Dark Lady’s Chosen

May 312011
 

It seems nothing comes easy to King Martris and Queen Kiara of Margolan.  Reclaiming the throne seems to have only brought more problems, along with the poverty and famine the country is experiencing after Jared’s abuses.  Tris has to go to war against the man who would put Jared’s bastard on the throne, leaving Kiara pregnant and vulnerable at Shekerishet.  Jonmarc and Carina are facing their own problems in Principality and as Lord of Dark Haven, Jonmarc has to deal with the Blood Council of the Vayash Mor, not all of who want a mortal as the Lord of a sanctuary for non humans.  With the Legacy Arantola left with the shredding of the Flow, it seems everything is against them.  Yet they must succeed or everything is lost.

Dark Lady’s Chosen is the final book in the Chronicles of the Necromancer, and is a wonderful  conclusion to this series.  All the plot threads that had been woven throughout the three previous books, come together with enough flair and drama to make a
great end to the story.

By this stage I loved all the ‘good’ characters, both major and minor and cared a great deal about what happened to them.  The progression that Tris, Kiara, Jonmarc and Carina went through made it feel like I’d grown along with them.  Even though they were all in different places, with several major events happening to them, it didn’t feel disjointed or awkward.  Each part flowed naturally from one to the next while the tension increased each time.. The pace was well calculated and I didn’t feel it dragged at all, even during the quieter moments.  The action scenes were both imaginative and visceral, and I liked that the characters were not spared from injury.  Almost the opposite in fact, which made it believeable, and at times had me wincing.

I think it’s a testament to Martin’s writing that I couldn’t predict how it would turn out, I just hoped.  The ending though was excellent and I put the book down with a good and satisfied feeling of having enjoyed a good story.

I’m extremely happy that Gail Z. Martin is not yet done with this world and that I will meet up with some of the beloved characters again, in the first book of the next series – The Sworn.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

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Side Jobs

May 302011
 

Side Jobs is a collection of stories set in the world of Harry Dresden, occurring in and around the main series.

It’s always good to be back in the Dresdenverse, even if it is only for brief dips.  I had already read some of the stories collected in this book, in their respective anthologies, but others were new to me and a complete joy to read.  Butcher loses none of his charm and style even though the stories are short, and every one had a different feel to it, fitting to the situation at hand.  His trademark laugh out loud moments are still very much prevalent and as with the full books, they are totally appropriate to the scenes.

He writes a little about each story before it starts, how it came into being or what his reason for writing it were, and they provided quite an insight into Jim Butcher himself.  The very first introduction actually made me laugh, and also realise his ego, or rather lack of one, has not been affected by the success of his books at all.  He believes it to be a beginner’s effort and there I have to disagree with him completely.  It might not have been up to the quality of his later work, but it had all the flair and energy that attracted me to his work in the first place.

There are eight stories about Harry, a very short vignette which I found very amusing, and two told from other character’s perspectives.  One is told by Thomas and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it; there is definitely more going on in his mind than I expected.  I also loved that a few old beloved characters came back into action again, even if it was only for a short time.

The big surprise, however, was the final story, told from Karrin Murphy’s perspective which takes place directly after the last book, Changes.  I won’t say much more because of spoilers, but he wrote her extremely well and it was good to see the world from her perspective.  I’m really glad it didn’t become an attempt to have a female version of Harry, she is her own person completely, stayed true to the character I love in the series, and it was great being able to delve into her mind.  I absolutely cannot wait for the next Dresden book, Ghost Story!

Jim Butcher is a master storyteller that always leaves me wanting MORE!

Rating: ★★★★½ 

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Piatkus Blogger Event 2011

May 292011
 

It’s not often I get an invitation out of the blue that makes me actually squee with excitement, and I think I scared my cats the day I got the invitation to attend Piatkus’ blogger event! Piatkus publishes a lot of the authors I love to read, and to get to have a look at what titles were coming up, plus meet the people who have been so kind to me, was a dream come true.

Normally, doing something like this twice in three months is out of the question for me, since I live so far out of London and have an anxiety disorder, but both Simon & Schuster and Piatkus were brilliant and understanding, and had no problem at all with me bringing along my friend Tracey (and fellow Piatkus fan!).  I believe she squee’d too, when I asked if she could chaperone me again ;)   We even walked to the offices from Liverpool Street Station which was fun and also good to avoid having to use the Underground.  Didn’t take very long either, only about 30 minutes.

The building Piatkus is housed in is very impressive and we had a bit of a giggle registering and going through security.  Who knew I could be outfoxed by how to call the lift!  The offices themselves were amazing; books!  Everywhere!  I think I was at risk of whiplash as I kept catching sight of much loved titles and authors on display.  I did ask if I could move in, but for some strange reason, they said no ;)

First off, we got to meet the staff who are responsible for publishing these lovely books, and I can honestly say they could not have been more welcoming and friendly.  One of the things that impressed me most, is how excited and passionate they are, not only about their own books, but their readers as well.  Normally I am very shy and try and hide in the background at gatherings of people and find it hard to chat, but they made it so easy and effortless to get involved in conversation.  It was a real pleasure to finally meet Paola who had been my main contact, such a nice lady!

HUGE thanks go to the wonderful staff at Piatkus :

Donna Condon, Senior Editor
Paola Ehrlich, Press Officer
Lucy Icke, Assistant Editor
Sophie Harris, Editorial Assistant
Madeleine Feeney, Publicity Assistant
Joanne Dickinson, Publisher Piatkus/Sphere
Steph Young, Marketing Manager
Kate Webster, Marketing Manager
Emma Beswetherick, Senior Editor

It was lovely to meet fellow bloggers as well, some of whom I had come across on the internet but not spoken to.  It was great to talk about my favourite subject and get different perspectives on things.  We all differed in the genres we read too, some crossover but it seemed we each had a favoured one.  So a shout out and wave to the others that were there :

Sarah – Feeling Fictional
Vivienne – Serendipity
Carolyn – Book Chick City
Ina and Tanya – Murder One Romance Book Club
Ayo Onatade – Shotsblog, Mystery Women
Kirstie Long – Mystery Women

I apologise if I missed anyone off!

Here is a great shot of us all!

Now… Onto the books, oh the lovely books!

We were treated to a great preview presentation of upcoming titles that they were really excited about and in turn, that made me really excited.  My own preferred genres are Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi and Crime and I have to say there were titles in genres I would never normally pick up.  They do sound so fascinating though that I think it might be time to broaden my reading horizons!  I will be doing additional posts over the next few days of the books we were introduced to in the presentation but I can’t end this post without mentioning a couple of my favourites!  Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur (already reviewed by Tracey!), Lover Unleashed and Envy by J. R. Ward.  I can’t wait!  Seriously!

We were spoiled rotten with food and drink, and I had to try all the different varieties of cupcakes… just to be sure, and also indulged in a couple of beers.  Saying ‘no, I’m fine thanks’ to Donna Condon is impossible ;)   I do have to say I was really surprised that Bookthing had been invited to such a small gathering.  Compared to some of the other blogs, I am pretty small fry being the one person band that I usually am. I was both surprised and humbled to be even on their radar!  I even got told off for being too shy in asking for review copies, and I DID warn them that they should be careful what they wished for ;)   Or would that be what I wished for?

We left the offices to get back for our train and I was sad to go, but we did leave with big smiles and goodie bags that we couldn’t wait to dive in to.  We were given several lovely proof copies of books we’d seen in the presentation and to fix their way into our hearts, a chocolate bar.  Couldn’t have been better!

So I sign off here and apologise for this blog post being so late after the event but as usual life smacks me upside the head just when I don’t want it to!  Better late than never though :)

THANKS!

 

 

 

Darkness Unbound

May 222011
 

Born from a lab-enhanced clone mother and an Aedh father, Risa Jones can not only talk to the souls of the dying and the dead, but she can see reapers and walk the grey fields that divide this world from the next.

They are skills she rarely uses, however preferring to concentrate on the business she runs with her friends. But when her mother asks her to help the parents of a little girl locked in a coma, she reluctantly agrees. What she discovers terrifies her: someone has ripped the girl’s soul from her flesh.

As it turns out, a creature consuming the souls of the innocent – and not so innocent – is the least of her problems. Because someone wants to rip open the gates that divide hell from earth, and Risa is a key component in their plans.

And the only person standing between her and disaster is a reaper who isn’t exactly on her side.

We last saw Risa as a child in the Riley Jensen guardian books. In this she is all grown up and like her “aunt” Riley she can be bad ass when she chooses to be! She has resisted all attempts to join the directorate and prefers spending time with her friends running her business.

Keri has created a very likeable heroine here; one who can look after herself yet shows a healthy fear when confronted by dangerous situations. She is not all gung ho and has heard enough about Riley’s life as a guardian to steer well clear of things, or at least try to!

It was great to catch up with Riley, Quinn et al, we only get glimpses of their life now but it is just enough to avoid taking the limelight from the real heroine – Risa.

There is of course the romantic interest – I suspect there may be 2 ‘men’ who will feature significantly in future books. One thing is sure by the end of this book, we know life will never be the same for Risa.

I loved this book, even more I think than the Riley Jensen books. I will be eagerly anticipating the rest of the series.

Darkness Unbound is due to be released September 2011.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

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River Marked

May 052011
 

Marrying a pack Alpha might have its own problems but for Mercy and Adam, their honeymoon getaway should have been fun and peaceful.  However, when werewolves, the fae and Mercy’s newly discovered heritage get mixed up together, the results become more than explosive.  Has the coyote walker finally bitten off more than she can chew?

It always feels good to be back with Mercy again, every time I get the latest book in the series.  I even feel it when I pick them up again to re-read.  She is one of my favourite and most consistent heroines, and I have never been disappointed when it’s time for the next release.  River Marked takes that enjoyment up yet another notch in my estimation and not only because Mercy and Adam finally tie the knot.

There was just so much in this book.  The romance between the two of them is so sweet and I think the book worked really well in that the cast was actually quite small in comparison to the earlier books.  Not that having the pack around is a bad thing, it just made a nice difference.  It started out great with the wedding and got even better, even though I knew their honeymoon wasn’t going to be all happy and easy.  Things just don’t work like that in their world and I would be disappointed if I expected it to!

The outstanding part for me was Mercy finally learning her history, who her father was… or wasn’t and coming to terms with what that meant.  Also that walkers aren’t quite what she expected.  Another part was Adam trying to be a good husband as well as the pack Alpha, and the conflict between those two roles was well written.  Being Alpha and having to leave most of the tough stuff to Mercy because so much of it involved water; definitely not an easy thing for Adam.

The theological side was a little bit confusing but I was also enthralled by it.  The stories were well crafted and I don’t know how much of it was based on Native American lore but it was intriguing and felt believable.

The action was fast paced and the fights with the river monster were exciting and had so much peril that I seriously wondered if Mercy was going to come out of it OK.

She is just a gutsy woman, aware of her limitations but refuses to give up anyway, has tenacity and love and makes the odd mistake.  My favourite type of heroine!

The letter at the end though, that made me cry.

A truly great read and a brilliant addition to the series.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

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Dark Haven

May 052011
 

The war might have been won but the fighting is far from over.  King Martris Drayke, having secured the throne of Margolan, now welcomes Kiara to Shekerishet to be his Queen.  What should be a happy time for them is shadowed by plot, threat and intrigue and it seems some of Jared’s former supporters would see Tris’ rule end before it truly began.  Jonmarc Vahanian takes his place as Lord of Dark Haven, and as a place of both refuge and home to humans, Vayash Moru and Vyrkin, life is seldom going to be boring. Overjoyed that Carina is going to join him, but with matters within the blood council tense and fragile, he fears he won’t be able to keep her safe. A faction of ‘those who walk the night’ would see Dark Haven with an immortal lord and would go to great lengths to see that realised.

Dark Haven is the third book of the Chronicles of the Necromancer and follows directly on from The Blood King.  I did wonder how Martin would write this novel, having everyone splitting off from the central group they started as, but I have to say it was well done.  It didn’t feel at all disjointed when the story changed to another character’s and each time the progression felt natural.

It was good to see each of the characters I’ve grown to love, rather than the story focussing on one pair of them; the title of this book did make me wonder if that would be the case.  Happily it was not, and Tris and Kiara play as much a part in this book as Carina and Vahanian.  Carroway, Soterius, Harrtuck, Gabriel and Mikhail are of course along for the ride too.

The plot was exciting with so much intrigue coming at them from all corners I wonder how much more they can take and still be true to themselves.  The problems with the flow of magic is an interesting facet and is another ticking bomb along with the rest of the plotlines, and I thought it was good that the characters who are sensitive to it, know there is a problem and the danger it inherently presents but are too hard pressed by mortal threat to be able to figure out what to do about it.  As I read through the book it felt like everything the characters endured, was slowly pressing them together in a vice and somewhere along the line there is going to be one hell of an explosion.

The writing was again smooth and easy to read, the story gripping and with enough tension to keep me turning the pages, needing to know what happens next.  I have to say the end of the book had me gasping and as I have the final book in the series waiting on my desk, I’ve had to force myself to not pick it up until this review was done!

Excellent and enjoyable epic fantasy from Gail Z. Martin.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

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