Goblin War - Jim C Hines

If you think it’s hard being a hobgoblin or a human, try living a goblin’s life for a while. In fact, try imagining what it’s like to be the runtiest goblin in the caves, the lone worshiper of a god who’s been forgotten for a good reason, and the target everyone points to at the first hint of trouble. Try picturing yourself as Jig Dragonslayer, and see how you like it…Despite impossible odds, Jig was still alive. He’d survived an adventurer’s quest against a dragon and a necromancer, a pixie invasion that had ogres and trolls dropping like flies, and, most frightening of all, the threat of being made chief of the goblins. He wasn’t sure how much more he could stand. Naturally, he was about to find out.War was brewing in the world outside the Mountain, and when the goblin’s lair was invaded by human warriors in search of the Rod of Creation, Jig knew it was just the start of another really bad day… 

My thoughts:

Poor Jig, he sure does not have it easy. He just wants to stay in his mountain and live in peace. No stupid humans, elves or dwarves around there. No stupid adventures making things hard. 

Jig is such an unlikely hero. He just does things, and sometimes they go right. Mostly they go right cos he has a god on his side and he has managed to have good followers. He does not want to fight, to deal with things, but he does have a brain. Very strange for a goblin.

In this book, they get taken when invaders come. There will be battles, danger and arguing. It's an amusing book, and it was an amusing series. You never had to take anything too seriously.

Cover
Yup, that is Jig

Paperback, 336 pages
Published March 4th 2008 by DAW
Jig the Goblin #3
Fantasy
Own

The Bloodsworn - Erin Lindsey

Unbeknownst to most of Alden, Kbloodbinder, is locked away in his own palace, plotting revenge. To save her king, Lady Alix must journey behind enemy lines to destroy the bloodbinder. But her quest will demand sacrifices that may be more than she can bear.

ing Erik, in thrall to a cruel

Meanwhile, as the Warlord of Oridia tightens his grip on Alden, the men Alix loves face equally deadly tasks: her husband, Liam, must run a country at war while her brother, Rig, fights a losing battle on the front lines. If any one of them fails, Alden could be lost—and, even if they succeed, their efforts may be too late to save everyone Alix holds dear... 

My thoughts:

I do feel disappointed. Yes, the book was good, but neither this one or book 2 were as good as book 1. That one had promise, but it never got as good.

Alix in this one, well she did her thing.

Liam did not do a lot. I still do not see them together.

Eric, I still think Alix should have been with him, and yes that triangle kept popping up. It got tiresome. It should have been left in book 1 where it was resolved.

There is danger ahead. The army is approaching, and here we really see how this is light fantasy. Epic is was sure not. The final battle is in the very last pages and poof, 5 pages later the end, the battle was over in a few pages. Was there a battle. I do not know. They sure defeated them fast.

Ok so yes I only have negative things to say. But for a reeeeally light fantasy book it was good, a little adventure, some drama. Nothing serious. But it is hanging loose in that 3, that is does. It could have been so much more.

Cover
Good

Paperback, 352 pages
Published September 27th 2016 by Ace
Bloodbound #3
Fantasy
Own

Troubled Waters - Sharon Shinn and #FitReaders: Weekly Check-In Jan 8 2015

#FitReaders hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About.

Sat, 11087 steps
Sun, 13,312 steps
Mon, 12065 steps
Tue, 11571 steps
Wed, 15 min walk and 4 km bike (first day back to work, blergh)
Thu, 30 min walk and 4 km bike
Fri, 1 hour walk and 4 km bike

Ice gave away to ice again. Good week. Trying this 1 month abs things too :)

.............................

Zoe Ardelay receives astonishing and unwelcome news: she has been chosen to become the king’s fifth wife. Forced to go to the royal city, she manages to slip away and hide on the shores of the mighty river.

It’s there that Zoe realizes she is a coru prime ruled by the elemental sign of water. She must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king, but a woman with power in her own right. But as Zoe unlocks more of the mysteries of her blood — and the secrets of the royal family — she must decide how to use her great power to rise above the deceptions and intrigue of the royal court. 

My thoughts:

I did expect more, oh expectations, you be evil. It's just that, I had heard Shinn was good, and yes she was good. It was a fun, silly, cheesy book, but it never became more than that. I expected fantasy, I did not feel I got fantasy, maybe fantasy romance then? Nope, not even that, instead I got Shopaholic in a fantasy land.

It's about Zoe, the girl who like the stream just moves along. Hey, dad is dead, marry the king! Ok...

Look an open door, run away..

Ok.

See, the stream. Her personality comes from her "sign". Everyone, we are told this a lot, are either air, water, fire, earth, and whatever that last one was. I did like it, just, it was mentioned a LOT. Like, oh she is feisty today, must be because she is Fire. Oh she blah blah today, must be because..you get the idea. Anyway, Zoe does not really have a lot of personality, she is a follower, even when she follows no one.

The shopaholic thing comes from her shopping a lot! it felt like the author wanted to show us how fun it is to shop in a fantasy land. Just...Zoe is poor! poor! She is freaking homeless and lives at the beach. Still she uses the money she did have to shop food (good), candy and useless things. Then she gets a job and continues to use most of her money to shop. Her excuse for living at the beach is freedom. Sure I'd love to live at the beach with the peaceful ones. It's not like someone is gonna rape me, stab me, steal my shit or anything. Just live on your fantasy land beach. So instead she buys clothes and chocolate and is homeless. 

But hey that was actually the best part, her living on the beach, shopping and just being. It was not as interesting when she did other things because here her personality just stagnated.

Still, fun book, weird mix of steampunk and fantasy. Just do not expect awesome world building. And even though I did enjoy some of it it I am SO not gonna continue this series.

Conclusion:

Hm, that made me think, even if I found it at the library I would not read it, Then it could not have been so good could it? Let's make it just ok then. 

Paperback, 416 pages
Published September 27th 2011 by Ace
Elemental Blessings #1
Fantasy
Own

First Truth and Book Blog Walkers: Weekly Check-in Oct 10 2014

This challenge is organized by Felicia over at the Geeky Blogger's Book Blog

Saturday 5 km bike and 30 min walk
Sunday 1.15 hour walk
Monday 10 km bike and 45 min zumba toning
Tuesday 5 km bike,  30 min walk
Wednesday 5 km bike, and 1 hour zumba
Thursday 5 km bike and 30 min walk
Friday 5 km bike, 1 hour yoga and 30 min walk

Sunday's walk. Found a new path :)

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Alissa doesn't believe in magic. Her father's stories about the Hold, a legendary fortress where human Keepers learn magic from the enigmatic Maters, are just that―stories. But her mother insists that Alissa has inherited her father's magical ability, and so she must go to the Hold―the only place her talents can be trained. 

On her way, she crosses paths with Strell, a wandering musician from the plains. And though Alissa is not sure she can trust a plainsman, Strell has something she needs―one of her father's old maps. Travelling together, they can reach the Hold before the snow sets in. 

But they don't know that the Hold is nearly empty. Something is very wrong and someone believes that Alissa and Strell knows about a book called First Truth.

My thoughts:

It started fairly good with a young girl going on a journey and meeting a young man. But then it started to draaaaaaag. First, Alissa was TSTL. Whatever, go and get yourself killed then idiot. Strell on the other hand...well ok I liked him.

What went wrong? When they arrived the book got boring and I stopped caring. And honestly I do not have much more to say than that. It got boring, end of story.

This is light fantasy, and then I mean light. And there is NO world building. People live by the sea, in hills or plains and blah blah. And..AND? Ok there is magic, nothing explained there either. I know it's light fantasy but come on, I need a world.

But as I did not DNF (I did skim though), I will still rate it ok. It had promise, it just needed a LOT of work. I would NOT recommend it.

Cover

Nice, but ugh

Paperback, 336 pages
Published May 28th 2002 by Ace Books 
Truth #1
Light Fantasy
Own

Review: Masques - Patricia Briggs

After an upbringing of proper behavior and oppressive expectations, Aralorn fled her noble birthright for a life of adventure as a mercenary spy. 

Her latest mission involves spying on the increasingly powerful sorcerer Geoffrey ae'Magi.  But in a war against an enemy armed with the powers of illusion, how do you know who the true enemy is-or where he will strike next?

My thoughts:

I meant to write a review yesterday, oh well.

I did like this one more than Briggs' other old fantasy romance novels. But yes of course it could have been much better. It was also rushed and could have been dragged out to a thick trilogy. Sure there is a book 2, but this book ended with the bad guy beaten.

Aralorn was a cool kick-ass woman. Wolf was an enigma, and yes I wished the secret who he was would have been left longer. Now it was all, maybe, and aha. Ok that's it then.

There is action, danger, a bad guy and a king to be helped. A nice little book, the first she wrote (even if she did edit a bit later on). But still it was nice and I want to see what happens next. But I did read the blurb and was all come on, told you so peeps.

Cover

Nice

Sianim #1
Light fantasy
Mass Market Paperback, 294 pages
Published September 28th 2010 by Ace (first published December 1st 1993)
Own

Review: Horizon - Lois McMaster Bujold

In a world where malices--remnants of ancient magic--can erupt with life-destroying power, only soldier-sorcerer Lakewalkers have mastered the ability to kill them. But Lakewalkers keep their uncanny secrets--and themselves--from the farmers they protect, so when patroller Dag Redwing Hickory rescued farmer girl Fawn Bluefield, neither expected to fall in love, join their lives in marriage, or defy both their kin to seek new solutions to the perilous split between their peoples. As Dag's maker abilities have grown, so has his concern about who--or what--he is becoming. At the end of a great river journey, Dag is offered an apprenticeship to a master groundsetter in a southern Lakewalker camp. But as his understanding of his powers deepens, so does his frustration with the camp's rigid mores with respect to farmers. At last, he and Fawn decide to travel a very different road--and find that along it, their disparate but hopeful company increases.

Fawn and Dag see that their world is changing, and the traditional Lakewalker practices cannot hold every malice at bay forever. Yet for all the customs that the couple has challenged thus far, they will soon be confronted by a crisis exceeding their worst imaginings, one that threatens their Lakewalker and farmer followers alike. Now the pair must answer in earnest the question they've grappled with since they killed their first malice together: When the old traditions fail disastrously, can their untried new ways stand against their world's deadliest foe?

Series: The Sharing Knife #4, Genre: Romantic fantasy, Pages: 416, Published: 2009, Publisher: EOS, Source: Library

My thoughts:

Oh no she didn't! Oh yes I did.

I know I know, I have been bored for 2 books now and still I read this one. I just wanted to know how it ended. But after having thought about this, it ended as boringly as it went on. Nothing happened at the end either. 

Right this book then. Dag and Fawn talk --> they talk to other people --> they think about things ----> they are going north with a bunch of other people ---> more talking and thinking. 

*falls asleep* Yes I actually fell asleep while reading. 

Nothing happens, and when something finally does happen I am just too bored to notice. Still the book is not bad, it's well written and interesting. But it's just so darn boring! 

Conclusion:

Would I recommend it? No, I can't say I would. Do i feel foolish for reading them? Yes I do, darn these books, they were boring but still they compelled me to continue. At least they are a fast read.

Cover:
Good I guess

Review: Raven's Strike - Patricia Briggs

Series: Raven #2
Genre: Light fantasy/romantic
Pages: 381
Published: 2010 (2005)
Publisher: ACE
Source My own

The Traveler Seraph must use all her cunning and ability as a Raven mage to track down an unimaginable force of destruction known as the Shadowed. 

My thoughts:

I liked it, but at the same time I was really confused. It seems that some books I can pick up years afterward and just go with the flow. But this one suffered even though it had only gone a year since I read book 1. It was like I was trying to find my way to the dark, and the same thing happened throughout the entire book. So I would say that if you read book 1 then read book 2 fast, that could have saved it for me.

Still, I liked it cos it is Briggs. Sure it is not my kind of epic fantasy. It is very light, but sweet can be nice too. The world is not as built as it could be, she focused more on the orders and magic.

I guess there had to be something about it if I liked it even though I was lost a few times. The people were just so nice. I liked Jes, I liked that the Emperor was a new kind of man. Seraph seemed harsher though, and Teir softer.

Conclusion:
And of course I only read it cos it was by Briggs ;) her earlier stuff is fun too.

Cover
I like it