Genre: Urban Fantasy/Fantasy
Subgenre: Others vs. humans, magic, blood
Age Appropriate: Teen
Recommended for my sister: Yep (She's already reading them!)
"I'll ask her for one cut." - Simon
In an Other Courtyard, "Human Laws Do Not Apply." After fighting, trading and tragedy, the humans and Others have come to an uneasy truce with Others in tentative power. What the humans don't understand is that there are other Others with more power than imaginable and the ones seen are the most benign. It is mostly a case of whatever happens in the Courtyard stays in the Courtyard, and that includes the mysterious deaths of humans trespassing where they're not allowed. The Lakeside Courtyard is unique in its toleration of humans in their Market areas, even allowing a select few humans to work in those areas.
As a cassandra sangue, Meg Corbyn is invaluable to the institution she's escaped from. She is a blood prophet, and every cut made on her skin pulls a prophecy out of her. In the compound where she, and other like her, were kept, they were strapped to chairs and used for prophecy and money. Each cut could range from 1,000-10,000 dollars depending on who was being cut. She stumbles into Lakeside Courtyard and walks her freezing feet into a story with a Help Wanted sign. The sign is for a Liaison, a person who runs a post office that interacts between the Others and the humans. Now that she's in Lakeside Courtyard, she has to come clean about who she is and where she's from in order to keep her place. The wide community of Others may decide that she's one of their own, and then there will be no going back for her. The Others protect their own.
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I've been a huge fan of Anne Bishop for a long time. It started with her Black Jewels trilogy in high school but each time I've started a new series, I've fallen into it completely. I appreciate that her series don't intersect, and always have a completely different world, without losing anything of her style and story. Written in Blood and Murder of Crows are no different. I had to reread Written in Blood to catch up, and it was still a great story. There are societal issues, supernatural elements and a teeny tiny bit of possible romance.
Obviously, I recommend it. I can't really recommend it to my sister, specifically, because she's waiting for Book 2 already. I'll recommend it to everyone else, though! I actually think that Bishop could probably stop with book 2, if she really wanted, but I hope she doesn't. There are still some great possibilities for the greater battle ahead, and how knows what will happen to Meg's potential love life? Will she actually have one? She's probably not ready, yet. I've heard nothing yet about another book, but I'm crossing my fingers!
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Moar Books: Sorcerer's Ring series
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Sianim Series - Patricia Briggs
Genre: Fantasy
Subgenre: mages, shapeshifters, kingdoms
Age Appropriate: Teen
Recommended for my sister: Yep
"I suppose training isn't supposed to be fun..." -Aralorn
Aralorn is a Sianim spy who is really not from Sianim. She is a shapeshifter, though, and when she left home she found herself with a good job that lets her use her skills. The assignment that starts the series has her pretending to be a girl pretending to be a bird in a cage under the influence of the ae'Magi, the most powerful wizard in the land. It isn't until she returns from her assignment, by the skin of her teeth, that she notices something very wrong under the surface. Somehow, everyone she meets up with, from friends to strangers, is completely enthralled with the master mage.
Together with her friend Wolf - another possible shapeshiter/mage/something, she leaves town in search of King Myr, who is the only person she's seen who might not be anymore affected that her Wolf and herself. If something is that wrong, then something very bad is coming and the ae'Magi was going to need stopping. Aralorn and her Wolf find themselves in a refugee camp full of those not under the power of the ae'Magi and a small revolution beginning under his feet. It's a dangerous task simply to take care of the strangers and orphans, but they join the group to start thinking about their next plans. The story reveals some very important mysteries about Aralorn, Wolf and the deep dark secrets of what is happening around them.
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It's a nice little series. I definitely enjoy some of the more fantastical elements. I'm bummed out that it isn't longer. I think she could've really run with it, but I wasn't disappointed with it in any other way. After reading it, I totally wanted to have shapeshifter powers. Although, I'm glad I don't have a husband with a crazy psycho-mage megalomaniac father.
There isn't to much to say about this series. It's not even a series, really. It's really a duology, although Briggs has two more book that are set in the time/place as these. It's epic fantasy-lite. I appreciate that the author is able to cross multiple fantasy genres and still make all of the stories fun. The Mercy Thompson series, which I read first, is a standard urban fantasy, and I've frequently found that bridging the gap isn't always successful for some authors. This is a good, quick read - probably great for sitting on a beach and having a cold drink.
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Books are good: The Others
Subgenre: mages, shapeshifters, kingdoms
Age Appropriate: Teen
Recommended for my sister: Yep
"I suppose training isn't supposed to be fun..." -Aralorn
Aralorn is a Sianim spy who is really not from Sianim. She is a shapeshifter, though, and when she left home she found herself with a good job that lets her use her skills. The assignment that starts the series has her pretending to be a girl pretending to be a bird in a cage under the influence of the ae'Magi, the most powerful wizard in the land. It isn't until she returns from her assignment, by the skin of her teeth, that she notices something very wrong under the surface. Somehow, everyone she meets up with, from friends to strangers, is completely enthralled with the master mage.
Together with her friend Wolf - another possible shapeshiter/mage/something, she leaves town in search of King Myr, who is the only person she's seen who might not be anymore affected that her Wolf and herself. If something is that wrong, then something very bad is coming and the ae'Magi was going to need stopping. Aralorn and her Wolf find themselves in a refugee camp full of those not under the power of the ae'Magi and a small revolution beginning under his feet. It's a dangerous task simply to take care of the strangers and orphans, but they join the group to start thinking about their next plans. The story reveals some very important mysteries about Aralorn, Wolf and the deep dark secrets of what is happening around them.
-----
It's a nice little series. I definitely enjoy some of the more fantastical elements. I'm bummed out that it isn't longer. I think she could've really run with it, but I wasn't disappointed with it in any other way. After reading it, I totally wanted to have shapeshifter powers. Although, I'm glad I don't have a husband with a crazy psycho-mage megalomaniac father.
There isn't to much to say about this series. It's not even a series, really. It's really a duology, although Briggs has two more book that are set in the time/place as these. It's epic fantasy-lite. I appreciate that the author is able to cross multiple fantasy genres and still make all of the stories fun. The Mercy Thompson series, which I read first, is a standard urban fantasy, and I've frequently found that bridging the gap isn't always successful for some authors. This is a good, quick read - probably great for sitting on a beach and having a cold drink.
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Books are good: The Others
Monday, April 14, 2014
Chicagoland Vampire Series - Chloe Neill
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Subgenre: vampires, weres, Chicago!, romance drama
Age Appropriate: Adult
Recommended for my sister: For the most part
"Ponytail Avenger??" - Merit
On late evening, Merit was walking home from doing research for her English Lit dissertation when the worst happens. She is brutally attacked by someone, or something, and wakes up as something else. After a few days of being unconscious, she wakes in her house, only to find out that she's been turned into a vampire! Ethan Sullivan, Master of Cadogan House, found her and saved her from her brutal attack in the only way he thought he could, turning her into a vampire and bringing her into his House. Merit is confused, and upset but nothing pisses her off more than hearing that they've taken her out of school! She can't finish her education, and she thinks it is all their fault - even acknowledging that the school likely would've kicked her out anyway. Between her disappointment, general pissed-off-ness and a normally snarky attitude, Merit and her best friend, Mallory, name Ethan "Darth Sullivan," and spend a goodly amount of time hating him.
When Merit is threatened with a rock and a note thrown through her window, clearly regarding her new vampire status, she takes off to the House to confront Ethan about the situation. There is trouble when she sees him for the first tie since her turning. She's no longer in a confused, drug-like state and he is gorgeous. She feels some sort of instant connection and the reaction is more irritation on her part. She challenges him, loses miserably, and starts her career as a Cadogan vampire with a bang. When she formally joins the house (after much deliberation), her obvious vampire strength is shown by unknowingly resisting the psychic pull she should receive from Ethan. His response? Name Merit "Sentinel" - an old, honored position committed to protecting the House. Thus begins her series of trials and tribulations that contain sorcerors, two-faced angels, other vampires and increasing animosity from humans. WIth her new friends and old, she's pulled into situations that either require her powers as a vampire or her newly developed skills as a private investigator type.
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The first few books are very entertaining. After that the story seems to get a little more convoluted with each adventure. The move from very entertaining to plain ol' entertaining. I admit that I mostly enjoy Merit's sword skills. I always like Urban Fantasy chicks wielding swords. I also like her Ethan, the gorgeous Master of the House - and he seems like a softer Jean-Claude, just as beautiful and conniving but a little less manipulative (just a little, though). I just finished book 9, and I'll be happy to have some more.
This book gets very sexy in some spots. Not as bad as some, but it's still there - primarily in the later books. It's just graphic enough for me to give this an Adult rating (but not enough for caps or colors). As much as I like Ethan, and it really couldn't go any other way with these books, I found myself a little bit on Team Jonah for awhile. There are also some things that I hope they get into more. It feels like they've given Merit a few new roles, but in name only. She uses her new status for new information, but I'll be interested to see if the author expands on it in the future. Honestly, though, I did read the new book in a day. Yay instant consumption! I suppose that means I recommend it!
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Not vampires: The Sianam Series
Subgenre: vampires, weres, Chicago!, romance drama
Age Appropriate: Adult
Recommended for my sister: For the most part
"Ponytail Avenger??" - Merit
On late evening, Merit was walking home from doing research for her English Lit dissertation when the worst happens. She is brutally attacked by someone, or something, and wakes up as something else. After a few days of being unconscious, she wakes in her house, only to find out that she's been turned into a vampire! Ethan Sullivan, Master of Cadogan House, found her and saved her from her brutal attack in the only way he thought he could, turning her into a vampire and bringing her into his House. Merit is confused, and upset but nothing pisses her off more than hearing that they've taken her out of school! She can't finish her education, and she thinks it is all their fault - even acknowledging that the school likely would've kicked her out anyway. Between her disappointment, general pissed-off-ness and a normally snarky attitude, Merit and her best friend, Mallory, name Ethan "Darth Sullivan," and spend a goodly amount of time hating him.
When Merit is threatened with a rock and a note thrown through her window, clearly regarding her new vampire status, she takes off to the House to confront Ethan about the situation. There is trouble when she sees him for the first tie since her turning. She's no longer in a confused, drug-like state and he is gorgeous. She feels some sort of instant connection and the reaction is more irritation on her part. She challenges him, loses miserably, and starts her career as a Cadogan vampire with a bang. When she formally joins the house (after much deliberation), her obvious vampire strength is shown by unknowingly resisting the psychic pull she should receive from Ethan. His response? Name Merit "Sentinel" - an old, honored position committed to protecting the House. Thus begins her series of trials and tribulations that contain sorcerors, two-faced angels, other vampires and increasing animosity from humans. WIth her new friends and old, she's pulled into situations that either require her powers as a vampire or her newly developed skills as a private investigator type.
-----
The first few books are very entertaining. After that the story seems to get a little more convoluted with each adventure. The move from very entertaining to plain ol' entertaining. I admit that I mostly enjoy Merit's sword skills. I always like Urban Fantasy chicks wielding swords. I also like her Ethan, the gorgeous Master of the House - and he seems like a softer Jean-Claude, just as beautiful and conniving but a little less manipulative (just a little, though). I just finished book 9, and I'll be happy to have some more.
This book gets very sexy in some spots. Not as bad as some, but it's still there - primarily in the later books. It's just graphic enough for me to give this an Adult rating (but not enough for caps or colors). As much as I like Ethan, and it really couldn't go any other way with these books, I found myself a little bit on Team Jonah for awhile. There are also some things that I hope they get into more. It feels like they've given Merit a few new roles, but in name only. She uses her new status for new information, but I'll be interested to see if the author expands on it in the future. Honestly, though, I did read the new book in a day. Yay instant consumption! I suppose that means I recommend it!
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Not vampires: The Sianam Series
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