Short Reviews - May 2014

I...can't...stop...reading!  No time to write full reviews.  

So here it is - SAS

(Short And Sweet)

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

3.5 Star Rating - Recommended Age: 13+
A little bit of mystery, some romance with a hint of jealousy and a crazy aunt to add some humor.  I enjoyed this enough to read the second in the series and as soon as I'm in the mood to get back to a fast-paced YA novel, I'll finish up with the third.  I stayed intrigued throughout the story.  No real surprises or gotcha moments, but it was a good escape.

SAS:  You'll enjoy the budding relationship between Gwen and Gideon.  You will even enjoy Gideon's ego.  The characters are interesting, but not complex.  Plot is ordinary but the writing and pace will keep you interested.

The Wolves of Midwinter by Anne Rice

The novel opens on a cold, gray landscape. It is the beginning of December. Oak fires are burning in the stately flickering hearths of Nideck Point. It is Yuletide. For Reuben Golding, now infused with the wolf gift and under the loving tutelage of the Morphenkinder, this Christmas promises to be like no other . . . as he soon becomes aware that the Morphenkinder, steeped in their own rituals, are also celebrating the Midwinter Yuletide festival deep within Nideck forest.

From out of the shadows of the exquisite mansion comes a ghost—tormented, imploring, unable to speak yet able to embrace and desire with desperate affection . . . As Reuben finds himself caught up with the passions and yearnings of this spectral presence and the preparations for the Nideck town Christmas reach a fever pitch, astonishing secrets are revealed, secrets that tell of a strange netherworld, of spirits—centuries old—who possess their own fantastical ancient histories and taunt with their dark, magical powers . . .

2 Star Rating - Recommended Age: Adult

Oh, I was soooo disappointed.  I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, but the Wolves of Midwinter was nowhere near that level.  Were there any good parts??  Yes, there were some, but not enough to make this book enjoyable.  The world that she built around the morphenkind was still a wonder to read about.  The descriptions of Nideck Manor and the forest really does put you in a fantastical mindset.  But the writing this time around went over the top.  Not only does it follow her normal old-world style of overly describing scenes with out of touch wording and phrases, but in this book it is tedious!  In the first book it was just enough to have me hunched over my book and truly imagining the story;  not in just a visual sense but it was almost as if the story should have been from a different time.  This book just made me want to hurry up and finish it.  

SAS:  I had to force myself to finish this book.  The characters were the only good thing in this story; still very engaging.  The plot was almost non-existent, the pace was slow.  This is NOT on my recommend list for Anne Rice.  Skip it.

Up from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

(Night Huntress Book #7)

There’s always one more grave to dig.

Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war…

A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death…because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives—and those of everyone they hold dear— will be hovering on the edge of the grave.

4 Star Rating - Recommended Age:  Adult

Still, soooo good!  Reading a Jeaniene Frost book always keeps me on the edge with the intrigue and action.  But what I love most about her books is that they keep me surprised.  Surprised you say...are there a lot of gotchas in her books?  Yes, but not always with the plot.  I'm talking about the humor!  When she wrote in a reference to the Spock and Captain Kirk death sequence from The Wrath of Khan, I dropped the book and started laughing!  Lines like, "...open shirt flapping behind him like twin mini capes."  I love it, just love it.  The character behaviors and personalities are consistent with each new book.  Each bringing their own brand of sexy, crazy and aloofness which keeps the story compelling.  Can I just say Marie Laveau is one bad...shut your mouth!  You will love the new character addition to the series and the possibilities they will bring.  You will end the book not knowing where the story will go from here.  Is this the end?  Can't be!  I want to know what is going to happen next!

SAS:  What can I say..another good one from this series.  This story never gets old.  The love between Cat and Bones is still all-encompassing, but you won't get tired reading about it.  The plot and action in this one was so good, I found myself skipping a sex scene to see what was coming next.  Yeah...that good.

The Dog in the Dark by Barb and JC Hendee
(Noble Dead Saga Book #2)

Barely escaping the city of Calm Seatt - and the assassins hunting them - Magiere, Leesil, and the elven dog Chap sail south to continue their quest to find the powerful orb of Air before their enemies do. But they are not alone, much to their frustration.

Aging elven assassin Brot’an has forced himself on them by offering his protection. Chap doesn’t believe this ruse, however, and seeks to uncover the assassin’s true agenda - as well as the cause of the secret civil war that has erupted into the open among Brot'an's people.

Meanwhile, Magiere struggles with her own dark nature, using Leesil’s love as an anchor to keep her grounded. For the personal price she paid to procure the orb of Fire was more than she thought - and more than she wants to reveal to anyone else.

But that is exactly what the cunning Brot’an wants to know. And he is willing to do whatever it takes - even if he must reveal his own dreaded secrets, which may cost the entire party their lives...and their very souls.

3.5 Star Rating - Recommended Age:  15+

Like the Wheel of Time, this series will not die, nor does it need to.  The plot is so complex, you still can't see the end game.  This was a more laid back, comfortable read for me.  The action was at a minimum, compared to the other books, but the confrontations between the elves and Magiere's group were dramatic.  The fight scenes are always choreographed well.  A lot of the backstory is played out through memories, which gives much more detail than just a retelling by the characters.  With those flashbacks, I found myself sympathizing with Brot'an.  

SAS:  It took a couple of chapters for me to really get into the story, but once I did I stayed intrigued until the end.  This story delves deeper into the plots and plans of the elves, but there are still a lot of questions.    The reader is kept guessing at the mysteries of the Orbs and their protectors and there is still a lot to learn  about the Ancient Enemy and Fey spirits.  

Intruder (Foreigner Book #13) by C. J. Cherryh

The civil war among the alien atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri his son and heir, and his human paidhi, Bren Cameron, have returned to the Bujavid, their seat of power.

But factions that remain loyal to the opposition are still present, and the danger these rebels pose is far from over.

3 Star Rating
My recommendation:  Buy it in paperback.

Note:  This is not a stand-alone book.  It is number 13 in the series and previous versions MUST be read to understand the characters and plot.


Recommended age:  15+ (This book is intellectually complex)  Intrigue, betrayals, complex negotiations and danger.  Intruder, as with all others in this series, is bursting with these things.  The preceding book had more action and less recent books more political machinations.  This was not one of the best, but still a good book in the series and worth the read.  Adding to the usual plot - Bren Cameron, human savior, negotiating his way through any danger that pops up - are the antics of a more clever Cajieri.  I looked forward to these sections of the book, as they added some fun to the story.   This book revealed more of atevi family dynamics.  In this element of the story I saw more of a similarity with human emotion and reactions from the atevi.  Not much is predictable in a CJ Cherryh book, this was no exception.  The ending leaves me waiting anxiously for the next in the series.

Plot/Pace:  The book moved a little slow for me, but there was such a wealth of information I'm not sure moving the story along at a fast clip would have done the story justice.  The plot is standard for the Foreigner series.  Not predictable with who does the betraying and where danger lies, but neither is it a surprise that there will be a betrayal and danger is always present.  

Imagery:  Hmmm...how to review this...  Detail and descriptions of the settings and characters - not that great.  But!  The way the conversations are described, the detail written on the flow of events, how the characters are interacting (head nods, eye flicks) offered a great depiction of how the story was building.  Very hard to flip through pages in this book, because there was so much going on.

Romance:  None

Action:  Not until the last few chapters.  While there is a lot of trickery and deception throughout the book, actual excitement with the events taking place doesn't really happen until the end.  The author intersperses the outcomes of the character conflicts in between paragraphs of the final pages.  She jumps from Cajieri to Illsidi, then to the Aiji and his wife, back to Cajieri , then to Bren and Machigi.  The result is a thrilling ending to the book where you can't stop reading.

Characters:  For those who have read the entire series up to this point, there seems to be no real change in main character development.  Illsidi is just as scary and wise.  Bren is, as always, careful and patient and his ashiid is loyal.  There is a closer glimpse into Tabini's relationship with his wife and how he "feels" about her.  I did enjoy the interactions with Tabini and Cajieri and how the author reflects on Tabini's past to show how alike they really are.  Cajieri was my favorite character this time around.  He provided some comic relief.  His character has grown to be more thoughtful and has a better grasp of the diplomatic atmosphere that he is surrounded with.  But since he is still young, the situations he gets himself into, his reactions to getting caught and his thought process on how to get out of them makes a funny read.
One note...I did get a little emotional during the exchange between Lord Geigi and Bren close to the end of the book.  No spoilers, just...that conversation made my heart swell..just a little.

What Irked the Shiznit Out of Me:  Nothing
What Blew Me Away:  Nothing

This series continues to be a good one.  Which is saying something, thirteen books in!  I am not tired of reading about these characters and the story has not flagged or become repetitive one bit.  Can't wait for the next one.

If you like this book, what else might you like?
(Not including any other books in this series)