Grave Witch (Kalayna Price)

Title: Grave Witch
Author: Kalayna Price
Copyright: 2010 (ROC); 325 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-451-46380-7
Series: Alex Craft #1
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Urban Fantasy

From Goodreads.com:  As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself — who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans — nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around . . .

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something — though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex — but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life . . . and her soul.

Comments: Another case of “I wish I could remember what prompted me to get this book” syndrome. I can’t remember if it was a review, bookshelf bingo, or some meme that brought it to my attention. However it happened, I’m glad I picked it up.

The back blurb is accurate, and I want to avoid spoilers, so there is no need to re-hash the plot.  Instead, I decided that I will talk about the things I liked.

The world building — Nekros City sounds like a normal US city.  It’s not.  The magic opened up folded areas, and now the US has four more states.  Magic and the fae are tolerated, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any discrimination.  Some of the non-magical have even formed a political party, called Humans First Party

Alex — I liked her a lot.  She has her small circle of friends for support, and her dog.  Death hangs out with her sometimes, which can be a bit awkward because she can’t always be sure if he’s just visiting, or if he’s there to do his job. I liked her power.  Morbid, and comes with a price, but can be handy for solving murders — only if there wasn’t such resistance to the idea.  In fact, at the start of the book, Alex is scheduled to assist with the first-ever testimony of a shade at the trial of her suspected murderer.

Falin Andrews — Mr. Grumpy Pants.  It’s his murder investigation that Alex is poking her nose into.  If he isn’t yelling at her and threatening to have her arrested, his saving her life and feeding her.  Yes, feeding her.  The man can cook.  And clean.  She should keep him.

I really enjoyed the story.  Some things I guessed right off — like I knew who would be the killer’s last intended victim, but not the why.  There are a few things that I’m hoping will be addressed in a future book — the soul collectors, for instance.  And is Roy really sticking around?  He’d be great at surveillance and she wouldn’t have to pay him!

I have the second book and I plan to read it soon.

Start:  1 January 2012
Finished:  5 January 2012

Rating:

Liked It A Lot!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Note: Due to the excessive amount of spam, I’ve added a password plugin. Please don’t let that discourage you from commenting.

Tiger Eye (Majorie M. Liu)

Title: Tiger Eye
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Copyright: 2005; 373 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-06-202015-4
Reissued: 2011 (Avon)
Series: Dirk & Steele #1
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Delilah ‘Dela’ Reese is on vacation in Beijing. A mysterious old woman sells her a puzzle box — and shortly after, Dela is accosted by a strange man who frightens her. It is the same man who was watching the old woman when she sold the box to Dela. Dela manages to get away from him, but the incident has shaken her. In the privacy of her hotel room, she examines the box. Dela has an affinity for metal — it talks to her. Though there only a small amount in the box’s construct, it tells Dela that the box is at least two thousand years old. She manages to open the box and gets the shock of her life when a man bursts into existence from the the light pouring out of the box.

Hari, a shape-shifter, was cursed by an evil man he calls the Magi. To save the life of his sister, Hari promised to be his servant. The Magi killed her anyway, and when Hari tried to take revenge, the Magi placed a curse on him and banished him to the box. Plus, the Magi stole his ability to shift into a tiger. The curse: Hari is immortal and must serve who ever owns the box as long as that person lives. Through the years, Hari’s had many masters who have used and tortured him, but none have broken him. He loathes Dela at first sight because she is yet another master he must obey. However, Dela refuses to command him and goes out of her way to be kind to him, trying to prove that she would never treat him like a slave. Slowly, Hari begins to have hope, though he doesn’t believe there is a way to break the curse and regain his ability to shift.

Shortly after, Dela is attacked. At first, it seems that maybe the man in the market and the attack are connected, but the story the knives used in the attack tells her a different story. Dela is determined figure out why the old woman sold her the box and find out who is targeting her and why.

Comment: I discovered this book when the hidden object/puzzle game was released. I was curious about the game and liked it enough to pick up the book as well as the Dirk & Steele series. Until I read the book, I had no idea how the story ended because the second part of the game hasn’t been released yet! Now that I’ve read it, I really do what to see how the second game plays out, since the author made changes (from the book) when she worked with the developers for the game.

I liked Dela and Hari. They’re both good, decent people. Hari’s been through a lot, but it never destroyed his core ethics. There were a couple of times I agreed with Hari and the others when Dela seemed to be a bit blasé about her safety — but I also agree with her reasoning, that she couldn’t just hide under the bed all the time either.

I really loved this book. One of the things I wanted to learn about was Dirk & Steele itself: how Dela was connected to it, what was its purpose. The game barely touches on it. I also wanted to know more about Roland, too, but like Charlie from “Charlie’s Angels”, he’s only heard from, not seen.

Once Dela and Hari are back in the States, we’re introduced to several members of Dirk & Steele: Artur, Dean, Blue, and Eddie. I loved these guys and I can’t wait to continue with the series.

(Cross-posted, with some modification, from Good Reads)

Started: 3 September 2011
Finished: 4 September 2011

Rating:

Loved It!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Kindling the Moon (Jenn Bennett)

Title: Kindling the Moon
Author: Jenn Bennett
Copyright: 2011 (Pocket); 360 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-4516-2052-8
Series: Arcadia Bell #1
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Arcadia “Cady” Bell is a magician who co-owns a successful demon bar and frequently helps her elderly, Earthbound-demon neighbor lady with her pesky imp problem. She has a few friends, but because of what happened with her parents, she doesn’t let anyone get too close — she’s hiding out and she can’t tell them the truth about her past: Cady’s parents were accused of murdering several people and they are on the run from the law. Cady believes it was a set up, but proving it has been difficult. Enola and Alexander, her parents, are powerful magicians. Though the regular people (called savages) just think it was an occult killing, the magical community believes it was a power struggle between rival organizations.

When her parents are unexpectedly spotted in Texas, the Luxe Order– a major occult organization — demands that Cady’s former order surrender her parents, or give up Cady in their place. With a deadline looming, Cady needs to find the demon that was supposedly a witness to one — or more — of the murders with the hope that it can prove their innocence. The problem: the information she has is sketchy and her resources are limited.

Cady is introduced to Lon Butler, someone who might be able to help her, by a mutual acquaintance. Lon has the mother lode of demon reference books in his possession. He’s famous photographer (though Cady’s never heard of him) and a bit of curmudgeon — which is understandable, once you learn about his “knack” (Lon is an Earthbound demon). Lon is also a single father to a 13-year-old son, Jupe. Initially, it seems like he is unwilling to help, but he eventually agrees and begins researching her mystery demon while Cady tracks down someone who might have useful information about one of the murders.

Comments:  I really enjoyed this book. Cady is likable — well-adjusted for someone who’s life has been mostly lies. Lon’s a frustrating mystery to Cady at first, but he’s a great guy — a devoted father and he does care about Cady. What we learn about him hints of a wild past. Jupe is a bundle of boundless energy and enthusiasm, and he and Cady hit it right off the bat.

There are two types of demons in this book: Earthbound and Æthyric. Earthbound are almost as harmless as your average psi. Some low-level Æthyric demons got stuck in human bodies a couple centuries back. They reproduced with each other over the years, so there as still “pure” Earthbound demons — human/Earthbound pairings produce human children. Their knacks range in usefulness — minor healing, lock picking, empathy. Æthyric demons are potentially more dangerous.

I plan to continue this series and I’m looking forward to the next book.

(cross-posted from Good Reads)

Started: 28 August 2011
Finished: 2 September 2011

Rating:

Liked It A Lot!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Hot Mama (Jennifer Estep)

Title: Hot Mama
Author: Jennifer Estep
Copyright: 2007 (Berkley); 356 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-425-22300-3
Series: Bigtime #2
Sensuality: Hot (ha!)
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Spoiler: If you haven’t read the first book, and planned to, then it might be a good idea to stop reading and turn back now! There’s no way to talk about this book without revealing the true identities of the superheros.

From the Back: By day, Fiona Fine is a successful couture designer, catering to the high-society players of Bigtime, New York. By night, she’s Fiera, a superstrong superhero who can create and manipulate fire with her bare hands. Fiera, along with the other members of the heroic Fearless Five, makes life miserable for the ubervillians who want to take over the city.

~&~

1. Reason for choosing this book:
I read and enjoyed the first book in this trilogy.  I’d been meaning to read the other two books in the series for awhile.  I picked this book because it fit the requirements for a reading challenge:  the main character is involved in fashion industry.  I also read it as part of a game of bookshelf bingo.  The remarks below are cross-posted from my comments about the book during the game, with some minor editing.

2. Reasons for liking/disliking this book:
Hot Mama was written in first person.  I felt it worked better as an urban fantasy than a paranormal romance.  In fact, I would have rated higher had it been an UF.

What I liked:

Fiona’s dedication to her duty as she sees it:  protect the innocent and stop the uber-villains, preferably without killing them.  She doesn’t see herself as a vigilante, exacting her own justice as she sees fit.  If at all possible, villains are captured and turned over to the police.  Death sometimes happens — for instance, failing to heed warnings to flee when things about are about to explode, self-destruct, or backfire is an occupational hazard faced by both superheros and uber-villains.  Killing them for revenge is a no-no in Fiona’s book.

Fiona isn’t in it for the glamor or notoriety.  She would be the first to admit that being a superhero is a lot of hard work.  It’s dirty, rough, painful.  She may have super strength and be immune to flames, but she can still get hurt.  And as for notoriety, it’s no picnic having the press constantly in your face, prying, and asking inane questions.  She already puts up with it as a successful fashion designer.  However, Fiona also knows that fame has it’s uses, and she uses her popularity to further worthy causes important to her.

The Fearless Five is her family and she’d do anything for them.  Chief Newman is her father, but the rest of them are just as important to her.  Fiona may have gotten off on the wrong foot with Carmen, but she’s grown to accept her for Sam’s sake.  She’s even gotten to the point of confiding in Carmen, and see her as a friend and confidant.  The same goes for Lulu Lo  — Carmen’s hacker friend and Henry’s honey — to a lesser extant.

I also liked that the superhero aspect of the story was over-the-top and intentionally corny.  It was fun!

What didn’t work:

The romance.  I had no problem with Fiona’s issue regarding whether she was ready to move on after her fiancés death — I thought it was realistic to still have her doubts.  I also liked that she was willing to sacrifice her own chance at happiness if Johnny continued his vigilante ways.  The romance just felt flat to me.  I think it was a combination of the first person narrative and the quantity of Johnny’s page-time in the book.

I liked the first book, a lot of the second book (including Fiona), and the author’s writing style in general, so I plan to read the last book.

3. Reasons for recommending this book:
It’s fun and over-the-top.

Started: 12 April 2011
Finished: 15 April 2011

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

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Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Blood Spells (Jessica Andersen)

Title: Blood Spells
Author: Jessica Andersen
Copyright: 2010 (Signet); 443 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-451-23165-9
Series: The Final Prophecy #5
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Possible Spoilers for first 4 books!

From the Back: Trained from birth to fight with fists and magic, Patience White-Eagle knows that she should focus on the coming war for souls. But she isn’t just a warrior — she’s a wife and mother, too, which leaves her loyalties divided between the Nightkeepers and her family. Brandt White-Eagle broke the rules when he married Patience and fathered their twin sons — and now he’s paying the price. Torn between his magic and his marriage, and separated from his ancestors’ wisdom by a curse he can’t remove, Brandt is fighting to his life back together. When an Ancient Aztec god-king arises, Patience and Brandt must set aside their problems and team up as a mated warrior pair. But as they race to prevent the Nightkeepers’ enemies from enacting a terrible ritual that could tear apart humanity, the threat turns even more personal, becoming a deadly test of their powers. . .and their love..

~&~

1. Reason for choosing this book:
Blood Spells is the 5th book in The Final Prophecy series.   It is one of my favorite series.

2. Reasons for liking/disliking this book:
One of the things that made this one stand out from the others is the fact that the main couple were already in a relationship prior to the Nightkeepers banning together to prevent doomsday. It’s a relationship that started to fall apart not long after the talent ceremony way back in book 1. And to make things worse, their twin sons Harry and Braden have gone into hiding with the winikins Woody and Hannah. Even though she knows it’s for their own safety, Patience — at a very low point — lied to Strike and went behind her king’s back in an attempt to make contact with them.

I also like that we continue to see things from Rabbit’s perspective.  In this book, we learn a little bit more about his mother’s people — and it’s pretty significant.  Things also start to improve between him and Strike — something that’s very important to Rabbit, since Strikes always been like a older brother/young uncle to him.  The only one not psyched by the healing of the rifts between Rabbit and the others is Myrinne.

Though their luck has improved, the Nightkeepers still suffer a personal setback, but it still ends on a positive note.  I couldn’t help but smile, when the jeep drove away from Skywatch.

3. Reasons for recommending this book:
To those already reading the series:  We learns some important things about Iago and the Order of Xibalba.

Started: 7 February 2011
Finished: 20 February 2011

Rating:

Liked It A Lot!

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Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Unchained (Sharon Ashwood)

Title: Unchained
Author: Sharon Ashwood
Copyright: 2010 (Signet); 359 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-451-23073-7
Series: The Dark Forgotten #3
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Possible spoilers for the first two books!

Previously, in Fairview…Ashe Carver — Holly’s older sister — came to town intent on staking her vampire brother-in-law, convinced he had Holly in his thrall. Instead, she ended up joining forces with Alessandro and Mac to save the Castle from destruction. Holly gives Alessandro some very unexpected news.

Six months later…

Madame Librarian: Ashe has officially retired from the monster slaying biz. She’s got her daughter Eden with her now, and she wants to prove that she can be a good mother. To that end, she works at the library, located in the local mall. Now the only battles she routinely engages in are ones with the bookstore clerks, consisting of pranks and practical jokes. But Holly and Alessandro have a new baby in the house, so Ashe is willing to pick up her weapons, on their behalf, to keep Fairview safe for all law-abiding beings. She ends up partnered with Captain Reynard, chasing an invisible and deadly creature through the botanical gardens. And that’s just the beginning of their problems.

Captain of the Guard:  Reynard is everything you’d expect in a hero from a historical romance novel, as if he had stepped from the pages of one. The second son of British nobility, destined for the army. Unrequited love for a woman who chose another. The rakish good looks and behavior. But life as a Castle guardsman has changed him — over 250 years in the prison has made him more disciplined, honed his skills and his sense of duty, and smothered all the feelings and desires from life outside the Castle. Leaving the Castle to hunt the creature is dangerous — the longer he stays in the world, the harder it will be for him to return to the nothingness of his existence in the prison.

Soul Mates:  Someone has stolen the jar that contains Reynard’s soul and removed it from the Castle. He can exist, for a time, separated from it. However, the longer he remains outside the Castle, the more alive he feels and the magic that binds him to the prison weakens. Eventually, he will die. He asks Ashe for help. Reynard hasn’t forgotten that he nearly died in her arms during the battle to save the Castle and he feels a connection. But Ashe has her hands full with her own problems. Eden’s paternal grandparents have hired lawyers and are looking to get custody of the girl. Plus, there’s a powerful vampire in town who wants what Alessandro has and he thinks Ashe — because she’s Holly’s sister — can give it to him. The fact that it has nothing to do with genetics alone and everything to do with the love Alessandro and Holly have for one another is completely lost on the fellow. Add “creepy stalker” to Ashe’s list of troubles.

All in the Family: Once again, there is a strong family theme. Ashe is trying to be a good mother and get to know her daughter. She still harbors guilt over her own parents’ deaths. Reynard’s love for his own family is the reason he ended up in the Castle in the first place. Then there’s Ashe’s vampire stalker — he wants an heir. Even Miru-Kai was motivated by his desire to save someone he cared for like family.

Going Out for a Book Can Be Dangerous in Fairview: As they are heading for the big showdown, Holly notices the newest release of a real author and Alessandro tells her he’ll get it for her if they save the day before close of business. But the scariest part — some of the most destructive scenes take place in places you can find books — the local bookstore, the public library, and a used bookstore. All those poor books! The horror!

The Romance:  Reynard doesn’t want to die or fade away, but he’s not sure he could return the empty life now that he’s fallen for Ashe. He isn’t the least intimidated or put off by Ashe’s strong personality — even though he’s from a time when women were more genteel, he likes the fact she can stand toe-to-toe with him. For her part, Ashe has already been widowed once, and she’s not sure she can cope with falling in love with someone who’s doomed. Reynard doesn’t treat her like she’s a delicate damsel; she’s a warrior and he respects that — not once does he tell her it’s too dangerous for her and he should handle things. How can she not fall for a man who understands her so well; a man who would risk his life to save her daughter?

The Bottom Line: While re-reading parts of the book, to refresh my memory, I really fell in love with the characters. Okay… I fell in love with Reynard. His dilemma, even knowing how it ends, still got to me. I really do like Ashe, now that she isn’t butting heads with Holly, thinking she knows better than her little sis. And Miru-Kai. A character like him just doesn’t just disappear without being heard from again. I wonder when and where we’ll be seeing him again. I hope the author has plans for him.

Started: 21 February 2011
Finished: 26 February 2011

Rating:

Loved It!

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Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Darkness Dawns (Dianne Duvall)

Title: Darkness Dawns
Author: Dianne Duvall
Copyright (Author): 2008
Copyright (Kensington): 2011; 345 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-1861-2
Series: Immortal Guardians #1
Sensuality: Hot
Genre: Paranormal Romance

From the back: Once, Sarah Bingham’s biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she’s landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control. In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible — when it means forfeiting the world she’s always known, and the life he would do anything to protect…

1. Reason for choosing this book:

I picked this book to fulfill a shelf requirement for the bookshelf bingo I’m participating in over at Good Reads (link is to the team’s official thread). One of the rules is to post a rating and tell the rest of the team what you liked/disliked about the book (it is required to post something or the the team won’t get credit for the “stamp”). Since that’s the case, I thought it would save time to re-post what I wrote there, here on my blog. I might not do this with every book. It will depend on what I wrote at the time. I chose this one to start with because I wasn’t going to add anything to what was already said.  Other than some formatting difference, this write-up is the same as this one here in the official thread. I also thought what I’d already written fit the Three Reason Review format.

2. Reasons for liking/disliking this book:

I liked this book a lot. What I liked:

The world building. Immortal Guardians and vampire have a lot in common. The fangs, sensitivity to sunlight, increased strength and speed, and a need for blood. What makes them different is their “gifts”. Immortal Guardians were born with certain gifts (telepathy, empathy, healing, teleportation, etc.). Once turned by a vampire, their uniqueness transforms the virus. They are less sensitive to sunlight and they don’t have the same level of dependency on blood. Vampires go crazy from the blood lust, have shorter life spans, and rarely work together as an organized group. The Guardians are led by Seth, the oldest (Roland is 937 years old and Seth is still older than that). They protect humans and destroy vampires. They also have a network of human support staff.

The romance. The author took the time to allow Sarah and Roland to get to know each other. Though he initially conceals the truth about himself out of necessity, once Sarah learns Roland’s not human , he answers her questions. They talk about themselves, sharing things about their pasts, and they even discuss the reality of sustaining a long term relationship. There’s no big misunderstanding, no trying to push away from her on his part due to some well-intentioned, but misguided sense of nobility.

Roland. Besides the above, he was likable. A warrior, but not overly alpha. He’s been betrayed, more than once, by people he cared about, people he thought cared for him in return. A couple of them had been women, but that didn’t turn him into a woman-hater. It made him standoffish and hard for him to trust others. He avoids social interactions with humans, so there’s a couple of times throughout the book where he’s at a loss at how to handle things, especially in the beginning. Even his interactions with other Immortal Guardians over time were kept to a bare minimum. He’s a loner. I think his gift made him a naturally compassionate, caring person.

Sarah. Though she wouldn’t last long going up against a vampire alone, she’s no helpless damsel-in-distress either. She save Roland’s life. She strong enough not to fall to pieces at the first sign of danger. She’s pretty good with a gun, having learned to use one while she was living in Texas, and she can definitely fight back — she stabs someone in the butt.

I thought the pacing was pretty good, considering all the talking that goes on in the book. There are two story lines: who has been targeting Roland and how did he manage to amass a small vampire army, and the search for the mysterious person Seth can hear psychically calling out in pain. Maddeningly, the author allows Seth to find out what so special about the person he finds but leaves it as a cliffhanger for the reader. The other story gets a resolution.

I did have one niggling problem: you can see it coming a mile away — because it is a romance novel after all — but I think I would have preferred the Guardian’s scientists doing the “Eureka!” moment than having Seth basically saying “Hey, remember those cockroaches and tornadoes?” Those who’ve read the book will know what I’m talking about.

3. Reasons for recommending this book:

A different take on vampires. Some interesting secondary characters that I hope the author gets the chance to write more about.

Started: 16 April 2011
Finished: 17 April 2011

Rating:

Liked It A Lot!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Magician's Gambit (David Eddings)

Title: Magician’s Gambit
Author: David Eddings
Narrator: Cameron Beierle
Length: Unabridged (11 h, 33 m)
Published: 2003 (Books in Motion)
Genre(s): Fantasy
Start: 15 January 2011
Finished: 28 January 201l
Source: Library

From Audible.com: Ce’Nedra, Imperial Princess of Tolnedra, is confused. Everyone knows the tales of the Orb protecting the West from the evil god Torak are just silly legends. But here she is, forced to join a dangerous quest to recover that stolen Orb. No one believes in sorcery, but Garion’s aunt and grandfather seem to be the fabled sorcerers Polgara and Belgarath, who would have to be thousands of years old. Even young Garion is learning to do sorcery. He’s just a farm boy, totally unsuitable for an Imperial Princess. Yet for some reason, she has the urge to teach him, brush back his tangled hair, and comfort him. But he is going to a strange tower in the center of all he believes evil, to face some horrible, powerful magician, and she can’t be there to watch over him. She may never see him again! Thus continues The Belgariad, an epic prophecy still unfolding..

Why this book?
It is the third book in the Belgariad, a favorite series of mine that I’m re-discovering in audio format. Since I’m very familiar with the story and characters, this is more my thoughts on the audiobook experience than a review of the story.

Notes:
My notes for Magician’s Gambit are sketchy. I didn’t take time to write much down. Mostly, I noted I’ve been pronouncing Taiba wrong (it sounds like TIE-ba).

This book also differs from the others in the fact that we see some of it through the eyes of Ce’Nedra.

The major characters introduced:  Aldur’s other disciples, Beldin and the twins Beltira and Belkira; the Holy Gorim of Ulgo and Relg; Taiba, the Marag slave woman; Adara;  the gods Aldur, Mara, and UL;  Errand; Ctuchik; Taur Urgras; Yarblek, the wily Nadrak trader is briefly introduced, and just like in the books, he’s one of my favorite side characters.

Significant events — birth of the colt in the special cave; the death of Brill; confronting Ctuchik.

Ratings
Story: 4 Stars
Overall Reading: Very Good
Characters: Good

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For 2011 “pages read”: 305 pages (own a paperback copy of book)

Queen of Sorcery (David Eddings)

Title: Queen of Sorcery
Author: David Eddings
Narrator: Cameron Beierle
Length: Unabridged (12 h, 44 m)
Published: 2003 (Books in Motion)
Genre(s): Fantasy
Start: 3 January 2011
Finished: 13 January 201l
Source: Library/Own

From Audible.com: Legends tell of the evil god Torak coveting the power of the Orb of Aldur, until he was defeated in a final battle. Prophecy also speaks of a time when he will again awaken to seek dominance over all the world. Now the Orb has been stolen by a priest of Torak, and that time is at hand. Belgarath the Sorcerer and his daughter, Polgara the arch-Sorceress, are on the trail of the Orb, seeking to regain it before the final disaster. With them goes Garion, a simple farm boy only months before, but now the focus of the struggle. He had never believed in sorcery, wanting no part of it. Yet with every league they travel, the power is growing within him, forcing him into acts of wizardry that he can’t accept. His fate is inextricably woven into the fabric of an unfolding prophecy for glory or doom.

Why this book?
It is the second book in the Belgariad, a favorite series of mine that I’m re-discovering in audio format. Since I’m very familiar with the story and characters, this is more my thoughts on the audiobook experience than a review of the story.

Narrator: Cameron Beierle
Once again, Mr. Beierle narrates the story. It was during this reading that I realized that he made Belgarath sound a little like Sean Connery. Or, I should say, that’s who he sounded like to me.

The group gain a few additions to their party. The first two are Arends, Lelldorin and Mandorallen. I was a bit surprised by their voices. Though, looking back, I really shouldn’t have been — at least, not as far as Mandorallen is concerned. He has always reminded me a little of Lancelot, so the French accent Mr. Beierle gave him shouldn’t have thrown me. Lelldorin, on the other hand, I had always pictured more of an Englishman.

My favorite new character is Ce’Nedra. She has a very girlie, lightly Italian-accented voice that I thought was adorable. I thought he nailed the little Imperial Princess’s personality perfectly, whether she’s screeching at Garion or using a wheedling voice to get what she wants. And the accent makes sense: Tolnedra is modeled after Imperial Rome.

Speaking of Ce’Nedra, I’ve always had a problem with how her name was supposed to be pronounced. When I first read the series in the 80s, I pronounced it “See-Nee-Dra”. I eventually realized “Sa-Ned-ra” was probably a more accurate pronunciation. Mr. Bieirle, probably taking into account how an Italian would would pronounce a “c + vowel” word, gives it a soft “cha” sound. It’s not an unreasonable assumption: Italian for hello/goodbye is “ciao”, which is pronounced “chow”. I found it interesting.

As for Silk and Durnik — I think Durnik’s accent has been more consistently Australian than anything else. And Silk’s is still all over the place — but it stands out from the others, oddly enough, and really doesn’t distract. I’m beginning to think it fits his personality.

I think Mr. Beierle did a good job with the Dryads — all those female voices, and Salmissra’s court — all those hissing lisps, petulant-sounding eunuchs, and Issa the Snake-God. To me, it sounded like he had fun with them.

Miscellaneous Notes:
I ended up buying a copy of this audiobook. My library check-out time expired before I finished the book and it wasn’t available for re-check out. This series seems to be very popular at the local library.

I’ve also noticed, when I was researching when the Belgariad audiobooks were published, that I was using the date it was added to my library’s “stacks” or when it first became available in Audible.com’s catalog — instead of when it was produced by Books in Motion. I think 2003 is a more accurate date for this series, since it is the copyright date for the back-blurb used on Audile.com’s site.

Ratings
Story: 4.5 Stars
Overall Reading: Very Good
Characters:  Very Good

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For 2011 “pages read”: 327 pages (own a paperback copy of book)

Black Wings (Christina Henry)

Title: Black Wings
Author: Christina Henry
Copyright: 2010 (Ace); 295 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-441-01963-2
Series: Madeline Black #1
Sensuality: NA
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Madeline Black escorts the soul of the recently departed to the Door, the portal to the Here-after. Being an Agent of Death comes with wings and some magical abilities, yet Maddy rarely has to call on those abilities. And the only type of fighting she, occasionally, engages in is the verbal type — some of the dearly departed aren’t keen on leaving and will exercise their freedom of choice by refusing to be escorted. This is frowned upon by management and it is considered a failure on the part of the Agent.

Maddy’s life is pretty routine: discharging her duties as an Agent; butting heads with her boss J. B.; worrying about whether or not she can get a tenant so rental money will start coming in again; working on articles as a freelance writer; hanging out with her best friend Patrick; and spending quality time with her gargoyle, Beezle. Things start to look up, or so Maddy thinks, when a good-looking guy shows up to view her rental. Beezle doesn’t like him, but he won’t tell Maddy why. Other than his asking a few odd questions, Gabriel seems harmless, and Maddy is confident that Beezle would tell her if he was a threat to her.

But shortly after Gabriel’s arrival in Maddy’s life, chaos erupts. She’s attacked by demons. The death of a fellow Agent makes Maddy question what happened to her mother and if there are other Agents who’s deaths are suspicious. Her boss doesn’t believe in demons, so he thinks she’s nuts and won’t help her investigate (vampires, werewolves, and the fae exist, but not demons as far as J. B. is concerned). Secrets come to light and Maddy finds herself tapping into powers she never knew she had and she has no idea how to control. And to top it all off, she finds herself in the middle of the political machinations of the fallen angels.

Comments:
Despite her flaws, I really liked Maddy. She sometimes acts or speaks without thinking, but I can understand why she does what she does at times. Her life is completely up-ended. She’s trying to fight enemies stronger than her — and if she does succeed in destroying them, she’ll be in big trouble with the fallen angels. She’s being manipulated by others with hidden agendas and she resents how some of them are trying to run her life.

Of all the males in Maddy’s life — not counting Beezle — Gabriel is the only one who I think truly cares for Maddy for herself, and would have her best interest at heart, regardless of his situation. And because of his predicament, any relationship between them is at a stand-still. A LOT of things have to change in their world for them to be together.

The world building is pretty interesting. I like the concept of the Agents. I’d like to know more about how and why the whole business of soul-collecting ended up a bureaucracy, and I hope the author gives us more back story on this.

I also liked Beezle. I wonder how many other readers thought of the gargoyles from Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” whenever Beezle was in a scene.

The story is nearly non-stop action. I found it hard to put down at times because I was caught up in what was going on and I wanted to know what would happen next. I will definitely be reading the next book.

Start: 1 January 2011
Finished: 4 January 2011

Favorite Quote:
“And where does Lucifer live?”
“Los Angeles.”
“Of course he does.”
– Maddy, Gabriel

Rating:

Liked A Lot

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.