Review: The Broken Kingdoms - N.K.Jemisin

Series: The Inheritance Trilogy #2
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 411
Published; 2011
Publisher: Orbit
Source: My own


In the city of Shadow, beneath the World Tree, alleyways shimmer with magic and godlings live hidden among mortalkind. Oree Shoth, a blind artist, takes in a strange homeless man on an impulse. This act of kindness engulfs Oree in a nightmarish conspiracy. Someone, somehow, is murdering godlings, leaving their desecrated bodies all over the city. And Oree's guest is at the heart of it.

My thoughts:

I will try to make this short. Book 1 was filled with what I felt was magical prose and seductive dark sentences. This book sadly was not. It was still a good book, but yes not as good as book 1. I did not root for the characters like I did with book 1 either, neither did I feel the deep ache I felt while reading book 1. I will still give book 3 a go because I hope the magic will come back. It was just so wonderful.

The thing that did not make this book as good was that the beautiful prose was gone for me. It was still a rich and wonderful world. Where godlings now lived among humans, and where so much had changed since the "emergence" of two new gods. She is still such a  good storyteller. But for me, well sure I liked Oree, but I did not always care for Oree. And Shiny, no, sadly not for him either. The only person I did really like was the godling Madding.

So for me it is the case of 2nd book blues, still good, just not as great.

Conclusion:

I will try book 3, but only because I loved book 1 so much. Still this was a good book.

Review: Stormwalker - Allyson James

Series: Stormwalker #1
Genre: I felt it was more a PNR/UF hybrid
Pages: 330
Published: 2010
Publisher: Berkley
Source: My own

Half-Navajo Janet Begay possesses extraordinary power which is tied to the storms that waft across the desert. The only person who can control her when she's caught in the storm's evocative power is Mick, a dark-haired, blue-eyed biker Janet can't seem to touch with her powers. He can wield fire and not get burned, and Janet's never sure where he goes when they're not together. 

Together they investigate mysterious disappearances, which Janet fears are tied to her mother's people, the mythical gods from below the earth. They are helped along the way by Coyote and Crow, but these shapeshifting gods have their own agendas.

My thoughts:

I read a short story in the anthology Hexed and knew I wanted more, and this does no happen often. So I bought book 1 in this series and what I felt in that short story rang true. It was a good book.

It does say it is pnr, but I do not know, it feels like more. These days I think they are so many pnr/uf hybrids out there and I would even want to make this one more UF in a way. At least that is how it feels for me. She is out there kicking ass, but yes there is romance too. But is not that in your face as it can be (not that that is a bad thing, it is just I want a story more than romance with these sorts of books.)

To the book then, I really liked Janet, she was pretty kick-ass with a cool power and one bad momma, scary as hell is the word. The love interest is Mike, who is all mystery, which made me crazy curious and I am so glad we found out what is going on with him. They have a long history and I am very unsure what to think oh him. He kind of comes and goes.

Then we have a bunch of side characters, Nash (whom I hate hate hate), he is so unfair that it drives me insane. *mutters something about evil cops*. A talking magic mirror (oh love him ;), Coyte (gotta love a trickster.) And more to get to know.

The story is filled with action, questions, a bit of smexing and good detective work. I liked what she has used and especially the mythology on how we came to be. And who are still beneath. That I do like.

Conclusion:

A good start to this series and I sure want more. Recommended.

Cover:

Cool

Review: The Lady Most Likely - a novel in three parts

Authors: Julia Quinn, Connie Brookway, Eloisa James
Genre: Historical romance
Pages: 372
Published: 2010
Publisher: Avon
Source: My shelf

Hugh Dunne, the Earl of Briarly, needs a wife—so his sister hands him a list of the very best young ladies on the market. And then, because he refuses to tear himself away from the stables where he trains Arabian racehorses, she invites all those ladies to a house party, along with some other bachelors, of course. So who will Hugh choose? The Botticelli-esque, enchanting Gwendolyn? The outspoken, delightful Katherine? If he doesn't work fast, he'll lose those ladies to his closest friends, and then where will he look for a wife? Perhaps, just perhaps, toward a lady who's not on a market at all, and would require a great deal of persuading.

My thoughts:

This is not an anthology and that is perhaps why it worked so well for me. But it is still a book written by three authors. Each one takes on a couple and let them fall in love, but it is a flowing novel since it all happens during a house party and each author writes about everyone really.

To start this: I liked Julia Quinn's story the best. It was a sudden romance and she always writes such sweet stories I am not gonna say who it is about but it was lovely.

The second story by Brockway was about good too, and I liked how much the man knew what he wanted.

The third story was the one I wanted to like the most, but turned to be the one I liked the least. Though it was still good. It was the story I knew would come from page one, still, maybe it was because there was no courtship at all. 

Between each stories we Hugh's sister who is trying to fix him up and the whole book is just cute and funny. It worked truly well to write a story like this and it flows well. It never stops.

But I must mention a thing, I have noticed it before and then it came here too. A man is kissing his virginal interest for the first time, and then he at once goes for the breasts and nipple kissing...really? If I guy did that the first time I kissed him I would have been rather shocked. Not to mention it most often takes place where someone could find them too. I mean mouth and then suddenly boob. Especially if I had been an unkissed virginal Miss from a century where I barely had seen myself naked before.

Conclusion:

Sweet and lovely are the words. I enjoyed this one

Cover
Lovely.

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My flash fiction for this week

Review: The Summoner - Gail Z.Martin

Series: Chronicles of the Necromancer #1
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 637
Published: 2007
Publisher: Solaris
Source: Bought

The comfortable world of Martris Drayke, second son of King Bricen of Margolan, is shattered when his older half-brother, Jared, and Jared's dark mage, Foor Arontala, kill the king and seize the throne. Tris is the only surviving member of the royal family aside from Jared the traitor. Tris flees with three friends: Soterius, captain of the guard; Carroway, the court's master bard; and Harrtuck, a member of the royal guard. Tris harbors a deep secret. In a land where spirits walk openly and influence the affairs of the living, he suspects he may be the mage heir to the power of his grandmother, Bava K'aa, once the greatest sorceress of her age. Such magic would make Tris a Summoner, the rarest of magic gifts, capable of arbitrating between the living and the dead.

My thoughts:

Another good fantasy book, but then I knew that from the start. It was the kind that I enjoy, a good adventure, friends on the run and wicked bad guys.

I do like this kind of fantasy where the young man (or woman) is on the run or something like that. He dodges bad guys and tries to come to terms with his power. And there are always a good set of side characters. I can't say who my favorite here is cos they all have different things to offer, but I do think I want more of the young captain of the guard. There is magic and new things to discover, and this book has vampires, yes I liked that too. I also liked the aspects of the Goddess that they worship. A good new world, a nice hero, and a world to root for.

And then we have the bad guy, oh bad guy, you silly thing. The bad guy in this one, Jared, thinks he is so big and bad. Little does he know that he is just a puppet. But he is a bad guy, so evil and sadistic. A true creep, and the evil guy behind him. Him I would look out for. Those guys, well stay away from them.

The pages just flew by, it was such an easy book to read. And I know many of you fear books as long as this one but honestly it did not feel that long cos I could read it fast. Some books are just that easy.

Conclusion:

A good start to this series and I do want more. The ending was not a cliffie either so that I am grateful for. Everyone is happy...for now *insert music of doom*

Cover:

It looks a bit better when you see it for real

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Yes, another guestpost ;) What can I say, I like doing them. And yesterday I was over at At home with books and talked about the worst and best of Janet Evanovich