains of her lower face after a disastrous case. But investigating the death of a town planner and a missing grimoire ties into a strange building around which things are going even stranger. Rooms are locked out by the local Guard, a police and fire hazard and therefore illegal. But the builder may have been a little crazy himself- or perhaps he was also a mage. And why would someone want to build a magical building like this, anyhow? This book promised a combination of Harry Potter and CSI (in a quote on the cover), but to me it read far more like "British Police Procedural with a tiny bit of magic mixed in. I can't say I really enjoyed it. Yes, it was British, but there was no sense of Harry Potter-like magic or the kind of stuff that CSI does so well- showng the science of how crimes were/are investigated. So it kind of failed on both fronts for me, and for both of the reasons I picked it up. Not recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-13219624210736859102014-07-14T14:12:00.004-04:002014-07-14T14:12:39.774-04:002014, Part 6<span style="color: #33ccff;">When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries- Isabelle Cale is a jeweler that excels at making paste versions of jewels, but when her sister and brother-in-law try to get her to switch the paste version of the Dutch Crown Jewels she made switched with the real ones, she tries to refuse, and they tell her that they will involve her husband, Victor Cale, a steadfast soldier who works at the same shop where the jewels are being cleaned. Isa agrees, but then delays and on the last day, pretends to be sick. When she awakens, her sister tells her that her husband helped them, then took the earrings and was going to pawn them himself, and that they will meet in Paris. Isabelle goes to Paris, discovers she is pregnant, and when Victor doesn't show, joins a Edinbugh jeweler who is leaving Paris, thinking that Victor abandoned her for the money. But Victor has been looking for his wife, who he believes left him because he didn't make enough money. But he's discovered that he is related to a Lord, Maximillian Cale, who has begun Manton's, a detective agency in London. Victor comes to work for his cousin, and goes north to investigate a woman, Sophia Franke, who a certain nobleman has taken an unhealthy interest in. But Sophia Franke is really Isabella, and both she and Victor have been lied to by Isa's family. Can they unravel the lies and work together when the rest of her family endanger her new life in Edinburgh? And will Victor be able to forgive her for not telling him about their daughter? This was a really interesting book. Both Isabella and her mentor are based on real people, and superior paste gems, known as Strass, after their inventor, really existed. I loved the details of the story and I really learned something about paste gems, on top of this being a top-notch romance on top of it. Highly recommended.<br />
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River of Dreams by Lynn Kurland- Aisling of Bruadair is frantic to find a mercenary to free her country, the quest she was given, before the curse laid with the quest can kill her. But even though she thinks she has no magical ability, she has shown the power to spin not only thread, but the elements of earth, air, fire and water, and even the ability to spin dreams. But as she and her companion, Runach of Ceangail, travel about, he discovers where she really comes from, and also who she is... and perhaps what as well. But can he be the hero she and her county need, and can she give him back the magic he lost long ago when it was stolen by his father? And why does Aisling have these strange powers that may or may not be magic? And just who was it that sent her on this quest, anyhow? I loved this book, which unleashed the story of Aisling and Bruadair itself in a slow, subtle way that I am growing to love. There's almost too much talking in this book over doing, but I really enjoyed the way Lynn Kurland spins the tales of both Aisling and Runach, letting it unfold a bit at a time. This was a really effective way to open up the story, and I loved it. Highly recommended.<br />
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The Hour of Dust and Ashes by Kelly Gay- Detective Charlie Madigan used to be fully human, but is no longer, crossed with two races from other dimensions, she still struggles to raise her daughter eight, while having the spirit of a jinn hanging out in her husband's body, raising an actual hellhound, and trying not to deal with the feelings she may be developing for her partner, Hank, which go far beyond his powers as as siren, and trying to heal her sister, addicted to the drug Ash. Charlie finds out early on that she can appeal to the sylphs for help- elemental fae who can inject her with some of each element, which will allow her to "see" what can be done to heal her sister- especially now that those addicted to Ash have been committing suicide- possibly from the addiction or by being taken over by the otherworldly entities that made Ash in the first place. Not only is it completely addictive, but it makes it easier for them to be controlled. If you try to quit cold turkey, it kills you dead. But as Charlie discovers that something is going down in the supernatural underworld, she'll learn far more about Hank than she ever wanted to know, and have to embark on a trip to Charybdon, a literal hell, to look for answers. But the outcome of her risking her own life may mean literal death for her four times over, and can she hang on to the power of seeing long enough to truly help her sister? And can she keep Hank's people from snatching him back for crimes he supposedly committed against them? Well, this wasn't the first book in the series, and this was the first my library had for it. I enjoyed the story very much, but I was sort of clueless as to what was going on and who the players were. But the story explained most of that, and I really enjoyed reading it. Despite not much experience with the characters, I really connected with them and felt for them, which is great for not coming in at the beginning. This was a really good book, and I want to read the other books in the series. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Archangel of Mercy By Christians Ashcroft- Aurora Robinson may look like a normal woman, but she is actually the daughter of a woman from another dimension who crossed over to our reality to meet the man who she'd been in mental contact with from the time she had been very young. But once she crossed over, she couldn't cross back, and her mind has slowly crumbled, until it seems that she can only remember her life on Earth. Aurora is determined to help her mother, and has researched psychic phenomena until she is certain she can use her power of Astral Projection to cross the barriers and end up in her mother's dimension and prove to her that her childhood was real. But when she tries, at the exact point where her mother crossed over to meet her father many years ago, she ends up going nowhere, and waking up with a man sprawled on top of her. This man is actually an angel, the Archangel Gabriel. But he's far from the Christian icon she thinks he is. Handsome, golden and exuding a powerful sexuality, Aurora wants him, sexually, and Gabe wants her as well. But her talking to him, and questioning him make him very angry, and he's even more angered that she seems to be immune to his angelic powers to compel her to do his bidding. But when the Guardians, the beings who control the boundaries between the dimensions, show up to abduct Aurora for transgressing their rules, Gabe spirits her off to his refuge- where he has never taken anyone before. He's not sure why he has done it, and he seems to regret it almost immediately. But the longer she spends with him, the more he wants to touch her- and the more she finds herself falling for the prickly immortal. But will he tire of her after one night with her, or can they have a relationship that will last far longer- and will Gabe's fellow angels allow them to be together, after what happened the last time that a woman that Gabe loved died? I had a hard time liking Gabe in this story. He starts off as a complete tool, and ends upgetting better, but he just acts like an asshole throughout a lot of the story to Aurora (and just about everyone else he meets as well. And yes, he does lighten up and mellow out, but let's just say that I was unsure as to why he mellowed out- even at the end of the story. In short, I was *not rooting for the hero and heroine to end up together, and that makes me not recommend this particular book. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Black and Blue by Gena Showalter- Corbin Blue is an alien with silver hair and violet eyes. He lives the life of a sports star, lionized by many, and has a constant stream of lovers even though he is engaged. But that's just Blue's cover. In reality, he's an agent working for Michael Black, and his constant stream of lovers are the women he has sex with to get information from them through "pillow talk". He's never had a problem with his life, as he views Michael as almost a father to him. But when he meets Michael's actual daughter, Evangeline Black, he can't help but be attracted to her on a deep, visceral level. Evie is a surgeon who also wants to be an agent, and when she concludes the case they are there for all on her own, it dents Blue's pride. Four years later, Blue has driven Evie out of the Agency with his constant criticism of her methods, and she has become a celebrated Doctor. But when her father's home and office is burned down, she will do anything to track down those responsible- even work with Blue again, who had been caught in the explosion that preceded the fire and then burned alive by those responsible. But this time, the attraction between them on both sides is undeniable, and they are having a hard time keeping their hands off each other, no matter how much they seem to despise each other. But Blue is coming to realize that Evie is someone he could love- and he feels greater distaste for his job seducing information out of women the more he comes to feel for Evie. Can they find out who is behind the fire-bombing and find her father as they grow more and more attracted to each other. Or will Evie's father put the kibosh on their relationship? I was attracted to this book by the cover, and I ended up loving the story. Gena Showalter is a really excellent writer, and both hero and heroine were attractive in their own ways while still having issues they had to work on. This story sucked me in totally, and I would definitely give it two thumbs up. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">An Undeniable Rogue by Annette Blair- Sabrina Whitcomb's fiance dies in the army, and his best friend, Gideon St. Goddard, now Duke of Stanhope is asked by his friend to take her in and marry her to keep Sabrina safe. Gideon finds she has taken his home and turned it into a shelter for the less fortunate- and she believes that the Duke of Stanhope is a wealthy older gentleman who she will marry for his money and protection, which she sorely needs. Gideon is brought up short by her attitude, but finds her delectable enough to marry her- even if she is nine months pregnant. But Sabrina has her share of secrets she is keeping, and isn't ready to trust Gideon with either her body or heart. She hasn't told him about her two sons, nor the reason as to why she is so gun-shy towards affection and men. And he has his work cut out for him if he is to assuage her fears and make her his true bride in reality. Can he do so? This was a Zebra book, which I used to love back in the day. But while the story was cute, it didn't really grab me. It seemed s much more "paint-by-numbers" effort and there was no sizzle between the leads. Affection and longing, perhaps, but the book never quite ignited for me. So this rated only a "meh". Nothing objectionable, but nothing really great, either.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Skin Game by Jim Butcher- Harry Dresden is now the Knight of Winter, but his head is also host to an entity that will likely kill him if and when it emerges. Harry has been hiding out on Demonreach, this isle in the Lake which he is master of, to try and deal with what is inside him, but he has made no headway. Then, he gets a visit from Mab who tells him that he is running out of time. Unless he does something, he will die from the entity in three days. But Mab has also prevenred Harry from contacting his friends and allies and getting help because she has a job she wants him to do. But that job, working with Micodemus Archeleone, may be more than Harry can stomach. Nicodemus is a Denarian- a member of the order of the Blackened Denarius, who are possessed by demons inhabiting the silver coins paid to Judas to betray Jesus. It seems that Nicodemus is planning a heist, and he's called in Mab for help in repayment of a debt that she incurred with him. Now Harry must help Nicodemus break into not only the vault owned by John Marcone, Baron of Chicago named in the Otherworld Accords, but help him to get into the Otherworld and burgle an even more well-protected vault to find something Nicodemus wants very much. Harry calls his friend Karrin Murphy as backup, but Mab isn't letting Harry in on all her secrets- and she hasn't been exactly telling him the whole truth, either. But can Harry carry out what Mab wants him to do while dealing with the supernatural forces that Nicodemus has gathered for this job, and can he survive the process of weeding out when Nicodemus decides that he doesn't need Harry any more? And can Harry survive the thing in his head which is slowly killing him? Wow, this was a great book- once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down for anything. Harry finds out that he may be Winter's Knight, but Mab isn't telling him everything, and what is really in his head was a little funny and a little frightening at the same time. At the same time, we got to see lots of Harry's allies, and old friends like his cat, Mister, and his dog, Mouse, now protecting Harry and Susan's daughter. I loved the story of this book, and the tone, and we get to see many of the allies that Harry has made through the years, and how they change and grow. This is really a book you shouldn't miss reading. Highly recommended and equally satisfying.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Royal Airs by Sharon Shinn- Rafe Adova is a gambler in the country of Welce. When a scared young woman comes into the bar where he works, he protects her from the low-lifes who try to harm her and helps her send a message to her sister. Corene, the girl, turns out to be one of the Princesses of Welce, thought to be daughters of the late King, but actually sired by noblemen who wanted to help the near-barren King assure the succession. After he died, it was discovered that only the youngest Princess was actually the daughter of the King. While the Princesses are no longer officially in the succession, they are still useful diplomatically. But Corene's sister, Josetta, who comes to rescue her, has almost completely given up on royal life, instead working in the slums to give the poor people there a better life. Rafe is interested in Josetta, and she, too, is attracted to him, but at first she helps him invest the money he receives from the Regent for rescuing Corene with the Elay Prime, who is making Elaymotives, a car-like device run on an internal combustion engine. But when Rafe discovers that the Prime is also making heavier than air flyers, his attention is caught, and he ends up giving up his life as a gambler to become a test pilot. But things are not all right, because someone wants Rafe dead, and has attacked him at least twice. He doesn't seem to be native to Welce, and unlike others, every time he tries pulling up Elemental blessings for him, they come up as "Ghost coins", too worn to be read. And when Josetta tries, she gets the three extraordinary blessings, synthesis, triumph and time, none of them linked to any of the five elements. And then there are the markings cut into his ear when he was just a small child. What is Rafe's background, and what could this mean for his slowly-growing feelings for Josetta? Do an ex-Royal and a man with a mysterious background have any chance to find love, or even live unmolested? This book is the second in a series, but the first I've read. Welce is a land where everyone is born with various blessings from the five elements, which are based on the oriental system: Fire, Air, Water, Earth and Wood. Rafe doesn't let his lack of blessings bother him, until his lack of such and the way the various Primes react to him and his presence make it clear that he is something and someone special. The resolution of just exactly who and what Rafe is takes up the later part of his novel, but through it all, he remains the same sort of person he always was: wanting a more or less normal life and not wanting to be anything other than what he is and does. I really enjoyed the book. I found both the mystery of who Rafe is/was interesting and the love story between Rafe and Josetta is very nicely done- gentle and restrained. Even though this book was the second in a series, enough background on Welce and the Royal Family and the blessings is given that I never felt I couldn't follow the story. This book was very reminiscent of all the other books by Sharon Shinn, and I mean that in a good way. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Kissing with Fangs by Ashlyn Chase- Anthony is a vampire who used to own a bar where supernatural creatures could meet, but it burned down. Claudia was the manager who used to run the bar for him. Since the bar burnt down, he hasn't seen her- even though he has always been interested in her. He soon discovers that Claudia was hiding a horrible secret from him- she was an alcoholic, and with the bar gone, she's gone on a pretty significant bender. Anthony shows up at her place and helps her, but he has to be careful around her since his fledgling and ex, Ruxandra, is wildly jealous when he even so much as glances at another woman. But Anthony can no longer bring himself to care. He has deep feelings for Claudia, and while she starts going through the twelve steps to free herself of her addiction, he sets about keeping her safe from Ruxandra. But the information that a group of researchers is going around kidnapping and imprisoning supernaturals is forcing Anthony and his friends to work together to find them and shut them down. And Gaia, Mother Nature herself, is angry about Anthony's plans to reinvent the bar as a tea shop and continue the policy of making it neutral ground. But with all this going on, can Anthony and Claudia find the time to somehow be together- and can he keep them safe from Ruxandra? I liked this book, because it was about a heroine who was trying to overcome an addiction, and a hero who is trying to convince a woman not to be addicted to him. As they face off against adversity and those who want to keep them apart, they must also deal with the issues that afflict them. But in a way, it rings a little hollow. We never see Claudia really craving the liquor and the forgetfulness it brings once she realizes that she still has a job with Anthony, and it's more that Ruxandra changes a bit to let herslef be sttracted to someone knew. In the end, the book was very enjoyable, but at the same time, Claudia'scomeback from alcoholism seemed a bit too easy- she gets more grief from her sponsor about staying with Anthony (because you aren't supposed to get into a serious relationship for a yeat once you start AA) than she does from her supposed drinking problem. In short, it was ice that something as real and serious as an alchol problem was used to jumpstart the story, but it just didn't feel like a realistic portrayal of such a problem. Recommended, but not highly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Simply Love by Mary Balogh- Anne Jewell is a teacher at Miss Martin's school for girls, where she works with her young son. It is because of her son that she must work in teaching, as once, she was a companion to a young woman whose wits were not all there who was being "bothered" by the attentions of her brother. When Anne attempted to put herself in the way of his lecherousness, it succeeded, at a very high cost to her. She lost her position and wound up pregnant. But her son's father is related to the Bedwyn family, and this summer, they have invited Anne and her son to their home in Wales to join them. Sydnam Butler is the Steward of the Bedwyn home, and is badly scarred and missing an arm after being tortured during the War. A former artist who is troubled by the loss of his painting hand, he has thrown himself into his new role to try and forget. But when he encounters Anne, it starts badly- she sees the horribly scarred side of his face and runs off, only to return a few minutes later, ashamed of herself. But by then, he is gone. When they finally meet again at dinner the next night, they begin to talk, she to apologizr. And in each other, they find a kindred spirit, bloody but unbowed. And as their growing relationship comes up against the end of the summer, they share a physical encounter... but can true love grow between them? And will they ever see each other again if their encounter doesn't result in pregnancy for Anne? I liked this story. Love doesn't come into it until later, and at the beginning, there is merely friendship on both sides. The story has a slow start, but the ending made me wish the best for both of them and their new family Definitely one I'd recommend for someone wanting a book about friends becoming lovers. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn- Zoe Ardelay is left at a loss after the death of her father. She and the other villagers in the small village bury his body and get the house cleaned, but before Zoe can recover from her deep grief or even make plans to move on, a vehicle of a kind that nobody has seen before enters the village, and the man in command of it tells everybody that he has come for her, to take her to be a new bride for the King. But the King already has four wives, and the man, Darien Serlast, says that she is needed to bring balance. As they travel from Zoe's small village to the capital, Zoe finds herself despising the man, and when the chance comes, she runs away into the city and ends up taking refuge on the river flats, sleeping with others who have nowhere else to go or simply prefer a free and unfettered life. As she slowly recovers from her deep grief, she discovers who she is and what she wants to be, and also discovers a new power within herself- she is the Coru Prime, with immense powers over Water and Blood. She returns to the home of her grandmother in the mountains, and once again, Darien Serlast comes in search of her, to take her back to the Capital and advise, not marry, the King. But it is obvious that someone is not happy with her being found at last, and there are attacks againstZoe and her servants, and also against some of the Princesses of the land. And when Zoe finds out a secret those close to the King are keeping, she has to decide how she will use the information, and what her true feelings towards Darien Serlast truly are. Remember how I said that "Simply Love" started slow? Well, so does this book, which isn't even really a romance, but more about how Zoe finds out about herself and what she wants. It's not until the end when she realizes that she feels something for Darien, and is willing to entertain living with him. So much goes on during the story, and it's strictly a fantasy, more than a romance, as romance barely comes into it, until almost the end. But as a fantasy, it involves elementa of mystery and intrigue- and we get to see some more of Welce's neighbors, and why Josetta wasn't interested in marrying anyone from Soeche-Tass. This was an excellent book, but it can't really be called a romance, though there was some romance at the end. Still, highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Blood Red by Mercedes Lackey- When Rosamund Ackermann is saved from the attack of a werewolf in the home of her Earth Master teacher, she leaves her family behind to be raised by the Hunt Master of Schwarzwald. Now an Earth Master herself, she lacks the healing aspect of Earth and is instead a paramount hunter of Werewolves and other evil creatures. So much so that she has been asked to hunt a creature who is attacking the people in the forests of Transylvania. She and her companion, Hans, travel there and discover that there is not one, but two creatures: a werwolf, and a strigoi vampire and his harem of women, who are preying on the local villagers. Rosa calls on the Elemental creatures of the forest to help her, and brings down the Werewolf, only to find it wearing a strange cooper amulet of St. Helmut, which many of the villagers pray to- but they wear ones of silver or gold, as copper is an insult to the saint. Hans, seeing the state of the local Bruderschaft, the hunt society that he and Rosa belong to and who keep humans safe from the monsters who might prey on them, decides to stay in Transylvania and take over as Hunt Master. Rosa agrees with his choice, and returns homeward on the train, stopping to help a Water Mage who is being hunted by an Air Master gone to evil on the way. But when she reaches Munich, she is hailed by a man who serves the local Hunt Master, who happens to be a Fire Master, and he asks her if she would let him teach her to be an even more effective hunter and Agent. She is happy with this, especially after she talks with her own Foster-Father, the Hunt Master of Schwarzwald, and he proceeds to teach her not only other hunting techniques, but how to better hide herself as a high-class lady. He also throws a party to which he invites the other Hunt Masters all around so that they can meet Rosa, and here she must deal with the aftermath of killing the Air Master, being attacked once again, which she handles admirably. But during the party, the Hunt Master is approached by two cousins, one of which is a rare kind of Werewolf, the kind that runs in families and is just as devoted to killing the inimical ones as Rosamund and the Bruderschaft ate, to tell of a local mystery in the mountains of Romania. And when Rosa, Markos, the good were and his cousin Dominic travel to the country to deal with the disappearances, can the three of them take on the threat without help? Or will this particular case be too much for them? This book is based on the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood', but the first part of the story is over quickly- it's after this that we see Rosa as a Hunter, and a very successful one, at that, severely underestimated because she is also a girl, but having the chops to be a very effective hunter indeed. I loved this book, as we see Rosa as someone to be both respected and feared. The adventure was wonderful, and I loved the fact that this one was *not* a romance, but a simple straightforward adventure story. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa, M.D.- Oscar was just an ordinary cat, taken in by Steere House, a facility serving Alzheimers and dementia patients. But soon, those who worked there began to notice that when a patient was about to die, Oscar would go and spend time with them, parking himself on their bed and not leaving until they were at peace and the funeral director came to retrieve the body. David Dosa, a doctor who worked at Steere House, was skeptical of Oscar's supposed "ability", and investigated Oscar with the families of the patients whose last hours Oscar held watch over, and he slowly came to believe in Oscar himself, and, strangely, he found himself awed and humbled by Oscar's Gift to be there and give comfort. I loved this book. We see Oscar on the cover, and he's pretty damn adorable. But the story is a heartwarming and uplifting on. Even if you don't believe in an afterlife or souls or even a God/Gods, this book is sure to fascinate. The story of Oscar is wonderful and engaging. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sumptuous Dining in Gaslight San Francisco: Lost Recipes, Culinary Secrets, Flamboyant People, and Fabled Saloons and Restaurants from a Golden Era by Frances de Talavera Berger and John Parke Custis- The Great San Francisco Earthquake did more than destroy most of Old San Francisco, it also wiped out much of its history, from hotels and houses to fabled eateries, restaurants and bars. This book attempts to show the nature of those places and the people and chefs (not to mention the recipes) that made them famous. This book collects reminisces of the places, and people who made dining in San Francisco what it was, and passes along surviving recipes from not only restaurants and eating houses large and small, but also recipes from various famous hostesses and the Spanish community that made the area their home. While modern readers may not find some of the recipes too appealing (too many spices in abundance), or slightly more complicated than needed for home use, some of the recipes sound downright delicious and can still be easily made todayA fascinating look at a bygone era. Recommended, if you are interested in food, history, or the histoey of food in a specific time and place..</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Thief's Magic by Trudi Canavam- Tyen is a student at a magical college , when, on expedition in Mailand, he uncovers a magical book named Vella. Vella used to be a woman over 2000 years ago, but a Sorceror named Roporion turned her into a magical book using the same techniques Vella used to make magical books of her own. Tyen is torn between wanting to free Vella and wanting to learn from her, and so he doesn't give her up to his professor or the college. Instead, he continues to read and discuss things with her while learning about making books. But when he is betrayed by a fellow student, he learns that the college wants to put Vella away into its vaults, never to be used or touched again- essentially a living death for her. But when Tyen's professorsteals Vella from the college's vault, Tyen realizes that he will do anything to rescue this woman/book, including attack his professor, steal Vella back from the professor and go on the run to faraway places. But how far will he go to keep Vella safe and in his possession? In another world, Rielle lives in a world with magic, but actually using it is considered stealing from the Angels whose =province magic is. Those who use this stolen "magic" are known as the tainted, and those who teach others to use magic are called "Corrupters". When Rielle is kidnapped by a tainted one day, she tricks him into exposing himself to the priests, and they allow an artist, Izare, to escort her home. From this meeting, she becomes Izare's student, and then his lover, which her family does *not* agree with. But when she finds that she might be able to find the corrupter and reveal her for all to see, she tries to do so, along with deal with a Priest who has a lecherous interest in her. But along with being able to see shade, she might also be able to use magic as well, and finding the corrupter may lead to her being tainted and thus anathema in the eyes of the priests and society. But even if her life is completely destroyed, will she be able to rebuild herself and continue to live? I really enjoyed this book. The stories aren't really connected, though both are about magic, and stolen magic. The title could refer to so many things- Vella herself, powered by life stolen from a magic craftsman by a long ago mage, Tyen himself, who steals Vella to try and aid her and keep her out of the hands of his professor and the college, the second of which would condemn her to a kind of death, and Rielle, who uses magic which her culture feels is stolen from the angels. But while each thread is interesting in and of itself, the two stories don't really have anything to do with each other, even at the end, unless you are saying that the two characters are alike in that the lives they know crumble away at having to deal with magic, or at least, stolen magic. I was thinking that at some point, Rielle and Tyen would meet, but that doesn't happen in this volume, and that left me a bit disappointed at the end. On the other hand, each story is engaging and would have made a wonderful stand-alone book. I do want to read more, and I am looking forward to doing just that. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton- Meredith Gentry, or to give her real name among the fae, Meredith NicEssus, is heavily pregnant by her many lovers, and her aunt, Andais, is putting pressure on the Fae who have left the Unseelie court to return to her by decreeing that only the Fathers of Meredith's babies can stay with her after the children are born. But Meredith must deal with the fact that there are three babies, not two, and also with how her aunt will deal with the children after they are born. Remembering her own childhood, Meredith isn't quite sure she wants the children to know their "Aunt Andais". Plus, her uncle, Taranis, King of the Seelie court, raped her and is convinced that he is the father of her children, despite the fact that she was already pregant when he assaulted her. With the birth of her children, she knows that one is the child of both Frost and Doyle, while another is either sired by Royal, the Demi-Fae, or Sholto, King of the Sluagh. A third has Mistral's blood in her, and can enthrall even as a mere babe in arms. But when Taranis starts invading her dreams, as it is in his power to do, she must decide what to do about him- hold him off with lawyers and courts, or do as her own bodyguards want her to do and have him killed. She also must wait for her body to heal from the birth to sleep with the fathers of her children, along with dealing with the fact that Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, wants to spend time with the children, the few to be born since the Goddess afflicted the Fae. The fact that both sides of the Sidhe have problems swearing themselves by blood to Merry, because she is mortal and her blood turns Fae mortal as well is another concern. But can Merry bring herself to kill her Uncle Taranis, especially when he keeps invading her dreams and trying to mentally rape her to accept his version of the events when he raped her, or will she end up a mind-blasted puppet, eager to rule at his side, and when one of her lovers is killed by those who have sought her protection, can Merry hold back his followers to ensure that true justice is done? I liked this book a lot. I loved the interactions between Merry's lovers/the fathers of her children, and the babies themselves. It was nice to see it not all thrown on Merry herself, and I loved how much the fathers loved their babies. I also liked how Merry dealt with Taranis, the horrible attack on one of her lovers, and how she dealt with the person who was behind the attack. This was a very full book, and made me remember how much I love Merry and her men and why. Seeing Andais finally coming down off her "Batshit Crazy" horse was also good. She's still threatening, but not an unreasoning force of nature.. In short, this book was full of win for me, and I really loved every minute of reading it. I only wish it could have taken a little longer, so I could have savored it more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Spirit Animals: Book 1- Wild Born by Brandon Mull-In the world of Erdas, some people share a bond with animals- not everyone, but some people do. And since the bond between a human and a animal can be sanity-breaking and deadly without the right decoction to ease the way, the trials of bonding are overseen by the Greencloaks- an organizaton composed ot humans and their bonded animals. Normally, the ceremony is more or less the same- candidates drink the potion, and their bonded animal will show up. but in the case of Conor, a young shepherd, Meilin, the war-trained daughter of a famous general, Abeke, a hunter from the far south, and Rollan, an orphan and sneak-thief who lives on his own without a family, something special happens- not only do they bond with animals, but they bond with very special animals. Their animals are special, the four, each progenitor of a great nation, and in the past, they stood up to two of their own out of the twelve great animals that exist. Briggan the wolf bonds with Conor, Uraza the Leopard with Abeke, Jhi the Panda with Meilin, and Essix the Falcon bonds with Rollan. This marks them out as special, and it turns out that separatists from the Greencloaks are experimenting on animals bound to humans. But for what end? And someone is trying to bring the two great animals who betrayed the others back into the world from where they are imprisoned. But why? And does it have anything to do with Zerif, the same man who leads the separatists? This book reminded me of some of the other children's books I've read, or at least ones that were sold as being Kid's Books like Phillip Pullman's "The Golden Compass" was. They even have a website where kids can pick their own "Spirit Animals". But while it's geared to kids, it also has a respectable storyline. Zerif, the antagonist, tries to recruit two of the partners of the Spirit animals to his side. He succeeds with one, only because the Greencloak who administers her drink is a compatriot of his, while the second person doesn't trust anyone. This was a solid book that gave me quite a bit of enjoyment. It's a fast read, but lays down a good foundation for further books. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Artemis Awakening by Jane Lindskold- Artemis was a fabled pleasure planet stocked with friendly natives, animals for hunting and fishing, and plenty of things for bored, jaded alien overlords to do and enjoy. But when the Galactic Empire fell, Artemis was abandoned and forgotten, but not destroyed. Now, centuries later, archaeologist Griffin Dane comes to Artemis, trying to find the lost pleasure planet. But when his ship is disabled by a long-ago nanoweapon, he finds himself rescued by the Huntress, Adar, and her companion, a puma named Sand Shaow with whom she shares a mental link. Alara knows of the people who once came to Artemis, the seegnurs, and thinks Griffin is one of them, a fact which Grifin disputes. After getting down off the mountain that Griffin landed on, she brings him to her own teacher, Bruin, who is companions with a bear, but Bruin decides that Griffin needs help and information possessed only by his own teacher, "The Old One who is Young", a man who is functionally immortal. But as both Bruin and Alara and Terrel, a factotum who is romantically interested in Alara, travel in search of Bruin's new student, they discover that "The Old One Who is Young" has been doing some very shifty things, trying to breed children who have much more powers than just linking with animals. He's also fascinated with the seegnurs, which gives them an "in" for discovering what he is doing, and the base where he is doing his secret breeding experiements. But will Griffin allow himself to be used this way, and if The Old One discovers his role as a stalking horse, what will he do to Griffin? I have always liked reading Jane Lindskold's books, and this one is the first in a new series. Here, it's the more technologically advanced character who is the outsider, and the society of Artemis isn't as bucolic and serene as it appears. I also liked the villain in this book, as he appears to be nothing more than an affable man, but scrape off that surface, and he's utterly vile. He views humans as mere animals to be bred as he wills, the way a husbandman breeds his cattle, pigs and a breeder breeds their dogs. And part of that might be due to the "Functionally immortal" part, This book sets up a lot of world-building, and also something of a love triangle between Alara, Griffin and Terrell, and I honestly can't wait to read more of this series and about Artemis itself. Also, will Griffin ever be rescued from Artemis and returned to his family in the stars far away? This questions stay with me and keep me wanting to read more. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Sea Without a Shore by David Drake- David Leary is in his home estate at Bantry, enjoying his time with his fiancée and among the relatively uncomplicated people of his estate, when he is approached by Master Sand, the husband of Cinnabar's Spymistress, with help about Mistress Sand's son, who has recently returned to Cinnabar and needs help recovering a treasure that is supposed to be on the planet Corcyra. He wants the treasure for a religious sect he has joined on Corcyra, which needs to buy weapons so that they can fight for their freedom. Mister Sand wants to keep Cleveland safe and thereby ease the mind of his wife. So he asks if Daniel would be willing to provide transport to Corcyra for his stepson. Daniel is willing, and as the same time, Adele Mundy has alo heard of the situation and is willing to go with Daniel on Cleveland's behalf. But first, Daniel must rescue Cleveland from a shifty spacer who has already agreed to transport Cleveland for a share of the treasure. But after the refit of a merchant ship, all of Daniel and Adele's shipmates are coming out of the woodwork, looking to ship with Captain Leary, even if isn't as part of the Navy, but as a merchant job. Once actually on Corcyra, it turns out that there is a lot of factional fighting among those trying to throw the remains of the Pantellaran military off their planet. But since the leaders of most of the factions have been taken prisoner by pirates, Daniel must ransom them back, and then he must end the civil war. But if he does so, will Cleveland still need to go in search of the treasure, and will the shifty spacer captain who Daniel took out back on Cinnabar leave the treasure alone, and just what is this mysterious "treasure" anyway? This was another great book from David Drake. I love the two main characters, and many of the back-up characters as well, like Tovera, Adele Mundy's "Secretary"/Bodyguard, Woetjans and many others who make or made up the crew of the Princess Cecile, Daniel Leary's ship. This book was relatively slender in size, but managed to pack a highly entertaining story within. And even though Adele Mundy is something of a cold fish (almost frozen, one might say), but even she finds family through Daniel and their fellow spacers. I liked all the characters, and the story was wonderful, and I recommend this book highly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Emissary by Ed Greenwood- It has been almost one hundred years since Cyric assassinated Mystra and caused the event called the Spellplague. The land is still wracked by problems, and magic no longer works the same. Shar, and the returned floating city of Netheril mages who had withdrawn to the plane of Shadow have dominated much of the land, drawing on Shar, not Mystra, for their magic. Chosen of many different gods have proliferated, but now all are being killed by agents of Shar herself, looking totake over the Weave of Magic and turning Faerun into an endless life of suffering and pain, which will feed her power. One of Mystra's chosen still left alive is Elminster, and he and his companions, his daughter Amaerune and foster daughter Storm Silverhand, have been roaming Faerun, shoring up weak points in the Weave, looking to keep it existent and out of the hands of Shar and her worshippers. But Shar, emboldened by her wanton slaughter of Chosen, and with her worshippers and followers swollen with the magic they have stolen, strike out at the largest source of magic left on Faerun- Myth Drannor. And while Elminster goes to Candlekeep to see whatever secrets of dealing with the Weave Khelben might have left behind, hidden among the books and libraries of Candlekeep, agents of Shar and other interested parties have already infiltrated the fortress-library and are both planning its destruction and trying to keep it alive. Meanwhile, the first Chosen of Mystra, the Lich Larloch, is poking his own bony fingers to into the mess- but is it to help the servants of Mystra, or to destroy him? And another old foe of Elminster, the mage turned Vampire, Manshoon, is out to do his own meddling- but Mirt the Moneylender, one of the Lords of Waterdeep, must help root our corruption in Cormyr without making the situation worse, and help capture Manshoon. But when the dust finally settles, who will prevail, Shar and her followers, or Elminster and the Chosen of Mystra. And can they actually save the Weave without bringing back the Goddess of Magic, Mystra, who *is* the weave? Wow. This was the final book in the "Sundering" series, which detail the remaking of Faerun before all the Meddling that Wizards of the Coast did with the world. This is in preparation for D&D Next (aka 5th edition), which is supposed to bring back many of the things that fans and players loved about the Realms while jettisoning the stuff they didn't. So Abeir and Toril are completely separated, Magic will work like it hs before, and all the characters who everyone loved is back.While I'm happy for that, I am not sure I am really looking forward to D&D Next. But the book is good, with lots of stuff happening all over Faerun, and it's great to read: funny in places, with lots of action, battles, and the decisive end of the city of Shade and the leader of Shar's followers. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff- Alysha Catherine Gale is a member of the Gale family, all of the female members of whom are witches and guardians. But when Alysha loses her job working cataloguing archaeological artifacts, she is temporarily able to return to her family, an atmosphere she finds personally more than a bit stifling. But when her grandmother passes on (a convenient fiction, perhaps, no one is sure), and leaves Alysha her antique/junkshop "The Enchantment Emporium", Alysha is at first uncertain if she reallt wants to take it over. However, in her grandmother's last letter, she tells Alysha that the shop is "vital to the community", and so Alysha goes to claim it. But she realizes how in over her head she is when she realizes that, among other things, one of the "items" in the shop is an actual Monkey's Paw. Worse, the only other employee is a Changeling Leprechaun, and she's being stalked by a reporter for a "Chupacabras are coming kind of rag, and the world is under assault by Dragon Lords from Underhill, who are after the Reporter's boss, who just happens to be a sorcerer- and Sorcerers and Gales are a bad combination. Now, it's up to Alysha to deal with the chaos in Calgary, the members of her family who want to interfere, and decide if the heat between her and the reporter, Graham, is worth adopting him into the family that he knows absolutely nothing about. I liked this book. It was a little difficult to get into at first, but it's really all about Alysha and how she steps away from most of her family to find a life and a love for herself. Frankly, her family dynamics are a bit frightening for anyone outside the family, but how they come together in the end, with Alysha holding her own, was very impressive. I also like how we, the readers, weren't aware of exactly what trouble the Sorcerer had stirred up Underhill until the end of the book, and it was a very interesting story in any case. While it took me a while to get into this book, in the end, I greatly enjoyed it, and I definitely think it's worth a read. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Crown of Renewal by Elizabeth Moon- Everything seems stable in the Kingdoms, but the threat of the Pirate Alured remains. Dorrin Verrakai, the only non-blood mage from a magical famil, has eliminated the two-souled from her family and now rules with a gentle hand. But when her King, Mikeli, asks her to get rid of the crown and regalia that was found on her lands, because so many iyinisn are attacking him for it. she has no choice but to agree. And the regalia aren't the only stones being found on her lands- more are turning up as a road crew builds a road through her lands to those of the next lord, something greatly needed. As she makes her way South, because the stones want to return to a ruin she keeps seeing in visions, more shakeups are happening in the Kingdoms all around. Mikeli's brother Camwyn defends the Regalia from thieves and is sorely wounded for it. The Dragon must take him elsewhere to recuperate, something with Mikeli mourns over, but is willing to do if it will save his brother's life. Meanwhile, in Grdish lands, rage against the magelords is rising, and those hotly against them have taken to attacking and killing children who have the ability, and Arvid, now an assistant Marshall of Gird, must help with halting these attacks. But will anyone accept a former thief as a Marshall of Gird? Lastly, Kieri Phelan receives a mission of his own. Awaken the sleeping Mage Lords who went into exile with Luap. He does so, but can men and women from so long ago reintegrate to modern society? And when he is troubled by dreams of the man who once imprisoned him, he is paralyzed with fear. But can his wife and the love for his children allow him to overcome that fear when and if the man actually returns? And can an appearance by Gird's Cow quiet the muttering against people who are suddenly showing signs of mage talent? Well, this book was the last in the new cycle, but even if the supposed main character of this series, Dorrin Verrakaki, is no longer lord of her demense, the story can continue to go forward. After all Camwyn and others are settling down to new lives, and even Paks is getting silver in her hair. I'd like to see where Elizabeth Moon takes the series, if she does continue it in some fashion, and of course, King Kieri Phelan and his wife are sure to go on, both being half-elf. So even if the human characters are aging, there are enough others to supplant them in the stories. There is much still to be told: how the Kuakgannir are accepted by the followers of Gird, for one thing, and I'd like to see more of Arvid Semminson. This is a big book and takes a while to read, but at the same time, I loved every bit of it. I was actually kind of surprised at the end, about how old Paks and Dorrin were. While we never learn exactly how old Paks is, we see her with silver in her blonde hair, and Dorrin is 50. I could hardly believe it- for these characters seem timeless, and I almost wish they'd be that way. I really enjoyed this book, but parts of me cry out for more. I would highly recommend the entire series to any reader that enjoys fantasy. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Like a Mighty Army by David Weber- The Safeholdan War between the Church Lands and the Empire of Charis, Chisholm and its allies continues. Though the Empire has a decided technical advantage, the Church and its so-called "Army of God" is playing a desperate game of catch-up. And while Irys, Davyn and Hector return to Corisande to put her brother on the throne, the Rakurai are still around, and still looking to bring down the Charisian "heresy" by any means possible. But when a bombing catches Hector and Irys on the day of their wedding can they survive the chaos that will result? And Merlin Athrawes must deal with demons of his own when he discovers that Owl, the Sentient A.I., has enough materials to make another PICA, and that there is another copy of his/her own memories still extant in the memory banks. Since no other human is capable of becoming the personality of the "new" PICA, that means Nimue Alban will be able to meet herself again- from seven years ago, before s/he started a war that spilled the blood of so many friends and acquaintances. But can he or she deal with whatever judgement her earlier self deals out over his/her actions? Things are going badly for the AOG forces, whgich are dealt several stunning defeats. But when a terrible accident causes damage to locks on one of the Church Lands ' Major canals, The Inquisition is sent to ferret out those responsible. Little do they know that Merlin/Nimue knows and enacts a terrible revenge for the Church's killing of their own people. He also leaves a message for Zhaspyr Clyntahn to find which drives the Churchman into a destructive rage. But will that rage lead him to making even more mistakes that the Charis/Chisholm Empire and its allies can exploit? The war isn't over yet, but more needs to be done before the Church falls entirely. Can the church recover and produce enough new rifles to be able to survive and win the next few battles? Well, I loved returning to this world of Safehold. Some of my favorite parts involved Melin's *new* companion, a PICA version of himself as he was a mere six years ago. He expects "her" to hate him, but she is him, and she agrees with what he has done. Her takedown of a very officious Corisandean guard who thinks women are only suited to have babies and take care of the home was, quite frankly, delicious. I also enjoyed seeing Zhaspar Clyntahn lose it completely- it makes him look not quite sane. But the best moment was the ending, and it promises to be interesting, if nothing else. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Mirror Sight by Kristen Britain- Karigan G;ladheon is a Green Rider, a messenger for the King. When we last saw her, she had gone into Blackveil to try and stop Mornhavon from getting the Mirror Mask. She and her companions had retrieved the mastk, an object of Ancient power, but to keep Mornhavon from getting his hands on it, she smashed it, and blacked out. When she awakens, she is surrounded by stone on all sides, which abruptly opens to reveal that Karigan has been emtombed in a sarcophagus. However, the man opening the sarcophagus is in the middle of a circus, and he accuses Karigan of being a plant from his rival. Though still injured from her trials, she flees the man and his circus clowns, only to be attacked again on the streets. She passes out, only to find she's been taken in by a professor, Bryce Lowell Josston, who wonders who Karigan is and where she comes from. She reveals enough of herself tomake him believe her when she tells him who she is, but he tells her that it has been almost 200 years since her time, and the world is greatly changed. The Kingdom was conquered with a great magical weapon, and the Professor seeks what could be an antidote to it called the Butterfly Weapon, some kind of staff that has the power to resist whatever it was that conquered Sacoridia. But he's not the only one after it- one of the servants of the Empire, a man named Dr. Silk. But Karigan is not alone in this future. Someone else has traveled here with her: Lhean, who is slowly dying in the lack of magic that exists in this place. But as Karigan slowly recovers, she discovers a kindred spirit in Cade, the Professor's student, who is studying to be a Weapon. She tries to help him with his fighting training, but the Professor also leads a group of Rebels who want to overthrow the Empire- including the slaves. But as Karigan is drawn into the struggles of this future time, those in the past have not forgotten her and are seeking her return. But will she find a way to return her and Lhean to her own time and prevent the events that brought about the rise of the Empire and its horrible abuses? And can Karigan return with her faculties intact? It's been a while since I read Blackveil, but you don't really need to have read that book to read this one. Oh, you won't know who some of the characters are, but the story of Karigan unfolds so well that it sort of takes over the rest of the story elements. I really enjoyed this book, and I couldn't stop reading it once I started. I lost quite a bit of sleep, but I don't regret a bit of it. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Minecraft: Essential Handbook by Stephanie Milton with help from Paul Soares Jr. and Jordan Maron- So, you've heard of Minecraft, which is a game of building things, and you want to know how to get started? Well, this book has everything you need to get started in the game, and shows you how to build the tools you'll need and what to do on the first "day" so you survive the night and the monsters that will come to get you if you leave yourself unprotected. From there, the book covers basics you need to know- how to make chests and smelting ovens and some of the monsters you'll encounter and need to overcome.. This is an excellent guide to getting started in Minecraft, for the clueless N00b who has never played before, but even if you have been playing for a while, this book still might help you learn something about the game. Packed with information, this book is a must-read for fans of the game, or those wanting to know something more about it. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Bride Says No by Cathy Maxwell- Lady Aileen Davidson went to London for her season and promised her sister that she would return for her so that the two could live together in their new home. But due to a horrible incident, she was branded a scarlet woman, and before her husband could divorce her, he was killed, along with the man accused of being her lover. She returned to Scotland, deeply emotionally scarred by the experience. Now, it is her sister's turn to go to London for her season, and Aileen hopes that Tara will have a better experience than she did, which she seems to have done, since she is betrothed and about to be married. But when she turns up on Aileen's doorstep unexpectedly, she tells her sister that she isn't so sanguine about marrying Blake Stephens, and mindful of her own experience, Aileen is determined to shelter her from her would-be husband. What she doesn't expect is for their father, along with Tara's fiance, Blake Stephens, showing up on her doorstep. She expects to have to defend her sister, but much to her own shock and surprise,she finds herself developing feelings for Blake Stephens, and equally to his surprise, he feels the same. But can he decide which of the two sisters he is to marry before he is forced to the altar with Tara? And for that matter, Tara left Blake because she has always been in love with the Horse Master of the estate. but he has gotten engaged to the daughter of the village blacksmith, and while he still has feelings for Tara, are they as strong as the ones he feels for his new soon-to-be bride? There will be a wedding in the Highlands, but who will be getting married, and will the result scandalize the countryside. This was a book with a strong romance, but it doesn't quite take off until the latter half of the book. The hero is a self-made man, the bastard son of a lord, and he desperately wants his father's approval. Aileen, for her part, also wants her father's approval, but he is a man of appetites, and to pay for them, he will marry his daughters off to secure money and advantage for himself/ But as the various romances play out amidst the Scottish Countryside, can everyone involved manage a happy ending to a difficult problem? I liked this book, which, despite the serious nature of the topics, was frothy, light, and fun. I liked seeing how Aileen and Blake slowly fell in love with each other, and the ending they managed for themselves. It seems that in this series, the Brides of Wishmore, that Cathy maxwell is playing around with Romance novel tropes, as the sequel seems to deal with a forced marriage. But this isn't a bad thing at all. I never felt the hero and heroine were unsuited for each other, or that the hero was a bore or too stupid to live. It's not quite a comedy of manners, but it's a fun read and I recommend it solely for that. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison- Maia is a half-goblin, the son of a goblin woman who was the fourth wife of the King of the Elves. But when his father and all his elder brothers die in a horrendous flyinf airship accident, this despised son will have to take the throne, completely untrained for the role and not even knowing who he really is. As Maialearns to navigate the corridoers of power, he will have to connect with the reamaining members of his family, and deal with enmity from both his father's last wife and his owh chancellor, both of whom seem to utterly despise him. At the same time, he must deal with his changing relationship with his former caretaker, who beat and abused him because he was trapped far from coutt. But as Maia tries to track down the people who sabotaged his father's airship, it is possible that Maia, with his gentle ways, may be the very kind of King his country needs. But can he survive long enough to deal with the threats, both internal and external, to the Kingdom? This book may be the first in a series or just be a stand-alone book, but either way, it was absolutely wonderful. Maia is an unusual character, often shy and retiring because of his unfamiliarity with the Elvish court and its ways. But he is also intelligent, if unschooled, and has a good heart and wants to do right by everyone. Watching him trying to survive and thrive was fascinating, and while his character is at the forefront of it all, he remains interesting and sympathetic. I really enjoyed this book, and Maia's dealing with politics, bootlickers and backstabbers. This makes for an intriguing book with lots of story for its size. I'd definitely read another book about Maia, or anythng else Katherine Addison cares to write. Hghly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin by Jim Butcher, Mark Powers, Joseph Cooper and Mohan- The Talbot Family has been under a curse ever since one of their ancestors, a British Major in Cairo, irritated a group of nasty magicians. Ever since, if something supernatural is preying on people where a Talbot lives, they become the object of that thing's attention. Pres Tremain, a sherriff's deputy in a small Missouri town, come to Harry Dresden for help- someone has just slain one of the few remaining Talbots, and only four of them remain- two of them children. Harry discovers that the town is under attack by both a Ghoul and a Goblin, each disguising themselves as part of the population. They are fighting on behalf of their masters, and have decided to solve who gets the town by who can kill the most remaining Talbots until they are gone. But Harry is determined to save the Talbots by discovering the nature of the curse, and hopefully by defusing it. But with two strong supernatural menaces in town, can Harry stay alive long enough to follow through on his mission? And can he save *any* of the Talbots from the Curse? This was an interesting graphic novel, and since it was written by Jim Butcher, I knew I was going to enjoy it as soon as I read his name as the author. And I wasn't wrong. The book has it all- a great story, good art, and many suspenseful moments. I don't live near enough to a comic shop to buy these comics as individual issues, but I sure as heck will buy them like this! Highy recommemded.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Loki's Wolves by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr- Matt Thorsen has grown up in the small town of Blackwell, South Dakota, all his life, and has known that his family is the descendants of the actual God, Thor. Also living in town are Fen and Laurie Brekke, who are descendants of Loki. But the knowledge that Matt is going to be chosen to embody Thor in the End of the World and fight the Midgard Serpent comes as a shock- he's not the strongest or best of Thor's Descendants, so why was he chosen? But when he overhears his grandfather saying that he expects Matt to die, Matt is upset and ends up fleeing Blackwell with Fen and Laurie. But as they discover other children who are also descendants of the Gods, it might be up to them to prevent the Apocalypse. But can a bunch of young kids prevent the end of the world? The only way to be sure is to collect the Hammer, Shield and other items Thor needs. Now, if they will only be in time,,, I really enjoyed this book, which sort of connects with the vibe of the "Percy Jackson" books without copying the format. In fact, it sort of reads lile a mashup of "Percy Jackson" and the Kane twins books, in that Matt, Fen, Laurie and the other young characters in the novel are descendants of the Norse Gods, but are also taking their places in this "Ragnarok to come". In fact, that might be a selling point to kids who already enjoy the Percy Jackson books. I found this an interesting and entertaining book and I really enjoyed the story. Recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-39941853875549366772014-05-23T15:08:00.002-04:002014-06-14T11:43:34.279-04:002014, Part 5<span style="color: #33ccff;">Otherwise Enagaged by Amanda Quick- Amity Doncaster is an experienced traveler, but when she meets Benjamin Stanbridge on a tropical island, she doesn't know that her meeting with him will put her life in danger. At first, he is the one in danger, bleeding from a wound sustained by a spy, but she nurses him back to health on their trip back to England. He has also given her a message to pass on for him, and she is willing to do so. But soon after her return to England, she is assaulted in a carriage one night by a deranged killer known as "The Bridegroom". But thanks to the metal Tessen, a Japanese war fan that she carries with her, she is able to fight her way out of danger. But the incident brings Benedict and Amity together, and both wish to find the killer, as they discover that he has killed at least four women before. Benjamin, though, is still attracted to Amity, and he remembers the kiss they shared on the boat. She does as well, but can two so mismatched people actually find true love in each other's arms, or will they part after finding the identity of the Bridegroom and bringing him to justice? Because the killer behind the Bridegroom also has ties to the information on Solar Energy that Benjamin had gone abroad to retrieve, and the solution to the killings may have more to do with spycraft than mere technology. But can Benjamin and Amity find the villains together? I loved this book, which has nothing to do with Amanda Quick/Jane Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle' ongoing Arcane stories. What it does have is mystery and suspense, along with a rational hero and a heroine who happens to be strong and brave. I loved this book, and the mystery within, and the unusual weapon that the heroine wields. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Cauldron of Ghosts by David Weber and Eric Flint- When Anton Zilwicki and Victor Cachat escaped Mesa with Rogue Scientist Herlander Simoes, their landlady and her daughter, they knew the information they now had about Mesa and Manpower, Inc. the Corporation who really ran Mesa and who kept Manticore and the People's Republic at each other's throats so that they would not team up to go after the home of genetic slavery, they knew that the information they had gathered would blow the lid off their respective governments. Not only did it stop the cold war, part of the ongoing war between Manticore and Haven, the two sides made peace with each other and then went a step further by becoming allies after a disastrous attack on Manticore's Shipbuilding sattellites left the star nation all but defenseless. Now, both the Manties and the Havenites have allied with Torch, the home of many newly-freed slaves, and Anton's adopted daughter Berry Zilwicki has become their Queen- and all three are more than interested in bringing Manpower down. And bringing down Manpower means dealing with Mesa. Which means it is time for another mission to Mesa. Since Anton, Victor Cachat and Victor's lover Thandi Palane, the former Scrag and now leader of Torch's armed forces, are returning to Mesa in second skins crafted by Beowulfers, who are also against Genetic Slavery. They are meant to be going back to find out yet more about the elusive Manpower, Inc. and the ruling Alpha cabal that oversees Mesa and the operations of Manpower. But Mesa has dealt with the "Green Pines" incident where a defecting security man set off a nuke to cover HerlanderSimoes, Cachar and Zilwicki's escape, by lashing out at the "seccies", the offspring of manumitted slaves, when menumission was allowed. The seccies are frightened and don't seem to be able to fight back on their own- but when the crackdowns worsen, the crimelords who Cachat and Zilwicki have been working with step in to protect their people- and an uprising begins that will forever change the Mesan's attitudes towards the Seccies and possibly overthrow the government of Mesa. But casualties are high- will the ensuing chaos kill the infiltration team along with the Seccies, or can Cachat, Zilwicki, palane and their allies be able to hold out long enough to be rescued by Honor Harrington and the forcres under her command. Wow, this book was BRUTAL. Instead of the relatively straightforward ship battles, the fights here take place on the ground, and because they involve civilians, they seem more real and enact a greater toll on the reader. The almost casual brutality of the forces on the Mesan side at the beginning of the battle is horrendous and shocking, and the reactions of the troops to what was going on was also pretty shocking. A lot of the beginning of the book is talking heads, but trust me when I say that there is plenty of action in the later part of the book. This one kept me on the edge of my seat, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Manpower may have been handed a temporary setback, but they aren't dead yet. Not nearly. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Five Dead Canaries by Edward Marston- The frist World War grinds on, and those left at home do as best they can to carry on. Women have had to take on the jobs of men, and some men resent them for it. So when a group of six young women Munitioneers, known as "Canaries", because the chemicals turn their skin yellow, go to a pub to celebrate one of the women's birthdays, they plan to have a good time. Only one woman, Maureen Queen, who leaves early because she feels sick, survive the blast that kills the other five. But who would want to kill this particular bunch of women? And were they killed because they were taking away the jobs of men, as some feel, or was it something personal which led to their death? Joe Keedy and Inspector Marmion will have their work cut out for them in determining who would be so evil as to kill five young women in the prime of their lives, and what led to such hatred against the Canaries in the first place. And this time, Inspector Marmion's daughter Alice, herself the fiancee of Joe Keedy, working in the woman's Police Corps, may be able to help, as she is the same age as the young dead women. But can she keep the secret from her superior, who has a grudge against her because of her famous detective father? And will Marmion ever be reconciled to the fact that his daughter is in love with his own partner? I loved this book, because it exposed me to information I didn't know about World War I, how England had fared badly in the first year of the wat because of their lack of munitions, and only after women started working in the factories was England able to pump up the production to meet the demmand. And the price forthe women working in those factors was that their skin turned yellow, taking away what many men thought of as their natural beauty- their clear complexion. There are many red herrings during the course of the novel, and when the villain is revealed, it comes a bit out of left field- the families of each girl, victims and survivor both, are well-drawn and figure into the mystery. Many details of the girls lives are laid bare, but it never causes us to lose sympathy with them- the families, most of the time, but not the girls themselves. This was an excellent mystery, and one I'd definitely recommend. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Copperhead by Tina Connolly- Helen Huntingdon once used to be pretty, but now she is supernaturally beatiful. Her husband paid for her to be given a new face by utilizing bits of Fae, and the same man who did her own face also did the same to 99 others. The Hundred found out, almost too late, and much to their own cost, that this process made them vulnerable to takeover by the Queen of Fae, who would supplant their personalties and take them over completely. But the humans, led primarily by Helen's sister, Jane, rose up and threw over the Fae, but the only protection for the woman who underwent the procedure is to weat masks of iron whenever they go out into the world, to prevent them from being taken over again, and to prevent them from using the glamour that they have inherited from the bits of Fae that were implanted into them. Jane has been studying and thinks that the best way to help is to return their true faces to the women, but has had little luck in convincing them to go through with the procedure. Helen promises to help her, as these women are in her social circle. But when Jane disappears partway through an attempt to return the face of the wife of Mr. Grimsby, the head of a Political clique called Copperheas, Helen finds herself desperately searching for her missing sister, and among an entirely new class of people, from actors to the <i>Dwarvven</i>, a short race of people who have long been on the side of humans and against the Fae. But now Copperhead seems to be prejudiced against the <i>Dwarvven</i> as well, and they are instituting an increasingly harsh rule over London. Helen finds herself thrown into the company of Rook, a half <i>Dwarvven</i> who appears to show up wherever Helen goes. But can Helen find and free her sister and uncover the true motives of the Copperheads without alienating her increasingly hostile husband? And when the time comes to choose butween her love and her duty, which will she choose? I didn't read the first book, Ironskin, and I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to understand what was going on, but no, the story was laid out in such a way that it was more or less clear what had happened, and what the background of the story was, and I really enjoyed myself immensely anyway. The story is fraught with danger and has plenty of tension as Helen confronts some really horrible truths about the society she is living in and the people she thought she knew. This was a really excellent story, and I loved the ending, promising a happy ending for Helen, at least. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Circle of Fire by Keri Arthur- Madeline Smith lives a extremely secretive, proscribed life because she fears the psychic powers she has inherited. But when she is approached by a man she thinks is a ghost, asking her to help him, she initially backs away. Why does he want her help? But as it transpires, he isn't dead at all. Jon Barnett is still alive, but maybe not for long. He was shot in the arm and fell into a well, and is rapidly losing strength. He also warns het that children who have visited a place called Taurin Bay. And her nephew and sister went their recently. She calls to see if her nephew is okay, and it seems that he is... until her sister calls her the next day and tells her that Evan is missing, Madeline knows she must help Jon, but she has no idea of what Jon is, or the kinds of creatures that exist. And when one of them is responsiblefor the disappearance of not only Evan, but many other kids in the area, can she continue working with Jon the shifter to help save them, or will she flee when she discovers who and what he is? Building on the Nikki and Michael series, the organization Michael worked for, The Damask Circle, is the focus of this series. Maddy is a psychic, a firestarter, who lives in fear of her talent and cannot control it. But to help save her nephew, she is going to have to face up to who and what she is, and deal with the anger and hatred of her sister's husband, who feels she is a bad influence on Evan. Jon, too, has to deal with his feelings for Maddy and not wanting her to necessarily be drawn into his world. But if you're expecting a retread of Nikki and Michael- don't. Jon and Maddy are different enough to stand out in their own way. And I really enjoyed this boook and the story. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Ghost Seer by Robin D, Owens- Clare Cermak is an accountant, used to logic and reason. But when an actual, literal Ghost dog shows up in her house, she thinks she's going crazy. And when the Ghost Cowboy follows, begging her to help him, she's ure of it. It seems that Clare has inherited her aunt Sandra's ability to see Ghosts, and to help them pass on. But she doesn't want a single bit ot it. Even when she's told that she will die if she denies her gifts. But when she learns that the gift will pass to her niece, a mere child, Clare doesn't want the girl to go through the same things she is experiencing. So she does agree to help... but only to save her niece. Meanwhile, Zach Slade is a lawman who had to leave the job he loved when he was injured in the line of duty. His former boss gives him the name and number of a private investigator, but Zeke doesn't like the idea of investigating for pay. But when he's assigned to help an older lady find some heirloom antiques that were taken from her family long ago, he meets Clare, and the sparks fly. Can Clare and Zach deal with Clare's new profession while helping the old-time bandit *also* known as Zach Slade? Or will Clare end up dead or insane/ It took me a while to get into this book, and I have to say that part of that was to blame on the outfit of the female character on the cover. Her outfit is a mix of gypsy and pirate and I kept looking at it, thinking, "That's right out of the bad old 70's! Who would wear that in this day and age?!" I ended up enjoying the story, but that cover... eesh. It's so bad, you might want to cover it with brown paper. It's not hot or sexy at all. Good book. Bad, bad., bad, bad, bad cover Still, recommended</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb- Roarke is working on a building he's acquired, and the foreman invites him to start with the interior demolition, for luck. But when he brings down the flimsy interior wall, two bodies are discovered- little more than bones after what is apparently several years in the wall. Roarke calls in his wife, Eve, and after more demolition, the body count rises to fifteen. Fifteen young women, killed and stuffed behind flimsy walls, with no sign of who or what might have dumped them there. The building has been in multiple hands, including a youth shelter that has since moved out and onto better things. But when the bodies begin to be identified, it's obvious that all the women were from the youth shelter. The question becomes, who are they and who killed them, and it's up to Eve Dallas and her cops, with the help of Roarke and her friends from the street, like Mavis, to find out what happened and who really killed the girls- and why he or she abruptly stopped. But can Eve dig out information on fifteen year old undiscovered crimes, and bring the murderer to justice? There's no statute of limitations on murder, and Eve wouldn't be inclined to grant it anyhow. I loved this book. When I first started reading it, it seemed familiar because I'd read the beginning in the "coming attractions" in another book, but this was really excellent. Nora Roberts made you feel for the young women who were killed, even the less-than-innocent ones, and in the end, the killer just... turned you off. It wasn't that he was evil, exactly, but sly and loathesome nonetheless. I enjoyed the introduction of new characters, like the new Forensic Anthropologist, and returning older characters, like Mavis, Leonardo and Dennis Mira. This book was a tour-de-force that took my breath away and made me see old characters in a new light. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Cursed in the Act by Raymond Buckland-Harry Rivers is the Stage Manager for the Lyceum Theatre and Henry Irving is the lead actor there, playing Hamlet. But on the opening night, Henry Irving is poisoned, yet still manages to go on and give his performance. But Irving's manager of the Lyceum, Bram Stoker, knows he has to nip any rumors that the "Guv'nor"(Irving's nickname among the theatre folk) is in trouble. But when Irving's understudy dies the next day, run over in the street after a nightly tipple with the cast and crew, He knows something must be done. But whoever might be out to ruin the Lyceum doesn't seem to care for people's safety- and he has apparently stolen the body of their dead castmate and cut off the head, which comes springing out of the fly at an inopportune moment. Stoker and Rivers suspect the cast and crew of another theatre, but why? And how far will they go to stop the production of Hamlet at the Lyceum? When fire and magical rituals fail, perhaps kidnapping Edward Terry, one of Ellen Terry's children, will do it. But can Harry Rivers and Bram Stoker stop the attacks on the theatre and find out *why* they had to happen and who was behind them> Or will one of the strategems succeed in stopping the play? Well, I'd never read Raymond Buckland as a mystery writer, so I was determined to check it out. It isn't a bad book- in fact, it's pretty good, but it was still something of a struggle for me to read, but I ended up satisfied by the story and characters and wanting to read more. If I can say anything about the book its that, aside from the main characters and original characters, we don't get to see or know the actual famous characters the way we do the rest- and that's something I felt was missing. Still, I do recommend this book for lovers of a good historical mystery.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dark Wolf by Christine Feehan- Skyler Daratrazanoff is a human with both Carpathian and mage blood, and she knows her destined mate is Dmitiri Tiranuul. But when Dmitri is captured and imprisoned by the Lycans for being what they consider an abomination- a vampire with the blood of werewolves, he is strung up in silver and left to die, with silver slowly dripping into his veins. So it is up to Skyler, her brother Josef, and her human friend Paul Jansen, to mount a rescue and save Dmitri while the rulers of both the Carpathians and the Lycans meet to broker peace. But some of the Lycans don't want peace- they want to destroy not only Dmitri, but also any Carpathian who has tasted Lycan Bood. Can Skyler and her friends rescue Dmitri and prevent a war between their people and the Lycans? I read this book, but I have to say that it wasn't the most compelling of the Carpathian novels I've read. For one thing, using the term "Lycans" made me think of Underworld, and while the story looked long, the last, roughly, 1/3 of the book wasn't story, but treatises on the Carpathian language and healing rituals, so I felt strangely cheated when the story came to an end. And even worse, the story seems unnaturally lengthened by the addition of Skyler and Dmitri's becoming part of a wolf pack gifted to them by Razvan and his mate, Ivory. It was a strange ending that seemed to abruptly stop rather than just coming to an end, making the story feel strange and disjointed. Still, it wasn't bad, just not as full as the other Carpathian stories. Slightly recommended, but this is more like a snack than a real meal.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon- This is a book of short stories set in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter Universe. House of the Rising Son details the story and eventual relationship between Aricles, a Greek farmer, and the Atlantean Goddess Bathymaas. He's not primarily a warrior, but as he fights with and for her, Aricles and Bathymaas, who is said to have no emotions, grow closer and eventually marry. But when the Greek God Apollo interferes in their relationship, can their love, and Aricles, survive? "Phantom Lover" tells of Erin Mc Douglas, who has been having horrific nightmares. However, one night, she is saved by V'Aidan, a Dream Hunter. But once he has saved her from the Skoti Demons haunting her dreams, he makes love to her and cannot stop thinking of her. When he is condemned for his feelings, will Erin love him enough to save him? Winter Born tells of Pandora, a Katagaria WerePanther who was kidnapped from her tribe and her own time to be mated to another werepanther tribe in the present day. She's at Dragon-Con in search of Acheron Parthenopaeus, thinking he could send her home, but instead finds herself hooking up with Dante Pontis, another WerePanther who happens to be her mate. But can he save her and her tribe, and be the kind of mate she wants him to be? A Dark-Hunter Christmas, a Dark-Hunter named James Patrick Gallagher has to come to terms with meeting one of his many descendants, just when he is missing his wife, right before Christmas. But since he's forbidden going back to his family, can he connect with his fellow Dark-Hunters and the Arcadians instead? Until Death Do We Part involves Esperetta, the daughter of Vlad Dracul, and her husband, Velkan. When she saw her husband murder her father, it cut her heart out of her chest. But now The Order of the Dragon is back, and they want to kill Velkan, and they think using Retta will do the trick. Can Retta patch things up with Velkan in time to save both their lives? A Hard Day's Night Searcher has the Dark Hunter Rafael Santiago trying to deal with an issue his Squire, Jeff, has brought up by publishing a story that is about the Dark-Hunters under a different name. He sends Jeff off to hide, but accepts the Squire searching for Jeff for the Squire Council while she hunts him. He finds her completely irritating at first, but as he comes to know her, and why she is the way she is, he finds himself wanting her. But Squire/Dark Hunter relationships are forbidden. Would they give up what they have for each other? Shadow of the Moon has Fury Kattlakis encountering his old friend Angelia, who betrayed him when she found out he was a wolf who could take on human shape, not a human who could take on wolf shape. Her tribe filled her ears with lies about the wolf-born, and now they have developed a weapon that could trap the WereHunters permanently in their animal shape. But Can Fury get through to her to get her to give up the information he needs, and when they turn out to be mates, can she live with her lies she was told about Fury and his people?Fear the Darkness has Nick returning to New Orleans years after Hurricane Katrina. But can he accept all that has gone on there since he was last there? Where Angels Fear to Tread- introduces Zeke Jacobson, a claims adjuster who wants to be a hero. But when he picks up a strange coin after a relative's death and funeral, he will finally get his chance. Could this be a case of "Be Careful What You WIsh For...?" Love Bytes" introduces us to Samantha Parker, a woman working for a tech company who finds herself falling for the President of the company, a tech geek who made good. But would someone as magnificent as Adrian Cole be attracted to a relative nobody like her? "Santa Wears Spurs" has Catherine O'Callahan, who's husband, O'Connell, left her when she was pregnant. Now he's returned, seeking time away from his outlaw brother. Can Catherine let him back into her heart, and will he choose her and their daughter, or his brother once again? Last in the book is Redemption, A Bonus Scene from the book, "The Guardian", where Seth and Lydia get ready to be married. I liked this book. The stories were all good, with some I definitely preferred (like House of the Rising Son) and some I didn't ("Where Angels Fear To Tread"). Some are pure Romance, others Urban Fantasy, and it gives an excellent look at the range of Sherrilyn Kenyon's wriing. What I really loved was that all the stories really pulled me in from the first paragraph, and I never lost interest in reading them. Definitely on the Recommended list.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Kiss the Night Goodbye by Keri Arthur- Nikki has only one final test to conquer before the Damask Circle verifies that she can go out in the field with Michael, her soon-to-be husband. But when she is attacked during the test, Seline knows who is responsible. One hundred years ago, she and Michael met when tracking down a magician named Dunleavy, who killed a number of women to power a ritual meant to make him immortal. Since one of the women he killed was Michael's lover, Camille, Michael helped Seline catch him and then tore the man apart. Their association eventually drew in others who became the Damask Circle. But it seems that Dunleavy had a brother, Weylin, and Weylin wants Seline and Michael to use in a ritual to help bring his brother back, even going so far as to kidnap Michael and invite Seline to try and catch him. But Seline sends Nikki in, in the disguise she wore at the time, hoping that the connection between Michael and Nikki will bring him out of the magical fog the sorceror has wrapped around him. But Michael isn't the only person Weylin has kidnapped to be part of his little scheme. and Nikki only has five days to stop the sorceror, who is taunting her by killing people in town, all of whom have been spelled to think that it is one hundred years ago. The question is, can she and Michael unmask the killer and stop him in time to prevent him from resurrecting his brother? This was the last book in the Nikki and Michael series, and I was looking forward to seeing them working together again. But not quite like this! In fact, this actually heightened my enjoyment of the book and the story, which was also an incredible mystery as well. I look forward to perhaps seeing Nikki and Michael working together in other Damask Circle books, perhaps as a background couple or secondary characters, but this was a fitting send-off to such beloved characters. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Runaway King byJennifer Nielsen- Prince Jaron, once hiding under the persona and nickname of the Street boy, Sage, has at last come to the throne. But it is a throne on the brink of war, and Sage can see only one way to prevent a war with Avenia and the pirates Avenia is buying off- if only the Pirate King can command the Pirates, Jaron will have to become King of the Pirates. But it isn't nearly that simple, and two new attempts on his life have him sending those he cares for far away from him so that they cannot be drawn into the conflict and hurt by those wanting to hurt or kill him. But there are conspirators still close to the Carthyian throne, and Jaron must root those out as well if he is to save Carthyia. But can he do it on his own? This was a wonderful follow up to the False Prince, and I loved seeing the characters again. But once more, it is Jaron himself- follishly brave to the point of foolhardiness, and the best swordsman in his land, that keeps you transfixed throughout the story. It's thoroughly his story, and it's a complex and thrilling one. Despite his intelligence, he can still miss things and be wrong, so he doesn't come off like a superman or anything. Teens will find this story wonderful and interesting. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Night of the Hunter- Companions Codex, Book 1 by R.A. Salvatore- Drizzt and the Companions of the Hall are back, some changed by their new lives, but still who they were. But Bruenor has something he needs to do-free Thibbledworf Pwent from his curse of Vampirism. Unbeknownst to the companions, though, new tensions are stirring in the Underdark, and the Dark Elves, the Drow, and Gromph Baenre helps rewrite his sister Quenthel's consciousness with that of their ancestress, Yvonnel- all with the blessing of Lolth. Not only are Drizzt and his companions caught up in the renewed plans of the Drow, but so are Artemis Entreri and his party, including Drizzt's ex-lover, Dahlia, Ambergris the Dwarf, Dahlia's son, the Warlock and Afafrenfere the Monk- along with Jarlaxle and the Bregan D'Arthe mercenaries. Can Drizzt and his friends save Pwent while remaining free from the plans of the Drow? And what larger implications will this have for the Realms? Well, it was kind of nice to see this sort of book, where Drizt doesn't have all the answers and can't save things just by showing off how cool and awesome he is. This is a book about real things, and consequences, and taking one woman down to rubble and building her back up to be something else entirely, all at the behest of Lolth. In the end, evil triumphs, and not in a small way, but a fairly large way that is sure to have ramifications for everyone in the Realms, and all the way up to the relationship between Drizzt and Entreri. In a way, this seems to also be a way to restart that very relationship. Now Entreri has a new reason to hate Drizzt, and much more fiercely thant he did before. But there isn't really anything new in the relationships between the companions of the Hall, I felt. In a way, it's a comforting, comfortable backdrop to the book- but in another way, readers could find it a bit boring. So while there were some very nice character moments- and a lot more very disturbing ones, I was still glad I gave this book a try. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Five Deaths of Roxanne Love- Roxanne Love seems to be a normal young woman, but she's died three times before, and so a Reaper decides to investigate for himself why Roxanne Love keeps coming back from the dead, along with her brother, Reece. But when the bar owned by their family is attacked by Demons, The Reaper, inhabiting the body of cop Santo Castillo, will have to go above and beyond to figure out the truth- all the while trying to keep his emotional distance- something harder to do than he thinks, now that he is living in a human body. This book was a Did Not Finish for me- and part of it was that I couldn't get into the characters much at all, even after over 100 pages. But the final straw came when, on page 125, the author wrote about the characters in an elevator going down, "The elevator shuttered to a stop at the bottom". What person gets to be an author without knowing English spelling, and what sort of publisher and editor doesn't correct the problem? Really, I lost all interest in the book, right there. It may be a good book, it may even be enjoyable- but I can't bring myself to pick it up again.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Kamichama Karin Chu Volume 1 by Koge-Donbo- Karin is a young woman who can take on a goddess form, and her boyfriend is a boy who used to be her husband in a past life. Now, she has a dream asking her to find three gods. One is found right away- her boyfriend, Kazune, and she soon meets the second, Jin Kuga, ia an idol who has long dreamed of meeting her. Soon, her son from the future appears, asking her to find the three gods so that they can destroy the seeds of chaos. But even when Karin finds the third God she is looking for, her work isn't done, and she and the others are tricked into becoming tiny children. Can Karin fulfill her responsibilities as a goddess and keep the Gods from killing each other before they can do what they have to? I don't know what I was expecting when I picked this up, but reading this book was a real pain. All the character are drawn in Chibi style, which I found distracted me from the story to the point where it made reading the dialogue difficult for me. And the Chibi characters look about 8 and are supposed to be in their late teens, so the whole thing was fairly brain-breaking for me. I finished the volume, but I won't be picking up any more. It's just too much of a struggle to read. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Marked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon- Charlotte Caissie is a New Orleans Homicide Cop out after Crime Boss Jimmy Legere, who she is certain killed her father, who as also a cop, when she was younger. But when Legere's bodyguard/assassin Max Savoie saves her life, she finds herself unable to stop thinking about him, and soon she realizes that their association goes back longer than she knows. Because when Legere kidnapped her and her best friend in order to turn her father away from a case he was investigating, Max Savoie was the one who stopped their torture and set them free. But Max isn't just human. He doesn't know *what* he is, but he's not human at all. And when two low-level thugs turn up dead after one of them abuses hus wife and lets the second man stay behind to rape her, nobody knows who did it, because the evidence points to an animal. Charlotte knows of Max's ability to turn into a beast, but is he responsible for the death? As Max's relationship with Charlotte heats up, it incites comment and reactions, both from the police and Legere. But when Legere is suddenly taken out of the picture, what will happen to Max, who Legere has trained to look to and depend upon him for everything. But can Max deal with the new role being thrust upon him, Legere's second in command who wants him dead, and what may be his own people? And is there any hope for Max and Chaelotte to be together when he's on the criminal side of the line, and she's a by-the-book cop? I wasn't very excited to read this book. It sounded like Max was going to be some sort of Werewolf, or Shapechanger, but even the people in the novel most like him, have no name for themselves or what Max is, except that he might be a "Pureblood", of whatever he is. I found the story rather bland and uninteresting. This is only supposed to be the first book in a series that seems to focus around Max and Charlotte, but the only thing I found interesting about the story was the hero's name. And he's actually not very heroic at all, in any way. This rated a solid "Meh" from me. But I really don't recommend it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sometimes a Rogue by Mary Jo Putney- Sarah Clark-Townsend is the twin sister of Mariah, who is now Duchess of Ashton. But when her very preganant sister persuades her twin to take her for a ride because she is tired of being in the house, her sister goes into labor and must take shelter in an old church on her husband's property. But when a group of ruffians appear and Sarah overhears them plan to tak her sister hostage and carry her away, she hides Mariah and claims to be her twin, so they abduct her to Ireland. Luckily for Mariah and Sarah, her husband's friend Rob, a Bow Street Runner, is about to spend some time in Ashton Castle, and he goes off in search of Sarah, following her to Ireland and rescuing her from her captors, then making their way back across the country to Cork, where they came ashore. But Sarah's abductors were politically motivated, and they don't want to let her and Rob escape. But when they flee across the Irish Sea in a tiny sloop, they are shipwrecked at Rob's old home of Kellington, where his father and brother have recently died, making him the heir. Thge only one in residence is Rob's grandmother, who hates him for being the despised son of the second wife. But the estate is on the verge of bankruptcy, and to save it, he may have to marry an heiress. But they have become close since their experiences in Ireland. Do they have the courage to reach for the lives and the love they want, against all the odds? I really enjoyed this book, as the heroine was courageous and rarely complained, even when undergoing significant hardship. And the hero was strong and appreciated the heroine, both in looks and in qualities, and genuinely admired her, which is my personal catnip when it comes to romance. This book really strongly appealed to me, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the same. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">I Thee Wed by Amanda Quick- Edison Stokes is a mysterious lord who is also a member of a secret society of mystics and martial artists known as the Vazangara Society. A legendary book has been stolen from the monks, and Edison, while no longer part of the Circle, as it is known, is still seeking the book, for it could be dangerous, if the formulas within were used immoderately. At a House Party, he meets Emma Grayson, a paid companion to a wealthy woman. She manages to see him sneaking onto the estate, something that proves her to be exceptionally keen-sighted. To keep her from exposing him, he hires her as his assistant to spy on a certain lady whom Edison thinks might have the book or one of the formulae from it. Emma sticks close to the woman and excites her interest when she shows some psychic powers. But when a Lord who once tried to rape Emma is killed in her room late one night while she is elsewhere, she immediately loses her position and Edison steps in to claim her as his fiancee to ansure that she suffers no scandal from not being in her room. But someone wanted the lord dead. Why? Was it because of his notorious propensity for cutting a swath through the maids anywhere he went, who couldn't refuse him nor accuse him without losing everything? But working with Emma and posing as her fiance makes Edison even more appreciative of her finer qualities, and posing as someone who is going to marry her is no imposition at all. But Edison isn't the only Vanzagara in town- there is another student seeking to take him down- and he needs to find the student's master, as this man may have the codex he is seeking. But more attempts on his life make him wonder who really has the codex, and who, among many, are after not only his life, but Emma's. I loved this book. This was another one where the Hero appreciates the intelligence and perceptiveness of the heroine, and they have a healthy attraction to each other that neither feels in the slightest embarrassed about. While the Vanzagara Scoiety is completely made up, it is based on the sort of martial arts and martial art groups that already exist in the world. This was a lovely book that makes you feel the feelings that the Hero and Heroine have for each other as well as having an excellently twisty plot. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Muhyo and Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation, Volume 3 by Yoshiyuki Nishi- Muhyo is a law magic practitioner, and his friend and co-worker Roji is someone who easily sees spirits, but also gets freaked out by them and often cries. When they finally return to the office after Roji has his temporary Level 1 Clerk's permit, they are troubled by a ghost girl attaracted there by the sound of their friend Kenji's recorder. But before Muhyo sentences her to the afterlife, can they lay her spirit to rest another way? Then, they are called upon to help a perverted writer who has been passing off the writing of a spirit as his own. But can they fulfill the spirit writer's last wish and then banish him before he ends up inadvertantly killing the man who he is using to write his masterpiece? And when one of Muhyo's classmates, an artificer, shows up for Muhyo's help, he is afraid items he has made are losing power, including a seal he made for a special magical prison- and now, something big and very dangerous may have escaped, and they need Muhyo's help to recapture and contain it. But are Muhyo and Roji up to the task, no matter how powerful or skilled Muhyo may be? This was an interesting book, rather dark and yet humorous in tone. I only started reading with this volume, so I was afraid I was not going to be able to get into it, but this story shares the same kind of story as Tarot or Yumekui Kenbun, Nightmare Inspector, And I did end up enjoying it, despite the main character of Muhyo looking like an SD or Chibi character (But not necessarily "cute". More creepy than cute, to be honest). I liked the stories and I liked the characters, so I'd definitely read more of this. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Muhyo and Roji's Supernatural Bureau of Investigation Volume 4 by Yoshiyuki Nishi- Muhyo and Roji and the rest of the mages fight their way down to the prison to the final, lowest level. On this floor is imprisoned the worst spirit of all- Face-Ripper Sophie! But is she still there, or has she already escaped? And could she be masquerading as one of them with her abilities? Then, Biko must save his beloved teacher from an encounter with the dark arts. But Muhyo is drained, and only Biko can make the elixir that will revive his magic. Will he do so if the object is to put Enchu in Purgatory? Well, this book ended the magical prison arc and it was really satisfying to see it end. And Enchu, despite being a villainess, comes across as quite sympathetic despite what she is doing. We, the readers, empathize with Biko wanting to save her, especially after we get to see what made her fall. But does she even *want* to be saved? I'd definitely like to read more of this series. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">CSI: Crime Scene Investigation- The Burning Season by Jeff Mariotte- When a fire rips through a small bedroom community outside of Las Vegas, seven firefighters give their lives fighting the blaze. Now, it's up to Nick Stokes and Sara Sidle to track down the real culprits who started the fire, as the community is blaming two "Hippie campers" whose camp was very near to where the fire started. Meanwhile, Ray Langston and Nick are assigned to a case of a hand found under a homeowner's porch. Who does the hand belong to , and why did they lose it? And when a local politician is nearly killed by a car bomb, who might be after him, and does it have anything to do with his female aide? But when he is killed, his views on some issues might have had something to do with his death- and a father and son traveling the country warning of a coming apocalypse might have had something to do with thr crime... I love CSI, and since I no longer get cable TV (Or any other kind of TV), I love reading the books. And this one was really good. The characterizations were spot on, and the ending to all three main story threads were really good and appropriate. Definitely recommended,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett- Aida Palmer is a spirit medium working at a Nightclub called the Gris-Gris and living temporarily in the Chinatown district. Winter Magnusson is a fiasherman and bootlegger who is one of the three largest bootlegging operations in town. But when an old Chinese man curses Winter with a collection of Ghosts and the sight to see them, he apparently hopes to turn Winter insane. But Winter hires Aida to help him with his problem. She can lay the ghosts, no problem, but for the curse, she asks the help of her employer at the Gris Gris, an actual Voodoo Queen. But now they have to track down whoever was responsible for the curse in the first place. And when her help puts Aida into danger, Winter helps her by taking her under his wing- as he is already entranced with the beautiful young performer. But someday she will have to leave when her run at the Gris-Gris ends. By that time, will Winter be willing to let her go? Or can he persuade her into a more permanent relationship with him? I liked this book. I haven't seen many romances set during the roaring twenties, and it was a time period both familliar and unfamilliar to me. Anything new is always interesting, and I liked thar Winter pushed Aida, but never too far or made himself into an asshole. He may seem hard, but he has a soft heart, so this was a fun and exciting read. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Arrangement by Mary Balogh- Vincent Hunt, the Viscount Darleigh, was blinded during the war and now lives with his mother and unwed sisters. But their current project to pressure him into marrying with an heiress they find suitable fills him with horror, and instead of telling them off, he flees into the night, going to the Lake District to rest before returning to his other home, where he grew up, he finds even more marriage-minded mamas in wait for him. But when one is foiled in her plans by a penniless relation, she throws the young woman, Sophia Fry, out on her own. Sophia has nowhere to go, but Vincent liked her and felt a connection to her, so he proposes to marry her as the woman of his choosing, so that both of them can escape the fates that their relatives have in store for them. But can such an arrangement lead to a real marriage, or will she be trapped in cold lovelessness for the rest of her life? And will she always be an impediment to her husband, or can she help him get even more freedom in his life and his estate? And will love blossom in place of friendship? Wow, this novel was just great. The hero starts out as blind, and he's been living with the condition for a few years now. In fact, this book is part of a series, "The Survivors Club", where all the heroes and one heroine, have been scarred and wounded or maimed by the war. Despite that, Mary Balogh resists the urge to have Vincent make a miraculous recovery and regain his sight during the novel. His condition is permanent, as it should be, and while it comes with consequences, those are dealt with realistically. I loved both characters in the novel, and I liked how they helped each other, enlarging their respective worlds with help and support. Highly recommended, and I will be looking for other books in the series now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Countess by Lynsay Sands- Christiana Fairgrave married in haste to a man who claimed to love her. But after they married, he turned from someone who claimed to love her into a cruel, controlling man who never had anything nice to say about her or her friends, and even banned some of them from the house. So when he drops dead one morning after a visit by her sisters, she is overjoyed, except that her father has seemingly gambled away his fortune again, and one of her sisters must also marry to keep their family afloat. And if her husband is no longer alive, her sister will not be able to have the time to make a marriage alliance with a man of her choosing and save the family. So instead, they roll her husband Richard, up in a rug and take him upstairs to bed, where they pack him in with ice and put out that her husband is deathly ill, then take her sisters to a ball that night to search for a suitable husband. But when her husband shows up at the ball, Christina is petrified with fear, knowing there will be punishment from her husband for what she did. But, to her surprise, her husband is the man he purported to be before he married: solicitous, attentive, and seemingly happy to see her. In reality, Richard has just recently come back to England after being sold as a slave in America. He blames his twin brother, George, for his predicament- but he cannot blame Christina. Instead, he finds himself falling for her and attempting to do the rest of his brother's schemes. But can he unravel them all in time to keep Christina safe and make her love him when he finds he is falling for her? Wow, this book started out rather like a French bedroom farce, but became more and more interesting and sympathetic as the book went on. It takes time for both hero and heroine to trust each other with the real story of what has gone on, but once they come together, this book became one of my favorite romance novels. The characters are excellent and interesting, and the twist is one you will never see coming, but the book provides both chuckles and a meaningful, deep love story. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Moon Cursed by Lori Handeland- Kristen Daniels is the star and producer of a supernatural debunking show. In danger of being out of work when her show is cancelled, she travels to Loch Ness to try and debunk the famous monster. But she is attacked shortly after arriving and meets a man named Liam Grant who is far more than he appears. But as she tracks down the genesis of the myth and seeks to unravel the hoax she feels is behind it, she is unknowingly falling in love with the monster himself, cursed to take on that form until he finds someone who truly loves him. But is Kris that woman, and can she adjust to the idea that the supernatural creatures she is used to debunking might exist after all? This one rated only okay for me. I liked some of the secondary characters, but others, like Liam's friend who were lying on his behalf to Kris, just turned me right off. On the whole it was okay, but nothing earth-shattering, neither the romance, nor the main characters, nor the sex. So, meh.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-1418322064032403822014-05-02T12:29:00.001-04:002014-05-02T12:29:16.612-04:002014, Part 4<span style="color: #33ccff;">Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire- Verity Price is living the dream in New York City as a competitive dancer in the ballroom scene. But that is merely her cover for her life as a Cryptozoologist. Her family, the Prices, left an organization known as the Covenant, which only studies Cryptids in order to kill them and keep humans safe. But Verity's family knows that not every Cryptid is dangerous or needs killing, and so Verity's Grandfather and Grandmother split from the Covenant, to be considered traitors by their former comrades, and a legend by the Cryptids themselves as the Prices try to act as diplomats and mediators between the Cryptids and the humans who might be in danger from them. But while living in New York and trying to make a living as a ballroom dancer, when Parkouring home one night, she falls into a trap set by a member of the Order of St. George named Dominic DeLuca. She thinks he's cute, but Verity is angered that he's hunting Cryptids in *her* city. He's says he's just there scouting out the city, but when she finds out that the Order scouts out cities before engaging in massive cleansing "hunts", she starts warning the Cryptids around the city. And when Cryptid girls begin to disappear, she thinks she knows the reason- Dominic DeLuca! But it turns out that he isn't the one making them disappear, and he thinks she is responsible- but obviously, she isn't. So they have to team up together to find out what is really going on, and whether the rumors of a surviving Dragon living in the Sewers of the city is true... along with dealing with the religiously crazy Cryptid mice who inhabit her apartment and who think that Verity should relive the life of her grandmother... and her family, who isn't happy with the Covenant, nor the Covenant with them. Should be a piece of cake, right? I loved this book, and all the different kinds of Cryptids that Verity and her family keep track of and know about- but their information isn't perfect, given that they were members of the Covenant of St. George up until three generations ago, and the Covenant is more interesting in knowing enough about Cryptids to kill them, not study them. I loved the little bits of world-building (Like "Darks" that increase the amount of gloom in the area for dark-loving Cryptid races) and Verity's trying to balance her dancing career with her career as a Cryptozoologist. It made me laugh and smile a lot, while also being a fairly ripping action yarn at points. I won't say this book is perfect, but I loved it anyway. Definitely give this one a try. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hulk: World War Hulks by Jeph Loeb, John Romita Jr, and Ed McGuinness- Thunderbolt Ross is dead, slain by the Red Hulk, a new threat to the world. But it seems that the Red Hulk is working with the Green Hulk and against a group of The Hulk's Old Foes, including The Leader, M.O.D.O.K., Kragoff and his Gamma Apes and even Doc Samson, But it turns out that the Red Hulk, who power is energy absorbtion, knows their plans and is working with Bruce Banner to stop them from taking over the world, and using the world's greatest intellects to do it, which involve turning all the world's heroes into Hulks and then coming in to clean up and save the day. But can the two Hulks, wo have little reason to trust each other, team up and put an end to the villain's plans? And who is the Red Hulk? And the Red She-Hulk, for that matter? Well, this was rather... interesting. I sort of already knew who the Red Hulk was supposed to be, but this story introduced several Hulks and Hulk-Like Heroes and villains. It got to the point where I wondered if all the Green-skinned characters were somehow related to the Hulk (She-Hulk is Bruce's Cousin, who he saved with a blood transfusion, and, as it turns out, the two Red Hulks also shared a family connection. The story was a bit convoluted, but it seems that the Red Hulk will continue, even though he can be drained of his powers in the same way he drains the power of others. I wonder if the same goes for the Red She-Hulk? Anyhow, this was an interesting Graphic novel, but seems a bit overly convoluted if you haveb;t read the series up to this point, and the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger as well. It seems the Red Hulk will be sticking around for some time. Recommended, but you might want to read other books in the series before this one or it might get very confusing to you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The House of Hades by Rick Riordan- Percy Jackson and Annabeth have been taken to Tartarus, the body of a Titan which is also a prison for Giants and evil souls. With Gaia re-awakening, she is aiming to bring the Giants up from Tartarus to be her amy in the world. They will enter through the Doors of Death, in the literal Heart of Tartarus, which have been chained so that, instead of her amryappearing in bits and pieces all over the world, they will all appear in one place, the same place, at one time. As Percy and Annabeth struggle across the unforgiving terrain of Tartarus to the Doors to try and make it back into the world, They are aided by Bob/Iapetus, who seems to prefer being Good rather than evil. Meanwhile, back on the surface, Piper, Leo, Frank, Nico, Hazel and their flying ship have to make it to Greece to try and stop Gaia's army and save their friends. Plus, they also need to get the Athena Parthenos back to Camp Half-Blood to try and prevent a war between the Roman and Greek Demigods, for which they will need the help of Reyna, the Praetor of the Legion. And the monsters of the Earth, inhabiting the Appenines, are barring their way. Can both sets of heroes make it through the trials ahead of them and make it to Greece before the Doors of Death open and unleash the Giants upon the earth? And who will pay the Price for them to succeed? This was a fabulous book, with the tension seesawing from one set of heroes to the other- Percy and Annabeth in Hades, and the others aelsewhere. We get to see some really great and amazing stuff here- Frank's Battle in Venice with the Catobleps, and Hazel learning the powers of Hecate, which they need to succeed, and Leo finally falling in love. I only wish I could tell you how awesome this book is without giving away too many spoilers, but I can't. The part of the book where Percy and Annabeth are slogging through Tartarus actually *feels* like a slog, which made a weird sort of sense, because it mirrored what Percy and Annabeth are experiencing. At the same time, I liked how all the characters grew and matured, many in what were amazingly large ways (one of those only literally!). It's a great book, and I loved it a lot. Highly recommended, and looking forward to the final book in this series.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Ashes of Honor- It's been a year for Toby since the Events of "One Salt Sea" and since then, she's tried to keep her head down and fulfill her responsibilities to her lord, Sylvester, train her squire, Quentin, and generally keep out of trouble. But when she is approached by Etienne, another Knight working for Sylvester, she agrees to help him, because, unbeknownst to him, he has a daughter he never knew about, and he only discovered her when her mother came to him, accusing him of abducting her. Chelsea, Etienne's daughter, is a changeling that the old stories warn about- full of power, but having no control over them- and his daughter is a teleporter, and can open up paths to places long closed to the fae. Toby and Etienne have to find Chelsea before other Fae can, and offer her the Changeling's Choice: Choose the Human *or* the Fae world, and never see the other parent again. If Chelsea chooses to be Fae, she will gain control over her powers, and her mother might never forgive Etienne. But now Chelsea has done the seemingly impossible- opened a portal to Annwn, the land of the dead, and Tybalt's heir, Raj, is also missing, and his father is agitating for Raj to replace Tybalt as King of the Cats. Since the only way for a King of Cats to be deposed is to die, Tobby isn't going to let that happen. And now Chelsea has been kidnapped by the Regent of Dreamer's Glass, who wants to repopulate the long-abandoned Elven Lands like Annwn. Can Toby rescue Chelsea, offer her the Changeling's Choice, and not get stranded in long-gone places? And can she prevent Raj's father from deposing Tybalt in a bloody fashion in favor of his own son? And can she manage to stay alive while she does these things? She has to, because otherwise, the damage to everything she knows and loves will be too great to bear! This was a great book. Faerie seems to be fading somewhat, but it can still give borth to tremendously powerful "Sports" who embody powers too dangerous to be allowed in a changeling, and Chelsea is one such. Everyone assumes she has been kidnapped, but was she kidnapped, or did her own powers take her away by accident? And who will she end up choosing when they finally do track her down? And can the relationship between her mother and Etienne be salvaged? All of these questions are asked and then, eventually answered anyway, and for Toby, this is hard for her because she had to offer the choice to her own daughter- and well, you'll have to find that one out for yourself. Still, this was an excellent book that really kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire- Toby Daye has survived her latest assignment, and is now patrolling the city for trouble when she comes across some fae selling Goblin Fruit. Goblin Fruit is only a problem for changelings- to full fae, it's a mild intoxicant, like a goblet of wine. But for changelings, who are neither fae nor human, it is a drug that is all-consuming and instantly addictive. Toby does her best to take down the sellers, but finds out that they are being protected by someone in power. So she goes to the Queen to get the sellers stopped or banished, and loses her temper when the Queen refuses to do so. In return, the Queen banishes her from the Kingdom. She has a week to get out or die. Toby is in a daze, but the Luidaeg tells her that the Queen is not who she seems to be. In short, the Queen, who took the throne because she said she was the only surviving child of the previous King, is nothing of the sort. Now, it's up to Toby to prove that, find the real Queen and overthrow the current one- and to do so, she will have to get into the fabled Library of Stars. But someone, and perhaps many someones, don't want Toby to succeed. So when she is targeted with a thrown Goblin-fruit pie, can she overcome the resulting addiction to the fruit in time to accomplish all she needs to before she is forced to leave the Kingdom or die? I loved this book. It's full of intrigue and mystery, and we get to see just how corrupt the Queen is, and why she has an especial hatred for Toby. It was also nice to see how Toby and all her friends, the Luidaeg especially, worked together to overthrow the old Queen and bring back the rightful heir to the throne. This book doesn't end Toby's adventures, or at least I hope it doesn't. I'd love to read more with her in the future. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Death on Blackheath by Anne Perry-When a young maid goes missing at the home of a man important in Naval Defense, it seems that she is the victim of foul play, since blood is found on the ground near the house where she was employed. But who would want to make the maid disappear? And what might the disappearance have to do with British Naval Secrets? It seems as though no one in the house knows anything. Not Dudley Kynaston, not his wife, nor his sister-in-law, Ailsa. But Pitt suspects that someone is hiding something, he just cannot say what, or if it impinges on the dsiappearance of the maid. Then, some weeks later, a body is found in a gravel pit not too far from the Kynaston House. The woman's mutilated body resembles that of the missing maid, but her features have been obliterated, so they cannot be sure. Others introduce red herrings into the investigation, and Pitt and his lieutenant, Stoker, must make sure again, that they have all the facts in the case. Because it seems that the body is not freshly killed: it has been stored somewhere and then dumped in the gravel pit. But who would do such a thing? Is it to interfere in the investigation? Certainly, questions are being asked in Parliament, and Pitt is under pressure to solve the case quickly. But when another, male, body is also discovered nearby, once again mutilated, Pitt is sure that someone is attempting to draw attention to Dudley Kynaston and his household. But who and why? Pitt must uncover a tangled web os duty, obligation and treason to uncover the truth, and least of all will it be easy. Meanwhile, on the home front, Charlotte must deal with not being involved with Pitt's investigations, and the hole that leaves in her life, and her sister Emily is discovering that her husband, Jack, may end up working with Kynaston, and worse, to her, may be losing interest, making her fear for her marriage and her happiness. Can they solve their personal problems without unhappiness? I always love the Pitt/Charlotte mysteries, but ever since Pitt rose to the position as the Head of Special Branch, with the ousting of Victor Narraway, Charlotte hasn't been as involved with his mysteries, remaining a stay at home mother to their children, and she is starting to feel a little left out, despite the fact that Pitt deals with threats to the nation and not simple (ha!) crimes like murder any longer. In a way, she is still helping him, just not as overtly, but she misses the excitement of helping him with his cases. Even so, she still does manage to help him here, and it was nice to see a sort of return to form for this book here. I didn't find the mystery, at least for some of the book, all that interesting, but things did heat up later. These books are sort of laid-back mysteries. in that the stories start slow, but slowly heat up over the course of the book until the end. It's not at a white-hot pitch all the way through. And that's not a bad thing. This was a very enjoyable book, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in historical mysteries. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Kindred of Darkness by Barbara Hambly- It has been years since James Asher encountered the vampires living in London in "Those Who Hunt the Night", and since then, he and the vampires have each kept to their side of the agreement they made- Everyone leaves each other alone, and Asher will not hunt them down and kill them. But now, the last master vampire left in London, Lionel Grippen, kidnaps James and Lydia's daughter from their home, along with her nurse. He wants Lydia, who is an academic, to find a new vampire who has come to London and may be a threat to Grippen, Damian Zahorec, so that Grippen can kill him and deny London and Grippen's get to him, Lydia, is stunned by the kidnapping of her daughter, and will do anything to get her back. She wires James, who is in Italy, and also sends a message to another vampire, Don Simon Ysidro, asking for his help. But in the meantime, she must deal with things herself without falling to pieces. In addition, she must help one of her nieces navigate polite society and make a good marriage for herself. But the presence of an American and his daughter, a very rich American who is seeking a title for his daughter and is willing to pay a very high dowry for the privilege, is interfering with her aunt's plans to marry her relative off. But then it seems that the Lord the American girl is seeking to marry has something to do with the vampire Grippen wants her to find, and she must find out where the vampire is, where he keeps his money and what his interest in the American girl is, for her father is also interested in vampires, wanting to find one to "take care of" some agitators and rioters in the mines he owns in America. But will he somehow get Lydia to reveal where the vampires are, and can James and Lydia get their daughter back safe and sound before Grippen loses patience with them and decides to hurt either the girl or her nurse to threaten them? And can either of them trust anything the vampires say after Grippen broke his word to them? I read "Those Who Hunt the Night" years ago, and I've read every book in the series since, loving each and every one of them. This book was no exception, and I really felt for Lydia, frantic with worry over her daughter's disappearance, knowing that she was kidnapped by a vampire who is ruthless, and who wanted something from her. We get to see how much has changed in London since Asher first hunted for the man who was killing vampires so many years ago, and now it seems that too many people are learning of vampires and wanting to use them. But vampires usually end up using humans who want to use them, and it's no less true in this case. There is also a book written by a vampire hunter, "The Book of the Kindred of Darkness", which puports to tell all about vampires, but how much of the text is true? James must track it down, in its many versions, looking for the truest one, to help him against the vampires that he meets in this book. And in the end, can he achieve some vengeance against Grippen, or will the Master Vampire outwit him and evade James' punishment for kidnapping his daughter? And what will happen if he does? And excellent, entertaining and gripping book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Winter King by Alys Clare- John is King of England, and it seems that there is a plague of prophets breaking out who claim that the troubles that the land of England is under is entirely the fault of the King. Additionally, a woman named Lilas has visions of a Winter King, who England shall survive, and his heir, who England shall also survive, but who will finally see the rise of a true King who will let the people have a stake in their lives again. Since John's Barons are mostly in revolt against him, one of the Barons is rounding up these prophets to prove that John is unfit to rule, and the woman, Lilas, is taken to the Nunnery of Hawkenlye Abbey to recover from her fit- only she knows she is being pursued, and wants the Abbey to keep her safe. Caliste, the Abbess, promises to keep her safe, but when the Baron and his men come to Hawkenlye to parade their captive friar who is denouncing King John to the people, will they be able to make off with Lilas as well, or can Caliste and the nuns keep her safe? Meanwhile, Lord Benedict de Vitre dies in his own hall at a feast. But the question is, was it merely an overtaxed heart, weakened by too many years of carrying the fat and bulk of his body, or was it something else that killed him? Sabin, the wife of the Sherriff, is called upon, along with two local canons to look at the body and render a verdict as to what caused his death. She agrees with them that he was killed by a spasm of his heart, but in secret, she goes to Meggie, telling her that she had prepared a potion for Lord Benedict, and cannot be sure that it might not have killed him. Meggie goes with her to wash and dress the body, and discovers that Lord Benedict actually died from a stab wound, and thus, her potion had nothing to do with it. But as Meggie is called to Hawkenlye Abbey to help Lilias, the murder is discovered, and Sabin throws blame on Meggie when someone must shoulder the blame. Afterwards, Meggie, who has been waiting for Sabin to tell the truth, accosts her with this, Sabin will only say, "You are different", as if that absolves her of blame. But who murdered Lord Benedict, and why? And can Meggie and her family find the true culprit before Meggie is killed by the man's wife and retainers for the crime? And if that isn't enough, the bodies of two young men are discovered in the wood, brutally attacked. One made it to the hut in the woods, where Helewise finds and comforts him before he dies. Where were they going, and why were they so brutally attacked/ When a friend of theirs turns up looking for them, it seems that the crime might be solved. But when he is also found killed, the urgency redoubles to find out who killed them and why- and what it may have to do with Wealdsend, where the three were headed? And what may it have to do with a visit by King John? This book is home to three different mystery stories, and each is skillfully interwoven to create a seamless whole, as each mystery eventually morphs into one, with the death of Lord Vitre, the mystery of what is going on at Wealdsend, and the people chasing Lilias, all turn out to be connected in some way- and all by the King. It was nice to see the characters once again, and we get to see how they are treated , and sometimes abused, by the people around them it isn't all happiness and sunshine, and we get to see who Meggie's suitor from another book is, finally. But she loves someone else now, and in the end, they part. I really enjoyed this book, even if it was a little slow to get going. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Adversary by Erin M. Evans- Farideh and and her sister Havilar are Tieflings, which means that they are the offspring of an evil outsider. Farideh is a pact mage, meaning she derives much of her power from a pact with an otherworldly creature, in this case, a devil named Lorcan. Not that she is the only one who has a pact with Lorcan, and he is beginning to discover that he cares more for Farideh than just as another one of his pacts. But she and her sister are wanted by an entire cadre of devils, for they are the spiritual and genetic heirs of one of the Toril Thirteen, the original thirteen Tieflings who made a pact with Asmodeus, a devil who became a God. But when Farideh believes that Lorcan has betrayed her, she makes a pact with his sister, Sairché, for protection and other considerations. One of the unintended consequences of the pact is that Farideh and Havilar disappear out of the Realmns for seven years, leaving their foster father, Mehen, and Havilar's lover, Brin, behind. In trade for this "favor", Farideh must travel to a camp run by a wizard named Adolican Rand, who has been gathering up people who are the chosen of various gods, which will be slaughtered and the "sparks', which are the godly essence contained within them, gathered for Asmodeus to become even more powerful. But Farideh has also become a Chosen of Asmodeus, and when her sister, foster father and Lorcan show up to try and save her, Farideh must decide to try and trust those who care for her while saving everyone she cares about, and the other inhabitants of the camps. Meanwhile, her sister Havilar has to deal with the missing time, and her feelings for Brin, their comrade who has never forgotten her, and the Harper Dahl, a former associate of the sisters who got taken to the camps along with Farideh by mistake, has to try and lead the inhabitants of the camps against Adolican Rand and his Shadevar followers. But can they all come together to find victory? To be honest, I was excited to read this book, but I had never read anything with Farideh and Havilar before, and after reading for a while, I found myself not really caring about the characters and uninterested in their struggles. So this book was rather a slog for me to read. I maybe started caring a little towards the end of the book, but I never really felt any kind of connection to the characters and I felt little satisfaction at the end of the book. I feel that this book is totally skippable in the Sundering Series- in fact, all of them are skippable if you don't like the characters involved. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Why Kings Confess by C.S. Harris- When Doctor Paul Gibson takes a walk around the city on a cold winter night, he discovers an injured woman and a slaughtered man in a horrible back alley known as Cat Alley. He rescues the woman and discovers that the man is not only dead, but his heart has been cut out and removed. The man is a fellow doctor, Damian Pelletan, and he's French. It seems that he is there as part of a French party that is there in England to discuss a possible peace treaty that could put an end to the hostilities between France and England. But it's hushed up, because neither side seems to be in favor of such. Then there are the remains of the French Royal Family, who fled to England after the French Revolution. But why would anyone want to kill someone who was merely the personal physician to one of the members of the delegation? Or it is possible that someone believes he was more than just a physician? Was the killer French or English? Was it the man who wanted the woman, who was also a physician, dead, or was it someone else entirely? And as Sebastian St. Cyr deals with the coming birth of his and his wife's first child, he must deal with his fears of losing her in childbirth, and the threats of her father, who will kill him if she dies from birthing his child. But can he discover who the true murderer is and find out why they wanted Damian Pelletan dead? I loved this book, which brings out so many interesting threads that run through the books. Paul Gibson's being addicted to laudanum, Sebastian's fear of losing Hero to childbirth, his father-in-law hating him… But I really enjoy how much Hero and Sebastian have come to love each other and count on each other- it's really wonderful to see and read. The mystery was also interesting, and I in no way expected the ending from where the book started. The book also expanded on the lives of the other characters, and I loved this book even more for it. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dirty Magic by Jane Wells- Kate Prospero is a cop who works the Dirty Magic beat, bringing down people marketing and selling potions that cause worse problems than those they are supposed to treat. But Kate hides a secret- she's the niece of one of the worst potion dealers, and she used to work with him "cooking" dirty potions. But when her mother died from a dirty potion, she left the business, and her boyfriend at the time to go legal and join the police. But being a street cop isn't what she aspires to be- she wants to work her way up the chain of command, however, her history is keeping her back. So when a new Drug known as Gray Wolf appears on the streets, that turns the user into a low-rent werewolf, Kate wants to be part of the Federal Drug probe that investigates the appearance of the Drug. But when her own brother is poisoned with the drug, Kate is going to have to link up with her former boyfriend, John Volos, now head of her Uncle's Potion operation, to identify the components of the potion and make an anti-potion to help cure him. But Volos isn't the only one with skin in the game, and someone wants Kate to fail and be implicated in the potion-making biz. Can she find out who is responsible for Gray Wolf being on the market and find a cure for it before her brother dies? Or will even trying come back to bite her in the butt? Can she come to terms with her previous life and deal with her past and the man she used to love, or will she end up falling for her fellow cop on the Federal task force? I loved this book, which was filled with excellent world-building. Potions are treated like both illegal drugs and the medications which seem to be endlessly advertised and pushed online, everything from Viagra to Anti-depressants. And there is even a specific comment made that the legal potions are just as dangerous as the illegal ones, but they are just subject to tighter controls when being made. For example, the "sexual confidence" illegal potion causes such sexual excitement that the men who use it end up with friction blisters on their penis from over masturbation. Sounds painful and is probably analogous to the "erections lasting too long" that Viagra can cause. Kate is a hot mess, barely keeping her personal life together, but her past is both amazing and a little shocking, and even the end of the book made me smile, even if it was bad for Kate personally. I can't wait to see where this series goes. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Murder on Olympus by Robert B. Warren- Plato Jones is a private eye who doesn't want to work for the Gods of Olympus. But when a minor Goddess is killed, something that just shouldn't be possible, the Gods wear him down by threatening his ex-wife, which makes Plato reluctantly take up the case. But the case revolves around the Claw of Erebus, a weapon that can kill the Gods that no one seems to be willing to admit exists. And while Plato may be reluctant to take up the case, he's also unwilling to be put off once he has actually agreed to investigate. But when Hera is hoping for Plato to fail so that she can put someone she thinks to be more "suitable" put on the case, is she actually willing to kill him to see him fail? And who is responsible for stealing the Claw and putting it to use, and can Plato find out who is murdering Gods without falling victim to the same killer? I found this an interesting iteration of the mystery genre. The Greek Gods are real and hang out in Greece, where Olympus still exists. But do the people who live there still worship them as Gods, or are they just something like super-powerful celebrities and Business owners? The book never really says. Certainly, Plato Jones doesn't seem to worship them. And neither do any of the other characters. We never see people swearing on or by them and it just led to a strange feeling disconnect for me. They are called Gods, and they have magical powers, maybe…? But we never see them actually being worshipped as Gods (although it is possible that they are only worshipped elsewhere). We also never see if the Greek Gods are supposed to be worshipped universally, or if other Gods exist in other places. I'd be interested in seeing this/finding this out. So, while Plato Jones is a sort of film noir detective working with the Greek Gods, it's not a perfect fit for me. I'd still recommend this book, but I'd like to see more questions answered in other books in the series. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Refusal by Felix Francis- Sid Halley is a former steeplechase Jockey who used to work investigating crimes in the Horse-racing . Now, he's settled down with his Dutch wife and their daughter, Saskia, while he works in finance. He gave up his detective work because his wife was afraid of him getting hurt. But when he's approached after all these years by Sir Richard Stewart, the head of the British Horseracing Authority, about someone possibly fixing races, he doesn't want to get involved, but he does at least agree to look at the evidence that Sir Richard has gathered. However, when Sir Richard ends up dead the next morning, Sid begins to wonder if there really is something to the race-fixing allegations, and he can't help but look into it. When he does, he attracts the attention of an Irish thug who is behind the scheme and won't stop until Sid is dead or stopped- and since people know that threatening Sid himself is useless, they go after his family and friends instead. Sid must team up with his old friend and co-worker Chico Barnes to clear his own name from charges of pedophilia and bring the real villain to light. But can he do so with his family and life intact? I only read this book because I used to read the Sid Halley books long ago (admittedly, there are only two of them that Dick Francis wrote) because I watched "The Racing Game" on "Mystery!". I loved the series, and I loved the books, which were really harsh towards Sid and Chico (at one point, they get whipped with chains, which nearly breaks both of them). And now, Sid might be able to get a new hand through a transplant, and he spends quite a bit of time pursuing this. But we are thoroughly in Sid's head, and this we identify with him very strongly. So when he gets threatened or hurt, it's like it's happening to us, the readers. It made me identify with him even more. I got easily drawn into the story, and even though this book is written by Dick Francis' son rather than Dick Francis himself, I didn't think that there was any big difference in style or talent between the two. I would like to see if Felix Francis can make a name for himself in writing his own fiction rather than just continuing his father's stuff. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen- Sage is an orphan being raised in an orphanage, but he also looks out for the other kids in the orphanage by stealing food for them so that they can have regular meals that don't consist solely of rich people's barely-still-good leftovers. But when he is sold to a nobleman by the woman in charge of the orphanage, he joins three other boys on a journey to where the nobleman lives. Along the way, they find out that the Royal Family has been killed, but the news is being covered up to prevent panic. But there was one Prince who disappeared on a trip to another country, and he wants to train one of the boys to pretend to be the missing Prince so that the nobleman can get control of the throne by "advising" his chosen Prince. And he shows how willing he is to discard anyone or anything by killing one of the boys when he opts out of the whole thing. Sage fights the hardest against "becoming"the nobleman's chosen Prince, but even he knows the ones who don't make the cut will be killed much like the other boy. He does promise them that he will save them if he is the one chosen, and he ends up making the cut- but one of the other boys will do anything to be the Prince, even killing Sage, and he has plans of his own. But Sage has a secret that can change the whole game- can he win the position of the Prince, or will he end up dying for the nobleman's plans? When I read the blurb for this book, I guessed the nature of Sage's secret before even reading one word of the book, and I turned out to be absolutely right. I think that most people who read the blurb are going to figure it out as well. But it's the details that set the book and the story apart, and it turns out to be very good after all. I liked the character of Sage, but the end we get to see his motivation and it's quite wonderful and unexpected. I highly recommend the book, and am looking forward to reading the sequel.</span><span style="color: #33ccff;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Tegami Bachi, Volume 16: Wuthering Heights by Hiroyuki Asada- Zazie became a letter Bee to find and destroy the Gaichuu that killed his parents. So when he hears that the Gaichuu has been seen in the Petrified Wood Road area, he heads off there to kill it. He's befriended by Emil Bronte, the Blind Proprietress of the Wuthering Heights Inn, who seems greatly taken with Zazie. But as he finds out, she is merely the servant of the actual owners, who seem to have disappeared. And she has allied herself with the Gaichuu, Laphroaig. Can Zazie take care of Laphroaig on his own, or will he need the aid of the Letter Bees who are his friends to put an end to the threat once and for all? And then we get to see how Zazie grew up and how his parents died. Why does Zazie want revenge of Laphroaig so badly, and why did he dedicate his life to getting it? This was an intriguing story, as Emil seems to have an affection for Zazie, and he seems to develop one for her, but the end of the story is a tragedy, for she was poisoning him all along, as she had latched on to Laphroaig as her only hope, and in the end, it kills her. Plus, we get to hear a prophecy of five young people who were born on the day of the Blink, as Lag was. Emil is another child born that day, and will her death mean the prophecy fails? We don't know, but I do want to find out. This is a bit more adventure-oriented than most stories in this manga, but feelings and love are the primary motivators, as always. This is definitely a good series, with lots of points of interest, even if Lag's tendency to weep buckets at the drop of a hat makes him both one of the most open and honest heros I've ever seen in a manga, and at the same time, makes me roll my eyes a little. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Broken Blade by Kelly McCullough- Aral Kingslayer is a former Blade, one of a set of assassins who killed to perpetrate justice, and were blessed in their mission by the Goddess Namara, the Goddess of Justice and the Downtrodden. But the Goddess was slain by the other Gods, and her temple razed, the Blades who served her killed without mercy by the Elite, the God-sworn of the Emperor of Heaven. As far as Aral knows, he is the only Blade to have survived the fall of the Temple, and the only remnants he has to show for his past life is his shadow familliar,Triss, a shadow dragon that can hide itself in his own shadow, and which gives him various powers having to do with the shadows. But Aral is no longer an assassin, though he still works in the shadows, doing jobs that few others will do. So when he is approached by a woman named Maylien to deliver a message, he takes the job, but on hie way into the estate she sends him to, he sees a man named Devin, another Blade who apparently survived the end of Namara's temple. But Devin has turned into a mere assassin for hire, and he tries to get Aral to be one as well and join him in his new business, where he is summoning shadow-beasts like Triss and Devin's own shadow, Zass. But Aral cannot make himself be a mere unfeeling assassin, and he turns Devin down, barely escaping his old friend's attack. But it seems that someone suspects that the Blades aren't all dead, and is hunting Aral. At first, Aral thinks it is Devin, but when he's kidnapped and questioned under torture by men who want to know about Devin, he is forced to revise that belief. Soon after escaping his captors, during which he finds out something disturbing that he never knew about Triss, and by all shadow-familiars, he finds the building where he was held captive, and the area where it was located, has been set aflame. But as he looks to solve the mystery of where the Blades are now, and what is going on, he discovers that Maylien, a powerful mage in her own right, and a noble, is about to face off against her own sister, Sumey, who may be trying to take over the throne for herself. But as Devin is saved by Maylien, and decides to help her- while discovering his feelings for her, can he keep her safe and help her defeat her sister and her sister's ambitions? And can he keep his true identity safe from the authorities as he does so? I really enjoyed this book. I loved the whole idea of assassins for justice, and it was hard for me not to get caught up in Aral's story. We find out how he gained his name, and the things he must do now to keep himself and Triss safe. Along the way, he discovers things about Triss, and himself, that help him define who he is now that his Goddess is dead. This was a fascinating and engaging read that kept me deep inside the story and wanting to know more, right up until the end. It's not an especially long book, but it was really wonderful, with tons of worldbuilding that actually made me believe that assassins could work for a Goddess of Justice. Highly recommended, and I can't wait to read more, since this is the first in a new series.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-1925907874554447352014-04-06T06:03:00.000-04:002014-04-06T06:03:04.417-04:002014, Part 3<span style="color: #33ccff;">Red, White and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth- Cade and Zach are called in once again when the President is on the Campaign trail. Something or someone is killing off workers in his campaign, and Cade knows who, or more precisely, what, it is. Apparently, the boogeyman is real, and can only be killed for a short time, destined to come back again and again. But even if he manages to kill the boogeyman, how can he prevent him from coming back in the future? And who brought him back this time? Who is the female agent who is trying to use the Boogeyman to kill Cade and the President? And as the bodies continue to pile up, can Cade keep the President and his family safe? I definitely enjoyed this book more than "The President's Vampire", because I knew what I was in for when I started it. This one takes place on the campaign trail, and I am starting to notice a troubling trend in these books, that there rarely seems to be a female character that is completely sympathetic. It seems in this book that we might finally have found one in the President's Daughter, but even though she is a bit of a bitch at the beginning, she manages to make it all the way through to the end without ending up in "villain" territory. Other female characters, not so much. While it wasn't especially blatant, it did make me feel a little uncomfortable when reading the book. Yes, the boogeyman is the real villain here (and get a really delicious comeuppance), but the women we see, three of them at least, are portrayed in pretty vile and repugnant ways. There is a secondary and tertiary male villain, but the tertiary one is pretty sad and sickish (he's wanted to betray the President, but he's so bad at it, nobody wants to give him the chance) and the other villain is bad, yes, but somehow not as repugnant as the female villains. Reading this book was somewhat of an uncomfortable experience for me as the disparity between the male and female characters (some of whom are victims and yet are still reprehensible as characters) were portrayed. I am not entirely certain I would feel comfortable recommending this book for that reason.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp- So, first we had the companions of Mithril Hall reborn, and now it's time for another character to come back- Erevis Cale. When the mother of Erevis Cale's child is seeking someplace to give birth to their son, she meets a strange man who sends her forward 70 years in time. She dies in childbirth, but not before making a connection with a Priest of Amaunator/Lathander and he takes in her son, who she has named Vasen. Raised in the shadowlands, he helps guide pilgrims who worship at the Temple of the God of the Sun and Light. But someone is seeking the end of Erevis Cale, who still holds part of the Godhood of Mask, and the only one who can find and free him is Vasen, helped by Cale's old comrades Riven and Magadon. But Vasen is not without friends himself, and Orsin, a traveler, and Gerak, a hunter whose wife is taken and twisted by the shadow infection borne by a pair of brothers who seek Erevis and Vasen Cale for Mephistopheles are there for Vasen. But can the shadow-touched Vasen find and free his father from his grave/jail on the outer planes, or will he succumb to the darkness that is in his very blood? Can the pieces of divinity that chain Erevis, Mephistopheles and Rivalen together be broken by the removal of that divinity, and can Erevis bond with his son? Okay, so I enjoyed the Erevis Cale stories, but I felt his story already had a satisfying ending. Okay, it's true that Mask sent Erevis and Varra's son into the future for some reason, but I would rather have read about Vasen by himself and not had what I feel was a fairly cliched plot to bring Erevis back. Why resurrect old characters for D&D Next? Why not create new characters? I get that creators are attached to their characters but this felt more than a little ridiculous to me. Can we have some new characters, please, and not just bring back old ones? The story itself was fine, and I liked Vasek. Thankfully, while Erevis Cale was the focus of the story, he's only in it for a very short span. Not really recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Nine for the Devil by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer- Empress Theodora is sick and dying, and when she is finally dead, Justinian seems to go slightly mad. He insists that Theodora was killed, and coerces his Lord Chamberlain, John, into finding her "killer". But everyone, John included, thinks that Theodora expired from her illness. Even the Royal Physician, Gaius, knows this. Still John is forced to investigate anyway, under threat of death if he fails the Emperor. But as he starts to investigate, the city is gripped with unrest. Everywhere he goes, people in the streets are celebrating Theodora's death, because they have long hated her. Justinian is caught up in a war of ideas about Jesus, known as "The Three Chapters" arguing about the three possible natures of Christ- Fully human, fully god or some commingling of both. People, even his old friends, seem to be changing irrevocably- Gaius has become a drunkard, The Madam, Isis, has converted to Christianity and is changing her brothel into a women's refuge, and his longtime friend, the Excubitor, Felix, is keeping secrets from him and no longer comes to the Mithraeum where he and John used to worship. Plus, the Emperor himself seems to have gone mad, summoning John for discussions late at night with a squad of excubitors. And now John's servant, Paul, seems to be dying after a lifetime of service, and he wants John to convert to Christianity. But even as John sends the woman he loves to their daughter to help at the birth of their grandchild, can he find a way out of Justinian's prison of a proclamation and weather the storm that seems to be hitting the city all around him? And just who would have the temerity to poison an Empress, anyway, even considering how much she was hated by the people of the city? This is, as far as I can tell, the final book in the Chamberlain John series (yes, it could continue, but he would no longer be 'Chamberlain John"), and it was a tightly-plotted mystery with a feeling of real tension throughout. The city is changing, and so are the people in charge. Though John thinks he no longer has to fear Theodora's hatred of him, in a way, she comes back from the grave to imperil him again. This story smacked of time changing and passing, and it left me feeling sort of melancholy at the end. But I was surprised at the true identity of the murderer and the ending, which was the best one that could be hoped for in a series like this. Let's face it, removal from power rarely ends well. Highly recommended, and I regret that the series, which felt like an old friend, ended. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Stationmaster's Farewell by Edward Marston- Robert Colbeck is known as the Railway Detective, and is well-known for solving mysteries involving the trains which have begun to criss-cross the country. So when the Stationmaster of Exeter's St. David Railway station is found murderred in the ashes of a Guy Fawkes Day Bonfire, Inspector Edward Tallis sends Colbeck and his assistant Victor Leeming to Exeter to look into the matter. First of all, they must determine if the body discovered in the remains of the bonfire is actually that of Joel Haygate. the Stationmaster, as it is burned almost beyond recognition. Then, they must determine who killed him and why. Complicating the case is the stationmaster's brother, who wants nothing more than his brother's money, and who was in the midst of a feud with him over that same subject. Also, the woman in charge of the St. David's Refreshment station seems to have gone mad in the wake of his death, having wanted to marry Joel Haygate, but he had no such intention towards her. Third, Colbeck must bring Bagsy Browne, a man with a decided grudge towards Stationmaster Haygate, in for questioning, which is hard as Browne is slippery a customer as can be. Bagsy, meanwhile, is happy that the Stationmaster is dead, and he wants to attend the funeral so he can spit on the grave. As the situation worsens, Colbeck discovers a fourth suspect in the killing. But can he discover the true villain and bring him or her to justice and get back to London in time to marry Madeline? And when the presence of Edward Tallis complicates the investigation, can Colbeck and Leeming get him out of their hair and stop him from interfereing with their investigation? I love Edward Marston's mysteries, and this book is no exception. Colbeck is brilliant and fashionable, like many of Marston's detective heroes, hes incisive and holds up the "Upper Class" part of the detective Duo. Victor Leeming, by contrast, is not at all brilliant, but he's dogged and determined, and often misses his wife anf children. But both do their parts to move the investigation forward. Here, their superior becomes more of an interference than a help, and he is growing upset with Colbeck's brilliance as a detective. He's moving from "superior" to "obstacle", as he smarts over Colbeck being more loved and lionized than he is. This was a murder case that really was only incidental to trains, but even so, I very much enjoyed the story. This was another ending I didn't see coming, and I found the book fascinating. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Peril on the Royal Train by Edward Marston- A horrific derailment accident in Scotland kills three man on a goods train, but the nature of the crime, a huge rock blasted free of the cliffs and left on the tracks, makes it clear that this was no accident. Despite having plenty of detectives who work for him already, the Superintendant of the Caledonian Railway sends for Robert Colbeck to solve the mystery of who was behind this outrage. The Superintendant suspects the work of the North British Railway, and the chief of his own Railway Police, Rory McTurk, agrees. But McTurk, a longtime foe of Colbeck, doesn't agree with calling in the Railway Detective and smarts under what he sees as the humiliation. He is determined to solve the case on his own and show up Colbeck once and for all. But the crash is not the only worry plaguing the Caledonian Railway. One is the Sabbatarians, who believe that the railways shouldn't run on Sunday, the "day of rest" according to the Bible. They have protested. to no avail, and now they believe the time has come to take action. But are they responsible for the crash. or was it the two men on the horse-drawn cart who were seen shortly before the crash- they had something roped down under canvas in the back of the cart. Did they cause the crash? And if not either of those, then who? As Colbeck follows the clues to their conclusion, it becomes clear that whoever caused the crash had their eyes on a far larger prize. But can Colbeck and Leeming keep another such crash from occurring with an even greater loss of life? This book was startling in that the story at the start has nothing to do with the title. In that, the ending of the book is sort of given away, when you come to think about it. But as usual, you aren't sure who is ultimately responsible for the crime until the very end of the book, and Marston dangles some very attractive red herrings in front of you to throw you off the scent. It was also nice to see Madeline adapting to her new life as Colbeck's wife, and her and her father's role in this book. An excellent mystery and one I heartily enjoyed. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sherlock, Lupin and Me: The Dark Lady by Irene Adler- What do the greatest thief in France, the World's Greatest Detective and a lady singer have in common? Nothing, except they are all children staying in St. Malo France in the summer of 1870. They meet and become friends, and when they discover the body of a dead man washed up on the beach, their natural curiosity leads them to rry and find out who the man was and why he died. But it will take all their talents, not to mention the help and interference of the adults in their lives, to uncover the man's true name and find out how he ended up washed up on the beach of St. Malo. But can the three uncover the truth without ending up like the man themselves? Someone wanted him dead,. and it seems that several someones don't want anyone looking into the mystery, either! This was a fun idea for the book, with Arsene Lupin, Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler meeting as children and then getting caught up in a murder mystery. It takes them a bit of time to solve, but in the meantime, they are learning how to fight and defend themselves and how to pick locks (mostly courtesy of Lupin's father). This is only the first book in what promises to be a series, and I look forward to seeing and reading more of them. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Revolution: Book Three of the Secret World Chronicle by Mercedes Lackey, with Cody Martin, Dennis Lee and Veronica Giguere- The Heroes are still fighting the Thulians, but now the organization of Echo has been taken over by the Supervillain Dominic Verdigris, and the heroes, especially Victrix and Belladonna Blue, have to find out, quickly, how to unseat him and get the organization back out from under him, as they suspect- and with good reason, that he's more interested in keeping himself in control rather than fighting the Thulians. As long as he can maintain power, they feel he might even cut a deal with the enemy. Meanwhile, the rest of the allies, the Soviets and the parts of Echo not under direct control by Verdigris, continues to fight against the Thulians and more local crime gangs, led by other metas. Changes are coming for all of them- especially the Angel Seraphym, who finds herself falling in love with human meta John Murdock, who may not be long for this world. But as each of them fight the good fight in their own separate ways, can they come together in the end when and where it really matters, and pull victory out of the jaws of defeat? This is a sizable book, and a bit scattered, with short chapters devoted to the view of the main characters: Victrix, John Murdock, Belladonna Blue and Mercurye. We also get to see some chapters from the point of view of Verdigris- and from another hero turned villain- People's Blade, now taken over by the spirit of her mentor Shen Xue- an absolutely ruthless villain who is mainly looking out for himself while the spirit of Fe Li, the original owner of his borrowed body, recovers from deep spiritual wounds taken in the last book. But the biggest change comes with Seraphim and John Murdock, with plenty of story set up for another book that will be coming- and it's one I will definitely be waiting to read. Fascinating and definitely recommended. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb- Jerry Reinhold is a lazy, thankless loser who is living with his parents after he lost his job amd his girlfriend threw him out on the street for hitting her. But when he loses his temper and knifes his mother with the knife she was using to make his lunch sandwich, he suddenly feels powerful for the first time in his life... and it feels <i>good</i>. So he decides to wait for his father to get home and get some payback for all he's "suffered" in his life. And then, after stealing all the money, cash and electronics, not to mention other valuables from his parents' home, he decides it would be a very good thing to take revenge on all the other people who have hurt him during his life... starting with his ex-girlfriend. And he does. But Eve Dallas is on his tail, and she knows that once he's started killing, he's not going to stop. The question is, can Eve catch him before he kills again? And how many more victims will be added to his tally before he can be caught? Plus, Eve is feeling a little more stress because Roarke's family is coming from Ireland for Thanksgiving, and she has just been told that she will be receiving the Medal of Honor for her work, and Roark will also be receiving a medal at the same ceremony. Wow, this villain was such a sleeze that I was really anxious for him to be caught. At the same time, his last victim was also kind of a jerk and Nora Roberts know just how long enough to hurt him to gain him a smidgen of sympathy by the end. Not much, but a smidgen. And the last scene with Jerry just made me want to cheer Eve and Peabody. It so fit the way I wanted to see them end the threat of the villain. A really excellent book- not much a mystery, but an amazing read. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop- Meg Corbyn has been with the others, recovering, ever since her former owners tried to get her kidnapped from the Courtyard. And ever since. she's had nightmares so bad that Simon Wolfgard has been sleeping in her bed in Wolf form. But when she kicks him out of bed one night, he changes back to human form, and things go pear-shaped for Meg, who feels uncomfortable around him, because she unexpectedly fels an attraction to him. As Simon struggles with dealing with Meg's skittishness, he finds out that she isn't the only one acting in unexpected ways. Members of the Others feel that he has become a little too close to Meg, and say he has been treating her less like a friend and more like a mate. He denies this, but at the same time, he finds himself becoming possessive of Meg and unhappy when he sees others treating her with affection- not necessarily juveniles, but other adults. So what does he really feel? And meanwhile, the Blood Seers, Meg included, are forseeing a great cataclysm to come, one that may have everything to do with a new group called HFL, Humans First and Last, who want to exterminate the Others and take the continent for themselves. But do they think that the Others won't react very harshly indeed to such an act? Plus, someone tries to kill the crows of the crowguard with poisoned meat and lures them in with shiny objects while two new drugs, Gone over Wolf and Feelgood, permeate the human world. As Meg warns the Others of the events she can foresee, The Cassandra Sangue seem unable to forsee anything but disaster, and Meg wants Simon and the Others to free the other Blood Seers from their imprisonment, especially her friend, Jean, one of the few who remembers a life outside the compound. But can he and the others find and reach the other Cassandra Sangue in time? For the attacks by HFL and humans hopped up on Gone Over Wolf and Feelgood are increasing, and the source of those drugs is a horrible secret that must come out. But will the Other outside of Lakeside Compound agree to rescuing the Cassandra Sangue when the truth is revealed? Wow, this book was amazing. The title is both literal and the term for a group of crows, but the book revealed a lot of the backstory of Meg, how she got to the Courtyard of Lakeside to apply for the job, and where she came from- also, where she found out so much about the outside world. The story of the Cassandra Sangue is somewhat depressing, but I liked finding out where they came from, and that at least a few of them were saved. And, given the ending, I suspect that this series, like so many Anne Bishop writes, is going to be a trilogy (at least), and I can't help but look forward to the next volume. Highly recommended for the story, characters, worldbuilding and writing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire- October, "Toby" Daye was once merely a changeling Knight, and now she is the Countess of Goldengreen, but her lifestyle hasn't changed much since her ennoblement. She still lives with her Fetch, May Day and is slowly learning about being nobility, including lessons with Sylvester Torquil, her liege. But when the Luidaeg warns her about a coming war with the Duchy of Saltmist, the Sea Kingdom, Toby must find out what has Saltmist beating the war drums and do her best to defuse the situation... by any means necessary. By saving the life of Patrick Lorden, the consort to Dianda Lorden, the Duchess of Saltmist, she discovers the truth of the matter. Someone has abducted the two sons of Dianda and Patrick, Dean and Sam, and if she wants to halt the war, Toby is going to have to find them and return them to their parents. But Toby is stunned to learn that the abductress was none other than Rayselline Torquil who has long hated Toby for not rescuing her from her kidnappers so many years ago- not caring that Toby spent twenty years as a fish in a pond in Golden Gate Park for all that time. And more than just kidnapping the Lorden children, Rayselline has also kidnapped Toby's daughter, Gillian- the one thing that ensures that Toby will spare no effort in tracking her down- because if there is one thing that cannot be denied, it's Toby's love for her daughter. But will rescuing her daughter mean losing her at the same time? And when Rayselline is revealed as a murderer, there is no power, human or fae to save her from her fate. But can Toby uncover the truth behind who supported Rayselline in her ambitions and bring them both to justice? Well, this was a bit of a change. We finally get to see and meet a lot of the sea-born fae, and Toby gets to go to the Undersea Knowe of Saltmist and meet the Lordens. But Toby has a lot of hard choices to make, and helping the Lordens seems to be a thing that not only she is able to do, but also only she is willing to do. Nobody else wants to help them because too many land fae think war is glorious and honorable- but none of them ever fought in a war and don't know what it's really like. They also lack the discipline to fight a war, discipline the sea fae have never lost. I really enjoyed this book, and the ending was very depressing, but had a note of hope. We also get to see Toby exercise her new powers as a Dochas Sidhe, with powers over blood, which helps her in her quest to find the Lorden boys, and sets up many interesting threads for the future. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest and Other Stories by Mike Mignola, Patric Reynolds, James Harren, John Arcudi, Peter Snejbjerg and Dave Stewart- This graphic novel collects three stories starring Abe Sapien from the BPRD. "The Haunted Boy" takes Abe to Vermont to investigate a "typical" haunting case, only for him to find out that it isn't typical at all. Two boys went ice-skating and fell through the ice. Only one boy survived. So is the haunting the dead boy, or something else? "The Abyssal Plain" follows up on the war sinking of a submarine carrying a very important enchanted artifact- and the Red Army man who promised his superiors that he would protect it with his life. But when he is dead, who will protect the helmet, and what lengths will he go to to in order to fulfill that promise? Finally, "The Devil Does Not Jest" takes Abe to meet the grandson of a man whose books on Demonology Abe has been fascinated with. But the man was hiding secrets in his home, and when Laer's grandson is killed by his "Uncle", Abe and the local sheriff have to deal with the fallout- and which may lead to both of their deaths. Hellboy makes a short appearance in this one. I liked these stories focused on Abe, who usually played a backseat to Hellboy in the movies and the early comics, He's an interesting character on his own and makes a whole variety of water-based and centered stories possible. This collection was interesting and the stories were by turns horrific and yet interesting. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede- Francine "Eff" Rothmer is the thirteenth child, while her twin brother, Lan, is the ultra-lucky seventh son of a seventh son. Now living in Mill City near the magical Great Barrier Wall, Eff and Lan are dealing with the aftermath of killing a Medusa Lizard who can turn animals to stone. Eff has been working with the local college, taking care of the animals, both magical and not, that are kept by the college where her father is a professor. But the government and other magicians are very interested in Lizzie, their name for the Medusa Lizard, and everyone is clamoring to study it. But shipping the lizard east is just not going to happen, so a delegation of Hijiero_Cathayan wizards comes to Mill City with the intention of studying it, and the government builds a study center across the river to study the new animals, both magical and not, that seem to be heading east from the far West. But this involves moving Lizzy and the eggs she was carrying, through the Great Barrier Spell, which has unforeseen consequences- three of the eggs hatch, and the Medusa Lizard carried over 70 of them. Mill City, and the rest of the East, need to know how populous the Lizards are, and if and when they are going to reach the east. So when the Cathayan Magician arrives, she and her fellow magicians study the Lizard. There, they are able to pinpoint the Lizard's origin in the Far West, and the magicians offer to sponsor a trip with the government to catalogue the creatures, and features of the far West. Eff wants to go, but knows she has no chance, but her brother Lan, her friend William and even her former teacher Miss Ochiba, Circuit-Rider Wash and Miss Torgerson, her colleague at the Animal Care center, will be going on the trip. But when Miss Torgerson asks her along as an assistant, Eff knows she wants to go, but will her family accept it? And how exactly do you prepare to leave everything you have known behind- for years? And what will happen on her great adventure in the far west? This is the third book in the "Frontier Magic series, about Eff Rothmer and her adventures with magic and the magical creatures. I loved the way this book brings out how, while her brother Lan is supposed to be the most powerfully magical one, it's usually Eff who ends up finding a way to save the day by something she has realized. Yet while Lan is arrogant, he's lost a lot of his former confidence and arrogance, and Eff remains surprisingly self-effacing. And in this book, she finally grows up, becoming an experienced magician, explorer and person, as well as finding the man she wants to spend her life with, and a career. This is a wonderful series, and I never felt at all let down by it, or like the story had squandered its potential. This is a great capper to a wonderful series, and perhaps Ms. Wrede might see fit to visit this world again one day. I'd be more than happy to make the trip back. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Eight Million Gods by Wen Spencer- Nikki Delaney is an American writer living in Japan, hiding from her powerful mother, who has long thought Nikki to be mentally ill and tried to commit her more than once. In fact, Nikki left the States barely ahead of her mother and a bunch of men in white coats. Still in hiding, she works on her horror novel, and has just recently written a scene with an American expat killed by means of a blender when she goes out to meet her friend Miriam at a restaurant. When another diner overhears them talking about her latest murder scene and is horrified, Miriam chides him playfully, saying that if he's not careful, Nikki will kill him, too, and he runs out of the restaurant. But soon, other men enter, and approach her table. They are police, it turns out, and are there to arrest her- for murder. It seems that the murder she wrote about on her blog actually happened, and now she is the prime suspect. Nikki is horrified herself, but she tries to explain the truth to the police. Nikki may not be insane, but she is OCD and can't <i>not</i> write. In fact, if she can't write, she has to click a retractable pen in and out to calm herself down. But Nikki, to her horror, finds out that everything she has written has come true, and she wonders if she is in some way responsible for what happened. Maybe a crazed fan of hers is re-enacting the murders she writes about? But she is able to prove to the police that she was not the murderer. But in writing another scene, she discovers that the murdered man stole a katana and hid it in a train station locker. Wondering if she is going crazy, she goes to the locker, and finds the katana, wrapped in leather. Not knowing what is going on, she discovers that the sword belongs to a Kami and another Kami is looking for him. But why, he doesn't know. The Kami, Atsumori, is a minor Kami, but he wants revenge on the people who burned his shrine. Soon, she is taken by Leo, a man who is looking for his father. And somehow, she is able to at least find out where his father is. But as her life on the run fills with Kami, gangsters, Tanuki, and a fan of hers named Pixii, Nikki is going to have to find out what she is, and what she can become and even what she wants to do with her life. But can she do all that without dying first? I started reading this because I am waiting for the next Wen Spencer "Tinker" novel and saw this listed in her back catalogue. Then I read the blurb inside the front cover and knew I <i>HAD</i> to read it. Gods and demons and Tanuki and a writer who writes reality even when she doesn't realize it? Sign me up! But the initial premise is actually quite disquieting for a writer- write horror stuff and realize that somehow, impossibly, it is all coming true? Well, that's a pretty nightmare all on its own. But as Nikki begins to understand where her mother is coming from, and deal with her own demons of the past (one of the times when she was committed, she was apparently raped by an orderly) and finds someone to love and what she really is. By the end of the book, she doesn't "need" to write ever again. But the compulsion remains, and she has come to terms with her, for lack of a better word, ability. And she finds herself attracted to Leo. But can she live with an attraction to a man she describes as a "Scary Cat guy"? Insane question, maybe, but I loved it. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Waxwork by Peter Lovesey- When Miriam Cromer comes under suspicion for the murder of her husband's photographic assistant, she at first refuses to answer, then writes a detailed confession. But something in her "confession" doesn't make sense. How did she poison the man with potassium cyanide, which was kept locked up in a cabinet that only her husband and his assistant had the keys to? And her husband was out of the house at a meeting of a photographic society in another city, and his assistant would hardly have given her the keys to poison himself! Inspector Jowett assigns Cribb to the case, insisting that someone in power has the idea that Miriam Cromer is innocent and would like Cribb to prove it. Meanwhile, James Berry the executioner, receives an invitation from Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum to have a figure made of him and to have it installed in their "House of Horrors" section, for a sum of money. But as Cribb investigates what really happened in the Cromer household that day and before, the case grows muddier instead of clearer. Is Miriam the murderess, or was it someone else in the household, like her husband? What really happened, and who, if anyone, can be trusted to tell the truth? I loved the old Sgt. Cribb series, and his book was turned into the first episode of that series that appeared, with Alan Dobie in the role as Cribb. This was a very effective book, but I felt that it telegraphed the true murderer when the reader sees that not only has the assistant been killed, but so have a wide number of people around the killer, including possibly the parents and a former assistant. As soon as I read that, a certain suspicion settled in my mind. "This is the murderer. This is the one." And it turned out I was right. Still, I enjoyed reading about Sgt. Cribb without his usual companion of Thackeray, and we can see why Jowett is not exactly Cribb's favorite person. But it definitely has an old Victorian/Edwardian feel to it, and the true story emerges slowly, teased from little bits in the testimony of others. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Owls aren't Wise and Bats aren't Blind: A Naturalist Debunks Our Favorite Fallacies About Wildlife by Warmer Shedd- This book examines the stories that are often told about different animals- that Wolves live mainly upon small prey like rabbits and squirrels, that Squirrels are tame or remember where they bury nuts, that the Newt and the Red Eft are different animals, and that the Lynx and the Bobcat are different animals, among just a small number of tall tales we tend to believe. Warner Shedd debunks these tales by giving us the real truth about animals, many of which he has experienced on his own or been told by another naturalist- and mostly, the stories are his own. He covers animals from the Beaver to the Mison, from the Muskrat to the Deer, Elk and Bison (which are not actually extinct, but were saved by owners and ranchers, to be raised on farms, and have only recently been released back into the wild. If you are expecting this book to be dead and dry as dust, let me disabuse you of that notion now. This was a fascinating book to read, and while it had no photographs beyond those on its cover, each species is drawn in exacting detail by Trudy Nicholson, and the illustrations are superb. I really enjoyed reading this book, though it's better absorbed in small bites than in reading several chapters at once. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">In Fire Forged: Worlds of Honor #5 by David Weber, Jane Lindskold, Andy Presby and Timothy Zahn- This book collects three stories and a technical manual on how the Honotverse's weapons and armor work. The First story is "Ruthless" by Jane Lindskold. When Judith Newland's daughter, Ruth, is kidnapped byQueen Elizabeth's political enemies to force her brother, David, who loves Judith, to make statements dismissive of his sister's policies and bring down her government, the enemies are in for a shock. Because while Judith might have been captured and mated to one of the horrible Masadans, but she loves her daughter, and will do anything to get her back. But will allow David to sacrifice himself for her daughter? in "An Act of War" by Timothy Zahn, a con man attempting to sell the People's Republic of Haven a worthless piece of tech is caught and "recruited" into the People's Navy to try and kickstart a war between Manticore and the Andermanni Empire, neither of which "Charles", the conman, really wants to do. But when they send him along on the mission to start an incident with the Andermanni, can he keep himself alive when the plan goes to heck and threatens to kill everyone on board? And will the Peeps be able to start the war they want? "Let's Dance" by David Weber details the trials and tribulations Honor Harrington experiences when she tries to bring pirates to justice in Silesia. But are the experiences she has just an example of sector officials who don't care, or are they something much worse- actual collusion with the pirates? And how will Honor deal with it, no matter the cause of the difficulties she experiences? Lastly "An Introduction to Modern Starship Armor Design" shows how and why Ships of Honor's day are laid out, and how and why they carry the sort of armor and armaments they do. I really liked this book, especially the first story by Jane Lindskold. While every story evoked the Honorverse, I found this one the most interesting and approachable- and I loved how the two characters acknowledged their feelings in the end. Definitely interesting and recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">They Have a Word for It: Alighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words and Phrases by Howard Rheingold- English is a language that borrows from every other one, or as I shirt I own puts it. "English doesn't just BORROW from other languages- it follows them down dark alleys, bashes them over the head and rifles through theur pockets for loose vocabulary." Well, this book is a list of words that haven't yet entered American English, but should. Words for art, like Shibui, a japanese word to connote the beauty that age brings to things, or Frotteur, the word for a man who rubs himself on strange women (from the French). These are words we need in our language, but they have meanings that cannot be efficiently stated in any other way. My current favorite word, which I have seen before, is <i>Aware</i>, which I know from a description in Japanese, <i> mono no aware</i>, which roughtly translated, means "The Ah-ness of things", or beauty that is so ephemeral that you only have time to gasp out "Ah!", and it is gone. If you love words, as I do, this book is fascinating, and will give you many interesting words to think on and add to your vocabulary. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shadow of the Alchemist by Jeri Westerson- Crispin Guest used to be a knight, but an accusation of treason led to him losing everything. Now, he solves mysteries, known as "The Tracker", working the streets with his apprentice, Jack. In this book, he is approached by the French Alchemist, Nicolas Flamel, to find his wife and apprentice, both of whom have gone missing. But at the same time, Crispin reconnects with a lord he once trained, Henry, Lord Derby, who claims to want to learn to do what Crispin does. But as Crispin navigates the utterly alien world of alchemy and alchemists to find out who may have wanted to do Flamel and his wife harm, he attracts the attention of Aveline, Flamel's deaf and mute servant girl, who takes a tendre to him. and tries to help him with his investigation.. But when someone starts trying to kill him, he will have to discover the true culprit and find the solution to both mysteries... before it kills him. I really like this series, which mixes medieval with Noir to make a surprisingly unexpected harmonious whole. It has the whole "Bitter, cynical, jaded detective", too much drinking and a succession of hot women who never seem to stick around... and transports it wholesale to the medieval era. I love Crispin, who still tries to do his best while being scorned by the society who once loved, or at least respected him, and I love his relationship with his apprentice, Jack. Anyone who has read, or heard of, Nicholas Flamel or the Philosopher's stone will enjoy this book, as well as anyone who enjoys detective fiction or Noir. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Night Broken by Patricia Briggs- Mercy Thompson has been married to Adam Hauptmann, Alpha of the local Werewolf pack, for a while now. Despiote that, not everyone in the pack accepts her, because she is a mere skinchanger, a human who can become a coyote rather than a wolf. But Mercy can live with it- until Adam gets a call from his human ex-wife, Christy, who says she is being stalked by a man and he may have killed a boyfriend of hers, and she is scared. Adam, of course, has no problem helping her with her problem- that's the kind of man he is, and Mercy loves him for it. But what she doesn't like about Christy is her manipulative nature, whoch allows her to control everyone around her without seeming to- and it seems that members of Adam's pack would rather him being married to Christy than to Mercy. But the man who is after her isn't human, and his powers are almost more than even Adam can take. Has the pack and Adam bitten off more than they can chew, and how can Mercy help the man she loves from being involved once again with a woman who left him for no good reason? And can she end the threat that Christy's stalker poses without putting the entire world at risk? This was an excellent book. I really enjoyed seeing Mercy deal with an intruder in her territory (Christy), and her recognizing the passive-aggressive ways that Christy was trying to push her buttons and make Mercy react badly, which would have made her seem like the bad guy. But Mercy resisted losing her cool, despite lots and lots of provocation, and I also liked the villain, who felt like a real threat (Him throwing his own finger at Mercy felt extremely significant, and damn scary, too.) And the way Mercy finally takes him down was pure awesome. I also liked that even gutting the villain's threat doesn't make the pack members who didn't like her suddenly lov her, but some of them end up liking Christy less because they realize what she is doing. And the implications for the pack are up in the air at the end. Once more, they will be forced to change, and sometimes change is a good thing, while other times... Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sat, Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss- There is nothing the human body and hrain react to as much as Salt, Sugar and Fat. Once, a long time ago, people mostly cooked meals from Fresh Ingredients that they had at home. Now, with the number of people in the workforce, everything is ready-made and reheatable. But with that comes a whole host of problems. Foods with WOF- or "Warmed-Over Flavor", a nasty taste that makes things taste reheated, and mostly unappetizing. Every Big Brand wants to attract people to its foods, so how do they accomplish that? By using Salt, Sugar and Fat to trick our bodies into not tasting off flavors and to get us to eat more. First, Author Moss takes us to Sugar- which our bodies crave because it is a high-energy substance. All of us have a Bliss Point,at which a product appeals to our taste for sweets most strongly. Children have a much higher Bliss Point than adults, to the point where at one time, there was a breakfast cereal that was an astonishing 73% sugar on the market. Add in fat, and the body no longer senda a "Stop eating, you're full" notice to tbe brain. This is especially prevalent in things like cookies. Companies may make noises from time to time about reducing fat in their baked goods, but once their competitors release cookies with higher amounts of fat, the other brands increase the fat in their own cookies to increase their control over the market. And you wondered why you "Can't eat just one"? (Oreos are almost always the worst offenders in this regard). Lastly, salt controls flavor, making you not notice bad or off flavors in food. But it is also not good for you and can be responsible for higher blood prssure, among other things. Reading this book was an eye-opener for me. I have never been into high sugar cereal (I grew up eating Cheerios and Kellog's Corn Flakes), not sticking tons of salt on my food and generally staying away from high fat. I still grew up overweight, but my "Bliss Point" for sugar has apparently always been set lower than other peoples. I remember asking my mom for one of those high-sugar cereals when I was little, and even then, it was just too sweet for me. Nevertheless, I still love cake, pie and other sugary deserts (Lemon pie- not lemon Meringue Pie, just Lemon Pie, is still my favorite, with Apple a close second.). But there are things, like Hot Dogs (loaded with fat and other chemicals that are really bad for you) that I don't think I will ever be eating again. This book changed the things I will eat, and maybe that's enough change in my life for now. This book may not change the way you live or eat, but it will open your eyes to what goes into the food you eat. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Board Stiff by Piers Anthony- Irrelevant Kandy is a beautiful girl, but bored with her life. She wants an adventure, with some romance included, so she makes a wish on a wishing well,and gets turned into what she was: a board. Bored Stiff, actially. Realizing she made a bad choice and a bad wish, she ends up getting picked up by a man named Ease, whose magical talent is always having things be easy for him, and Kandy discovers that she can inflience him a little by speaking to him, mind to mind, which he mistakes for his own thoughts. She sends him off to the Good Wizard Humphrey to ask him a question, which means he will be bound in service for a year. Instead, Humphrey sends him on a quest: to get rid of a pun-destroying virus that has invaded Xanth. Ease doesn't like puns, but Kandy makes him see that some of them are necessary. They are joined on the quest by Astrid Basilisk-Cockatrice, who MareAnn wants Kandy to befriend, Com-Pewter, who has a vested interest in keeping Xanth the way it is, Tiara, a young girl with unruly hair they find locked up in a tower by her sisters, whom they rescue, and Mitch, a man with amazingly long hair he wears as a shirt. But there are other players interested in Xanth, including the Demoness Fornax, who wants Kandy to be her representative in Xanth and is willing to do almost anything to get her to agree. But can Kandy help Ease to find what he wants, and to find his dream girl, who is Kandy? And can their group eliminate the source of the pun-killing virus with everything that stands in their way? Surprisingly enough, I liked this book, which was focussed on romance rather than sex (yes, sex happens between some of the other characters, but offscreen, where it belongs and the characters aren't banging lika a dunny door in a storm all the time. This is a return to the earlier Xanth books, and much appreciated. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Carniepunk by various authors- This compilation of short stories focuses on carnivals, with a punk sort of theme. "Painted Love" by Rob Thurman introduces us to Doodle, a very strange man who is actually a tattoo from hell. But he's escaped and is looking forward to dealing with Brad, a psychopath who works in a circus. When Doodle falls in love with the sister of a girl Bard has his eye on, can be save her from Brad's wrath? "The Three Lives of Lydia" by Delilah S. Dawson has Lydia, who suddenly finds herself in Bludworld. When she makes a connection with Charlie Dregs, a bludman who works in the circus she finds herself in, can she stay with him, despite knowing that she might be drawn back to her own world at any moment? "The Demon Barker of Wheat Street" by Kevin Hearne has his Iron Druid Character, his apprentice and Oberon, in the shape of a dog, checking out a carnival that has come to town. But when the carnival turns into a trip to Hell, can he keep them all safe and fight the demons with his powers? "The Sweeter the Juice" by Mark Henry has a pre-operative transsexual looking to buy the drugs that keep her looking female after a zombie apocalypse. But will she enjoy the end of her quest to discover a new street drug that her doctor wants to gain access to? "The Werewife by Jane Wells takes a man who has been cursed with a werewolf wife back to the carnival where she picked up her strange affliction, But when she confronts the woman who changed her, will she be imprisoned, or set free? "The Cold Girl" by Rachel Caine has a girl named Kiley, who discovers, on a trip to a carnival, that her boyfriend is a real monster- human, but a monster. When he and his friends kill her, she comes back to haunt him in the form of a Cold Girl, i.e. a vampire. But can she stay a cold girl forever, or will her human side win out? "A Duet with Darkness" by Alison Pang introduces us to Abby Sinclair, a violinist who ran away from Julliard to make music on her own. Taken in by a band formed of Outsiders and wildlings, she travels to a music festival strictly for outsiders. But when she faces off against a violinist who carries the violin of the devil, can she beat him? And what will be the price to her? "Recession of the Divine" gives us Olivia, who is a muse working as a claims adjuster. When she goes to a carnival to deal with a claim, one of the workers there imprisons her and makes her tell people's fortunes. But what will happen when she finally breaks free, and can her human, mortal shell survive? "Parlor Tricks" by Jennifer Estep has Gin Blanco, better known as the former assassin "The Spider" and her sister, Bria, a detective in the notoriously corrupt police force, go to a carnival looking for a lost girl, the daughter of one of the Police's secretaries. But what they find there traps both of them, and can they win free themselves and rescue the girl before they end up dying from another elemental who will do anything to possess continued beauty and youth? "Freak House" by Kelly Meding takes us to the "strays" universe to bing us the tale of Shiloh Harrison, a half-Djinn whose father has been imprisoned in a freak show for rich people's delectation, along with several other "paras". But when she meets up with a werewolf government agent, can she find a way to attend the show and rescue her father? "The Inside Man" by Nicole Peeler has a woman named Jane True who investigates otherworldly crimes with her associates looking into a carnival where people who attend are never quite right again. But when it turns out that the carnival's master is stealing the memories of the people who go there, can she save her friends from the same fate- while experiencing their innermost memories and secrets? "A Chance in Hell" by Jackie Kessler has a female ex-succubus with a human soul who is trying to learn to become human. But when she is dragged by her friend to a carnival run by a demon of Greed, can she keep her friend's soul safe when she is marked and claimed by a demon of Lust? And what will breaking her friend free cost her? "Hell's Menagerie" by Kelly Fay gives us Emma Madigan, daughter of her character Charlie Madigan, going to rescue a litter of Hellhound puppies who have been imprisoned by an evil caravan master. But when his price for letting them go is one of her friends, how can she say no? And what will she do to redeem her friend? Finally, "The Daughter of the Midway, The Mermaid and the Open, Lonely Sea" by Seanan McGuire tells us of Ada, a carnival girl whose mother, once human, has become an actual mermaid, and a carnival sideshow attraction. But when the carnival returns to where her mother grew up and the town from which she was desperate to escape, can Ada find out what her mother was fleeing, and keep from coming to the same end? This was a really good collection of stories. Many of them were horror or borderline horror, but they were all good. The one I enjoyed the most, because it is still staying with me, is "The Three Lives of Lydia", which continues to haunt me because of the ending. I wanted to read more about lydia and a story that leaves you wanting more, when it is this good, is a very good thing. Highly recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-3613472564697237212014-03-12T04:36:00.001-04:002014-03-16T21:07:33.103-04:002014, Part 2<span style="color: #33ccff;">Shadows Return by Lynn Flewelling- Seregil and Alec are back in Rhiminee, trying to put the pieces of their life back together when they are summoned by the new Queen, Phoria, after her glorious return to the city. She disbands the Watchers, and gives Seregil and Alec a mission to return to Aurenen to bring home her sister, Princess Klia, who has fully recuperated after her recent brush with death. Along with the message, Alec and Seregil are to bring her a new company of soldiers to guard her, as her old company has been recalled. Phoria feels that Klia has too many people who would rather see her on the throne in place of Phoria. But when they are in Aurenen, Alec and Seregil are captured and sold into slavery by Zenghati slavers, who sell them in Plenimar. Alec is treated fairly well, purchased by an alchemist who wishes to use him for making various items, including a child, called a rekharo, made from Alec's Hazadrielfaie blood. But first, Alec must be purged of the "Impurity" of his human blood. And if he refuses, or talks back to his owner, he pays a price in pain, beaten on the soles of his feet. Seregil is separated from Alec, and, as it turns out, sold to the same man. But he is not to be a slave to the man who bought him, but to another slave, Khenir, who is actually Seregil's old lover Ilar i Sontir, who blames Seregil for what happoened twenty years ago, and his life as a slave ever since. Alec and Seregil know they must escape, but neither knows where the other is at first, and both have been scarred and collared, and to run as a slave is to be harshly punished in Plenimar. Can they keep their wits about them long enough to escape and find each other, and when Alec's second Rekharo turns out to be a (relative) success to his new Master, can he take the creature, who he views as the "Child of No Mother" that he was foretold to father, with him and still successfully escape? And can he and Seregil keep from coming to blows over the presence of "Khenir", whose help they needed to escape? This was a very different book than the first three, and at times, difficult to read because of what the characters are going through and how strongly you feel about them by now. Also, early in the book, they quarrel, which made me, at least, feel bad for the two of them. This is a book that's fairly horrific in subject matter and which makes both Alec and Seregil have to reach deep within themselves to survive. This is not a book to read if you have a weak stomach or get upset easily. It's frankly quite harrowing at times. But I really enjoyed the ending, even as the next book was telegraphed at the end of this one. I am looking forward ro reading "The White Road". Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hot Mama by Jennifer Estep- Fiona Fine by day is a hot fashion designer, whose over the top designs are the toast of Bigtime. By night, she fights crime as the Superheroine, Fiera, with fiery powers, super strength, and super-endurance. And now, she is watching Stryker, leader of the Fearless Five, marry Karma Girl, better known as Carmen Cole, former intrepid girl reporter and outer of Superhero and Ubervillain secret identities. Fiona knows it should have been her getting married, to Tornado, her former teammate killed by the Terrible Triad, and she resents Carmen for having outed him and starting the evenrs that led up to his death. She still wears the ring he gave her, but her general depression leads her to think that it may be time to ease her way back into dating. She even finds a guy interested in her, a rich playboy named Johnny Bulluci, but the wedding party is crashed by new ubervillains Siren and Intelligirl, who have pretty much taken over the scene now that The Terrible Triad is gone. She ends up driving off the two, and Johnny asks for his watch back, which is decorated with an angel wings motif. Stryker and Karma Girl debate on whether to go on their honeymoon or not, but Fiona urges them to go- she'll be fine, and she and the rest of the team can get these two Ubervillains, no problem. Meanwhile, as Fiona, she has to deal with Erica Songe, a new, very pushy superhero reporter who seems to be able to charm the top brass into letting her do anything she wants- and the reappearance of a hero, Johnny Angel, in a newer, younger form, who want revenge on Siren and Intelligirl for killing his predecessor. But when her personal and Superhero lives collide, Fiona will have to decide what is more important- a man she is coming to love, or staying true to the memory of Travis- and tracking down Siren and Intelligirl- that may be more important than anything else. This was the follow-up to the "Karma Girl" book, and deals with Fiera, daughter of Mr. Sage and member of the Fearless Five. Fiona has never quite forgiven Carmen for getting Travis killed, but at the same time, Carmen saved her- saved them all, really, and now she's marrying Stryker. But the book lets them go on their honeymoon so we can get to the meat of the story- Fiona's new love life when she meets Johnny Bulluci. Here, we learn more about other heroes, how some of them are "legacy heroes", whose powers or name are passed down in the family. Johnny is one such, and even his sister, Fiona's fashion nemesis Bella Bulluci, has powers. It's quite an interesting world, but the ending did peeve me a bit because what happened to Lulu at the end of Karma Girl is retconned away... to happen all over again at the end of "Hot Mama". But the rest of the story is good, and enlarged the world of Bigtime considerably. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Tell: Little Clues that Reveal Big Truths about Who We Are by Matthew Hertenstein- Poker players speak of a "Tell", a series of cues that reveal to their opponents how their hand is going. Most often, these are not conscious actions, but subconscious things that the player doesn't even realize he is doing, that can give their hand away. But there are other "Tells" as well, revealing things like how parents treat their children, and whether we perceive people as attractive (hint, the more symmetrical your features, the more attractive you appear, because symmetry correlates with health). The author also examines other aspects of personal interaction allowing you to tell with better accuracy who might be gay or honest. I found this a fascinating book, though I didn't feel that the book gave me anything specific to latch onto in my own life. But I did find the subjects he dissected really caught my attention and made me understand why some kids are secure and some are not. Definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Cloisters Bestiary by The Metropolitan Museum of Art- This book showcases animal art from the Cloisters along with Medieval thoughts about the habits, habitat and nature of certain animals, both real, like Lions, Tigers, Boars Dogs, Wolves and Cats, along with mythical animals like Dragons, Basilisks and Unicorns. This is an interesting book and gives the origins of the art- whether it be painted, cast or carved, used to illustrate the text. Although the book is in black and white, I found it quite interesting. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce- After the setback at Fief Dunlath, when Daine's victory over the Carthaki mages cut off Emperor Orzone's supply of Black Opals, Orzone has sought peace with Tortall, making overtures to King Jonathan and holding out hope for a treaty of peace. Daine and Numair are traveling with the Diplomats, Daine to see to the Emperor's prized songbirds, who have fallen mysteriously ill, and Numair because Orzone has rescinded the order for his execution on sight. But Daine dreams of the Badger, the God of the Badgers, and in her dream, he breathes out a white mist on her. It's a dream she finds puzzling and slightly frightening, as the Badger makes it clear that he *is* doing something to her, and under protest, at that. But Carthak is something of a revelation- incredibly wealthy and also incredibly corrupt, thanks to Orzone and his insistence on being worshipped in place of the Gods. Daine also finds herself having encounters with an old dark-skinned slave woman, and Prince Kaddar, the heir to Orzone and quite a nice young man, all things considered. She also saves and befriends a young marmoset named Zek, whose owner threw him into the river for Crocodiles to eat, and discovers that Orzone has immortals imprisoned in his menagerie- a Queen of Stormwings, Barzha and her consort, Hebakh. But when Daine tells that to Rikash, a Stormwing she first met in Fief Dunlath, he is shocked. The current King of the Stormwings supposedy killed Barzha and dumped her body over the ocean, and Stormwings only rule by right of victory. And Carthak and Orzone have deeper problems. In abandoning the Gods, the Gods have also abandoned Carthak. And now Daine has been given a new power by the Graveyard Hag, the main Goddess of Carthak, to bring dead things back to life. But Daine has her own ideas of what to use the power on, and she isn't willing to be the pawn of a Goddess, even a powerful one like the Graveyard Hag. But when the Emperor decides to abduct Daine to keep her and her power with animals forever, Daine might finally be angry enough with the Emperor to USE her newfound power. Can the Empire, and Orzone himself, stand against her might and that of the Gods, when Daine finally has had enough? Whoa. This book definitely brought it where Daine and her power is concerned. She gets a major (if temporary) power upgrade, but she is frightened by its effects and tries not to use it. We finally get to see Carthak and it's a lush, tropical land of great beauty, and great suffering as well. Slaves, massive inequality between the Emperor and the common people, and more intrigues with Gods and the Immortals. I loved this book for the adventure and for Daine herself, who is really coming into her own. She also finds out more about herself- possibly things that she may not want to know, like the fact that she herself is part God- or at least the child of one. This was a tasty dish of story that really satisfied and kept Daine both herself, human and down to earth despite the great power she could wield. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce- The walls between the lands of the immortals, where they were banished hundreds of years ago, and the human world have finally come down completely, and the people of Tortall are fighting off not only Stormwings and other baneful immortals like Hurroks, but other creatures as well, some helpful, some baneful. When Daine and her mentor Numair are attacked on the road and nearly killed by immortals, her mother and her father, the woods God Weiryn, pull her into the Realm of the Gods. Literally, everyone and everything there are Gods, whether human or animal. It is here that Daine's other mentor, the badger-god lives, but because Daine and Numair were still alive when they were pulled in, they face a long recovery process that would not have been the case if they had actually died. Here, Daine discovers the truth of her parentage for herself, and meets her father, Weiryn, for the first time. Apparently, when Daine's mother was killed, Weiryn rescued her and brought her to his home, and she has become a minor Goddess herself, known as "The Green Lady" who looks after the women of Daine's former home, helping with women's health and birthing issues. Her mother wants Daine to stay with her in the home of the Gods, but Daine feels that she and Numair have a duty to their friends and the people of Tortall. They also discover that Orzone is still alive, though he has become a Stormwing. Indeed, he took over the Stormwings from their old ruler and drove off Queen Barzha and Hebakh and their followers, along with Rikash. The Stormwings who follow Barzha have retreated to the Realm of the Gods, though they harry the others when they are able. Orzone has also been busy in the Realm of the Gods, creating creatures from his blood and darkness, who Daine christens "Darklings", to do his bidding. But here he may have miscalculated, as any creature made in the Realm of the Gods cannot be a servant to anything else, and therefore, the Darklings have the power of choice- to support Orzone or not, as they choose. Orzone created them to be his spies, his eyes and ears, but as the Darkling who Daine finds first discovers, it likes being free and chooses to help her. When Daine will not stay with Sarra and Weiryn, determined to go home and help her friends, her mother and father reluctantly give her their help. But to get home, they will have to cross the Realm of the Gods on their own, and face up to the Dangers within. Even as Rikash and the Stormwings who support Queen Barzha agree to help Daine and Numair cross the perilous desert to reach the lands of the Dragons, there are other dangers that could just as easily kill Daine and her mentor. But at least Daine can ask the Dragons for help, since she has been looking after the infant Dragon, Skysong, who Daine nicknamed "Kitten", since her mother was killed by the Carthakis at the Siege of Pirate's Swoop. But not all the Dragons are friendly to humans, and the Gods are caught up in the conflict with another Goddess, the Queen of Chaos, who wants to destroy everything and let the world and universe become unformed. Can Daine and Numair survive their trek and save their friends at home, along with defeating Orzone and helping the Gods end the threat of the Queen of Chaos? Or will she and her mentor lose their lives with no hope of ever going home again? This book was the climax of the series and one of the best. Yes, some people might find the ending between Numair and Daine a bit… personally troubling, as they end up in a relationship. Well, it's not like you get the feeling that they are going to be sneaking off into the bushes to shag, just that they are going to be a couple. And that someday Daine will marry him. Yeah, and she's only sixteen in this book and he's in his twenties or so. While that did make me twitch a bit, there is really no telling what the age of consent is in Tortall. It might be younger than in modern times because of the harsher conditions of their world (breed early, breed often was a solid means of survival in medieval times where people and babies tended to die, and die young). So now I am not as shocked as I was when I first read the book, but it can still be a shock when you read it for the first time. But this book wraps up the series, and I found the end as thrilling as I had when I first read it. Highly recommended, even with the quibble of Daine and Numair ending up together.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dead on the Delta by Stacy Jay- Once, faeries were just a story, but the reappearance of faeries in the human world has put it upside down. Annabelle Lee used to be a medical student, but gave it up to become a cleaner, mainly because she is immune to Fairy venom. Now she works for the local government, cleaning up fairy eggs and Fairy poop, which, when mixed with Bleach, makes Breeze, the latest version of crack. If normal humans are bitten by faeries, they will eventually go crazy, anf have to be put in camps for their own safety and the safety of their families. Thus, most humans live in heavily gated communities protected by iron. But when Annabelle ventures into the swamp to clean up after a dead body and gets attacked by a breezehead, she wanders into a murder case and an even greater mystery. The dead girl whose body she was supposed to clean up after was the daughter of a highly placed family in town, and when she is attacked by a breeze-head, she is also attacked by an invisible man- something completely unknown to her. As Annabelle attempts to track down the Breeze House where the Breeze dealers are making their poison, she must also deal with their attacks on her, and whatever it is they are looking for- and just possibly find out who killed that young girl. But can she, and her innate optimism about those she knows and loves, deal with the secrets she will uncover in her own small town? And can she keep one step ahead of those trying to kill her? I was not really enthralled with this book. I've dealt with plenty of Sour heroines before, but Annabelle just never had my sympathy, and I didn't enjoy reading about her and her problems. She's too unsympathetic to me, being an alcoholic and possibly addicted to pills- admittedly, because of the stresses of her job, but I never really cared about Annabelle and it was a struggle for me to get through this book. I generally love gritty urban fantasy, but this neither thrilled nor appealed to me in the least. I won't be picking up any of the other books in this series. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Revealed by P.C. Cast- In order to get over the attack on the disappearance of Nefret and her poisoning the well of the Tulsa community against the local House of Night, the House of Night, under the High Priestess, Thanatos, lets members of the public meet many of the Fledglings and see that they are little different than other late teens and are not to be feared. But when Neferet's spirit shows up in the form of hundreds of Spiders and tries to attack Zoey and her friends, and the humans at the fair, Zoey and her friends, including Erin, form a circle to repel Neferet's spirit, but her attack causes Erin to reject the change and die. This pisses off Dallas, and he vows revenge against Zoey and her friends. But as Zoey and her friends deal with the death of Erin, once their friend and recently their foe, Neferet's spirit reforms and kills Aphrodite's father, the Mayor of Tulsa, leaving the blame to fall once more on the House of Night. But something is also going on with Zoey, who finds herself almost constantly angry and pissed off- not a good situation to be in. And he must also choose between Aurox, who holds the soul of her former love, Heath, and her Warrior and current lover, Stark. The time is coming when she must choose, but how can she choose between the reborn soul of someone she will always love and someone who she only came to love after he was gone? Meanwhile, Neferet remembers her past life and how she went from an abused fledgling to a powerful Priestess, and to think of herself as Queen Tsi Sigili. But as Zoey gives into the maelstrom of emotions inside her, can she stand to face Neferet as she is reborn in human form? This book made me think of "waiting" a lot. The book seems to wait as it explores Neferet's life for things to happen to Zoey. Aphrodite gets a vision of what is coming in regards to what is going on with Zoey and what is going to happen, but when she sneaks around Zoey's back for information, she ends up mking the vision come true in the long run. To be fair, based on her vision, I thought the ending was going to be something else entirely, but the ending was still a little hard to read, regardless. I can't wait to read the fnal book and the coming short novel, Kalona's Fall. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Conspiracies: A Shadow Grail Novel by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edgehill- Spirit White and her friends have driven off the Wild Hunt and saved the school, or so they think, but they are surprised how little has changed at Oakhurst Academy, There is still an air of menace around the school, and Doctor Ambrosius seems unable to do anything about it. Unable or unwilling. Christmas comes, and Spirit and Lock are given their presents- MP3 players in Oakhurst colors and their school rings. The stones in the rings are a blue color, but will change to reflect the element the students are tied to. And while Lock's does so, Spirit's remains the same, unchanged blue that it was at the beginning. Because Spirit has no magic, she is convinced that there must be another school where Legacies without any magical talent go, so she and her friends do more research and delve into the school's past. They soon discover that the school has only been there since the early 70's, and before that. it was the hangout of a biker gang, the former leader of which was the only survivor when some kind of catastrophe happened at the school. And eventually, the school was sold to Dr. Ambrosius and it became the Oakhurst Academy. But students continue to disappear, and only Spirit seems to be the one able to see how much is wrong at the school, and she, among her friends, insists that they continue to do something about it. As Dr. Ambrosius brings in a former Alumnus and Security consultant, the curriculum changes at the school, becoming more oriented around defense. Meanwhile, Spirit and Lock are discovering quite disturbing things, and she and Burke end up becoming closer. But as the New Year's Dance looms closer, it seems that the school is now under an attack by the Shadow Knights, a group opposed to the school. can Spirit and her friends defend the school again, or will they fail under the Shadow Knights attack? I liked this book, which had a strong feeling of tension throughout as things seem to go from bad to worse, and it's frustrating that Spirit is the only character who seems to be able to see it, or see how hard the school works to try and make the students distrust each other and break apart friendships. And, as yet, we don't know why- until the end of this book, when those questions are rather stunningly answered. We also get a hint of what Spirit's school of magic will be (and I was saying "Called it!" when it is given an offhanded mention), and also a hint of other secrets being kept from the students. Amazing, enjoyable and at the same time, it's a book that will stick with you for some time. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Bone Doll's Twin by Lynn Flewelling- For three centuries, a prophecy has kept Skala safe, that a daughter from the line of Thelatimos will keep Skala safe and free of disease. But when The Queen dies, her son, Erius, seizes the throne and carries out a campaign against his close female relatives, making sure they die in ways untraceable back to him. In the end, only his sister Ariani still lives, and she is married to a Duke Rhilus and pregnant. The Wizard Iya learns of the threat to Ariani and makes haste to be with her at the birth. There. Ariani gives birth to twins, a stillborn boy, and a girl. With Iya and her student Arkoniel is Lhel, a witchwoman who gives the baby girl the seeming of her dead brother by sewing a strip of her dead brother's skin to the skin of the Princess. This so disturbs the Duchess, who can hear the cries of her dead son, that she is never quite right again, and Lhel, horrified at what she has done, stays by Ariani in non-visible form to help her and guide her and her living daughter, named Tobin, who is raised as a boy. Tobin grows up a somewhat strange child, hated by his dead brother, who manifests as an angry ghost, and his half-mad mother, who rejects him. But when King Erius comes to their distant estate, she kills herself in a fit of fear, nearly killing Tobin with her. Tobin is afraid of the ghost, but grows up alone, far from other children, until Arkoniel comes to be his tutor, driven by the will of Illior, and Iya brings him a companion, Kirothius, the son of a minor lord, to be his squire and boon companion. But while he finally grows to be like other boys with Ki, what will happen when he must go to the Capitol and become companion to his cousin, Korin, who will be King after Erius? Can he keep his secret when it threatend to come out, and can he stay alive in the hothouse of the Capitol, where everyone seems to be prying into his secrets? This novel, in comparison to the Seregil and Alec novels, is much darker and more solemn. It's not a novel of high adventure or even mysteries, but more purely fantasy with a slight element of horror. It's sort of a Dark Fantasy, and most of the thrills and chills come from the tension of whether or not "Prince Tobin" will be found out as a woman and whether Iya, Arkoniel and/or Lhel will be discovered and killed. For while King Erius' mother actively hated wizards, Erius is willing to use them- but any that might pose the slightest threat to his rule he will put down ruthlessly, using wizards that serve him, called "The Harriers". It's a tight story that draws you in slowly and doesn't let you go. While I didn't necessarily care deeply for Tobin, I didn't want to see him/her hurt or killed. I can't wait to read the next book and see where this series goes. Definitely recommended, but don't make the mistake of thinking it's going to be like the Nightrunner series.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sacrifices by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edgehill- Spirit White and her friends have driven off not only the Wild Hunt on their own, but an attack by the Shadow Knights with the help of their classmates. But the Shadow Knights aren't done with Oakhurst Academy yet. Headmaster Doctor Ambrosius, who Spirit and her friends think is Merlin, has the school taken over by another former student and owner of a software company that has moved to the nearby town, known as Breakthrough Adventure Systems. But Breakthrough is the Bastion of the Shadow Knights, and the school becomes even more militarized and military Academy-like, teaching the students only combat and fighting. Spirit, the only one without magic, feels out of place, and her friend Muirin appears to have gone over to the side of the Shadow Knights, hanging with them exclusively and "dating" Ovecharenko, the new Gym teacher, who is Russian Mafiya. But as more students disappear under the brutal new Regime taking over at the school, the friends learn who Dr. Ambrosius really is, and must make their escape before they and the other students are killed. But even if they *can* escape, where will they go, and can they trust Muirin to help them, or will she sell out her old friends for her new ones? I thought this series was merely a trilogy, but I learned it was not at the end of this book. I can't say I am necessarily disappointed, because the ending would have been a disappointment if that was all there was. There *will* be a fourth book, but not until August, which really leaves me wanting more. The revelations came fast and furious in this one, backed up by Spirit and her friends having to adapt to their changing circumstances. Still I found this a really enjoyable, if not a comfortable read. Highly recommended. But you'll probably be guessing who and what Spirit is long before the end (to be fair, we'll have to wait for "who" until at least the next book).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">There All Along by Lauren Dane and Megan Hart- This book is a compilation of two futuristic, otherworldly romance novels. The first, "Land's End" involves a small town on another planet. Land's End Highway leads from the end of civilization to the Capital, and the law is what patrols the highway, keeping it safe and clear of bandits. Loyal Alsbaugh is in charge of the caravan that makes deliveries up and down the Highway and carries messages. When he's in the small village of Silver Cliffs, he always stays with Verity Coleman, a widow who runs the general store and post office. While he has long desired the beautiful shopkeeper, he knows that such a good, upright woman is not for him. But Verity has dreams of her own, of traveling away from her small village and seeing the land. But her family, and her lack of money, keep her tied to Silver Cliffs. She also finds herself attracted to Loyal, but he never seems to notice her as a woman. But when the bandit attacks increase and the bandits become even more vicious, the two of them are thrown together, and their attraction for and to each other ignites. but will Loyal's past mean leaving Verity behind, or can he stick ity out and be the kind of lover she needs? "By the Sea of Sand" has a woman named Teila who runs a lighthouse on the salt sea, where she lives with her young son and his nanny, who used to be her own nanny when she was a child. When her father-in-law sends her another injured soldier to take care of, she'd like to refuse him, but she cannot. The soldier she is sent is called "Jodah", even though that is not his name, because he was captured by aliens and tortured, and perhaps turned into a double agent to be used against his own people. That is why, even though Teila knows his real name, she cannot admit she knows him, nor try to jog his memory of who he is. But as he heals and grows stronger, will he come back to his real memories, or be lost in madness, and when another member of Teila's motley band of recovering prisoners becomes dangerous, can he remember himself in time to save them all from the aliens returning? Both of these stories take place on two very different alien planets, but the planets themselves don't really figure much into the stories, except as backdrop most of the time, which is fine because the stories should be about the connection between the two characters involved. And in both stories, those were good. These stories didn't have to be set on an alien planet- they could work just fine in a small town in the Old West and on the shores of a desert, respectively. They were fine romances, but they are less about their settings and more about the romances at their core. And there's nothing wrong with that. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hearts in Darkness by Keri Arthur- Nikki James has been waiting to hear something from Michael for six months, but he has been worryingly silent. While she didn't know that giving him her blood to help him survive and heal would reawaken the dark part of the vampire he is, she still misses him terribly. Meanwhile, Michael has been trying to oversome his renewed lust for blood and despite the fact that they share a mental bond, is determined never to see her again and let her forget him. But when his leader, the Witch Selene, sends him to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to investigate the disappearances of rich millionaires from an upscale resort, she tells him to contact Nikki and take her with him. Because Nikki is also on a case, that of the disappearance of a young computer genius, and if she goes on her own to Jackson Hole, she will die. Despite wanting not to be with Nikki, Michael still has feelings for her and doesn't want her to die, so he meets her at her home and, pretending to be a newlywed couple, head for the spa for their "Honeymoon". Along the way, they meet another millionaire and his wife, a man named Rodeman and his new wife, Ginger. But Nikki can feel that Ginger isn't human, and the chauffer who is supposed to drive the Rodemans is a vampire. But when Michael attempts to question him. he melts like wax and dies. Ginger, too, isn't completely human, and Nikki can feel that, but she has no idea what she is. Later on, she learns that Ginger is part flame imp, and that someone at the resort, a vampire, is using them to take over human and vampire bodies. But neither is able to contain the flame imps for long, and when the body they are in melts, the flame imps die. Now, Nikki is their only hope to step this man, because Michael can't even see the Flame Imps. But can they discover who is killing the millionaires, and why? And can Nikki hel save the flame Imps before the man behind the killing decides to use her or Michael as test subjects? And can Nikki find the two young people she is looking for before they are killed? I really enjoyed this book, as I loved seeing Nikki and Michael back together and how they worked together. Nikki wants to be with Michael, and he wants to be with her, too, even though he feels that if he stays away from her, that will somehow keep her "safe". But he's being delusional, and how Nikki is able to finally bring him around to her way of thinking made me smile. I also loved the flame Imps and their story and that neither Michael nor his mentor, Selene, had ever heard of them. This book made me smile and kept me interested in the story. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Accidental Bride by Jane Feather- Phoebe, Olivia and Portia vowed that they would never wed at the wedding of Phoebe's sister, Diana, to Cato, Marquis of Granville. Now, Portia has been married, and Phoebe's father also wants her to marry Cato, who has become a widow. Phoebe, who has developed unwelcome feelings for Cato, is resisting the idea of marrying because she knows he doesn't love her and she can in no way compare to her sister. But when Cato prevents her from running away before the ceremony, she is stuck, and she must marry him. But their marriage isn't truly a happy one, as she suffers his attentions and feels miserable, as he has more than a tendency to order her around. But when her friend Portia returns, Portia is determined to help Phoebe get on with Cato, which means abandoning her usual shapeless gowns in favor of more up-to-date styles and colors that favor her coloring. Cato isn't sure he likes the new gowns, which he considers immodest, but he does like the change he sees in Phoebe, the way she takes control of her own sexuality and even ends up seducing him for once, which he finds far more preferable to her lying grimly in bed, tolerating his attentions. But Phoebe is determined to be an equal partner in his life, something which he cannot accept. But when Cato's estranged adopted son shows up seeking to spy on his father, he determines that Phoebe is ripe for being used against his father, just like her sister was, and whom he later poisoned. Can Phoebe resist falling to Brian's schemes, and can she help Catobring him to justice when he betrays himself? I remember reading this book long ago, but it still has quite a bit of luster upon rereading. The story is just as sharp as I remembered and Brian came off as even more of a D-bag. I did have less sympathy for the "Oh noes, I've fallen for my husband!" kind of plot, but it was a minor failing. Still recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Chasing the Shadows by Keri Arthur- Nikki and Michael are together but his insistence on keeping her "safe" amd "protected" from the cases he takes on is making her seriously frustrated. So when she gets a call from her old partner, Jake, to go to San Francisco and find a missing woman, she leaves and heads off to help him. But it turns out that Michael is on the same case, and that the body of another missing woman has also been found, dead and mutilated. However, the source of the mystery seems to revolve around the facr that all the missing women were at the same school, and it seems that Jake's wife went to the same school. When she is snatched, can Nikki and Michael lay aside their squabbling about whether or not Michael needs to accept Nikki as an equal partner and work together long enough to find her before the killer can strike her down as well? Or will their separation lead to the death of Jake's wife as well as their relationship? I loved this book. Nikki and Michael were finally together, but he doesn't want to expose her to the danger involved in working with him. But he may not get the chance to turn her down, because she is bound and determined to do what he does or die trying. Their opponent was also interesting and had some of my sympathy, as I often felt the same way in school, but in the end, lost it because of what they did. Let bygones be bygones. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The White Road by Lynn Flewelling- Alec and Seregil are recuperating from their escape from slavery in Plenimar in Aurenen, with Seregil's family. But even the Aurenen are unsure about what to do about Alec's "Child", Sebrahn, a Rhekharo. And attention from the Aurenfaie isn't the only attention that Sebrahn has gathered- Alec's people, the Hazadrielfaie, want to capture Sebrahn and ensure no more like him can be made, something that Seregil and Alec also want, for as long as the information exists, more Rhekharo can be made from Alec's blood. But Ulan i Sathil needs the healing potion that can be made from Sebrahn, and with the death of Yakhobin, Sebrahn is his only chance to stay alive, and he wants Alec and Sebrahn to be in his control. But when it becomes clear that someone is after them, they head back to Rhiminee and intend to go to Plenimar to retrieve the books of alchemy they left behind in Plenimar to prevent any more Rhekharo from being made. But when the Hazadrielfaie Riders catch up with them, it's clear that Sebrahn isn't the only Rekharo around, But is he suited for living in Alec and Seregil's world? And the Hazadrielfaie are also concerned about the books left behind, and the leader of the Riders goes with Seregil and Alec to retrieve them. They must leave Sebrahn behind with the Riders if they are to have any chance of succeeding in their mission. But Ulan I Sathil has traveled to Plenimar ahead of the two and retrieved the books. With them in his possession, do they have any hope of getting them back? Reading this book, and this story, was very unlike the rest of the books in this series. It was very slow to start and I didn't feel it lived up to its promise until they actually headed to Plenimar. But it was still interesting, just not as compelling as some of the other adventures. And the ending was more than a bit saf, but I did enjoy it as a whole. I wouldn't consider this book indicative of the series as a whole, though, and this and Shadows Return are probably my least favorite books in the series. So, still good, but very different. Don't read this book or Shadows Return first. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Darkness Splintered- Risa has failed to retrieve the second key to Hell, and she goes on a bender to try and forget her failure. But she soon wakes up to reality, and not only her father and the Reapers, but even her boss, Vampire Madelyn Hunter, all want her to go after the third key, and they are willing to kill her friends if her normal motivation isn't enough. With one friend dead, and another under the threat of Death, Risa calls back in Azriel, who she banished in the previous book. Together, they try and track down the soreress who has the missing key, and the face and body shifters working with her. But with time rnning out, Risa, who is pregnant with Azriel's child, must make a trip to the Temple in the Otherworld, to her father's former quarters, where the third key might be hidden. But nothing is ever easy, and the hell-creatures are gathering. Can Risa succeed in keeping the second key from being used? I wasn't quite feeling this book because I just... don't connect with Risa the same way I did with Riley Jenson in the previous series. I find myself had-pressed to care, really, and that means this series is less successful for me. I'm not sure why, but I really tried to get into it and care, and I still just didn't. There's only one book left after this, and I may read it, but only to see how the series ends. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Arisa Volume 12 by Matsumi Ando- Tsubasa finally knows who the King is, and now., it's up to her to prevent him from taking his revenge at the Summit of the Global Elite, where Arisa and Tsubasa's mother is attending. But can Tusbasa make everyone believe the truth, and can she bring "The King" to justice? And what will be the outcome for the two sisters? Then, Arisa finds out that Tsubasa is in trouble at school and is determined to help her out. But when she poses as her sister, she thinks Tsubasa is in a gang. Can she discover the meaning of Bros? And can she discover what's really wrong with Tsubasa at her school? This was a very short book, but at the same time, it was quite good. I hadn't been interested in Arisa for a while, and the ending is mostly angst, but the final styory was a funny antidote to the depressing ending of the main story. A light confection on the tongue, like cotton candy, and just as filling. Not really recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Natsume's Book of Friends, Volume 15 by Yuki Midorikawa- Natsume finds himself meeting and helping a young woman whose house is under assault by Yokai. It turns out she is a friend of Natori, and that her father was an exorcist until he lost his ability to see Yokai. Now, two of his former servants are angry that he is ignoring them. Can Natori and Natsume and the man's daughter release them from their service to him? Next, Natsume has an encounter with a mushroom Yokai who wants to see his friend again. His friend is another Yokai of high status who has gone off for training. But will his old friend have anything to do with him now? And finally, we get to meet the relatives who took Natsume in, and why, and read about how Natsume was before he was adopted by them. I loved this novel, which was gentle and sweet and focused mainly about the ties between those who are close- ties of family, friendship and obligation. Each story involves people who must live up to their ties and who are changed by them in many ways. Truly beautiful and made me reflect. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Secret History of Marvel Comics by Blake Bell and Dr. Michael J. Vassallo- Marvel is a giant in the comics-publishing industry, one of the Big Three: Marvel, DC and Archie Comics. But how did its founder, Martin Goodman, turn it from merely one of a host of shell companies, into a giant powerhouse? The truth is here to be told: by outright theft of ideas and material, and by copying anything and everything that was popular, from crime and horror pulps to sex and gore stories. And then, he almost never paid his artists and writers anything and hid any profits he made among a host of shell companies, each with different names and publishing magazines. It just so happened to be that Marvel was the one that printed comics, and that comics became popular in a big way, so Marvel, one of a host of publishing companies that flew under the properties owned by Goodman, became popular enough and large enough to become the only company worth anything in the end. Stan Lee, original name, Stanley Lieber, was Martin Goodman's nephew, and started working for the company owned by his uncle when he was 18, and shortly after, began writing stories for the magazines his uncle owned. This book not only tells the rather sordid story about Marvel's beginnings, but also profiles many of the artists and writers who worked for the company (although some, like Jack Kirby, ended up leaving over money and copyright issues). This was not an easy book to read, but I did find it very interesting, because Marvel wasn't some unique kind of company. The 1930's, when most of these pulps started, had many other publishing houses run in much the same way. It's a fascinating and rather appalling look at the History of Marvel. It's like a train wreck- you'd like to stop reading but you can't turn your eyes away. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Hidden Warrior by Lynn Flewellung- Tobin has lived all of his life thinking that he is a boy, but now he knows the truth, that he is a woman, and he must keep this secret from most of the others who know him. Even Ki, his close friend and squire, must be kept in the dark. But when he came to rescue Tobin, Ki's memory had to be altered about who and what Tobin really is, and it did a number on his head. Tobin and Ki slowly recover at Tobin's childhood home, and as Lhel helps Tobin adjust, his Guardian, Lord Orun, tries to compel Tobin to return to the capital. Eventually, Ki recovers enough to return, and despite Orun wanting Tobin to dismiss Ki and take Moriel, a young noble squire who reports directly to him, in Ki's place. But Tobin will have no one but Ki, and when Orun tries to compel Tobin to his bed, Brother, the spirit of Tobin's dead twin, comes to Tobin's aid and kills Orun via a heart attack. This is good, because it gets Tobin put under the care of a much better man as his guardian. But when Korin impregnates a young noblewoman of the court, he is allowed to wed her. Now that the succession is assured, Korin and his young companions are allowed to finally go into real combat with pirates. The King has returned, and Tobin envies his cousin his father's warm affection, and wishes that he, too, could have had a loving relationship with his father. But the truth is revealed during the attack- that Korin is not only foolhardy and headstrong, but a coward as well, And worse, the companions that fought with him know it as well. And when, on Tobin's birthday, the King allows him a boon, he uses it on Ki's behalf, giving Ki's faher one of his holdings. But the first one he chooses, just because it comes to him first, he makes an enemy of Niryn, the King's chief mage and leader of the Harriers. So when the city of Ero is attacked by Plenimarans, the King is barely able to defend it, due to the loss of so many of his soldiers in wars, plagues and famines. But when Tobin is sent to Atiyon, one of his holdings that still has soldiers, he is attacked by Skalans. But why is the King seeking to do away with him? Or is it Niryn who is behind the whole scheme? And when Tobin is declared a traitor to the King it is time for him to make a decision- reveal himself for who he really is, or stand by and watch Skala fall. Can he find in him the courage to admit the truth, and will anyone follow him if he does? This book is nothing like the Nightrunners books, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Readers are more deeply tied to Tobin, as most of his struggles are internal, but he also must deal with battle and external threats as well. I found Tobin a very interesting character, composed of so many contradictions: appearing a boy while being a girl in actualiry, Being a warrior, but also drawn to creative pursuits, personally brave but shrinking back from admitting who and what he is (until the end of the book, at least). It's a fascinating study in contrasts and makes me wonder if I could deal with finding out that everything I thought about myself was a lie when I was a teenager. And I don't think I would have handled it as well. This is a wonderful fantasy story and brings something of psychology iinto it as well. I loved this book, and I couldn't wait to read the last book in the trilogy. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Oracle's Queen by Lynn Flewelling- Tobin has regained his true form, and taken the name Tamir, but she is still unsure of how she feels about all of this, and whether she will retain the friendship she has with Ki. Ki, for his part, is shocked as well, and struggles with his own feelings for his old friend and comrade. He wonders if he can ever accept Tobin as Tamir, and cannot spend the night in bed with her as he used to when she had her male body. More, without the bit of bone taken from her Brother, she no longer has any control over the spirit, and he becomes threatening, demanding that she uncover what truly happened when they were born and punish the evildoers. But she doesn't know that he has already killed Lhel, and she must also find and defeat Prince Korin, who has married a surviving female relative of Tamir's and will be claiming the throne through her and their child, which he wastes no time attempting to engender. For her own part, Nalia has to deal with her feelings of betrayal, as she was Niryn's lover first. But his magic makes her a maiden all over again, and he removes the curse he placed on any child of Korin's, while poisoning his mind against Tobin/Tamir, rumors of which have come to Palatine, where Nyrin stashed the girl, Nalia. Luckily for Tamir, many barons support her, but some also support Korin, and while Korin's endless holing up in the fortress leads many to remember his cowardice, Niryn must wait until Korin fathers an heir before he can let him out to try and kill Tamir. But as Tamir struggles with becoming a Queen to be proud of and her dealings with those around her, can she still defeat her cousin without bloodshed or is there no remaining hope but war? As I was reading this book, it became less of a purely fantasy novel through most of it, being an otherwise dramatic story about characters coming to terms with changes in thmselves and the world around them, most specifically, in Tamir and Ki's relationship. Tamir, as Tobin, fell in love with Ki, and now that she is in a woman's body, she hopes they can retain the same relation of friendship, or perhaps deepen it into something more. Ki, once he gets over missing Tobin the boy, eventually starts to see Tamir that way, but their relationship, while often frustrating to read about, is also fascinating to watch and read. At the end, Tamir is able to do everthing she needs to do to become the ruler that Skala needs, and I ended up truly enjoying this book and the series it is a part of. It has an entirely different tone than the Alec and Seregil stories, but in its own way, it's fascinating and wonderful. It was a delight to read, even the difficult parts. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins- Black Ice by Andrew Lane- Sherlock and his mentor, Amycus Crowe, are summoned to London to meet with Sherlock's brother, Mycroft. But they find him in the Diogenes Club with a knife in his hand and a dead man in the room behind him, a bloody wound in his chest. Mycroft has no recollection of what happened in the room or how the man died, bur he is taken into custody by the police anyway, and it's up to Sherlock and Amycus Crowe to find out who the victim really was and what happened to him in the locked room, and he also finds out that there is something on the back of the card the man gave him. A name: "The Paradol Chamber". But as Sherlock and Crowe investigate, it becomes clear that the mirder has something to do with Russia and Alaska, which they are about to sell to America for money. But there is snother colonial interest in the land, and Mycroft sees nothing for it but to head to Russia, along with Sherlock and another agent to investigate. They travel as part of a Theatre company, but when Mycroft is arrested and Sherlock nearly so, it's up to him to discover the culprits and keep Mycroft and himself from dying in a strange foreign country. Is Sherlock up to the task? I loved this book. It started out a bit slow, but built up speed like an accelerating train. The last part in Russia, where Sherlock is on the run from the Russian police and trying to prevent the assassination of his brother and another target, was really suspenseful and quite amazing. I love how they show Sherlock's abilities and attitudes slowly emerging, which will eventually turn him into the man he became in the Arthur Conan Doyle stories, Highly Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Eight for Eternity by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer- John the Eunuch is the Lord Chamberlain to Justinian, Emperor of Constantinople, and people claim that he is a demon. So when two criminals, members of the factions known as the Blues and the Greens, to death, they are hung in the public square. But the ropes that are supposed to hang them fail, twice, and the people of the city decide that this means they must go free, while Justinian's men want to carry out the execution. The two are given refuge in a church, but someone kills them, drags them out into a cistern and throws them in. From there, they vanish. John is assigned to find out the truth of what happened and bring the killers to justice. But someone is using the unrest in the city to try and overthrow Justinian. Can John end the plot and find out what really happened to the two men? And can he do it without becoming victim to the mob himself,. or to Justinian's Empress, Theodora? This book was a prequel to the other books in the series, taking place in 532 rather than in the 540's. There is noting really stating that it was earlier, so I was wondering where John's wife, who had appeared in the sevent book was. It was only after looking at the dates in the earlier books that I realized. It was a rather tense mystery, with mobs rioting in the city and burning lots of it down, but it's the same John amd he's still an excellent solver of mysteries. Definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire- When Toby's Fetch shows up, she's worried, but when her best friend's son is snatched from his bed and her youngest daughter goes into a coma she cannot be awakened from, Toby knows she must help get them back. All signs point to Blind Michael, one of the Elder Fae like the Luidaeg. He is something like the leader of the Evil Wild Hunt, and those children he steals become members of the hunt. or one of his mounts, eventually joining him in his evil. But even getting to his realm is incredibly hard, and while their might be multiple paths, each can only be used once. Can Toby find her way there, rescue not only her friend's son, but all the other children taken by Blind Michael? And when he turns his attention to wanting Toby for his queen, can she keep herself safe and help Blind Michael's original wife to kill him and take over his realm? And what will she discover about her own Countess in the process? I liked this book. Toby is still a hot mess, still recovering from being a fish in a pond for many long years, and now she has to deal with the appearance of her Fetch, meaning that she is going to die soon. But unlike some who might bow to fate and decide that Blind Michael would kill her, considering how powerful he is, Toby digs her heels in and fights every strep of the way, utterly refusing to "go gently into that good night". And in the process, she finds out some surprising truths about Countess Oleander de Merelands, the wife of her lord. I found this fascinating. I didn't even know such a type of fae existed, and it was so interesting to see where the hints about what she was and where her powers led. And we also get a hint that even Toby isn't exactly what she seems to be, or so it seemed to me. A interesting and fascinating book. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth- America is beset by many enemies, both internal and external. When the enemies are merely human, America and her president are protected by the armed services for external threats and the Secret Service for internal threats. But what happens when those enemies *aren't* human? Well, that's when they call on Nathaniel Cade, the President's Vampire. Cade was made during the 1800's, by Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen, with blood from the bullet which killed President Lincoln. Bound to the President, and to the welfare of the country, Cade was made to protect the US from supernatural threats. Now, someone is making a viral agent that turns men and women into reptilian creatures that can infect others with a bite or claw. Starting in Africa, using kidnapped children as guinea pigs, the threat continues, with the viral agent continuing to be developed as the attacks continue. Cade's presence disrupts the plans of those developing the agent, and it slowly becomes clear that those developing the virus are not foreign actors, but those much closer to home. But who would have the resources and hate the government so much as to try to turn all of America into such creatures? And can their plan to turn shoppers in the Mall of America into those creatures, and infecting themselves with an upgraded version of the virus that leaves their human intelligence intact, can Cade work with his handler, Zach Barrows, and another Agent named Bell, to turn back the plot aimed at the nation's heartland, meant to make humans a footnote of history? I have to admit, the title of this book is what made me pick it up, and it's a great title. The fact that Cade's existence was tied to Abraham Lincoln made me think of "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter", and it's true that this book was published after that book came out, although I have no idea if they had anything to do with each other, and if this book was informed by that book's story. I was hoping that Cade would be portrayed a bit more sympathetically, and that the book was going to be more like a fantasy adventure story. But Cade is pretty cold and the book is written more like a thriller, which was a bit of a disappointment to what I hoped it might be. On the other hand, that didn't make it a bad book, and I ended up enjoying it, just not quite as much as I thought I would. Zach, Cade's handler, isn't quite his friend, and he comes off as a bit of a sad sack when it comes to women- and his choice in women is terrible. Bell, a female agent, ends up being both antagonist and ally, but is just as cold as Cade in her way. It was an okay book, and I am definitely going to read the sequel, "Red, White and Blood" as soon as I can. but I am not entirely in love with this series. Recommended, if you like thrillers.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-6125324600742878542014-02-13T10:06:00.002-05:002014-02-13T10:06:41.818-05:002014, Part 1<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Prince of Darkness by P. C. Doherty- Edward of England should be at peace, what with a war against the Scots recently concluded in his favor, but his son, also named Edward, is embroiled in the middle of a homosexual affair with Piers Gaveston, and the way he lavishes attention, honors and money on the young man is causing great disquiet in the kingdom and among the nobles and supporters of the King. King Edward wants to remove his son from Gaveston's influence, but his hands are tied. When Lady Elaine Belmont, a former mistress of the Prince, is found dead at the bottom of a set of stairs in the priory where she was living, and it seems that Gaveston might have had some sort of role in her death, Edward assigns the task of investigation to Hugh Corbett, in order to find out the truth of what really happened, and hopefully, to find some way to do away with Gaveston. It seems, though, that Lady Elaine was suffering from a growth in her breast, and the fall down the stairs, which would probably not have killed another woman, resulted in her death. But did Gaveston have anything to do with it, and if not, what really happened and was anyone or anything but an unfortunate misstep tho blame? Hugh and his servant Ranulf will have to sift the evidence carefully and ask the right questions of the right witnesses to find the answers that they seek, while Ranulf is tired of being a mere servant and wants to ascend to being a clerk in his own right. But can he receive the preferment he wants? Another excellent twisty medieval mystery, well-couched in the people of the time. I know, as a student of history, that Gaveston will come to a nasty end, but P.C. Doherty made me despise the character in a way completely separate from his true history. He and Prince Edwatd both come off as too completely wrapped up in each other and their own concerns to be good rulers for England, something that was certainly borne out in reality (Edward was killed by his own queen and her lover for being too inconvenient to their rule, but he certainly invited what happened by his horrendous treatment of her while he was alive. I found this an excellent book, both in mystery *and* history, and Highly Recommend it to anyone who likes Medieval Mysteries.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Field of Blood by Paul Doherty- When a female killer sentenced to death offers to turn evidence of another murderer to save her neck from being stretched, Sir John Cranston is dismayed to discover that she has named as a murderess his good friend, Kathryn Vestler, a widow of a friend of John's from the wars and proprietress of a tavern, as a multiple murderer, the bodies buried beneath a tree on the inn property. A search being carried out, two bodies are indeed found, that of a man and woman, and the murderess names them as a clerk who used to frequent the inn and a maid who used to work there. Kathryn Vestler maintains her innocence, and Sir John Cranston feels she is telling the truth about being innocent, but he can also sense that she knows far more about the crime than she is saying. But it's up to Brother Athelstan and Cranston to find out the truth- the true killer, and the truth behind the accusations- especially when the accuser is poisoned in prison before she can be questioned. But can they uncover the truth behind a years-old murder? I always enjoy Paul Doherty's mysteries, and while his "detective and sidekick" pairs can be somewhat the same occasionally, I really like Brother Athelstan, who, even though he's sort of the servant of Sir John Cranston, is actually the main character of the series, and he and his church, with its many low-class members, are well-drawn and become beloved very quickly. This was interesting and had an amazing story, as not only do the characters have to find a murderer, but the real story that Kathryn Vestler is hiding, not to mention why she isn't telling the whole truth. A short book, but one I highly recommend.</span><br />
<span style="color: #33ccff;"><br /></span><span style="color: #33ccff;">Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep- Gin Blanco is the owner of the Pork Pit Barbecue restaurant in Ashland. But she once had a secret double life as an infamous assassin known as the Spider. She's also an elemental, a person with power over an element. In Gin's case, she's unusual, having two elements she can manipulate- Ice and Stone. So when a gunman shoots up the restaurant after a girl comes in looking for "The Tin Man", Gin assumes that the gunman was trying to kill her. But soon she realizes that the gunman was trying to kill the girl, who had been asking for her mentor and the former owner of the restaurant. She follows the girl and saves her from another assassination attempt and discovers that the girl's grandfather, Warren Fox, owns a small store up in the mountains. But his neighbor, Tobias Dawson, a dwarf who owns the largest mine in Ashland, is after him to sell the store so he can mine the land the mountain stands on. And this is something Fox is unwilling to do, as the land and the store have been in his family for generations. Now, for some reason, Dawson won't take no for an answer, and is pressuring Warren by threatening Violet. Gin must work with her friends Finn, who is her mentor's son, a banker and conman, Jo-Jo, a Dwarf Air Elemental and Sophia, Jo-Jo's sister and another Air Elemental. But she also has to work with Detective Donovan Caine, her sometime lover whose upstanding nature is deeply troubled by knowing who Gin is and used to be. And that's not all the problems Gin has to deal with, for the Giant son of local mob boss Mab Monroe's crooked lawyer, Jonah McAllister, tried to rob Gin's place and received a nasty smack down for his trouble. Most people, knowing Jake's father, would let the matter slide and not press charges, but Gin doesn't fear Jake *or* his father, and won't let the incident just die. So Jake might have to go to court, and he doesn't like that a bit. So he tries to threaten Gin or beat her up and kill her, and he fails. But when Gin gets into a party Mab is throwing to try and take down Dawson, she will also have to deal with Jake McAllister as well. But when she is captured by Dawson and taken to his mine, can she fight her way out and make it out of the mine before she can be killed by the Dwarf and his guards? I had never read one of these books before, but as soon as I picked them up, I was completely sucked in. This book isn't the first in the series, but I found myself not having needed to read the original book. The characters are in your face, and you get a sense of who they are right away, and boy, do they keep your interest. This was a truly excellent book, and I loved every aspect of it. Highly recommended. I will definitely recommend this series to everyone I know might be interested.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Venom by Jennifer Estep- Gin Blanco is back! Having found out that Mab Monroe is the woman who killed her mother and sisters, Gin wants revenge on the Fire Elemental, but at the same time, she is aware that her powers are no match for Mab's. But when Gin is badly beaten by Elliot Slater, Mab's Head enforcer, for interfering with Jonah McAllister and Mab's business, she is rescued by both Xavier, a giant who works as a cop and his new partner, Bria- who just happens to be Gin's sister that Gin has been looking for ever since she found out she was alive when her mentor died and passed on the knowledge to her. But Xavier wants Gin's help for the woman he loves, the madam and club owner, not to mention vampire, Roslyn Phillips. It seems Roslyn has come to Slater's attention, and the Giant has been terrorizing her into having a "relationship" with him that involves sitting in his lap while he kisses her. But he's done this to other women before, and the result is always that when Slater tires of the woman and their "relationship", he ends up raping and killing her. Xavier and Roslyn want Gin to make Slater go away, by any means possible, and if that means killing him, then so be it. But as Gin gears up to try and get close to Slater to plan a hit on him, she is distracted to find out that Mab also wants Bria, who is just as much of a straight shooter as her old ex-lover Donovan Caine, dead. And then there is Owen Grayson, a businessman with Elemental powers over Metal, who is the brother of Violet Fox's friend Eva, who met Gin on her last job and has become interested in her in a more than friendly way. But when Slater kidnaps Roslyn to take her to his cabin up on the mountain and deep in the woods to finish her off, it's up to Gin and her friends to ride to the rescue. But can she take out a Giant before he kills her and Roslyn both? And what will be Mab's reaction to finding out that the assassin that killed Jake McAllister, and Tobias Dawson is not only still alive, but also gunning for her? Can Gin deal with all the new enemies she is racking up left and right, or will they finally end up dragging her down? Another excellent book with a story that draws you right in and doesn't stop until the end. There is another aspect to these books as well- because Gin owns the Pork Pit and cooks Barbecue, I ended up craving Barbecue in the worst way every time I was finished reading one of these books. And I do mean, in the worst way. And it's not good when you can't eat barbecue because of the digestive issues you are having, too. This book is even more of a draw than Web of Lies was, with the theme of a woman needed help to escape a stalker who will end up by raping and killing her, and the author makes it clear that Slater deserves every bad thing that's coming to him. The characters sparkle and the plot is extremely compelling. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep- Gin has been busy since the last book, taking out Mab Monroe's businesses and operations, not to mention her key men. And now Mab has decided she's had enough and hired another assassin named Elektra LeFleur to take Gin out. But while Elektra's abilities over lightning are strong, she's also taken up with Jonah McAllister, who wants Elektra to take on the side job of killing Gin for what she did to his son. But when Gin and LeFleur tangle for the first time, she is nearly killed- and once again, Mab is after Bria, who has been nearly as great an irritant to Mab as Gin has been. But Mab is moving against more than Gin and Bria- she is also moving against Roslyn Phillips, who she blames for being involved in the death of Elliot Slater, and she's doing it by building a new club in an old rail yard that will surpass the Amenities of Roslyn's club. She is also using the Ice Elemental bartender in Roslyn's club to spy on her and try to pass on "opportunities" to catch and kill the assassin who is plaguing her- who she doesn't know is Gin. But the Ice Elemental has a reason- Mab and her men have snatched his daughter, and are holding her to make him comply with their demands. But Gin has discovered that they have no intention of giving the girl back- they plan to kill the man for his "failure" and make the girl into a child prostitute. When Gin hears this, she knows she must act to save the girl and give her a chance for a normal life. But when that involves a face off with Elekta LaFleur, can Gin gain the upper hand and rescue the girl, especially when it seems that Mab is also in the area? And can she shut down the kill order against her sister and save her life without revealing their close connection? Or will Bria finally find out just who and what her sister is? This book steamrollered on where "Venom" left off, and I found myself easily falling into the story and the character and mindset of Gin. I love her steely will and determination to survive, as well as all her kick-ass aspects. And her more nurturing ones as well, like her skills at baking that she uses to such good effect. (yeah, these books will make you crave cookies, cake, crumble and pie just as much as barbecue. Once again, Gin and Mab sort of dance around confronting each other, but we as readers know that confrontation is coming, and soon. I, for one, am looking forward to it. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep- This is it, the final confrontation- Gin Blanco against Mab Monroe. But when Gin misses the chance to take out Mab quickly, Mab gets scared, making her more dangerous than ever. But the meeting that Gin nearly took out Mab at was a meeting of assassins- all there to track down the mysterious assassin who has been hunting Mab and her minions for the past months. In her rush to get away, Gin runs afoul of another assassin, an older woman named Gentry who seems strangely protective of a young woman who goes everywhere with her, named Sydney. But the risks she is taking with her life aren't making the friends she works with happy- and neither does it make Owen, her lover and the man she is trying to resist falling in love with, happy. In fact, he is quite put out with her- but when it seems that Mab has caught on to who Gin really is, her friends refuse to et her go it alone. But even with all their help, can Gin defeat Mab, the strongest Elemental in Ashland? Because it's all come down to the line, now. Mab or Gin, and devil take the hindmost. While this series does have a somewhat predictable pattern (Gin sets out to do something or kill someone and ends up near death, needing healing by her friend Jo-Jo before coming back to estroy whoever she has set herself up against, I never got the feeling that the novels were too samey while reading them. In fact, I was less likely to obsess over the details because I was too caught up in the story. This book did have its heart-warming moments, however. First was when Mab found out Gin's real identity and Gin wanted her friends to flee for their lives. But they refused and closed ranks around her, insisting that this was just as much their fight as Gin's. Second was when Gin admitted to Owen that she was truly in love with him, and faced her feelings. That made me feel an "aw!" straight from my heart. Lastly was the near-death meeting of Gin and her former mentor who was killed in the first book of the series, Fletcher Lane, and her feelings upon seeing and meeting him again, which made me tear up a little, I'll admit. The feeling Estep describes- coming home, is well-known to me and I felt it directly in my chest. Definitely something special here. For those who felt that Gin's war against Mab has taken too long, well, that ends in this novel. And there will be more in this series. Count on it. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">By A Thread by Jennifer Estep- Gin has come out as the famous/infamous assassin known as the Spider, but despite her reputation, there are innumerable idiots who think to make a name for themselves by taking her down. And laterly, there has been an endless string of them coming to the Pork Pit. Frankly, Gin is sick of it, so when her friend Finn suggests a vacation- her and Bria and him and Owen. with Gin and Bria to leave together first so that they can bond as sisters, she is finally tired enough to agree. She and Bria head to where Bria was raised. Bria is happy and hopes to meet her best friend, Callie, who owns a Restaurant in the town. Soon, they are ensconced in a swanky beach resort, but Gin fails at doing all the touristy things. Oh, she tries, but she isn't able to muster up any enthusiasm for it. Finally, they go to Callie's restaurant and Gin gets to meet her sister's best friend. But her jealousy over how close the two are leaves Gin unusually short and acid-tongues around Callie, as Callie appears to be as close with Bria as Gin wants to be- but Callie got there first. But Callie is having problems with a local businessman who owns the swanky resort where Gin and Bria are staying, and he wants to expand the resort to make it even more attractive to the high rollers- and he needs the land that Callie's restaurant is located on to make that happen. When he sends thugs to hurt Callie and break things in the restaurant, Gin steps in to assist her sister's friend and sends the men running. Then, she gets a shock as the man she formerly loved, Donovan Caine, is in town, having taken the job that Bria gave up to move to Ashland even as she took over his job. Looking at Callie, Gin realizes that Callie is essentially almost the same as her, but she's safer than Gin ever was- as Callie isn't an assassin whose morals give the upright, by the book Donovan Caine such trouble. Seeing as how Caine acted like he might have been happy when he thought that Gin might have been killed in the mine collapse that took out Dawson, and him leaving Ashland soon after. Now he's replaced Gin with a woman who is very much like her in every way, and he seems angry that she is here in town- but he *is* willing to let her help out against Dekes. But Dekes has found out about Gin and Bria helping Callie and sends some of his men to their room to try and take them out. Of course, Gin is more than they can handle, and she dumps their bodies in the hotel pool, cleans up the room as best she can and she and Bria move to a small cabana house for the remainder of their stay. Dekes, it turns out, is not only the local version of Mab Marone, but that he is a vampire as well. Gin decides to try and take out Dekes all on her own, and fails in a big way, becoming prey to his hungers. She has to fake being dead with her ice powers to make it out alive… and now everyone is determined to bring down Dekes. Can he be long for this world? This book was like a bit of deja vu for me, with Dekes being like a mix of Tobias Dawson, Mab Marone and an evil version of Roslyn all in one. In a way, it felt like a bit of a rehash, and I felt it was less than a successful work for me. Maybe if I had read this book first, it would not have felt that way, but… This is still an excellent series, and I did enjoy this book, but some of these themes repeating just felt a bit stale. And Caine just incited my ire throughout the entire book, becoming a huge-ass jerk to Gin- and the way he attempts to seduce her while being engaged to Callie just underscored that. At first, Gin still feels the attraction she once felt for him, but as the story continues, she, too, realizes that she has moved on and done so much better than this jerk. And when she speaks out to both Bria and Donovan about how she feels when she is being treated badly by them was a really excellent moment that had me smiling and agreeing with her. Still recommended for the series as a whole, this one a little less so than the others.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Deadly Sting by Jennifer Estep- Mab Marone was the Fire Elemental mob boss who once ran Ashland. But when she ran afoul of Gin Blanco, the assassin known as the Spider, her empire quickly crumbled. Now, her treasures are being displayed at a high-class art exhibit in the heart of Ashland, and Finn, Gin's former handler and foster brother, wants her to go to the premiere, as she has been down ever since her lover Owen Grayson's ex-fianceé came back and Gin had to kill her for trying to kill Owen. He was upset enough to call for a break in their relationship, and even now, three months later, he's still nursing his injured feelings. So Finn tries to cheer her up with the date, but it's a resounding failure- Owen is there with another woman, and she is wearing the exact same dress that Finn bought for her, which is supposed to be a one of a kind. She even resembles Gin, and Gin is feeling the same "being replaced" sort of vibe that she felt with Donovan Caine and Callie, and she isn't taking it well. But when she uses the bathroom, she and the woman who is Owen's date end up in there together, and the other woman tells Gin that she has designs on Owen, and does Gin mind? Gin, already feeling betrayed, says no, but as the woman leaves, she is gunned down by Giants who think that she is Gin. Because all the Giants have stopped working their normal security jobs and gone to work for the female Giant who is running this sting operation to steal Mab's treasures. In reality, though, the female giant intends to take the most valuable and expensive things for herself and slaughter the others, letting the cops believe that she was among the dead. The only thing that can stand in her way is Gin, Finn and Owen. But can Owen overcome his bruised feelings to work with Gin and bring down the female Giant mastermind behind it all? What is so important in Mab's safe that the female Giant is willing to threaten Owen to use his Metal elemental powers to break into the safe and get? Will Owen blame Gin for the death of his date, and can she ever forgive him for treating her like Donovan Caine did? And will Gin be able to survive the sheer number of Giants arrayed against her and her allies? I found this book to be an intriguing break from type in the series. Gin doesn't set out to help anyone, she just gets caught up in the same situation as Ashland's rich and famous and has to use her wits and powers to survive. The fact that Finn carries backup equipment for her in each of his many cars can only help so much- she needs to be able to survive until she can get to the equipment and survive on what she can loot from the bodies of the giants she has defeated. Owen seriously disappointed me at the start of the book, having done to her what he promised in "By a Thread" that which he would never do- treat her like Donovan Caine. He does sort of redeem himself by the end of the book, but he still looks silly and like he's throwing a temper tantrum over what Gin did in the last book (more like "had to do" or "was forced to do", since the woman was going to kill him and Gin and a bunch of other people). It left kind of a bad taste in my mouth and the bloom was off the rose for him, whereas before I thought he pretty much hung the moon with how he accepted Gin for who and what she was and even helped her. But I am willing to try and trust him again. Definitely one of my favorite books in this series for the story. and still highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Heart of Venom by Jennifer Estep- Gin's best friend, Sophie Deveraux, is a Goth dwarf who also happens to be an Air Elemental like her sister, Jo-Jo. We learned at the end of Spider's Revenge how she came to speak with her raspy voice- she'd once been kidnapped by a man who was obsessed with her, a Fire elemental, and he tried to torture and groom her into the woman he wanted her to be. Fletcher had rescued her at the request of Jo-Jo, and in thanks, Sophia repaid him by getting rid of dead bodies for him. When Gin became the Spider, Sophia did the same for her, and she's been helping Gin ever since. But now Grimes, the man who kidnapped Sophia in the past, has come back for her. And with Fletcher dead, only Gin is left to go beard Grimes, a moonshiner and gang leader, in his mountain home and rescue Sophia. But she won't be going alone- Owen and Fletcher's old friend Warren Fox, who was with Fletcher when he rescued Sophia the first time, accompany her up the mountain to search for Sophia. And once again, Grimes had Sophia dressing in "girly" frilled dresses and is trying to mold her into what he wants her to be- the perfect bride for him, using torture and humiliation- making her work in a pit of dead bodies, digging it deeper so that all evidence of his crimes just goes away. But when Gin is captured by Grimes, she meets his sister, a real psychopath. Gin isn't willing to give up, though, because Sophia is family- and she'll *anything* for her family. A sort of return to form for Gin, but this one involved Sophia, who I have always liked and admired in the books, and we get to see a fuller picture of where she came from. Also, this time, it's Jo-Jo who ends up nearly dead and must be healed, which made me think of the "Custodes quis Costodiet" sort of thing- when your healer is near death and dying, who do you go to for healing her? But I liked that Gin finds Grimes' sister more of a psycho than he is- and the feelings at the end when Gin and Sophia share the experience of having been in Grimes' hands was very wonderful and I liked how that felt. Highly recommended, along with this whole series.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Grail Murders by Michael Clynes- Roger Shallot is an old man nearing the end of his life, but he is writing his memoirs about his early years serving his master, Benjamin Daunbey and his uncle, Cardinal Wolsey, to do tasks for King Henry VIII. In this one, a murder has occurred in a nobleman's castle- and the castle previously belonged to the Templars. The murder also occurred that in a chapel which was locked from the inside. And more murders occur in the castle and the lands around. Is it the Templars returned? And if so, who is the hidden Templar? Or is it just someone who is using the Templars as a blind for their own activities? What about the supposed Holy Grail and Excalibur that are supposed to be hidden somewhere in the castle- a Templar treasure? And can Benjamin and Roger ferret out the real killer and fulfill Henry's directions, as well as Cardinal Wolsey's directives? Apparently not without a threat to Roger's life. And Doctor Agrippa is also involved. But what is his interest in the Grail, and can they trust him to tell the truth? I enjoy these books, as Roger Shallot is a thoroughgoing rogue, but he admires his more intelligent and more moral master- he's too weak and open to temptation to ever be law-abiding. But looking back on his life from the place where he is now, he shares what things were like- essentially, all bad. But he has a bad man's view of things- that pretty much everyone is out for themselves. And sadly, he's often right. But he is also an entertaining observer of what's going on, and while he may not be honest about everything. he tells us what he's seen- and he's honest about Benjamin Daunbey's actions, who he holds up on a pedestal. It's an interesting story, and reveals Henry VIII's veniality and corruption. I really enjoyed this story, and would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy historical mysteries.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Relic Murders by Michael Clynes- Roger Shallot's master Benjamin Daunbey is off to Italy, so Roger sets himself up as a relic-seller and runs afoul of a local rich and noble family. Running off to London to escape them, he ends up in trouble with the King, and the King only agrees to pardon Roger if Benjamin can track down the missing Orb of Charlemagne. It seems that the Orb was in the treasures of England, and now France wishes to buy it back from England, and so do the Germans. Henry is willing to sell it to them- or rather, the copy he is having made to sell them. But when the Silversmith who made the copy is murdered, and both the copy and the original disappear, Benjamin and Roger will have to find the murderer- the thief, if the two are not the same, and recover the actual Orb for Henry, and the copy for the French- but was there ever even a original? And what about the supposed German assassin who is working for his countrymen in gaining the Orb for them? Who is this supposed assassin? And who killed the fifteen men in the manor house who were guarding the orb? Who killed the cooks responsible for feeding the men who were killed, and why were they killed? Can Daunbey and Roger find the truth in the twisted maze of lies? Another excellent murder mystery. Michael Clynes draws the beliefs and society of the time into sharp relief, and gives us a big, tasty mystery to sink our mental teeth into. Once again, Roger plays the rogue and his misadventures help Benjamin Daunbey solve the mystery. An excellent mystery and recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep- Gin Blanco is an assassin known as The Spider. But while she kills people for money, she has standards, much like her mentor, Fletcher Lane, who was once the Assassin known as the Tin Man. Now, due to his retirement from the job due to age, he acts as her handler. accepting jobs on her behalf. After a job to kill a Therapist who has a nasty habit of sleeping with her patients at the insane asylum (and an orderly who rapes the female patients as an added bonus, Gin returns home to her handler, Fletcher Lane, to find that he has another job for her right away- to take out the senior accountant for Halo industries. She objects to taking another job so soon, and so would Fletcher, but the price, a cool 5 million, convinces her to take the job. But the job is a set-up, and Gin finds her way out of the trap without killing her target- but does come to the attention of Detective Donovan Caine- the one cop on the force who is incorruptable. Or so he seems. As he goes after Gin, who has just killed the bounty hunter gunning for her, she manages to escape, but returns to the Pork Pit, Fletcher's restautant, to find him murdered by an air elemental. She vows retribution for the killing and charges off to check on Finn, Fletcher's son, who works as a financier and who happens to be a computer whiz. Saving him from also dying, she and Finn work together to find out who was really behind the job and who wanted Gin and Fletcher dead. Along the way, they discover that Gin's target died on his way home, and that now Donovan Caine's life is also in danger- from his own boss on the force, who is corrupt, working with Mab Marcone, and is tired of Caine's incorruptability. So when Gin and Finn go to save Caine, he ends up working with them after they save his life from the men who want to kill him. But the question remains- who was behind the fake hit, and who was the Air Elemental who killed Fletcher Lane. As Gin grows closer to the answers she wants, she also feels the attraction between her and Donovan Caine growing. But can she enjoy a relationship with a man who seems to despise her and everything she's done and stands for? I really enjoyed this book, I was afraid, having read the other books in the series, that Gin would be less sympathetic in this book, where she starts out still being an assassin for money. But no, she was simply more awesome, and I loved every bit of the story. I liked seeing the start of her "relationship", such as it is, with Donovan Caine, even though I know it ended after the second book. But in a way, I wish she'd stayed more like this, a little more hard-nosed, in the other books. Still, a strong start to the series, and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire- October "Toby" Daye is a changeling, half-human and half far. Most changelings are never accepted by either world, but Toby serves Sylvester, Duke of the Shadowed Hills, as his knight, and he sets her a task, to check on his niece, January O'Leary, at her court in the County of Tamed Lightning, better known as Freemont, California. It seems that their messages are not getting through and he is worried about her. But it seems he has much to fear, as January is head of a company working on computer technology, and she has "adopted" a dryad whose tree died and was grafted into a computer to keep her alive. Now, she helps run the company whose computers she is part of, but people in the company have recently begun dying for no apparent reason, and Toby gets caught up in the murders within the company when she literally stumbles on a new crime scene. What is the company working on, and what might cause them to be the target for these murders? Can Toby keep herself and her squire alive while tracking down the murderer and keeping January safe? And what will happen if she cannot do that? She'll need the assistance of Tybalt, the King of Cats, if she ever wants to get home in one piece, and she'll need every bit of cunning and luck she possesses as well… This was a nice story, a series of "locked room" murders that have you questioning everyone and everything before the denouement at the end. I particularly liked the characters in this one, and the expansion of the role of Tybalt, King of Cats, played in the book. They started out in quite the adversarial relationship, but their relationship becomes so much more than that by the end. An excellent book, and one I'd definitely read again, Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Widow's Web by Jennifer Estep- Gin Blanco has finally seemed to get her life in some order. First, she killed her old nemesis and the person who killed her mother and sister, Mab Monroe. She also found her remaining sister, Bria, who has come to town as a detective on the police force. She's also settled into running the restaurant her mentor/handler Fletcher Lane, left her in his will, and his real son, Finn has taken on the role of her handler. She's even found real love with her fellow Elemental, Owen Grayson- a metal elemental who also happens to be a rich businessman. But when a catering job for local mob businessman Phillip "Philly" Kincaid turns into a rout, his bodyguard killed by an unknown Water Elemental and Kincaid himself nearly killed, Gin is thrown for a loop when she learns that the water elemental is a woman named Salina Dubois- a young woman whose father was killed by Mab Monroe, and she appears to have returned to town in order to settle a score with everyone she blames for not intervening in the death of her father at the hands of Mab Monroe, a death gin witnessed, along with Fletcher Lane, while serving as his apprentice as an assassin. Not only that, but Salina was once engaged to be married to Owen- and she's come to reclaim HIM as well, and she isn't about to let Gin stand in her way. But when Owen's sister Eva reveals her reasons for wanting Salina dead, Gin feels obliged to kill Salina on Eva'e behalf. Only Owen still seems to have feelings for Salina, and despite their relationship, Gin is left wondering if Owen will choose her or Salina… and what will happen if Gin decides to kill Salina to keep her friends and Owen safe? Can she make Owen see the truth of what Salina is, of what she has always been, or will he choose Salina over her/ And can Gin and her ice and stone powers defeat Salina's water elemental magic, which is rare and extremely tricky? This was a return to form for Gin, and a book I dearly loved to read. Here we have another Elemental-one who is devious and just slightly deranged, deciding to come back and take up where she left off, with a boatload of grudges to work off- and she threatens all that Gin holds dear. Gin has to learn to use her power against Salina's magic, and it isn't until the end that she manages to triumph- but Salina isn't yet dead, and the ending startled me a bit. At least I knew that she and Owen would eventually get back together, but I definitely felt the same sort of heartbreak Gin was feeling at the end. I really enjoyed this story and this book. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep- Carmen Cole has a reason to hate superheroes and ubervillains both- She'd been engaged to be married when she found out that her fiancé and her best friend were Machinator, the Superhero, and Crusher, the ubervillain, and that they were in bed together mere hours before the ceremony. Heartbroken by both of their betrayals, she outed their secret identities in the local paper and vowed to do that to all Superheroes and Ubervillains she could find. Hired away by a succession of papers, she did the same job in all of them before finally ending up at the paper known as Exposé in New York City. But when she outed Superhero Tornado of the Fearless Five, the greatest known Superhero group, he committed suicide just before the story aired. Knowing that she was responsible, Carmen was horrified at what she had done, and gave up what had been her task. Relegated to the society beat, she ekes out a living attending parties by the rich and famous and writing about the soirees. But then, one night, she is kidnapped by the Ubervillains the Terrible Triad and given an ultimatum by their leader, Malefica- discover the secret identity of Striker, the head of the Fearless Five, or be turned into a horrible monster by the means of Frost's chemical goo, which has turned all the animals he's used it on into horrible monsters. With no other choice but death, Carmen has to comply. But Striker turns out to be more than just a superhero to Carmen- they end up becoming close, and she discovers an entirely unlooked for attraction to the man that ends in blazing sex at her apartment- and she knows that she cannot bear to out him to the Ubervillains. But can she use her skills at unmasking the spandex set to foil Malefica's plot against her? And can she ever apologize enough to Striker and the rest of Tornado's teammates for causing his death? More to the point, can she save Striker and the rest of the Fearless Five from their nemeses and turn the tables on them? And can she ever measure up to Stryker when it comes to being a human, and have a real relationship with him? I really liked "Karma Girl", which took the whole concept of paranormal romance and turned it on its head. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling- Alec and Seregil have spent two years living far from Skala, site of their last battle. But Queen Idrilain sends them a message along with Beka, Seregil's adopted niece, to ask them to join her daughter, Klia, to ask the Aurenenfae for their help in the war with Plenimar. She also wants Seregil, a former inhabitant, to help her daughter in encountering the variously family tribes of his homeland. Seregil must confess the truth to Alec, that he left his homeland an outcast for the killing of a member of another clan at the behest of his then-lover, who sent him to spy into the other family's camp. He suspected Seregil would be caught and possibly killed, or kill himself, and either way, break the alliance that his father was trying to enact. Aurenfaie memories are long, as long as their lives, and Seregil is welcome only because he is part of the Skalan delegation, which has permission to not only make port in Gedre, but to travel to Sarikali, the Jewel of Aurenen, where important festivals are held and diplomacy is conducted. But someone seems determined to put and end to the possible treaty with Skala, and a negotiator dies, possibly of poison. As Beka becomes entangled in her romance with an Aurenfaie scout, and Idrilain passes on in favor of her daughter Phoria, Phoria sends her brother to Aurenen to attack it, after Klia is poisoned as well and lies near death. Only a breaking of the treaty-truce between Seregil and his people can set the situation to rights, as he and Alec leave Sarikali to head off the war that would result if Korathan attacked Gedre. But as he bring Korathan to the side of Klia, can he prevent a wecond war between Skala and Aurenen. But is it worth the price he will have to pay, and can Alec learn his true heritage in the city of the seers? I only started this series with the last book, Casket of Souls, but this one was really a great as well. Not only do we get to see where Seregil came from, but we also learn why he was banned from his own country, and get to meet his family and learn more about the Aurenfaie people. I loved the twisty double dealings, the revelation of the villain behind the plot, and the romance between Beka and her faie. I liked pretty much everything about this book, and I loved the whole way the characters went around investigating the mystery. I also loved the revelation of Alec's parentage as well. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dragon's Teeth by Mercedes Lackey is a compilation of two of Mercedes Lackey's short stories, may of them very early, named Fiddler Fair and Werehunter. Each holds approximately 14 short stories, including the very first Bardic Voices story, back when it was originally meant for one of the "Magic in Ithkar books, "How I spent My Summer Vacation", where Mercedes Lackey talks about her writing and how she got into it, and the reactions of some people to her books, "Werehunter", about a girl who is a wereleopard and her coming to the Land of the Witch World, "Dumb Feast" about a man who deeply mourns the death of his wife, so he calls back her soul from the dead for one last meal together... and gets told some hard home truths, and my personal favorites, the very short SKitty stories, about a telepathic ship's cat and her adventures with the human who loves and cares for her. The book ends with four short stories set in the world of Secret Invasion, involving Victrix and some of the other characters she interacts with, most set between the first two books of that series. I really liked this anthology. To be honest, most of the Secret World stories left me cold, but I really liked many of the others, with "Fiddler Fair" and "Werehunter" and "Dumb Feast" being my favorites, along with the two "Martis" stories, "Balance" and "Dragon's Teeth" Highly recommended. (In fact, I am going to suggest one of my co-workers read this book today!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Bad Houses by Sara Ryan and Carla Speed McNeil- Lewis Gilbert lives in Failin, Oregon, and he works in his mother's business. She sells off the unwanted possessions left over when someone dies. Also living in Failin is Anne Cole, who seems to be a normal young woman, but her mom is a nurse who also happens to be a hoarder. As Lewis and Annie interact, she discovers a hidden connection between them, and she becomes involved in his mother's business- he;ping sort through the items of other people, which helps her deal with her mother's hoarding, but also exacerbates her own frustration with the situation. But when a tragedy strikes her family, can both she and her mother learn to live with the loss? This was an interesting, if short, graphic novel. I have my own hoarding tendencies, so seeing how out of control some people get was instructive. I hope I never get that bad, and the end of the story gave me hope. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Christmas Hope by Anne Perry- Claudine Burroughs seems to have it all, a rich and somewhat powerful husband and a full life, but in reality, she is frustrated with her husband's inability to understand her, and her life is a mere sham where she must live with a man who actively despises her, without any meaningful thing to do except attend parties with her busband's friends and business associates, all of whom are just as shallow as he is, and whose wives are mostly vipers, wielding blades of gossip against anyone who steps out of line. Now it's near Christmas, and Claudine is dreading more parties in the company of her husband. But at one party, she meets a poet, Dai Treggaron, who makes a mental connection with her. But when a young woman he invited to the party is murdered, the young men in whose company he was spending time accuse him of the deed. but Claudette doesn't believe their story, and impelled by the fiancee of one of the young men, who wants to know the truth, she sets out to find it, bucking against the expectations of her own class and the people whom she knows. But can she find the real murderer and get him or her to confess to the crime and get Dai freed? I wasn't particularly familliar with this side character, but I liked the set-up of the murder and the characters and the other people who helped Claudine get to the truth and save Dai Treggaron from the gallows. Nobody, except Dai, will thank her, but she doggedly goes after the truth, and the trials she undergoes helps her stand up against her husband, letting us hope her situation might get a little better. A small murder mystery, but a compelling one. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning- MacKayla Lane came to Dublin to find her sister, but got caught up in dealing with the Fae, and when the Dark Fae broke free of their prison, she was caught by three Sex by death Fae Princes, who enslaved her to their wills with sex. She was rescued by the Sidhe-Seers, but imprisoned, mindless and wanting only sex. Rescued by her former boss, Jericho Barrons, he forcesd her to remember who she is and was, and slowly brings her back to herself while also fulfilling her desire for sex. When he finally breaks the spell, and she becomes herself again, not only is she free, but she will never be able to be entrapped that way again, an unexpected but welcome side effect. But she's angry with him for not coming to her help the night she was entrapped, and leaves him behind to work with the other Sidhe-seers to free the world of the Dark Sidhe, who have overrun it completely in the time since she was captured and slowly freed. However, she is still the only Sidhe-seer who can find the Sinsar Dubh, the Dark book that was responsible for imprisoning the Dark Sidhe centuries ago. But the only way to find it may be to enter the Fae transport system known as the Shifting Silver, and find it there. But the Sifting SIlver can also be a terrible trap that can leave its user lost forever in the many worlds it touches and connects. Can MacKayla find the SInsar Dubh within its depths, or will she be entrapped there until she dies? I read this when I was out of things to read at the hospital and it was hard to read. MacKayla spends most of the early parts of the book as Pri-ya, a human addicted to fae sex. I really found that part hard to read, considering she was essentially mindless at that point. We still have no idea who Jericho Barrons is or how he can free her, but the story improved after she came back to herself. I liked the parts inside the Shifting Silver and when she was helping Dani, a Sidhe-Seer with powers of super speed. But I still don't feel like I need to find out the ending of the story, and I wouldn't have read this one if I hadn't been desperate for *something* to read.. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but YMMV.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Upon the Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Once Aidan O'Connor was a world-reknowned celebrity. But a series of betrayals by those closest to him, specifically his brother, girlfriend and another friend, have left him a bitter recluse unwilling to trust anyone and closing himself off from the world. However, the bitterness and anger he feels are the one thing he can use to defeat Dolor, the Demon God who was summoned from the underworld by his brother and which inhabits his body. Leto is a goddess who is the target of Dolor. She can use Aidan's emotions to defend herself, but she will also need to get close to him to do so. But when she realizes the depth of Aidan's hurt and anger, can she keep from trying to help him and falling in love with the deeply wounded man who kept wanting to help those around him, and got continually kicked in the teeth for his troubles? Leto is the first woman he's wanted in a very long time, but it seems even she wants something from him! But she also tells him that his life doesn't have to be an endless well of bitterness and rage. Can Aidan give up the anger he holds and reach out for happiness and love with his remaining friends, and find true love with a goddess he never expected to meet? And When Zeus forbids their love and tries to kill Aidan, can Leto find it in herself to save him, knowing it will part them forever? I loved this book. Aidan's situation makes you feel for him very deeply. He's a kind, loving man, who has been deeply wounded by the people around him, all of whom used him rather than cherished the help he tried to give them. But Leto shows him that it need not be that way, and that there are people more worthy of his consideration still in his life, and through her love, show him that he still deserves, and needs, love. I loved their scenes together, and how they came together, and the ending, when he finds that he didn't make ALL bad choices in his friends and associates. The Christmas party at the end was wonderful, and I loved the whole book. Definitely recommended, because this one will leave a warm feeling in your chest long after it ends.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Last, Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and Ameroica's Promise by Joe Scarborough- Joe Scarborough believes America has lost its way and that the current crop of Tea Party Politicians and Democrats are to blame. Not that current Republicans are much better with their bowing to the Tea Party and becoming ever more extreme and reactionary. The answer, Joe Scarborough believes, is to return to the ideas that made the Republican party great, which he lays out in this book. My biggest problem with this book, is that the ideas are old ideas, and that doesn't necessarily mean that they will still work today. Going back is not necessrily a virtue (and neither is charging ahead blindly). My second is that the Republican party is no longer a conservative party- they have gone so far to the right that they have become reactionary, and intelligent thought and consideration, it seems, are no longer welcome at all there. In fact, intelligence is distinctly looked down upon as "elitist", especially if you pair it with an education. The more intelligent and educated one is, the more the Republican party doesn't seem to trust you. They like uneducated "folksy" types- or those who can appear so. But even the "intelligent" Republicans aren't very. So... how will he put his ideas into action? He doesn't seem to have a plan to do so, except by appealing to voters. And again, with the brain drain among the Republicans who were voted out of the party because they were intelligent and educated enough to work with the other side also did the same among the Republican party base- the ones left aren't really going to see an upside to his ideas, especially not if it means actually working with the Democrats. Intelligent Republicans have fled the party, and so I don't hold much hope for his ideas being picked up by any great majority of Conservatives. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Silent Truth by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Diana Love- Hunter Thornton-Payne is an agent for the American Bureau of Defense, and he's at the stuffy fundraiser just to catch the assassin/sniper he's been after for years. Abbie Blanton is there to talk with Gwen Wentworth, who owns the clinic where her mother has been going for over 30 years to have blood tests and sa check-up. But when her mother suddenly became sick with a disease that will kill her unless they can stop it, the Doctors had no idea how she got ill or how to cure her. Abbie is certain, though, that the clinic is responsible for her mother's illness, and she hopes to persuade Gwen Wentworth that she needs to know what happened to her mother so that Abbie and her mother's doctors can save her life. But when Gwen Wentworth is shot by an Assassin and badly injured, Hunter rescues Abbie and tries to determine whether or not she had anything to do with the assassin. But the attraction between them is undeniable, and Abbie doesn't trust Hunter. However, when it becomes clear that she cannot escape him, she slowly gives into the passion he awakens in her. But can she get the answers to what has happened to her mother, and how does it intertwine with the work of the assassin Hunter is determined to track down and arrest? And what shadowy organization does Gwen Wentworth work for, and why are they trying to develop an illness that seems untraceable? I liked the interaction between the hero and heroine in this book, but I was disappointed that we get no more than hints about what is going on among the villains. I wasn't aware that this book was part of a series, but it seemed to be that the villains were some sort of illuminati determined to cull humanity for some reason. More control? I don't remember their motives any more, but the attempt to frame the American part of the villain's organization as somehow "better" because they wanted to be in charge of the incident that killed a huge chunk of people fell rather flat to me. I despised them all. And, in the end, I felt that I wanted to know more and see the villains exposed and defeated, but that doesn't happen in this book. Not recommended because I didn't feel there was enough closure to the story of the villains of the piece.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire- October "Toby" Daye is a Knight of the Seelie Faerie, serving the Lord of the Shadowed Hills. She is also a changeling, which means that many Fae look down upon her. But when a number of children are stolen away, she finds that one of the elder Fae, "Blind Michael" may have them in his otherworldly realm, from which, it is said, none ever escape. He is also Lord of the Wild Hunt, and half of the children become members of the Hunt, while others become his hounds and his horses. But to rescue the children of her friends Mitch and Stacy, Toby will have to dare his dark Realm and discover the secrets that the Countess, Luna, has hidden from everyone at the Knowe. But can Toby, even with the help of the Luidaeg, rescue the children that are still able to escape his curse and then evade Blind Michael and his forces? Or will she take the place of the Children as Blind Michael's bride in the lands of Darkness beyond all Faerie? After all, her Fetch, May Daye, has shown up to warn her of her impending death. Can Toby really win this one? This was an excellent story, showing how Faerie stories aren't always fun and magical- they can, and *should* be downright scary, with things that often ape the shape of humand, but are *not* human in any way. Faery stories are meant to be frightening, reinforcing the truth of what life and the world was really like, and the things that kids had to look out for. And this story had rather more bite to it than most. We also get to learn more about Sebastian's Countess and who and what she really is, and how far Toby will go to help the people she loves. And here, she gets help ftom Tybalt, the Lord ot the Cats, and it was great seeing him again as well. Dare I think that he might not be as antagnoistic to hr as he seemed at the beginning of the series, and will he end up being more to her than just a friend and protector? It seems like it might. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire- The Queen of the Mists, one of the people who blames Toby for her imprisonment for fourteen long years, unexpectedly makes Toby a countess. Toby is flummoxed by the move, as the Queen has had nothing but scorn for Toby ever since she and her mother were imrpisoned. And Toby, turned into a goldfish in Golden Gate Park for that same long period of time, by Oleander de Merelands, lost everything in her human life: Husband, daughter and the life she maintained in the human world. But that doesn't matter to the Queen, as she views it as not nearly enough punishment. So why should she make Toby a Countess. But the Queen has mischief to Toby on her mind, and it seems that Oleander de Merelands might have returned- something that nobody but Toby seems to want to acknowledge or face. So why is the Queen making Toby a member of the landed gentry? And when people around her keep turning up dead, Toby will have to find out why they are dying and who is killing them, for in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, the Queen will see to it that Toby is the one who gets the blame for the killings. But the answers may lie in Toby's heritage, and she will have to face some hard truths about who she is and where she comes from-without the support of the Luidaeg, who is strangely "unavailable" for now. This book is another in an excellent series of novels, and ones that I really enjoyed. Toby comes to the end of her rope here, and we find out a lot more about her. But, she's also moving more to the fae side of her heritage, and may be concluding that the struggle to be human, to be "normal" isn't worth it. She's more than simply human, after all, and it made me smile to see Toby finally embrace both sides of who she is. Though she ends the book in much the same place as she was where she started, she is the stronger for having gone through the struggle and the journey, and that was just fine by me. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Agatha H, and the Clockwork Princess by Phil and Kaja Foglio- Having escaped the floating fortress of the Emperor Wulfenbach with the help of Othar Tryggbvassen, Gentleman Adventurer and fellow Spark, they crash in the mountains and Agatha and Krosp, the talking cat, set out to return Agatha to Beetleberg, her former home. But on the road, they run into a carnival and travelling show that will not allow them to join, although they do give her some food and allow her to rest for a bit. But when a rampaging Clank attacks the circus, Agatha goes to their aid. Meanwhile, Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, the Emperor's son, has fallen in love with Agatha, and when his father wants to recapture her and sends Captain Bangladesh DuPree, a former Sky Pirate now serving Wulfenbach, to get her, Gil goes along, hoping to limit the danage she can do and prevent her from killing Agatha outright. But the circus, which they soon track down, says Agatha was killed by the Clank, but not before doing enough damage to shut it down. Gil and DuPree take the story back to Gil's father, who, unbeknownst to Gil, has Agatha's body disinterred and brought back to the floating Castle Wulfenbach. But the body is not really Agatha. After a member of the circus died at the hands of the Clank, Agatha was allowed to join them as far as Mechanicsberg. As a Spark, she is given the "job" of maintaining the wagons,and discovers that nearly everyone in the circus is also a Spark, with the exception of Lars, an actor who plays Bill Heterodyne in the Heterodyne Boys plays that the troupe regularly stages. Agatha soon finds herself attracted to the handsome young man, but he has problems of his own. Along the way, she makes friends with and becomes the student of Zeetha a warrior woman of Skifander, who is Princess of her far-off land, but due to a fever on the journey to Europa, no longer remembers where Skifander is located. The fact that Agatha has even heard of Skifander is reason enough for Zeetha to make Agatha her student at learning to fight and defend herself. But it is the three Jagers that join the troupe when they realize that Agatha is a Heterodyne that brings about a conflict. When the troupe's usual route over the mountains is blocked by monsters they are forced to detour through the lands of Sturmhalten, which brings Agatha to the attention of its ruler, Prince Aaronev Sturmvoraus. When his daughter kills him and brings back "The Other", also known as Lucrezia Mongfish, Agatha's mother, into her body, Tarvek falls in love with Agatha and does his best to help her survive and escape. But when Lord Wulfenbach is determined to retrieve her and goes into Sturmhalten with his armyto get her back, can Agatha survive and remain free and escape everyone who wants to kill or imprison her? And once her heritage as the sole remaining Heterodyne becomes known, will she have any peace at all? This book compiles in story form a couple of years of comics from the online webcomic "Girl Genius", and it's a brilliant retelling of the story. I loved all of the characters, from Krosp to Tarvek and even Zeetha, daughter of Chump. It's a really interesting "Not quite steampunk" story that has enough action and characters of all types to keep anyone interested. This is definitely recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Legacies: A Shadow Grail Novel by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edgehill- Spirit White is the only survivor of an accident that killed both her parents and her sister. When she is in the Hospital, her house burns down, leaving her nowhere to go. But a school in Oregon, Oakhurst Academy, promises to pay her bills and take her in. And the reason why is soon revealed; Spirit is a mage, and if she isn't contained, her powers could get her killed. Spirit finds herself making friends with a small group of kids at Oakhurst Academy: Lock, whose father died and whose Stepmother didn't want him around, Muirin, a wild child, Burke, a combat mage, Camilla and Addie. But despite the obvious magical talents of the others, Spirit exhibits no magic of her own- she has no connection to any of the elements and is unable to manifest any, even when pushed by Doctor Ambrosius, the head of the school. But when kids at the school start disappearing, including people who Spirit considers at least friendly, nobody else at the school seems to notice anything wrong. And then Spirit and her friends discover that the disappearances at the School go back decades, and they begin to suspect that <i>someone</i> at the school is working with whatever is behind the disappearances, especially when they discover the records of the missing student with a paper at the end stating merely "Tithed". What is going on at Oakhurst and can Spirit and her friends put a stop to it before the competitive aspect the school encourages between all students spills over to make them no longer be friends? What is Spirit's affinity, and why can't she manifest any magic despite being (according to Doctor Ambrosius and the school) a mage? I enjoyed this book a lot. It sets up the mystery very well, and the characters also. Let's say I have my own suspicion of what Spirit's Elemental Affinity might be, and it's one seemingly not recognized at Oakhurst Academy... and it has something to do with her name. But I figured out who was stealing the students away fairly early on, especially when I read the word "tithed" and had a snippet of "Tam Lin" running through my head even before I read the word. "At the end of seven years, they pay a teind (tithe) to hell..." I will wait to find out more about Spirit White and her magic, but this was an excellent book that really got me into the characters, and made me interested and invested in them. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Deception Cove by Jayne Castle- Alice North is a rare Light-talent, but ever since she was orphaned as a child and nobody wanted her, she has grown used to surviving on her own. Until he married the wrong man, and he died, and his mother turned her life into a living hell, suspecting Alcie of murdering her son. Now, she is on the run as her former mother-in-law tries to ruin her life. Drake Sebastian is another light talent, nearly blinded when the woman he was engaged to tried to kill him in a lab accident. But Drake's Grandfather and Alice's were in business together, and discovered three stones known as the "Keys", which were hidden on Rainshadow Island. Now, to defuse the strange psy storm overtaking the island, Drake will have to convince Alice to help him find the keys and defuse them before catastrophe overtakes them. But the only way to keep Alice safe from her former mother-in-law is a Marriage of Convenience, and that will make their trip to Rainshadow their honeymoon. And Rainshadow was also the site of Alice's last Honeymoon- and the site of the death of her husband. Can she face up to the horrible memories of that time, and why does she feel a strange psychic and physical reaction to Drake? And when both of them must confront their pasts on the island, can they face up to their pasts and come out of it stronger for the experience? I really enjoyed this book. Yes, the last Rainshadow book had another "Sequel goes here" written all over it, but despite knowing it was coming, I really enjoyed the characters and situation in this one. I especially liked Alice's DustBunny, Houdini, and his antics, and how the two characters admired each other and worked together. It was also nice to have a villain who was merely mistaken, if vengeful, rather than after a character because they were out and out EVUL. It was actually a nice change for once. The ending of the Rainshadow storyline was interesting, and also how the actual villain was defeated (by two minor characters the villain couldn't influence because they had absolutely no interest that way- another wonderful moment in the book!). I really loved the story.. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling- Alec and Seregil are still recovering from their last adventure, retrieving the amulet disk from an enemy mage. They have turned the disk over to Nysander, head mage of the Oreska, and Seregil is teaching Alec how to be both a Nighrunner and the skills he will need to sub for Seregil as the Rhiminee Cat. But when Nysander sends him into another country to retrieve another dark artifact, a crown, he discovers it may have a link to the disk that they found in their last adventure (which was also their first adventure), but he is prevented from telling Alec about it by his oaths to Nysander. Meanwhile, a dark mage has come to the city from Plenimar, looking for the thieves who stole the disk and coming to retrieve it. As Alec and Seregil come to realize that they are attracted to each other, Alec must come to terms with the fact that he may not be as heterosexual as he always thought he was, and although he discovers that Seregil, too, is inclined in the same direction, does he have a chance with his mentor? Meanwhile, the Disk and the Crown are having a synergistic effect on each other, and when Alec is kidnapped by the Dark mage, Seregil and his friend Micum must go in pursuit with Nysander to prevent the mage from calling up the Plenimaran God of Death, or even from becoming it, and also imprisoned is Nysander's student, Thero, who was also kidnapped in the attack on the Oreska that netted the mage the Crown and two disks. Seregil and the others try to save Alec and Thero, but will they be in time, and what terrible price might they have to pay to do so? Ths was another excellent book from Lynn Flewelling. I am reading this series wholly out of order, but aside from knowing that the two main characters come together here at the end, I was completely in the dark as to what was going to happen. But it was one wild ride I wouldn't have wanted to miss. Like many of the books, the story starts slowly and picks up steam throughout the book, leading to a white-knuckle thrill ride by the end. This was a really wonderful, engaging story that kept me on the edge of my proverbial seat for the last half, and a welcome, enjoyable read. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Seven for a Secret: A John the Chamberlain Mystery by Mary Reed and Eric Meyer- John the Chaimberlain to the Emperor Justinian of Constantinople, has a secret- there is a mosaic in his study with the figure of a young girl in it that he calls Zoe. And he talks to her as if she was real whenever he has a conundrum he is facing. But One day he is approached by a woman who claims to be the "real" Zoe, and she asks him to meet her the next day at Dawn in the market. However, he soon finds her body dyed crimson and face-down in a cistern. As he searches for clues to whom "Zoe" was and what she may have wanted for him, he must also deal with his wife, Cornelia, who he was kidnapped from long ago before he was turned into a Eunuch, and sold into the service of Justinian, and how to live with her again after so long apart. But as he also discovers a plot against the Emperor and a child who is the son of Theodosia, former actress and now Empress, John will have to keep his wits about him if he wants to come out of this latest matter alive and unharmed. But can he when the conspirtators against the Emperor also want to get rid of him? I discovered this series some years back and thought the sixth book, "Six for Gold" was going to be the last in the series. After finding a non-library copy of "Three for a Boy", I found out that the series had continued after #6, and ordered the rest from the library, wondering if they would be as good as I remembered. And yes, they were/are. Since "Zoe" featured so prominently in the first six books, it was nice to see her secrets exposed in this story in this one. And the mysteries here are just as good and impenetrable as ever. I loved reading this, and would definitely recommend it to others/. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Mistral's Kiss by L</span><span style="color: #33ccff;">aurell K. Hamilton- Meredith Gentry is a real Faerie Princess, and she is also the heir to the throne of Unseelie through her aunt, Queen Andais. Whoever can produce a child first, either Merry or her cousin, Prince Cel, will inherit the throne. Merry has been inheriting powers not seen in Faerie in thousands of years and has the Hand of Flesh and Blood. But she isn't the only one who has regained various powers- so have the bodyguards she has slept with. And when she dreams of sex and cookies, and the bloody sacrifice of a boar, she inherits the cauldron/chalice, which belonged to another of her aunt's bodyguards. But when her aunt tries to imprison Merry and her bodyguards, their manifestation of love reinvigorates the entire Faerie Knowe, bringing back areas thought lost forever. But her aunt is enraged that Merry is heir to so much power, and when one of her guards, Mistral, forsakes Andais' bed for Merry's, her aunt wants nothing more than to punish not only Merry and Mistral, but the whole of Mistral's family. But Merry's powers cannot be contained, and her attempts to escape bring her to the court of King Sholto of the Sluagh, who has been horribly hurt by one of the Sidhe who claimed to want to be his lover, then "removed" all the extra appendages that came to him from his bloodline before she would bed him. And after she had done that, she didn't live up to her promise. But will Merry be granted healing and power for Sholto, and can his court accept it if he chooses to become one of her lovers to find out? When the Wild Hunt is called on Merry and her men, can she outrun or outfight the hunt, even with help? Will Merry die or can she use her powers to live and survive against the darkest, coldest parts of the Unseelie Sidhe? I had read this book before, but when I was in the hospital and looking desperately for something to read, this book was there for me, and I enjoyed it every bit as much this time as I did the first time I read it. With plenty of sex, blood and death, this book scratched every itch I was looking for and then some. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba- in an alternate world, forty three children were born at the same time to women who weren't even pregnant. Some of them were abandoned, or put up for adoption- the ones who survived, anyhow. Seven of those children were adopted by Reginald Hargreeves, a space alien posing as an inventor. When he was asked why, he said, "To save the world". Six of them formed a super team, and the seventh, who Hargreeves said had no power, were raised together in the same house, known as the Umbrella Academy. At ten, they unite to save the world from a living Eiffel Tower and a Robot Zombie Gustav Eiffel. Ten years later, they disband, only to come back together when their father dies. Number Five, who had the powers to travel time, returns and tells them that the world is in jeopardy now that their father/mentor is dead. But from what? He isn't sure, and there was no explanation in the deserted future he found. Meanwhile, Vanya, the so-called powerless sister, suffers the final break with her adopted siblings and is turned into The White Violin by the Maestro of the Apocalypse Orchestra, can her siblings prevent the end of the world that will come in a mere three days? And will they be able to overcome their bad feelings for each other and save Violet from herself? This comic book was, well, crazy. The characters are... very strange, to put it charitably, and I probably wouldn't have even picked this up if someone hadn't donated it to the library. That being said, the characters are strange, the story is stranger, and none of the characters, with the possible exception of violet, really evoked my sympathy- and that was because she was rejected by her father to be a hero- later we find not because she was powerless, but maybe because she was TOO powerful. The other characters certainly act like a family, but a very dysfunctional one, doing more bickering than anything else. Also, #1 now has the body of a Martian Gorilla because his own body was destroyed, and his head grafted to the new body. With everyone referring to each other by numbers, this reminded me more of Kids Next Door than anything else (and I didn't really like KND). Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Umbrella Academy: Dallas by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba- After saving the entire earth in the last book, Vanya was left paralyzed, Rumor had been left mute by a bullet to the throat and the team was very reluctantly back together. But when Number Five keeps running into assassins, his brother Kraken digs to find the truth- and it's up to number Five to really tell everyone what he's been doing for the last 20 years. In truth, it's been longer than that for him, but will the truth alienate his brothers and sisters? And what does it have to do with the death of President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas? If you thought the first graphic novel was crazy, this one goes even deeper into crazy territory, including Kids mascot-headed assassins and a mission against the statue of Lincoln from the Lincoln Memorial come to life. The powers of the various heroes are delved into a bit more, and both Rumor and Séance have the (to me) most interesting ones. We also get a look at the other side and meet God? Maybe? Again, wouldn't have read this one on my own and certainly wouldn't spend money on this series. Just not my cup of tea. Not recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Yours for Eternity by Hannah Howell, Alexandra Ivy and Kaitlin O'Reilly- This book collects three short stories involving vampires. "Highland Blood" by Hannah Howell tells the story of Adeline Dunbar, a witch and herb-woman who rescues the son of a woman who cruelly abandons him in the forest and cuts him to attract the animals. She soon discovers that the boy needs blood to live, and when she is driven from her home by suspicious villagers, she meets Lachlann McNachton, whose clan the boy is born of, and who happens to be a vampire himself. but as he tries to bring the boy back to his clan, he finds himself becoming attracted to Adeline, and she to him. But can she find a home for herself in his clan, or just for the boy she has come to love like a son? "Taken by Darkness" by Alexandra Ivy has Victor, the Marquess De Rosa, who is besotted with Juliet Lawrence, the daughter of a witch and a faerie. With her half-blood, she isn't accepted by either clan, and though she pretends to be utterly unmoved by Victor, there is nothing more he wants than to claim her for himself. But when the sole friend she trusts, a deformed gargoyle named Levet, is kidnapped by a Jinn, can she team up with Victor to rescue her friend without succumbing to the powerful feelings he engenders in her? Finally, "Immortal Dreams" pairs Widow Grace Sutton, who has been having powerfully sensual dreams of a man with a vampire named Stuart Phillips, Lord Radcliffe- and she discovers that she knew him in a previous life, only to die when her family parted them and sent her to a convent in France. But in this life, she is a widow, her mother-in-law seeks to control her, and she has just become engaged to another man. Can she remain with the man she loves, or will fate part them once again? This was an interesting book, but I really preferred thus first two stories, as the second was mostly dreams and unpleasant people. The first story has Scottish Vampires who aren't undead, just inbred (Possibly). and the Alexandra Ivy Story introduces a character who will feature prominently in later stories by her. Still recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Luck in the Shaows by Lynn Flewelling- Alec of Kerry is a hunter, recently orphaned by the loss of his father, and imprisoned under the charge of being a spy. He's been mistreated, but hardly seriously tortured, with the implication that his captors are saving him for a far less savory fate, being sold into sex slavery, for instance. But then a new captive is thrown in with the rest, a man named Seregil, lthough he gives Alec a fake name at first. Between the two of them, they escape, and Seregil asks Alec to be his guide south in exchange for money. Along the way, he treats him as a friend and sort of surrogate son, even though the two men appear to be only separated by a few years in age. Seregil reveals himself to be something of a spy, and realizes that Alec has talents which could be molded in that direction. But when Seregil falls seriously ill after stealing what seemed to be a harmless wooden disk amulet, it's up to Alec to get him back to a land which Alec has long thought of as a fantasy- the city of Rhiminee in Skala. When, after a harrowing journey, they finally arrive at their destination, the two are met by Nysander, a mage, who helps cure Seregil and welcomes the very green Alec to the city. The amulet, it seems, is not "just" an amulet, but as telesym, a mystical artifact, tied into a being known as "The Empty God", who Seregil saw in fever-visions. Nysander and his student, a mage called Thero, help Seregil get back to health, while introducing Alec to the city. When Seregil is more recovered, he invites Alec to join the "Watchers" a group of covert spies who work for the good of Skala and its Queen, Idrilain. He schools Alec in thievery and seeming to be someone other than who he truly is, and how to pass in high society. He also takes him along on his sojourns as one of his many personas. a sneak thief known as "The Rhiminee Cat", and creates a second persona for Alec, from the land of Mycenia. But when Seregil's noble persona is arrested and charged with trying to help overthrow the Queen, he must switch bodies with Thero and help Alec, Nysander and their mutual friend Micum Cavish discover who is really behind the plot and clear his name while bringing the true villains to justice. But can Alec, so new to the job of being a Spy, find a way to overcome his inexperience and help? I love this series. I love it a lot. I like it even more for the fact that Seregil is both homosexual and a main character, and the fact that he's a homosexual is NOT the most interesting or important part about his character. The beginning of the novel reads almost like any standard fantasy novel, and the later part turns it into a mystery, which is engaging and almost fun, even though Seregil is under threat of death for most of it. In short, this book is a triumph of story and good characters, and keeps you interested and moving right until the very end. Highly recommended, for both this novel and the series.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce- Veralidaine Sarrasri is a girl on her own when she is hired by Onua of the Queen's Riders as an assistant. Onua wants her because of Daine's talents with Horses, and the way that horses seem to defer to her. But Daine has a secret- she has powers that allow her to hear the thoughts of animals, and even, should she open her thoughts too far, to become more like an animal herself. This frightens her deeply, as it made her an outcast in her home when she bonded with a wolf pack to take down the raiders who killed her mother and grandfather- the only family she had. Numair Salmalin, a mage who Onua knows and whom Daine helps rescue when he takes on bird form to flee from captors and gets "Stuck" in that shape. confirms that Daine has strong magic. Wild Magic, stronger than he has ever seen before. But as Daine and Onua travel south to Tortall and join up with a group of Queen's Riders they are to help teach to work with their horses, Daine will be forced to use her magic, and when Tortall is attacked by Carthak and she is trapped along with the Queen's Riders in the Barony of Pirate's Swoop, she'll have to face up to her powers and test them to their limit, along with facing off against the Immortals that the Carthakis have unleashed on the Realms. But can she do it without becoming an animal herself? I'd read this series long ago, and I really enjoyed reading it again now. Tamora Pierce writes good book, and this series was her second. Much like Alanna, Daine is a fish out of water, but unlike Alanna, Daine is much more of an outsider- even though she spends less time on hiding who she is- and her "hiding" has more to do with how her powers affect her rather than who and what she is. At this point, Daine isn't even sure of who she really is, as she never knew her father, and who her father might have been is at least the partial cause of her being outcast in her homeland- Daine is the product of a Beltaine liaison, and therefore can only call herself "Sarrasri" or "Sarra's Daughter", rather than the daughter of a man. Still, this is an excellent series for teens and tweens, allowing Daine just the right mix of power and autonomy to influence and change things around her without becoming a Mary Sue character. Pierce handles the characters deftly and efficiently, and readers familiar with her Alanna series will enjoy seeing the characters they grew to love there back again. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Wolf Speaker by Tamora Pierce- Daine has come to the Barony of Dunlath to mediate between the humans and the pack of wolves who she once hunted down the murders of her family with. Along with Numair, her mentor, she hopes to find out why the humans have driven all the game from the valley, and what exactly is going on in Fief Dunlath. But something is strange up there- the humans have allied with the Ogres, and are using the Ogres to mine… something. But what? And the tailings from the mine are poisoning the lake and making it unfit for man or beast. The humans have hired a huntsman to drive off the wolves, but thanks to their association with Daine and them ingesting some of her blood, the wolves have become frighteningly intelligent- enough to make the huntsman suspicious. So what *are* the humans up to, and what will Daine do when the young sister of the lady of Dunlath runs away to join Daine and the wolves in the woods? And what will Daine do when she finds out that the mages in the keep, Carthakis all, have brought Stormwings with them, and that they possibly aren't everything that Daine thinks they are? Do they have a purpose for existing? And what will she do when she finds another immortal- a basilisk, and the mages unleash yet another immortal against Daine and her party. But when she is separated from Numair by a magical shield cast over the valley by the mages. Daine, Maura and her animal friends will have to ensure that the humans and mages in the castle are kept too busy to chase after Numair while he rides south for help. And can even the knights of King Jonathan's court and Queen Thayet's Riders make a difference in what will happen in Fief Dunlath? Another excellent novel. Almost two years have passed since the events of Wild Magic, and Daine is much more sure about who she is and the magic she possesses. And she learns yet more, and we, as readers, discover the origins of Stormwings, and even all of the Immortals. I loved this book. The story was excellent, and the characters clear and distinct, even the animal characters. They never run together or will be mistaken for each other. It's really excellent writing and once again, Daine ends up being the savior, but her victory is very believable, and teens, especially teen girls, will love Daine and her kinship with animals. Even Maura, scared as she is of scary animals, gets some real love here. Highly recommended</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;"></span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15107283.post-86546179258722560072014-01-13T04:58:00.000-05:002014-01-20T15:34:39.160-05:002013, Part 8<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Excursion Train by Edward Marston- When a man is murdered on an excursion train to see a prizefight between the Bargeman and "Mad Isaac", his body isn't found until the rest of the bare knuckle boxing fans have left. But this man is no ordinary man-he was an executioner, and, as such, in constant fear for his life. But was he killed because of his job, or was he merely the victim of a random murder? In his effects, Detective Colbeck, known as the "Railway Detective" for his ability to solve murders that occur in or on trains, has to track down the many people who might have wanted him dead. But as he grows closer to tracking down the people with grudges against the hangman, a prison chaplain is killed, making Colbeck wonder if he is on the right track. But when he finds the case that ties the hangman and the priest together, he must act to discover the true culprits behind the deaths before the killers kill again. I liked this book, which provided a knotty problem: when hangman are considered unlucky, and even cursed, who hated this particular hangman enough to kill him, and why?The character himself is an unpleasant one: a hangman who is actively bad at his job, and rather than doing the job with dispatch and care, does it to harangue the soon to be dead man to come to Christ and actively torments them with his unwelcome and unlooked for pamphlets, prayer and exhortations. In a way, I wasn't sorry that the victim was dead- he kind of deserved what he got, and the motives behind the killings were understandable in a way, just taken too much to an extreme. I'd definitely recommend this series, as Edward Marston is an excellent writer who really knows how to construct a mystery. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Infamous- The Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Nick Gautier is just an ordinary poor kid growing up in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Well, if being a kid on a scholarship to a pricy school, a mother who used to strip for a living, and a criminal father in jail in Solitary Confinement can be considered "ordinary". But life picked up for Nick when he was saved from an attack by a Dark-Hunter. Now he's working for the Dark-Hunter as a squire, his mom has become a waitress at the Peltier place (run by a family of were bears and off-limits to any sort of grudge or feud, and on the whole, his life is looking up. Except that Nick has found out more than he ever wanted to know about himself; He's a budding Malachi demon, which makes him more powerful even than the Gods, and he's destined to bring about the end of the world. His future self, Ambrose, has lost most of his humanity and is trying to reboot his life to regain it. But his rebooting has consequences for Nick, who is now seen as a threat or a prize by every demon out there, and not a few Gods as well. Whoever can take out Nick and his father will gain their power, and there are those who seek to bring about the end of the world who want Nick to completely lose his humanity. and keep poking and pushing at him to make him do so. So when Nick goes to school and sees the face of the one girl who has always treated him well photoshopped onto pictures showing her doing all sorts of twisted and bizarre sexual acts and uploaded to computers all over school, he's shocked, stunned and unhappy, especially when he sees her leaving the school in tears as her classmates speculate that this is what she really likes and who she really is. But she isn't the only one who is outed on the website- so is Nick and many other of their classmates- including that his mother was a stripper and his father is a convicted criminal. He goes to his friend Bubba Boudreau to see if he can track down the origins of the website, and then must go see Brynna, as he gets a vision of her committing suicide. He manages to talk her down from that, but it turns out that the cause of the website is a demon known as a Trexian: Literally "She who stirs the feces", who use propaganda to do the dirty work. But it's up to Nick, along with his protector Caleb and his girlfriend Kody, themselves both supernatural beings, to try and track down and defeat the Trexian and return order to the school. But can Nick do that when he's been accused of rape and theft? And will Nick retain the love and respect of his mother with the accusations about him flying thick and fast? I am actually starting to really like this series. At first, I was rather skeptical of the whole "Reboot Nick's life in an attempt to make him a better person, but I am really starting to get into it, and Nick is just a really nice guy who tries to do the right thing, but has anger issues because of his background and his earlier life. It's nice to see more of nice Nick, not "nasty. snarky Nick who hates Ash because Ash lied to him and didn't save his mother". I like the direction the series is going in, and I actually can't wait to read more. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Inferno- The Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Nick survived the attack of the Trexian, but has since broken up with Kody, ever since Caleb told him that she was there to kill him. Immediately, Casey, the girlfriend of the school's star quarterback, Stone, latches on to him. But she's not quite herself, either. She, too, is being inhabited by a demon who wants Nick to become the Malachi and lose his humanity, and Casey is far too clingy and hands-y for Nick to feel comfortable. However, she does attempt to build up Nick's confidence, attempting to get him to join a band and buying him new clothes. However, on their way to dinner, they are nearly mugged by some ex-friends of Nick's and his anger has him nearly killing their attackers. Only an injury to Casey makes him remember who he is and call for help. But someone has unleashed a new force on Nick- one that the gods themselves fear, and Nick may just end up having to work with and alongside his hated father to get out of this one alive. And while the Malachi is supposed to be without any emotions or humanity whatsoever, it turns out that this is neither true for Nick *or* his father, who still seems to have feelings for Nick's mother, unwelcome to him as they are. So, can Nick be saved, or can he save himself, when he comes face to face with his own worst fear- becoming just like his Dad and inheriting his father's power? Because when Nick's mother is kidnapped, it's up to Nick, Caleb, Nekoda and his father to save her- and his father has been dangerously weakened. But what will happen to Nick if his worst fears come true? Another excellent installment in the series- this one ends on something of a cliffhanger- what will become of Nick now. and will he end up making his future self worse, or managing to keep his emotions and humanity even though his Malachi nature is supposed to prevent that? I'm not sure how many volumes will come, but this series has me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommended/</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dark Angel and Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh- This volume has two stories linked by a common character- Lord Lionel Kersey. In the first book, Jennifer Winwood is the fiancee of Lord Kersey and is quite in love with him. But Lord Gabriel Fisher, Earl of Thornhill, long absent from England, having run off with his pregnant stepmother, returns with a grudge against Kersey. For Lord Kersey is the true father of his stepmother's child, born after an affair between them. So in revenge, he plots to take Jennifer away from Kersey by making it appear that they have come to a love match. But when Kersey forges a letter intimating that they have become secret lovers, he calls off their engagement, leaving Jennifer both heartbroken and now notorious. Can Gabriel undo the damage he caused to her reputation by marrying her, and make up the ruin he made of her life in the process? In the second book, Jennifer's cousin, Samantha Newmann, is still suffering the emotional damage of having been used by Lord Kersey to try and break his engagement with Jennifer. It's now four years later, and, once having believed herself in love with Lionel, is unable and unwilling to fall in love with anyone else- as her first experience giving her heart was so disastrous and hurtful. But when she meets a man she comes to know as Hartley Wade, a disabled gardener working for Lord Carew, who lives next to the estate owned by Jennifer and Gabriel, she finds herself trusting him as she trusts no one else, and when Lord Kersey returns and intimates that he still finds her tremendously attractive, she finds herself seeking out Hartley for comfort- but he has fallen in love with her, and proposes marriage- to which she immediately accepts. But can the lies they have shared ever be repaired with the truth? For Hartley has another secret in his past: Lord Kersey was responsible for his crippling, and is Harley's cousin. He also looks down on his crippled cousin and would like nothing more than to seduce his new bride away from him. But can Samantha and Wade fight for their love, and finally put Lord Kersey in his place? I loved this combined book. Lord Kersey starts out looking so wonderful and handsome, but is shown to be quite contemptible and twisted. By the end of the first book, you feel a definite sickness in your stomach when you see him, and you can quite understand Samantha's reaction to what he does.. But both books have wonderful romances, albeit with plenty of misunderstandings and some bad feelings on both sides- and neither seem forced in any way. There is no "smart character acts stupidly for the sake of plot" moments and no point where either heroine acts in a way that is inconsistent with their own intelligence. The romances are sometimes uncomfortable, but very realistic, and I enjoyed both of them a lot, with the comeuppance of Lord Kersey in both being quite delicious. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Eye of the World Graphic Novel, Volume 1 by Robert Jordan, Chuck Dixon and Chase Conley- Rand Al'Thor is a young man growing up in the village of Emmond's Field with his friend Matrim Cauthon and Perrin Aybara. He is looked on with love by Egwene Al'vere, the daughter of the mayor and also proprietor of the town's only inn. It's nearing the time of Bel'tine, and the portents are dark. Strange robed man have been seen by Rand, his friend Mat, and other young men of the village, though no one else seems to have seen them, also Moraine, an Aes Sedai, a woman of magic, has shown up along with her Warder, Lan Al-Mandragoran. There is also a traveling gleeman, Thom Merillian, who has come to the village to entertain at the festival. But then Rand and his father's farm is attacked by beast-men known as Trollocs. Rand's father is badly injured, and when he makes his way back to the village, he finds it has been attacked as well. Nynaeve Al'Mere, the very young Wisdom, or wise woman, can do nothing for Rand's father, and so he asks Moraine to try and heal him. She is able to do so, but knows that the Trolloc attack was against specific young men of the village and decides to take them to Tar Valon for their safety. Meanwhile, Rand dreams of the life of the Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon, and of his death, which raised a volcanic mountain after he killed his wife and people in a fit of madness. But the road to Tar Valon is long. Can he and his friends make it without succumbing to the forces of darkness along the way? And why is the Darkness seeking Rand and his friends, anyhow? I read this series a long long time ago, and I was curious enough to try and re-read it when the graphic novel version came out. This was a good adaptation, but occasionally the artist' art is rather strange. Fingers occasionally look broken and/or badly arthritic, but otherwise, it's just fine. And the story is just wonderful, of course. It's adapted well and told well, and I'd recommend this if you're looking for a more visual depiction of the story. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dungeons and Dragons: Untold Adventures by Various Authors collects stories from across many worlds of Dungerons and Dtagons, from the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Athas and so on. "Under the Plains of Rust" is an interplanar tale where a dying Tiefling sends a rogue to the abyss to steal access to an artifact that is said to be able to bring law out of chaos, a new kingdom to rule, but when the thief recruits a Dwarven artificer and his half-elven foster sister to accompany him, they will have to work together to find what they seek and deal with base treachery against them, "The Steel Princess" recounts the story of a Rakshasa Noble Ranger trying to heal his brother by finding a cursed princess with control over metal. But the only way she will help him is to free her of her curse. Can he do so before she kills him with the swords she embodies? "Tallfolk Tales" is one dwarf's story of treasure, and how it can be found- as long as the searcher is willing to do a certain task… "The Foundling" tells the story of a Githzerai woman who loses her daughter- but finds a replacement in a Githyanki male child whom she adopts. Unfortunately, the ruler of her people wants to kill the child who she protects with her life. But in seeking to kill the child, will the ruler go too far to enforce her will? "The Forge of Xan'drik" tells of a warrior enslaved by monsters, and how he has lost all hope or will to fight back as the monsters construct a forge to make magical weapons for a coming war. His only companion is a halfling with broken ribs who looks after him. But can the monsters push him too far and make him remember his warrior past? And what will be the price he pays when they do? "Arena of Shadows" has a spy of the Queen going after a Skulk who has set himself up as an assassin. But can he work with a changeling actress and her Warforged companion who also have an interest in the business- and can he trust them? "Watchers at the Living Gate" follows a half-orc shaman who is enticed through a gate by a woman who he has been seeing since he was a child in a mountain lake. But what does she want, and can he fulfill their unspoken contract? "Blood Oasis" has a seer who uses her own blood to empower a crystal that can bring her back to Athas as it was before the Defiler magic ruined it. But when she encounters a rogue Templar who went against his master's dictates, can she use that same magic to escape to that earlier time… forever, and take him with her? "Lord of the Darkways" takes Elminster to Zhentil Keep, where Manshoon is attempting to control the Darkways, the hidden teleportation corridors to Sembia, through which Zhentil Keep keeps trade open. But when Manshoon seeks to make them kill or magically twist any who pass through them, can Elminster undo his work and keep Zhentil Keep marginally more free than it has been? "Dreaming of Waterdeep" follows a young man named Gustin, who dreams of leaving his sleepy village and going to Waterdeep. But when he follows a dwarf and two Elves into an adventure, it may be up to his friends and elders in the village to rescue him from his own bad decisions. Does one really need to go to Waterdeep to find adventure, anyhow? "To Chaos and Back Again" follows the adventures of a Halfling and his merry band as they attempt to deal with the results of treachery against them. Will they all make it back alive? "The Decaying Mansions of Memory" brings us Horn, a human from a mountain tribe who variously trains as a warrior, mage and monk. But a chance encounter with the Deck of Many Things changes his life twice. What will the third card bring, and can he choose not to select it? I liked this book, which has stories from all over the many worlds TSR envisioned and tells many interesting stories. Some of my fvorites were, of course, from my favoite world, the Forgotten Realms, but I also loved "Blood Oasis" and "The Decaying Mansions of Memory", which were just really interesting. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Great Hot Sauce Book by Jennifer Trainer Thompson- This book catalogues the hot saucesfrom around the world that the author has personally encountered andtasted, fromCarribean sauces, Louisiana Hot Sauces, Mexican and South American Hot Saucs, Louisiana Hot sauces, and those from other areas around the world, including Sriacha Sauce,. There is also the "Melting Pot" section for sauces that draw upon more than one area of the world. Then there are the other categories... "Screamers", whose names (and experience areindicative of how the hot sauce experience is. (Favorite titles: "Pain is Good" and Screaming Sphincter", "Religious Experiences" with sauces like the DanT's Inferno line and "Holy City Hear", along with "Road to Hell", "Halfway to Hell" and Pure Hell". The book ends with a selection of recipes using various sorts of hot sauces, probably none of which I will ever make, as most hot sauces are just too hot for me. Sttill, as a minor catalogue of hot sauces, this is a gem, and fnny, to boot. If you are on the lookout for something interesting and amusing, this book will be right up your alley, especially if you love Hot Sauces. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh- Rafael and Elena are taken aback when a wae of death crosses the globe, causing a whirlwind in New York City that kills five angels and grounds many more from the guardians of Rafael's Tower. Those injured, because of having to be exposed to an Angel Epinephrine to be brought back from the dead, will be incapacitated for months, and require much, much longer to heal. But Lijuan has been growing stronger, now able to bring vampires and others back from the dead, and make them into ravenous hordes of bloodthirsty zombies to send against her enemies. She counts Rafael, and his mother, Caliane, as enemies, and as Rafael is stronger, he is her first target. But even as the other Archangels gain new powers, so, too does Rafael, and his new powers engulf him in a cold, unfeeling cloak that only Elena seems capable of breaking through. As he fights to not be overwhelmed by this new power and more inexplicable events occur both in New York and around the world, Rafael must reassure the humans of the city and prepare for a battle against Lijuan and her legions of the dead for control of the world. But can he deal with such a powerful Archangel and still retain his humanity? Wow, this was amazing, as stuff keeps happening in the city and it's weird, weird dark clouds that eject anything flying to their death, the Hudson River turning to blood for a short time, and Rafael's being marked in blood red on his face. And yet, he could certainly have become a cold, emotionless tyrant without the influence of Elena, who helps him retain hold on his humanity through extremely trying circumstances- while dealing with what happened to her mother and two older sisters and trying to help her two younger, half sisters deal with the fact that one of them is hunter-born. She also has to face the fact that her father- a man she thinks has despised her for most of her life, doesn't actually despise her at all, and that his feelings are something completely different, but that he, too, is shaped by a powerful bad memory in his past. Old friends and protagonists from other books return, and the fight at the end of the book is powerful, sending shockwaves through the world. But it's not the end, and I want to see what happens now. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The King's Grave: The Discovery of Richard III's Lost Burial Place and the Clues it Holds by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones- Richard III, thanks to the play by Shakespeare and stories by Chroniclers from the Tudor Era, as come down through history to us as the perfect malign Prince- twisted in both body and mind, actively malevolent, and doing good only to engender goodwill from the public. But is that truly the case? Because, as victors in the battle against Richard III, Henry Tudor- Henry VII and his heirs, had a vested interest in portraying Richard III that way, mainly because Henry VII's claim to the throne was weak and he was a personal coward, compared to Richard III, who was victorious and tested in battle, and, as reports from his lifetime indicate, a good and just King- or at least, no worse than his contemporaries in that regard. Phillippa Langley found herself fascinated by Richard III, and after a book named Bosworth 1485, which examined the Battle of Bosworth, she became interested in tracking down what happened to Richard's body and where it had ended up. Although there was a story that his bones or body had been disinterred and thrown in the River Soar by Tudor supporters, it soon became clear, thanks to scholarly research, that this was nothing more than a story, and that Richard's bones were still interred at Greyfriar's Church… wherever that was. After the dissolution of the monasteries, Greyfriars was destroyed and a garden placed on the site, but there was a record that Richard's burial place was marked by a pillar within the garden. Needless to say, neither did the Garden last, but was eventually knocked down as well, and now was lost to time. There certainly was a Greyfriars street, but where the church had been located was now somewhere under a car park. But in searching out the area, Philippa Langley had felt a powerful moment of connection while standing above an "R" designating a reserved space at the local Social Services building in Leicester, and it was here she felt that Richard's body lay buried. How she brought about the dig that found Richard III's bones is the subject of this book, along with a look at Richard's life and what he might have really been like absent the false propaganda perpetuated about him by the Tudors. It's a fascinating tale- and he really was found under that "R" in the car park. But more than his bones were found- they also found the remains of the church and other bodies as well, buried under the stones of the church. Although the book focuses mainly on Richard, the rest of the story is equally as fascinating to read. Also included is a short piece on the Princes in the Tower and how each of the author feels about Richard III as being the author of their deaths- Ms. Langley feels that Richard III was not responsible for killing them, while Mr. Jones feels he did kill them, but only did so because he had no choice in the matter. However, both say that there is no actual proof that Richard had them killed- even a public trial on TV showed that there was just no proof for such, but stories have had him responsible, even back then. I found this a truly fascinating book- it even pulled me out of some much-needed sleep to finish it, and I found the entire story fascinating in the extreme. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Eye of the World Graphic Novel, Volume Two by Robert Jordan, Chuck Dixon and Andy Tong- Leaving Edmond's Field, Moraine, Lan and those of the village: Rand, Mat and Perrin, along with Egwene and Thom Merillin, make their way cross-country to the town of Baerlon, where they rest in an Inn and explore the city, attracting the attention of both Darkfriends and Whitecloaks, both of whom have no love for Aes Sedai or those sought by Trollocs and Myddral. But they are tracked to the city by Nynaeve, the Wisdom of Edmond's Field, who wants to bring back the boys and Egwene home. But Moirane impresses on Nynaeve that the boys are being sought and to bring them back home would mean the death of everyone in Edmond's Field. And when they are tracked to the Inn by a Myddral, they must flee in the middle of the night. And a confrontation with the Children of the Light brings them more attention than they want, leaving them driven forward by Trollocs and Myddral, also known as Halfmen, yet again. But where are the monsters driving them, and can they cross the river ahead of the ones tracking them and free themselves of pursuit? Why does the Dark One want the three boys, and why do they dream of Baalzamon at night- all three of them? Many questions remain unanswered as they move forward into the unknown. This graphic novel retells the first book of the Wheel of Time series, and it's much better and more understandable in graphic novel form. If you enjoyed the book long ago or are looking to get into the series for the first time, this graphic novel might just be the thing to grab your interest in the book and not let go. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Eye of the World Graphic Novel. Volume Three- Pursued by Trollocs, the group takes shelter in an abandoned city once known as Aridhol, or, in other terms, Shadar Logroth. Mat, Rand and Perrin once again explore the city, but encounter a man named Mordeth, who tries to get them to take a vast treasure inside Shadar Logroth. They figure out it is some sort of Dark trap and flee, but Mat steals a single Ruby-studded dagger. But their brush with Mordeth has allowed Trollocs and Myddral into the city, and once again they are forced to flee- and a battle on the way separates them. Mat and Rand end up with Thom Merillin and Egwene and Perrin are washed across the River and meet a yellow-eyed wanderer named Elyas, who takes them under his wing for the present, along with his friends, a band of wolves.. Also together are Lan and Moiraine, who hope to meet up with the others in Tar Valon. Thom gets Rand and Mat passage on a boat across the river as Apprentice Gleemen, and teaches them to play the slide whistle and juggle. But will they be able to find each other across the river, or will darkness, disease, and the dreams Rand is still having separate them forever? Another book filled with bad portents and worse dreams, but the decision to stop in Shadar Logroth is going to have bad consequences further down the road- we can already see Mat getting more suspicious and untrusting- and Mordeth wanted them to take treasure, so what will be the end of these effects on Mat? I don't think it's going to be good. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">The Eye of the World Graphic Novel, Volume Four by Robert Jordan, Chuck Dixon and Andie Tong- Land Moiraine meet up with Nynaeve, who has been following them. She can track the boys through the silver tokens she gave them in Emmond's Field. Unfortunately for Moiraine, the three boys have split up and she must decide which of the trails to follow. Meanwhile, Perrin, Elyas and Egwene travel with the Tuatha'an, while Matt, Rand and Thom entertain their way south to Tar Valon, until an encounter with Darkfriends ends up wth Mat and Rand traveling alone. But Mat is increasingly distrustful, and sickness dogs them both, along with the dreams that never stop. And Perrin and Egwene are captured in a battle with Children of the Light, and are captured. But the Children are headint to Tar Valon, so there is hope for them to be rescued, even though the Chilren want to "purify" them by killing them for being Darkfriends. Can they find each other before it's too late, and will Tar Valon be all that they each hoped? We see the continuing disintegration of Mat's ability to trust, and Rand falls ill from sleeping rough. But Egwene and Perrin get caught by the Children of the Light, and seem to be headed to an execution- plus, Perrin doesn't want to face that he could have the same powers as Elyas- hearing wolves (and possibly other animals?), and working with them. In fact, I personally know he develops them later, but this is set up well. It's strange that all three of the young men from Emond's field are turning into such suspicious people. Rand seems less so than Mat and Perrin, but the fact that the three of them are being tracked, hunted and chased by creatures out of myth and legend may have something to do with it. Not to mention also being hunted by strictly human Darkfriends. Anyhow, this sets up everyone's arrival in Tar Valon, and they are about to arrive, each in separate ways. An interesting and wonderful adaptation of the original book. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Primal Desires by Susan Sizemore- Sofiya Hunyara is one of the last descendants of her clan, and is a WolfTamer- one who can fight and tame an out of control werewolf. But she is ignorant of her clan, and her father, who knows the clan secrets, is a felon serving out time in prison. When her grandfather dies, he passes on the family burden to Sofiya and sends her to Jason Cage to teach her of her heritage. Jason is a Prime, a powerful vampire. But when the werewolves come after Sofiya, Jason will have to keep her safe as well as teaching her. Forced in together by the attacks, Sofiya and Jason soon succumb to their attraction for each other. But when he feels that she is his mate, he must go against almost his entire society to take her for his own. But when her father is released from prison, she and Jason will have to face off against members of her own clan- can she pass the test and gain their approval? And will she cease thinking of her father as a felon when she finds out who and what he really killed? I read this in the hospital, and I wasn't really eager to read it- I was out of my own books and pretty desperate for reading material. But this was a solid story and romance. Nothing that knocked my socks off, but it was an okay read. Recommended if you like Susan Sizemore- I saw nothing in particular that made me want to read more, but nothing that really turned me off, either. Just sort of "meh". It passed the time fairly pleasantly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">To Tame a Wolf by Susan Krinard- Tally Bernard is a young widow who has been treated badly by life and her dead ex-husband. However, when her brother disappears on a trip to a nearby town, she's forced to hire Simon Kavanaugh to help her track him down. Simon has a big secret of his own- his father was a werewolf and he's inherited the condition. It makes him an excellent tracker, but he lives in fear of what he is, and people's reactions to finding out that he isn't quite human. He plans to track down André Bernard on his own, but Tally insists on coming along, and he can't get her to leave him be. Soon, he realizes that Tally, who has been posing as a boy and calling herself "Tal" isn't quite what she has sold herself to be. But he's locked in by his agreement, and a growing attraction to this woman who refuses to back down or show weakness. But when he openly discovers her secret, she finds herself drawn to this enigmatic loner- and her heart opens to him. But when she discovers his secret, and they find her brother, will her feelings for Simon be able to overcome a fear of what he might be? And will her brother's bad decisions cost her the farm, and his opinion of Simon shut down their possible relationship? Is there any hope for this damaged woman and suspicious man to open their hearts and find a forever love? I also read this book in the hospital, and I enjoyed this book far more than "Primal Desires" The story is really nothing special, but the execution was flawless and wonderful, making us care about both characters- Simon seems hard-hearted and almost cruel- and could have lost reader sympathy, but instead, you get why he rejects everyone before they can do the same to him. This story caught me up and made me care and I ended up smiling at the Happily Ever After. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Mystical Warrior by Janet Chapman- Trace Huntsman is a man of the modern era, but he has become friends with a number of Highlanders moved forward in time. But when he's asked to take on the job of looking after Fiona MacGregor, a sister to his friends who spent a thousand years imprisoned in the form of a hawk, he's not certain he's up to the job of helping her ease back into modern human society. Fiona wants to learn to live in the modern day, but she has a lot to learn- and she also wants to help Trace out and build up her own confidence- but every time she tries to help him, or herself, she seems to incite his ire. In reality, he can barely stop himself from touching her, and he's afraid that if he dares trifle with her, her older brothers are going to come down on him like a load of bricks. But when a dangerous enemy and a mage who may be on the side of that enemy show up in town, it's up to Trace to step up to the plate and keep Fiona safe… or rescue her if he can't. And Fiona finds herself equally intrigued by Trace as he is mesmerized by her. But is there any hope for this modern-day loner and a time-tossed woman who no longer has the skills needed to survive to come together in a love that can last? I also read this book in the hospital- a remaindered book with the cover ripped off that I found in one of the caddies on the third floor where I had a room. Like some of the other books I found there, it was okay, but nothing special. Yes, it had wizards and magic, but I just wasn't that interested- if I'd had any other book, I probably wouldn't have read this one. But it passed the time, and it didn't turn me off, so I'd say it was at least a successful romance. I just wasn't overly thrilled or enthralled by it. Sort of meh- not recommended nor disrecommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Black Magic by Cherry Adair- Sara Temple is the daughter of people with magic. When she was young, she fell in love with Jackson Slater, a fellow wizard and the man she loved and wanted more than anything- until their relationship and their love fell completely apart. She was consoled by Grant, the man who had raised her when her parents passed away, and she became a designer attached to his hotel company, designing buildings and rooms all over the world. But when she is attacked in South America, her psychic cry for help reaches only Slater, and he's halfway around the world, tracking down ley lines for the Wizard Council. Some strange magical malady has attacked Grant's workers, and the Council assigns both Sara and Jack to work at finding out who is behind the attacks- together, despite their relationship together and the way it all went bad. Sara and Jack hate being forced together, but their enforced proximity to each other reawakens the memories of why they were so good together, and not why they all went wrong. But as they investigate the mystery of who is attacking Grant's employees and property, they hear native tales of a gigantic-rainbow-hued crystal snake that inhabits a lair in the forest- a snake that seems to want Sara for her ancestry- she's not just a wizard child, but a child of evil magic-users named Omnivatics. As Sara and Jack are led to question what is real, the only thing they can rely on is their feelings for each other, which have never dimmed. But can even their combined powers be enough to keep them safe when a dreaded Omnivatic apocalypse is in the offing, one that Sara has been specially bred to fulfill? This was another book I borrowed from the Hospital to read, and like some of the others I read, this one I really enjoyed. I don't think I have ever read Cherry Adair before, but to be honest, I liked what I read. I wasn't particularly down with the entire "wizard council" thing, but I liked the heat and the chemistry between Sara and Jackson Slater. I especially like how their backstory was manipulated by the big villain, and how she continued to be manipulated by the villain to bring about the desired outcome. Only this time, Sara and Jack are older and harder to manipulate out of love- perhaps having their love called into question once made their later reuniting more enduring and permanent. In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend this book and this author to others. By the end, I still didn't care about the whole Wizard's Council, but the book definitely struck a chord in me. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Chains of Ice by Christina Dodd- Genesis Valente has lived with the knowledge that her father was accused of stealing artifacts from the Gypsy Travel Agency- but he always maintained that he was framed by malicious higher-ups. He wanted her to succeed, to become the kind of person he hadn't been able to be. So he directed her schooling to make her someone skilled in law and business- no matter that she was more interested in rare and exotic animals and hoped to work with them some day. But after she graduated from college, her father surprised her with a trip to work with rare Russian Lynx, and the woman responsible for working with them, Lubochka Koslov. But he also had a mission for her while she was deep in the Russian Wilderness. It seemed that the Gypsy Travel Agency had paid for her schooling, and if she could make contact with one of their agents who had long ago gone back to his roots in the region and convince him to return to New Yorkl, her debt would be forgiven. But John Powell has his own reasons for hiding out in the wilderness, and even as he can't ignore Genesis or her affect on him, his relationship with her stirs up plenty of ill-feeling in the locals and among Lubochka's own workers, who know John as a Mountain Man who is said to enter into a relationship with a woman that ruins her for anyone else afterwards. But when they ignite a betrayal against the Lynx and by the townsfolk against them, they are forced to flee into another world that intersects their own, and once there, his accusing her of betraying him for her father end in them separating. When they travel back to their own world, they are separated, and John believes her to be dead. But when he takes over control of the chosen ones from his former leader, who has nearly killed the team many times over with his ill-considered decisions, he must face his past and why he fled the chosen ones years before. And when his powers finally start to go wonky from Genesis' absence from his life, can he find her and reunite with her to save the Chosen Ones from their enemies and find the love they once shared again? Or will one of the Chosen Ones have to willingly sacrifice their life to keep the rest safe from harm? I read this book, thinking it was tied to the Wilder books. And it was, in a way, as one of the Wilders shows up as one of the Chosen Ones later on in the book (Aleksandr Wilder, the child in the last book of the series), but not that much time seems to have passed between that book and this, which was… well, a little puzzling, to say the least. In any case, the book is well set up with Genesis doing things for the sake of her father, even being willing to throw her dreams and aspirations away to fulfill her father's needs- and at the very end, she is made aware that he has always done this for selfish reasons- all he has been thinking of is himself, and she has always and ever been a tool to him- a tool to make enough money to get back on top. Which makes her father one of the worst fathers ever, but he's never held up as a role model for anyone. The romance between Genny and John is powerful, but not so powerful that his issues, to put it mildly, with betrayal don't mess it up. He has to grow before he can admit that he was wrong, but she grows, too, in the meantime. Only her growth is all offscreen. This book seemed to be only peripherally about the Chosen Ones and more about Genny and John, which was fine, as I had only read a single Chosen Ones story before, and not all the past books- there is little explanation of who or what they are here. But still, the story was compelling all on its own, and I enjoyed the interactions between John and Genny and how he grew past his problems with betrayal. I would definitely recommend this book, but I'd also want to read more of the Chosen books to get a greater handle on who and what they are. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">If He's Tempted by Hannah Howell- When Lady Agatha Mallam asks Lady Olympia Wherlocke, to find her brother so that he may save her from the arranged marriage her mother is forcing her into, Olympia agrees, as she is a seer and can easily find Lord Brent Mallam. For his own part, Lord Brent is drowning his own sorrows in wine and women, but his mother has taken advantage of his inattention to become the real power behind the Earldom of Fieldgate, and Brent's dissolution provides her the perfect cover to get people to ignore him, the true Lord. a pose she masks with a pleasant manner and appearance. But Brent is tired of his mother's machinations, and he contrives a scheme with Lady Olympia that will stymie any such plans, present or future of his mother's and return control of his title to him. But it will require Lady Olivia to pretend to be his fiancee. But will she do it, and when their close proximity turns a necessary association into a more sensual relationship, can she deny Lord Brent the affections that she, too, is afflicted by? I actually found this book interesting, and the villain was really chilling- the coldness they show and how far they'll go to prevail and enforce their will on the other characters was just… well to say I experienced extreme revulsion at the actions of this person is understating the case. I also liked how Olympia and Brent got on and came to care deeply for each other. This was a wonderful book and I really enjoyed it. I recommended it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Dancing with the Devil by Keri Arthur- Nikki James is a private investigator looking for the daughter of a local politician who has taken up with a very unsuitable man. But she is unable to convince the girl to return to the bosom of her family, and the man she is in thrall to seems to have strange powers beyond the human norm. But Nikki rejects that conclusion, seeing him as only some strangely compelling scumbag she will have to deal with to return the girl to her father. However, along the way, she encounters Michael Kelly, a mysterious man who is also after the man that Monica is in thrall to. Unbeknownst to her, this man, Jasper, is a vampire- a very old and evil one, who turns those he feeds from into thralls before he turns them. Luckily, though, Michael is also a vampire, one who has learned to control his urges and bloodlust, sent by Seline, another vampire, to track down Jasper and end the threat he poses to the discovery of their existence. But thanks to Nikki's unexpected psychic powers and her strong connection with him. Michael soon finds himself over his head. As Nikki and Michael move to take down Jasper along with Monica and his other victims, he has to trust Nikki enough to let her know what he is and try and decide if he can risk having a relationship with her. But Michael isn't the only one with trust issues. Can they work together personally as well as professionally and manage to do it without dying? Jasper may be crazy, but he is powerful as well. And can Michael resist the urge to turn Nikki when she is badly injured? I enjoyed this book. The readers get to know what Michael is very near the beginning of the book, and Jasper as well. But Nikki takes longer to get clued in, and it gives you a real feeling of tension to know just how far over her head she is in. I liked the romance elements, and Jasper and Monica make very effective villains. Scary ones, too, and it all adds up to a story that keeps the chills and thrills coming. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Darkness Unmasked by Keri Arthut- Risa Jones is half-Aedh, half-werewolf, and she's been set a task by her fully Aedh father to track down keys that can open or close a portal between the dark realms and earth. She and Azriel, a reaper from the Gray Fields, are attempting to track them down when her directorate boss's lover is found dead in his home, murdered by something that is as much of a mystery to the Directorate as it is to Risa. Her boss orders Risa to find and track down the killer, but Risa's job finding the keys won't wait- and neither will Hunter, her boss at the Directorate. But when Iliana, a seer who has been helping Risa, is kidnapped, she discovers that the man who kidnapped her friend is also the same man who killed her mother, and to keep her friend safe, she will have to give herself up completely to the twisted killer. But can she work three cases simultaneously? Wo killed Hunter's lover, Wolfgang Schmidt, and what is he, she or it? And can Risa find the second key and get her father off her back? As Risa undergoes a startling transformation that may separate her eternally from the Reaper she loves, not to mention her friends, she wonders if she'll be able to fulfill everything everyone wants of her… without dying from the various supernatural threats she has to face? Wow, this one heck of a ride. I always enjoyed the Riley Jenson books by Keri Arthur, and this book is about her niece, who is half-Aedh, an angel-like being. As such, while Riley was half-vampire, half werewolf, Risa is half-(cloned) werewolf, half-Aedh, and as such, she can see Reapers and the like, but at the beginning of the series, the extent of her powers was unknown, even to her. Now, she's made good inroads in figuring out what she can do and has become confident (or at least *more* confident) with her powers, but this book brings her up short in that she goes through a lot of changes in a very short time. Who she is, what she is, may even have changed in a drastic way by the end of the book. But I loved every minute of the story, and the creature who killed schmidt was horrifying and yet understandable all at once. I started this book and couldn't put it down until the end- and while that may not take me very long at all, I am sure other readers will have the same experience. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Casket of Souls by Lynne Flewelling- Alec and Seregil appear to be nothing more than vain nobles who spend their time traveling, or, when in the city of Rhiminee, in lives of bored dissipation. Both are part Aurenfaie, and both are actually Nightrunners, Spy-cum thieves for the crown. Returning to the city, which means adopting their noble personas once more, they discover that a faction amongst the nobles is trying to overthrow Queen Phoria in favor of her daughter, Princess Klia, who has gone to fight in the war. Other nobles pin their hopes on the other Princess of Skala. In their guise as bored nobles, they get close to the conspirators, using their sub-rosa skills to break into their houses and find documents incriminating to the conspiracy. Skala is also at war with the Plenimarans, and other plots abound as well, as usual, in the hothouse that is the Capital. But along with their old roles as young nobles, they also befriend an acting troupe that has fallen on hard times and needs somewhere better to stage their very popular plays- something that Alec and Seregil help them with by becoming their patrons and making introductions for them to other nobles and those who rub elbows with the nobles. The actors are soon the toast of the town- but a nasty plague that strikes young and old, rich and poor alike is soon at large in the city. People simply fall down and die, either quickly or slowly, with no sign of illness, poison or magic. Though it starts in the docks district and amongst the poor children, Alec and Seregil find themselves losing friends and even the conspirators in the plot against Princess Phoria. But is it Plenimaran magic from a people that Phoria is ruthlessly punishing with war? Or is this an older and darker magic? And why are the healers unable to find anything wrong with the victims? and can Alec and Seregil discover and end the cause of the plague before it strikes the royal family itself? This is the sixth book in the series, but it hooked me in very easily. The characters are interesting, and the book is written from several points of view- from children on the street (many of whom fall victim to the plague), to Princess Klia's closest friend, Beka, a captain in the horse guards. The multiplicity of viewpoint characters took my breath away in how well each is written, with their own distinctive voice. Some readers might be put off by the romantic and sexual relationship between Alec and Seregil, but I found it done just right, and it's not dwelt upon as the thing that defines either of them as characters, which reminded me a great deal of the "Astreiant" series, Point of Hopes, Point of Dreams, Point of Knives and so on, in that the characters have a character despite being gay. It's more like they just happen to like and prefer men, and to be in love with one another- it's more being Nightrunners. spy cum thieves, that is more of what they are, but they are more than that as well. More, the characters are flawed- they are not all-seeing or all-powerful, and they lose many friends and are honestly perplexed by the mystery of the plague. I found a lot to love in this book, and it has made me want to read the entire series, of which this is book six. I can't wait to read more about this wonderful and intriguing pair. Highly recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Fiery Heart, A Bloodlines Novel by Richelle Mead- Sydney is away from her Alchemist past and going to college in California, where she attends with Ivan Dragomir, Spirit user and former love of Rose Hathaway. Sydney is in a relationship with Ivan, and he wants to do right by her, but she is also caught up in things that the Alchemists would very much fornw upon- like doing magic with a coven of local witches and trying to find a way to overcome the mind and will-controlling magics in the Alchemist tattoos. Doing magic, seeking magic, trying to undo and overcome whatever sort of mind-control magics are in the tattoos, being in a romance with *any* vampire, even a Moroi. could lead to Sydney becoming an outcast and imprisoned by her own people. Even being friends with Moroi and Dhampirs is forbidden- but those aren't the only things Sydney is doing. And she's not alone at college, either, because her sister Jill is with her, and Sydney has to keep Jill, who is far more indoctrinated by her father and the rest of the Alchemists, from realizing how deeply Sydney has become involved with Ivan and the Moroi world- and how much she loves this deeply troubled young vampire who is tormented by the powers of spirit that used to have him drinking to tamp down his powers. And Ivan has concerns of his own, wanting to do right by Sydney and love her, but also responsible for finding out more about the power of Spirit and its effects on the vampires who possess it. But now more problems are coming Sydney's way- because her parents are getting divorced, and her father wants her and her sister to testify against her fitness as a mother at the trial. And she finds out that the tattoos that the alchemists already possess aren't the worst that can happen to anyone who tries breaking away from their supervision- it's made horrifyingly clear that there exist worse versions that can turn the Alchemist on whom they are tattooed into little better than puppets- but as Sydney and Ivan's relationship heats up, and her responsibilities weigh down on her. can she keep it together long enough to get everything she wants and needs? And what happens if her father suspects, or worse, finds out, all the secrets that Sydney has been keeping? This was not the best entry into the series, but I did remember Sydney from the Vampire Academy series. Stuff is continuing to go on in the Moroi world, and Sydney is working against time to try and learn about her own magic and undo the magic of the alchemist tattoos with some sort of magical "Anti mind control tattoo ink" without it being obvious- because the only other way to undo the magic is to use another concoction that turns the tattoo purple instead of gold and is just too obvious. Even though I hadn't read earlier books in the series and didn't know most of the characters, this was still amazingly easy to get into, and my not remembering much about the Alchemists didn't really seem to matter. I did enjoy the book, although I definitely would have gotten more out of it if I'd read the earlier books. Still, this is a highly readable, recommended book. It might even have made it into my "highly recommended" if I was more familiar with the series.</span><br />
<span style="color: #33ccff;"><br /></span><span style="color: #33ccff;">Everlasting Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy- Milicent Pantere is a werepanther, one of the many magical races created by Merlin. But though she technically would be considered a noble, to be a were is the lowest of the low among a magical aristocracy- one prized for their ability to track and their keen sense of smell, but little better than the animals they become. When she is sent in search of one of the twelve relics of Merlin, sought after by another noble who holds her best friend as hostage against her good behavior and word, she discovers that a relic is being held by a certain lady, a bracelet that when worn, summons a knight who will bring the bracelet's wearer complete and total sensual pleasure for a night- and this noblewoman is allowing it to circulate amongst the innocent ladies of the ton. But when Millicent dons the bracelet, she discovers that unless she gives in to having sex with the knight that the bracelet summons- the only way to remove it is death= her death. And since she has no inclination or want to have sex, she'd just as soon not, thank you. But the Knight, an actual man imprisoned in the bracelet by Merlin when he seduced Merlin's lover, has known nothing more than an endless series of one-night stands for hundreds of years- unless one counts the older women who viewed him more as a son or grandson than a lover- then he lost them to death of old age. But he's baffled by Milicent's resistance to his very obvious and well-practiced charms. He also wishes to be free of his curse, but Merlin dictated that he can only be freed by falling into True love with a woman, and how likely is that, given that he only spends a single night with them? As Milicent struggles to escape the clutches of the nobleman holding her friend captive, Sir Gareth Solimere finds himself wanting to protect Milicent and keep her safe- even though he know she doesn't feel anything for him. But as for Milicent, who knows that love is a lie, finds herself falling less for Gareth's wiles and more for his fighting prowess and protective instincts. But can he somehow get around the curse and stay with her forever? And will Milicent ever let herself be vulnerable to the teder feelings she suddenly finds herself having for her cursed knight? I loved the Elven Lords trilogy from Kathryne Kennedy (especially "The Fire Lord's Lover", but I wished she could have told *all* the romance stories hinted at in the last book. This is based on a similar concept, with twelve relics of Merlin, and I hope she gets to tell all of them, because she is an amazingly gifted writer that brings her characters and worlds to life in a truly amazing way and makes you feel for both of them. This was an enjoyable book that made me want to explore more of the world and see more attifacts as Merlin made them and experience more of the world than the few bits we saw. The villain has an interesting idea for a plot to take over the throne by marrying Queen Victoria and almost succeeds. This book was amazing, and I'm waiting eagerly to see more. Recommended.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #33ccff;">Assassin in the Greenwood- King Edward of England pardoned Robin of Locksley and sent him off to Scotland to make war for him, along with several of his companions. But now that the war has ended, Robin has come home and resumed his depredations in Sherwood Forest, only this time, he is even more murderous and is slaughtering rich people and their guards left and right. Edward is incensed that his mercy has been thrown back in his face, and he sends Hugh Corbett and his two servants: Ranulf atte Newgate and Maltote to Sherwood to try and bring Robin to heel. But Robin seems to have even turned against his old companions, and is slaughtering them as well. King Edward also sends Guy of Gisborn against his old nemesis. But all of these efforts fail. Even Robin's sister, the Abbess of Kirklees Abbey, confesses that she no longer knows the man who is killing men in the Greenwood. But Hugh Corbett is troubled by the stories coming out of Sherwood Forest and makes every effort to track down what is really going on. Can he prove who the real killer is and will Robin of Locksley escape the blame for the crimes that are currently going on in Sherwood Forest? Who killed the two travelers, and if Robin Hood is alive, where is he? And if not, what happened to him? I liked this book. Although most legends have Robin living during the time of King Richard (and the legend of Robin Hood is supposedly based on the very real Hereward the Wake), this takes the story and runs with it. After the war Robin fought was over, what happened to him? Why does he seemingly disappear, and what happened to him? This book is fairly short, but the mystery is sufficiently twisty to really keep your interest, and it was interesting to see the various players in the tale through a different set of eyes (Hugh Corbett, who has no connection to the legend in one way or another). It also shows that the legend of Robin Hood is kept alive by others, partly in tribute to who and what he was, and partly for selfish reasons (to strike fear into the hearts of rich travelers). Still, I found it a thoroughly enjoyable story. Recommended.</span>LadyRhianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10836206736245950979noreply@blogger.com0