Jan - 2nd Half

First, let me promise you that, contrary to any conclusions you may have drawn from my last post, I do not have some sort of side deal going with Jacqueline Carey. I just like what I like. If you would read her books already, you would understand.

Second, let me assure you that reading will not be equated to dating again in this post (or ever). That may have been ill-advised. But hey, I picked a metaphor and, by God, I stuck to it.

Third, I need to give a shout out to one of my friends and fellow bloggers, JD, over at Condescension and Other Social Activities. If you enjoy that I don't sugar coat my thoughts on the books I read, you should check her blog out. She and I met in college (we were sorority sisters), and her friendship really changed me for the better. She lives her life the way she wants to, stands up for herself in the face of crappy customer service, tells it like it is and is my all around bitchiness idol. Heart you, JD! :)

Now, the books:

Fantasy (you know, cause I like it)

1) Blackveil by Kristen Britain

As I mentioned a few posts back, I felt a bit let down by The High King's Tomb, but I was pleasantly surprised by Blackveil. While I don't read a lot of romance, I am all about the girl getting the guy. Especially when they are soooo right for each other. I think that the thing that upset me most about High King's Tomb was that this didn't happen. Additionally, I felt like the girl did an awful lot of shit for the guy, and he selfishly just led her on, then told her how he felt, then went back to being engaged to someone else. It pissed me off. Also, when I was reading, I was thinking that it was the last book in a trilogy, and I wanted all the loose ends tied up in a nice little bow. Which did not happen.

After reading Blackveil, I am glad that there are more books coming. While Blackveil did end with a cliffhanger, and leave me feeling stressed out about how the love triangle (triangles?) would get resolved, rather than annoying me (like The High King's Tomb), Blackveil made me want to send the author an email to hurry along her writing.

One thing I have enjoyed about Britain's writing all along is that, while it certainly shares some elements with other fantasy series, it is also quite unique. There is no other series that I have read where the magic of the humans or the elves is quite like the magic in Sacordia. The Green Riders are very unique in what they do, the Elves (or Elt, but same dif) are much like elves everywhere, and both parties point out other magic in the world, but we are only exposed by the evil of Mornhavon and his followers (with the exception of all the gadgets that the sisters have in their posession). Blackveil introduces new magic in the form of a ring that sings the siren song of the sea to Lord Amberhill, and Britain drops little hints and tantalizes that there is more to come with this story line in future books.

I can't wait to see what Britain has in store next, and I may go back and give some of the other books another chance. If you are in the mood for some standard fantasy fare, or if you particularly enjoy books about horses (and NOT in the way of Divine by Nature - EW), you should check this series out. The first book is The Green Rider.

2) Archon: The Books of Raziel by Sabrina Benulis

This story kind of reminded me of The Mortal Instruments, although it didn't really have the same kind of melodrama as that series (which is a good thing in my book). Don't get me wrong, I did like The Mortal Instruments, I just felt like it was a little over the top in the angsty teenager department. That is not to say that Archon didn't have its share of melodrama - it was just different.

First, I am not sure of the intended age of the audience for this book - it seems like it is meant for a young adult reader, but it was awfully dark for that age group. The protagonist, Angela (side note: thank God the author makes a little joke about the name, because I seriously couldn't deal with a girl named Angela as the protagonist in a book about angels unless it was meant to be sort of tongue in cheek) is very troubled, and frequently describes previous suicide attempts and her time in a mental institution. She is also described always wearing long sleeves and leggings because her arms and legs have terrible scars from her self harm. And she attempts suicide at least twice in the book.

Similarly, I couldn't understand why the Vatican was the chosen setting. I get that the book was about angels and biblical prophecy, but I can't believe the sorts of things the students (all seemingly high school age) at the academy there were getting into. It seemed such an unlikely place for priests in training to be sleeping with female stuedents in the academy and students to be members of a group called the pentacle society that engages in demonic rituals. It just didn't track for me.

Finally, while I appreciated the whole notion that 'good' isn't always what it appears, and heart-rending beauty can often mask cruelty and the kind of disinterest only achieved through years of decadence, I felt like it went a little too far, and the characters became sort of one dimensional. Perhaps the author was going for archetypes?

I suppose there are worse ways I could have spent my afternoon, but I think this was enough of The Books of Raziel for me.

3) Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews

Another of the books of the Edge, and Andrews does not disappoint. (You can see here that I already read the other two books by Ilona Andrews set in this universe, On The Edge and Bayou Moon.) I love that the other Edgers always make at the very least a cameo in the next book - that way, you can catch a glimpse of how they are doing, but you get to have another adventure. It is always nice for a reader to see that the 'happily ever after' part of a story continues. (True story - I always wondered how Jane Austen imagined Elizabeth's and Mr. Darcy's lives together after they were married. Did they have children? What happened to her sisters? What about Charlotte and Mr. Collins? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW!!!!).

I looked on Ilona Andrew's website about this book series (trying to find out what was on deck), and she mentions there that she and her agent (among others) had a difficult time categorizing these books, and I can see why. I suppose that they are sort of an urban fantasy/spy/romance novels, and as such, follow a particular formula:

Horrible thing happens + Female protagonist meets male protagonist + They hate each other + Then they love each other + They have hot sex + Disaster is averted + They live happily ever after = Awesomely entertaining afternoon with the girly movie of the book world. Except with sword fights, dragons, magic, bounty hunters and impending doom.

I'm not knocking the formula - I know what I am going to get from Ilona Andrews, and I keep coming back for more. While I am waiting for the next book of the Edge, I am going to rekindle my interest in Kate Daniels, starting with book one in that series, Magic Bites.

4) Something from the Nightside by Simon R Green

I came upon this book by way of one of those 'If you like this, read this' books (similar to how I found Maledicte). Since I found that I enjoyed Jim Butcher's work so much, I entered 'Dresden Files' and Something from the Nightside is what popped out. Well, I can certainly see how that link was made. Something from the Nightside features a private investigator with a gift that makes him the target of powerful adversaries, a soft spot for women and a certain disregard for the letter of the law while upholding the spirit.

In general, Something from the Nightside was a pleasant diversion. It was like a combination of The Dresden Files and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. Green tried to use the inspired, gritty language Gaiman employs throughout his work, combined with the maverick PI persona and the more conversational tone Butcher uses in his. The result was a sort of mixed bag. There were parts that really shone, elevating sections to something more than just a fun read, and there were parts that sort of felt abrupt or obvious. And the last paragraph was just...cheesy. It read like the last scene in a t.v. pilot episode.

All told, as a series opener, it was fairly good. The PI protagonist, John Taylor, is likeable and mysterious enough that I want to see what happens to him as the series progresses, and the Nightside itself has the potential to go in many different creative and creepy directions. I will likely pick up the next book in the series, and more by the author, but not until other, more appealing reads are complete.

5) Saint's Astray by Jacqueline Carey

Readers, did you know that I absolutely adore Jacqueline Carey's writing? Well, I do. You can read about how much I totally heart her here, here, here, and here.

Saint's Astray is the sequel to Santa Olivia. I wasn't planning on reading another book this month, but I started it last night and stayed up until 3:30 to finish it - it was just that good. I got very involved with Pilar's and Loup's stories as they faced new and different challenges - each of the girls grew in their own ways throughout the book, both on their own and in their love for each other.

The story was action packed, the prose (as always) gripping, and the underlying message thought provoking and meaningful. Please readers, for the love of God, read some books by this amazing author. You will not regret it. I promise.

Thriller/Mystery ('cause I'm not a one trick pony)

1) The Faculty Club by Danny Tobey

This book is something I picked up at the library the other day when I was playing 'library roulette'. It was pretty short (which seems to be sort of mystery/thriller standard), and it was certainly a page turner, so it only took a few hours to read. The story got a little unbelievable toward the end, but all the same, I really enjoyed it. I don't usually read this type of book, and I will say that it was more than slightly reminiscent of a movie I have seen a time or too.

All the same, I did enjoy the book, and if you are looking for an adrenaline fueled diversion for a few hours, I think you will too.

2) The Lost Sister by Russel D McLean

Another 'library roulette' selection that turned out well. I must first say, I REALLY dislike beginning with the second book in a series. As someone who reads a lot a fantasy, I am used to much of the ground work about characters being laid in the first book, and it being practically impossible to really get the full experience of said book without having read the preceding work. This doesn't seem to be quite as big of an issue with mystery books, but The Lost Sister did make some reference to events in the authors prior work, The Good Son. Thankfully, these were more like little glimpses of the protagonist's back story, and weren't really distracting from the story line.

Having that confession off my chest, I can say that the story here was really, really engaging. The characters were all multi-faceted, and the tale twists and turns as a PI tries to solve a crime based on so much hearsay. I must say that I was surprised at the end, and I look forward to catching myself up by reading The Good Son.

If you are in the mood for a mystery, check this out. I will warn you that it is a little bloody, and there are certainly more cerebral tales, but still, a very enjoyable read.