Tuesday 17 February 2015

2 Brian McClellan shorts and Dark lady's chosen by Gail Z Martin

Treachery and blood magic threaten King Martris Drayke's hold on the throne he risked everything to win. As the battle against a traitor lord comes to its final days, war, plague and betrayal bring Margolan to the brink of destruction. Civil war looms in Isencroft. Finally, in Dark Haven, Lord Jonmarc Vahanian has bargained his soul for vengeance as he leads the vayash moru against a dangerous rogue who would usher in a future drenched in blood.

My thoughts:
I did feel like the whole series fell apart for me in this one. I was not interested at all.

Tris spent most of the time in a tent or well outside the tent. His character lacked depth.

Kiara was somewhat better as she tried to navigate the court and people tried to kill her. But honestly even her character was flat and showed nothing.

Jonmarc actually showed some feelings. He did his best to keep the peace between humans and vamps.

Then there was Cam who spend the entire book in a cell and who cares, and his sister Carina who *yawn* did something.

The book took place during a week, and honestly only book 1 showed any real promise. I think it would have been better if book 2-4 would have been 2 books instead of 3.

The book left me disappointed. And too bad that I have the first of the sequel, sigh.

Paperback, 595 pages
Published February 4th 2010 by Solaris
Chronicles of the Necromancer #4
Fantasy
Own

Vlora is an orphan living at a boarding school as a ward of the state. Even at her young age, she already has enemies: the Bulldog Twins, Baron Fendamere, and her own headmistress. When a strange man offers to buy her, Vlora runs away and takes to the roofs above the gunsmithies of Hrusch Avenue. It is there that she meets a boy named Taniel and begins a friendship that will change her life forever. 

My thoughts:
This is the story of how Vlora met Taniel.

I am so bad with reviewing short stories, cos they are short!

Vlora has courage, she wants more. She meets Taniel, and that meeting puts her in the right direction.

I like these shorts, even if I do not have a lot to say at the end. I also think it might even work as a stand alone. But hey do read the series! This is just one of the prequels ;)
 

ebook, 29 pages
Published June 28th 2013
Fantasy
Own


Taniel is a powder mage; a flintlock marksman with the ability to imbibe common black powder to strengthen his mind, body, and senses, as well as shoot over long distances. Sent into short-term exile by his father, he's supposed to see some of the world and cool his head, to learn something besides life in the Adran army. His arrival in exile, however, coincides with the eruption of a bloody new conflict as the colony of Fatrasta rises up against its Kez suppressers. Taniel has certain talents that the Fatrastan militia could very well use, and he just can't help but get involved... 

My thoughts:
It's the story how Taniel met Ka Poel.

Ok so this is a short story, so not a lot will happen. A war is coming, he wants to fight. There is danger, there is Ka Poel. The end.

It takes place before the powder mage trilogy.

A nice short story. Always good being back in this world.

Kindle Edition, 38 pages
Published May 29th 2014
Fantasy
Own




38 comments:

  1. Nothing kills a series quite like an author trying to milk and extra installment out of it. At least the shorts were decent!

    Carmel @ Rabid Reads

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    Replies
    1. I really should not have bought the sequel before finishing this one, sigh

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  2. Ugh... don't you hate when you have to review the sequel and you didn't love the first book?

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  3. Oh, I didn't realize that the Face in the Window was about how Taniel met Ka-Poel! I may need to read that one now. I really enjoyed the Vlora one, I actually read it before the series and keep wishing she was featured more.

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    Replies
    1. I enjoyed these shorts, it made me want book 3 even more though..soooooon

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  4. Sorry Dark Lady's Chosen didn't work out. I hate when a series kind of falls apart in later books, that has happened to me twice this year, and it's so disappointing.

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  5. Short stories are tricky to review. I feel like myfeedback is going to be longer than the story itself. Yph did well though

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    Replies
    1. So true. And how much can happen in a few pages? And how to not spoil it all

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  6. That's too bad the first one disappointed, especially after 595 pages long.

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    Replies
    1. I know, blergh, I only read it since I read the 3 before and wanted to see how it ended

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  7. He spent his time in a tent. The End. LOL I am sorry it disappointed you, especially when its a series you enjoy. The novellas sound ok, and short reviews are hard to write.

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    Replies
    1. So hard, but hey they are short so I could get away with just..They were good! Hahah

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  8. 1) Boo, I hate when characters are 2D.
    2 & 3) Oooooh, I like it!

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  9. Vlora sounds like a decent character but sorry the first one left you disappointed

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  10. Oh awesome, I actually helped beta read The Girl of Hrusch Avenue and have my name at the back of the ebook. It was a fun story. I'm currently reading book 3, but I don't think I'll continue with any more of the short stories/novellas, there are so many of them.

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

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    Replies
    1. Did I see that or not? I have no idea now, I read them a month ago ;)

      I know, there are so many, I only get them when they are free. The books are more important for me

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  11. So, the shorts are better than the full lenght this time :)

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  12. Oh sorry for the first one... It's rare when the novellas are better, I'm impressed.

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  13. I know you like the Powder Mage series, sadly I couldn't finish first book. Maybe I should try it on audiobook...

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  14. I haven't read the first McClellan book yet and I didn't know about the prequels. The covers look like it's about english civil war or something from that era...

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    Replies
    1. You do not really have to read the prequels though, only if you wanna

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  15. Boo. Sorry about the disappointment over the first book, but I'm glad the shorts were good. I just read Thieftaker over the holidays, so I'll have to check them out too.

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  16. Oh, I'm so sick of these books that were obviously planned as standalones, and then some publisher decided that they'd rather have 3 instead of 1! Not every writer can do this... As for the short stories, they sound really interesting, but I'm like you in that respect. I don't really connect with a piece of fiction that is so short.... Great reviews!

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    Replies
    1. Maybe she had planned this, or not. For me it just did feel like it could have been shorter and much better

      I guess I have grown into liking them

      Delete
  17. I haven't read any of McClellan's prequels. I just don't know if I care enough, of course 30 pages is really short, so maybe I should give them a try.

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    Replies
    1. They were free so I read them. To buy them..eh, that is just too short

      Delete
  18. Never a good sign when you regret owning a sequel after reading the first book...

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  19. I still need to get started on Gail's books, and I do want too. Sorry to hear about this one, but they do so sound good. And I know I read one of the shorts by Brian, not sure about the other. Which I need to get back to that series! :)

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    Replies
    1. I Gail did get worse but do read book 1 anyway ;)

      And McClellan is awesome

      Delete

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