Author Archives: Rose Herbert

Review: Mercedes Lackey – Arrows of the Queen

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Arrows of the Queen
Mercedes Lackey
Talia has been freshly Chosen, but she doesn’t understand what that means. Thrown into the dangerous world of the court of Queen Selenay, she must find her feet quickly or drown in the doing so.
Talia is one of the strong female heroines that makes Lackey’s writing so powerful for me. Her shaky beginnings only make her better in my eyes, and her love of music is a minor note that makes me happy too.
It amazes me every time the skill with which this first novel in Valdemar was written. There’s bits that tie in with the other novels she has written in the series, and also tight links into the other books in the series.
Amazingly, some parts of the book made me want to cry! I’ve reread it a bunch of times, and it always surprises me the way it pulls my heartstrings.
It’s nice to see a stable lesbian relationship portrayed in a positive light, and that gives the book some additional thumbs up from me.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – By the Sword

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By the Sword
Mercedes Lackey
Kerowyn’s Ride. Should say it all, right? Left the only able bodied person after an attack on her family, Kerowyn must avenge it. Little does she know that she’s going to be changed forever.

Kerowyn will attach herself to your heart as a strong female hero right from the word go. She’s convincing, consistent, everything I could want in one of Lackey’s characters.

There’s not much in the way of consistent secondary character, the focus is mainly on Kero. That being said, Daren creates a good counter for a little while in the first book. Then there’s the man Kero meets while she’s lost. All to the good!
The book being separated into various sections of years is great. It means no time is wasted on pointless stuff, and it makes the book more action packed. The only frustrating thing is that there could have been more about Valdemar.
I’ve been reading these completely out of order, so I’m getting a bit confused as to who should in the in stories or not. Elspeth appears in this one, but her level of maturity had me a bit wonky for a bit.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – The Oathbound

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The Oathbound
Mercedes Lackey
Tarma and Kethry are unlikely companions, mage and warrior. Bound together to go against bandits, they’ve stuck together to get Tarma home to the plains to claim her birthright. There’s plenty in the way before the can fulfill that though.
176797It would have been nice to have a little more backstory from both Tarma and Kethry. Nevertheless, the bit you get about Tarma isn’t bad. If there’s a deficit, it’s that the magic that Kethry practices is nothing like what you see in other novels, and more of that would have been good too!
Most of the story seems to be told from the perspective of Tarma, which suits me just fine, just haven’t read a bunch about Kerowyn (Kethry’s granddaughter). Tarma is a sexless warrior, absolutely skilled in the blade. She’s not cold though, she cares about her people and Kethry.
This is the first outing of the sword, Need. Need plays an important role in ‘By the Sword’ and also the novels with Elspeth and Darkwind (the Winds trilogy).
I made the mistake of reading this, and then reading the second book straight afterwards. Now I can’t remember what I really liked about this novel! I did like it though.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – The Black Gryphon

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The Black Gryphon
Mercedes Lackey
Skan is a powerful gryphon, a creation of the mage Urtho. Fearless and brave, little does he know he’s going to fall for a cull gryphon. With the help of his friend Amberdrake, they will have to overcome the final treachery.
There’s so many tiny storylines in this novel that you hardly get a sense of the overall war. However, it’s clear that there is a war going on, and that most of this would not have happened if not for the selfish ways of Ma’ar.
In some ways, this novel sets up the Winds trilogy with Elspeth. Ma’ar also appears in those novels, and the reason why is shown at the very end of this novel. I still don’t understand exactly why he hates gryphons, but he does with a passion.
I’m happy that Amberdrake is able to find someone to keep him company, even though it’s not what you would expect! There’s no real antagonistic figure except Conn, and you don’t know how important he is going to be until the end.
Normally changing perspectives would drive me nuts. Here though they serve well, because I’d get bored of Skan’s hissing speech and Amberdrake’s superior attitude pretty quickly.
I didn’t get a sense of terrain. This novel was about the people and animals. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I’m pointing it out nonetheless.

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Review: Tamora Pierce – Trickster’s Queen

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Trickster’s Queen
Tamora Pierce
Aly has survived the summer. Now she returns to the city, and must protect Sarai and Dove even more carefully, in order to set one of them on the throne.
Aly really comes into her own in this novel. The few things about the first novel, where she doesn’t seem suited to a life of slavery, are entirely suitable to this novel. She’s independent, she’s finally trusted, she just needs to make sure she doesn’t become over confident.
I like Dove. She’s sensible, and really has her head on straight. She’s much more likeable than the headstrong Sarai. The other characters, mainly the leaders of the rebellion, also ring true for me.
The love interest with Nawat is really understated and won’t have your teenager going ‘ugh’. Adult readers might wish for a bit more action, but it wouldn’t be fitting with the rest of the novel.
Readers will be unsurprised by the ending, but pleased by it nonetheless. I think there was only one way it could have ended, and so of course it does end in that way. Predictable but true.
Something I possibly should have mentioned about the first book in this series as well is the wonderful world building. Just like The Immortals Quartet, it’s good to see some world outside Tortall for a change. It shows that Pierce has really thought about the whole universe, not just the mainland.

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Review: Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian

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Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian
Eoin Colfer
Artemis is facing off against Opal Koboi once again. That sneaking Opal is always getting into mayhem. This time she wants to wipe out all human kind, and make a mess of the fairy world as well.
9307674This final installment in the Artemis Fowl books is very much improved from the last book. Artemis may have lost some of his brains but the action continues on regardless.
It’s packed with action and adventure. There’s no clue to what is going to happen next and the suspense is killer. You have to wonder what Artemis’ brothers have to do with things…
There are laugh it loud moments in this novel particularly when dealing with Mulch. Ah I love the dwarf! At one point you think he’s a goner but there’s always more surprises.
Even without the last chapter this book is good. It irritates me a little that the ending leaves it open for yet another book but I live in hope that any further books are just as good.
This is one of the first blogger posts I have composed on my phone – apologies for its brevity. I’ve been a bit lax in my blogging lately, and have a bunch of posts to catch up on.

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Review: Tamora Pierce – Trickster’s Choice

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Trickster’s Choice
Tamora Pierce
Aly wants to be a spy like her da. Denied this option, and faced with the prospect of becoming her mother’s project, she decides to take a little sail to visit some friends. Instead, she’s captured by slavers and shipped off to the Balitangs to an unlikely role.
This is an old favourite of mine. Aly is a spunky, cheeky heroine that I enjoy reading every time. Nawat Crow keeps the humour alive, and you can see the potential in the two ladies from the start. You have to like Dove more though, even if she seems extremely mature for a 12 year old.
There’s enough action and blood in this book to keep most teenagers satisfied. You can’t feel too sad at the ending, even with some deaths. There’s several climax points which serve to keep the reader interested too.
This novel comes after The Protector of the Small series in Tortall, but concerns a different land. Additionally, there is a short story which I have previously review that concerns Aly and Nawat as well.
It took me just under 2 and half hours to read this novel. That makes it a light and easy read for when I just want to chill out and not think too much.

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Review: Sue Perry – Scar Jewelry

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Scar Jewelry
Sue Perry

Deirdre and Langston get more than they bargained for when they begin to pry into their mother’s life. Where has she been going every week? Why doesn’t she seem to have any friends? What they discover could change their lives forever.

I wanted something more concrete from the ending. Great, they’d found their family, but what about their mother? What about their father? I wanted a real answer to those questions. Not to mention where she was going on Thursdays!

I felt like there wasn’t quite enough information about their ‘dad’ in terms of letting the reader work things out for themselves. The revelations felt very guided. However, they till suckered me in enough that I finished reading this novel in less than a day.

Dierdre could have been a little more convincing as a character. She seems to be afraid of everything ,yet she manages to turn that around in the end. She does make a very convincing counterpoint to Langston though, and it’s hard to believe that they are twins sometimes.

Sandy sometimes speaks in odd ways that threw me out of the novel. There were a couple of occasions where I felt the editor could have given more attention to the dialogue in particular. It wasn’t neough to put me completely off though, as other parts did feel natural.

I won this book through LibraryThing and it took me a disgustingly long time to get around to reading it. I’m not sure I’m glad I did, but it was an enjoyable enough way to spend my afternoon.

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Review: Juliet Marillier – The Bridei Chronicles 3 – The Well of Shades

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The Well of Shades
Juliet Marillier
Faolan must return to his homeland and face his history. He encounters many obstacles, including one who may be more than she sees. Not all is right at home either, with Bridei’s court in disarray with the arrival of a new Light Isles Princess.
It’s amazing to witness the character development of Faolan in this novel. What was begun in Blade of Fortriu is lead to a stunning conclusion here. Faolan becomes more and more likeable for me, and a better person all around.
There are plenty of narrative threads in this novel, and plenty of action. Sure, there’s less warmongering than in the others in this trilogy but the people element is strong and carries the book well.
I can’t think of enough praise for this novel. I was desperate to finish reading it, but was very sad when I had done so. Marillier writes such great fantasy that if she was a touch more prolific she might be my favourite author of all time!
It seems to me that the 4th book in this series, as yet unpublished (and possibly not to be written) would do a good job of rounding up some open ends. In particular, the influx of the Christian faith is only briefly mentioned, and more could have been made of its inevitable progress.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Elemental Masters 3 – Phoenix and Ashes

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Phoenix and Ashes
Mercedes Lackey

Eleanor had expected to go to Oxford, but instead she finds herself as a drudge working for her evil stepmother and step sisters. She’s lived for 2 years with no hope, but when she starts seeing things in fire, she wonders about the existence of magic.

Like others in the Elemental Masters series, this is based on a fairytale – Cinderella. You couldn’t want for a more evil step mother! It’s an interesting rendition of the tale, complete with ball, but differing about the shoes. It means that you know how the novel is going to end up, but that’s not always a bad thing.

This novel has some more of the theory behind elemental magic that is both boring and interesting to read at the same time. The teaching method in this one is by Tarot cards, which in themselves are interesting because they are used by modern day Pagans and so forth. It makes a nice change from the other novels in the series where the student is taught by a real teacher.

Phoenix and Ashes is set during, I believe, World War 2, with the Germans and many pointless deaths. It’s powerful stuff. There isn’t that much focus on the war itself though, mainly the interest is what it does to the survivors of war, and the changing of social strata as a consequence of this.

I really enjoyed rereading this novel, and even though I remembered most of the storyline really well, this was like being enfolded in a warm comforting blanket. Just the right amount of thought provoking imagery, and the right connection with the heroine.

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