You know how sailors were supposed to tie themselves to something so they would not be lured by the beautiful voices of the sirens, well, Piper Cavenaugh is one. A human siren. Not bad.
Making people do what she wants by using the “Voice” is terribly tempting to Piper. However, experience has taught her that she will eventually get into trouble by doing so. Its duration is only 10 minutes and that really puts limitations on what it can be used for.
One evening Piper gets into trouble. She was seen using her Voice by the supernatural community. A community Piper had never heard of, seen or wanted to know about. Now she is about to be tried for her crimes. The Voice is considered extremely dangerous and desirable by various species of the supernatural community and Piper is thrown into trouble like never before.
The Rhine Maiden is a fun read. It has a couple of preachy moments and not very subtle ones. But Erin Evans is a fun author with a fun protagonist in the rather stressed character of Piper Cavenaugh. Piper is not your laid-back kind of person. Oh, no! Definitely not! But she is fun.
You will find plenty of action and humor in The Rhine Maiden.
Angelfall is Susan Ee’s debut novel and the first book in the Penryn & The End of Days series. Wow. That woman has talent. The story of Penryn’s hunt for her sister is moving and exciting. It shows how low people can stoop and high they can rise once they are thrown into chaos through war. The angels have decided to destroy civilisation as we know it and Penryn and her family are one of the many victims. The situation is not made any simpler by Penryn’s mother being schizophrenic paranoid or her little-sister Paige having to use a wheel-chair.
Penryn’s mother is nuts. She is a frightening person that comes around every once in a while. But Penryn manages to communicate with her and is the parent in their little family. She has to make all of the tough decisions.
Then they are torn apart when the angels decide to take Penryn’s little sister – all because Penryn happened to throw a sword. Now Penryn ends up saving an angel (Rafe), making a deal with him and traipsing through dangers in her search for Paige. It isn’t easy being 17 years old and stuck with this kind of life.
There is plenty of action and the author manages to get whatever messages she has across without preaching. I loved it.
I love this cover. Something about the colors maybe.
The V.V. Inn series comes with a warning. “This is not a young adult series and is intended for readers over 18.”
I’ve wondered why there is always a warning when sexual content is explicit but hardly ever when the violence is?????? Makes no sense to me. That being said – there is sexual content, and it is explicit.
The Hunt is a mystery with lots of sex thrown in. Well written sex scenes. This 50-year old woman was turned on by it and that is saying a lot.
Another thing that C.J. manages to do quite well is to jump from one character to the other. Not perfectly, but better than quite a few other authors I’ve read. Each character contributes to solving the question of why Vivian’s old enemy is the representative of the vampire Tribune and what the hunt is really about. Everything is not as it seems.
The Hunt is Ellison’s second book. She certainly has a gift for writing, one that will give great pleasure to many readers.
I just finished reading GreenRider to my youngest son. When you have a dyslexic audience, reading to them is always IN. I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be to love literature, yet be so hindered by something that I take so much for granted. Maybe it is somewhat like my need for a wheel-chair.
Anyways. Back to Green Rider.
Check out this cover illustration for the UK edition of Green Rider by April Schumacher. WOW! It catches the spirit of the novel perfectly.
As I read this book out loud, there are a couple of things I want to point out. Kristen writes beautifully. Names like Karigan G’ladheon just roll off my tongue. Reading was a delight. Tension, fear, beauty and humour came through the translation from page to mouth. Wonderful! What a gift.
Karigan G’ladheon is a typical hero character. She is conflicted about the many challenges that come her way, but she desperately wants to do what is right for her country. Danger is drawn to her, or perhaps Karigan is drawn to danger. Action is practically thrown her way. Thank goodness Karigan seems to have a gift of getting out of all of the life-threatening situations. Like Captain Mapstone claimed. Karigan seems to survive due to sheer spunk. Gritting her teeth, Karigan gets on with whatever comes her way. Gray riders, militia, dangerous creatures or spirits is just part of what Green Rider has to offer.
The plot is easy to understand. Someone is out to take over the country of Sacoridia (they think). Someone else has another agenda. Karigan supports the throne and stability. Battle ensues between the “good” and the “bad”. Presentation is everything and Kristen Britain Excels at this. Good job. In fact, excellent work! Enjoy.
Cassie Alexander’s debut into the world of urban fantasy comes in the form of her Edie Spence trilogy. Her real-life job as a registered nurse serves as inspiration for her novels about registered nurse Edie Spence. I am pretty certain these books are targeted at an adult readership
Cover for audiobook
Choosing Edie Spence as her protagonist is probably the best move Ms. Alexander could have done. Edie isn’t afraid of a little/or a lot of blood and gore and finds that her nursing skills come in handy in her new night job. She had previously worked as a regular nurse working with regular people. To protect her drug-addict brother, Edie made the choice to sign up for hush-hush work at a hush-hush facility at County General. Remember that the next time you go to your own County General. Somewhere below-ground there just might be a secret facility catering to the health needs of the super-natural/para-normal community.
Being on the nursing staff taking care of the rather unusual clientele of zombies, vampires, shape-shifters, weres, etc. can be a bit dangerous to your health. Ms. Spence discovers this when she is present at the death of Mr. November. Because of her nature, Edie ends up looking after a vampire, being chased by a vampire and falling for a zombie. One might just say that her life became a little more challenging after her introduction to the “Other” side of reality.
Nightshifted is a fun and dark novel. Edie is a wonderful character and someone I would have liked to have met. Sometimes authors manage to make their characters seem so real and believable, the way Cassie has managed with Edie. Good job.
Neurotaylor illustrates why good writing matters. Category is unimportant, it is the quality of the writing that determines whether the readers understand the message of the author.
Writing well is something I struggle with. Cracking the code continues to be just beyond my abilities. Maybe this is why I admire excellent writers so much.
The Book of Deacon is a trilogy that should be read in the following order: The Book of Deacon -> The Great Convergence -> The Battle of Verril.
Cover art by Nick Deligaris
THE BOOK OF DEACON (2010)
My husband bought me an android for x-mas and we downloaded Kindle. They had/have a free offer on the novel The Book of Deacon. This is how I entered the world of Myranda, Lain, Myn, Ivy, Ether and Deacon.
First of all I want to say that you should go to Deligaris’ link and take a look at his art. There is some seriously cool stuff there.
Imagine what it must be like to live in a country ravaged by war for 150 years. This setting is where we find Myranda, our main protagonist. At the beginning of the war young men were the main victims. Then women were brought in as soldiers. Now cities and towns are left with the old and children, emptied of the people who are supposed to bring in the new generation. Seems kind of insane, does it not?
Myranda hates the war and all it stands for. She does not understand the need for this long-lasting enmity. As a sympathiser, she is ostracised by the general population. The general population of the Northern Alliance hates Tressorians. Having one of their own say that perhaps peace would be a good thing, grates on them and they tend to act aggressively. It is ever so in society. If you go against popular opinion, you are going to meet sanctions.
These sanctions have left Myranda feeling terribly alone. When she meets another who is hated as much as she is, Myranda opens up. Leo, the malthrope, saves Myranda from trouble and Myranda is left feeling grateful and lonely for his company.
The Book of Deacon does an excellent job of showing exactly how prejudiced we can be. It is also an incredibly good tale for both old and young. There is plenty of action and adventure. Joseph Lallo is one of those gifted persons that grabs hold of me. These authors are so much fun for an avid reader.
Cover art by Nick Deligaris
THE GREAT CONVERGENCE (2011)
I liked The Book of Deacon so much that I had to buy The Great Convergence. This is a serial, so reading these books in order is a must.
Myranda is caught in her black/white way of thinking. To her you have to do your best to follow the Prophecy. If not, you are a traitor. These books are as much about Myranda’s journey toward maturity and understanding as it is about friendship, loyalty and courage. Her thinking undergoes a radical change from the way it was at the beginning.
Finding the four other Chosen of the prophecy is her main goal. Discovering all of them is not a simple task. After all, the Northern Alliance and the Red Shadow are interested in putting an end to her quest.
Another malthrope turns up. Ivy pretty much has split personality. Her moods are what determines the personality she has. Anger, happiness, sorrow and fear are all taken to extremes and in ways that affect those around her. Arrogant Ether shows up and does her thing. She is a fun character. Her ability to annoy the others is priceless.
Cover art by Nick Deligaris
THE BATTLE OF VERRIL (2012)
It is always nice to not have to wait for the next book in a serial. As I had gotten into the game so late, I got to read The Battle of Verril right after Convergence. The promise of the previous two books was fulfilled in the last installment of The Book of Deacon. Each of the characters change into someone who is able to fulfill their part of the prophecy.
Answers to questions left open in The Great Convergence are found and solutions are discovered at the last moment.
Action and adventure are still the main ingredients of the series. Heroic deeds are obviously part of a quest and evil villains keep the plot moving. Mystical figures, monsters and friends appear suddenly. Myranda and Myn are kept busy through the novel going from one action scene to the next. The others are break-necking along them.
I found The Battle of Verril a read-through novel. It was impossible to put down.
People feel suckered. But folks – a two/three-year old weighs more than an eagle weighs. An eagle might attack a child, but carrying it away would prove difficult. When an eagle struggles to lift a fish, I’m sure you can imagine how heavy a child would be.
The eagle in the video is not even a Golden Eagle (above photo). In fact the Imperial Eagle in the video does not even live in North-America, which would make it kind of difficult for the eagle to kidnap someone from Montreal.
If you want to see a wild Imperial Eagle you are going to need to travel a stretch of land from Eastern Europe up into Siberia.
The incredibly stupid thing about this video is the opponents of wild predators have gotten “proof” of something that does not exist.
Cover art by Gene Mollica. Cover design by Annette Fiore DeFex. Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.
An Officer’s Duty is the second installment of Theirs Not to Reason Why. Like A Soldier’s Duty, An Officer’s Duty is a military science fiction novel that has plenty of action and some military philosophy in it.
Ia is an interesting character to get to know. With the fate of the universe in her hands she is quite driven and tends to forget that she is a human (well, half-human). Fortunately, she has other characters in this novel that keep her grounded.
Being only mortal, Ia knows that she will have to find a way for future generations to take her letters seriously. The answer lies in her ancestry and on her birth-planet Sanctuary. Her brothers and mothers support her in her work and do everything they can to make it possible to save life in the Milky-Way.
Enrolling in officer’s school (the Navy kind) helps Ia accomplish her goal of becoming an officer. Her example, both in school and later on duty, brings the respect needed from her fellow-soldiers. She is brought closer to her goal, step by step and fight by fight.
The goriness from A Soldier’s Duty is reduced. You will have to read A Soldier’s Duty to get the needed background for An Officer’s Duty. That will mean wading through a bit of blood and body-parts. I’ve enjoyed both books of this series thus far. I expect I will get the rest once they hit the market.
Dragon Ship continues the story of the Korval Clan’s newest member, Theo Waitley, who we met in Ghost Ship.
Understandably, Theo is still wary about joining with the vessel, Bechimo. Being the first human for centuries who will go through the experience, she has noone to guide her. Bechimo is desperate for a Captain. He has been alone through centuries of trying to hide himself from people who want him themselves or want to destroy him.
On their journey (joined by Clarence 2nd pilot) Theo and Bechimo get to explore their understanding of each other. At the same time they also try to figure out if there is a market for a long run for the Korval Clan. Adventure lies along the route.
As with Ghost Ship, Dragon Ship is an adventure novel taking Theo and her crew from one exciting moment to the next. Lee and Miller’s writing is catchy and aimed at a Young Adult audience.
Design Sue Michniewicz, illustration Dominic Harman
I have just been made aware of the difference in the usage of serials and series. The Wild Hunt is a serial. This means that each book ends without the story being finished.
I admit it. I hesitated to read Trinity Rising. No way could Elspeth Cooper live up to the promise of her first novel. Hah, hah, what a joke. Trinity Rising was even better. The hiccups of Songs of the Earth were gone. Trinity Rising grabbed my brain and kept its hold until the end. I loved the characterization and the story.
Savin is a psychopath. Cooper shows his complete lack of empathy through the episodes he appears in. Gair is grief-stricken and functions quite poorly until the end of the novel. Alderan is concerned with the well-being of the many over the well-being of the few. In the end Gair finds it impossible to support this stance. We meet Teia of the Northern tribes. She brings with her new traditions and a deeper understanding of the conflicts between the Empire and the Clans. I found myself becoming fond of her and rooting for her and am looking forward to seeing where The Wild Hunt will go in Cooper’s next novel.
For those of you who find reading sexual content difficult, be warned. Ms. Cooper has written these novels for adults. To me it all fit perfectly together and I recommend this novel to you all.
Ghost Ship is a fun space opera adventure that gives its reader plenty of action that just happens to be placed in a science fiction environment. Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are good at this sort of world building. They have actually been quite good at portraying the Liaden Universe in the few novels I have read.
Ghost Ship is a space vessel with unusual abilities. This vessel is a ghost ship because it keeps hiding from humans in general in its quest to get its pilot onboard. The pilot it has chosen for such a fate is Theo Waitley. Having control of a vessel like Bechimo (its real name) is deemed essential by several parties and some of them shun nothing in their attempt to find and take it over.
While Ghost Ship is essentially an adventure novel, it also deals with FAMILY. As we all know, families can be a boon or a drag. Where do we belong and who do we belong to can be questions we all struggle with at times? I like the way Lee and Miller deal with this issue.
I found reading Ghost Ship a light and fun adventure. It fulfills its promise to me as a reader.
Cruciblecontinues where Crossfireleft off. Nancy Kress was married to the author Charles Sheffield. In Crucible the characters Lucy and Karim talk a bit about the effects of the McAndrew drive. Charles Sheffield invented the term in his books and Nancy has borrowed the term as an explanation for the way the space vessels behave while travelling at their various speeds. If you are a nerd/semi-nerd like myself, you will probably check the information out.
One of the effects of travelling at near-light-speed is the problem of your ageing compared with the people you have left behind. They will be older (or even dead) when you return to them. I imagine that could be quite traumatic. Crucible deals with that question.
Crucible can mean “test by fire”. We see Karim and Lucy go through their test of fire when they are stuck on the Vine world trying to survive and hopefully get back to other humans. The Vines are strange plantlike creatures whose existence seems very harmonious. For humans that can be difficult to deal with. We probably get off on a bit of conflict in our lives, predator/prey that we are. That and the fact that Vines don’t communicate the way we do makes life extremely difficult for Lucy and Karim.
Crucible is also the name of the vessel travelling from Earth to Greentrees. The passengers onboard are modified humans. What they bring to Greentrees is an arrogant attitude toward the people living there. Being modified makes the people on Greentrees listen to their beautiful voices and beautiful looks. Even Jake Holman (at age ancient) is fooled by them. But the people from Crucible come with an agenda of their own.
A lot of conflict is in the cards and Kress manages to convey the various personalities quite well. She is an interesting writer.
2005: Nominated – Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
Crossfire is Nancy Kress‘ first book in a duology about the travellers from Earth to Greentrees. They have all pooled their resources so they can get away from an Earth where the people are rapidly self-destructing. All Greentrees needs is a bit of terraforming for humans to be able to enjoy it fully. But the people who have travelled to Greentrees have done so for various reasons and their personalities are more or less suited to this type of adventure.
Jake Holman and Gail Cutler are the group’s leaders. However, there are subgroups. These are the New Quakers, the Environmentalists, the New Cherokees, the Islamists, the modified Soldiers, the scientists and Jake the lawyer. Once they begin to settle on Greentrees, the New Cherokees take off as planned. Their aim is to live as indianlike as possible and to have a little as possible to do with the rest of the humans. The majority of the humans try to keep their differences in check and work together on building a town to live in.
However, any new world is bound to have some trouble for the arrivals and on Greentrees it just happens to be a group of primitive humanoid aliens. In spite of there being more than one group of these aliens, it does not seem as if they are native to Greentrees. The various groups of aliens behave very dissimilar to each other even though they share genetic material.
The humans who had thought themselves alone in this arm of the Galaxy discover that they have now, in fact, become embroiled in an interstellar war. The side chosen by the humans will also decide the fate of humanity.
I quite liked Crossfire. The characters were a bit much at times but I liked the way Kress presented different types of conflict and the resolution to them (where that was possible). There was plenty of action and psychology in this novel. Preaching was present but not to the point where it got annoying.
I think the reason I like Tavi’s character is because he is a bit crazy. Just crazy enough to see possibilities where the rest of us aren’t able to. Me, I lack that piece of genius that I sometimes meet in other people. Not often, but enough times to know how precious that ability is.
Tavi sees allies in traditional enemies, possibilities in impossibilities and hope where the rest of us give up. (Yes, I do realize he is a fictional character!) Sometimes people like this can be terribly annoying because giving up can be soooo tempting. He does annoy his friends at times. But this trait is also what has brought enemies to help and now another enemy needs to be brought into the battle against the Vord.
In Princep’s Fury Tavi discovered once and for all that the Vord were impossible to talk with/to. Their only aim in life is to convert Alera into Vord (land and creatures). However, the first Vord queen is a bit off for a Vord. She has limited the number of queens and made them sterile to boot. This gives Tavi some hope that Alera might prevail against them in the end.
Invidia Aquitaine is still fighting on the Vord queen’s side while her husband is the leader of the people left behind in Alera. The First Lord is dead and Tavi needs to hurry back to resolve the succession question at the same time as he utilizes any and all means to prevent the further spread of the Vord. But to do that he needs to take down the queen and that is quite a task. Thankfully, his old allies and family are still alive and fighting for the survival of Alera.
humanitysdarkerside 