Premio Dardos Award

This award acknowledges the the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.

The rules to follow are:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgement. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I got this award from Yvonne from Socrates´ Book reviews
I am truly honoured and happy to receive this award. It does mean a great deal to me :)
Thank you so much!!

There are many new bloggers I have discovered lately, and those I have known for a longer time. But I am gonna cheat right now and I will get back and nominate some bloggers later on. With one exception, one nomination I want to give now to;

Aarti from Booklust

Mailbox Monday

What arrived in YOUR mailbox this week? Visit Marcia at The Printed Page to leave a link to your post and see what other readers acquired!

This week I got one book in the mail, The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick.
I won the book over at Savvy Verse & Wit
I do love historical books so this will be a fun read. It's the story about King Arthur and how his life could have been, and without the fantasy elements.

My library loot for the week can be found here.


I also got mail to my inbox this week, Spirits unveiled by Amanda Cummings, an erotic fantasy romance.







This was my week, how was yours?

The Taming of The Duke by Eloisa James

The Taming of The Duke by Eloisa James
(Essex Sisters 3)

I didn't even know that there were two other books about the main characters sisters, and you really don't have to know that to read this book.

Lady Imogen Maitland is a widow and in the position of taking a lover. A man who knows how to keep quiet.

But she is still under the watchful eye of her former guardian, rafe, the duke of Holbrook. he believes that she still needs someone who watches her. But she laughs at the idea that a lazy drunk of a man can do anything. Why should he have anything to say what she is doing.

Then the illegitimate brother shows up, and Gabriel is everything Rafe should be. and they even look the same. He interests her and he would suit perfectly for her need. He agrees to escort her to a play in disguise, but who is it really she is with, Gabe or Rafe?


I needed some fun and this was just the right book for that.

I wans't sure that a could like drunk who wasn't described in a nice way, but I did started to like him. Imogen was an allright heroine, but dunno if I liked her or not. I guess I did because I wanted her to get a happy ending, and get her ideas of affairs out of her mind. And then I learned about her previous marriage. An to get back to Rafe, I have sure not read about a drunken hero before, and it's not like they had AA meetings back then.


The brother Gabe, well he was kind of boring, and not onyl because he was a professor of divinity. Reading about her sisters Annabell and Tess, well that made be wanna read her two other books. And i guess I want to know what will happen to the fourth one, Josie. Oh and Griselda needs some loving too.


This book fitted my needs, regency and romance. I smiled, and giggled. I actually liked it a lot. She has an easy way of writing, and that makes it easy to read too. A good book when you don't wanna think at all, just get lost.


3,5/5

The two other books are:
Much ado about you
Kiss me, Annabell

The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge completed

The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 1st Jan 09 - 31st March 09

This year the Historical Reading Challenge is being Hosted by Royal Reviews.
Here are the rules:

• Read 3 historical fiction books in 3 months from 1st Jan 09 - 31st March 09.
• Historical fiction will be counted as anything set or written prior to World War II. This will include classic novels, time travel novels or anything you feel fits the genre.

1. The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani







2. The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick








3. The Taming of The Duke by Eloisa James






My first ever challenge completed :)

Booking Through Thursday

“What’s the best ‘worst’ book you’ve ever read — the one you like despite some negative reviews or features?”

I am sure there is some better book out there, but I will go the fav bad book from last week, Twilight.

The writing is horrible, like a 13-year old writing in her diary. Going on and on, I should know, i have written things like that. I see parallels with other books, but no the author say she didn't even know about those books, movies or tv-shows. Some of the lines in the book made me want to hide under the covers, they were so cheesy that I almost died.

So why did I choose it, well it was so cheesy that it was cute. Puppylove with a vampire, so because of that I overlooked the bad writing and the oh so terrible lines here and there. As for the two books following, oh they are just bad, and the last one is just weird. Those I wouldn't pick for this answer.

Sometimes you need a really cheesy and bad book, and that book will make you enjoy the actual good books so much more.

For more bad good books look here




- Bella being horrified about the things she says

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by A striped Armchair and Alessandra that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!


My trip to the library brought me 3 books, and they are looking good.

An Angel for Emily by Jude Deveraux

I do prefer the historical novels but Deveraux, but I thought I would give a contemporary book a chance. And it did sound weird, a girl driving and hitting a man who says he is an angel. I guess I have to find out what the deal is.




The Indian Clerk by David Levitt

Not to sure about this one. It's about a man who gets a letter from India. The man who wrote the letter seems to be some sort of mathematical genius, but the mans colleagues at the Oxford, or was it Cambridge, doesn't agree. Better travel to India then.



The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies

A Jewish Captain comes to Wales to interrogate a German prisoner. He meets a Welsh girl, full of life. Is there some sort of triangle there. Thought they hinted at that at the back. And the book does feel like a Booker nominee.

Proximidade Award - Thank you, Aarti!

I was awarded this from Aarti at Booklust . It sure made my day.

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

My first award, you are too kind :) I would so love to give it back to you at the same time.

Now to pass it along to 8 blogs I have been enjoying since I started my blog.

Dar from Peeking between the pages, I know I will always enjoy her reviews, or what she will be writing about at the moment. And one of my first followers

Amy C from Romance book worm, because she does read the best books, my TBP pile keeps growing.

Anna from Diary of an Eccentric, this was one of the first blogs I found, and I never looked back.

Lilly from Reading extravaganza, another new find and I always enjoy her posts, and comments.

Cj over at My years of reading seriously, a really new and fun find. And she has Finnish blood, lol.

Wendi B from Wendi's book corner, because I do like my new blogfinds, fun to meet her.

Amy from Passages to the Past, because I will always love history, and she has the best books, and posts.

Amanda from Amanda's writing diary, she has such a fun blog where she writes aboout her books, and newest one, Zombie Queen of Newbury High


So check them out and enjoy.

I love all my blogs, they are all so fun to read, and all in different ways, depending on what I am looking after. So this should really go to everyone :)

Hush: An Irish princess tale by Donna Jo Napoli

I didn't finish this book. I read at the end that it was based on this old Icelandic tale about a Irish princess that gets taken as a slave, and then becomes the concubine of her master, and she never utters a word. Sounds interesting so I borrowed it.

So I started it anyway (even though I had doubts about a happy ending), I hadn't read a YA book in a while. I do know a lot about the 900th century, Iceland and Ireland, but does everyone? She could have explained more.

Then I got this bad feeling and decided to look at the end, and the middle. Violence and rapes, and this is meant for teens. Ok, perhaps, but when Melkorka learns to understand the man who did it, and like him.. No that is where I decided to stop reading. That is not right.

The end left you cold too, the worst most have been yet to come. Ok she could have followed the tale, but made exceptions or something. I just didn't have what it took to finish this book.

Dedication by Emma Mclaughlin & Nicola Kraus

Dedication

After hearing from her best friend back home, Kate jumps on a plane and heads back to her where she grew up. The reason is her long lost boyfriend, Jake Sharpe, one of the music industries most bright stars.

Eleven years ago, before prom, he disappeared without a trace or sound. What she was left with was songs on the radio, and all about her. Now he has returned to Vermont, with her celebrity girlfriend, and she has the chance to once and for all confront him on what he did.

She will soon turn 30, and to live fully as a grown-up and put Jake behind her she needs to visit her home town. And she is not the only one Jake let down those years ago, there is also his band. Can she put everything right?


First of all I read this one in Swedish and I was not that fond of the title, cos I guess the meant "My lost innocence", but that word is the same as virginity, and yes it will be read like that. It was one of those chick-lit titles they give when they translate that can look weird sometimes.

But to the book, it was ok, and I needed to know what was going to happen. I even stayed up late for it, but that didn't make it any better than ok in the end. It was kind of strange in a way. Of course I understood why she needed closure, I would have been pissed off, but couldn't she just have done it earlier, before he was a megastar? The same with his band.

The book also jumped from place to place, we saw like 6 years of her life go by as they first noticed each other, and the started dating. Between that was the present as she came back home to get a hold of him. That I liked in a way, cos we got to see how it all happened.

The bad things, was it meant to be funny or not? Because I didn't laugh, did I even smile? Maybe it got lost in translation.

The way the spoke in the book, now that was good, you could feel her grow up. Still I would have wanted more on why Jake was like he was, in the end, and her parents. No I never warmed up to them. What I did like was the end, I will say no more. But since most of the book could be cliché sometimes, then they did manage to surprise me once.

Even if it make me read on I will give it 3/5.
It makes you read, but I wanted more.

Mailbox Monday

What arrived in YOUR mailbox this week? Visit Marcia at The Printed Page to leave a link to your post and see what other readers acquired!

My week started with me getting My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell-Barnes. I won the book over at A garden carried in the pocket . Thank you.

Next book I got was a win from Reading extravaganza . The book is The Invitation by Oriah. Thanks again.

I am a member of this community over at a radio channels site, and they have a pocketbook-swap, you send one in and you get one back. This week I got my second book, translated (The Red Wolf) by Liza Marklund. The only swap Swedish books. It's a detective/journalist story, she is famous, but we'll see if I liker her books too.

My trip to our local library gave me Uptown girl by Olivia Goldsmith.

The last book this week I found at the fleamarket held in my parents village. I enjoyed the two books I read about Darkover by Marion Zimmer Bradley, but this one, Exile's Return is different and takes place further in the future and seems to be more sci-fi. But who knows, cos I do like her writing.


This was my week, how was yours?

Sunday Salon

This week I finished Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre, and I loved the book. It was thrilling, funny, and cute at the same time.

I also finished Dedication which I will review during the week.

I decided to join another challenge, the chic-lit challenge and for that one I have decided to at leat read the Shopaholic books by Kinsella. Beacause I went and saw the movie this week, and it was funny, cute, and the clothes were so lovely.

At the moment I am reading The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan, and I will start on Hush by Napoli, or (and) White Star by Vaughan. I really think I will take on Hush first since I need my last and third book for the historical reading challenge which finishes in March. And that book with an irish princess enslaved by Vikings fits well, and haven't read any YA books for a while either.

About books I got, librarytrip and fleamarket results will be up tomorrow :)

The weather is so perfect today, sunny and a blue sky. So we are going out to the islands to eat some moose soup. And it will give me some time to read too.

Have a lovely Sunday :D

Chick-lit challenge

From January 1 through December 31, 2009, read at least 10 chick lit books. Books can overlap with other challenges and you can change your list at any time.

To sign up, click here

I have no ideas what the books will be, I will take it a step at a time.
1. The Ex Files by Jane Moore
2. Dedication by Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus
3. Uptown girl by Olivia Goldsmith
4. Mucho Caliente! by Francesca Prescott
5.Confessions of a shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
6. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
7.Shopaholic ties the knot by S.Kinsella
8. Shopaholic and sister by S.Kinsella
9. Shopaholic and baby by S.Kinsella
10. To love, honor, and betray by Kathy Lette

Booking Through Thursday

“What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?”
Check it out

It took me a while because first i was thinking of Twilight, but I actually thought it was rather cute, for being written by a silly "13 year old girl" (well the first book, the next two was crap).

But then I realised which book I struggled with because it was so bad, oh and I read it 2-3 times. A portrait of the artist as a young man by James Joyce. We had it for our classics class, and after reading the lovely Jane Eyre, we read this one. I have never been so bored in all my life, every word made me yawn and I didn't understand why it was so great. Neither did my friends who took the same course. For some strange reason though I did good in the exam, I guess I understood what it was all about. (though I can't help to wonder how boring my essays must have been.)

No, it was confusing and boring, I am certain that i will never pick up a Joyce book ever again, how ever great he may be.

How about you then?

Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre (ARC)

Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre
A Corine Solomon Novel

18 months ago Corine Solomon left her lover and crossed the border to Mexico. She was fleeing her past and her gift, as a "handler". Which means that when she touch something she can know its past, and sometimes its future. She used it to find missing people - and that is now why people want to find her.

That is how her ex, Chance shows up in her store. He has an ability that gives him luck. Someone they both care about has gone missing and he needs her to find that someone, not to mention that he needs her too. Their search leads them into a world of dark magic, demons, zombies, witches and people that show her that she is not as alone as she first thought.



I really did enjoy this book, and I knew it from the start. It is that kind of book that makes you want to continue reading, you feel the urge to know what is going to happen. It's an easy book to read, and it was just what I needed. It sure lifted my spirits after reading some not so good books. i felt that good books are still being written and this is one of them.

First of all I liked Corine, she is colourful (and then I am not talking about her clothes). I didn't know what to think about Chance at first, just as she struggled with her own emotions for him. But then I did want to see them together. Though I do confess that sexy cop Jesse Saldana sure stirred the blood when he showed up. He was a lovely surprise in the book.

This book sure had a bit of everything thrown in and perhaps that is why I liked it. It did feel different, and a good book needs that to stand out. What is better than dark magic, and then zombies too. Yes even those fitted in.

I do like a book that makes me giggle, and smile. Oh it has some really good bits in it, one that involved a conversation about some cakes and ice-cream after dinner sure made me giggle while I read it.

So if you are on a lookout for a book invloving paranormal, romance, danger, and some fun times then this is the book for you.

How I am supposed to say something bad now..... ok, the cover, when Corine was described in the book I sure thought about her a certain way and that cover doesn't seem like her. The jeans, yes, but not the blouse. Lol, yes this really seems to be the only negative thing I can think of.


I will give this book 4/5 because I enjoyed it a lot, and I would recommend it to others.

It also made me want to read more of Aguirre's books since I haven't read her sci-fi books yet.

Blue Diablo comes out on April 7th

Riding On Instinct Contest

Mailbox Monday

MAILBOX MONDAY

What arrived in YOUR mailbox this week? Visit Marcia at The Printed Page to leave a link to your post and see what other readers acquired!

This week I welcomed one book to my Mailbox, Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre that I won over at Novel thoughts and booktalk

I also won an e-book over at Samhellion, and had that in my inbox this week.


I also went on a trip to the library after I heard that Georgette Heyer was better than Austen, sadly they only had one book, My Lord John.



This was my week in books, what did you get?

Sunday Salon - Reading Blue Diablo

My first Sunday Salon, I should have checked what one is supposed to write about. The week in books? Well ok I will give that a go then.

Sunday Salon

Last Sunday I posted the books I got, ok 1 book, which I will start on soon, the books I got this week will come up tomorrow.

I read two fantasy books this week and I wasn't impressed by any of them. First up was Odalisque, which my friend recommened highly, but I didn't like it at all. She couldn't understand why when we talked some days after I had read it. But then she did say that she had chosen the one she thought I would like, but I guess that wasn't the way to go. Since I didn't like the other two books I had borrowed either. Not to mention that seh said she like endings that leaves one hanging, I must have a happy ending.

The second book this week was The Iron Tree, and that one left me feeling nothing too. It wasn't the fantasy for me. I, no didn't enjoy it. Too much of everything and I also wanted it to be a bit happier. But it did got me thinking that maybe my friend would like it.
And she said she would have some more books for me the next time we see each other.

I book I started on this week, Dedication by Emma McLaughin and Nicola Krauss, was better, I need some chick-lit, even if it hasn't gtten funny or happy yet, and dunno if it ever will.

A book I really like and started on yesterday is Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre. Yes I am truly enjoying that one :) Too bad I wont have time to read today cos I need to know what is gonna happen there.

Been in a few contests this week, and got word on that I won some too :) More books for bookcrazy me.

Next week I will continue on Blue Diablo so expect a review, and hopefully finish Dedication too.

That is what has been going on in my little bookworld, I hope everyone else had a nice week too.

Booking through Thursday

What book do you think should be made into a movie? And do you have any suggestions for the producers?
Or, What book do you think should NEVER be made into a movie?


My first book through Thursday ever :)

Well I love, love the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich. They would make such funny movies, or at least one funny movie. Would be the best chick-flick ever. But they would have to be careful with the casting, not anyone can be Stephanie, Joe or Ranger. Not to forget Lola and grandma mazur. I guess that's why I would worry if they made a movie, could it ever come to close to the perfection of the books?

I need to metnion fantasy too, and ever since I saw what Peter Jackson did, what no one else have managed before or after, well after that I did get curious to see Magican by Raymond E.Feist or The wheel of Time by Robert Jordan on screen. Magician could be made with a great director, but WOT, no I sadly don't think they could do it justice. I guess my suggestion there is that they never make a movie of it.

And don't forget the historicals, what wouldn't i give to see a book by Elizabeth Chadwick on the big screen *hint* *hint* The Great Hunt. Just as long as they stick to her book, and really do their history to have everything right I would see that.


I guess that for the same reason I want to see WOT, I don't want to see it made into a movie cos i know they would mess it up.

The Iron Tree by Cecilia Dart-Thornton

The Iron Tree by Cecilia Dart-Thornton
Book 1 in The Crowthistle Chronicles

In a desert land young Jarred lives with his mother. His father left long ago in search of something, or just to hide. And Jarred wants more out of his life so he leaves with a bunch of friends in search of adventure, and to find his father. Instead he find the love of a woman when he meets Lilith who lives in the marches of Slievmordhu. Now he wants to travel no further, instead he wants to win her love.

But she has a suitor, and a terrible curse over her that will make her go insane like her mother one day. But she cannot give up the love she feels for him.

It's hard to review this book since I read the first part 6 months ago and finished it this week. I was honestly not that impressed to continue.

She is a good write, and she creates good stories, countries and such. She puts in a lot of old fairy tales and things that we might know, so when a ghost or something shows up we might just know what they are and how to get rid of them. So I do like the marches, and she was a way of writing. It's good romance fantasy.

But then I did turn into a picky reader and this is not the fantasy for me. Nothing happens! They mostly sit in that march and wonder what to do, or we see her jealous suitor, or the march life continues.

I do need more things to happen, and the end didn't made me happy either. I even had a sneak peak at the next books ending, which didn't have me happy either. So who knows about the last book then.

Maybe she is trying to hard to put in every single element of fantasy in the book, and the results is just confusing at times. I did get lost if I stopped reading for awhile. There was to much of everything, and too many long boring descriptions. I read that she was compared to Tolkien, and I just thought blasphemy! He is not that boring.

And I couldn't connect to Jarred because he was too perfect, and Lilith, plainly boring again. The only one that seemed real was the crazed suitor.

Oh a warning! Read the beginning and you know the end. I hate that.

But if is does seem interesting, than do read it. There are all kinds of fantasy and this wasn't my cup of tea.

1/5 *

The rest of the series are:
The Well of Tears
The Weatherwitch
Fallowblade

Odalisque by Fiona Mcintosh

Odalisque by Fiona McIntosh
Book 1 in the Percheron saga.

The land has a new Zar, 15 year old Boaz take the throne after his father dies, and by his side is his mother who will do anything for the power this brings her. In a cut-throat court he must reign, and see who is wants him harm and who is his friend.

The warrior, the Spur Lazar, the old kings jester Pez, and a beautiful odalisque Ana, purchased in the foothills will porve to be the only true friends the young king has, and can trust in the beginning of his reign.

And the world will also herald the coming of the gods themselves to do battle again against each other.


What am i to say?! I borrowed this book from a friend, and she loved it. But I couldn't begin to imagine how boring and icky it would be. I speeded through it just to finish it.

Boaz was an idiot, he could have done what he wanted cos in the end he was the ruler, but no let innocents get executed and his old friend castrated.

Lazar, ok, dunno about 35 or so falling madly with some fresh 15 year old. And she should learn to hold her tongue.

I didn't hate anyone, but I didn't like anyone either. I guess you were supposed to like Lazar and Ana, but...no. Nothing in them made me like them, or anyone for that matter.

I am not saying this was bad fantasy, it was exotic, and my friend loved it. That just shows that her and I have different taste in fantasy. I like mine more epic, high fantasy, and this one at times could have been some harem in Turkey, if it wasn't for a tiny bit of magic.

Not the fantasy for me, but she did write well so it's up to each to decide.

Mailbox Sunday

Got White Star by Elizabeth Vaughan this week :D
Won it over at Nalini Singhs Blog

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

The Greatest Knight

This is the story about the greatest knight that ever lived, William Marshal. Born in the 12th century he rose from a penniless knight to an influential man of his time. He saved queen Eleanor of Aquitane and became a tutor to her children. But every star must fall and not all at court liked him, and rumours were spread. He had to flee from court, but he always tread a path that lead him to success.

It's a story about a real person, and Chadwick mixes historical facts with fiction on how things could have happened.

There is also a second book called The Scarlett Lion, and there we again meet an older William, trying to hold it all together while as always there is fighting around him in England.


So why did I not like this book?! I love Chadwick, but I fear it was because this was based on truth and I could just look up what was going to happen. Who would die, who would marry who and all that. I am not particularly fond of books like this.

Yes it was a great book and Chadwick knows how to write historical fiction. She makes it a world i would like to live in. In that this is a good book, something all historical lovers should read.

Could it be because it's from a mans point of view? I am used to reading her books from a woman point, and I didn't really warm up to William. That and the fact that I knew how things would work out made it a bit boring. There wasn't that much love either, and I love love in Chadwick's books, it was mostly about how he served a lord after a lord, tournaments and frictions with the Plantagenet princes.

Not the Chadwick book for me even though it was good. I am such a picky reader.

The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

Now why should books I have read before suffer cos they were read before this blog were started so here I go, most will not have a long review, maybe just one sentence but this one was written before.

(read May 2008)

In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything...and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them.
(copied from the back of the book cos I like it :)

The books starts with a shipwreck 1857 and the only survivor is Emmaline Martin. She comes to Delhi to meet her fiancé Marcus, who would rather have seen her die than arriving in the way she did. She feels betrayed by him and at that time she meets Julian Sinclair, an English Duke. At this time the sepoys (Hindu soldiers in the army) revolts and the city becomes a death-trap. She can only do one thing and that is to flee.

The book is made up by 2 parts, the one in India and the one in London. I liked the first part better. That one had everything, war, turmoil, danger and romance. It felt refreshing in a strange way. The author wasn't exactly afraid to put her heroine in harms way. A likable heroine by the way. She could talk back and sure she could be a little naive, but that was understandable. Julian was a good hero but sometimes lacking (well only a little bit) cos I would have liked something more about his hindu heritage. As for more Marcus, well he was an idiot. Very well-made and he got what he deserved.

It's a good lovestruck that has a bit of everything in it so that many can like it. Danger, romance and loss. I wish I could have read it without stopping so much to write on my thesis. But it also works if you makes some stops. Cos then it's there waiting for you and one wants to know what happens.

India is enchanting and their love makes one forget about the danger around them. A good book in every way.

Author's site where you find a excerpt from the book. http://meredithduran.com/

Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb

Renegade's Magic, Book 3 in the Soldier Son triology by Robin Hobb

Nevare Burvelle dreamed about becoming a cavalla officer, but then the Speck Plague came to Old Thares, and his life would change forever. After being disowned by his father he fled to Getty's, a small garrison at the edge of the Speck forest. And then he was accused of horrific crimes, and fled while implanting memories in the memories of those who thought they beat him to death.

In the forest of the mysterious Specks is the treewoman he cares for, Lisana. While stuggling to keep seperate his speck self Soldier's Boy from Nevare, he will venture deep into the woods and claim his right as a Great One.

Can he save the woods and the ancestor trees from being destroyed from the Gernian invaders. And can he save those he loves in Gernia from being killed by the Specks?

While the 2 sides of him struggle for power the faith of those he care about on both sides will be decided.

I left of feeling depressed after book 2. He is incredibly fat, hated by all (except the Specks), and I just saw no end at all to this series. Hobb sure has a way of writing, she spares no one, instead the puts it out there. Life is not always fair. Innocent people are wronged, and I felt so sorry for Nevare.

Book 3 starts with him fleeing from Gettys. At least he will win I think, but he is not happy being split into two. And I like the Specs, they just want their forest, and the Gernians see them as a primitive folk who foolishly believe on magic. They can't imagine that magic is really real, instead they fight with Iron and destroy more "primitive" people. Yes there are connections, not to mention something that happens later on and really echoes another era.

So what did I think, well hard to say since I was so afraid for Nevare. If I read it again I could relax more. But it was good, no where as good as the Farseer Trilogy though.

And it's not epic fantasy cos the world is really near ours when they have real guns. But I kinda liked that twist cos it fits here.