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Review: Beyond the Highland Mist

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Review: Beyond the Highland MistBeyond the Highland Mist (Highlander, #1) by Karen Marie Moning
Series: Highlander #1
Published by Dell on May 29th 2007
Genres: Historical, Paranormal, Time Travel
Pages: 375
Goodreads
three-half-stars

“This cannot be happening.  This is not possible.  This cannot be happening.  Yet in the forefront of her mind, realist that she was, she understood that the words can’t and impossible had not bearing when the impossible was indeed happening.

Unless she woke up soon from a nightmarish and vivid dream, she was in Scotland, the year 1513, and she was indeed getting married.”

FINAL DECISION:  An enjoyable and interesting mix of genres, I thoroughly enjoyed the story but felt that the mixture was clunky at times.  I was both compelled by the story and also felt that this book needed more in the way of world-building to make this a great book.  I would definitely read more based on the romance alone.

THE STORY:  Adrienne de Simone has been cured of the attraction to handsome men.  After the horrible experience, Adrienne knows that she will never trust a handsome man again.  For this reason, Adrienne is chosen by a vengeful fey to bring her back in time almost 500 years in order to torment the fey’s enemy.

Highlander Sidheach James Lyon Douglas, third earl of Dalkeith, known as The Hawk, has been a womanizer and has become a great lover.  When the queen of the fey praises him too much, the Fae king and fool seek revenge by saddling him with a wife who will never love him and might even be persuaded to betray him.  As a result of their intervention, Adrienne ends up taking the place of the Hawk’s betrothed.  Adrienne and The Hawk begin an contentious relationship.  While the Hawk begins to fall for his wife, Adrienne remains committed to not being foolish again.

The two have to confront Adrienne’s distrust, Hawk’s painful past and lovers, and the enmity of the Fae.

OPINION:  I thought this book was an intriguing mix of genres.  That was one of its great strengths because it felt intriguing and fresh.  It was also its greatest weakness because the mix didn’t always mesh well.  In the years since this book was written, many authors have taken to the mixing of genres and this early innovator suffers a bit in comparison.  That being said, I enjoyed the romance and the interaction between the characters and I am willing to read more of the series to see how Moning developed the mixture of genres in future books.

The interaction between Adrienne and Hawk was a highlight of the book for me.  Hawk was not what I expected in the book.  It was especially nice to see such a strong, sexy, handsome historical character who really just wanted peace and a family.  I liked how Hawk is a little clueless about how to have a relationship with Adrienne and continues to make mistakes that complicate his courtship.  The book contains an interesting twist about his reputation with women that gives him a sympathetic past.  At the same time, his painful past was written in a lighter fashion than I generally prefer.  Despite his history (and that of Adrienne as well) the emphasis in the book is on the present story.  While the characters have a history, it is quickly subsumed in the drama of the present.

Adrienne is a modern woman who is swept into the past.  One of the problems I had with the book was that she didn’t seem to have any trouble with adapting to the past.  There was little time paid to the disorientation that would have to result.  (I thought that the similar A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR by Jude Deveraux did a better job with dealing with that complication).  But this book seems to be more of a paranormal fantasy book in that regard than a true time-travel.

As for the romance, I loved it and really connected with the characters.  If this had been written as a historical or time-travel book, I might have given it a higher rating.  At the same time, the paranormal elements are what make this book unique and memorable.  I just felt that this book reads as a historical/time-travel in which the paranormal elements were not integrated as well.  The Fae seem a bit disjointed from the rest of the book because they remain without a true history or world.  There is some of the feel of Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM where the fairies interfere with the mortal world, but the Fae here feel less developed than I need to truly love this book.

While I didn’t love this book, I was intrigued and fascinated by it and the possibilities as the author developed her craft further. This was my first book by Moning, but I definitely will continue reading the series.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book mixes paranormal, historical and time-travel.  It definitely pushes the boundaries of what can be expected in one romance book.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  BEYOND THE HIGHLAND MIST is the first book in the Highlander series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: The Shadows

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Review: The ShadowsThe Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #13) by J.R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #13
Published by Signet on March 31st 2015
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 590
Goodreads
four-half-stars

WARNING: Spoilers are contained in this review!

“Don’t do this to yourself, Trez.  Just…just know that I love you and let me go.”

FINAL DECISION:  This was an incredibly difficult book for me to read.  Many won’t consider it a romance at all because it has a sad ending (spoilers below).  I thought it was incredibly moving and beautiful but I’m glad I knew what happened otherwise I would have been angry.

THE STORY:  Trez has been on the run from his people.  Prophesy declares that Trez must be mated to the princess of his people.  Trez has spent years defiling his own body fighting his fate.  When he falls for the Chosen Selena, he believes himself unworthy of her.  Selena, herself, is fighting a fatal disease and doesn’t know how much times she has left.  When Selena experiences a crisis, Trez and Selena decide to live each day as if they have forever — even if they don’t.  At the same time, Trez’s brother iAm is trying to protect his brother.  Their people, the Shadows, intend to having the Annointed One returned to him.  Time is running out for all of them.

OPINION:  I normally avoid spoilers in writing a review believing that part of the beauty of the story is allowing the information to flow as intended by the author.  I truly couldn’t find a way to write an honest review of this book without disclosing the big spoiler of the book.

DON’T READ ON IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS!

I personally don’t think this book can be considered in any way a romance.  It is definitely an incredibly beautiful love story, but, for me, it doesn’t fit into my definition of romance which requires a happy ending.

Selena dies in this one.  The story is piercingly beautiful.  I cried through half of it.  I admit that I knew the ending of this one before I began so I knew that there was no miracle ending coming to Trez and Selena.

I thought the relationship between Trez and Selena was heartrendingly beautiful.  The two truly did seem to experience a whole breadth of a relationship in a short time.  Because of the power and intensity of their relationship, I thought the rest of the book faded in the background a bit.  There was no wasted space and time for these two.  Every moment was vital precisely because I knew that they only had this moment..this one time.  There would never be another date, another kiss, another fight.

All the extraneous things that often are the focus in romance books were less important.  For Trez, even the overhanging threat from his people is less important than he could have ever expected.  The impending loss of Selena so overwhelms his other fears and concerns that he won’t even spare time to think on them.

The interwoven stories work especially well in this book because they provide a breather from the unrelenting intensity of Trez and Selena’s story.  The other stories don’t feel as important (there is also a significant relationship between iAm and the female he finds) but they clear the palate before plunging back into the main story of the book.

I loved everything about this book but the ending.  While the ending works and perhaps is necessary for such an honest book, I couldn’t help wanting a different outcome.  I think that might be its point though.

This book is controversial.  Those coming to these books wanting a HEA might be disappointed and angry.  I’m glad I knew the ending so that I could emotionally prepare myself.  This might be the best written and constructed book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, but this is not a story I’d like to revisit often.  Too real, too sad, too painful.

WORTH MENTIONING:  The secondary stories were the introduction of Paradise (who is the subject of the first book in the Black Dagger Legacy series), Xcor and Layla, Assail’s continued drug trade, and there is a new story starting with Rhage and Mary.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  THE SHADOWS is book 13 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.  This book is better as part of the series but actually you can get the entire story in this book which is unusual for recent books in this series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: A Vampire’s Honor

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I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: A Vampire’s HonorA Vampire's Honor (Vampire's Promise, #3) by Carla Susan Smith
Series: Vampire's Promise #3
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation on September 27th 2016
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 250
Goodreads
four-stars

“Mistress of impulsive decisions, questionable behavior, and foolish choices…Yeah, I was all that and more.  Guilty of obeying my heart more than my head.  And this was going to be no exception.”

FINAL DECISION:  This series is improving with every book.  I enjoyed this one because we got to know more about Aleksei (which is deeply woven with Gabriel’s story).  I liked how the various threads of the various storylines weave together.  There are still a lot of questions, and some seriously messed up situations, but I am never bored with the plot of this series.

THE STORY:  Rowan is building a new life with her Vampire lover Gabriel but there is much about the past that she doesn’t know.  In this book, she discovers more about Gabriel’s friend Aleksei.  Aleksei’s past comes to threaten Rowan and Gabriel.  Rowan is also dealing with the after effects of having a portion of her soul stolen by a demon.  Rowan and Gabriel are threatened by all around them in this book.

OPINION: I enjoyed this book best of the three I have read so far.  The action and plot in this series is really ramping up.  There is not a tremendous amount of progress in Rowan and Gabriel’s relationship, but this book seems like the beginning of the long time test of their relationship.

The relationship between Rowan and Gabriel seems to be normalizing.  The two are living together and Rowan has truly given up her normal life.  Clearly Rowan has sacrificed almost everything to be with Gabriel.  But the two haven’t been able to get to a stable compromise.

The two must learn to navigate a relationship and truthfully neither has done that before.  Both continue to act more like individuals than a couple.  They make independent decisions that have bad consequences.  I like that their relationship is challenged in this manner.

I also appreciated that Rowan is beginning to recognize the possible folly of her actions and yet she allows her heart to guide her.  The question is whether or not those actions will ultimately be right or wrong.

This book has a lot of background about the couple’s friend Aleksei.  His story is told and is not over by the time this book ends.  We are also introduced to a couple of new enemies who threaten the happiness of Rowan and Gabriel and their friends.

The serial format of these books means that there are more and more problems which arise in each book.  That doesn’t bother me, but I know that some readers are driven crazy by the lack of resolution.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book is part of a serial involving the same couple.  This book ends on a cliffhanger for those who might not like those types of books.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  A VAMPIRE’S HONOR is the third book in the Vampire’s Promise series.  This is a serial that follows one couple. Each book is connected to the others and the books have cliffhangers and unresolved issues.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: A Vampire’s Soul

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Review: A Vampire’s SoulA Vampire's Soul (Vampire's Promise, #2) by Carla Susan Smith
Series: Vampire's Promise #2
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation on July 1st 2014
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 256
Goodreads
three-half-stars

“Are you so sure this you love feel for the vampire can endure? That it will withstand temptation, greed, and lust, and all the other petty vices your kind are so easily swayed by?”

FINAL DECISION:  Much better than the first book in the series, the story picks up now that Rowan has discovered Gabriel is a vampire.  This book sets the stage for the drama of the series as Rowan is in danger.  I enjoyed the action and drama in this book.

THE STORY:  Rowan has discovered that her sexy boyfriend is actually a vampire.  Now that the truth is revealed, Rowan begins to learn the truth about her connection with Gabriel.  The two also struggle against enemies both old and new.  As Rowan discovers a world that she didn’t know existed, she has to make a choice whether or not to accept Gabriel as who is actually is.

OPINION:  I enjoyed this book as an adventurous paranormal romp.  After the slow first installment in the series, this one really picks up the pace.  Now that Rowan knows that Gabriel is a vampire, her life is going to change. The knowledge begins the process of Rowan having to confront the past, along with its enemies and friends.

As Rowan doesn’t fully remember the past, there are a lot of ambiguous figures who begin to appear in her life.  She struggles with trying to determine friend and foe.  Also, she begins to realize that she must choose between her life as she knows it and Gabriel.  The events in this book demonstrate that she will be forced to choose between them.

We do discover more about Gabriel’s past and how Rowan is connected to Gabriel.  There was a lot of action in this book.  I wish there was more romance and connection between Rowan and Gabriel, but this book is more about the external conflicts and Rowan’s own acceptance of Gabriel’s vampirism than it is about their relationship.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This series is a serial meaning that the story of this couple is not resolved here but continues in subsequent books.  If books ending on cliffhangers or with unresolved issues bother you, I suggest you pass on this series.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  A VAMPIRE’S SOUL is the second book in the Vampire’s Promise series.  It is a serial and continues the story of Gabriel and Rowan.  I don’t think it’s necessary to read the first book because this one gives all the information you need.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: A Vampire’s Promise

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Review: A Vampire’s PromiseA Vampire's Promise (Vampire's Promise, #1) by Carla Susan Smith
Series: Vampire's Promise #1
Published by Ekensington Originals on January 1st 2014
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 272
Goodreads

“The world as I knew it came to a screeching halt and tumbled off its axis.  And I knew, no matter whatever else happened to me in the rest of my life, something had just changed.  It was one of those pivotal moments that happen once in a lifetime.  One that said nothing was ever going to be the same.”

FINAL DECISION:  A first book that takes too long to get to the big reveal — that unfortunately is not a secret because of the title of the book — but has promise for the series.  I want to know what is happening now that Gabriel’s secret has been revealed to Rowan.

THE STORY:  Rowan Harper is a spunky woman who works in a bookstore, reads romances and has never been able to get her sex life right.  One night at a bar, she meets a sexy, mysterious man.  Gabriel is amazing in every way, but there is so much she doesn’t know about him.  What Rowan does know is that she feels like she has met Gabriel before even though that is impossible.  He seems to know so much about her while she can’t find out anything about him.

OPINION:  I picked up this book because I got the third book from Netgalley in order to provide a review.  Once I saw that this book was merely a series, but truthfully a serial, I knew I needed to start at the beginning.

This book begins with a introduction of Rowan who doesn’t seem to have a lot of strong connections in her life. Her mother abandoned her; her father is dead; the only friend we meet in involved with another man; she has been unsuccessful in her sex life.  When she meets Gabriel in a bar, she is wary because she seems too handsome, too sexy and doesn’t seem the type of man who would be interested in her.

Rowan seems so normal and plain that it was difficult for me to get attached to her in this book.  Clearly there are secrets that we haven’t learned, but I needed to feel more connection with Rowan earlier.

Gabriel is sexy and mysterious and oh, he’s a vampire.  That would be a spoiler, but the “secret” is too obvious because of the title of the book.

What I really liked in this book is the Gothic and strange feel.  Rowan is stumbling through revelations.  I liked that there are a lot of secrets in this book that will be developed in the series.

The biggest weakness of this book is that too much is kept back here and that made the book a bit slow at times.  As a reader, I knew almost immediately that Gabriel was a vampire and I got tired of waiting for Rowan to find out. Despite the title, this book is almost a pure contemporary until the end when Rowan discovers Gabriel’s secret.

I do think the setup for the rest of the series has promise and hopefully as we delve into the vampire world the action will increase.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book begins a series that follows the same characters.  The story is not completed in this one book.  Reader beware.

CONNECTED BOOKS: A VAMPIRE’S PROMISE is the first book in the Vampire’s Promise series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book just a smidgen under three stars — but lets round up to 3.

Review: Apprentice in Death

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Review: Apprentice in DeathApprentice in Death by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death #43
Published by Berkley on September 6th 2016
Genres: Futuristic, Mystery
Pages: 375
Goodreads
four-stars

“It would be the first kill.”

FINAL DECISION:  Eve Dallas and her band of friends and investigators take on a sniper killing in New York.  This book fits the pattern of the most recent books which focuses more on a crime.  Eve is more balanced and well adjusted and as such there is not much drama there.  An interesting story although there is not much drama in the whodunnit rather it is a “how do we capture the killer” book.

THE STORY: In January 2061, four people are shot at an ice rink in Central Park.  Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called to the scene.  She quickly realizes that the murders were committed by a sniper and fears that this is just the beginning.  With the help of her fellow officers and her billionaire husband Roarke, Eve must find the motive and the murderer and stop any further killings.

OPINION:  This is a fast paced mystery story.  The action in the book takes place over only a few days and as a result, the book constantly feels in motion.  I prefer the slower paced, whodunnit type stories, but this one is a quick paced suspense story.

On the positive side, I like the reappearance and reliance upon relationships.  Eve has changed tremendously over this series and this book shows how her development actually aids her ability to do her job.  She is clearly a more effective detective and a more well balanced person now.  While the angst has been reduced, the humor has been retained.

This book allows us to return to the wacky and brilliant way that Eve’s mind works as she solves the crime.  I especially enjoy how Eve is able to place herself in the varying positions of criminal and victim.  She understands and that is her talent.  What has changed in these books is that Eve is able to have a space for her own life.

I don’t want to give anything away, but the mastermind of this case is frightening to consider.  The story is creepy in its own way and fascinating.

If you like the In Death books, this one follows much of the pattern of the recent books and so if you liked them, you should like this one as well.  For a new reader, I still recommend that you start with the first book in the series NAKED IN DEATH which is simply fabulous.

WORTH MENTIONING:  Bella’s first birthday party and redecorating.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  APPRENTICE IN DEATH is the forty-third book in the In Death series.  While the mystery in the book is a complete standalone, there are relationships and overarching stories for the series.  While these do not prevent a new reader from starting here, new readers must recognize that there is a history behind this book.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Guardian’s Mate

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Review: Guardian’s MateGuardian's Mate (Shifters Unbound, #9) by Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound #9
Published by Berkley on September 6th 2016
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 320
Goodreads
four-stars

“Rae looked across the tossing water at Zander Moncrieff and couldn’t decide whether she should jump overboard of leap onto his boat and smack him.”

FINAL DECISION:  Lovely story with lots of action and characters I liked and cared about.  My only negative was that the emotional connection between these characters happened so fast and only the circumstances of the plot kept them apart.

THE STORY:  Wolf shifter Rae Lyall is the chosen Guardian (the shifter who can send shifters to “heaven” at their death).  Her choosing by the Goddess causes unrest because a female has never been chosen from that position.  Now subject to suspicion and derision, Rae’s father sends her to polar bear shifter and healer Zander Moncrieff for protection and training.  Zander is Goddess touched himself and understands the challenges of the “gift”.

There is a reluctant attraction between the two but the threats that surround them keep Rae and Zander focused on working together while falling for one another.

OPINION:  I’m a big fan of Ashley’s shifter series. The series has a lot to say about issues of the day in an entertaining fashion.  I also enjoy how the Shifters have managed to retain their own traditions and identity despite the onerous restrictions placed upon them by humans.

In this book, Zander is a free spirit.  Seen as “crazy” by many, Zander suffers with his gift of healing.  Not only does he suffer by healing, he also knows that he cannot help everyone.  By making himself inaccessible, he limits the demands on his gift. Despite his behavior, Zander cares tremendously about others.

Rae is an orphan wolf shifter adopted by felines.  She loves her family but still feels the loneliness of being different.  Her choosing as Guardian further separates her from others.  She is strong and mouthy and just amazing although she is young and is still developing herself.

The interaction between Rae and Zander is funny and spicy and sometimes adorable.  The two banter and argue and have some hot scenes together.  They both have a core of not belonging that unites them.  Their gifts have separated them from others and this allows for true understanding between them.

The book is a roller coaster with lots of action with different storylines merging and weaving together in sometimes unexpected ways.  The resolution of the plot is surprising and yet completely in line with the story.  I loved how things came together.  Appearances by characters both new and old (Tiger!) never lets the reader forget that there is a larger world and story that these characters are a part of.

I love learning about new types of shifters and I look forward to their stories being told as well.

WORTH MENTIONING:  For readers of the series there are some reveals as to what the Fae are up to (with apparently some human allies).

CONNECTED BOOKS: GUARDIAN’S MATE is the ninth book in the Shifters Unbound series.  This book can be read as a standalone although there may be some learning curve as to the shifter world that this book resides in.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Wild Embrace

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Review: Wild EmbraceWild Embrace (Psy-Changeling, #15.5) by Nalini Singh
Series: , , ,
Published by Berkley on August 23rd 2016
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 400
Goodreads
four-half-stars

WILD EMBRACE consists of four novellas in the Psy-Changling series.  They vary in length and complexity and while none reach the quality of the awesome novels in the series, these novellas are a great introduction to the series or a wonderful chance for fans to revel in some secondary characters.  The events take place at various times in the Psy-Changling universe (although there is no reason to worry about the order unless you are hyper concerned about spoilers).

One of my favorite parts of reading a Nalini Singh series is that every portion, every moment, every characters feels exceedingly alive.  Singh proves it by regularly giving readers the additional content (much free to newsletter subscribers) that tells the stories of minor characters, gentle moments and funny slices of life.

In the novella ECHO OF SILENCE (which takes place after book 2 VISIONS OF HEAT), readers finally get the story of Stephen Berg, a Tk Psy and Tazia Nerif, the human woman with whom he falls in love.  Readers of the series might recall that subsequent to the events in this book, Stephen has been known to give romantic advice to Arrows.  This story takes place just as Silence is beginning to be challenged.  The romance is incredibly sweet and painful as the two are in danger if it is known that Stephen breaks Silence but he cannot love unless he does.  I thought this story was the best of the four (I love those Tks) as the story was complex and multilayered.

The short novella DORIAN (which takes place over a period of time ending after book 5 HOSTAGE TO PLEASURE) consists of vignettes in the life of Dorian.  Dorian is a leopard changeling who was latent and could not shift into his leopard form.  The vignettes start when Dorian is a child and take place at various times in Dorian’s life.  The final vignette happens after his mate is able to help him to successfully shift.  (We finally get to see other characters reactions to Dorian’s shift.  This novella adds some additional and welcome scenes to HOSTAGE TO PLEASURE.

In the novella PARTNERS IN PERSUASION (which takes place after book 11 TANGLE OF NEED), we get an unexpected pairing of a dominate female leopard changeling and a submissive male wolf changeling.  Felix is at his heart a gardener (aka the horticultural expert of the Snow Dancers) who has been hurt by his attraction to a dominate woman before.   Despite this, Felix is really, really attracted to Desiree.  I loved Felix who might be a submissive but is certainly no pushover and definitely proves that submissives can be dangerous when those they care about are threatened.  The careful navigation of Felix and Desiree’s relationship mirrors those which arose in DECLARATION OF COURTSHIP (which had a dominate male and submissive female changeling). Questions of consent and trust are artfully navigated here without the hero being a wimp.

The final novella, FLIRTATION OF FATE is the sometimes heartbreaking second chance at love story between Garnet (aka Jem) and Kenji, both Snow Dancer lieutenants.  The two grew up together and it seemed like they were fated to be together until Kenji broke Garnet’s heart on her twenty-first birthday by standing her up.  In the years since, the two have ignored one another and engaged in a combative flirtation.  The big question throughout this novella is why did Kenji break Garnet’s heart when he clearly loves her so much?  I had figured out the reason before the reveal but I loved how these two were unable to let one another go despite their best attempts.  I hope that we hear more about these two in the future because I would like to see that they have been able to work through their challenges. FLIRTATION OF FATE takes place at the end of HEART OF OBSIDIAN (book 12).

Overall Rating for book 4.5 stars.

 

four-half-stars

Review: Arcana Rising

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Review: Arcana RisingArcana Rising (The Arcana Chronicles, #4) by Kresley Cole
Series: The Arcana Chronicles #4
Published by Valkyrie Press on August 15th 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Goodreads
four-half-stars

“All you have to do is surrender…draw on your hatred and pain. Become her: the Empress you were meant to be.”

FINAL DECISION:  Sad and powerful and a game changer for the series, this great adventure also has significant things to say about love and pain and grief and survival.  And what a cliffhanger!

THE STORY:  Beginning immediately after the events of DEAD OF WINTER, Evie is almost killed by the attack of the Emperor and the counter attack by Circe.  After witnessing the death of her beloved Jack, Evie is separated from her other love Aric.  Now Evie travels along to discover what happened to the two men in her lives.  Separated from friends and allies, Evie turns toward darkness as she meets new Arcana players.

OPINION:  I have started and rewritten this part of my review several times.  This is a difficult book to write about without spoilers and yet this is a book where spoilers can truly spoil the experience of the book.  Part of the beauty of this book and indeed the entire series is the surprising journey which always ends on a cliffhanger and leaves readers begging for the next book in the series.

So I’m now begging.  Luckily the next book is scheduled for next spring rather than next summer.

As this book begins Evie has lost everything. Throughout this series, just when Evie appears to have reached bottom, more is stripped from her.  Evie has been struggling for a while between herself and her red witch side (which Evie sometimes perceives as dark and evil).  Having been separated from everything that has meaning for you, Evie once again struggles against the darkness.

At this moment, she meets some new Arcana (so that most of the players are now revealed to to Evie and the reader).  I really enjoy the complexity of the characters and their continuing mysteries.  The motivations and the question of friends, allies and enemies remain a enduring complication in this book.  Friends might be ready to betray; enemies might be doing you a favor.

Something is going on with Evie.  She is not herself and it isn’t clear why.  One of the strengths of this series is that so much remains unrevealed.  As I read each book, I can’t help but ask how many more books are there…and yet, that mystery in itself gives an extra amount of anxiety which deepens the dissonance of the story.  After all, Evie doesn’t know where this story is going either.

This book while having all the secrets and action and surprises of an Arcana Chronicles book also has a lot to say about love and grief and surviving.  Evie has evolved from the high school student who appeared in the first book.

This book saddened me for several reasons dealing with the plot and relationships.  I don’t want to give anything away, but there are going to be some unhappy fans — and some very happy ones.  I can only say, despite the cliffhanger, I think things are more complicated than they appear.

I can’t wait until THE DARK CALLING to see if I am right.

WORTH MENTIONING:  Without giving spoilers, I want to note that this book made me sad and unhappy at the direction the story went in. Despite that I have great faith that Kresley Cole can make it all work out in the end even if it doesn’t follow what I expected.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  ARCANA RISING is the fourth book in the Arcana Chronicles.  It is dependent upon the prior books in the series and should not be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: Illuminae

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Review: IlluminaeIlluminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on October 20th 2015
Genres: Futuristic, Young Adult
Pages: 599
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Observations on a Unique Young Adult Futuristic/Sci-Fi/Romance Book

07:33

I don’t read many physical books anymore preferring the convenience and instant gratification associated with ebooks (plus I don’t have to find a way to store all those books).  ILLUMINAE cries out to be read in its physical form, however.

Consisting of texts and emails, official reports, observations and recorded dialogue, ILLUMINAE tells the story of Kady Grant, a teenager who lives on tiny planet in the year 2575.  On the day where the worst thing that should be happening is that Kady breaks up with her boyfriend of a year Ezra Mason, her planet is savagely attacked.  Kady and Ezra end up fleeing the planet with other refugees and end up a part of small group of space craft fleeing for their lives.  Tracing the story of what happened and what is happening and the complicated relationship between Kady and Ezra.

The odd format where the story is not told in a linear fashion will not be every reader’s cup of tea. The disjointed nature of the narrative demands that readers engage intellectually with the material rather than just sliding into the story’s narrative.  As is true when relying only on written documents, there remains much that is hidden from the reader as the narrative is constrained by documents themselves which allows much to be hidden from readers.  That literary device works beautifully allowing the story to build to an exciting and surprising conclusion. This is not a book to read the ending of too soon because the puzzle of the book is part of its appeal.

The first half of ILLUMINAE is an intellectual struggle — not because the book is poorly written (it is not) but because this book demands active reading and puzzling from its reader.  Once a base of knowledge is achieved, however, the pages of the book begin to quickly slide by.  I am a big fan of disjointed narrative books.  Whether it be Faulkner or Morrison or the postcards and letters of the Griffin & Sabine books by Nick Bantock, I enjoy the intellectual and then emotional connection that these books bring.  That being said, these books are not for everyone.  If you enjoy reading primary documents, historical letters or just want a mental challenge, give this book a chance.

What especially appealed to me was that while I began this book as an observer, the format eventually became one where the characters felt more real, less filtered.  When the characters face pain and desperation, I felt it keenly.  What began as an intellectual challenge became a deeply emotional connection with the characters.  Even the romance worked for me although it is non-traditional.

Why, you might ask, don’t I speak more about the plot?  I feel that the more a reader knows about the story going in, the less enjoyable this book will be.  The book’s format and how the narrative unwinds is an essential part of building the emotional conclusion to this book.

When I finished this book, I immediately began flipping back through the pages discovering what I had missed in the narrative. The secrets that are revealed are so neatly woven into the documents provided that this book almost feels like a good murder mystery. Only on reflection and review do the clues become obvious.

ILLUMINAE is the first of a trilogy of books which tell three different stories about the same event.  The next book will focus on other characters.

four-half-stars