"So, read any good books lately?"
"What did you think of...?"
Here's the Quickie answers to those questions. Click on the Links for more info.
Jean Johnson - Sons of Destiny
1. The Sword (see previous Commentary) - Saber and Kelly
2. The Wolf - Wolfe and Alys
~
Book Category: M&Ms - a bit lighter and/or not quite as satisfying as Peanut M&Ms, but still Oh-So-Enjoyable! (B,B-,C+,C)
Flame Height: 5” out of 9”
~
The Sword centered on the oldest of the eight brothers and his part of the “Curse of Eight Prophecy“. This one, The Wolf, centers on his twin, Wolfer, and the brothers’ childhood friend Alys. Turns out, it’s her uncle that’s been plaguing the boys with all kinds of nasty critters and Alys has been his virtual prisoner and forced to aid him. Alys isn’t quite as fun as the previous heroine, Kelly, and her portrayal is a bit inconsistent. All the brothers (except Dom) and Kelly are still around, and we get to know them better. Morganen (the youngest) wasn’t quite as likeable in this one though, just because Ms. Johnson is sort of setting him up as omnipotent- is there no ability that Morg can’t suddenly pull out of his hat to save the day? Still, you can’t help but adore him, and all the boys, anyway. This Fantasy series is so very fun and enjoyable and I fully intend to buy the rest.
~
One more unique thing about this series- these people not only have toilets, they actually use them! Now, I’m not saying that we have to hear about each potty break, but in the first book, Saber and Kelly have repeated bouts of diarrhea. It’s played for laughs. No, really! And in this book, Alys wakes up and doesn’t know where Wolfe is, but she hears him pissin’ in the bathroom and is reassured he hasn’t left. In a second scene (and who hasn’t had this happen), Wolfe and Alys are spoonin’ in bed one morning, when he slips it into her from behind. She realizes her bladder is too full to continue, so she gets up, goes and empties it, then comes back and they resume their nookie interuptus. Further proof of Ms. Johnson’s practicality- when Alys leaves her uncle’s house, she makes sure to pack her cloths she uses for her monthly periods. How often do authors ever address this bodily function stuff? Almost never, right? Of course, if she REALLY wants to get realistic and earthy, she needs to write a few scenes where the boys rip a few big ones, huh? After all, in real life, men+food+ale ALWAYS = major gaseous emissions!
~
Vicki Pettersson - Zodiac Series
1. The Scent of Shadows - The First Sign of the Zodiac (see previous Commentary)
2. The Taste of Night - The Second Sign of the Zodiac
~
Book Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 3” out of 9”
~
I have a feeling that, if the next book is as kick-ass as the first two, I’ll be raising this Urban Fantasy series up to Lava Cake. Once again, this book is one helluva ride! So much happens in this book that I’m not even sure what to say about it because I don’t want to spoil anything! My only WTF moment was at the end- instead of doing what she needed to do to protect the one she loves, Jo chose to let him be happy yet in mortal danger! That just didn’t make sense to me.
~
Up until that moment, it’s an emotional roller coaster. My heart was torn out by so many scenes and so many characters. My breath was taken away by the dangers. Yet there are other scenes where we get satisfying closure or answers. One answer rocks Jo’s world and fills her (and us) with careening emotions. And Hunter? Let’s just say I’m REALLY liking him. It seems Jo has found a true friend in him, maybe more. Ben? OMG, my heart just cries for him! And Jo is turning out to be a very three dimensional character. My fear of her turning into a Mary Sue express appears to be unfounded so far. She does stupid shit, she pisses people off, and we feel when she’s hurt or confused. She doesn’t always save the day, in fact, she gets herself in situations where someone else needs to ride to her rescue. Warren, despite the fact he’s one of the good guys, is a not so likeable character. In fact, he’s kind of cruel in this one. Oh, and we finally meet Jo’s biological father, the Tulpa, aka The Big Bad.
~
If you read the first book in this series, don’t hesitate to get this second one. And if you haven’t read either- what the hell are you waiting for? Just don’t plan on putting either book down until you’ve reached the end!
~
J.R. Ward - Black Dagger Brotherhood
1. Dark Lover
2. Lover Eternal
3. Lover Awakened
4. Lover Revealed - Butch and Marissa, Butch and V
~
Series Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 6” out of 9”
~
I’m going to assume that enough people have either read or at least heard enough about the BDB series that I don’t need to spew forth on the details. These books and their troubled heroes seem to have attracted the same kind of devoted, zealous fan following that Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters or Christine Feehan’s Carpathians have. (Now us LKH fans? Whole 'nother level entirely *snicker)
~
Okay, I’ve admitted before that I’ve snickered and snorted my way through the first three books in this series. It’s just that the K-Fed Wannabe talk cracks me up! You feel me, my sistahs? *snicker* It just reminds me too much of the ‘60’s where older people (meaning over 30) would wear Nehru jackets and say things like “groovy” and “far out” and those of us younger than 30 would snicker and snort behind their backs. And why didn’t Darius get one of the uber-cool gangsta names? Shouldn’t he at least have been Dharius, maybe even Dhangerhous? J.R. Ward is going to RAW in September, and I fully intend to ask her that if I get a chance!
~
You know, I like this series despite the K-Fed junk. The BDBs can be real assholes, you know? And they all need some intense therapy, cause these guys have some pretty PHUCKED-UP heads. *snort* But the power of love and magic hoo-haws redeems one of them by the end of each book- at least as far as their attitude towards their woman goes. Of course, up to that point, we’re treated to some big-ass drama queen shit from them, and once they give in to their woman’s magic hoo-haws, we’re treated to some damn fine phuck scenes *snicker*, followed by a whole lot of possessive chest thumpin’ , teeth barin’ and growling.
~
Now, this latest book, Lover Revealed, is the story of Butch, the BDB’s human mascot, for lack of a better term. Actually, he’s been my favorite character all along- he’s even darker and more phucked up than the BDBs! Fortunately, Ms. Ward toned down the K-Fed talk in this one, so I didn’t have that shit in there to distract me from the story. In fact, Lover Revealed comes pretty close to being Lava Cake for me. And the sexual tension between V and Butch? DAMN! It was like unrequited love from V. I almost had myself convinced we were about to get maybe the first mass market M/M scene or at the very least, V and Butch would work it out in a menage with Marissa. But, alas, I was cock-blocked. *sigh*
~
I was also glad to see Marissa grow a spine finally. But that whole Safe House, while a good idea, seemed too much of a complete turnaround, too quickly for me to swallow it whole. One minute Marissa’s a meek, self hating, “O woe is me”, “Whatever shall I do, wherever shall I go?“ door mat, and the next thing we know, she’s got her shit completely together and is helping other women get their shit together too. Like I said, great idea, but it was too abrupt.
~
All in all, this series, and particularly this book- Lover Revealed, is highly engrossing and entertaining. I hope we haven’t seen the end of the V/Butch obsession, and I can’t wait for someone to figure out who John is. And when will we see Tohr again? In a Romance market full of same-old, same-old paranormal stories, the BDBs stand out as fresh and unique.
~
Sherrilyn Kenyon - The Dream Hunter
~
Book Category: Dark Chocolate - loved by some, just "meh" to me. (C-,D+)
Flame Height: 4” out of 9”
~
The basic story on this one was okay, but SK muddied it up with so much Atlantean and Greek mythology that I had to force myself to finish this one. The problem isn’t that the mythologies were incorporated in the book, the problem is that it seems to have been written with the assumption that the Reader is already familiar with these mythologies through her Dark Hunter series.
~
Dream Hunter apparently starts a new series that is an spin-off of her Dark Hunter series, another one that is getting tough to read. For me, it seems that SK is starting to write for her faithful board members instead of the casual reader. I don’t retain the kind of detailed knowledge of her previous books required to pick up on all the clues or “Easter Eggs” that her faithful seem to delight over and devour. Nor do I retain all the detailed knowledge of each previous character and book that is starting to be required to read her newer offerings. So, I doubt I’ll read more of this new series, and after Ash’s book in the Dark Hunter series (assuming I even understand it), I may be dropping that series too unless she either learns to incorporate reminders or brain nudges into them, or at least goes back to writing them for a larger audience instead of targeting them to just her zealous fans. And I’m not insulting her or her faithful fans, I’m just pointing out that, if SK is aiming for a larger audience, she’s developing too narrow a focus. Surely there’s a way to keep her devoted readers happy while still allowing the casual readers like me to enjoy her books.
~
~
The Sword centered on the oldest of the eight brothers and his part of the “Curse of Eight Prophecy“. This one, The Wolf, centers on his twin, Wolfer, and the brothers’ childhood friend Alys. Turns out, it’s her uncle that’s been plaguing the boys with all kinds of nasty critters and Alys has been his virtual prisoner and forced to aid him. Alys isn’t quite as fun as the previous heroine, Kelly, and her portrayal is a bit inconsistent. All the brothers (except Dom) and Kelly are still around, and we get to know them better. Morganen (the youngest) wasn’t quite as likeable in this one though, just because Ms. Johnson is sort of setting him up as omnipotent- is there no ability that Morg can’t suddenly pull out of his hat to save the day? Still, you can’t help but adore him, and all the boys, anyway. This Fantasy series is so very fun and enjoyable and I fully intend to buy the rest.
~
One more unique thing about this series- these people not only have toilets, they actually use them! Now, I’m not saying that we have to hear about each potty break, but in the first book, Saber and Kelly have repeated bouts of diarrhea. It’s played for laughs. No, really! And in this book, Alys wakes up and doesn’t know where Wolfe is, but she hears him pissin’ in the bathroom and is reassured he hasn’t left. In a second scene (and who hasn’t had this happen), Wolfe and Alys are spoonin’ in bed one morning, when he slips it into her from behind. She realizes her bladder is too full to continue, so she gets up, goes and empties it, then comes back and they resume their nookie interuptus. Further proof of Ms. Johnson’s practicality- when Alys leaves her uncle’s house, she makes sure to pack her cloths she uses for her monthly periods. How often do authors ever address this bodily function stuff? Almost never, right? Of course, if she REALLY wants to get realistic and earthy, she needs to write a few scenes where the boys rip a few big ones, huh? After all, in real life, men+food+ale ALWAYS = major gaseous emissions!
~
Vicki Pettersson - Zodiac Series
1. The Scent of Shadows - The First Sign of the Zodiac (see previous Commentary)
2. The Taste of Night - The Second Sign of the Zodiac
~
Book Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 3” out of 9”
~
I have a feeling that, if the next book is as kick-ass as the first two, I’ll be raising this Urban Fantasy series up to Lava Cake. Once again, this book is one helluva ride! So much happens in this book that I’m not even sure what to say about it because I don’t want to spoil anything! My only WTF moment was at the end- instead of doing what she needed to do to protect the one she loves, Jo chose to let him be happy yet in mortal danger! That just didn’t make sense to me.
~
Up until that moment, it’s an emotional roller coaster. My heart was torn out by so many scenes and so many characters. My breath was taken away by the dangers. Yet there are other scenes where we get satisfying closure or answers. One answer rocks Jo’s world and fills her (and us) with careening emotions. And Hunter? Let’s just say I’m REALLY liking him. It seems Jo has found a true friend in him, maybe more. Ben? OMG, my heart just cries for him! And Jo is turning out to be a very three dimensional character. My fear of her turning into a Mary Sue express appears to be unfounded so far. She does stupid shit, she pisses people off, and we feel when she’s hurt or confused. She doesn’t always save the day, in fact, she gets herself in situations where someone else needs to ride to her rescue. Warren, despite the fact he’s one of the good guys, is a not so likeable character. In fact, he’s kind of cruel in this one. Oh, and we finally meet Jo’s biological father, the Tulpa, aka The Big Bad.
~
If you read the first book in this series, don’t hesitate to get this second one. And if you haven’t read either- what the hell are you waiting for? Just don’t plan on putting either book down until you’ve reached the end!
~
J.R. Ward - Black Dagger Brotherhood
1. Dark Lover
2. Lover Eternal
3. Lover Awakened
4. Lover Revealed - Butch and Marissa, Butch and V
~
Series Category: Peanut M&Ms - mmmm...devour... sigh... then reach for the next one. My daily dose of Insanity-B-Gone. Most books fall in this category. (A-,B+,B)
Flame Height: 6” out of 9”
~
I’m going to assume that enough people have either read or at least heard enough about the BDB series that I don’t need to spew forth on the details. These books and their troubled heroes seem to have attracted the same kind of devoted, zealous fan following that Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters or Christine Feehan’s Carpathians have. (Now us LKH fans? Whole 'nother level entirely *snicker)
~
Okay, I’ve admitted before that I’ve snickered and snorted my way through the first three books in this series. It’s just that the K-Fed Wannabe talk cracks me up! You feel me, my sistahs? *snicker* It just reminds me too much of the ‘60’s where older people (meaning over 30) would wear Nehru jackets and say things like “groovy” and “far out” and those of us younger than 30 would snicker and snort behind their backs. And why didn’t Darius get one of the uber-cool gangsta names? Shouldn’t he at least have been Dharius, maybe even Dhangerhous? J.R. Ward is going to RAW in September, and I fully intend to ask her that if I get a chance!
~
You know, I like this series despite the K-Fed junk. The BDBs can be real assholes, you know? And they all need some intense therapy, cause these guys have some pretty PHUCKED-UP heads. *snort* But the power of love and magic hoo-haws redeems one of them by the end of each book- at least as far as their attitude towards their woman goes. Of course, up to that point, we’re treated to some big-ass drama queen shit from them, and once they give in to their woman’s magic hoo-haws, we’re treated to some damn fine phuck scenes *snicker*, followed by a whole lot of possessive chest thumpin’ , teeth barin’ and growling.
~
Now, this latest book, Lover Revealed, is the story of Butch, the BDB’s human mascot, for lack of a better term. Actually, he’s been my favorite character all along- he’s even darker and more phucked up than the BDBs! Fortunately, Ms. Ward toned down the K-Fed talk in this one, so I didn’t have that shit in there to distract me from the story. In fact, Lover Revealed comes pretty close to being Lava Cake for me. And the sexual tension between V and Butch? DAMN! It was like unrequited love from V. I almost had myself convinced we were about to get maybe the first mass market M/M scene or at the very least, V and Butch would work it out in a menage with Marissa. But, alas, I was cock-blocked. *sigh*
~
I was also glad to see Marissa grow a spine finally. But that whole Safe House, while a good idea, seemed too much of a complete turnaround, too quickly for me to swallow it whole. One minute Marissa’s a meek, self hating, “O woe is me”, “Whatever shall I do, wherever shall I go?“ door mat, and the next thing we know, she’s got her shit completely together and is helping other women get their shit together too. Like I said, great idea, but it was too abrupt.
~
All in all, this series, and particularly this book- Lover Revealed, is highly engrossing and entertaining. I hope we haven’t seen the end of the V/Butch obsession, and I can’t wait for someone to figure out who John is. And when will we see Tohr again? In a Romance market full of same-old, same-old paranormal stories, the BDBs stand out as fresh and unique.
~
Sherrilyn Kenyon - The Dream Hunter
~
Book Category: Dark Chocolate - loved by some, just "meh" to me. (C-,D+)
Flame Height: 4” out of 9”
~
The basic story on this one was okay, but SK muddied it up with so much Atlantean and Greek mythology that I had to force myself to finish this one. The problem isn’t that the mythologies were incorporated in the book, the problem is that it seems to have been written with the assumption that the Reader is already familiar with these mythologies through her Dark Hunter series.
~
Dream Hunter apparently starts a new series that is an spin-off of her Dark Hunter series, another one that is getting tough to read. For me, it seems that SK is starting to write for her faithful board members instead of the casual reader. I don’t retain the kind of detailed knowledge of her previous books required to pick up on all the clues or “Easter Eggs” that her faithful seem to delight over and devour. Nor do I retain all the detailed knowledge of each previous character and book that is starting to be required to read her newer offerings. So, I doubt I’ll read more of this new series, and after Ash’s book in the Dark Hunter series (assuming I even understand it), I may be dropping that series too unless she either learns to incorporate reminders or brain nudges into them, or at least goes back to writing them for a larger audience instead of targeting them to just her zealous fans. And I’m not insulting her or her faithful fans, I’m just pointing out that, if SK is aiming for a larger audience, she’s developing too narrow a focus. Surely there’s a way to keep her devoted readers happy while still allowing the casual readers like me to enjoy her books.
~
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