Shadow Scars: Rogue Wolf Author: Zoe Perdita Title: Shadow Scars: Rogue Wolf Series: Haven City 1 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/M Length: Novel Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.zoeperdita.com/p/haven-city-series.html Summary: Conner, a rogue wolf and murder detective, isn't looking for a lover when he moves to Haven City. He wants to solve crimes and keep to himself - unable to trust anyone since his pack betrayed him six years before. But Seth Alwen, his new partner, is different. He excites the wolf's animal instincts - waking up the passion Conner buried long ago. Seth's not only beautiful and alluring; he's also haunted by the death of his former partner. And despite his better judgment, Conner aches to relieve the man of his guilt. Seth's a seer, but ever since his old partner died his powers have been on the fritz. Enter Conner Sharp, Seth's sexy and mysterious new partner. While the dark-haired stranger ignites Seth's desire, he also awakens the seer's power with every touch. Seth sees their future together - a future rich with lust and danger - but is it a future the enigmatic Conner wants? As the two men solve a series of murders, their sizzling attraction overflows into the bedroom. Is the overwhelming passion just a fling or is it forever? Maggie's Review:
I am having a difficult time figuring out what to write for this review. I didn't particularly like this book, but I didn't hate it either. Ambivalence is difficult to put into words, but I'm going to try. The story begins with Seth just starting to get over the violent loss of his partner on the police force. He's torn up by it, but he's already finished with crying and is trying to get his life and his job back on track. Ordinarily that would be a great place to start a novel, except a very large portion of the plot hinges on what happened to his partner. Seth feels guilty because his ability as a seer allowed him to know when his partner was going to die and he hadn't been able to prevent it. As other murders occur, Seth quickly realizes that they're all tied together and to his partner's murder. Yet, instead of allowing the reader to experience the original murder, Perdita skipped it entirely. Seth's guilt and the import of the murderers felt muted to me, as if I because I hadn't read from the real start of the story I didn't have the emotional tie that would have pulled me in deeper. Another example is the magical powers Seth and Conner have. I thought Seth's powers as a seer were very interesting. Conner is an ordinary werewolf with an extraordinary past. Yet, Perdita never gave enough detail into those powers for me to truly be able to understand them. It was explained that their powers are on the fritz--Seth's visions are coming more frequently and without any control and Conner is having trouble changing forms--but that wasn't enough. Where did Seth's powers come from? How did he learn to use them in the first place? Where do werewolves derive their power from in this version of their mythology? If I had special powers that were acting odd, the first thing I would do was go back to the basics to figure out what's wrong. This would have allowed the reader to better understand how the powers work, and how this world of magic works. That didn't happen and I was left to make assumptions to fill in the gaps. The rest of the story has the same issue. There's always just enough plot and detail to make it seem like the story should be excellent, but I was missing that one extra component that would have sealed the deal. Maggie's Recommendation: Overall the plot of the book was good, but it was missing enough detail that I never actually got into the story. There was so much potential in the writing that just never flourished. I am unable to recommend this book and I will not be reading the sequel.
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The Mistleberry Author: Ranger Title: The Mistleberry Series: None Genre: Paranormal (Historical) Pairing: None Length: Novella Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://rolfandranger.blogspot.com/2010/02/mistleberry-part-1.html Summary: This is a story I’ve wanted to write for years, and is freely inspired by and borrowed from three wonderful books which are some of the most Christmassy stories I think you can find, not to mention beautifully written fiction. They are: The Armourer’s House by Rosemary Sutcliffe, The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M Boston, and The Thirteen Days of Christmas by Jenny Overton. They did this first, and much better than I ever could: I highly recommend all three. For those interested in the history, this is set in the year 1670-71, in the middle of the reign of Charles II. All of the Christmas customs, traditions and festivals here are real and appropriate to the time, and still exist in parts of the UK . I have however taken some liberties with the timing and the mixing of them. This was written for Rolf, with much love - admit it darling, it's more fun than a tie. Merry Christmas. Maggie's Review:
It's the holiday season and the Mistleberry is my go-to holiday read, so I thought I should review it. I honestly can't count how many times I've re-read this story. It's that good. Lynden, the main character, is a very interesting person. He's quiet and reserved, but his every thought is well conceived. He had scarlet fever as a child which left him blind. When his guardian passes away suddenly, Lynden is forced to flee the life he had always lived and must run to his uncle's home. I found it absolutely amazing how Ranger managed to describe every aspect of Lynden's new experiences without use of color or form. The weight of someone's footsteps or the intensity of their voice gave more description of the people and surroundings than had Lynden been able to see. The magic is just as beautifully written. The story is about Christmas and the old ways of celebrating. Holly is spread over the windows to keep out the evil spirits and flowers spread around the spinning wheel to keep the wee folk from cutting your thread. It is the time when the Green Man has faded and the Wild Hunt is on the search for oath breakers and the unbaptized. The mix of traditions in the time before the old Pagan beliefs had been totally assimilated into Christianity or drummed out of Christmas entirely was very interesting to read, especially since it is based on fact. Perhaps because Lynden is blind, he can hear the Wild Hunt as it slowly draws closer and closer. Fairy magic is in the air and Lynden must do whatever necessary to keep the Wild Hunt from taking those he loves. I think my only disappointment in this story is the fact that there isn't any romance. The time period isn't one where gay relationships are allowed, nor is there any indication that Lynden is interested in Mark that way. They quickly become close friends and that friendship is fun to read. I just can't help wanting that little bit more, no matter how much it doesn't fit into this type of story. This story is free online. Some of the formatting needs to be fixed, which I think was caused by the uploading process. I decided not to mark the story for it down as it doesn't detract too much from the reading experience. Maggie's Recommendation: I absolutely recommend this story. It's an amazing take on the classic Christmas tale, weaving old and new traditions with just a touch of magic. I have re-read this story dozens of times and I know I will probably read it a couple dozen more in the future. The Werewolf of Grey Lake Inn Author: Megan Derr Title: The Werewolf of Grey Lake Inn Series: Paranormal Days 4 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/M Length: Novella Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://maderr.com/?page_id=31 Summary: Astor is tired—tired of his family and the way they never listen to his advice, and tired of being in love with his agent, Tennyson, who after a one night stand made it clear he preferred to keep things professional. The only thing Astor's not tired of is his job researching haunted inns and hotels to prove just how haunted they're not. His latest book is about a notorious inn in the middle of nowhere, and a haunting he suspects has more to do with real werewolves than fake ghosts. It will provide fodder for an excellent non-fiction book, the novel he's secretly writing, and be so distracting he'll finally be able to get over Tennyson. Except when he arrives it's to find that Tennyson is already there, with every intention of keeping Astor company through the holidays. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I first read this story when it was part of LT3's Bad Moon Rising anthology. Not much has changed with this single release, so readers looking for something new from Derr should wait for her next book. However, those who missed Bad Moon Rising will want to get their hands on this story. The amount of characterization Derr put into Astor, the main character, for this short story is remarkable and is definitely the best part of this book. Astor is snarky, growly, and generally unlikable, yet it is clear that is all just a hard shell. He has a gooey candy center inside that he fiercely protects because he has been hurt before. The person that hurt him the most is Tennyson, his editor and the love of his life. Astor refuses to let Tennyson in again, but Tennyson's appearance at the inn Astor is using for his next book might make that impossible. There is nothing about Astor's personality that hasn't been thoroughly planned. Every action he takes and everything he says only serves to add depth to his character. The book was also very short. It's a novella, but it really feels like one scene taken from a longer book. This worked perfectly as part of the Bad Moon Rising Anthology, but it failed here. There wasn't enough world building to hold up the weight of the story. Rather than include the description needed to depict the larger world, Derr appears to have relied on the fact that most readers will have read the previous books in the series where that description is given. There were also mentions of characters from the other books in the series, but, again, there was no proper context added for readers who have not read the rest of the series. As a stand alone story set in a larger world, leaving out the world building really detracted from the story. It made this story feel like one small bit of plot taken from a larger work. That said, this was a fun read. I did enjoy this story and readers who have read the rest of the series will like this one too. Maggie's Recommendation: I do recommend this book, but I think readers will enjoy it more if they read the other books in the series first. The characterizations were perfectly written, but the story fell short on details. I hope to review the other books in the series soon. Cinderella Had it Easy Author: Jennifer Conner Title: Cinderella Had it Easy Series: The Cinderella Body Club 1 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/F Length: Novella Rating: One Petal One the Author's Website: http://www.jenniferconnerbooks.com/?page_id=65 Summary: Story one from the a new romance series of the timeless Cinderella story re imagined where four girlfriends make a wish on a locket. They all wish they were beautiful, and look like the girls they've always wanted to be. The belle of the ball. Cami works in the basement of a television station which airs history documentaries. With scars on her face that she acquired in a car accident as a child, Cami finds it easier to be by herself. She gets into a heated debate with the handsome new host of the show she’ll be working on. Is Lance the knight in shining armor who can drag Cami out of her safe zone? With no carriage and no helpful mice, she has to rely on the magic from her grandmother’s locket. Cami only has 24 hours in her Cinderella body, what will she do with it? Will she keep hiding or can she learn how to live life? Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I picked up this book because I enjoy Cinderella stories. The hardworking girl that just needs an opportunity to dance with the prince in order to find true love is always a fun trope. This book wasn't fun. To start, it wasn't particularly well written. There are four different girls, but the author never bothers to describe them. I'm left in the dark about hair color, distinguishing features, accents, and everything else. I only know Cami has scars and why because of the summary; it's only vaguely mentioned in the story. Then the girls are magically transformed into beautiful women and again the only description given is an offhand question as to whether Cami's boobs are larger. The characters aren't the only things that aren't described. There's no setting given to help create the world they live in. It is the modern day, but it feels like Conner used the fact that I live in current times and can therefore add in those details myself as a crutch. I also thought the plot was vapid. The original Cinderella just wanted to go to the ball. She didn't care about looking beautiful or finding a Prince to marry. She would have worn her mother's out of date dress in the Disney version and in the Brothers Grimm version she cried over her mothers grave until the birds delivered a dress. In this story the girls get drunk and vainly wish over a magical locket to be beautiful. Their scars and fat vanish, their boobs and butt get bigger, and they essentially turn into supermodels. It's vain and selfish and the first thing they try to figure out is how to take advantage of their new looks. This story is what would have happened had Cinderella's evil stepsisters been the ones with a fairy godmother. Cami decides she still has to go to work, which makes absolutely no sense. She looks like a different person; her boss isn't going to recognize her, so how is she expected to actually get any work done? The entire story is filled with similar plot holes that make it almost completely unreadable. Maggie's Recommendation: I do not recommend this book. It was poorly written, the characters are vapid, and the plot full of blatant holes. I will not be reading the rest of the series. Author: G. A. Aiken Title: A Tale of Two Dragons Series: Dragon Kin 0.2 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/F Length: Novella Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://gaaiken.com/books/dragon-actually/ Summary: Braith of the Darkness likes going through life unnoticed. Not an easy task for a She-dragon of royal descent. But the evil plots of her father are turning her quiet, boring life upside down, and she has now become the enemy of the most vicious queen her kind has ever known. But for once, Braith won't have to fight alone. Not when the warrior dragon of her dreams is willing to risk everything to save her neck. Addolgar the Cheerful wishes he could say he’s helping the pretty royal strictly for honorable reasons - but he'd be lying. It’s not his fault, though! He didn't tell Braith of the Darkness to have the most delicious tail he’s ever seen! Yet before Addolgar can get his very strong claws on that tail, heads are going to roll. Just hopefully not theirs... Maggie's Review:
After reading Chains and Flames, the other prequel/extra story attached to Dragon Actually, I wasn't entirely certain whether I wanted to continue with the series. Luckily, I decided to read A Tale of Two Dragons. This book had even more of what I loved and helped to fix some of the issues I had with Chains and Flames. The dragons were amazing to read about. This book expanded their world greatly by bringing the fight with lightning dragons (a battle that begins at the end of this story and has already completed by the start of Chains and Flames) to the fore. I learned that the main characters to date have all been fire dragons and that there are lightning dragons, iron dragons, water dragons, and more, that exist in the world. Before this I knew that there was an issue with one or two lightning dragons, but had no idea that they had a kingdom and society of their own separate from the main characters'. I am looking forward to learning even more about the dragons in this world with each successive book. One thing that I have liked so far in this series and was also highlighted here is how women are portrayed. There are the usual weak and helpless ones that the male dragons protect fiercely, but for the most part the women are as strong, if not stronger, than then men. The women fly into battle, are covered in gore, and revel in their strength. Braith's entire clan is comprised of strong women with strong minds. I did think it was a little juvenile of Aiken to make all the male dragons of that clan literally as dumb as rocks, but I enjoyed reading about strong women willing to take a stand. I also thought the sex in this book was much more tasteful. It was inevitable for a graphic romance series, but it was well written. The sex scenes flowed naturally with the plot, allowing the characters to bond easily. The plot didn't suddenly stop to fit in a sex scene, which kept happening in Chains and Flames, nor were there so many scenes that by the end of the story I was bored with the repetitiveness. What I didn't like about the story was that it felt like there were large chunks of the plot left out. For example, at the end of the story they all go to confront the queen, but instead of taking the time to have the characters sit down and plan how the confrontation is going to go, Aiken springs it on the reader. The fact that Braith was as surprised as I was with the plan--she wasn't told about it either, which I thought was stupid given she was central in creating the opportunity--gave Aiken the chance to then tell readers about it afterwards. There were a lot of scenes similar to that where Aiken told the readers the results after-the-fact, rather than fleshing out the scene properly. This could have easily been a full length novel instead of a short story. Maggie's Recommendation: I am enjoying reading this series and I do recommend this book. Even though this is technically a prequel, I suggest reading Dragon Actually and Chains and Flames first so the world and the dragons are familiar. The dragons are given much more depth as a people in this book, but there were a few scenes that fell short. Chains and Flames Author: G. A. Aiken Title: Chains and Flames Series: Dragon Kin 0.1 A short story published in conjunction with Dragon Actually Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/F Length: Novella Rating: Two Petals On the Author's Website: http://gaaiken.com/books/dragon-actually/ Summary: This book is a short story added to the end of Dragon Actually focusing on the story of how Bercelak and Rhiannon, Fearghus' parents, met and fell in love. No formal summary is available, nor is there an individual cover. Maggie's Review:
I would suggest reading my review for Dragon Actually. It covers the beginning of what I want to say here, which I'm therefore going to skip so I don't repeat myself. Here's a short summary to catch up: There is a lot of graphic sex that serves to further the plot, which is nice in comparison to most books in the genre. I also really like the dragon society and this novella expanded on it greatly. The dragons have a queen who rules them and this book focuses on the struggle between the old, corrupt queen, and her daughter, Rhiannon, who has to fight the old queen and win in order to stay alive. The society that surrounds the queen is divided between various different classes of dragons. There are the nobles, the warriors, and everyone else. Bercelak is a warrior from a low-born family and the interaction between him and Rhiannon as they fight their own attraction and the rules of society to be together was the entire premise for the story. I really like the way the dragon society was crafted. I found every aspect of that to be completely fascinating at a four petal level. The struggle between Rhiannon and her mother and between Rhiannon and the class differences that kept her from Bercelak, helped to flesh out the dragon society in a way that wasn't possible within the confines of Dragon Actually. The inclusion of Chains and Flames after Dragon Actually helped to enhance Dragon Actually a lot. However, I had some serious issues with the romance in this story, which is why it ended up with only two petals. Rhiannon is a typical spoiled noble. She's a child, really, in that she's ignorant of how the world works and doesn't care to learn. I didn't enjoy her personality at all. The goal of the book was for her to grow into a good person, but I didn't see that happen. She remains unlikable from beginning to end. What Aiken no doubt meant to be growth actually came across as defeated acceptance of an impossible situation. Unfortunately, that impossible situation is the romantic relationship Rhiannon builds with Bercelak. Part of me wants to call it a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome. Another part of me just wants to call it psychological rape. Bercelak has feelings for Rhiannon so he ties her up and messes with her thinking process until she starts to like him too. The only saving grace in their relationship is the fact that Bercelak does give Rhiannon the opportunity to say no and Aiken wrote Rhiannon's entire thought process about why she didn't actually say no. However, despite the fact that Bercelak states he will let her go the moment she does say no, I was always unsure whether he would match action to words. Their love does last for centuries, so I would like to believe that their relationship is based on true love and respect. I just couldn't help cringing a bit during the sex scenes. Maggie's Recommendation: There is a reason Aiken published the books in this series in a certain order. I recommend reading Dragon Actually first to get a good feel for the series as a whole before delving into Chains and Flames, which is chronologically earlier. Chains and Flames helped to expand the world of the dragons, giving more insight into their society and culture that I really enjoyed. However, the romantic relationship came across a little too much like Stockholm Syndrome for me to truly enjoy this short story. Dragon Actually Author: G. A. Aiken Title: Dragon Actually Series: Dragon Kin 1 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/F Length: Novel Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://gaaiken.com/books/dragon-actually/ Summary: It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear - a lot - or else salute. It's true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way, she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer. Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe - a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fill her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn't get any stranger. She's wrong... Maggie's Review:
I knew from the first moment I saw the cover what I was getting into with this book. A mostly naked man with perfectly defined abs obviously means that this book will contain lots and lots of descriptive sex. I do want to say that I chose to read it because of the summary and only saw the cover when I picked the book up from the library. Still, I was well prepared for the explicit content. I was right to be prepared. There is sex and it's graphic, yet at the same time it's well written. The main characters build up to it slowly, figuring each other and their relationship out first before the clothing inevitably comes off. It also doesn't feel like those scenes were included solely for the purpose of gratification. They helped me to understand each character a little better and allowed Aiken to build the relationship between the main characters. The sex was over the top and unrealistic in terms of human capabilities in the bedroom, but that is to be expected in this particular genre so I am letting that slide. What I didn't like was how repetitive the words and phrases used to describe the character's reactions were. There was repeated mention of nipples getting impossibly hard, to give one less-explicit example, and it seemed like every sex scene or even just a basic lust scene had to absolutely contain those phrases. The repetitiveness of it made the second half of the book's sex scenes boring, which is the main reason why this book only received three petals. Since I'm supposed to be reviewing the fantasy side of the story, I have to mention the dragons. Their society and their magical abilities were phenomenally written. They are not human creatures. In fact, they have been known to eat humans on occasion, yet they can take on a human form and find love with them. It's an interesting balance to maintain and Aiken manages it. I also thought their claiming was very interesting. It requires sex, of course, but it also creates a brand in the shape of a dragon to mark then as taken. I thought it was an interesting take on the mating concept. Maggie's Recommendation: You need to like reading graphic sex scenes to enjoy this book, so I will recommend this book only to those readers. For the most part the sex is well-written, but it can feel repetitive after a while. I did like the dragons and their society a lot, which is why I will be getting the next book in the series. From Lies Author: Ann Anderson Title: From Lies Series: New Beginnings Genre: Fantasy Pairing: M/M, M/F Length: Novella Rating: Two Petals On the Author's Website: I was unable to locate an author website. Here is the publisher's website instead: https://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books... Summary: Rafe is on the cusp of legally being an adult, which will finally allow him to pull himself and his sisters free of their mother's clutches. Unfortunately, freedom also entails breaking the law by way of starting his own business under a fake name, and playing a role he fears he'll never escape. When Rafe meets with one of his primary buyers, he is made an offer too good to refuse—and refuses it, not willing to take an offer that would hurt people relying on him and the goods he provides. The lost opportunity and the constant despair of the role he must play compels him to confess all to a beautiful, compassionate stranger at a ball. But the man he is so helplessly drawn to is instead captivated by Rafe's sister, and Rafe wonders if he'll always live his life trapped and watching everything he wants slip away... Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I want to start off this review by saying that as a first book from a brand new author, this was a pretty good place to start. I particularly enjoyed Anderson's characterizations. Each character in the book had a unique voice and personality traits. Rafe, the main character who narrates the story, was engaging and interesting. I was also impressed with the layers of plot in this short story. Rafe was hiding who he was in order to outwit his evil mother. He was considered too young to inherit or run a legitimate business, and he found a way to keep his family safe despite everything working against him. Even the twist at the end (which I did see coming a mile away) was a nice touch. Unfortunately, the rest of the book fell short. It really felt like a terribly squandered opportunity to tell an otherwise interesting story. Rafe spends much of the book telling the readers what happened. Had Anderson instead shown the readers the scenes, had Rafe experience them as they were happening instead of telling us about them after the fact, my review would have been totally different. My favorite scene in the book is the one from the summary where Rafe is confronted by the people offering the opportunity that he eventually refuses. Rafe is wholly present in the scene. I was given his full thought process as to how and why he came to the decision to refuse. The details from the drinks everyone had to their facial expressions were written out. It was basically the only scene in the entire story where the author let the reader and the characters embrace the story. The rest of the book was a rather stilted narrative full of "this is what happened". I needed a lot more fully fleshed scenes than I was given. I would like to comment on the romance, but I'm not entirely certain I should. It is present in the story, but, like the rest of the detailing, falls short. It also feels like an afterthought, added to the plot at the last minute to make this into a gay romance rather than a story about a boy trying to get his sisters happily married. It also ends on a cliffhanger. I am led to assume that the romance will blossom greatly in book two of the series, so if I review that book I will have to comment on the romance in more depth. Maggie's Recommendation: For a first-time author, Anderson did fairly well. There was depth of plot and the characters were interesting. The book fell short on detailing, which made it difficult to read and enjoy. I therefore cannot recommend this book, but I do want to read the sequel to watch this author grow. Written in Red Author: Anne Bishop Title: Written in Red Series: The Others Genre: Dark Fantasy Pairing: M/F Length: Novel Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.annebishop.com/a.others.html Summary: As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others. Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow. 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. I'm not entirely certain where to start my review. The whole book was excellent and each wonderful part deserves a mention. I should probably start with the world Bishop created. It's a modern one with cars and other technology, but it is not the world as we know it. Before humans came into existence, the Others were the sole inhabitants of the land. Creatures of power who can control anything from the ocean to the air, and animals that can change shape, are only a small part of the Others. The world and society evolved to modern times with the Others at the top of the food chain and in control of the world, while the humans are only renting land from them to farm and build houses and cities. I think the best part of the book is the characterizations. The Others are not human, at all, and Bishop doesn't try to humanize them. For example, a wolf Other is a wolf first and his human form an adaptation the wolf created in order to have opposable thumbs. Humans are just another type of prey to the Others, something that is never sugar-coated. The Cassandra Sangue is another wonderful bit of characterization. As a blood prophet, Meg can see visions of the future whenever her skin is cut. Humans have turned this into a money making scheme, but Meg is able to escape. She's human, but the Others' don't see her as prey, so she is able to hide with them. Her humanity often clashes with the Others otherness and the dynamic that exists between Meg and all the various different Others is perfectly composed. I could keep going with this review endlessly as there are so many other wonderful things that I enjoyed reading in this book. I don't want to ramble on forever, though, so I'll end my review by stating that if you enjoy fantasy (and don't have any issues with the dark and often bloody content) you'll really enjoy this book. Maggie's Recommendation: I loved this book and I highly recommend it, although I do have to warn that it is dark fantasy and therefore bloody. The world Bishop created and her amazingly detailed characterizations made me have to give the story high marks. I will be reading and reviewing the rest of the series in the future. Raining Embers Author: Jessica Dall Title: Raining Embers Series: Order and Chaos Genre: Fantasy Pairing: M/F Length: Novel Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://jessicadall.com/works/order-and-chaos-books/ Summary: Palmer Tash always follows the path of least resistance. He has an unusual disability involving his hearing. But in theocratic Latysia, being different isn’t a good thing, so he conceals his problem. Brier Chastain’s malady is even more debilitating, and she often must take to her bed for long periods. Her days are spent in meaningless pursuits as she awaits an arranged marriage. When Palmer and Brier are kidnapped on the same night, they meet and discover that their so-called disabilities are actually budding powers. They are the incarnations of Order and Chaos. With their country on the brink of war, the two must step into their predestined roles and learn to take control of their own destinies. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to write for this review. The book wasn't great, but it also wasn't bad. It was missing something, but, while I could tell while reading that the story needed just a bit more to go beyond ordinary, I couldn't find a way to put words to that feeling until now: the author didn't have the story fully fleshed out before writing it. The story begins with a ton of world building. I love world building--it can make or break a book, in my opinion--and this story needed it. The world isn't totally unique. The language and some of the customs feel Italian to me, although there were enough tweaks made by the author so it isn't an exact copy. There are Seers, a type of priest, that rule the country, and the Augur, the equivalent to a Doge. Palmer, one of the main characters, is a ward of the Church in training to become a Seer. The other main character, Brier, lives in the Augur's palace. It was very interesting to read about all of that, but I started to feel like something was missing just from that small part of the story. Nothing was ever fully explained. I don't know what god(s) and the power(s) the Seers use, nor are the politics between them and the Augur ever detailed. I also never managed to get a full picture of the world. The missing information doesn't stop with just the world building, unfortunately. Both Palmer and Brier have strange powers. One is Order and the other Chaos, but that is all that is given about it. They are supposedly trained to use their magic, but the reader is never told how their powers work. I also never learned why they have their powers in the first place or what the difference is between them and the other people they meet in the book that also have magic. All of the missing description was necessary for me to understand the full scope of the world, the characters, and the plot. To me, it really felt like the author had a good idea for a story and started writing it without first figuring out all those needed details. It was still a good book and I did enjoy reading it, but I'm not certain yet whether I want to read the next book in the series. Maggie's Recommendation: This was a good book that wasn't quite there yet. Needed details to help flesh out the plot and elevate the story from ordinary to great were missing. I don't think I can recommend this book and I'm not yet certain whether I want to read the next book in the series. |
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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