Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

This first novel by Lish McBride:




was the first book club pick for my Goodreads Group.

Plot Summary:

Samhain Corvus LeCroix lives in Seattle, where he works for Plumpy's, a fast food restaurant. He is a young, male, underachiever who dropped out of college, and who lives with his best friend, Ramon. He likes to hang out with his Plumpy's coworkers, Brooke and Frank. His life is fairly uneventful until a fierce bout of potato hockey ends up breaking the taillight of a very powerful, very evil, necromancer named Douglas. Necromancer: one who controls death.

Douglas realizes that Sam is also a necromancer, albeit a very weak one. The rest of the book is a dramatic and slyly humorous romp, with Douglas-the-evil engaging in all sorts of evil-doing related to Sam. There is also a subplot related to a werewolf named Bridin, the next in line as the alpha of the local were pack.

Review:

This book is the first in a new series. There were a number of things about it that were different -- that I really liked. First, the main character is a male, which is sort of unique in YA. Generally, books that are written in the first person have a female MC. It flipped back and forth between the first person perspective of Samhain Corvus LaCroix, to a third person perspective of some of the other characters. The transitions between perspective were well done, and not confusing.

I also really liked the fact that there was no YA love triangle. Yes, the author did avoid that particular trope. There is a bit of romance, of course, but it doesn't overwhelm the story. This book is not a romance -- it is, first and foremost, a story of friendship.

I live in Portland, and the book is set in one of my favorite cities, Seattle. I also really loved this. Seattle is a great setting for paranormal -- something about all of that drizzle, verdant greenery and grayness sets a very compelling scene.

However, if I had to choose one attribute that I enjoyed above all others, it has to be the humorous bent of the book. There were several opportunities to laugh-at-loud at Sam and his friends. This book is not full of teen angst. These characters are clever, and they all have their tongues firmly in their cheeks. I enjoyed the lighthearted aspect of the book.

Finally, I was genuinely surprised by the ending. I didn't see it coming. I had expected an entirely different progression for the story into book 2 of the series.

I'd give it 3 1/2 stars here. For amazon, I'll round up to 4 stars.

Review: Still Life by Louise Penny

In one of my GR groups, we're doing a "dusty bookshelf" challenge. I've committed to reading 15 books that have been in my TBR pile since 2011. I'm up to 5, with this one as the fifth:




I picked this book up either for free or for 99 cents at least a year ago. It is the first in Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series of mysteries set in Three Pines, Canada.

This book is deceptive. Looking at the cover, reading the product description, I went into the book thinking that it was going to be a classic cozy mystery set in a small town. While this book does have many of the attributes of a cozy, there is much more to it than that. This book is a compelling psychological study of a small town, of the difference between the public persona and the private person. It explores parenthood, childhood, and the differences in perspective between parent and child, and it also explores what happens when a parent allows a child to drive the community understanding of the parent/child relationship, where the child is not telling the truth. There are reasons that parents don't tell the truth, even when the truth is that the child is lying. This book explores those, and delves into the darkness and jealousy that can be harbored in the heart of a loved one.

I know that this paragraph is obscure. However, mysteries, above all, are books that should not be spoiled. It's not fair to the reader, and it's not fair to the author, to accidentally reveal the solution to the mystery in a book review. So, a clearer and more explicative discussion is not one that I am prepared to post.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm certain that I will read the rest of them at some point, although I don't like their kindle price. But starting a new mystery series is always a delight, because a reader is in for a treat in character development. Inspector Gamache is a bit of a cipher in this book, but he is already a compelling, interesting central character. I look forward to further exploration of his character. I'm hoping for the return of some of the interesting secondary characters as well.

Overall, this book is a solid four star read.

The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins

As I posted in the sidebar on "The Streak" we listened to the audiobook of The Hunger Games coming and going on our vacation. It is very well done, and I highly recommend it.

Nonetheless, there comes a time when one is completely riveted by a book, that the audiobook just can't keep up with a reading speed of 150 pages an hour. I managed to hit that point at midnight, our first night home from the vacation. I have occasional insomnia, which is often inconvenient, but also provides a fabulous opportunity for undisturbed reading if work is not scheduled for the following day. My insomnia roared to life at midnight, and didn't relent until 4:30 a.m. By that time, I had finished book 1,




and read all of book 2, Catching Fire:




and 1/2 of the third book, Mockingjay:



Doing a series review is risky, because plot spoilers are almost inevitable, and I can't fully air my thoughts about this series without providing major spoilers. So, if you haven't read the trilogy, let me start by saying the following:

These books are worth reading. I am a huge fan of YA literature. It is my opinion that some of the best books being written today are in the YA genre. It is true that much trash is published in that genre as well, but someone who is looking for big themes and risk-taking in fiction shouldn't turn up their noses at YA. I previously gave John Green's A Fault In Our Stars a five-star review, and I genuinely loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The Hunger Games is an example of this phenomenon. These are brave books, that take a serious look at humanity, and don't shy away from bleakness. They define the reason that people read dystopian lit. Because when we look into the heart of darkness, we learn something about ourselves.

So, if you haven't read the trilogy, stop reading here. Go and buy the books. Read them. Then come back, if you are interested in what I thought.

***Spoilers . . . . Spoilers . . . . Spoilers . . . . Spoilers . . . . Spoilers ***

For purposes of this section of the post, I am going to assume that everyone reading has already read the entire trilogy. Therefore, I'm not bothering with a plot summary.

I really loved the first book. I loved the author's voice. I have read very few books written in the first person present, and even fewer that could actually pull it off. Suzanne Collins did this masterfully, and through the use of the first person present tense, drew the reader into Katniss Everdeen with devastating thoroughness. Because this is not an easy book to read in any respect. We start with the drama of The Reaping, and the slow, horrifying unfolding of the purpose of The Hunger Games, and then the volunteering of Katniss to take the place of her younger sister, Prim. This entire process is deeply affecting, in a nightmarish way. Panem is the stuff that nightmares of made of, where children are forced to become brutal assassins, to commit murder for public entertainment. Even the seemingly idyllic sections of the book -- Katniss and Gale hunting in the forest -- are based in a horror story where children become criminals if they ensure that families don't die of starvation.

Once Katniss gets to the Capitol the book becomes even more compelling. In the third book, Ms. Collins uses a phrase from Roman history to describe the people of The Capitol: Panem et Circuses, which is also where she gets the name of her fictional dystopian world. The reason behind that name becomes clear as the series develops. Because the people of The Capitol are utterly corrupt in their uselessness. Their absurd styles, their gluttony, their abject exploitation of the Districts, detail the most shallow and worthless humanity. The Hunger Games -- child murder as entertainment -- are merely the most obvious examples of their corruption. In reality, they have created a constant version of The Hunger Games in the lives in the citizens of the Districts, where people die of starvation, while surrounded by forests and fields teeming with food and life.

Book two of the series, Catching Fire is equally compelling. Katniss and Peeta have both survived The Hunger Games. Katniss's brilliant emotional manipulation at the end of the games both ensured their survival and has served as a rallying point for a rebellion in the Districts. The power structure of The Capitol, and particularly the reptilian and evil President Snow, is deeply angry with Katniss and intends to have their revenge. It is difficult, in this book, to remember that Katniss is really still a child of 17. She has been providing for her family, surviving under the worst of circumstances for half a decade at this point, and things are about to get even uglier in District 12.

Catching Fire, as the middle book of the trilogy, does a remarkable job of sustaining interest in the series. It doesn't fall victim to many of the middle book issues, and, while it doesn't stand on it's own, significantly advances the story. New characters are introduced, including one of my favorite characters in the trilogy, Finnick.

Katniss continues to serve as a rallying point for a rebellion against the excesses of The Capitol. Even some of those within the Capitol's power structure itself have come to recognize the inhumanity and emptiness that is the government of Panem, and a rebellion is empowered.

It is the final book, though, that gives the series it's genuine power. Mockingjay is not nearly as popular with readers, because it is a hard book to read. We see our favorite characters broken and, in many cases, outright killed. Because, as it turns out, the leader of the rebellion, and much of the movement itself is nothing more, or less, than The Capitol 2.0. Just as corrupt, just as inhumane, just as horrifying. And the rebels use Katniss as their symbol, with her willing participation, while entirely stripping her of any meaning or personhood. Mockingjay is a bleak indictment of humanity.

And, in the end, Katniss saves the world. Unsung, in an act of criminal rebellion for which she, were the book real, would have been executed. This is deeply symmetrical. Katniss has been forced to murder for her survival through her participation in not one, but two, versions of the Hunger Games. She is the perfect assassin -- able to execute someone in cold blood, simply because the ends can justify the means. She is what the Capitol has created, and what was exploited, and, in the end, her inherent understanding of what will happen should President Coin rise to power results in a decision to commit one more act of cold-blooded and premeditated murder where she saves, not herself, but the soul of her world.

Thankfully, Collins spares us the final horror that would be her execution. Her life is spared, and she ends the book sinking into relative obscurity with the one character who is just as broken as she is, and between the two of them, they try to find some way to live out their lives not entirely in darkness.

Finally, a word about the ubiquitous YA love triangle. Yes, I, too, am completely tired of the need to install a love triangle, with a single exceptional female being fought over by two extremely compelling males, into every single goddamned YA series being written. However, do not make the mistake of thinking that the love triangle in this series is the point. That is the least compelling aspect of the book to my mind, and it is easy to get sidetracked by the question of "who will she choose." Peeta is her rock, her friend and her protector, and he would be all of those things regardless of whether he ended the series as her husband. Gale is her best friend, but he is in love with fire and justice, and with the idea of Katniss -- the symbol, the survivor, the warrior -- much more than he is in love with Katniss the person.

Among the most touching moments in the book occurs at the end, when Peeta asks Katniss:

"You love me. Real or not real?" And Katniss responds. "Real." By that time, neither of them truly know what is real and what is not.

This was an incredibly brave series, and I appreciate the author not ending it easily. Lives are lost, including some very important and beloved characters, and the toll of war is acknowledged. Because, as Collins puts it: "something is significantly wrong with a creature that sacrifices its childrens lives to settle its difference."

There is much more that I could say about these books. The use of propaganda, the impact of dehumanization on a culture, the importance of symbols, and the toll of war. But this post is already incredibly long and I'm drained, thinking back through the experience that is the reading of this trilogy over the course of about a day. So, I'll simply end with a definition of Collin's beautiful metaphor:

Panem and Circuses: the abdication of political and civic responsibility in return for a life of frivolous irresponsibility. A message for our time, perhaps.

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

I flippin' loved this book!




Spoiler-free plot summary of the awesomeness:

It is hard to do a plot summary of such awesomeness, because it will not do justice to McGuire's voice and cleverness. Essentially, the heroine, Verity Price, is a ballroom dancer slash cryptozoologist in modern New York City. The Price family is notorious amongst cryptozoologists (McGuire speak for monster hunter) because they abandoned The Covenant of St. George generations earlier, leaving behind their monster killing roots in favor of a more, shall we say, nuanced approach. The Price family doesn't kill on sight. They wait until the cryptid demonstrates that it is actively dangerous to humans before they exercise extreme prejudice in dealing with the threat.

Verity is living in New York City, under cover, in an effort to further her secret career in ballroom dancing. At the same time that a member of The Covenant, Dominic de Luca, appears in "her" city, and seems bent upon extinguishing as much sentient cryptid life as possible, female cryptids begin disappearing. And no one knows why. This central mystery requires Verity and Dominick to set aside their historic animosity to piece it all together.

Review:

I loved this book. I give very few five-star reviews -- the last one was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green -- but dang it, I loved this book. It is lighter than a lot of urban fantasy, and has certain qualities that feel almost manga-esque. When it comes out as a graphic novel, I will buy it. Please, Daw, release it as a graphic novel. Please.

The characters are great. Verity is smart, sassy and well-armed. She also has fantastic one liners, like:

"My name is Verity Price. I'm a cryptozoologist. And this is why I never get a goddamn date on a Saturday night."

and

"[m]y mother raised me never to contradict anyone who regularly carries grenades."

The voice is breezy, articulate and fun. There are lots of fun allusions to work out, and little pop culture references, like wikipedia and The Land of the Lost, that are a delight. It is well-written and well-edited. I laughed out loud reading this book, and cannot wait, absolutely cannot wait for the next book featuring Verity. This is the urban fantasy version of the Gilmore Girls. To me, that is high praise. I read a lot, and I am seldom this enthusiastic about a book. There was nothing I didn't love.

P.S.: I want to mack on Dominic. Seriously. He's hot.

Forged In Fire by Trish McCallan

I don't exactly know what to say about this book:



This was my KOLL book of the month for March. There were some things I really enjoyed about the book, and some things that left me disappointed.

Plot summary:

Beth Brown is not the kind of woman who is particularly spontaneous, and she's not the sort of woman who attracts badass, hardbodied warriors. Nonetheless, when Beth has a disturbing dream that appears to be coming true, and that includes the hijacking and slaughter of an entire airplane full of passengers, Beth gets into her car and drives to the airport just to assure herself that there isn't anything to worry about. Once she arrives at the gate, she catches the eye of Zane Winter, the above-mentioned badass, hardbodied Navy SEAL warrior.

Zane Winter is one of the men in her dream who has been slaughtered by the hijackers. Zane Winter also has some special abilities of foresight himself, and he knows that something bad is going to happen -- something that he, with the help of Beth, needs to stop. The fact that he is convinced that Beth is his soul mate is supremely inconvenient timing. It's up to Zane to get he and Beth through a day that is steeped in violence and death to the otherside, where he can make her his.

Review:

What did I like about this book? Well, it is a fast-paced read. I finished it in about two hours, and it definitely sucked me in and kept me turning the pages. The romance is on the back burner for most of the book, however, because there is alot, and I mean alot, of crazy, violent, kidnapping, terrorist drama in this book. It felt a lot like a season of 24, with a very romantic subplot.

There were two areas that left me disappointed, though. First, this book holds itself out as a paranormal romance. It's not really PNR. The paranormal aspect of the book is extremely limited, and doesn't add much to the plot at all. I would consider this book to be a straight contemporary romance, and the "paranormal" stuff could be removed without losing much of the story. Beth's "dream" does pay a very important part in the book, but it would have been possible for the author to put Beth in the same position of knowledge without having to go through the whole "dream" aspect. Fundamentally, I thought that the paranormal aspects actually weakened the story.

The second thing that I have a major problem with was the ending. This book ended with the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers, and frankly it pissed me off. There is an important character who's life is literally hanging by a thread and that storyline is left unresolved and unanswered. Going back to my 24 analogy, if the book started at 7:00 a.m., Jack Bauer time, it ended at 8:30 p.m. I absolutely hate it when authors do this. It is a cheap, skeevy way to ensure that readers will buy your next book. I would've bought the next book anyway, because I liked the story, I enjoyed the characters, and I was sucked in. It wasn't necessary to leave one of the characters in surgery to entice me. And now, because I hate to reward what I consider to be bad behavior, I am considering giving up on the series. Because I have no confidence that she won't do the same thing with the next book, and what's going to happen if she gets bored with the books and decides not to finish them at all.

So, overall, I would've given this book 4 stars. It was a 4 star read for me right up to the end. The end was worth about 2 stars. Therefore, I am going to settle on 3 stars, and take some time to make up my mind and decide if I'm willing to give this series an opportunity to redeem itself.

Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock) by Faith Hunter

I actually read this one before the beginning of March Magic & Mayhem, but I'm just now getting around to reviewing it.



Brief (No spoilers) Plot Summary:

Jane Yellowrock is a skinwalker who specializes in taking care of, permanently and with extreme prejudice, rogue vampires. This is a UF in which vampires have gone public, but other magical creatures remain under the radar. So far as Jane knows, she is the only skinwalker in existence. She is capable of shifting into various creatures, including creatures where she needs to drop mass or gain mass, but her natural shape when shifting is some form of big cat. Jane has been hired by the vampires of New Orleans to take down a rogue vampire who is on a rampage and has placed at risk their position in New Orleans. Her job is to take care of their problem.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

This is a pretty good, if somewhat uninspired, entry in the rather crowded UF genre. Faith Hunter is a competent writer. There are similarities to the Sookie Stackhouse series (less humor, but the requisite sexy vamps) as well as even more significant similarities to the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. I prefer Mercy Thompson to Jane Yellowrock.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed Skinwalker. I am a sucker for stories set in New Orleans -- there is something very atmospheric about New Orleans, with its voodoo history, and this prediliction of mine extends all the way back to Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire. If vampires exist anywhere outside of Transylvania, New Orleans is the place.

I really liked Jane Yellowrock. She is a badass tough girl, and is a fully capable heroine. There is almost no romance in this installment, although there are a couple of male characters introduced who will likely fill that role in later books.

This one isn't as unique as the Downside Ghosts series referenced below. Faith Hunter is treading ground that has been well-trod by other authors before her. Nonetheless, for fans of UF, this is a solid effort, and is well worth a read. 3 1/2 stars.

Review: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

So, I finished




by Stacia Kane. This one definitely qualifies as Urban Fantasy, not PNR.

Brief Plot Summary:

Chess (Cesaria) is a Debunker for the Church of Truth. This series is a bit of a twist on the post-apocalyptic/dystopian book that is very popular right now, and focuses on ghosts, not zombies. Zombie fiction has become fairly ubiquitous, and I am not really a zombie fan, so it was nice to read dark fantasy that didn't involve zombies. The apocalypse occurred in the form of Haunting Week -- when all of the ghosts escaped the bounds that had been placed upon them, churches and religion had failed, and approximately 66% of the population died. This caused the rise of the Church of Truth, which is not based upon any of the major religions, but is, rather, based upon magic and its ability to contain the ghosts. Not surprisingly, the ghosts don't particularly want to be contained, and, of course, there are other groups that want to overthrow the power of the Church of Truth.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

I thought that Stacia Kane's worldbuilding was excellent. It was interesting, and internally consistent. This is a dark world, and, in keeping with that darkness, the main character, Chess is a dark heroine. She is a moderately promiscuous drug addict, not to put too fine a point on it, but in spite of those failings, Chess has integrity. More integrity than a lot of the characters who don't have her moral failings.

I also enjoyed the writing. The dialogue is a little weird, with the characters occasionally breaking into a form of pidgin pirate -- lots of Ayes, and a few thous. Sort of weird, but not out of keeping with the general theme of the book. The character names are also extremely descriptive. Most characters have only one name -- Bump, Chess's drug dealer, Brain, a homeless child, Lex, enforcer for Bump's primary rival, Slobag, and then, of course, Terrible. And Terrible is a great character. Huge, violent, not nearly as dumb as he initially appears, and obviously attracted to our girl Chess.

This is dark fantasy, and I loved it. So, a great beginning to March Magic & Mayhem. Heavy on the Magic and on the Mayhem.

4 stars

Lady Fortescue Steps Out by M.C. Beaton

So, my amazon prime borrowed book of the month was:



It is short, and sort of expensive for the length at $5.59, but I've heard good things about M.C. Beaton (she writes the Agatha Raisin series) so I thought I would give it a go.

So glad I didn't buy it. So, so glad.

So, really, I don't have a lot to say about this book. The premise behind the book is that a whole bunch of "poor relations" get together in Regency London and start a sort of a hotel so they can make some money and live more comfortably. The premise was cute, and had promise.

Overall, though, the book really didn't work for me. I couldn't make up my mind if it was intended to be satire (not biting enough), comedy (not funny enough) or romance (not romantic enough). The characters, who should've been sympathetic, were mostly extremely unlikeable.

The central romance between the Duke and the character whose name I can't even remember (not a good thing in a romance novel) was pretty cute. Overall, though, I won't be checking any more of these out. Thanks, Prime, for giving me a free chance to decide that they aren't for me.

2 stars -- only because it is reasonably well-written. I expected better.

Review: Playing for Keeps by R.L. Mathewson

Review for:



This book has been getting a whole lotta love on Amazonlandia in the romance forum. Since it clocks in at a mere 99 cents, I had to give it a try. It wasn't really my cup of tea.

So, Plot Summary:

Haley lives next door to the neighbor from hell, Jason, a hot, hunky slice of manflesh who has utterly terrible manners. He urinates outside. His drunk friends try to sneak over their fence so they can swim in her pool. He is a teacher at the same high school where she teaches, and he occasionally breaks into her classroom to steal, erm, borrow, teaching aids. Haley can't stand him, but she is a doormat, so she never does anything about it, until the day that he tries to pull up her grandmother's tulips. She freaks out and tackles him to get him to stop, they are nearly attacked by a horde of angry bees, and end up fleeing, together, into her house until an exterminator can be called to take care of the yellow jacket nest that he has disturbed.

And so it begins. Since Haley is not Jason's type, he adopts her as his pet slash friend. He decides that no one interested in Haley is good enough to date her, and he chases them off. His jealousy can't be because he is, himself, secretly infatuated with Haley. No way, she's not his type. Or is she?

Review:

Generally, I felt like the book was fairly well-written and probably succeeded in terms of what the author intended to do. I didn't see any major issues with the writing or the formatting. There were some minor issues related to homonyms/proofreading (I specifically remember band instead of banned, although that's the only one I remember right now) but they didn't detract so greatly from my enjoyment that I would give the book a poor review based on that alone. Mathewson has a breezy, casual writing style that is fun to read.

So, why didn't it work for me, especially since I have enjoyed many books enjoyed by some of the other readers who really liked this book? I think it really boils down to the characters. I felt like the author was so caught up in making the situations funny and the characters over-the-top that I just didn't believe in any of it. I was looking for a book about characters that could convince me that their romance was real. I didn't find that here. Basically every single character was completely one-dimensional.

Let me provide an example in Haley's dad. We've got our heroine, who is a high school teacher with a college degree. She is 24. She owns her own home. She is bright, and intelligent and really self-sufficient. And her dad is such a cliche of the emotionally distant wealthy guy that he doesn't have any idea when her birthday is, that he doesn't know how old she is, and he thinks she runs a day care, which is beneath her and beneath her family background. This just didn't work for me. None of Haley's family, save her grandmother, had any redeeming qualities at all. It doesn't ring true. With the possible exception of Bernie Madoff, human beings are not so completely bereft of positive qualities.

More importantly, though, I think that this book was intended to be a romantic comedy. There were parts of it that I found funny, but overall, I really didn't like the relationship between Jason and Haley. I didn't see Jason as a jealous, loving man who is just too emotionally unaware to realize that he has fallen in love. I saw him as an immature, petulant brat who only wanted a toy until he broke it. In real life, he deserves to have someone key his car (not that I'm advocating vandalism). The scene of the book that happened by the pool broke my heart, and nothing that happened after that redeemed it for me. I liked Haley, and I wanted her to find someone who loved her and valued her, since there didn't seem to be a single person in her life who saw her as a competent, loveable person,including her so-called friends. I just didn't think that Jason was that person.

So, ultimately, this book didn't work for me. The over-the-top characterizations and situations left me empty. I can see how the book might work for a different reader, who is looking for something light and frothy, and doesn't take it too seriously. I was expecting something different, & I think I did take it too seriously. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I gave the book 3 stars on amazon. Here, I'd probably give it 2 1/2. Plus, the cover is lazy.

Book Chat: Agents of Innocence and the Old School Spy Novel

So, instead of just reviewing:



I'm going to take this opportunity to talk about spy books. Because I struggled with finishing Agents of Innocence, and my personal theory on this is that it is so old school that my new school brain had trouble dealing with the very slow pace of this book.

I grew up reading spy novels, written by the masters of espionage -- Helen MacInnes and Len Deighton and Ken Follett -- written in the 1960's through the 1980's. As it turns out, Agents of Innocence was written in the 1980's and it was set in the Beirut of the 1970's. And back in the day, spy books weren't always the constant shoot 'em up, gadget-fest, action-packed books that they are today. Helen MacInnes (whom I loved, by the way) wrote books about pretty damsels in distress and the handsome men who saved them from bad guys during the cold war. Follet's Eye of the Needle was a masterful exploration of how to write suspense.

Books written during the cold war were different. They were much less technology centered, and much more intelligence focused. While I know almost nothing about actual spycraft, it seems to me that it is probably quite boring to be in the intelligence business, 99% of the time. Of course, there must be those moments of heartstopping terror, but they likely just don't come along all that often.

Which is why, I think, that the old school spy novel feels so different from the Lee Child thriller. They are not non-stop action. And, in the case of Agents of Innocence, David Ignatius spent a lot of time on spycraft, intelligence gathering, agent recruitment and relationship building, and very little time on explosions, gunfights, torture, car chases, or MacGuyver-esque escapes. 3 1/2 stars.

Review: Play It Safe by Kristen Ashley

One of the amazonians loaned me this book, with the caveat that she didn't think that it was one of Kristen Ashley's best efforts. Having read it, I would have to say that I agree.



Overall, I would rate it at 3 stars. It is one of the least engaging of Ms. Ashley's books that I have read, although I can't exactly explain why. Gray, the hero, was really almost too good to be true, and the heroine, Ivey, was, for an extremely smart girl, pretty darned dumb. It had all of the usual Kristen Ashley ingredients: a couple of really unlikeable villains, some persecution, a fair amount of vindictive criminal behavior, way too many descriptions of Ivey's stylish clothes and expensive shoes, and the whole "star-crossed lover" aspect that is a common feature of the Ashley romance.

Play It Safe just felt uninspired.

Review: Fury of Fire by Coreene Callahan

I picked this one up for 3.99. It's book 1 in a new PNR/UF series with dragon shifters.




Overall, I really enjoyed it. It is set in Seattle, Washington, which is, of course, about 4 hours north of my kitchen table, where this review is being written. There are good guys and bad guys: the Nightfury dragon clan is the good guys, while the Razorbacks are the bad guys. The basic premise of the book is that the dragon shifters, who stay under the radar of human society, are all male and lack the ability to produce dragon females through reproduction. This means that, in order to reproduce, they must mate with humans. Unfortunately, as sort of a cosmic joke on the dragons, human females always die while bearing dragon young. The world building is interesting and I really liked the author's use of the energy concept.

The heroine of the book is Myst Munroe, a nurse practitioner who is first to the scene when a patient gives birth to her half-dragon son. Caroline dies during the birthing process. Myst is taken, along with the baby, to the lair of the Nightfury dragons, where she bonds with the leader, Bastian. She is an exceptionally strong human female, and becomes the subject of a tug of war between Bastian and Ivar, the leader of the Razorbacks. Ivar has big, and not very friendly, plans for humanity.

A number of the reviews on amazon suggested that this book is very similar to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, written by J.R. Ward, and that this detracted from the reader's pleasure in the story. I haven't read BDB, so I can't speak to that. I did thoroughly enjoy this first in a series. Bastian is a very powerful hero, and Myst is no shrinking violet. Their mating was convincing. The dragon males are all, of course, fiercly masculine warriors who are highly attractive to the women they use for feeding and mating.

The book is well-written and well-edited, as well. I noticed very few proofing errors. The dialogue is convincing, and the characters are complex enough to be individually interesting. Ms. Callahan introduced a number of interesting secondary characters: Rikar, Angela Keene, and Forge, all of whom I expect to see again in future novels. Overall, I'd rate it 4 stars. I've already pre-ordered book 2:




which is scheduled for release on June 5.

Review: Wither

I just finished this one:



which falls into the general category of YA dystopian, same as Ashes, Ashes.

Wither is set in the unidentified future, and starts from the premise that, approximately 70 years earlier or thereabouts, humanity learned how to genetically engineer children who would be in perfect physical condition their whole lives. This eradicated cancer and other childhood diseases, as well as congenital defects. These people, called "First Generation" are genetically perfect and extremely long-lived. The experiment was a resounding success.

Except, of course, it wasn't. Because as the First Generation went on to procreate, their own children turned out to be victims of an inalterable, and mysterious, ailment that kills them in their youth. Females live to be 20. Males live to 25. And in this world, the wealthy live behind gates, and they steal brides for their boys to make babies that are born to, probably, die, and the geneticists continue to seek a cure for the disease that is killing their children. Add to this a post-apocalyptic world where all but North America is gone (or at least believed to be gone) and you have the violent, misogynistic world of Wither.

The MC, Rhine, was kidnapped out of New York, separated from her twin brother Rowan, and shipped to Florida as a bride for Linden, 20 year old son of Housemaster Vaughn. Linden's first wife, Rose, is on her deathbed from the disease when Rose, Cecily and Jenna arrive at the house, having been abducted and bought by the Gatherers.

What comes next is told from the perspective of Rhine. It is a limited narrative, and we only learn what Rhine learns as she learns it, but what we do learn is enough to horrify us. Cecily, the youngest bride, is a mere 13 years old when her marriage to Linden is consummated, and she becomes pregnant. Rhine, 16 years old, rapidly develops into Linden's favorite. And Jenna, 18 years old and only 2 years away from death, hates Linden but has decided that this place that she is in is as good a place to die as any. There is precious little warmth and almost zero hope for any of these girls.

Wither is well-written, and at times the horror of the book is hidden beneath beautiful prose. The mansion, where the brides are kept captive, is a gilded cage, with hologram games and a pool, and an orange grove. Linden is a remarkably weak and oblivious young man. Even at the end of the book, the reader is left with more questions than answers, particularly about Linden's father, Housemaster Vaughn.

There are some things that don't make sense, and this book does require a willing suspension of disbelief. There is no real explanation of how, and why, people universally stopped reproducing naturally, and the reader is led to believe that there are no naturally-procreated human beings left. I suspect that the reader will find, in Fever, that this is not true, and that there are enclaves of "real," and by real I mean, of course, naturally conceived, human beings that are living secretly, away from the population of the First Generation and their doomed offspring.

I anxiously await Fever:



scheduled for publication on February 21. One burning question does present itself -- who on earth thought that cover was a good idea? That ugly ass cover gets my "WTF" award for the week.

Review: Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs

So, I flippin' love Molly Harper.



Why do I love Molly Harper? Well, because she names her books things like "Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs" and "How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf." And she is funny. Like, sitting in my favorite reading chair and laughing out loud making my husband think I am crazy funny.

I've read two of her books -- this one, and the aforementioned:



I loved them both, although I must say that I loved the werewolf book just a tiny bit more.

So, without providing a plot summary, which anyone can get by taking a look at the product description, besides the fact that I think Molly Harper is hilarious, what is so great about this book?

I love Jane, the good-girl-turned-into-a-vampire. I loved the H, who is her vampire sire, and who is one seriously sexy vamp. I especially loved the secondary characters: Jane's best friend is terrific, and the secondary plot related to his romance is very nice. Jane's family is delightfully awful. Her mother is a monumental pain in the ass, and her sister is even worse.

I did figure out what was going on with Jane substantially before Jane did, so in that sense, I did see the plot twist coming. But it was so much fun getting there, that I didn't really care. Plus, a lighthearted PNR is a refreshing change from all of the angst, darkness and dramatic mate claiming that so often is the point of this type of book. 4 stars.

Review: Law Man by Kristen Ashley

Law Man is the third book in the Dream Man series. I have heard rumors that it will be the next to last book in the series, with the last book intended to be Tack's story.



I really liked Law Man. As far as the Dream Man series goes, each book, in my opinion, has gotten progressively better. I was not crazy about Mystery Man. I really liked Wild Man. I liked Law Man better than either of those. It rivals Sweet Dreams as my favorite of the KA books I've read.

As far as the plot goes, it is typical KA. The H is Detective Mitch Lawson, who has been a character in each of the preceding Dream Man books. I've been waiting a while for Mitch's story, because I just had a feeling that he would be my favorite H in the series. He was. He is yummy . . . strong and protective, with a kind streak a mile wide. He actively pursues the h, which is a nice change from some of the other books, and, in fact, has to work very, very hard to convince her that he is serious, and that he is the guy for her. The h, Mara, has had a rough go, but is bone-deep decent. Her self-esteem issues were significant, but were well explained by her childhood.

Some of the secondary characters in this book were also fantastic characterizations. Mara's mom and aunt were over the top, but very amusing, and the scene where Mara finally stands up for herself is awesome. Mara's boss is a wonderful character, as are her neighbors. One of this authors particular strengths is in characterizations, and this book is no exception to that rule.

Much of the obligatory KA drama was present in this book -- there are bad guys, criminal bad guy drama to deal with, and a number of the characters from the prior Rock Chick/Dream Man series make an appearance. Elvira, one of my favorite characters, shows up for a pair of highly amusing cameo appearances.

In spite of the rough-around-the-edges nature of KA's books (or possibly because of?) I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it the day it was released, in about three hours. 4 stars.

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a YA fantasy title by Laini Taylor.



It's not her first novel, but it feels like her breakthrough novel into the big leagues.

And what a breakthrough it is.

This book is simply gorgeous. It is set in Prague, which has the benefit of being both familiar and exotic. It is also a city that has always fascinated me, so one of the things that I really loved about the book is that it is set in Prague. The main character, Karou, is also familiar yet exotic, an artistic girl with azure hair. The fantasy elements are also beautifully realized. One of the things that really sets this book apart from others is the world building.

I read the book on kindle, but I feel like I need to drive to Barnes and Noble so I can hold this book in my hands, because there are aspects of it that I suspect will be lovely in print form. Sections of the book are separated by pages that are empty save two poetic lines and an image of a feather. This works well on kindle, but may be breathtaking in print.

The only real complaint I have is that it ended with the obligatory cliff-hanger. This is common in series novels, and it drives me crazy. Mostly it drives me crazy because I don't know when the next novel will be published. I do know that I will be reading it.

In summary, I loved this book. I loved the characters, I loved the mythology that Laini Taylor created to define the two warring races, I loved the way that the worlds, and the wishes, worked. Ms. Taylor took risks in the writing of this book. The risks paid off. 4 1/2 stars (5 on amazon).

Review: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Every once in a while, I find a book that I really, really fall in love with. This is one of those books. John Green is the real deal.



Having been sucked so deeply into this book that finishing it felt like coming up for air, I find that it has continued to weigh upon me many hours later. And, yes, this book made me bawl because it was so freaking sad and beautiful, and even though I could see the end coming, that didn't stop it from being freaking sad and beautiful.

There are some things about the book that are hard to swallow. The teenagers don't talk like real teenagers -- they talk like Rory Gilmore if she had terminal cancer. They talk the way we (and they) wish teenagers talked. But, this book is so good that I can forgive the author that little conceit.

There is little to say that hasn't already been said, and I am reviewing this book only because I swore that I would review every book I read in 2012. Nothing that I can say about The Fault in Our Stars will even begin to say what I want to say as well as John Green already said it. So, I'm going to inflict a few of my favorite quotes on the readers of this review and then I am going to yell at everyone reading this review to GO READ THIS BOOK. Because this John Green guy is totally the bomb. In a pile of dross, he is the gold.

"Sometimes people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them," I said, Isaac shot me a look. "Right, of course. But you keep the promise anyway. That's what love is."

"I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you."

and last

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/but in ourselves." Easy enough to say when you're a Roman nobleman (or Shakespeare!), but there is no shortage of fault to be found amid our stars.

Read this book. That is all.

New author: Kristen Ashley

Well, I've already posted three reviews for Kristen Ashley books -- The Gamble, Sweet Dreams and Lady Luck. Since then, I've read a few more. Since I am 12 reviews behind, & I just can't stand the thought of doing full reviews for all five of these books, I'm going to do a quick and dirty summary/comparison of them.

The KA formula: attractive heroine who has been smacked around by life meets alpha male, probably with law enforcement/commando/bounty hunter/military background and commitment issues, they have lots of good sex, she falls in love, he falls in love, for some reason neither of them (but especially him) can admit it, someone kidnaps the heroine because he is going to kill her/rape her/get back at the hero, hero rescues her & they live happily ever after. Add in a crazy ex-wife or a couple of kids or mafia connections or something like that, lather, rinse, repeat.

The formula works. Sometimes better than others.

Since then, I've also read:



This is a sort of a tribute to The Game of Thrones story of Daenerys & the barbarian warlord. A lot of my compadres on the amazon forums loved this book. I found it utterly mediocre, however. Kristen Ashley does one thing very well -- the contemporary romance with the alpha male hero. Her formula did not translate well to the fantasy setting.

Also:



This was was not my favorite. I really didn't much like the H, Hawk, and I thought that the h, Gwen was a bit of an idiot. I was pulling for her to end up with Mitch Lawson, who is apparently going to get his own book. This would violate the formula, and is clearly not an acceptable resolution, therefore, it is not going to happen.

And:



This one was good, I thought. The formula worked well. I really liked the Hero & really, really liked the heroine. Tess may be my favorite heroine of all of the Ashley books I've read. She owns a bakery & is straight forward and sweet. There is a crazy ex-wife who is a gold digging slut, and a pair of great kids. All in all, a good one.

Two more:



This one is so formula, it defines the formula. It is over the top. Joe, the hero, is monumentally alpha. He's also kind of a dickhead. Add to this a villain who is pure nuts, who has murdered Vi's husband, and is basically a mob killer. We have the obligatory dumping by Joe, and the required kidnapping of Violet. Again, I was sort of hoping for Violet to dump Joe & go for Mike Haines. Again, this would violate the formula. But, Joe was no way good enough for Violet. Again, I had issues with this one.

Finally,



This one was actually a little bit different. In Rock Chick, the hero pursues and the heroine plays hard to get. It had potential, but the heroine, Indy, was so bloody annoying that it just didn't work for me. However, because it had potential, I am going to give the rest of the Rock Chick books a try.