Tag Archives: #Friendship

Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Britain, Kristen: The High King’s Tomb (Green Rider) (2007)

2013-05-01 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

Once again my son and I enjoyed reading Kristen’s work together. As I have said before, Kristen Britain’s writing makes reading aloud a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Her prose flows through my eyes and out of my mouth with no effort on my side.

We are both fans of Karigan G’ladheon’s adventures however unlikely they might be. In The High King’s Tomb you will find plenty of action and political scheming. It is always interesting to see how two sides can be equally certain of how right their points of view are. Following along with Grandmother’s fight for the Second Empire is an excellent lesson in just that. Both the followers of the Second Empire and Sacoridia are certain that their way is the right way. I am on Karigan’s side, of course, as she is the one I have followed all along. But it is easy to see how it could have been the other way around if Grandmother/the Second Empire had been the ones whose story had been told as a fight for the right side.

Another new player is the Raven Mask. Noble-women swoon and wish for a visit by him in their budoirs or bedchambers. But he is a thief, a thief who is going to have his values challenged.

I love Karigan’s teaching experience with Fergal. Two stubborn people travelling together makes for funny situations and lessons in patience for them both.

Alton is another person who has had his patience tested. Getting into the Tower just isn’t working for him and he is getting more and more frustrated. All of the effects of the poisons of Blackveil have not worn off yet. Thankfully he gets Dale Littlepage (another Rider) up by the wall. She gets him out of his self-pitying funk.

It is strange how some writers manage to give so much to their readers. Kristen Britain has a talent that has given my adult son and me the opportunity to spend some fun time together.

My reviews of books 1 (Green Rider), 2 (First Rider’s Call), 3 (The High King’s Tomb) and 4 (Blackveil)

Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

Elsa, Sandra: Through The Waterfall (Guardian of the Realm) (2012)

2013-04-30 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

When I first started reading Through the Waterfall I thought it would be a regular Young Adult novel. It is, because it is about young Tess – 17 years old. If you have problems with sexually explicit scenes then consider yourself warned.

Young Tess lives with her grandmother. She has since both parents were killed in a car-accident. Grandmother is a witch and Tess seems to have strong witchy powers herself. One day she is sent to hunt for toadstool from a fairy ring and to her surprise she finds not only that but also fairies.

In fantasy fairies can be so many things. Anything from being cute and cuddly to being not so cute and cruel goes. The ones in Through the Waterfall fall in the category lovely, self-centered and willing to do a lot to get their own way. The fairies in Through the Waterfall want Tess as a guardian of their realm. Protection against predators wanting the fairies as fingerfood will be the job of the guardian.

Tess does not like “Others” (elven world). The car accident that her parents died in was caused by an “Other”. That makes Tess less cooperative than the fairy king wishes. She has demands that need to be met before she will consider taking on the position of Guardian.

I liked Tess’ first meeting with the fairies. Because she has power she is attractive to the fairies, but that power also makes it possible for her to both see and catch them. She wasn’t all oooh, la, la about them. The relationship between Tess and Trey was kind of predictable. He was a hottie, so it had to be he who Tess ended up with. I wonder if any of our heroes/heroines ever end up with average looking partners? Probably not.

Other than that Through the Waterfall was an above average fantasy novel that I enjoyed reading.

Link to Facebook page

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller

Gay, Kelly: Shadows Before the Sun (Charlie Madigan) (2012)

2013-04-29 humanitysdarkerside 1 Comment

Shadows Before the Sun is the 4th installment of the Charlie Madigan series. Whether it is the final one remains to be seen but it did represent an ending to me.

Charlie needs to go to Elysia to find Hank. She did promise him that at the end of The Hour of Dust and Ashes. Their friendship is too important to leave anything to chance and the words of ambassadors. Right now Hank needs a friend who is willing to break the rules to get to him. Charlie and Allessandra, the Oracle, end up as travelling companions. They both consider the other a severe test of patience.

The world of Elysia turns out to be as bad as the Earth Charlie is from. There is plenty of political maneuvering, power-plays and mayhem. But there is also help from unexpected quarters.

Charlie’s character has grown during her trip through these four novels. With her growth has come a better understanding of other people and perhaps even an ability to see them as individuals and not just part of some great mass that she has to keep safe.

We get action with plenty of fighting and some sex. I guess both could be considered somewhat adult in content.

My journey with the Charlie Madigan series has been a pleasant one. Shadows Before the Sun is easy to read, difficult to put down and fits the other three novels well.

Announcement from Kelly Gay: “8/1/12 — There’s been some talk about SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN being the final book in the series. Guys, nothing like this has been decided or announced. Official news will come straight from me. I’m usually contracted 2 books at a time. Shadows completed my second two-book contract. This does not mean I’m done writing the series or that I won’t go back to contract.”

My reviews on books 1 (The Better Part of Darkness), 2 (The Darkest Edge of Dawn), 3 (The Hour of Dust and Ashes), and 4 (Shadows Before the Sun)

Fantasy, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult

Angell, Lorena (co-authored by Joshua Angell): The Diamond of Freedom (The Unaltered III) (2013)

2013-04-21 humanitysdarkerside 4 Comments

Great cover. You will find each item in the novel.

Thanks again to Lorena Angell for providing me with a reviewer’s copy. Does receiving a copy influence the review I write? I would hope not, but knowing human nature it probably does to some extent. I try to be aware of this possibility. Hopefully that does not make me harder on the author than I need to be.

A Diamond in my Heart is my favorite of the three novels. Brand is probably part of the reason. I like him a lot more than Chris.

Chris is difficult to get a handle on. I’m sure that is Angell’s intention. Is he for Mathea’s work or is he against? How does he tackle the whole situation with Calli? It is obvious he at least lusts for her and he has previously seemed to love her (according to surface thoughts). But loving a person does not necessarily mean that we look out for their best interests.

Calli is even more confounded by Chris’ behavior than I am. It must be weird having a person change their behavior toward you almost from day to day. Realising the seriousness of having a shard of diamond lodged in her heart is a process. Coming to accept that protecting her heart also means keeping a distance between herself and Chris would also be difficult.

Freedom craves having Calli’s shard in his possession. He will go to any length to get it. Killing her is only part of it.

Brand’s ability to repeat comes in quite handy in The Diamond of Freedom. Life would be a whole lot more difficult without him.

There was plenty of action in The Diamond of Freedom. At the beginning of the novel Chris and Calli are on the run after Brand saved their lives. They are trying to stay off-radar but are finding that a challenge. From there on we go from one adventure to the other. Some of it is kind of funny (like the biker gang) and Chris’ uncle was adorable (yes I mean that). Kind of cute in his own way.

We are told a bit more about the world of Mathea and meet some of the other Diamond-bearers. I’m left wondering what sort of person I would be after 5000 years. How would it be possible to keep up her motivation for keeping the world in balance for all that time? Is it even possible to retain all of the flighty emotions we short-lived people have? Thankfully I will never find out.

How do I know Lorena Angell (and her son Joshua) have created a well-written fantasy novel? I am left wondering and pondering the characters and their future. That really is the sign of a good series/serial. The author has to keep her readers interested in the story-line and characters that live in it. Good job Lorena. I certainly want to read the next addition to The Unaltered series.

My reviews of books no. 1 (A Diamond in my Pocket) and 2 (A Diamond in my Heart).

Adventure, Fantasy, History, Romance

Harkness, Deborah: Shadow of Night (All Souls) (2012)

2013-04-20 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

NPG 5994; Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke by Nicholas Hilliard — *Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke by Nicholas Hilliard*
watercolour on vellum, circa 1590: NPG 5994
Only for non-commercial use

A Discovery of Witches was one of the many books that my librarian, Ragnhild, recommended to me. I loved it and was highly motivated to read Shadow of Night. Now I have, and am left with a feeling of a book well-written. Deborah Harkness manages the difficult art that putting music to text is. Shadow of Night was one of those books that leaves my husband and children frustrated. I had trouble putting it down and being there for them. Sometimes I wonder if there ought to be a Books Anonymous.

One of my favorite things about Shadow of Night was the knowledge that Deborah showed in her telling of the tale of Diana and Matthew in 1590 Europe (especially England). There was a sense of reverence in the treatment of the milieu. Another excellent thing was my learning a new word. I don’t often have to use a dictionary while reading, but this time I got to. I love that. Her word was so perfect in its context as well (termagant). Thank you for that gift.

Being a 21st century Western woman in Elizabethan England was not easy for Diana. The world for women was so different back then. Being property cannot have made life pleasant for most. Diana left the modern world to seek help in mastering her magic and peace from persecution. What she ended up with was a world where humans were hunting witches.

While Matthew belonged to the richer part of society, Harkness also showed us the poorer side of these times. This was a time of changes in England. Farmers were losing their livelihood, people were moving to the cities seeking employment and poverty was rising. In fact, we are looking at the perfect recipe for a time where scapegoats were looked for. By now, wise women were equated with witch/devil/plagues/curses. Being different was dangerous and no-one was as different as a vampire and a witch together.

Looking for traces of Ashmole 782 turns out to be an extremely difficult task, hindered in part by Diana’s own challenges. Fortunately for Matthew and Diana they have Matthew’s friends (George Chapman, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Harriot, Sir Walter Raleigh and Lord Northumberland – Henry Percy) from the School of Night to help them.

Diana becomes acquainted with Mary Sidney (Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke). Together they work on Sidney’s alchemical projects.

Along with their own challenges in finding peace and education, Matthew’s role as spy for Queen Elizabeth and son of Phillipe de Claremont will bring them face to face with their own demons.

Fantasy, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult

Angell, Lorena: A Diamond in my Heart (The Unaltered II) (2012)

2013-04-19 humanitysdarkerside 1 Comment

First of all, I would like to thank Lorena Angell for sending me a review copy of A Diamond in my Heart.

While each novel is a stand-alone, they are part of a series and as such are best read in order.

Now we’re talking. A Diamond in my Heart is a much tighter book than A Diamond in my Pocket. Angell has cracked the code to the flow. Flowing demands a lot of an author and is probably not always a fun process. As with A Diamond in my Pocket I like the cover of A Diamond in my Heart. I don’t know if it was intentional, but the print in my copy was a little strange at times. It would change type and parts of it was highlighted.

Calli still has the shard of diamond lodged in her heart. That shard enables her to do things like read minds when she concentrates, read emotions, heal, run fast and hunt. For her abilities to blossom completely Calli will need to have the whole diamond lodged in her heart. I found that Callie had grown as a person. There is less angst and more acceptance of life as it is.

Calli’s side-kick is Brand. Brand is a horny senior whose main goal in life seems to be to have sex with every girl on the planet – at least every girl he encounters. He is the quarterback so that should help. But you would think not all girls would fall for whatever lines he uses. Strangely enough they do and the other guys at school are not happy with. Calli doesn’t get it and when she doesn’t fall for Brand’s lines they end up becoming friends. For some bizarre reason I loved him. I hope he turns up in the next novel as well.

Calli’s mentor is Mathea (from A Diamond in my Pocket). Mathea helps Calli understand the responsibilities that come with being a diamond bearer. Turns out they are supposed to keep the world in balance. We get some background information on Mathea. She sure is one strange cookie.

Calli’s enemy is Freedom. Freedom is a previous follower of Mathea who is now out to get Calli’s diamond for himself. He is a diamond bearer but no longer a follower of Mathea’s circle of diamond bearers. This is one seriously messed up dude. His sociopathic traits are fairly strong.

This time I thought the novel was too short. Angell kept me reading and her twists and take on her world was interesting. I like the fact that she has little or no previous experience with fantasy before writing these two novels. It doesn’t show, but then fantasy is about so much more than the flashy stuff. For those of you who worry about anything explicit be it violence or sex you can safely read these two novels.

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic Without Mercy (Allie Beckstrom) (2012)

2013-04-17 humanitysdarkerside 1 Comment

I think this is my favorite Allie Beckstrom cover thus far. There is something about the atmosphere in it.

Devon Monk keeps on writing well. As a reader, following Allie’s journey from lonerhood to a leadership position among her friends has been a fun ride. Monk has managed to keep her characters alive without slowing down the pace of the novels.

Things are really moving along now. The Authority has officially decided to go for Allie. All of her friends and near-friends have to make a choice as to who to follow. Because they are rebels, we know what the choice will be. But their fight to overcome the opposition while at the same time figuring out how to battle the magic plague is going to challenge all of their abilities.

Allie is affected by the magic plague. Whenever she pulls it in she gets sick and ghosts turn up. Ghost magnet is what she is. She and her father have come to an arrangement – that sounds really weird considering their co-habitation. Anyways. Zayvion still loves her and Shame is her best friend. Shame and Terric still haven’t come to terms with what they are, or rather Shame hasn’t quite. He would go down fighting.

Jingo-Jingo is his same old creepy self. Mwah, hah, hah. A regular old Dracula is what he is. Eli is/was a bad guy – or maybe we could say a guy with very special interests. But he is important to the game, so Shame and Zayvion are stuck with him.

I look forward to reading the conclusion. As long as Devon Monk keeps the quality of her work at the level that it has been, then I have something to look forward to.

My reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood), 3 (Magic in the Shadows), 4 (Magic on the Storm), 5 (Magic at the Gate), 6 (Magic on the Hunt) and 7 (Magic on the Line)

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic on the Line (Allie Beckstrom) (2011)

2013-04-17 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

I wonder if they used the same method for Devon Monk’s covers as they have for Jean Johnson. Jean Johnson was kind enough to explain that her publishers had gotten the photographer and model together for a session and taken tons of pictures. Pictures from this session are what the publisher uses to design the covers. I know Devon Monk has some say in the design of her covers. You will usually find some kind of reference to Portland on the cover.

It really is too bad, but we are getting closer to an ending. Two more books to go and there we will be. I’ve grown to care about our Allie. She knows that what she does has consequences, yet she goes ahead anyway. I guess paying the price for magic for so long has made her willing to pay the price for other choices as well.

There are two other characters that I have enjoyed thoroughly. These are Shame and strangely enough Stone. Stone the gargoyle.

The new leader of the Authority, Bartholemew Wray, is not a fan of Allie and her gang of followers. If he could get away with closing the lot of them, he would. Allie certainly does not trust Bartholemew. This makes for a conflict-filled situation for Allie, and some of her choices will affect those she cares most for.

Her Hounds are loyal to Allie to an extent that she had not expected of such loners. They are doing their best to protect her because they see a good thing they simply cannot lose in Allie.

I think this is part of what I’ve really enjoyed about the Beckstrom series. These characters are a gang of rebels (with the exception of Zayvion). In the end, he, too, will have to make some incredibly difficult choices. These rebels seem to be more in touch with reality than the Authority and as such they reflect the way I see the world in general. But the Authority had better watch out, because choosing a fight with this gang might not go as they wish.

My reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood), 3 (Magic in the Shadows), 4 (Magic on the Storm), 5 (Magic at the Gate) and 6 (Magic on the Hunt).

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic on the Hunt (Allie Beckstrom) (2011)

2013-04-16 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

I think these covers by Larry Rostant are beginning to grow on me. Part of it is the swirling lights of magic. The other part probably has to do with how Allie is portrayed. She is all about business and I like that in a cover.

As the series about Allie Beckstrom has continued so to has Devon Monk’s writing grown. I expect that in a writer but do not always see it. Kudos to you Devon for growing as an author.

Zayvion and Allie’s relationship has changed. Their strength, closeness and abilities is making the Authority wary of them. Fortunately, the couple does have friends within the Authority. Two of their closest are Shame and Terric (who are also soul complements).

Given her unique relationship with her father, Allie is doing an excellent job of coming to terms with the situation. Monk has given the term father/daughter relationship a new dimension.

The division within the Authority is widening. Allie and her friends are discovering unpleasant truths about the regulation of magic and the leadership of the regulators. We begin to see the contours of decision-making that might not have the well-being of everyone as its goal after all.

As the Allie series grows in complexity, so do the characters. They are filling out quite well and the world we get a look at is both strange and familiar in the art that is Devon’s writing.

My reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood), 3 (Magic in the Shadows), 4 (Magic on the Storm) and 5 (Magic at the Gate).

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic at the Gate (Allie Beckstrom) (2010)

2013-04-16 humanitysdarkerside 4 Comments

Magic on the Storm left us hanging there – a real cliff-hanger ending. And that is fine. Not that I have a say in the matter. I might have wanted to knock Devon Monk on the head with hammer for a moment, but that is my problem. Authors can be sooooooo ??

To say that The Authority is in trouble at this point would be an understatement. It became clear during Magic on the Storm that there were two factions (at least) within The Authority. Obviously Allie belongs to the “good guys” (and Jingo-Jingo to the bad).

Sadly, Zayvion is not there to aid her through most of Magic at the Gate. For obvious reasons he is out cold and Allie is not at all certain he will wake up back to his old form. Fortunately Allie is strong enough to handle that. I think she would probably be a good role-model for girls today. She just does what she has to do realising that life doesn’t play favorites.

Her dad’s old games with forcing magic to do his will is coming to bite them all in the behind. Allie tries to clean his mess up but has to fight trust-issues when it comes to good ol’ dad who just happens to be co-habitating with her. Annoying geezer and stubborn daughter.

Shame and Terric are at odds. Just because other people believe them to be soul-complements does not mean that they have to accept that. I mean, come on, we are talking about Shaymus Flynn – the king of stubbornness. I think he even tops Allie in this area.

The entertainment value of the Allie Beckstrom series is high. Devon has managed to create characters that grow and has a storyline that draws toward some kind of inevitable conclusion. While I as a reader might not know where Monk is going with the series, it is clear that she does. I am definitely going to be along for the ride.

Reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood), 3 (Magic in the Shadows) and 4 (Magic on the Storm).

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic on the Storm (Allie Beckstrom) (2010)

2013-04-16 humanitysdarkerside 3 Comments

One of the things I like about Devon Monk’s Portland is the kind of magic she uses (well, her character anyways). In a place where magic has become something so ordered and available that everyone can use it for just about anything, what would happen if that magic got messed up?

When Allie discovers that a storm of apocalyptic force is bearing down on Portland, she and Zayvion have their work cut out for them in trying to convince the Authority to act. How to deal with a storm that threatens to take out the entire city while at the same time turning magic unstable and destructive, is something that has to be solved. But the Authority is divided in its approach to the problem.

Having to keep any knowledge of the Authority from non-Authority friends/acquaintances is another challenge Allie has to deal with. Fortunately Zay and Shame are also members of that “elite” society and get to play with people’s lives. For that is what the Authority does. It controls magic and how much people know about it. If some person gets too much knowledge the Authority messes with their heads. Allie hates this part of the Authority but has little choice in the matter.

Imagine you had your dad living in your head. That would be enough to drive me insane. Insanity is something Allie has to keep from happening all the while trying to be the one in charge of herself. Both she and her father are incredibly stubborn people and Daniel Beckstrom is used to people doing what he wants. But Allie is no push-over and seems to be handling her co-habitation.

Another thing Allie seems to be coming to terms (more or less) with is the acceptance of the responsibilities that have been thrown her way. Trouble still has a tendency to find her, and it seems Allie has recognised that this is her lot in life. As a “leader” of the Hounds her charges adds to the pot of trouble. But there is plenty of good that comes with all of Allie’s challenges. Her relationship with various people gives her life a dimension that had been missing.

Shame is still Mr. Naughty. His character is a gem. He and Zayvion are like two brothers (lots of love and lots of annoyance). Time and again we see Zay falling for Shame’s na-na-na-na behavior. Monk does an excellent job in portraying the balm that these relationships are to Allie’s loneliness. It is fun to follow an author that shows growth.

Reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood) and 3 (Magic in the Shadows).

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic in the Shadows (Allie Beckstrom) (2009)

2013-04-16 humanitysdarkerside 5 Comments

There is especially one character in Magic in the Shadows that I want to point out. In Magic in the Blood Allie managed to bring alive a gargoyle. Stone, the gargoyle, is a wonderful “pet”/”friend” for Allie. Our block-building dude. I love him.

Another one is Shame (Shamus Flynn), our self-destructive but ever so loyal friend. I don’t know why, but characters that get into “trouble” are incredibly fun. Shame is the prankster of our trio/quartet.

Zayvion has a larger part than the other two – naturally. He is Allie’s second half (so to speak). A lot of the Allie Beckstrom series describes the growth that these two characters go through (well the rest of them as well). Monk manages to give us characters that grow and she explores human nature in all its glory and horror.

Allie’s problems are not over. The voice in her head is not helping her at all. As the series is told in 1st person, we get to view all of Allie’s incredibly dense moments, but also those moments when she gets to show what she is good for.

The Authority is very interested in getting Allie to deal with the voice in her head. They feel threatened by it. But it comes in useful when Allie has to fight with a magically created “demon”. Allie’s ability to store magic in her bones is a phenomenon no-one quite understands. Her lack of ability in controlling her magic makes it necessary for her to get help – through the Authority.

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic in the Blood (Allie Beckstrom) (2009)

2013-04-16 humanitysdarkerside 4 Comments

In Magic in the Blood Devon Monk continues to provide us with excellent entertainment. Devon Monk manages to show us a three-dimensional Allie Beckstrom. But Allie is not alone in her three-dimensionality. Her side-kicks also have a feeling of life to to them. This is quite a talent for an author.

As we saw in Magic to the Bone, one of the consequences of using magic in this version of Portland is memory loss. Allie has forgotten the previous couple of weeks – including who Zayvion is. This book deals with what happens when you forget important events in your life, having to get to know friends all over again. I guess that is what it must be like to be senile.

Someone has gone missing. Allie is asked by the police’s magic enforcement division to help on the case. It seems their own investigators are turning up dead while investigating the case.

Along with all of this Allie is beginning to see and hear things that cannot be explained. She wonders if she is going crazy.

Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Wright, Melissa: Pieces of Eight (Frey Saga)

2013-04-15 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Pieces of Eight is the second book of the Frey Saga trilogy. What we saw in Frey was someone whose world had been turned upside down. What she thought had been self-evident truths, weren’t. For some reason she was hunted as the witches of “the good ol’ days” were.

When we begin Pieces of Eight Frey realises just how little she knows about who and what she is. But what she thinks she knows is that there are seven other elves who are there to protect her. But even they raise doubts in Frey’s mind. I guess that would be the problem with memory loss. Who do you believe?

In Pieces of Eight the Grand Council is still hunting for Frey because of her supposed abilities. Yet Frey is in no way able to utilise these abilities properly. She is getting better at fighting but magic – not so much. There is plenty of action and frustration in the novel.

Melissa Wright writes well. She gets Frey’s frustration across to me as a reader and her fear of the Grand Council is believable.

Adventure, Fantasy, Humour, Science Fiction

Drake, David: Sea Hag (1988)

2013-04-15 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

David Drake is an author that has been in the business for ages. I have this really strange relationship with his work. For some bizarre reason I usually imagine that I am not going to enjoy what he has written. And what happens? I’m sucked in every time. EVERY time! And still I expect not to like his writing. Slow learner I guess.

The Sea Hag was no exception. I thought, “nah, I don’t like David Drake” …. What a joke. Of course I like David Drake. I always do. And I did.

When I started reading Sea Hag I thought it was a fantasy tale. That is intentional from the author’s side (see link). In addition to being a fantasy, it is also science fiction. You will see why, when you read the novel.

Dennis discovers his father has made a promise to the Sea Hag in exchange for a wish. But Dennis’ father tries to get out of his promise. When Dennis discovers what the promise was and that his father has no intention of keeping it, Dennis sets off to somehow make up for his father’s failure. What we end up with in The Sea Hag is a hero’s journey. As his helper/side-kick we have Chester. Dennis and Chester are odd. I don’t know how else to describe them.

Dennis starts off like most of us – terribly naive. His ideas of what it takes to make it in the big world are off by a long-shot and he is incredibly lucky to have Chester along. At the same time Dennis is plucky. He has that combination of stubbornness and stupidity that a hero needs. By stupidity I mean the inability to see when something is supposed to be impossible.

Like all heroes’ tales the journey of Dennis and Chester brings us a great deal of unlikely scenes. I just love the stuff heroes survive, this hero too. The duo is loveable.

Did I like The Sea Hag. Hell, yes. Of course, I did. David Drake has ended up writing a book that he says people either hate or love. I am in the second category.