Saturday 31 October 2009

Review: 22 Nights - Linda Winstead Jones


22 Nights by Linda Winstead Jones

Genre: Paranormal romance
Pages: 336
Published:2208

The emperor has his eyes on the lovely Belavalari as his future empress. Little does he know that Bela has spent the last five years intent on one purpose - revenge.

And when the dashing general Merin is sent to collect Bela, he's horrified to learn that she's already married - to
him.


First I just want to take up this whole paranormal romance genre, well ok, this is fantasy, with romance. I would just rather have it called fantasy romance then. Because to call it paranormal gives it the wrong feeling, in most fantasy I haev read there is magic, sometimes hidden and sometimes not. Nothing parano0rmal about that. When it takes place in this world then yes do call it this. But here I always gets confused, is it set in our world or not. Here it is not. Therefore my little fantasy speech.

Second, this blurb is misleading and it made me not care for the second storyline. I wished she had not made it like that. There is Bela and Merin. And suddenly there is a woman called Leyla who is having sex with this guy Savvyn. Why I thought, and read past that to get back to Bela. But Leyla kept coming back and then I understood that this book is actually 2 books in one in a way. They are about the same thing though so that is what they have in common.

I wished that could have been mentioned so that I would have cared more for Leyla. As for the cover that is Bela and Merin.

But ok, the story is that the emperor wants a bride, and he sends out sentinels to get him 6 brides so he can choose. Bela, is one of them. But when general Merin arrives he gets a surprise. He sure remember the woman who jumped him and then left. But he did not know they were married. A divorce is in other so he can bring the bride to his emperor.

The second story is about Leyla, a widow who has been called forth as a bride too. A bit older, and with a younger lover who she now must leave. She sets out but it's a dangerous journey to the capital.

Bela is a bit spoiled now and again. She wants to be a warrior and she dresses and act likes a man. The she suddenly goes soft, and I don't know about that whole thing. But I still liked her. Merin too. As for the whole lovestory, well yes I knew they would be together but I don't know if I cared.

Leyla and Savvyn was different. I did not care for them at first, though I wish I had. But their lovestory was more intense, and I longed for these too. They had more obstacles to get trough and that made them real.

There was also much focus on something that I guess will happen in another series. I then hope she writes that one cos else it will be strange.

But it was a good little story. I just wish tI would have known about the two storyline plot. I did get caught by surprise about the whole sex thing with two strangers that did not seem to have anything to do with Bela and Merin. Oh and yes it was a lot of sex too. But it fitted the mood and what happened trough the book.

It is a book that I am sure lovers of romance in a little fantasy world can like. Cos there is plenty of that. Some hardships, and danger too. This is book 2 in the trilogy Emperor brides, but you can read any of them in any order really. Well perhaps not book 3, but we all know who people will fall for in the beginning with these books anyway.


Cover thoughts: Love it, those colors, yes perfect. But it looks a bit strange to the side.
Why I read it: My book
I don't know if to give it 2,5 or 3. That whole storyline caught me so unaware really and therefore my hesitation. But now you are warned.



16 comments:

  1. I've heard of Linda Winstead Jones but I hadn't heard of this book. I agree with you, I really dislike when the book blurbs don't really give you a true idea of what your getting into. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Blodeuedd!

    I don't know, usually for me, paranormal romance signifies that some extraordinary creature will be involved (weres, vamps). I would have called this fantasy with romantic elements. (I do like the fantasy romance sub-genre you've come up with, lol.)

    I dislike it when I don't know two stories are involved in one book, they should have put that in the blurb.

    The story sounds interesting though, is the revenge against the Emperor or Merin?

    Dottie :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh I hate it when the Blurb doesn't say there are two side plots. Must be really confusing to read it.
    I recently read a book where the POV changed not only from chapter to chapter but sometimes in the middle of one. And I always thought:"Why does the girl think like a man?" before I realized the POV changed again. *headdesk*
    I sometimes wonder why they have so many problems with shelving the books in the right genre. Can't be that tough?
    Book sound really nice. Have you read the rest of the series?
    Have a nice Sunday!
    Hugs
    Susi

    ReplyDelete
  4. Donna,
    The blurb is totally confusing, not just about the second couple but also about the first. A truly bad blurb really.

    Dottie,
    I know, and no no vamps and weres here. Just fantasy and some withccraft. Cos that is what I think of paranormal romance too, and this is, yes fantasy with romance.

    Truth be told there is no revenge at all, we are lead to think so cos of that blurb. And yes she is pissed at Meron but we find out at once that it is really he who should eb angry at her.

    ReplyDelete
  5. B-

    This is an interesting blog today...as a writer I will be sure my blurbs spell out when I've got a braided storyline. This was a very insightful article from a readers POV - Love it!

    Hugs
    Hawk

    ReplyDelete
  6. Susi,
    Yes it sure was, I mean ok books have different people in it also, but here is was a major plotline and I got confused.
    The POV thing can be so annoying sometimes. I recently read one, well you know the chick-lit, where first it was one POV and tense, then other POVS and tense. That got really confusing.

    But despite all of this it was a good book :)
    And no I have not read the other books but I am interested.

    Hi Hawk :)
    Oh yes good blurbs are soooo important! I hate blurbs sometimes, it shows that the one that wrote them have not even read the book cos they are confusing and has major flaws.
    And here it could really have spelled out that there would be one more story.

    ReplyDelete
  7. A good blurb is really important for me. Two storylines would have been confusing for me too; I wouldn't have known how much attention each merited.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Laitan nyt laiskuuttani suomeksi :)

    Olen lukenut sekä ensimmäisen että tämän toisen osan. Minustakin sarja on selkeästi "fantasy romance"- nimikkeen alle kuuluva. Onneksi tiesin tästä, joten pystyin asennoitumaan lukemiseen oikein: tiesin siis mitä oli luvassa. Muistaakseni ekassakin osassa seurattiin useampaa henkilöä, joten kakkososassa se ei enää yllättänyt. Ehkä tämä sarja tietyssä mielessä kannattaa lukea järjestyksessä, että näkisi kirjailijan tyylin, millainen maailma on, mikä on juonen taustaidea jne. Sen vuoksi hypätessä suoraan kakkososaan voi olo tuntua hieman eksyneeltä.

    Minä ajattelin lukea vielä sarjan päätösosan. Kunhan vaan saan aikaiseksi ostettua sen... Aiotko sinä jatkaa trilogian parissa?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Not really my type of book but I loved reading your review the best!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I understand your grouse.. blurb not reflecting the book, that is annoying...

    I have read Ms. Jones Contemp before and I like her - not read any fantasy by her...

    Thanks for your round up.

    E.H>

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hazra,
    A good blurb is the best, when I finally got that these two stories played equally important parts it was kind of late.

    Maija,
    Haha yes gotta be lazy sometimes.
    I do wonder why they don't have a genre like that, or do they. I always see books like this in paranormal romance.

    Dunno, I have read the blurb for book 1 and there they talk about one couple too so perhaps I would have the same issues there. But then I would have known that this would be her style. So that would have gone easier. In that other aspect I didn't feel confused, I did check book 1 and got that point of the books. She succeeded in that, I could read it easily.

    As for finishing, well, I honestly don't know. There are books I would rather spend my money on. That big wishlist you know. So perhaps I will just leave it at this one.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks Staci,
    That is always nice to hear.

    EH,
    Not the first time, but I do not get why they couldn't have mentioned it. Like the story wasn't as important.

    She has contemp, cool, I did not know that. But she was fun, even if I got annoyed at the blurb

    ReplyDelete
  13. Blodeuedd, I am so sorry I am so behind!!!!
    But I am agreeing... and great blurb will sell the story. I mean, you are right... if the blurb is not good then you wonder who the hell wrote it and what were they thinking!

    ReplyDelete
  14. it's ok Cecile, you have had a busy month :D
    But yes a blurb sells the book. I hate books where I can't even find what it's about, just some quotes that it's good. Well then I can't buy it cos I do not know what it's about

    ReplyDelete
  15. I don't really read much fantasy or paranormal romance, but I'd think the definitions of those would be obvious. I think I'll pass on this one, though I did enjoy your review.

    --Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks Anna,
    I do enjoy them, but I do wish they could create another subgenre for this one

    ReplyDelete

Contributors

Copyright © 2008-2020 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell All Rights Reserved. Proudly powered by Blogger

  © Blogger template Starry by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008 Modified by Lea

Back to TOP