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Showing posts with label western. Show all posts
Showing posts with label western. Show all posts
Friday, March 8, 2013
Review: The Chosen by Theresa Meyers
The Chosen
Author: Theresa Meyers
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Zebra
The Legend Chronicles #3
ISBN: #978-1420121261
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Steampunk Western
Format(s): Paperback (352 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Attorney by day, demon-hunter by night, Remington Jackson is used to being on the sunny side of the law, even in the Wild West. But it’s showdown time, and Remy and his brothers are getting desperate. They don’t have the relic they need to slam the door shut on evil—so Remy is going to have to find and steal part of it.
Enter China McGee, shapeshifter, thief, beauty, and current prisoner. When Remy offers her freedom in exchange for a little light-fingered help, she’s pretty sure she’s going to end the association with a good old-fashioned seductive double cross. But there’s something about fighting through a jungle full of Mayan ruins that makes you want to settle down together. China could change. Remy might be special. But none of that matters if the devil takes them all…
What I’m talking about:
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The Chosen is the third full-length story from Ms. Meyers’ paranormal romance, western steampunk trilogy, The Legend Chronicles. The series centers on the Jackson brothers, who together make up “the Chosen,” the three Darkin Hunters foretold in prophecy, who will collect and unite the three pieces of the mythical Book of Legend to prevent the coming of the creatures from Hell to end of the world. *phew* The first two books each focused on one of the Jackson brothers. In The Chosen, we follow the adventures of the middle brother, Remington, as he looks to find his piece of the missing Book. In addition, this book overlaps in time and content with the first two stories (all three books take place all at the same time). The difference between The Chosen and the first two books is that the story goes beyond finding of the missing pages, and focuses on the brothers’ attempts to reunite the book and stop the impending apocalypse.
The opening of The Chosen is a lot of fun and indicative of the tempo and feel of the series. Lawyer Remington is paired with unpredictable shifter China. Note: shifters are “shape shifters” and not “weres.” Stuck in jail after working with the youngest Jackson brother, China is reluctant to trust Remington. I love that confident Remington is tossed into jail when he tries to free China. However the pair make and exciting escape only to be attacked by some snake demons. The fast adventure makes for an engrossing read from the get go.
Along the way we learn that China has some very interesting and potentially deadly secrets. Since the story is told from shifting third-person POVs, the reader is privy to China’s true plans while accompanying Remington to find his section of the Book of Legend. (For the record, each set of pages can only be recovered by a team of both a Hunter and a Darkin.) Her secret is a doozy, and I was pretty baffled how she could come to love and crave affection and attention from someone so rotten (this is a spoiler-free comment about her life before meeting the Jackson brothers). Her motivation for wanting to betray Remington just felt a little off, and eventually, even China begins to realize the same thing. I love that we witness her path to self-realization, and I cheered out loud when she figured out that what she really wants is true and meaningful love, not approval.
I really liked China, and she is by far my favorite Darkin heroine from the trilogy. She is very confident and free. She doesn’t abide by anyone’s rules or constraints, giving her a strength that the previous heroines did not have. She is also insightful, with some of the best scenes in the book coming from her POV. She is feisty and a joy to read.
As for Remington, he is a blend of his younger and older brothers, yet a character onto himself. However, as China so adeptly observed, Remington tends to hide behind fancy clothes and big words. He’s lived that way for so long, he doesn’t know how to be himself sometimes.
The bulk of the book revolves around discovering the third section of the Book of Legend. The long journey affords China and Remington the opportunity to get to really know one another and of course, fall in love. Their unreleased passion and heat sizzles off the pages.
Once the couple find their section of the Book, all three brothers, together with their Darkin loves meet up with my favorite inventor, Marley (who has a wonderfully touching scene when he meets his daughter, Octavia). The group must figure out how to stop demon lord Rathe from opening a gateway to hell and begin armageddon. Other than one awkward scene involving China and the other two Darkin females, the end of the book flies by. It was exciting to have everyone working together.
In conclusion, China and Remy's story was enjoyably entertaining and my favorite of the trilogy. I admired that the pair were always on equal footing, and the trust they had to put into one another made for such a wonderful relationship. I also appreciated how their story concluded in a manner different that what the previous two couples had to overcome in order to be together. All-in-all a very fitting ending for the trilogy, with enough opening for future installments.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Reviews in the Series:
Monday, February 11, 2013
Review: Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts by Heather Massey
Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts
Author: Heather Massey
Release Date: Jan. 30, 2013
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Western, Romance, Steampunk
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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The West just got a whole lot wilder.
A woman on a mission… Scientific achievement isn’t enough for Violet Whitcomb. Life working alongside her renowned scientist father is filled with intellectual challenges, but what she truly craves is love and adventure. She’s resigned to a fate of academic pursuits–until a fateful trip across the American frontier changes everything. A rogue inventor known as the Iron Scorpion kidnaps Violet’s father and she alone is left to plan his rescue.
A man with a secret…
Logan McCoy knows firsthand going up against the Iron Scorpion is suicide, but he can’t let Violet waltz into the villain’s lair alone. She may be a stranger, but she’s also the most compelling woman he’s ever known.
A perilous quest…
Their attraction is undeniable, but their alliance turns contentious when Violet insists on including a third partner on their mission: her father’s latest invention and the world’s most advanced automaton, Arthur. The reason for Logan’s resistance isn’t clear until Violet comes face-to-face with the Iron Scorpion’s diabolical devices, and by then, it’s far too late.
What I’m talking about:
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Violet Whitcomb has lived a fairly isolated life as the only child of famous inventor Joseph Whitcomb. After her mother died, Violet spent most of her childhood helping her father with his top-secret creations, the biggest and best of which is about to be revealed.
Traveling through the Wyoming Territory aboard a luxury steam engine, Violet lives vicariously through her weekly reader “The Lady’s Fireside Collection” and the romantic adventures of John “Wild Wolf” Wallace. Yearning for adventure and a love of her own, Violet is immediately taken with a handsome stranger on the train. Soon the safety of her world is shaken when the Iron Scorpion sends his terrifying machines to kidnap Violet’s father. Enlisting the aid of her stranger, Logan McCoy, Violet sets out into the unknown to rescue her Papa.
Violet is extremely lonely, and I empathize with her desires to break out of her father’s shadow and live her own life. Yet, she comes across naive, with an innocent childlike quality, and I am uncertain she could make it on her own. This image of Violet is reinforced time and time again, especially in her interactions with Logan. The lines between stubbornness and childish were blurred as she argued with Logan along the way. I waffled between feeling sorry for and being annoyed with Violet.
Logan is a stereotypical western hero. He is tough and distant, but he is willing to help out the lady in distress. In addition, Logan is keeping a big secret from Violet, and while it is evident to the reader he’s not the man Violet imagines him to be, he continues to allow her to believe otherwise. Although he reluctantly agrees to help Violet, his constant stand-offish and distant behavior wore on me.
I had a hard time connecting with the couple, and I think partially (mostly) that's because the entire story (with the exception of the end) is told from the third-person POV of Violet. Being mysterious and secretive is one thing, but rude and distant is another. Yes, Logan did some kind things, but his attitude rubbed me the wrong way. And without the benefit of Logan’s POV, I had no idea of his true nature or intentions.
I enjoyed the use the weekly reader story, but it was evident that Violet would blur the lines between the fantasy story and real-life. During the rescue of her father, she viewed the situation with a naivety that bordered on reckless. And she saw in Logan the man from her romance weekly, not the true person, even as she was falling in love.
With that said…. it is an entertaining, simple story. The characters are likable, and the adventure itself is pretty exciting. I liked Violet, but until the end of the book, she came across too childlike and naive, living in a fantasy world - believing what she wanted and not seeing the truth. Things are simple in her eyes and she wants to live the life of her romance adventures. Maybe we all need to be a bit more like Violet sometimes!
My Rating:
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Finished it - take it or leave it (C)
Labels:
2.5 stars,
Heather Massey,
Lyrical Press,
romance,
steampunk,
Twimom Review,
western
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0
comments
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Review: Night of Fire by Nico Rosso
Night of Fire
Author: Nico Rosso
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Avon Impulse
The Ether Chronicles #2
ISBN: #978-0062201089
Genre: Steampunk Romance, Western
Format(s): Paperback (256 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/Edelweiss
About the book:
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US Army Upland Ranger Tom Knox trades the front lines for a different conflict as he returns home to California on his ether-borne mechanical horse. Three years ago, he skipped town, leaving the one girl who ever mattered. Rosa Campos. He thinks she’ll be settled down but discovers Rosa’s the town sheriff, caught in a battle with a mining company’s five-story, rock-eating machine.
Tom’s the last person Rosa expects to see riding out of the sky to her aid, and seeing him again reignites a flame more dangerous than the enemy threatening to destroy them both.
What I’m talking about:
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Our hero, Tom Knox, left his small coastal hometown of Thornville three years ago, leaving behind his love, Rosa Campos. He joined the service and has been fighting against the Hapsburg soldiers here on US soil - or in Tom’s case, in the sky as an Upland Ranger. Before Tom left, he wasn’t much of a hero or a man worthy of Rosa, and her parents were certain to remind him of that often. He returns now, uncertain of how he’ll be received, yet certain that Rosa has settled down and moved on. To his surprise, Rosa is a changed woman - now the sheriff of Thornville, and she’s never forgiven Tom for abandoning her those three long years ago.
Unfortunately, as soon as Tom arrives, there are serious problems for Thornville. The Crandall Mining Company, unhappy that no one would sell land in Thornville, is heading towards town in a massive monstrosity of a machine that destroys everything in its path. It’s up to Tom and Rosa to overcome their past and work together to save the town.
Although this is the second story in The Ether Chronicles, the opening of Night of Fire is almost the complete opposite of the first book, Skies of Fire. Instead of jumping right into the action as in Skies, this book takes its time and introduces the reader to the surrounding landscape. We take a stroll down memory lane with Tom as he flies his way back to his childhood homestead and the woman he left behind. The beginning focuses on world-building and filling the reader in on the environment of the times.
Another change from the first book is that the locale has shifted from Europe to the United States in Night of Fire. The Army is warring with the Hapsburg troops (as they did in Skies), yet here in the US, there are no Men O’ Wars or large airships. The culture is that of the “Wild West” and cowboys, complete with flying metal “horses” used to combat the foe. This book has a very different feel from Skies of Fire.
Yet even with the differences, the story still has similarities with its predecessor. Once again we have a hero and heroine that share a history - a love - that ended abruptly when one partner left. This time around it's the guy who ran away three years ago, instead of the girl. But that’s about where the similarities end.
Although I’m not a big western-genre fan, I hoped the steampunk elements would supersede the wild west feel. At times the story did have the action and intrigue of a more traditional steampunk, yet at others, it was all whooping it up and cowboys. And while I felt the opening was strong and compelling, once the pair start their interactions with the mining company, the dialogue became flat and repetitive. The storyline held promise, but the voice it was written in just couldn’t keep me glued to the pages.
I liked that Rosa was such a strong woman and could handle herself. I liked that Tom appreciated that in her and even found it sexy. I also enjoyed that they both recognized that their time apart (although it was painful), was the best thing for their relationship.
However, their one sex scene came across mechanical in style and didn’t flow well for me. I also became annoyed with Tom and his constant jabs at and about Parker, the man he thought Rosa would marry. I wanted Rosa to punch him and tell him to get over it.
Overall, Night of Fire is an average book for me. It started out strong, and I found it intriguing. But all too soon, the story started to drag and felt repetitious. The high-intensity action was exciting for a while, but then started to grow old, and I found the insertion of serious relationship dialogue in the middle of fighting to be awkward. I had hoped for more after loving the first book, written by Zoe Archer. Knowing the next book is also written by her, I look forward to getting back to the Men O’ Wars and the British navy.
My Rating:
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Finished it - take it or leave it (C)
Reviews in the Series:
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Review: The Hunter
The HunterAuthor: Theresa Meyers
Release Date: Nov. 1, 2011
Publisher: Zebra
Legend Chronicles #1
ISBN: #978-1420121247
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Steampunk Western
Format(s): Paperback (352 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Author-I won an ARC as a prize at AAD Philly
About the book: |
Colt Jackson has gotten his name on many a wanted poster with success in the family business: hunting supernaturals across the frontier. Lately, though, there's a sulfur stink in the wind and the Darkin population is exploding. A rift in the worlds is appearing. To close it, Colt will have to do the unthinkable and work with a demon to pass arcane boundaries no human alone can cross.
Except when he summons his demon, he doesn't get some horned monstrosity: he gets a curvy redheaded succubus named Lilly, who's willing to make a bargain to become human again. He also gets Lilly's secret expertise on the machinations on the dark side of the rift. And her charm and cleverness help to get them out of what his silver-loaded pistol and mechanical horse can't. Of course, when all hell breaks loose, he might have to sacrifice his soul. But what's adventure without a little risk?
What I’m talking about: |
The Hunter is classified as a paranormal romance, steampunk western. With that said, let me translate: The story’s setting is a western - taking place during the late 1800’s on the planes of the wild west. The paranormal factor is strong and is the heart of the storyline. The steampunk attributes are more related to the props than the setting and way of life. Think Will Smith’s Wild Wild West with demons.
The story focuses on the youngest of the three Jackson brothers all raised to be Hunters - men and women that hunt down and kill the Darkin which torment the human world. Colt was told by his father long ago that someday the boys must collect and unite the three pieces of the mythical Book of Legend to prevent the coming of the creatures from Hell to end of the world. In his solitary journeys, Colt discovers a piece of the Book is hidden behind a door that only a demon can access.Enter Miss Lilly. A human-turned-succubus after making a deal with the evil demon lord, Rathe, to protect her sister, she makes a bargain with Colt to help him open the door. Although a Darkin, Lilly comes across more human than demon, and it makes me wonder how she survived the past 25 years as a succubus. At times I felt she was a bit too prim and proper to be a believable succubus. Also, I felt the use of her demon powers was not consistent throughout the book - sometimes flashing in an item to help them and at other times sitting back remaining “helpless.”
Together Colt and Lilly take on the challenge of finding the first section of the book. Both are instantly attracted to one another, but are cautious given their respective backgrounds and situations. Colt constantly questions if his growing need for Lilly is because of her demon powers, and Lilly doesn’t trust because of her father’s grifter ways.
At first I found their budding romance sweet. I adored that she refused to use her succubus powers, hoping to find out if Colt was really falling for her. I admired their baby steps forward and loved when they would give into a passionate kiss. However, after about three-quarters of reading this back and forth play, I grew a bit weary of the constant inner-monologue each had questioning his/her own feelings and the other’s motives. I felt that there was too much contemplation and not enough action.
The overall plot of reuniting the pieces of the Book is interesting and I like the mythology Ms. Meyers has fleshed out in The Hunter. The conclusion was adequate, but I was not completely satisfied with the actions Colt took to fulfill his promises to Lilly. Knowing that there are still two books in the series, I am okay that the details of her world aren’t rock solid or completely laid out in this first book - it leaves room to grow. However, I am a little disappointed that the steampunk factor wasn’t a bigger part of the story. Maybe it’s the engineer in me, but I wanted a larger integration of the devices and instruments - for the world to be reliant on the steampunk way of life.
All-in-all a good read and definitely worth picking up if you enjoy westerns and paranormal romances. I look forward to finding out where the story is headed and how the Jackson brothers will save the world. The next book, The Slayer, is due to release next April, and I will be looking for it in the stores.
My Rating: |
Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
About the Author: |
Theresa is one of the featured authors attending Author’s After Dark in New Orleans. For more information about AAD2012, click HERE.
Raised by a bibliophile who made the dining room into a library, Theresa has always been a lover of books and stories. First a writer for newspapers, then for national magazines, she started her first novel in high school, eventually enrolling in a Writer's Digest course and putting the book under the bed until she joined Romance Writers of America in 1993. In 2005 she was selected as one of eleven finalists for the American Title II contest, the American Idol of books. She is married to the first man she ever went on a real date with (to their high school prom), who she knew was hero material when he suffered through having to let her parents drive, and her brother sit between them in the backseat of the car. They currently live in a Victorian house on a mini farm in the Pacific Northwest with their two children, three cats, an old chestnut Arabian gelding, an energetic mini-Aussie shepherd puppy, several rabbits, a dozen chickens and an out-of-control herb garden. You can find her online on Twitter, Facebook, at her Web site or blogging with the other Lolitas of STEAMED!.
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