f you like Ilona Andrews' brand of romance-driven urban fantasy, grab this one!
4.5 stars. Rose and her two little brothers, George and Jack, ages 10 f you like Ilona Andrews' brand of romance-driven urban fantasy, grab this one!
4.5 stars. Rose and her two little brothers, George and Jack, ages 10 and 8, live in the Edge, a sort of halfway place between our world (which they call the Broken, since magic doesn't work there) and a parallel world called the Weird, where magical powers reign. In the Edge, magic works, but not as well as in the Weird. Most people can't pass through from one world to the other, or even sense that the other world exists, but there are exceptions, like Rose and her brothers. And Declan, the mysterious guy from the Weird who appears on Rose's doorstep, with magical powers even she can't match, and barges into their lives. Rose doesn't trust Declan an inch ... but she can't deny he's the hottest guy she's ever seen. And just maybe she'll be glad he's there, as deadly magical hounds begin appearing in the Edge and killing people.
I read this urban fantasy for the second time last night, when I really should have been reading other books, but it totally sucked me in and I couldn't help it! Not just the power of Declan (who is awesome), but there's William the shapeshifter, and George (a necromancer), and Jack (another shapeshifter), and Mamere, their French-speaking grandmother...
And how did I miss even giving it a star rating the first time I read it? But I liked it even better the second time.
Full review to come (really! I am going to get to it, sooner or later)....more
"To believe in one's dreams is to spend all of one's life asleep." -- Chinese proverb
"Every city is a ghost." -- Opening line of this book
Dreams become traps and deadly nightmares in Lair of Dreams, the second installation in Libba Bray’s DIVINERS fantasy horror series. In 1927, a crew of men is opening up an old walled-off tunnel underneath the streets of New York City in order to build a new subway tunnel.
[image] Look at this Wikipedia photo of an old NYC subway - someone got lazy and copied it for the cover of this book! Busted...
Anyway: The workers find a desiccated body in a walled-off area. Soon the men begin to die of a mysterious sleeping sickness, where the afflicted cannot be awakened and die after a few days. Then the lethal sickness begins to spread through the city. The sickness is blamed on Chinese immigrants, but really it attacks people regardless of age or race. It must be a job for the Avengers Diviners!
Lair of Dreams picks up not long after the events of the first volume, The Diviners. It weaves together several other threads, including the story of Ling, a Chinese girl handicapped by the aftereffects of polio, who is a dream walker; Henry, another dream walker who is searching in both the dream world and the real world for the boy he fell in love with in New Orleans; and Memphis, a young black man struggling to deal with both his healing abilities and his forbidden love for a white woman. I thought these interrelated stories worked well together, and all of them were interesting to me, particularly with Ling and Henry meeting in the dream world, working together but each pursuing his or her individual interests and goals. The ghostly plot, though it involves many deaths, was intriguing, especially the dream world and its interrelationship with and effect on the real world – and it wasn't nearly as off-putting to me as the devilish serial killer spirit in The Diviners, although some readers may miss the higher level of creepy horror.
The overall plot had a few too many threads to it, risking loss of the reader’s attention from the frequent point of view switches and different plotlines. When the dream creatures enter the real world and start attacking people in the streets, the story strayed from its initial sense of dreamy horror. There are also several plot lines that are left unresolved, for the next volume in the series. Just as the book is wrapping up and most of the threads were being tied together, several pieces of the plot begin to unravel again with an extended epilogue that leaves the reader with some rather irritating cliffhangers.
However, Libba Bray is a talented author and has done a great deal of research that benefits the story, not just about the Roaring Twenties in New York City, but also about New York City’s Chinatown and the immigrants and citizens who lived there in the 1920s. Libba Bray also really has a way with creating a scene. At one point the Chinese population, who are being unfairly blamed for the sleeping sickness, are all being detained by the police:
"You’ll be safe in here," her uncle said and shut the door. But Ling knew she wasn’t safe anywhere. Not when people could hate the very idea of you. Not when there were ghosts in your dreams. Ling shut her eyes and listened to the sounds of her neighbors being taken away in the night.
If you liked the first book in this series, I think you'll really enjoy Lair of Dreams. Personally I'm not a fan of the horror genre so I think I'm finished with this series at this point, but I'd certainly recommend it to those who like fantasy horror on the YA level.
Content advisory: Supernatural horror violence, disturbing, but the gore factor is pretty limited. Straight and gay relationships include kisses and non-explicit love scenes.
Advance copy received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!...more
This was a fun, old-fashioned whodunnit, complete with exotic location, intrepid heroine and steely-eyed hero. And now I really want to visit Kashmir.This was a fun, old-fashioned whodunnit, complete with exotic location, intrepid heroine and steely-eyed hero. And now I really want to visit Kashmir.
[image] Gulmarg ski resort
They fanned out on the crest of Slalom Hill and each took their own line, swooping down over the crisp shimmering surface like a flight of swallows, dipping, swaying, turning in a swish of flung crystals, and leaving behind them clear curving tracks on the sparkling snow.
[image] Dal Lake
As the heart-shaped paddles rose and fell in unison, the boat glided under old, old bridges and by temples whose glittering roofs were discovered on closer examination to be plated not with silver, but with pieces of kerosene tins. Brilliant blue kingfishers flashed and darted above the quiet reaches of the stream, and innumerable bulbuls twittered among the willows.
...as long as there are no murderers there. But handsome British spies - of course, absolutely!
[image]
This is one of M.M. Kaye's better mysteries, set in the waning days of the British Raj in northern India in the late 1940s. Feisty main character, Sarah Parrish, goes on a ski vacation with fellow British expatriates and finds herself embroiled in dangerous schemes way over her head. The mystery is a good one: the mastermind criminal is well-drawn and well-hidden (I didn't guess who it was), and the clues and pieces are tied together at the end in a satisfying way.
Death in Kashmir is a light mystery novel, not terribly deep, but good fun, and there's a great sense of place, with wonderful descriptions of the people and places in Kashmir. Kaye actually lived in Kashmir in the early 1940s - she met her future husband there - and it shows in the affectionate details of the story.
This was my last of M.M. Kaye's six romantic suspense novels, and a very good one to end on. It reminded me quite strongly of Mary Stewart's novels, which is the highest praise I can pass out to a book in this genre. Highly recommended to those who like these types of classic mysteries! ...more
So I have to admit that I swallowed this Kindle freebie whole in a couple of hours, but I'm ... not proud of it? It's total brain candy, that's for ceSo I have to admit that I swallowed this Kindle freebie whole in a couple of hours, but I'm ... not proud of it? It's total brain candy, that's for certain.
This type of book is intended for a very specific audience: those who like romance novels without sex, but with lots of passionate liplocking between handsome noblemen and gorgeous and virginal young ladies with vouchers to Almacks. Also the reader has to not mind if the Regency setting is paper-thin and the plot is hurling contrivances at you in the best Regency romance tradition.
The duke here is drop-dead good-looking* and the heroine lovely but accident-prone, and she has difficulty complying with society's rules. He wants her badly but is pretty certain she wouldn't make for the kind of lady that he thinks he needs to marry. Too bad he can't keep his hands off her.
It's cute and fluffy and fun if you're just looking for romantic feelz and not for anything that will make you think deeply.
*Question: how many drop-dead good-looking dukes have there actually been in the entire history of England? Because there sure are a disproportionate number of them in romance novels....more
The husband-wife author team of Ilona Andrews began their new Hidden Legacy urban fantasy series in 2014 withReview also posted at Fantasy Literature:
The husband-wife author team of Ilona Andrews began their new Hidden Legacy urban fantasy series in 2014 with Burn for Me. The initial trilogy is finished and a spin-off series is starting soon, beginning with Diamond Fire (starring Nevada's younger sister Cassandra) that promises to be lots of fun!
In an alternative reality to our world, a serum discovered in 1863 unleashed people’s magical talents. As the powerful and rich sought the serum as a new way for their families to gain more power and wealth, others realized the potential it raised for chaos and destruction, and locked it away – too late. Magical talent now runs in families, with magical dynasties forming, and the strength of a person’s magic becoming a major factor in whom they might marry in these families. The most powerful magical users are known as Primes.
Nevada Baylor has magical powers – among other things, she always knows when someone is lying – but Nevada isn’t a member of a powerful family. In fact, she does her best to stay under the radar and hide her powers from the world. She’s the head of her family’s private investigation firm, taking low-level jobs like investigating cheating spouses. They’re staying afloat, though not by much, and when the head of their parent company forces her to take on a high profile and highly dangerous job, bringing in Adam Pierce, the man responsible for an arson that left an off-duty police officer dead, without involving the police, Nevada knows her family business isn’t likely to survive… and neither is she.
If that weren’t bad enough, it turns out that one of the most notorious magical Primes in the country, Connor “Mad” Rogan, is determined to find his relative, a teenage boy who assisted Adam Pierce with the arson. Rogan is a sexy billionaire with Prime telekinetic powers, sufficient to destroy a city. And Nevada is in Mad Rogan’s way. He kidnaps Nevada and uses his secondary power of telepathy to try find out what she knows about Pierce.
Telepathy was will based. My magic was also will based, and in all of the time I had been alive, I had never met a person on whom it hadn’t worked… He might be a dragon, but if he tried to swallow me whole, I’d make him choke. I scooted forward, trying to get as comfortable in my restraints as I could, and liked my dry lips. “Okay, tough guy. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Once Mad Rogan and Nevada each realize they can’t make the other go away, they begin to reluctantly cooperate as they try to reel in their targets, while trying to figure out why the arson was committed. It doesn’t make it easier for Nevada that she’s so strongly attracted to Rogan, when she doesn’t want any part of his world.
While I didn’t find the world-building in Burn for Me as complex and compelling as Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series, there are compensating factors that made Burn for Me an exciting read. The power exercised by magical families and the different types of magical talents were intriguing. Nevada’s family, which includes an ex-military mother whose magical power is never missing her target and a crusty mechanic grandmother, along with assorted siblings, adds a nice humorous touch to the story.
"Mom?" Mother turned to Grandmother. "What?" "She's going to lunch with her kidnapper!" "Take a picture for me," Grandma said. "This family will put me in an early grave," my mother growled. "I'm coming with you... We'll take the van and the Barrett." "Would the Barrett be enough?" Grandma Frida asked. "Isn't he supposed to bounce bullets off his chest?" "It fires .50 cal at twice the speed of sound. It will hit him before he ever hears the shot." My mother crossed her arms. "I'd like to see him bounce that off his chest."
Mad Rogan is a bit of a cliché – the rich, hot, powerful but emotionally damaged guy – but he grew on my over the course of the book.. He seems irretrievably damaged at first, but gradually more layers to his personality and past are disclosed. By the end of the book he’s a sympathetic character.
The mystery on which the plot is based was a fairly good one by urban fantasy standards. I found it less convoluted and easier to follow than some of the Kate Daniels plots. There was an unexpected twist that could have been better handled or foreshadowed, but overall the plot holds together well and is an enjoyable ride with some fun tongue-in-cheek humor and a confident, determined heroine.
I recommend Burn for Me for fans of romantic urban fantasies. The second book in this series, White Hot, is just as good, if not better!
****************
Prior review: The husband-wife author team of Ilona Andrews is starting up a new urban fantasy series as the Kate Daniels series appears to be winding down (maybe?), and it's interesting to compare and contrast this book to Kate's series:
World-building: Simpler (at least at first glance) and less complex than the Magic Bites series. Some people have magical powers due to some scientific mucking around about 150 years ago. Sure, there are a lot of variations in those magical powers. But no shapeshifters (no Curran! D:). No vampires, or exotic wacked-out magical non-human or not-quite-human creatures. No magical waves eating up the buildings and turning off your car or gun. I kinda missed it.
Heroine: Nevada is a reasonably kickass kind of main character, but doesn't rise to Kate's level. Which makes sense; you don't want to repeat yourself too much as an author, but still. It's interesting that both Nevada and Kate are in the private investigation business. It does fit well in the plot, but a little more distinction would've been nice. Nevada's magical powers were a fun twist, though.
[image]
She also has a great family, which really adds a nice touch to the plot.
Romantic interest: No Curran! D: *sighs* Okay, I actually like Mad Rogan. He's hot, and he knows what he wants and goes for it. He seems irretrievably damaged at first, but by the end of the book I felt like I understood who he was, and I'm rooting for him and Nevada. I also liked that the authors are taking their time with this relationship--although there was that one really seriously sexy kiss . . .
Plot/Bad guys: A plus. This one was a little less convoluted and easier to follow than some of the Kate plots. There was an interesting twist that could have been better handled or foreshadowed, IMO. But overall I really enjoyed it. It held together well.
Final assessment: I liked it better than the first Kate Daniels book, Magic Bites, about the same as the second book, but not quite as well as the third. I think the Andrews have learned something about writing books as they've gone alone.
Content advisory: Scattered F-bombs and some sexual content (kisses only, but. Um. Yeah.).
It's an interesting concept: make a gung-ho military guy into a werewolf, toss a secretive Evil Government Agency into the mix, and finally, add a genIt's an interesting concept: make a gung-ho military guy into a werewolf, toss a secretive Evil Government Agency into the mix, and finally, add a genetically engineered superwoman. It seemed to me that there were an awful lot of tropes in this mix, which can make it tough to create a story that's not standard and superficial. But the author made it work surprisingly well by including a thoughtful treatment of PTSD and other stress disorders, and by doing some fairly intricate worldbuilding for the werewolves and their culture. There's a distinction between "born werewolves" and "made werewolves" and their abilities that was a unique take on the genre, and (apparently) every werewolf has some sort of superpower, which aren't always so super to have (e.g., everyone you touch suffers a deadly allergic reaction?).
The EGA (Evil Government Agency) was so thoroughly vicious and heinous that it never felt quite real to me, so that element was a bit of a fail for me as a plot device. But I enjoyed the main characters and their slow-burning romance. They were both flawed human beings (if you can call them that), but very likeable. Their relationship wasn't insta-love and didn't take over the story, so plus points for that as well.
I'm not generally fond of books that tell half the story and require you to go buy the second book to get the rest of the story. I'm pretty much over cliffhangers. At least this book doesn't leave the characters in immediate, life-threatening peril. Just know going into this, though, that you're only getting the first part of the story.
3.5 stars. It's not terribly deep, but reasonably well-written and thoughtful, and it was an interesting and enjoyable read. Recommended for those who like paranormal adventure/romances with buff military guys. Or werewolves. Or both. And it's a Kindle freebie, so if this sounds good to you, give it a shot!
Content advisory: Frequent F-bombs, a fair amount of violence and a somewhat explicit sex scene....more
Martin Padway is struck by lightning while visiting Rome and finds himself permanently displaced to the 6th century AD. A student of history, he decidMartin Padway is struck by lightning while visiting Rome and finds himself permanently displaced to the 6th century AD. A student of history, he decides to use his knowledge of technology and history to prevent Rome's fall and thus prevent the Dark Ages, and single-handedly jumpstarts the Industrial Revolution, introducing distilleries (to give him some money to live on and finance his operations), double-entry bookkeeping, the telegraph, the printing press, modern methods of warfare, etc. Yankee ingenuity FTW!
There are lots of interesting ideas about technology and how it might affect an earlier civilization. Written in 1939, this is one of the earliest--if not the earliest--SF books dealing with alternative history, so if you like the genre, it's worth taking a look at this short novel if only for that reason. It has its moments, but for me was a little slow overall, and it's heavier on plot than characterization. It's kind of like A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court with less humor and more technology....more
I tried reading this last year and bailed after 2 or 3 chapters; it just wasn't pulling me in. Hopefully I'll have better luck with it in 2017 than I I tried reading this last year and bailed after 2 or 3 chapters; it just wasn't pulling me in. Hopefully I'll have better luck with it in 2017 than I did in 2015 or 2016. ...more
This virtual reality immersion novel (with a really massive dose of 1980s trivia) had its moments, but I just didn't think it was all that. It's been This virtual reality immersion novel (with a really massive dose of 1980s trivia) had its moments, but I just didn't think it was all that. It's been done before, and better, by other authors. And I think the author was so taken with his own 80s trivia gimmick that he let it run away with him a little. The infodumping took the entire first 20% of the book (I checked!) and you never really get away from it. I started skimming paragraphs and even entire pages when the main character started waxing eloquent about yet another 1980's videogame, movie or technology. And the plotline is paper-thin and superficial; nothing going on there that I haven't seen in innumerable other books.
Also, I'm going to have a pearl-clutching moment here: is it really necessary for YA books to contain F-bombs? I just hate this trend. Now excuse me while I go chase those dang kids off my lawn . . .
2 1/2 stars. Most of my GR friends love it, so YMMV. ...more
Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽
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