Review: The Better Part of Darkness - Kelly Gay

Charlie Madigan 1

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 394
Published: 2009

Atlanta: it's the promised city for the off-worlders, foreigners from the alternate dimensions of heaven-like Elysia and hell-like Charbydon. Some bring good works and miracles. And some bring unimaginable evil....

Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She's recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.'s Integration Task Force even harder. Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash. Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim — but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?

Plot:

It has been over 10 years since the big revelation, that there are two other dimensions, what we used to call heaven and hell. But things are not that easy and not everything is black and white. Charlie Madigan is a cop, and single mum. She works on a special task force together with her partner trying to keep the city clean because the off-worlders do not always play nice. She also died 8 months ago and something is wrong with her, but what? Someone is selling a bad drug to the people of Atlanta and she needs every help she can get to stop it.

My thoughts:

New favourite UF author :D Yes I really want to dive right into book 2 but will stop myself. I would just read it in a day in a crazy haze like I did with this one. It was just that good.

Charlie is one kick-ass woman, and kick-ass and UF is what I love. She is a tough cop, but she does have nightmares from her death, and she has a strange super strength. I was so very curious about what was up with her. She has a sexy partner (sadly no action there), an ex she has not forgiven and an itch to scratch. Sadly not a hint of romance, but ok I can deal with that, still I hope an interest comes along. There were some good maybes in this book, and I wonder if the author will go down one of those roads.

Good cast, her partner Hank, a siren, her sister Bryn who practices magic, her kid, some bad guys, aye the bad guys are always the best. they bring the tension, they are evil, and I liked one of them. not gonna tell who now ;)

There is magic, and all kinds of cool off-worlders, she kicks ass, and there is plenty of action. The book ends kind of nicely too. Now big cliffhanger that makes me scream in protest, but I do want to know what happens. Cos oh my the changes at the end! The next book will have a lot to deal with.

This book had me glued to it from start to finish. The punches kept on rolling and being as curious as I am I did not want to put it down. I needed to know what was up.

Final thoughts and recommendation.

Hell yeah, read it, this is one UF book you should have a look at. Excellent world building, great characters and a promise of such cool things to come. I would love to just start book 2 at once and just eat it up.

Reason for reading:

I did think it sounded good

Cover:

Is that a necklace she is wearing? Hm

Review: Pemberley Ranch - Jack Caldwell

Genre: Historical Fiction, western, P&P variation
Pages: 384
Published: December 2010

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the Bennet family has just moved from Ohio to the town of Rosings, Texas, set on creating a fresh start. But their daughter Beth still prefers the familiarity of Ohio to the plains of Texas-that is, until she encounters Will Darcy, the reclusive owner of Pemberley Ranch. Will and Beth are instantly smitten, but pride, prejudice, and a gang of villains determined to take over Rosings threaten to keep them apart. This fresh idea in the world of Jane Austen retellings brings together the world of Pride and Prejudice with the struggles of the antebellum South.

Plot:

The Bennet family moves from Ohio to Texas. Beth is still angry at the south because her brother died in the war, but her sister finds happiness with a Doctor. And so the book begins, she meets the rich rancher Will Darcy. There is dislike, and there is prejudice. And there is wicked George Whitehead with plans of his own for the area.

My thoughts:

I do like Pride and Prejudice re-tellings and this one was so fresh and original. This time the prejudice in the book comes from Beth being from the north and Will from the south. He fought in the wars and he has the scars to prove it. And Beth things everyone in the south had slaves and that is why they fought. She is filled with northern propaganda, but as in the original book she soon learns that there is more to the truth then meets the eye. Darcy, actually he is not as "bad" as he is the original book. Sure he thinks her family is silly but he gets over it. He just fancies her.

You will meet all the characters, Collins as a banker, Cath Burroughs as a ranch owner, Anne with more to her than in the original books, Sheriff Lucas and his daughter, George Whitehead and Denny the kid. And there is reverend Henry Tillney, Mr Knightly, Edmund Bertrand who works at the bank, yes Caldwell has used more Austen characters and I like it.

The book follows, kind of the original, but there are changes, good changes, I enjoy them. And there is gunfights, and wicked plans. If you all thought Wickham was a rotten egg in PP then in this one he is a complete bastard. But it is the wild west.

What a great idea, Mr Darcy as a cowboy and soldier. I liked it at once and he fills the shoes nicely. This is such a fun setting for this story and he makes it work.

Final thoughts and recommendation:

Yes I will recommend it to all you PP lovers, but since the story feels so different then come along historical fiction fans and you all who like a good western. This book has something for everyone. It's a good 3,5 and I enjoyed and for once I did not know what would happen. An enjoyable story with hidden depths. Not to mention it was written by a man, I liked that.

Reason for reading: 

I have a soft spot for PP stories

Cover:

I like it

Review: Beneath the Thirteen Moons - Kathryne Kennedy

Genre: Fantasy Romance with a hint of sci-fi
Pages: 384
Published: December 2010 Sourcebooks Casablanca

The book features a magical, watery world in which mammoth trees grow up from the ocean floor, supporting all life within their canopy. In spite of the beauty and abundance, the world is harshly divided into two classes: pampered royalty and struggling have-nots. In search of a Healer for her swampland village, smuggler Mahri Zin inadvertently kidnaps the heir to the throne, Korl Com'nder. As the two become lovers, they discover that not only are their fates intertwined, but the very survival of their peoples depends on them...

Plot:

Mahri needs a healer for her village and by mistake she kidnaps the crown prince, there is instant lust between these. But he is a royal that has everything and she is just a low water-rat.

My thoughts:

The world she creates is pure magic. Truly something I have not experienced in a while. I want to see it on a big screen, I fear my imagination could only take me so far. The world is hard to describe, 13 moons, trees growing out from the ocean and people living in them, beneath them the ocean beasts. A world is filled with wonders. I do confess that it was not as good as her last book, but then this is an old book that has been re-issued so she has become a better writer, but the book is still good.

Mahri is a strong independent widow who does not want to love and loose again. But she and Korl are meant for each other but she fights it with every muscle. He realizes his love and yields to it. But I understand her, she is not him, she lives in a swamp, he in a palace. And even a golden cage would be a cage for her. She is a runner, I will give out that. But I understand her. And I do love a man who will give up everything. Of course these two have one rocky romance, they are so different.

I have already told you the world is pure magic, what a creation. For some reason I thought of Avatar, well had to think of something even though they are nothing alike. It came more when Mahri got the information that her people came from the sky in fire. Therefore the hint of sci-fi, but the technology is long go. Now they use magic they get from a root found in the swamp.

Final thoughts and recommendation:

Ok yes there is the romance, but honestly, the world intrigued me more. So that was my fav part in this book. I am a sucker for good world-building. Cos of that I will give it a 3,25. It was interesting, and something for lovers of fantasy romance, and sci-fi since even if there was not any sci-fi in it I had that alien feeling all way through.

Reason for reading:

Liked her other book

Cover:

I like the colors but the man, I mean he stands there and saying come here look at my nipple...no.

Review: The Winter Sea - Susanna Kearsley

Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 576
Published: December 2010 Sourcebooks Landmark

Carrie McClelland came to Scotland to research her next book. Renting a cottage in the same town where her story takes place, Carrie embarks not only on her novel, but on a romance with her landlord's handsome son, Graham Keith. When the boundary between past and present begins to blur, Carrie finds herself channeling memories not her own. Pulled deeper and deeper into the memories of the past, Carrie realizes these visions are more than the means to another bestselling novel, but also a way to right the wrongs of the past and create a future with the man whose love is her destiny.

Plot:

Carrie McClelland is in France writing a story about the French-Jacobite invasion at Cruden Bay, but the story is not evolving so she comes to Scotland to put the pieces together. Here she is drawn to Slains Castle and stays in the nearby village to write. The words come by themselves and she soon realizes that it's not a story she is writing, but the truth.

My thoughts:

Genetic memory, now would that not be so cool. You could see the past from the eyes of your ancestors.

This book is a two part book. First there is Carrie writing, and finding out how handsome both sons of her landlord is. So she is dealing with her own things, and falling in love. I do like romance. Then there is the book she is writing and we see history from Sophia Paterson's eyes. She is staying at Slains Castle by the grace of a distant relative. Scotland wants their true king back so there is a lot of politics and betrayal going on. And she falls in love in the midst of it all.

Which story did I enjoy the most, for some reason Carrie and when she found her man. The Sophie parts were of course interesting, and it is an era I do not know much about. Sophie was also a very sweet heroine, and her man, him I really liked. Carrie's man was a bit more at peace. Anyway in the end I did like them all. And side characters like her landlord, he was a sweetheart. No horrible people in this book, I saw all sides of them.

One thing I was not to keen about was something at the end, I felt, oh I can't say because then i will spoil things. I had just wanted one more thing, even if everything was all peachy anyway.

My final thoughts and recommendation.

A book for historical fans, and I know it is not time travel or anything, but hey close enough so something for everyone really since there is the contemporary parts too. I think is a 3,5 cos I would recommend it. It was a very interesting approach to seeing the past.

I did have big fears at one time, this book does get really sad, and you know it from the start. But life has a way of turning out for the best in the end.

Reason for reading:

It sounded intersting

Cover:

I am so stupid, I saw it and did not get it, then many many times later I realized it was hair! duh

Review copy from Sourcebooks

PS.
There will be an interview with Susanna next week :)