Tag Archives: 4-stars

Review: Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon – Chrome Circle

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Chrome Circle
Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon
Tannim’s been given his marching orders to visit his family and pick up a new worker for his home elves. Little does he know there is a woman on his case and hunting him down with a vengeance. Or is it really a woman? Is he really being hunted?
This novel is another thrilling instalment in the SERRAted Edge series. Tannim is a car mage and a race car driver but he’s also the human contact for a whole conclave of elves.
Shar! Ah, once again Lackey have succeeded with retelling things from multiple perspectives yet still keeping the narrative line clear and enjoyable. So very enjoyable. Perhaps I would have liked a little more balance from the bad elves, but otherwise it’s very good.
Not much in the way of character development in this book, but the character relationships are good. I think this may be the first time we really see a dragon, let alone three dragons! The fox spirits are also a nice touch, and it’s good to see FX getting some recognition even if he’s a bit of a scamp. I have to say FX provides most of the light relief in this case.
This book moves at a swift pace and you’ll find it difficult to put down at almost any stage. I have to say I guiltily kept reading past my bed time and during study time (even though I had read it before). The ending still came as a bit of a surprise, as I didn’t remember Thomas’ role at all!
The ending is something that you won’t have seen coming. Although others may be bored by the inevitable journey Shar and Tannim take through the world, I found it fascinating. Lackey’s showing off her knowledge and research into the different story myths of our times, and it’s something I really enjoy.
Much to my discomfort (and annoyance), after finishing this book, I realised that I should have read ‘The Other World’ first. Sometimes I get so confused about which books to read first in these series, particularly as it also overlaps with Eric the Bard and Diana Tregarde series. Anyway, don’t make my mistake if you’re reading them, get ‘The Other World’ first if you can.
I’d recommend this part of ‘The Chrome Borne’ for adults and teenagers alike. Although there are hints of sexual activity, it’s nothing pervasive. Perhaps the most important message in this novel is the importance of home and family, even when you have grown up.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon – Born to Run

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Born to Run
Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon
I seem to have lapsed into comforting fiction again. I don’t know what exactly is comforting about a human mage that can protect his race car by magic, an urban elf that has a sot spot for children and a porn ring that has a lot more going on than you can imagine…

Tannim is a race car driver, but he’s mixed up with elves and other fun things. His weakness is a poor leg and also that he wants to protect children, just like the elves. He’s a likeable character, with proper flaws that make him seem real and believable.

The main character of Tannim better be believable, because the rest of this novel is pretty unbelievable. There are elves on the loose in USA! Not to mention ghosts, dragons and other otherworldly creatures. It’s well known that elves have a weakness for cold iron, and it’s fascinating the way that Lackey and Dixon produce ways around that.
It’s nice that Lackey & Dixon don’t feel that everything has to turn out perfectly. People are allowed to die, things can turn messy in a heartbeat and battles feel like they have a real element of danger. You find yourself on the edge of your seat so quickly and you can’t stop reading.
I think one of my favourite characters is Sam, the old engineer. He’s so quirky and quick! I also have always had a soft spot for the Irish, and Sam’s a good old irish breed. Sam takes everything in his stride. Soda siphon here we come!
Something you won’t see from Sam or Tannim is character development. Rather, their characters are very consistant, just as I would want from adult characters. The children on the other hand harden up very quickly, and do change. The storyline involving Jamie is particularly sad.
I can’t emphasise enough how complicated, but also at the same time, simple, this plot is. It’s told from several perspectives, so it’s possible to get a balanced view on most of the characters. There are so many different things going on, and it seems like the bad elves are the only ones that are aware of the majority of things. It really worked for me.
I would recommend this book for adults, probably not teenagers, as there is detailed descriptions of drug use and the various things involved in making snuff and child porn.
I ‘borrowed’ this book from the Baen Books online library, although I also own a hard copy.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey, Mark Shepherd & Holly Lisle – Wheels of Fire

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Wheels of Fire
Mercedes Lackey, Mark Shepherd & Holly Lisle
Al and Bob work as mechanics for a race car driving team. There’s just one catch – Al happens to be a centuries old elf and Bob a human fosterling brought up after being abused by his father. Al has a soft spot for children as it happens, and when he finds out Jamie is missing, he does everything he can to help.

This is one of the few books in this series that is told mainly from the perspective of an elf, Al. I found the extent of this a little disappointing to be honest – I didn’t feel a real connection to Al, and I didn’t feel like there was a real difference in the way he and Jamie thought.
The focus on all of these books seems to be the respect of children. There are some pretty horrifying things going on in this book – starvation and sensory deprivation of children under the age of 10 is not exactly nice. Not to mention torturing them with summoning the ‘Holy Fire’.
I liked Jamie. And you’re not really sure right up until the end whether he is going to survive or not. Joe is a bit of a dark horse, but it’s nice to hear some things from his perspective too. There’s a good balance here again, you don’t feel limited to only Al, yet the transitions are smooth.
The salamander in this novel is one of the few actual strange occurrences – once you get past the fact that there are urban elves. The flashback recounting Al’s previous experiences with salamanders is fascinating, and feels genuine and well researched. As a sometimes writer myself, I appreciate the effort that goes into writing a novel like this. I can’t believe that this book is a collaboration of three writers! It doesn’t come across that way at all, although I would have said that the dominant style would be that of Mercedes Lackey.
This book (the one I’m actually reviewing here, Wheels of Fire) can be found in an omnibus with the next in the series When the Bough Breaks. The novels have been grouped like that because of the authors involved, but the next two reviews I have done of The Chrome Bourne novels actually occur in between.
I’d recommend this book for adults, and mature teenagers. The cult does some very disturbing things that really aren’t for polite company. A warning for drugs, violence and supernatural themes I suppose!

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Review: Alison Goodman – Eon

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Eon
Alison Goodman
Eona is masquerading as a boy in order to become a Dragoneye. Little does she know that the dragon she thought she would have would never be hers! Well, not in the way she imagined anyway.

7261699I thought that the beginning of this novel, perhaps the first third although compelling, was a little slow to get started. There weren’t any wasted words, but nor was there a thrilling progression. The different plot points are slowly introduced, and the various characters fleshed out.

As befitting a well-crafted novel, it was obvious to me things that Eona just did not acknowledge. Like the pearls getting looser on her arm when she takes the Sun drug. And a whole host of other things that suggested that being a female is an asset, not a burden.
Eona has to suppress her emotions so much of the time that it can become muddled to the reader whether she really feels anything. This novel is written in first person, so it may be frustrating at some points. I think I really didn’t feel was the secret that Chase held for the Master, although that all was ok in the end too.

I did want more more more from this book. The ending is thrilling! I didn’t even realise I was holding my breath. It’s hard to tell what is going to happen next, because the end seems bleak. I guess that’s why there is a sequel! There is a definite advantage to picking up popular book late when the series is already finished or well started. No waiting to see what happens next!

I picked this book up 1. because it had dragons and 2. it had a recommendation from Tamora Pierce on the front! It didn’t disappoint me – a pleasant and easy teenage read. I would certainly recommend it, and I have the sequel siting in my luggage just waiting for me to read and love it!

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Review: Kristin Cashore – Graceling

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Graceling
Kristin Cashore
Katsa is Graced with fighting. In fact, not just fighting, but killing and maiming effortlessly. In working for her uncle Katsa has performed multiple things that she regrets – but she thinks of herself as a killer anyway, so nothing matters.

3236307The perspective of this novel is third person, usually focalised through Katsa. If I put the book down briefly (you know, for those essential stops like toilet breaks and food!) I sometimes found it hard to slip back into the narrative. Once I was in there though, Katsa’s character was laid bare the majority of the time. Po’s insights into her character also assist with that. He knows how she is feeling before she does!

Just as I noticed in the last book I reviewed, the start of this book is a little slow to get going but it quickly builds up. There is no sense of danger for me until they get to dealing with Leck, but I suppose some of the fighting and so forth had potential. It did sustain my interest – I wanted to see how Katsa could improve as a character, and then there were so many other things happening!
I’d even go so far as to say this book is inspired, I loved the concept of Graces. It seemed unfair to me that the ‘useless’ ones were just sent back to their families if they failed at court. Some things, like climbing trees, surely that has to be good for warfare, or mapping a forest? Or swimming seemed like a versatile talent, perfectly suited for being a sailor. You wonder how many Graces there really are, how many different varieties. I suppose it is ironic that Katsa seems to fear mind-reading Graces, but usually she doesn’t know her own mind anyway.

Something I didn’t understand was Katsa’s utter dislike and mistrust of marriage! I mean, it didn’t sound so bad, particularly with her chosen partner. Yeah, she didn’t like dresses, but that was because her uncle insisted on forcing her into them, and so surely she will like them later? Surely at one point marriage might be a survival tactic.

The ending of this book had the potential to be heartbreaking. Poor Po! So strong, and yet his Grace both hinders and helps him concentrate. Oh man, and Leck is so evil. You never know what he is going to suggest next! I don’t know why they didn’t think of wax for Katsa’s ears though, that would have worked quite well.
You know, all the recent hype about the Hunger Games, and I still haven’t read them. But I do know that the main character is called ‘Katniss’ or the like. So the naming of this character Katsa (although I’m pretty sure this book has been around longer)
The ‘sequel’ to this book, Bitterblue, will be published soon in a paperback I hope, so then I can read it! There is also a ‘prequel’ called Fire, which I would also like to pick up. This book was that enjoyable that I can’t wait to get my hands on the others. They aren’t really related, but they are placed in the same world and there is some character crossover (obviously enough for Bitterblue).I’d recommend this book firmly in the teenage category. The style is not particularly adult to me, because it was an easy read. A very enjoyable read, but easy nonetheless. If you’re like me, and enjoy teenage fiction despite being an adult, go for it! There are some minor sex scenes in this book, nothing that is going to offend an advanced child reader either.

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 picked this up from Barnes and Noble while I was overseas!4star

Review: Tanya Huff – The Enchantment Emporium

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The Enchantment Emporium
Tanya Huff
Alysha, or Allie, is a third circle Gale. A little confused? I was too. Anyway, Allie is in deep, suddenly moving across country to find the cause of her Grandmother’s sudden appearance.

5552232Ok, so the magic in this world seems based on sex. They have everything going, the couples partner themselves up for the circle rituals, and then they have to have sex right away because they’re all horny. But it’s not expressed that way, and the sex isn’t explicit. Just that every time they hand out some magic, sex is required.

I have to confess I’ve never read or bought any of Tanya Huff’s novels before. I’m not really sure why. I’ve enjoyed several short stories she has written in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar anthologies and have certainly seen her name around.
The first, second and third circle things involving Gale girls were really confusing for me. As far as I could tell, aunties were in the first circle because they had already had multiple children, and perhaps had their husbands die? Anyway, they seem to be the most powerful but only if they are in a group. Second circle makes connections and are a bit wild. They also appear to be partnered. Third circle are those that aren’t partnered and have less power.
Some of the family connections were confusing. Michael seemed important, and I thought maybe he was part of Allie’s family, or whether it was something else. Her brother David, I couldn’t work out why they were so worried about him when Allie’s grandfather was normal.
Huff is very good at describing things. I got stuck into the story and I couldn’t put it down, particularly towards the end. So there were a couple of things that jolted me out of the story, which I’ve mentioned, but overall it was enjoyable and I’ll certainly go on to read more of Huff’s books.
Getting past all that, the plot is really quite complicated, and very enjoyable. There’s the Gran disappearing line, and then Allie’s developing complicated relationship with a sorcerer’s sidekick, and then the dragons and the spare dragons and everything!
I found the perspective changes at the beginning quite confusing. It was a bit of a mystery story for a while, even for the reader, which I found slightly frustrating. Things cleared up though and there was far more action going on.
 
The ending! Yes! Man, I never worked that out at all. I loved the way this book covered a range of genres – romance, mystery and a heavy helping of fantasy.
I’d love to see a sequel to this book. I feel like if only there was just that little bit more explanation for what the Gale girls actually are, and the abilities of the different people in the circle, or maybe even just some more background information on the Gale family, this would be an awesome book, not just a great one.
I’d recommend this book for adults only. Sex magic is a common theme, which is relatively spread throughout the book (no avoiding it, sorry). I didn’t find it uncomfortable to read, but some teenagers may object.

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I picked this up from Barnes and Noble while I was overseas!4star

Review: Mercedes Lackey – The Fire Rose

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The Fire Rose
Mercedes Lackey
As a scholar of ancient history Rose is a well studied young woman. Unfortunately, her father has left her with multiple debts and no way to pay them. A position found by her old teacher seems to be the answer to her problems, but all is not as it seems.

176881Rose is such an insightful character. If she wasn’t a scholar, I would probably call Lackey out for fancifully making a character too knowledgeable – but Rose is believable, if you think of her as the PhD student she almost was.

It seems at some times like the entirety of this book is based on irony! All the time Paul and Jason are at opposite ends of the spectrum, both thinking that they have the upper hand, when really it’s Rose who has the idea of what is going on! And other times it is Rose and Jason who don’t seem to be compatible.
As one of Lackey’s earlier works (the first in the Elemental Masters series) this is a great example of Lackey’s style before she started churning out lesser quality books recently. The characters are well developed, there are several minor plots going on, and the whole thing is seamless.
Paul is disgusting. I really don’t like him – and I’m not supposed to. His character alters this novel from being a simple Beauty and the Beast fairytale retelling into something with more depth. By rights this novel should have been part of my offerring for the Midsummer Night’s Giveaway, but I was overseas and away from my bookshelf.
I thought that Rose’s initial idea of suicide was reasonable, but the way that Lackey brought it back in later in the story seemed a little absurd, and really stuck out for me. There was no need to talk about it several times – Rose has enough going on as it is.
I’d recommend this book for adults and older teens. There are many hints of rape and torture and various other unsavoury practices, but none of them are actually described in real detail, other than the horrible little cribs.

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Personally I buy all my books from The Book Depository because shipping is cheaper to Australia.4star

Review: Mercedes Lackey – Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar

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Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar
Mercedes Lackey
Another collection of short stories edited by Mercedes Lackey. They encompass a wide range of topics, some tastefully sexy, some very sad. Overall a remarkably good collection that adds to the Valdemar world.
“Transmutation” by Larry Dixon is extremely well written and seamlessly fits in with the rest of the novels by Lackey (fitting since he’s her husband!). I’ve never liked the way griffins spoke; I find it hard to read. It’s a long story, and Dixon makes the most of it to tell his tale. Very good.
“The Feast of the Children” by Nancy Aspire goes along with the idea of the burnings of children in Karse. The God is able to act in small ways, particularly through his cats!
“Death in Keenspur House” by Richard Lee Byers is strange, I didn’t like it and I think it’s by the same author that I didn’t like in one of the other anthologies. The murder mystery type thing. It doesn’t fit in with the rest of the stories for me.
“Dawn of Sorrows” by Brenda Cooper is touchingly sad. The story takes place after the Storm Warning trilogy, and depicts what the back story is for those that are left behind after a Choosing.
“Horse of Air” by Rosemary Edghill is also rather sad. I didn’t get into the story (perhaps it was the use of first person), but I don’t think I was meant to either. It was a bit of a story within a story actually.
“A Change of Heart” by Sarah A. Hoyt and Kate Paulk concerns Ree and Jem. I’ve never really liked the style, although the idea of it is interesting. It does fit in with the Valdemar world convincingly enough, although I naturally would have liked to see more Heralds.
“All the Ages of Man” by Tanya Huff has the return of Herald Jors! Yay, Jors! This time he is required to act as a mentor, but it’s not working out for him because he feels that he isn’t old enough. The writing is engaging, and I’m always happy to hear more. I’m glad Huff stuck to expanding the same character throughout her short stories for these collections.
“War Cry” by Michael Longcor is touching. I guess a purpose of these stories is to dispel the myth that everyone who has Gifts will be chosen. Others have a different  role to play. This story fits in neatly with Exile’s Valor.
“Strength and Honor” by Ben Ohlander is the return of Tregaren and a part of Vkandis’ army in Karse from the first set of short stories. The perspective has changed slightly, but it’s just as good as the first one. Another bit of background on Solaris.
“The Blue Coat” by Fiona Patton is surprisingly good, I enjoyed the storyline, if not entirely the execution.
“Safe and Sound” by Stephanie D. Shaver is a story for twins. A young Bard is chasing a song, and is willing to do anything to get it. Written just as I would imagine Lackey would – very enjoyable.
“Song For Two Voices” by Janni Lee Simner is about a lifebonding in the Holderkin. It isn’t a surprise for me that this is the way the Holderkin live, and although I didn’t like the splitting of the two parts, I could understand why it was written that way.
“Finding Elvida” by Mickey Zucker Reichert is in the same style as The Legend of Nightfall, which means that I loved it! It’s a little hard to believe that a Herald has been sent out on circuit without proper training for all of her Gifts, but if this was occurring during the mage wars, it’s understandable.
“Darkwall’s Lady” by Judith Tarr is creeply sneaky. Well written, not technically about Heralds, although one plays a role. Interesting that that type of magic was able to survive in Valdemar after the advent of vrondi by Vanyel.
“Naught but Duty” by Michael Z. Williamson is a tricky one! Well written, and intentionally confusing at times. I keep thinking of Good Duke Arden from the Bardic Voices universe, but this is an entirely different kettle of fish.
“Landscape of the Imagination” by Mercedes Lackey fits in with the By The Sword collection of short stories about Tarma and Kethry. Just as good as I would have hoped.
My gripe for these stories is probably that for some of them it is hard to know where to place them in the Valdemar chronology. The thing that I like is that lots of them are about Karse, and the Sun Priests, which is something I have always wanted to know more about.
This is a good collection, I’d recommend it for both teens an adults. Anyone who enjoys the Valdemar world will appreciate having this set of short stories to read when there isn’t time for a longer novel.

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Review: Maria V. Snyder – Magic Study

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Magic Study
Maria V. Snyder
Yelena has been exiled, and now heads home with her new mentor. But the brother she never knew she had seems to be against her, and there are too many threads to sort out what is really happening.
3244135Yelena’s relationship with Cahil moves much too quickly compared to what I expected. Also, the way it develops seems very warped. You’ll understand if you read this book.
Yelena makes friends easily now, yet reacts violently to rape, and it just doesn’t seem quite right. The focus on rape of young girls is uncomfortable. I feel like it doesn’t really serve a purpose, and it and the bloodletting add unnecessary drama. People can be kidnapped and killed without needing all that.
I’d like to see a little more development of Yelena as an adult. Yelena’s friend-making abilities have moved far too fast, and her need for contact with Valek seemed a little odd. They were forever having sex! It made me wonder when she’d end up pregnant.
Sometimes there seems to be too many plot points going on at once, and at the same time they seem so superficial that you don’t want to follow them.You know the minute Yelena befriends someone she is going to be using them later. This is particularly true of the beggars.

I don’t think that this book is really reflective of its title. Although Yelena does study a little more magic, it’s not really like she seems to learn anything – she just does things the way she always has and has discovered that she is different. Yelena might be a SoulFinder, but noone is willing to tell her what that is. There are a couple of inconsistencies there too, as she is mocked by the SoulStealer. Souls can’t be returned without creating husks.

I was enveloped in the story, and I couldn’t put it down. Yes, it was that good that I finished it in an entire morning while trying to study for an exam the next day, but some aspect were stilted. It took me a number of pages to become involved with the story, but once I was, I was hooked.
The ending was a little predictable. Sorry, but true. I knew what Yelena would do before she did, even though there was a total lack for me with getting inside Yelena’s head.
Suitable for older teens and adults. Rape, bloodshed, unmannerly torture and murder. I couldn’t say I loved the way this book was written, but the plot is certainly compelling and left me with my heart in my mouth.

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Review: Tamora Pierce – Tortall and Other Lands

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Tortall and Other Lands
Tamora Pierce

This is a collection of short stories all written by Tamora Pierce. Six are easily identifiable as belonging to the Tortall universe. Three appear to be short stories of a different universe, but possibly could also be from Tortall. The last two don’t fit in with the explicit fantasy theme at all, although one has a touch of magic.

‘Student of Ostriches ‘ is the first short story in this book, which I recently read and reviewed from the book Young Warriors, edited by Tamora Pierce.

‘Elder Brother’ is the other side of the story for the tree who has become a man, after Numair changes an evil mage into an apple tree (see the Wild Magic Quartet – to be reviewed soon). Qiom has no idea what to do as a human, and Fadal decides to help him adjust to his new life. It is hard for both of them because Fadal has secrets too. I really enjoyed this story, both as a supporting story for the other quartet, and for exploring Fadal’s character. The land they are in sounds somewhat like a Muslim country to me, because all women must be veiled tightly, and only protected by their menfolk.
‘The Hidden Girl’ overlaps with ‘Elder Brother’. The protagonist encounters Qiom, and happens to be teaching in the same town in which Fadal is almost burnt. Teky is hidden behind her veils, and through that she tries to teach the real voice of the Oracle, that says veiled women should not be powerless. The last line of this story really gave me a giggle! Very enjoyable.
‘Nawat’ is told from the perspective of Nawat, Aly’s crow friend. Before reading this story, it is important to have read the Trickster’s Choice and Trickster’s Queen book so that you understand about crows (and don’t spoil their relationship for yourself!). It’s a longer short story, well written and hearttouching. I did have problems with the way the birthing was presented and also that the 6 month old was able to say understandable words. Otherwise, yay, another Aly story!
‘The Dragon’s Tale’ features Kitten, the dragon daughter of Daine! Yay! Kitten is unable to talk, but she still gets her message across well. Kitten is on tour, and is totally bored. Instead she finds someone in need with rare two toned magic just like Numair.
‘Lost’ has a darking in it. I’m fond of darkings, and they are so clever. It’s a story many people may be able to identify with, being beaten for things that they cannot be blamed for. The ability of Adria for her mathematics is wonderful! I love hearing about someone who is excellent at what they do, but yet is not aware of it.
‘Time of Proving’ involves a being of some kind that I couldn’t identify. It shows the importance of helping a friend, even when that friend is rather unworldly.
‘Plain Magic’ also has a dragon! My favourite. It appears that Pierce enjoys writing about Dragons as much as I enjoy reading about them. Once again, someone who shows great skill is held back by others who are frightened of her abilities.
‘Mimic’ has a different type of creature. When compared to Kitten, it doesn’t seem to be the same. Saying too much more is would ruin it for you. I did enjoy the growing up theme, and also the benefits that are reaped by the protagonist for caring for something that appears to be dying.
‘Huntress’ and ‘Testing’ do not belong with the rest of the short stories. ‘Huntress’ seems quite jarring after the enjoyable short stories from before – a little too serious to belong with the rest, and with an entirely different type of magic. Personally I found ‘Testing’ to be a good general teen novel. I sympathised with the protagonist, but I didn’t really understand why Pierce had given her panic attacks – it didn’t really contribute to
An enjoyable read. The majority of these stories are valuable additions to the Tortall universe. Recommended for teenagers. Some I would say were ok for children, but others (particularly ‘Huntress’) are unsuitable.

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