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New-To-Me Authors
2013 reading goal:
15 new-to-me authors.
1) Stacy Gail
2) Heather Massey
3) Sidney Bristol
4) Ann Mayburn
5) Thea Harrison
6) Virna DePaul
7) Mary Quast
8) Molly Harper
9) Eleri Stone
10) PJ Schnyder
11) Kait Ballenger
12) Denise L. Wyant
13) Lucy Monroe
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Showing posts with label ACE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACE. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Urban Fantasy Summer Reading Celebration-Ilona Andrews
Welcome to the Urban Fantasy Summer Reading Celebration here at That’s What I’m Talking About!!
original images by marin & papaija2008 at FreeDigitalPhotos.com
banner designed by Jennifer from Books Make Me Happy
The celebration runs from July 1 through July 12, 2013, with guest posts, author and series spotlights and lots and lots of GIVEAWAYS!! In fact, each day there is a new post, there is new giveaway to enter! CLICK HERE for more information.
Today I’m here to share my love for the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews (the writing team of Ilona & Gordon Andrews). In addition, I’ve got LOTS of Kate books to giveaway! The prizes are listed below, so keep reading.
The Kate Daniel series takes place on an alternate Earth where there has been a “magic apocalypse,” and now magic battles technology for dominance. Magic comes in “waves,” and during those times, technology doesn’t work too well. This has caused the destruction of much of the modern world; things like skyscrapers have crumbled, cars and phones are not reliable, and mechanized weapons quit working while magic is up.
The series features a sword wielding, kick-ass heroine named Kate Daniels. As a human among shifters, witches, necromancers and other paranormals, she can fight with the best of them. She seems to attract trouble where ever she goes. Currently, Kate is mated with the king of the shifters, Curran, and she runs a detective agency to help solve those "interesting" crimes no one else will tackle. Her best friend, Andrea, has her own book and plays a critical role in the overall storylines.
Currently there are six published full-length titles, three novellas, a short short and a handful of snippets rewritten from Curran’s POV in the Kate Daniels series, with the seventh book due out July 30, 2013. Note: Gunmetal Magic, the sixth book, is from Andrea’s POV and not considered a “Kate Daniels” book, per se. However, it is critical to the series and reading order, so I lump the all together!
Reading order (click title for review or more info):
Questionable Client (free for a limited time, short story, prequel to the series)
Magic Mourns (Raphael and Andrea novella)
Magic Dreams (Jim and Dali novella)
Magic Gifts (novella)
GUNMETAL MAGIC – Andrea’s book
MAGIC RISES – release date July 30, 2013
About Magic Rises
(Ace, July 30, 2013)
Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.
Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.
Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap…
Book Tour Schedule
July 31 Murder by the Book – Houston, TX @ 6:30pm
August 1 Book People – Austin, TX @ 7pm
August 3 Mysterious Galaxy – San Diego, CA @ 2pm
GIVEAWAY:
I have a great line up of books for you! There are four (4) chances to win!
Thank you to ACE/Penguin publishing for the first giveaway:
- One (1) copy of the upcoming title, Magic Rises and one (1) copy of the first title in the Kate Daniels series, Magic Bites.
Thank you to Ilona and Gordon Andrews for the next three giveaways:
- A set of Kate books to include: Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Strikes, and Magic Bleeds plus Gunmetal Magic
- Two (2) additional copies (two winners) of Gunmetal Magic
To enter, please complete the Rafflecopter form, below, and leave a comment at the end of today’s post telling us your favorite kick-butt heroine (book, TV, movies, etc.). Winners will be selected randomly from eligible entries. CONTEST IS OPEN to US MAILING only. The first prize listed will be mailed by the publisher and the other three prizes will be mailed by me. Contest open from July 9, 2013 until June 16, 2013 at 12:00 AM EDT-midnight. I am not responsible for items lost in the mail. If you have problems with the Rafflecopter form, please email me at twimom227 at gmail dot com.
UF Summer Reading Celebration Giveaways:
7/8: Suzanne Johnson, signed copy of winner's choice Sentinels of New Orleans book + swag
7/5: Darynda Jones, signed copy of winner's choice Charley Davidson book
7/3: ML Brennan, signed copy of Generation V
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Review: Bronze Gods by A.A. Aguirre
Bronze Gods
Author: A.A. Aguirre
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Ace
Apparatus Infernum Novel #1
ISBN: #978-0425258194
Genre: Steampunk
Format(s): Paperback (336 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work all hours in the Criminal Investigation Division, keeping citizens safe. He's a charming rogue with an uncanny sixth sense; she's all logic--and the first female inspector. Between his instincts and her brains, they collar more criminals than any other partnership in the CID.
Then they're assigned a potentially volatile case where one misstep could end their careers. At first, the search for a missing heiress seems straightforward, but when the girl is found murdered--her body charred to cinders--Mikani and Ritsuko's modus operandi will be challenged as never before. Before long, it's clear the bogeyman has stepped out of nightmares to stalk gaslit streets, and it's up to them to hunt him down. There's a madman on the loose, weaving blood and magic in an intricate, lethal ritual that could mean the end of everything...
What Nima’s talking about:
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Books like Bronze Gods by A.A. Aguirre remind me why I love science fiction so much. A. A. Aguirre is actually a pseudonym for Ann and her husband Andres Aguirre. I have previously read Ann’s Sirantha Jax Series, and I found her to be a wonderfully complex, chewy author. Her books are not fluffy poolside reads. These are the books you read when you want to leave your life, no, the planet, and escape to somewhere else completely. Needless to say I was anxious to get my hands on this first novel in the new Apparatus Infernum Series.
Bronze Gods was my first steampunk, and I have to give kudos to any husband and wife who can not only write together, but survive the process and still like each other enough to continue the series. Like in Ann’s previous books, I enjoyed an alternative world that isn’t simply explained to me. Blissfully, there was no info-dumping. The reader learns the rules, the economy, and even the slang of this alternative London by experiencing them through well-developed characters. Further, I have to respect writing that’s intelligent enough to make me go look up vocabulary words: atavistic, inchoate, and empyreal. Yes, now I’m making you go look them up.
Even though this falls clearly into the steampunk family, it includes paranormal elements of fae magic and mystery. Regardless of the genre, this is a crime novel. We have two inspectors, Janus Mikani, and Celeste Ritsuko, the first female inspector in the entire criminal division. She’s tough and extremely methodical. She’s had to be to fight her way up to inspector status in an unapologetically chauvinistic society. I liked her. Mikani is messy and impulsive—but he knows how to cook and that is always a saving quality in a would-be hero. This is not a romance, but there is most definitely a romance budding between Mikani and Ritsuko over the course of the novel. It’s an extremely slow burn that will probably take the length of the whole series to come into bloom. In this installment it becomes character depth and set dressing. Parts of the plot moved slowly, but to me it felt like the pace slowed deliberately for the sake of detail and introduction to the world the Aguirres created—detail which I believe will be important in future books.
Bronze Gods was truly an introductory book. We have a storyline that is resolved on the surface, but I came away from the book with more questions than answers—questions that I expect will be answered in future installments. The Aguirres are just too meticulous to leave any hanging threads. One niggling fact (and this was the single thing that kept me from giving the book a solid “A”) was the fact that the significance of the title was not explained to my satisfaction. I believe titles have value and should reflect something important about the book. In this case it is a reference to long gone history, and repeatedly used as a punctuating expression, but wasn’t tied into the story itself.
Book two in the series, Silver Mirrors, is due out sometime in May 2014.
Nima’s Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Friday, April 26, 2013
Review: Of Shadow Born by Dianne Sylvan
Of Shadow Born
Author: Dianne Sylvan
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Publisher: Ace
Shadow World #4
ISBN: # 978-0425259801
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (336 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Spread throughout the dark corners of our world lies the Shadow World, a society of vampires who feed off the living. In Austin, Texas, one woman must rise from the ashes of tragedy and confront an ancient evil before it destroys everything she holds dear…
After a heartrending night of loss and blood, Miranda Grey-Solomon, vampire Queen of the South, now stands in the ruins of her life determined to pick up the pieces and move on. David, her husband and Prime, is missing and presumed dead, and Miranda is lost without her soul mate by her side…But she has little time to grieve as enemies both old and new emerge to test her yet again.
Between vampires trying to take advantage of a Queen without a Prime, incursions by a mysterious organization of humans calling themselves the Order of the Morningstar, and the continuing threat from those within the Shadow World who have already tried to destroy her, Miranda and her allies are running out of places to turn. In order to save her territory and the ones she loves, Miranda must look to the ancient past, to the first days of the vampire race, and uncover secrets about the Signets that could change the course of history…
What G & U are talking about:
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Gikany and Una have just finished the latest novel in the Shadow Worlds series, Of Shadow Born. This book dawns on a definite new story arc; one that we are still trying to come to grips with.
**Please note there are series spoilers in this review. This series is best read from the beginning.
At the close of Shadow’s Fall, Miranda is seriously injured and David, well, we suspect he may be dead. The Awakening has come and yet nothing seems different. Except if David is indeed dead, why is Miranda still living – an unheard of situation between signets. The first half of Of Shadow Born answers the questions of David’s status and Miranda’s continued existence. The first part explores some of the heart-wrenching pain that Miranda experiences at David’s absence. It is not surprising. However, what is surprising is the care that is given to Miranda’s character and us, the readers. We are given a very heartfelt first chapter. We see new relationships begin and find out the fate and new plans for Jeremy – the one who brought about David’s demise. However, as the first part comes to a close, we were never prepared for what awaits in the second part.
Many avid series readers complain (especially in a very long running series) when the author seems to change the mythology or rules suddenly. There is some discussion that there is a change in the Shadow World mythology. However, we feel it is not a change…just additional information come to light. That being said, we really wonder where this discovery of another character/element will go. Please note; we are being vague in order to not spoil it for you. This interesting, and seemingly out of left field, tidbit seems outrageous and yet, depending on how it pans out in the next book could really enhance the world and story.
One element that has plagued Gikany and Una in this series is the author’s apparent love of killing beloved characters – sometimes many characters at a time. We are happily granted a reprieve in Of Shadow Born. We are still stunned and delighted that a character we met and started to like was not killed in some terribly painful and dramatic way. Not that many “people” didn’t die in the book, but luckily for us, they are mostly nameless extras.
Gikany and Una continue to enjoy the banter between the primes. We love the role that Stella took in Of Shadow Born. We hope to see more of Stella in the upcoming novels to watch her continue to grow in her abilities. The politics and the world continue to evolve and we enjoy watching how it changes. With the new cliffhanger information – we eagerly anticipate how this will impact the Shadow World. However, we do agree that although much is revealed and happens in Of Shadow Born, it does have a transitional novel feel. Not surprising considering what has happened, but in many ways we enjoyed this book more, although we are still very unsure of where things are headed. Either way, we anxiously await the next novel in the Shadows World.
Their Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Friday, March 22, 2013
Cover reveal Harbinger by Philippa Ballantine
Today I have the privilege of revealing to you the cover for Harbinger by Philippa (Pip) Ballantine. This is the fourth and final (*sobs*) story in her marvelous Books of the Order Series. Without further ado.... May I present to you Harbinger...
The cover artist for Harbinger is Jason Chan. Once again, what perfect imagery for this exciting series! I cannot wait to read it!
Harbinger (Books of the Order #4)
ACE publishing, July 30, 2013
ACE publishing, July 30, 2013
The Deacons of the Order are all that stand between the wicked spirits of the Otherside and the innocent citizens of the Empire. They are sworn to protect humanity, even when they cannot protect themselves…
After the Razing of the Order, Sorcha Faris, one of the most powerful Deacons, is struggling to regain control of the runes she once wielded. The Deacons are needed more desperately than ever. The barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead is weakening, and the Emperor has abandoned his throne, seeking to destroy those he feels have betrayed him.
Though she is haunted by the terrible truth of her past, Sorcha must lead the charge against the gathering hordes of geists seeking to cross into the Empire. But to do so, she will need to manipulate powers beyond her understanding—powers that may prove to be her undoing…
About the Author:
New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the Books of the Order and the Shifted World series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, VA with her husband, daughter, and a mighty clowder of cats.
You can find Pip online ...
Reviews in the Books of the Order:
Labels:
ACE,
blog tour,
Book Covers,
Book of the Order,
Cover Love,
Philippa Ballantine
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comments
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Review & Giveaway: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs
Frost Burned
Author: Patricia Briggs
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Ace
Mercy Thompson #7
ISBN: #978-1841497983
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Hardcover (352 pgs) e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Shapeshifter Mercy Thompson's life is calming down, at least enough that she can focus on mundane matters like Black Friday sales. But on her return, Mercy is unable to contact her mate, Alpha Adam Hauptman, or the other members of their pack. All she knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam's disappearance may be related - and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from the most unlikely of allies: the vampire seethe.
What G & U are talking about:
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Gikany and Una must start by saying, we love Patricia Briggs. Gikany is responsible for hooking Una on this delightful series. The Mercy Thompson series, as many of you faithful blog followers know, is one of our favorite series, and we reread it at least once a year. Frost Burned is a novel we have been salivating for. Considering the final events of the Alpha and Omega series’ last novel, Fair Game, we were very interested in Mercy’s next appearance.
If you are new to the series – you should just stop here, go out and purchase (or borrow from the library) Moon Called and start from the beginning. For anyone who has not read the series, there are natural spoilers that cannot be avoided – this is the seventh book in the series. We have reviewed Moon Called and we encourage you to read that review if you are interested in the series.
The Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series are intertwined with Frost Burned taking place after the events of Fair Game (Alpha and Omega #3), which occurred after the last Mercy Thompson novel, River Marked. Mercy has healed from the numerous broken bones and other injuries she suffered during that novel. Frost Burned begins with Mercy doing some mother/ stepdaughter bonding with Jesse. While braving the insanity that is that Black Friday, they are involved in a small car accident, which is just the tip of the iceberg. When Mercy tries to call for help from the pack (her poor Rabbit may be a lost cause), no one answers. It is as if the pack has vanished – leaving Mercy and Jesse to fend for themselves.
Something, which Una was expecting since she reads Ms. Brigg’s blog, is a change in the narration of Frost Burned. Since the beginning of the Mercy Thompson series, the narration has been solely from Mercy’s point of view. However, in Frost Burned, Ms. Briggs, was not able to leave it solely to Mercy’s narration without detracting from the storyline. Therefore we are given a few chapters in Adam’s point of view. What an experience to have an Alpha wolf’s perspective. After reading Mercy’s point of view and how she sees the world – it was so fascinating to have such a different perspective. A simple example we can give of this contrast is that Mercy described the skin of Zee’s true form as the color of teak. Adam, on the other hand, thought of it as a warm oak. Not that this is a huge thing, but the subtle differences in opinion and view are what made this so enriching.
To all the fans of the Mercy Thompson who have missed the feel of previous novels, this one is more like previous ones. Although Frost Burned is similar to previous novels, it is very different. Mercy has matured and her attitude has evolved, and these changes are evident in the choices she makes. What we are grateful for is that she is still the same stubborn, mischievous coyote we have come to respect and love. Part of us mourns her maturation as it could herald the end of the series. No one likes to say goodbye to such beloved characters or such a unique and fascinating world. But take comfort, we do know that there is at least one more Mercy Thompson book in the works.
If you haven’t picked up the Mercy Thompson series yet, and you still decided to read this review…. Go get it!! Gikany and Una like to use Ms. Briggs as a benchmark for other books and worlds, in conversations relating to books. She is a standard to us (and to other authors as we have come to find out). For any urban fantasy lover out there, this is a MUST series.
Please do not start with Frost Burned; part of the magic of it is that we have such a connection to the characters and the world. This series is expertly woven and we encourage you to start reading the series from the beginning so you can come to the absolute joy that watching a character evolve overtime brings.
Their Rating:
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Personal favorite - a must read (A+)
Giveaway
I am giving away one (1) copy of Frost Burned to one (1) lucky commenter. To enter, please leave a comment regarding the Mercy Thompson series (tell us your favorite book, favorite moment, what you want to see next, etc.) and your email address. You do not need to be a google friends connect follower of my blog, but it is always appreciated. Contest is open from March 6, 2013 until Tuesday March 12, 2013 at 11:59 PM EDT. Contest is restricted to US mailing addresses only. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from eligible entries. I am not responsible for items lost in the mail.
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Friday, March 1, 2013
Review: Black City by Christina Henry
Black City
Author: Christina Henry
Release Date: Feb. 26, 2013
Publisher: ACE
Black Wings #5
(Madeline Black)
ISBN: #978-0425256589
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (288 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/ NetGalley
About the book:
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Former Agent of death Madeline Black may have been stripped of her wings—but she hasn’t lost her purpose…
When Maddy finally killed her father, Azazel, she thought his depraved experiment died with him. But now Chicago has been infested with vampires immune to the effects of the sun, and the bloodbath is worse than she could have ever imagined. While the Agency refuses to interfere with other supernatural courts, Maddy is determined to do everything within her power to save her city—wings or no wings.
But when the leader of the vampires requests that she turn herself in or risk more deaths, Maddy becomes a target for the very people she’s trying to save. Left with no other choice, she turns to Lucifer, the one creature who has the power to help her. But her grandfather’s aid has always come at a price…
What I’m talking about:
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Okay, I just need to say... if you aren’t reading the Black Wings (aka Madeline Black) series, you really should be. On whole, the series is just fabulous, and the current release only adds strength to the overall story arc. Maddy is a complex, kick-butt heroine, and her band of cohorts add the right mix of humor, conscience, and support to keep our heroine grounded and mostly sane.
Black City opens with a complete bang, sucking the reader into the story with intense and gruesome action. Downtown Chicago is being overrun by day-walking vampires, created from a formula Maddy's dad, Azazel, was working on before she killed him. There are literally thousands of vampires massacring civilians in plain view of the public (and media). Maddy and her crew try to stop them, but they can't make a dent. And now that the world knows about the supernatural that walk among them, Maddy has an even bigger-than-normal target on her back.
From the moment the book begins to the cliff-hangerish ending, Black City grips the reader and does not slow down. However, I’m finding that I’m having a difficult time writing this review for a few reasons. 1) This story really isn’t best as a stand alone read and requires knowledge and the emotional connection gained from reading the first four books. 2) I am fearful of giving away spoilers because so much happens during the course of this story. and 3) Honestly, I struggled with the direction the story took many times throughout the book - not in the quality of the plot lines, which were once again superb, but rather in the content and how I wanted to see things play out.
Black City is a game changer with major revelations. I wanted to hate this book because I was not happy with probably 60 to 80% of the actions in the story. Yet I can't hate it. I have become so attached to Maddy. I need to find out what will become of her and her friends. Like one of my favorite heroines of all time, Buffy Summers, Maddy has been given the powers of the Universe coupled with the weight of saving humanity. Sometimes she has to make unpopular and difficult choices. The thankless job was thrust upon her, and although she is up for the task, in the end it may cost her everything. Emotionally, Black City was very, very difficult, but engaging and powerful read. Like I said, I wanted to hate it. But I just can't.
What I did like and actually loved about the story is the continuing humor, sharp wit, and character interactions between Maddy and her companions. I’ve grown to care for them all, even her once nemesis, Nathaniel. I enjoy watching each individual grow and learn to trust one another. The protectiveness of Maddy’s gargoyle and extended family warms my heart.
I also enjoy the intense action and continual world-building from Ms. Henry. I will not lie, this one has a LOT going on, and I recommend taking notes for future reference. But for those invested in the series, the information revealed does not feel overwhelming and is actually quite thrilling.
However, I did grapple with two overall themes that played throughout the book. The first started in the previous book, Black Lament, and continued throughout all of Black City. I have issues with the strong push to pair Maddy with Nathaniel. Maddy’s true love and father of her unborn child, Gabriel, has only been dead a few short weeks. Yet the story keeps shoving Nathaniel and Maddy together. I don't care if the power of their combined magic is overwhelming. I question why put Maddy in a position where she even has to feel guilty over her feelings?! It's unwanted drama that for me, is mucking up such a great UF story. With that said, I am happy that Ms. Henry took the time to develop more justification for the direction of the story, even if I’m not happy with it.
The other theme that I’m not fond of is the darkness that seems to be following Maddy. Just when I couldn’t imagine things getting any worse for her, they would and did. It was heartbreaking and difficult at times to see more and more get thrown at a character I care about. Again, it’s not a huge detriment to the book, but it did wear on me as the book progressed. I felt like I hit a point where I didn’t think I could take any more. As I mentioned earlier, this book is an emotionally difficult one for those invested in the series.
So in the end, I let this book stew in my mind and heart before I wrote the review. And after some time passed, even though I’m still not on board with all that went down, the “good” outweighed the “bad,” and I feel satisfied with the overall story. Although so much happens: reveals about long-time characters, the world turned upside down, every bad guy after Maddy all making an appearance, and new players are introduced, it is a journey worth traveling. And I cannot wait for the Fall release of the follow up book, Black Heart. I just hope that maybe things will slow down a little for Maddy, giving us all a moment to breathe.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
(for readers of the series)
Reviews in the Series:
Thursday, January 31, 2013
DNF Review: Between by Kerry Schafer
Between
Author: Kerry Schafer
Release Date: Jan. 29, 2013
Publisher: Ace
The Between #1
ISBN: #978-0425261149
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (304 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Vivian Maylor can’t sleep. Maybe it’s because she just broke up with her boyfriend and moved to a new town, or it could be the stress of her new job at the hospital. But perhaps it’s because her dreams have started to bleed through into her waking hours.
All of her life Vivian has rejected her mother’s insane ramblings about Dreamworlds for concrete science and fact, until an emergency room patient ranting about dragons spontaneously combusts before her eyes—forcing Viv to consider the idea that her visions of mythical beasts might be real.
And when a chance encounter leads her to a man she knows only from her dreams, Vivian finds herself falling into a world that seems strange and familiar all at once—a world where the line between dream and reality is hard to determine, and hard to control…
What G & U are talking about:
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This is the first time Gikany and Una have had to write a “DNF” review. Typically we are just too stubborn, and we finish reading a novel, even if we aren’t fully in to it. With Between, we were very interested by the mythology and the element of high fantasy in this urban fantasy novel. Sadly, we were not only let down, but we are disappointed in the direction the author took this book and the heroine, Vivian.
We urge anyone interested in reading this novel: please note that there are spoilers in this DNF review. It is the only way to convey what caused us to stop reading this novel.
Between started out a little slow, but the world-building was fascinating. Vivian discovered that she is special, and that there is such a thing as destiny, even when things seemed so convoluted. Speaking of convoluted, Between was confusing. There are three worlds in this mythology: Wakeworld (reality as we know it), Dreamworld (your dreams) and Between (the place where Wake and Dream worlds overlap). There are times, because of the Between, that moments in the novel are a tad confusing. However, it did add an element of reality to Vivian’s plight in figuring out this new world that she had been thrust into.
All of the above could have been forgiven, and we would have marched along reading; however, one very particular incident changed our minds. Gikany and Una have discussed the issue of rape as a literary device before, and we are not fans. We have read a very, and we must stress, VERY, small number of books where there has been a rape scene that was appropriate for the storyline. This is a make or break issue for us. We feel that the rape that Vivian encounters – regardless of the world she was in, was not handled well, did not add anything to the novel in any way, shape, or form. It served absolutely no purpose for us. Gikany stopped at this scene. Una held a bit of hope and kept reading to see how the story would treat the rape after it occurred, and she feels it was not dealt with in an appropriate nor satisfying manner. Then when the threat of a rape occurred again, well, this is where Una stopped reading.
We cannot stress that no matter the genre, rape is a very serious element and issue. It cannot be used lightly. We feel it was used lightly in Between and we cannot abide by it. Gikany and Una are incredibly disappointed that what appeared to be a fresh and fascinating new series, is now, in our opinion, ruined.
Their Rating:
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Did Not Finish
Friday, November 23, 2012
Review: The Shattered Dark by Sandy Williams
The Shattered Dark
Author: Sandy Williams
Release Date: Oct. 30, 2012
Publisher: Ace Books
Shadow Reader #2
ISBN: #978-1937007812
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (304 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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McKenzie was a normal college student, save for one little twist: she’s a shadow reader, someone who can both see the fae and track their movements between our world and the Realm. It’s a gift for which she has been called insane, one for which she has risked family and friends—and one that has now plunged her into a brutal civil war between the fae.
With the reign of the king and his vicious general at an end, McKenzie hoped to live a more normal life while exploring her new relationship with Aren, the rebel fae who has captured her heart. But when her best friend, Paige, disappears McKenzie knows her wish is, for now, just a dream. McKenzie is the only one who can rescue her friend, but if she’s not careful, her decisions could cost the lives of everyone she’s tried so hard to save.
What Gikany is talking about:
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The Shattered Dark is the second book in the Shadow Reader series. It picks up with the rebels trying to establish themselves as the legitimate government following the death of the king at the end of The Shadow Reader.
McKenzie Lewis had hoped to be able to pick up the pieces of her normal life now that the civil war is over and the rebels have won. She soon learns that things aren’t so simple: the remnants of the Court fae have continued to try to take back the palace from the rebels and the high nobles have yet to confirm Lena as their new queen. In the midst of all of this turmoil, the remnants of the Court fae have kidnapped McKenzie’s friend Paige.
Most of this novel consists of McKenzie and Aren rushing around putting out fires as they start. They jump from place to place with barely a moment to breathe. This makes it difficult for their budding romance to find time to grow. McKenzie has doubts about her feelings towards Aren, and every time she starts to get a handle on her feelings, she learns something new about his past which puts her right back at square one. She’s trying to come to terms with all of this while resolving her lingering feelings towards Kyol.
The Shattered Dark is a transitional novel and it does an excellent job as such. I really liked that the end of the fae civil war didn’t magically make everything better. The battle for the palace was, in some ways, the simplest step for the rebels. Now that they have to establish a new government, they are forced to forge new ties with the existing aristocracy while keeping the remnants of the fae Court from overthrowing their fledgling government. With all of the twists and turns that this novel has taken, I’m not sure who’s on which side anymore.
I can’t wait for the next novel to arrive so I can find out what happens between McKenzie and Aren and Kyol. If you have not read this series I strongly recommend starting with the first book The Shadow Reader so that you will have the background to follow all of the twists and turns in The Shattered Dark.
Gikany’s Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Labels:
3.5 stars,
ACE,
Gikany review,
Sandy Williams,
Shadow Reader series,
urban fantasy
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