Tag Archives: #Loyalty

Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult

Durgin, Doranna: Barrenlands (Changespell Saga) (2011)

2013-07-18 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Barrenlands is my first meeting with Doranna Durgin and a pretty good one at that. My read was an updated and reworked edition.

In its basic form Barrenlands is a mystery. Who killed the king (Benlan) is the question that is eating Ehren up. The reason Ehren feels so passionate about finding the murderer (not every one else wants him to find him/her/them) is because Benlan was his best friend. Most of Ehren’s guard-friends had also been killed at the same time.

Ehren is an interesting character yet familiar in a fantasy sense. He is our hero, the one with the quest he must fulfill. He is also the strong, silent type. In his case his silence and strength are very much tools. When one is silent one sometimes listens and is able to hear things one might not otherwise hear. As a hero Ehren has several helpers and not all of them are people. Two killer horses (that is for any other person than Ehren) are among the assistants. Ehren has trained them well and we get a few episodes illustrating how dangerous they are.

Two people also come to his aid. In the one case the helper places Ehren in an awkward position. Ehren is actually supposed to kill Laine (or Lain-iee! as his sister calls him) and his family. Laine is the nephew of the dead king Benlan. He has a weird ability – to see magic. He has another ability but that comes out late in the novel so hush to me. Sherran is the other person that turns up and happens to be the T’ieran of Clan Gurran. She, too, has a magical ability that Ehren will need.

Varien is an interesting character but the opposite of Ehren’s helper. He becomes quite fun in a nasty way as the story evolves. The more I learned the less confidence I had in him. Not exactly the kind of magician I would want at my back. And he just happens to be the new king’s (Rohan) most important advisor.

We begin with a fight scene and there are several to follow. I would call this a YA novel with little emphasis on romance but a whole lot on friendship and action with some magic thrown in.

File Size: 503 KB
Print Length: 352 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Blue Hound Visions (November 10, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00A5FF668

Adventure, Fantasy, Humour, Young Adult

Soriano, M.F. : Blood Brothers (Bound By Blood) (2013)

2013-07-18 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Blood Brothers is Soriano’s first completed fantasy novel although he has previously published some work under the pseudonym of Don Broma. It is the first one in a series, something that means that we actually get an ending – something I really like. I also really liked the cover designed by Streetlight Graphics. Soriano actually managed to include the name of the cover designer. I wish all authors could do that, even if the designer is themselves.

I have to say that my favorite character was Verlvik. There was absolutely no competition in my mind. He is so completely alien to my way of thinking and yet completely magnetic. This is what I mean by alien:

“The bird let out another chirp, and then broke out in song. High exultant trills that soared up in bright melody, and then dipped into lovely low warbles. Verlvik’s lips split into a wide grin. It delighted him that such a small creature could be so full of life.

For several minutes the bird poured its heart into its wondrous song. And then, as if singing weren’t enough, it started dancing too. It bowed its cherry head low, spread its brilliant wings, and started hopping forward and back.

Verlvik pushed the locks of his hair out of his face, and turned his head slightly to the left, to get a better view of the bird with his good eye. The tiny bird, apparently pleased to found an attentitive audience, abandoned itself to its performance. I began to spin like a little top, its bright wings flashing in the sun.”

Here Soriano has set me up with an image of a perfect moment in life. The vividness and feeling of this picture is so clear. And then he hits me in the head with a hammer:

“One of the bird’s spins brought it within Verlvik’s reach, and quicker than a cat he’d snatched the bird up and popped it into his mouth. Its little skull cracked like a nut between his teeth, splashing his tongue with a burst of rich flavor. Its delicate ribs splintered as he chewed, and pricked the inside of his lips, salting the meal with a hint of his own blood. He closed his eyes and munched away happily.”

Say what? My mouth practically fell open. Then I laughed and was completely in love. A better job at setting me up has seldom been done. The superlatives are lining up. A character like Verlvik has never come my way before.

Grillis is the first one we are introduced to. He is about 18 years old and is now alone in the world. Because of a facial birthmark others tend to avoid him and he has been bullied some. He was raised by his grandmother and well-loved. Because of this love he has learned the ability to trust, something that will come in handy for him but also bring him trouble. Grillis is also the kind of person that just keeps on going. We meet Grillis a lot in fantasy literature and I have to say that putting him first fooled me into thinking that this was a regular hero’s journey novel. Blood Brothers is not quite that but it does have elements of it.

Athemon is a character I understand. He has grown up bullied for who he is, growing up among a people who have been taught that they are less than the others. We get a taste of that bullying in his introduction. I have to say that my heart-strings were playing low notes in reading about the way he was treated by “his betters” and how his father reacted to that treatment. Sad, sad, sad. One day Athemon has had enough and his revenge is sweet.

All three characters are brought together and together they have to fight some really bad guys. If I was going to guess at target group it would be somewhere in the YA range and up. Maybe not too young because of some of the violence.

One of our characters is human, the other is a caprine and the third a pictsee. The story is told from each person’s point of view and that means, of course, that we switch between Grillis, Athemon and Verlvik.

When switching between characters like Soriano has done it can be difficult to keep in the flow. As I am sure you could tell from the quote above, Soriano definitely has a feel for the flow and he stayed in it a lot of the time. When he falls out he manages to find a way in. This is an excellent quality and it is obvious that Soriano has a talent for the craft. Every once in a while I felt preached to. All it takes to get that away is a little more editing and that will probably hurt.

Daniel M. Schroeder‘s review

File Size: 690 KB
Print Length: 368 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1483981525
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00D0BG9P6

Blood Brothers was given to me as a reviewer’s copy. As usual I have tried not to let this influence my review.

Mystery, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Thoma, Chrystalla: Rex Rising (Elei’s Chronicles) (2011)

2013-06-08 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

Like so many others, I really like this cover. It is probably the eye that does it for me. I am a sucker for eyes.

Kabam is how Rex Rising begins. Elei is on the run and working to stay alive. Rex Rising keeps on going at that pace. We are thrown from one action scene to another never really able to catch our breaths. Chrystalla Thoma does it so well. She links the different episodes and never goes over the top. If you want action Rex Rising would be a good choice.

While a page turner Rex Rising is also about the effect parasites have on us and could have on us given certain circumstances. At the end of the novel Chrystalla Thoma links to books and studies dealing with the subject. I love what she has made of a topic that could have easily become boring. But Ms. Thoma did not let me withdraw. Perhaps one of the parasites jumped from the novel and “made me do it” as in read the novel almost without stop.

Another thing Chrystalla Thoma has conquered is the art of the flow. Words falling together like water in rapids is a beautiful thing to be part of. I love words when they are treated in such a manner.

The novel concentrated itself mainly on Elei and his adventures and not so much on the world he lives on. We get glimpses and an understanding of the political situation, but there is not room for an in-depth study of the landscape. But we certainly get an in-depth look at sweet Elei. He is such a loveable character. Hera is another character whose qualities become more and more apparent through Rex Rising. Like the author states on her website, she likes her female characters a bit gung-ho. So do I.

Anyways, this is one YA series I highly recommend.

File Size: 955 KB
Print Length: 322 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1475096852
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Amazon.com (August 11, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B005GZPOQE

Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

Litteral, Heather: Bite (2011)

2013-06-05 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

Bite seems to be the only novel Heather Litteral has written thus far. It was weird not having a copyright page. Does that mean that Heather Litteral does not have copyright? Perhaps this is a stupid question, but I felt it needed to be addressed – if nothing but for the sake of Litteral’s authorship.

I used to think that having “strange powers” would be cool. It didn’t really matter which, as long as I could be different. Reading fantasy and science fiction has completely changed my mind on that subject. In the case of Skye, she can read minds. I would imagine reading minds could be advantageous at times. If some person is out to get you, wouldn’t it be nice to have warning? But otherwise??? Not so much. Reading minds has saved Skye’s life, but it was the ability to read minds that got her into trouble in the first place. We all think things in our heads that we do not want people to hear. Some people want to hide more than others. When what you are trying to hide is betrayal, then it becomes all the more important to silence the one you fear is a threat.

Skye gets chased from the first page of Bite. She has to try to keep one step ahead of the assassins, but that isn’t an easy matter. Early on she gains the help of a guy she bites, Ryan. Biting him was not something she would normally do as her preferred prey is the scummier sort of citizen.

When Skye decides to stop running and stay in Louisiana where she has finally begun to build a life for herself, she finds herself happy to have Ryan’s assistance. Ryan, too, is glad that Skye is on his side. For some reason his own sister (turned vampire) was murdered and now the murderers are after him.

What happens when you stop running? Well, one thing is that you have to face whatever you are running from. Often people think they have to fight these battles alone, but like Skye sometimes we find that others want to help us. At times that help comes with a price, as in the case of Gabriel, but not always.

Heather Litteral has written a fun novel. There are some vampire cliches but those are difficult to get away from. Litteral has focused more on action and less on romance and that is what I prefer. For a first novel, Bite was excellent.

File Size: 415 KB
Print Length: 225 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B004OYT8OW

Skye35 = Heather

Adventure, Fantasy, Humour, Young Adult

Sullivan, Michael J.: The Viscount and the Witch (Riyria Chronicles) (2012)

2013-05-31 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

The Viscount and the Witch is a short story set 11 years before the events in The Crown Conspiracy. I have the other novels in the Riyria Chronicles already and enjoyed reading them.

Hadrian and Royce are great characters. Royce is a reluctant good guy while Hadrian is a reluctant bad guy. The whole barn scene with the viscount was hilarious.

Michael J. Sullivan has a fairly laid back style of writing that appeals to my funny-bone. He also keeps up the pace and throws in actions scenes where they are appropriate. Excellent writing and a great world for my taste.

My review of the Riyria Revelations

Adventure, Fantasy, History, Romance, Young Adult

Swift, J.K.: Altdorf (The Forest Knights) (2011)

2013-05-30 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

“The Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Hospitallers, Order of Hospitallers, Knights of St John, Order of St John, and currently The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders during the Middle Ages.” (Wikipedia)

J. K. Swift writes historical fiction. This time he writes about the lives of ex-Hospitallers. What kind of person do you become after having been taken away from your parents at a young age and sent into the “Holy War” against those terrible heathen Jews and Muslims?

Like most people our ex-Hospitallers seem to be the same personality they were upon entering the Hospitallers. You know, just people – greedy, selfless, courageous, lonely and so on. Just people.

In the name of religion people sometimes do terrible things. Ignoring terrible actions carried out toward others is the most common one. To begin with Thomas ignores the plight of the citizens of Altdorf. But once the deeds of Duke Leopold of Habsburg touches closer to home, Thomas can no longer deny the unrighteousness of Leopold’s deeds.

Duke Leopold is a greedy man who wants to control the flow of merchandise through the pass of St. Gotthard. “The Gotthard Pass or St. Gotthard Pass (Italian: Passo del San Gottardo) (el. 2106 m) is a high mountain pass in Switzerland between Airolo in the canton of Ticino, and Göschenen in the canton of Uri, connecting the northern German-speaking part of Switzerland with the Italian-speaking part, along the route onwards to Milan.” (Wikipedia)

In The Empire of Man one even finds that “the College of Magic which studies Ghyran, the Lore of Life, is the Jade Order of Wizards. Jade Wizards, (also occasionally mistaken for druids to which their power is related), are powerful healers, who spend most of their time wandering the countryside of the Empire providing their services to rural communities. They construct monolithic stone circles around hidden groves where Ghyran is strongest, using them in their yearly rituals which they perform in order to channel their magic into the soil to provide fertility and abundance.” (Wikipedia) Seraina is a Priestess of the Old Religion, and the last Druid disciple of the Helvetii Celts. She has been gifted by the Great Weave to see what others cannot. In it she knows that she and Thomas will be needed in her people’s fight for freedom.

Part of my reason for digging a little into various sites had to do with the excellence of the novel. Altdorf made me curious about the background for the novel – beyond what the author tells. The whole area has a fascinating history and it was amazingly fun to discover that Altdorf (the area) is used in The Empire of Man.

Anyways, history and fantasy lesson over – except maybe a hint that you check out the background of the Wilhelm Tell myth – you know the whole shooting an apple off the son’s head story. It has relevance.

There is one scene that involves Pirmin that made a huge impression. Pirmin is a lovely character – full of life and enjoyment of life. Anyways, there is one scene that made me think – once again. Fantasy can do that to you. All of a sudden I see humanity in a new light or am reminded of a quality that some people do possess, even people I know.

The Forest Knights is a serial. You can walk away from the serial after Altdorf, but I believe you might regret it. I am going to get Morgarten myself – simply because I want to keep in touch with these people.

Adventure, Fantasy, Young Adult

Throwsnaill, B.: Hemlock and the Wizard Tower (The Maker’s Fire) (2012)

2013-05-29 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

B. Throwsnaill is a pseudonym for Bill Ainsworth. Pity! I rather liked Throwsnaill. I like this cover by Elena Dudina.

Something is wrong with magic. For some reason it is less efficient than usual. That is a major bummer for Hemlock’s sister’s stomach problems. Hemlock’s main goal in life is to take care of her sister. Only the two of them live in SanCyra. Their parents are either dead or living elsewhere – details revealed in the novel.

Hemlock is an interesting character. With the help of her adopted father figure, Safreon, her ways have gone from thieving to policing the area she lives in. Because the area is poor, the guards do not feel it has high priority. We never see that in real life, do we??

Both policing and the problems with magic bring Hemlock into the way of the Wizards and their odd creations. Because of her strange powers Hemlock is of interest to the Wizards. They wish to either bring her into their fold or to kill her.

Hemlock is very goal-oriented. In fact her one-tracked mind often lets her forget to plan. The advantage of such impulsiveness is that things get done. The disadvantage is trouble of all sorts. But Hemlock is usually lucky in some way. Maybe that has to do with her powers or maybe she is just one of those people. I am so clumsy I would probably stumble and fall all over the place.

I did not read the novel until just recently. It seems most of the previous comments were listened to and followed as the author saw fit. Hemlock and the Wizard Tower is a pretty good young adult novel. We get a look at an interesting world of magic, one I have not seen before (I think). The whole idea of the city of SanCyra is pretty cool.

Science Fiction, Short story/novella, Young Adult

White, Angela: Alexa’s Travels: A Prelude (2010)

2013-05-27 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

You need to begin reading the Alexa’s Travels series with Bone Dust & Beginnings. While this short-story/novella calls itself Prelude, it is not. Instead it is a continuation of the story of Alexa, part Descendant of Jesus Christ and part Fire Demon.

I am not certain if being part Fire Demon is something that is part and parcel of being a Descendant. Being one does give the “possessed” fairly cool powers. I doubt their victims would agree.

Alexa’s trusted group of men (pets as she calls them) are still stuck to her. They feel fortunate in having such a person to look after and who looks after them. Together they get to fight strange creatures and bad people.

Prelude is fairly well-written. Editing issues are few. I doubt if I am its intended audience.

Children, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller

Dennis, H.L.: The Power of Three (Secret Breakers) (2012)

2013-05-18 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

I see some reviewers feel The Power of Three ought to be a Young Adult book while others think it is children’s literature. Personally, I consider The Power of Three a children’s story for children over 8-years-old.

Adults often underestimate children and young adults. I hear some of us talking to them as if they were stupid. Others, like crazy old Mr. Smithies, realize that the only thing children lack is experience. Sometimes even the dodgy old Black Chamber is able to think outside the box.

Being part of an undercover group means that not a single person outside of that group is supposed to know what you do. Mr. Smithies is lucky to be married to Mrs. Smithies. We never really learn if she would like to know what he does, but she seems to be perfectly happy to send him off to work.

Brodie is not quite so lucky. She seems to be an orphan. We learn that her mother is definitely dead. Her father could be dead too or maybe he is just off somewhere. Brodie does have her grandfather and lives with him when the mysterious card arrives, the card that ends up making her a member of England’s Black Chamber and Team Veritas.

Early on in the novel it becomes apparent that heredity plays a part in Brodie being chosenfor the job. All three children are descendants of other code-crackers who have had a go at the Voynich manuscript. I wonder if perhaps trying to crack the Voynich manuscript had something to do with the car-accident that killed Brodie’s mother?

Secret Breakers has the feel of James Bond for children/YAs. Dennis manages to bring a flair and tension to the story that belongs in a spy thriller. Brodie’s character is likable. In fact, all of the characters are likeable in one way or another, and most of them are a bit crazy. I think you have to be kind of crazy to want to work in a super-secretive environment with a document that no one has been able to decipher for years and years.

You should visit Helen Dennis’ website for Secret Breakers to read about the research behind the Secret Breakers and other interesting information.

If you want to join a Black Chamber, you can go here.

Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

Giacomo, Jasmine: The Wicked Heroine (Legend of the Shanallar) (2010)

2013-05-14 humanitysdarkerside 1 Comment

It seems Jasmine Giacomo deems her Immortality Archives/Legend of the Shanallar novels adult fantasy. I don’t see it. There is no explicit sex nor explicit violence. Neither are the novels overly dark.

I chose to read The Wicked Heroine exclusively because of the title. I wouldn’t say that our main character (the Shanallar/Meena/Jacasta) is exactly wicked. In my opinion strong, experienced and unwilling to take a whole lot of BS is more descriptive. She makes her choices and faces the consequences of those. Sometimes those consequences are other people being hurt while at other times she is the one getting hurt. Sometimes everyone benefits. As I kept on reading about Meena, I found I liked her more and more.

Another favorite character was Geret Branbrey Valan. Geret is highly intelligent, naive and bored – all poured into one of the nobility. He has the best pranks but understands very little about other people. Maybe he is the one who goes through the most personal changes. I guess you could say that by the end of the duology he has been forced to grow up.

Sanych is another appealing character. Her main flaw is that she is extremely single-minded. Single-mindedness is a great quality if you are willing to learn from your mistakes. It takes her some time but Sanych figures out that despite all her bookish knowledge she too has plenty of real life learning to do.

Off the three of them go to find The Dire Tome, each of them with different motives for joining the journey. Like all heroic journeys there is plenty of action, a lot of death and wicked opponents. The three meet interesting people on their journey. We get to observe a love-triangle or two and the various feelings that go along with love/lust. The various love-triangles were what made surprised that Giacomo has classified her novels as adult. They were more of the kind found in YA novels in my opinion.

This is not a series. The books are not stand-alone but of the serial type. You will have to begin reading The Wicked Heroine for book no. 2 (Oathen) to make sense.

The Wicked Heroine was a fun read.

You can find at and .

Reviews: Julie Ann Dawson,

My review of Oathen

Fantasy, Mystery, Young Adult

Guon, Ellen: Bedlam Boyz (Urban Elves) (1993)

2013-05-10 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

There seem to be pirat copies of the digital version around – according to the author. Amazon has taken their copy off the air.

The Urban Elves series is a sub-series to the Elves on the Road Universe an urban fantasy universe depicting the interaction between the human and the elven world adding in a bit of diesel/gas.

As far as I can see Ellen Guon (Beeman) has written three novels: two in collaboration with Mercedes Lackey and the Bedlam Boyz on her own.

Bedlam Boyz is a stand-alone novel set in Los Angeles. It is about getting the surprise of your life and how that surprise changes your life. In a life-threatening situation Kayla discovers she has the power to heal.

A talent like that is bound to bring a lot of attention. Not all of that attention is positive. In fact most of the attention Kayla garners because of her ability to heal is quite negative. Gangs, elves and social workers all want a piece of her and only one of the parties wants to help Kayla get a better life.

Bedlam Boyz was a fairly good novel. It seemed believable when it came to the fate of Liane. I imagine that to be the fate of quite a few homeless kids. Kayla’s fears are also believable and her confusion about her talent seems natural. I imagine there are police officers and social workers who care about the homeless kids the way a couple of the characters in the novel did.

I liked it. It wasn’t great but it did entertain me enough to keep me reading to the end. With a bit more editing it would have been a much better read.

on /

Cover artists:

Other blogs:

The Cosy Dragon

Fantasy, Mystery, Short story/novella, Thriller

Forbeck, Matt: Goblintown Justice (Shotguns and Sorcery) (2011)

2013-05-10 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Info: You can get Goblintown Justice for free at Matt Forbeck’s website.

Goblintown Justice first appeared in 2011 in the Carnage & Consequences Anthology. It is the second story in the Shotguns and Sorcery series.

Goblintown Justice is definitely a mystery with Max Gibson as its investigator. Max Gibson is one of the main characters of the Shotguns and Sorcery series. He is a pretty tough guy who just happens to be a sorcerer.

Max lives in Dragon City. Dragon City is like any rough city in the world. It is divided between the powerful and the ones not so powerful. Rich and poor are as usual placed in different parts of the city and the various races also tend to congregate among their own. So, nothing unusual there. Even our capital Oslo is like this – and we are a puny country.

We find the police looking for easy answers because they want some body to blame. This time they blame Sig, one of Max’ acquaintances. Since the victim is one of their own Dragon Guard the police are especially keen on getting their perpetrator. But Max does not think that Sig did it and he is given a short space of time to prove it.

Power and corruption, fear and power, rich and poor are all found in this short story. In an amazingly short time Matt Forbeck manages to show the helplessness of the weak. But the weak have Max Gibson to bat for them and that is not such a bad thing. He fights well, takes a beating without giving up and manages to give as well as get. I like Max Gibson’s character – this hard-shelled adventurer.

I had great fun reading Goblintown Justice and wouldn’t mind reading more of Matt Forbeck’s work.

Fantasy, Mystery, Short story/novella, Thriller, Young Adult

Cheney, Kathleen J.: A Hand For Each (2011)

2013-05-09 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Three short stories are presented in A Hand for Each. The stories are: A Hand for Each, Masks of War and Fleurs du Mal.

A Hand for Each was published in 2007 in Shimmer’s Pirate Issue. From it we learn that if your ship is conquered by natives of some island and all of its crew left dead except yourself, you had better get off that ship as soon as possible. Otherwise you are going to be in serious trouble.

I guess you could say that A Hand for Each is reminiscent of The Flying Dutchman. That would make this a semi-horror story, although with the ending it might be more appropriate to call it a horror story. I like stories like these. I just know how it is has to end but I keep on hoping that I am wrong. (It probably doesn’t help that I often read the ending before I get there).

Masks of War was published in 2008 in Fantasy Magazine. It is obviously a story about masks of some kind, in this case a literal one. Sergeant Grey is given the job of tagging along with a German soldier who has had his face disfigured. Once the soldier puts on a mask to hide his disfigurement something strange happens and off the both of them go.

Masks of War is a story about hope and change. Sometimes it is possible to right a wrong, to change your path in life by acknowledging what has gone forever. I found it fascinating to follow along with the two ex-soldiers as they watched the amazing unfold.

Fleurs du Mal was published in 2010 in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. I think you could probably call Fleurs du Mal a horror story. We have here a story about possession, a really strange type of possession. Good thing I have the opposite of a green thumb. Any plant that comes near me had better run for its life.

Fleurs du Mal was fun. It’s story has all of the ingredients that a mild horror should have. I am unable to read anything harder than that. The oh, oh feeling came back again and again and I kept a running commentary on the characters of the story. (I do this with movies as well.)

So, all in all A Hand for Each was fun to read and I definitely kept reading through all three stories. Good job Kathleen J. Cheney.

Adventure, Fantasy, Reading together, Romance, Young Adult

Britain, Kristen: Blackveil (Green Rider) (2011)

2013-05-07 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

Both my son and I agree that Kristen is a cruel, cruel woman. Telling why would be a major spoiler, but keep in mind that Kristen Britain likes to torture her readers. Aaaaargh.

I love the cover that Donato Giancola has painted. Maybe it is a little cheerful for Blackveil, but it is still pretty bleak.

Usually Kristen writes in a manner that makes reading aloud a delight. This time there was one exception. The name “Gerlrand Fiori” was a tongue twister, but that was it. The rest of the words were fun to read.

Our adventure into the world of Blackveil begins with Grandmother and her crew. Blackveil is not a place one would normally venture into as it is filled with messed up magic as a remnant of Mornhavon’s attempt to establish Arcosian rule on the shores of Sacoridia. I consider the Second Empire followers to be nuts, but who knows who of us is?

My 18-year old was disappointed when we began our journey with some one other than Karigan G’ladheon. He likes her character, all of it. She tends to see the world in black and white although she has mellowed a bit after all this time as a Green Rider. One thing that has been difficult for her to mellow out about is her father’s acquaintance with prostitutes and his previous life as a pirate. She intends to challenge him about these two issues.

Children, no matter how adult they think themselves, have a scewed picture of what their parents are supposed to be like. If they have seen you in a certain manner losing that fantasy can be difficult. Let’s just say that Karigan’s confrontation with Stevic was an eye-opening one.

One thing that is certain in Karigan’s life is that her abilities bring trouble her way, trouble she tends to barely survive. Supernatural powers aren’t necessarily a gift.

Captain Mapstone meets up with the Eletians after a visit to an ex-Green Rider. This meeting is fortuitous for Laren Mapstone and perhaps so for the Eletians. Together they travel back to the Castle and King Zachary. The Eletians intend to enter Blackveil at the spring Equinox and King Zachary intends to send some of his people along. We all know who one of Zachary’s people is going to be. They agree to meet at the gap in the wall on the day of the Equinox.

One thing I find problematic with the Green Rider series is this ongoing desperate love between Karigan and Zachary. I guess that would be part of the attraction. In this insane world we live in forbidden fruit is always supposed to be soooo much tastier than the permitted. What I do like is that Karigan and Zachary at least have the good sense to not do anything about their feelings. Poor Lady Estora who is doomed to marry a man that loves another. On the other hand she is realistic enough to know that these are the risks of arranged marriages. I like her. Estora is kind, strong and gutsy. She tries to make the best of a difficult situation in spite of her own pain, and she will have plenty of that in Blackveil.

I’m wondering why Britain added the Amberhill story. To me it seems completely irrelevant and as if Britain has just added him to make her series longer?????

While the Green Rider books are a series, there is also a serial bit to them. You do not have to read the previous three novels to understand the story (I think) but it might help. I have enjoyed them all and enjoyed Blackveil as well. My son and I agree on the excellence of Britain’s ability to write novels that can be read as audio.

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

Other blogs:

Fantasy Book Critic: “Blackveil” by Kristen Britain (Reviewed by Robert Thompson)
Fanfiction (full of spoilers): “Blackveil For those who have read the entire book!!”

2012: Finalist for the David Gemmell Legend Award: Best book

Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Short story/novella

Duncan, Sophie: The Diablo Ouija (Haward Mysteries) (2011)

2013-04-29 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Sophie Duncan is the author for The Diablo Ouija. For the time being, you can get the short story for free.

The Diablo Ouija is a Haward Mysteries short story. The Haward Mysteries are about the police officers Remy and Theo Haward at the Sorcerous Crimes Taskforce’s, Murder Squad. With a name like that for a task-force you can probably imagine that their investigations most probably involve something inexplicable. The title of the short story also makes it obvious we are dealing with the super-natural/para-normal.

I’m not saying the twins are insane, but a little unorthodoxy is the least of their qualities. They are on the look-out for an incredibly dangerous magical item: (drumroll) The Diablo Ouija. Three teenagers are already dead and Remy and Theo suspect they have not seen the last victims yet. When they turn to Theo’s old boss, retired DCI Swanson, for information about the old case, they discover something they had not previously known, something that will lead them into dangers untold.

Like most brothers, Theo and Remy are very different. In spite of their differences, they are willing to go to any length to make certain the other brother is safe. The Diablo Ouija tests their loyalty to each other. We get plenty of creep-factor but no tipping over into horror. An enjoyable tale.