DragonhavenAuthor: Robin McKinley Title: Dragonhaven Series: None Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/F Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.robinmckinley.com/books/dragonhaven/ Summary: Dragons are extinct in the wild, but the Makepeace Institute of Integrated Dragon Studies in Smokehill National Park is home to about two hundred of the world's remaining creatures. Until Jake discovers a dying dragon that has given birth-and one of the babies is still alive. Maggie's Review:
There are a few cardinal sins in writing: 1. Never talk directly to the readers. 2. Don't tell the reader when you can show them via proper description. 3. If you're going to make me pay money for a book, it had better be properly edited and formatted. Dragonhaven thankfully was perfectly edited and formatted, but it failed utterly at the other two sins. How can I therefore still give it five petals? Quite frankly, because it's just that good. McKinley made a stylistic choice to write Jake's story from a first person perspective of Jake writing the story himself. His journey as he learns about the dragons hiding in the Smokehill National Park is both a story of his growing up and the world growing with him, yet because the story is from Jake's perspective if there is something he doesn't know or understand the reader can't understand it either. Jake is writing his story in order to explain what happened to him and the dragons to his readers, so talking to the readers works. It is also quite clear that there are things Jake just doesn't have the words to describe, so he has to tell what happens rather than show. Breaking the cardinal rules like McKinley has requires an extremely high level of crafting. I finished rereading this book yet again in order to write this review and still have zero complaints about the story. They style of writing does take some getting used to, but overall I loved this story. Maggie's Recommendation: The style Dragonhaven is written in does take some getting used to, but the book is so interesting and dynamic I can't help loving it every time I reread. I definitely recommend this book.
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EidolonAuthor: Jordan L. Hawk Title: Eidolon Series: Whyborne & Griffin 1.5 Genre: Historical Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://jordanlhawk.com/books/whyborne-griffin/#eidolon Summary: Griffin Flaherty wants nothing more than to create a perfect Valentine’s Day for his lover, Dr. Percival Endicott Whyborne. Dinner at a fancy restaurant, an evening at the theater, and a romantic interlude at home should do the trick. But a new client with an urgent case puts Griffin’s plans in jeopardy. A magic talisman has been stolen, and if it isn’t returned by sundown, disaster will befall not only on the thief but the innocents around him. Can Whyborne and Griffin track down and return the amulet by nightfall, or will dinner reservations become the least of their worries? Maggie's Review:
Eidolon takes place between the first two books in the series, but it was written much later as a holiday short story. What that means is Hawk already knows what happens in the future of the main characters, but has to pull back to fit into the appropriate timeline. That made the story feel a little stretched. Also, since I haven't yet had the opportunity to read the second book in this series I couldn't help feeling like I was missing something. The story is cute and sweet with just a touch of horror. Griffin wants to have a great Valentines day with Whyborne and has it all planned out perfectly until an unexpected customer knocks on his office door and throws those plans into disarray. He needs to locate a strange talisman before it's too late. The woman that hired him gave him a very firm timeline and he also has theater tickets for his perfect evening that he doesn't want to miss. It becomes clear very quickly that Griffin is dealing with something magical, so he enlists Whyborne's help. Overall, this story was cute and fun. As a holiday-short it worked. However, as a stand-alone story set in the universe I found it lacking. Whyborne left off in the previous book just starting to learn how to use magic, yet in this story the magic comes easily for him. There also wasn't much insight given into how Griffin's job worked in the previous story--just that he's a private detective--but in this story we're thrown into his work without much preparation. Additionally, the reader was just starting to realize the city the books are set in has a magic depth to it, but in this story it's assumed rather than explained. As I said earlier, a lot of these issues were most likely caused because Hawk wrote this story well after the plot and the characters have moved on in future books; returning to this period in the timeline didn't quite work out. That said, I still really liked reading this short story and it only made me even more interested in learning where the series is going to go from here. Maggie's Recommendation: This short story was cute and fun, but it can't stand alone. I recommend it, but only after you've read multiple books in the series. There are clearly things that happen in the future that appeared despite their not being appropriate for the timeline, but overall it was a good read. Fangs and Lullabies Author: Kallysten Title: Fangs and Lullabies Series: The Demons Age 1 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/F, M/M, Bi Rating: Two Petals On the Author's Website: http://original.kallysten.net/2011/fangs-and-lullabies/ Summary: A child’s birth. His first teeth and first steps. School friends and bullies, recess, school plays and science projects. A girl, a crush and a broken heart. These childhood experiences are shared by countless little boys from different horizons. And yet… Jacob is anything but average. For as long as he has been able to understand, a secret has shaped his life, kept even from his closest friends: his father, Andrew, is a vampire. And so is his other father, Nicholas. In a strange era when demons are beginning to appear all over the world and threaten humans and vampires alike, the three of them form quite an extraordinary family. And yet, at the same time, they could hardly be more normal. Two fathers raising a son neither of them ever thought he would have. A Sire and Childe resuming their relationship after years of estrangement. Through snapshots covering Jacob’s life from birth to adulthood, discover this unusual family, and how, in the end, all it takes is love. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The beginning of this story had the perfect hook. Andrew is left alone in a room, his longtime girlfriend/partner is on the bed, dead from childbirth, and their son is lying nearby in a crib. He's lost and scared, unsure of how he's going to move forward, but Andrew knows he has to. The emotion in that one scene was riveting. If only the entire book was just as strong. Set up as a series of vignettes, or snapshots as the summary explains, this story jumps from scene to scene. It's definitely an interesting way to tell a story, giving glimpses into the drama of family life and how each character grows throughout the years without bogging down the story with too much detail. Yet, it also detracted from the story. Every time I started feeling like I was settling into the plot and the flow, it would suddenly jump away to a new scene days, months, or even years later. I kept losing interest in where the story was going because I couldn't stay invested in it. I also had some issues with the plot itself. For example, directly after the beautiful opening scene the story jumps two months into the future and Nicholas appears. It turns out, Nicholas is Andrew's Childe, someone that Andrew turned into a vampire a long time ago. They talk about why they were separated briefly, and then suddenly they're having sex. I, as a reader, have not yet had the chance to recover from the previous scene's emotions and couldn't wrap my head around the strange relationship Andrew and Nicholas fall into. It honestly just didn't work. Maggie's Recommendation: This book definitely had it's wonderful moments. There were excellent scenes full of emotion and drama that had me hooked. However, the jumpy formatting of the story, the lacking details, and the suddenness of everything that happened really detracted from my overall enjoyment to the point that I don't feel that I can recommend this story. Black-Winged Tuesday Author: A.B. Rayn Title: Black-Winged Tuesday Series: None Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/M Rating: One Petal On the Author's Website: Author does not appear to have a website. Summary: Unlucky in life, twice as unlucky in the after-life? When Tuesday dies and becomes a guardian angel, he's sure his luck has turned. Little does he know he'll have to face were-beavers, old sweethearts, archangels, and even Lucifer himself. Nevertheless, Tuesday's death may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Herman is a very boring guy, which translates to a very boring book. He's killed on a Tuesday, which is his bad luck day, and is immediately brought to the judging room where he's suddenly chosen to be a good angel and is sent out on his first assignment. There's no real explanation of what's happening, there's very little world-building to provide support to the plot, and Herman is so lifeless that any emotion is stifled. Once he realizes he's dead, Herman shrugs. No big deal, whatever. He's led up a long stairway to make his decision between good and bad and he makes his decision. There's no concern about what that means for his future, what it means in accordance with his past, or even what the difference between good and bad actually is. He meets the charge that he's supposed to be a guardian angel for, realizes the kid is a pill-popping, emotionally unstable were-beaver and shrugs. I was bored by the end of the first chapter. By the end of the third chapter I realized this book had nothing positive going for it. I put the book down and have no will to finish it. It was honestly that bad. Maggie's Recommendation: I absolutely do not recommend this book. It was boring, totally lacking in needed emotion, and overall it was just bad. I couldn't make myself finish the book. Marked in Flesh Author: Anne Bishop Title: Marked in Flesh Series: The Others 4 Genre: Dark Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.annebishop.com/b.marked.flesh.html Summary: Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically. But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs… Maggie's Review:
A word of warning before I delve into my review. This book is dark fantasy and Bishop is known for characters and magical powers that revel in blood. It can be graphic at times. This book in particular has scenes of cutting, descriptive character death, and specific mentions of rape. I don't want to trigger someone by recommending a book that may hurt them, so if you know you have any issues with those sort of things, please tread carefully. This book begins and ends with a bang. The world is dissolving into war as the humans try to take land and resources from the others and the others refuse. Small fights begin breaking out in the western half of the world and Simon must figure out a way to keep the peace when no matter what he does thousands are going to die. This is a book that explored both the worst and the best that humanity can offer, but also points out very succinctly that if in our real world humans acted as we do now, but we weren't the top of the food chain, how easily we could be completely exterminated because of our actions. Marked in Flesh brought the human side of the world to the fore, allowing me to see and understand why humans were doing what they were doing and compare it fully to the others trying to keep everyone alive. It was a broader book touching multiple continents, yet at the same time it remained strongly focused on Simon and Meg. This was the first book in the series where I could definitively say that there is a romance blossoming between them. Meg is so scarred by her past and Simon has never been able to understand Meg entirely, but they're finally beginning to overcome all that to build a real relationship. It made me amazingly excited for the next book in the series. Maggie's Recommendation: I absolutely recommend this book and this entire series, although I do have to warn that it is dark fantasy and therefore bloody. Marked in Flesh brought the wider world into light, yet the romance back home kept the book feeling grounded. I enjoyed reading and rereading it immensely and cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out. The Pirate of Fathoms Deep Author: Megan Derr Title: The Pirate of Fathoms Deep Series: Tales of the High Court 2 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: It is not available on the author's website. Summary: High Commander Lesto Arseni is the most feared man in the Harken Empire. None but the High King dares risk his wrath—and a pirate who once punched him in the middle of the imperial pavilion. A pirate who later snuck away with Lesto to an empty room, touched him in ways far more memorable. And then immediately bolted like a man who'd gotten what he wanted. Shemal just wants to live a normal life, leave his pirating days behind him and prove that he's respectable now. The last thing he needs is the two idiots who show up wanting his help with the noble they've kidnapped—the very man Shemal had been hoping to prove himself to, the man he hasn't forgotten since Shemal punched him a year and a half ago. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. When Lesto gets kidnapped, the last thing he expects is to get dumped at the feet of the one that got away. The only man that he ever thought he might be able to fall in love with left him, yet the second Lesto sees Shemal again all those feelings come roaring back. Of course, since he's been kidnapped Lesto knows there's something more going on than just a crazy coincidence. He and Shemal have to work together to find a way to save the empire from an encroaching band of invaders, all while figuring out their relationship. Overall, I liked the story, but it was only on my second read-through that I figured it out. I realized that the reason I felt like the romance was too fast and lacked any build up was because it had all happened off-screen in the previous book. It felt like a brand new relationship the entire book, but for a new relationship to be believable there has to be some sort of initial connection. Only once I reminded myself that this wasn't a new relationship could I start to enjoy their dynamic. Maybe a prologue with one of the off-screen scenes from book one would have smoothed this issue out, or maybe I needed to reread book one before delving into this story. I also had some difficulty with the plot. The style these stories are written in has the plot occurring in the background while the main characters go about their daily lives. Someone else makes the big breakthrough or finds that essential clue while Lesto's busy with the army and Shemal's trying not to be overwhelmed with life in the palace. I find that style a bit off-putting, however it works well in keeping the story moving. It also allows the reader to have a much more intimate look into the main character's lives. Again, it was only on the second reading that I got it, but once I did I enjoyed reading this story a lot. Maggie's Recommendation: It took me two tries before I understood this book, but I have to say I really did enjoy it. The romance is strong and the plot interesting, it just took me a while to get what Derr was going for. I do recommend this book and the series and am definitely looking forward to book three. No Master Author: Christine D'Abo Title: No Master Series: Bounty 3 Genre: Sci-Fi Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://christinedabo.com/nomaster.html Summary: No man in the galaxy inspires more fear than Korbin, the Admiral of the Black. His life as leader of the biggest pirate band in space leaves little room for trust, so when Korbin’s second-in-command disappears without a trace, he suspects the worst. Zain Strand has left his life as a sex slave behind and risen within the pirate ranks. But he abandons it all to rescue an old friend from recapture by the slavers—even if that means a suicidal confrontation with his old master. He doesn’t expect Korbin’s arrival, doesn’t want Korbin’s help . . . but Korbin gives Zain no choice. Posing as master and slave to infiltrate a slave auction, Korbin and Zain embark on a journey of lust that rapidly reveals their deeper feelings. When Zain’s old master discovers their ruse, Korbin must do everything in his power to save both their lives and their newfound love. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. In my opinion, every previous book in this series has included an interesting plot, engaging characters, and terribly timed sex scenes. I've enjoyed the overall stories, but found myself skipping large chunks of them because the sex interfered with the flow of the plot and quickly became repetitive. No Master breaks that pattern by finally getting the sex right, and it didn't lose the parts of the story I also liked in doing so. Zain has lived a difficult life. He was born to poverty on his home planet, then kidnapped and sold as a sex slave. He is eventually (accidentally) rescued by Korbin, the Admiral of the Black and the leader of all the space pirates. Zain eventually settles into his role as a pirate, but has to hide his growing feelings for Korbin in order to keep his position secure. Then Zain receives word that one of his fellow ex-sex slaves has been recaptured and needs his help. Zain immediately goes to her rescue and is followed by Korbin who initially believes he is stopping a mutiny but instead becomes embroiled in Zain's plans to save his friend. I really enjoyed reading this story and the twists and turns it took as the plan unfolded. What really surprised me with No Master was how well the sex was weaved into the plot. Finally, a story in this series focused on needing to use sex to further the plot, rather than detract from it! Zain must pretend to be a sex slave again in order to infiltrate the facility where his friend is being kept and Korbin pretends to be his owner, which means that they have to have sex in order to make their pretend roles believable. It made sense when the plot paused for a moment for a sex scene, unlike the previous books where it didn't. Towards the end of No Master the sex did start to feel a touch repetitive, but overall it worked and I enjoyed reading this story so much more because of that. Maggie's Recommendation: This was a fun read. The plot was interesting, but the best part was the fact that D'Abo finally figured out how to properly weave sex into her stories. The plot wasn't stilted or interrupted like in the previous books, which made this story the best one in the series and the one I therefore recommend the most. |
Magnolia's Reviews
Maggie reviews paranormal and fantasy novels and novellas. She also interviews authors and hosts giveaways. Archives
April 2018
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