Review: The Chosen - Ricardo Pinto

The Chosen by Ricardo Pinto

Book 1 of The Stone Dance of the Chameleon

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 700 (paperback)
Published: 2000

Young Carnelian has spent his entire life alone with his father, who years ago rejected the savage cruelty of the Masters of Osrakum and was sent into exile. But now a ship has come flying through the winter gales to shatter his quiet world. Three Masters disembark, and as they remove their masks of gold, Carnelian is awed by the light that seems to radiate from their skin. In formal conclave they beg Carnelian's father to return with them to Osrakum to oversee the election of a new God Emperor.

And so Carnelian begins to fulfill his destiny. Along his perilous journey to the Osrakum, he is forced to learn bitter lessons in bloodshed, power, intrigue, love, and treachery--and sets in motion the concluding events in a story four thousand years old.

I sadly was not taken by this book, don't get me wrong. He is a great worldbuilder, and has created this rich and complicated race, and he is a good writer. But just because of that I do not have to fall for it.

First up is the main character whom I never connected with, a 15 year old boy who was so more humane than those other Masters that lives back in Osrakum. But I just never cared for him, or anyone in this book. I think this might be a character driven fantasy book and I have seen this year that those do not work for me. But great for those who love those kinds of books.

Also I need magic, wars and stuff in my fantasy, this could just have been in some far away and very creepy country.

The book also gave me a lot of questions and I need answers, there could have been more talk of how things where as they were. I mean the book had over 700 pages, but still I never got close to this rich world.

Also I do not want to read about a 15 year old boy having sex, especially since he always talked about the other one as a boy, did that mean he was younger? I hope not. So that did not work for me, and it felt strange since the road there was so much different than was what to come. Suddenly he was all whiny and lovestruck.

But yes do not listen to me, those were just things that did not work for me. But if you like character driven fantasy then this book is for you.

It is a story about a boy who grows up with his dad and all is fine, then the Masters come. He sees how cruel they are and when they leave for the mainland it gets worse. he might be one of them but he certainly not act like them. How anyone can live in that horrible society I do not know. There are also a lot of Eastern influences and he has built in it to make it a fantasy with those influences. Funny enough I love sic-fi like that but not fantasy. I can already imagine how cool this would have been in sci.fi.

So it is not the writing that did not work, it was just not the story for me. I can't like all fantasy which I have noticed.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner. Fantasy

Reason for reading: My own book

Final thoughts: Did not work for me, but I leave it up to you to make up your own mind. He is a good writer. And the world is complex.

Review: Dragon Keeper - Robin Hobb

 Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

Book 1 of the Rain Wild Chronicles

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 560
Published: UK July 2009/ US January 2010

Dragon keeper is the newest book by Robin Hobb, and it is book one of The Rain Wild Chronicles. The next and last book in this series will be published next year. This book takes the reader back to Bingtown and the Rain Wilds and familiar characters from the Liveship books makes an appearance.

The dragon Tintaglia has called on the sea serpents and they have migrated up the river to make their cocoons. Many have died getting there and many die making them. When they finally emerge they are nothing like the magnificent dragons of the old. They are broken, deformed, they can't fly, and some do not have the minds they should have. Something has to be done when they prove a danger to the community. The dragons start to speak of the Elderling city of Kelsingra, and soon it is decided that they will be helped getting there.

On this journey are those unlucky of The Rain Wilds, and one is Thymara, born with claws and of the knowledge she should have been put out in the wild at birth. But she is fascinated by the dragons and wants to help. Leftrin, captain of the liveship Tarman also has an interest in these dragons, and last is Alise Finbrook, who has been studying ancient texts about Elderlings and dragons for years.

The dragon keepers have a long road ahead, and there are those that see a profit in dragons, and think of them as dumb cows.


The Liveships series was not my favorite out of Hobbs books, but this one was different. Perhaps because of the mysterious Rain Wilds and its strange and deformed inhabitants. I do hope that this book may give some insight why they are as they are.

It is a good start to a series even though not much happen in the book. First closer to the end they finally start their journey and the whole book up to that is about the journey there. The reader is introduced to all the characters and learns about their lives for a couple of years and what all leads them to this point in life.

One is Thymara, who knows she has no future and who watched the dragons hatch some years ago. A strong girl who wants more but is still following the traditions and ways of her elders. She does act a bit childish longer into the book, but it is to be expected. Captain Leftrin is an interesting character, and as the book moved on I forget if he had done something wrong in the past, and the friendship he seeks from Alise is a refreshing add to the book and adds a bit of hope to the book. Something I do not always expect from Hobb's books because I do know that they tend to get a bit depressing. The main characters is always suffering, and I can't help to be curious about the next book.

Her best characters has to be Alise Finbrook, a woman stuck in a loveless marriage she helped create, and with a husband who is not all he seems to be. Her only happiness is her studies, and her biggest goal is to see the dragons. I can't help to feel sorry for her for her silent suffering. And I can honestly say that I have no idea how the next book will turn out. That is Hobb's strength, because she does not give things away, not even little hints where the books are going. Everything is always a surprise.


But this is mostly a book about dragons, and one of them Sintara, plays an important part. They are born as broken as the people of the Rain Wilds, and as always you feel with them even if they are arrogant. Hobb manages to walk that fine line, and has created a good new book to her tales of this world. There are interesting characters, fascinating towns, and it is easy to follow the story. It can be gripping, and it does get exciting too. Not all see the dragons as the rulers of the sky when they look like these dragons, and that is a good set up and thoughts as you learn to like the characters.

I enjoyed this first book and I am looking forward to the next one.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner. I think this is the US cover, I have the UK one, but I prefer this one cos it it very fantasy, while the UK have a blue dragon on it and that is it

Reason For Reading: I reviewed this for the David Gemmel Legend awards for Fantasy

Final thoughts: Not as good as the Farseer books (but then I looove those), but a good number 2 with the Fool series. But Hobb always writes good fantasy

Review: The Magical Christmas Cat - Nalini Singh and more

The Magical Christmas Cat 

Stories by Lora Leigh, Nalini Singh, Linda Winstead Jones and Erin McCarthy

Genre: Paranormal romance

Pages: 384

Published: 2008

New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and top-selling authors Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, and Linda Winstead Jones have a special gift for readers this year: never-before published holiday stories featuring passionate romance, paranormal adventure, and a distinctly alluring feline touch. With four new stories - including one featuring Lora Leigh's genetically altered Feline Breeds - this is a collection packed with more surprises than Christmas morning, and more chills than the snowiest winter night.

(fantastic fiction)

I have saved this book since the spring because I wanted to read it near Christmas and I am glad I did it. It was a special feeling.

There were 4 short stories and my fav was by far Nalini Singhs story that took place in her psy changeling world. Stroke of Enticement. It is a story about Zach, a Dark Rivers soldiers, and Annie who teaches children, and who is not a changeling. It is s sweet story how they fall in love, how she is afraid to let him close and how he knows she is his mate. This story really made me want to read more Nalini Singh. And the cat in this story is then of course Zach, and what a yummy cat he is, grrrr.

My second fav, well, prehaps not fav. The next two were ok.

Lora Leigh had a story from her Feline Breeds books. Christmas Heat is the story about a librarian who hears some plans see shouldn't and Noble, the jaguar from the Sanctuary who will protect her. They seem to have been looking at each other for some time but never made a move. This story has got some danger, and love. It was ok to me, dunno of I had liked it more if I had understood the world better. Then there is this thing about the heat, and how it takes hold of you and wont let you go. Mates for life.

Christmas Bree is Erin McCarthy story about three witch sisters, and Bree is the empath. She has been having sex dreams about this guy, then someone shows up. She knows he wants her, she wants him, but they are so different. he is a lawyer, and she is a witch in strange clothes. They have a long way to go, and some sex some try first. This one was ok too. Oh and the cat here is running around with mistletoe, magic mistletoe.

Sweet Dreams by Linda Winsted Jones is the story about Ruby who owns a bakery and who gets a strange jade cat from a secret admirer. And Zane across the street who is not all what he seems to be. dark powers are at play in this story. This story was rather hm for me.

But Singh totally made this anthology for me, I so want to try her out now. I really enjoyed her changeling-psy world.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Sweet and cute.

Reason for Reading: Own book

Final thoughts: Nice sweet Christmas stories for xmas.

Review: Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready

Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready

WVMP Radio, book 1

Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: 361
Published: 2008

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, 60s psychedelia, 80s Goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers how the DJs maintain their cred: they’re vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned. 

Ciara’s first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WMMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station—and the link it provides to their original Life Times—the vampires would “fade,” becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover becomes a matter of life and un-death. To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara re-brands the station as “WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll.” In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs’ vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around—next to Ciara’s complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the “gimmick” enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren’t so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher—and the perils graver—than any con game Ciara’s ever played…

I am feeling very uninspired to write a review right now, so I doubt I will have much to say but I will give it a go.

Ok so Ciara is pretty tough and can take care of herself, she con people and take their money to pay for tuition and she didn't exactly have a normal childhood. She is studying at college and she needs a job for it, an internship at this radio station could be something. Oh yes a radio station where the djs are vampires, I do like that idea and how that have stayed in their own time period and that they do not live forever. They just loose touch with reality. I also like  that they have OCD in order to keep focus on things. This is an interesting takes on vampires and I appreciate the freshness of it.

Then there is Shane, the grunge vampire who falls for her. Sad thing here is that I see no future what so ever for them. He will be stuck in his time and perhaps make it a bit longer thanks to her, but still. Though there is hope so perhaps she will get that HEA. Or perhaps she will date a nice normal human, there is one. But I like Shane, he has no excuses.

There is a bit of romance, there is a bit of danger since there are those big bad vampires out there that do not appreciate this gimmick.

It is an easy flowing book, it feels nice to read it. Strange really since I would place it at ok, but I still read it really fast. So it is good (even if just ok for me) but I know that others would enjoy this book, and yes I would like to read the next book too. It is one of those strange ok books that I still wanna read more off. And I love a book that I can just read easily without thinking, a book that reads itself. It keeps me focused, something always happens.

I also like that each chapter is the name of a song.

Yup that was my not so inspiring review, but nice book, that is all I say.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner. Not liking it, mostly cos I can't see her eyes.

Reason for Reading: My own book

Final thoughts: Never anything wrong with some UF, and if book 2 would come my way I would happily read it.