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| 4 out of 5 stars |
Rose Drayton lives
on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars,
shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where
blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your
magic can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel
from one world to the next, but they never truly belong in either.
Rose
thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for
herself. But things didn’t turn out how she planned, and now she works a
minimum wage, off the books job in the Broken just to survive. Then
Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of
the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have her (and her power).
But
when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of
creatures hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to
destroy them—or they’ll devour the Edge and everyone in it.
This is probably my least
favourite Ilona Andrews offering to date, but I still really enjoyed it.
I feel like I am reading historical background to books 2 and 3 of the
Innkeeper Chronicles, learning the backstory of the arbiter, George. I
can also see this particular book as a blue-print for Burn for Me,
which is, in my opinion, a stronger offering (and both BfM and OtE tip
further into the paranormal romance direction than the Kate Daniels
series did).
There is at least one obvious fairy-tale element
here—Declan can win Rose’s hand by performing three difficult tasks.
Plus, she is living in poverty and working a minimum wage job, evoking
Cinderella comparisons. Also obvious is a fairly standard romance
trope—reluctant allies developing genuine feelings for one another. Add
in a Romeo-and-Juliet type angle, with Rose and Declan being from
extremely different family backgrounds, and how can you miss? There are
built-in communication problems to confound the couple as they try to
navigate their relationship.
Another solid offering from the
Andrews writing team. I will definitely read book two and I’ve already
picked up books three and four second hand, so they are a foregone
conclusion. I am worried that I am almost caught up-to-date on their
published works—rereading will be my solution until more are published!
 |
| 4 out of 5 stars |
Gertrude Hunt, the
nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, is glad to have you. We
cater to particular kind of guests, the ones most people don’t know
about. The older lady sipping her Mello Yello is called Caldenia,
although she prefers Your Grace. She has a sizable bounty on her head,
so if you hear kinetic or laser fire, try not to stand close to the
target. Our chef is a Quillonian. The claws are a little unsettling, but
he is a consummate professional and truly is the best chef in the
Galaxy. If you see a dark shadow in the orchard late at night, don’t
worry. Someone is patrolling the grounds. Do beware of our dog.
Your
safety and comfort is our first priority. The inn and your host, Dina
Demille, will defend you at all costs. We ask only that you mind other
guests and conduct yourself in a polite manner.
This installment of the
Innkeeper Chronicles manages to be very satisfying while leaving the
reader anxious for the next book! Some things are “settled” (or at least
the beginnings of settling has begun), but enough loose ends are left
to entice me along. Please tell me that there will be a volume 4? I need
to know what has happened to Dina’s parents! And although it seems a
foregone conclusion, I want to know what Dina’s sister, Maud, decides to
do.
I loved the sibling dynamics in One Fell Sweep. The
teasing between the two sisters, the insights that they have on each
other, the love, and the support. I adore Dina, but I’m also becoming a
fan of Maud.
I was also delighted that the trademark Ilona
Andrews banter continued—the dialog sparkles. Plus, the new role for
Officer Marais is genius! We get some brand new aliens to enjoy, we get
to know Caldenia a bit better, see what Beast can do when necessary, and
meet Sean’s parents. All in all, a lot of personal information, all
while fighting a righteous battle whose conclusion is not easily
foreseen.
I am ever so glad that I have purchased all three of
the Innkeeper books, as I can easily envision reading all of them
over-again from the beginning while I wait for number 4.
 |
| 4 out of 5 stars |
Feyre survived
Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost.
Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human,
and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's
people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High
Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of
politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she
might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing
gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her
future—and the future of a world torn apart.
This is an enormous book. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was able to conquer it, however.
The things I liked?
- Getting to see more of various fairy courts (Night and Summer, for instance).
- Seeing Tamlin’s “perfect” plans being derailed by Rhys, the charming bad boy.
- Feyre escaping the controlling relationship that she found herself in.
- Watching Feyre explore her new abilities.
- Seeing the set-up for an extreme Fae-Human war.
The things I wasn’t crazy about:
- This book could have been one third the size without all the angst
about what Feyre feels, what she should do, was she being fair, all that
crap that unnecessarily complicates relationships.
- It reinforces
the “women like bad boys” sterotypes that plague us. Despite the fact
that Rhys turns out to be a nicer guy that Tamlin in every way that is
important.
- Yet another book which tells women that a relationship
is the most important achievement in our lives, rather than our talents
and accomplishments.
Basically, Feyre has gone from being a
fragile human, needing protection, to a strong Fae woman who needs a
supportive partner. Tamlin was her entrée into the Fairy realm, but once
she returns with him to the Spring Court, he goes all controlling on
her—restricting her contact with others, restricting her movements, and
acting like an abusive spouse. I’m all for getting away from abusive
partners.
The whole romance-y genre drives me crazy, because I enjoy the books, but the subtext messages in them drive me up the wall!
I
wonder if Maas’ plan is to write a book set in each of the Fairy
Courts? Despite my complaints, there is no doubt that I will be reading
on, to see how things turn out.
 |
| 4 out of 5 stars |
The
Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become
legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the
Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, and Age of
Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was,
what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
The Wheel of Time turns….and I am now on The Wheel.
What
a kitten-squisher of a book! I had the hardcover edition from the
library. When I fell asleep reading it, the thump as the book landed in
my lap would wake me every time! (Not that this was a boring book, just
that I’ve been having sleep issues lately.)
I hope to take a
little breather from The Wheel before I head on to book 2. But I will
need to move on while I still remember who’s who. This is one of the
better swords-and-horses fantasies that I have found during my reading
project, and judging from the number of books times the thickness of
each one, I have many hours of reading pleasure in my future.
Book 254 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
 |
| 4 out of 5 stars |
For once, mated
werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role
as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely
personal--or at least it starts out that way...
Charles and Anna soon
discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human
children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to
heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.
Dead Heat pulls
the Alpha & Omega series more towards the mystery genre. However,
there is never any question that it is definitely urban fantasy. The
villain of the piece is, after all, a Fae, the theory being that the
majority of the Fae have barricaded themselves on their reservations and
are strategically releasing their worst offenders to plague the human
world. This is one the creepiest Fae that Briggs has introduced us to.
For
those of us who love horses, this is the book for us. There is a good
dose of horse shows and riding. But it is also a novel that deals with
aging, loss, and free will. Charles must say good-bye to one of his few
friends, as this man has steadfastly refused to become a werewolf.
Still loving that there’s no romantic angst in this series—it’s lovely to see a married couple acting like adults.
 |
| 4 out of 5 stars |
A vampire
gangster's nephew is abducted off his yacht by a bunch of low-rent
Creatures from the Black Lagoon. A slew of banks are knocked over by
what looks like the cast of Night of the Living Dead. All of this may
seem like the movies, but, I promise you, it's not.
I'm Makenna
Fraser, seer for SPI, and I know the culprits aren't wearing disguises
or makeup. They're real. Deadly real. Especially their leader--an
ancient shapeshifter who leaves a trail of chaos and blood in his wake.
Now, he's taken my partner, Ian--and his intentions aren't pretty.
The worst part? This is only the beginning...
The beginning of the end of the human race.
Another enjoyable offering
in the SPI Files. Now I can see the set-up for this book that Shearin
wove into the first three books. Very skillfully done.
For those
who are into paranormal romance, this series may frustrate you. The pace
of Mac and Rake’s relationship is glacial, but I’m okay with that. This
seems to be parr for the course, as Shearin’s Raine Benares series is
much the same. Unfortunately there is also the same is a tendency to
repeat, repeat, repeat herself (although not quite as much in the SPI
Files).
With Vivienne Sagadraco on vacation, we get to see more
of Alain Moreau, cool vampire lawyer. Although I love Vivienne, it was
nice to see Alain get some page-time.
The big changes in this
installment happen in Ian’s life. I will be interested to see where
Shearin takes things next, as there are obviously threads of the story
left hanging, waiting for another book. Not to mention that I want to
know how things go for Mac & Rake. Mac didn’t get to use her seer’s
powers much in this book—hopefully that will change in the next one.
Now the big question is when will Book 5 will be published?
 |
| 3 out of 5 stars |
Somehow, I missed this book
during my school years. I remember seeing stacks of them in our school,
but it was never assigned in one of my classes. I can see why it is a
staple of high school curriculums, however, since it’s themes are easily
seen and interpreted. There is plenty to discuss.
I would have appreciated it in high school, having struggled with Orwell’s Animal Farm instead. Lord of the Flies
is pretty straight-forward in its depiction of the descent of
supposedly civilized British boarding school boys into “savages” when
left without adult supervision. Perhaps it is also a comment on boarding
schools in general, which a couple of my friends have experienced (and
do not recommend).
I find myself wondering how Golding would
have written things differently if there were girls in the mix. Would
they have been considered a “civilizing influence”? Or would they have
become prizes or hostages in some boy’s competition? How did the
“Little’uns” manage to escape the worst of the mistreatment that can be
dished out when group dynamics go awry?
I chose this book after reading Barrie’s Peter Pan
last year, wanting to contrast the “lost boys” in both novels. Unlike
Barrie’s Lost Boys, the boys in LOTF have to grow up. Golding makes them
struggle with adult responsibilities that they really aren’t prepared
for, like keeping a signal fire going and building adequate shelters. I
was also reminded of Robinson Crusoe, but his journey was
actually towards religion, rather than away from it. Many years with
only a Bible to read turns him into a religious man, which at the time
would be considered more civilized.
A worthwhile book, but not one that I will ever likely re-read.
