Whew, I finally finished this. I've been listening to this on and off on Audible, mostly at night and before bedtime, but occasionally on commutes. I Whew, I finally finished this. I've been listening to this on and off on Audible, mostly at night and before bedtime, but occasionally on commutes. I thought this was more of a fantasy book, but it's really a paranormal romance. Nothing wrong with that. I love me some paranormal romance. But it's important to have the right expectations. For readers who want more world-building and expansive fantasy storytelling, you may not be fully satisfied with this book. But if you want a romance that has a very good fantasy/worldbuilding aspect, you'll like this one.
I was pleasantly surprised as I started reading that this is based on Greek mythology. If you like shoes like Hercules and Xena, you'll like that about this book, as the gods and goddess do involve themselves in the life of the lead character Cat. I think maybe it's closer to Percy Jackson in this case. In other words, maybe a grown up, sexier Percy Jackson type story. Cat has a very interesting and tragic backstory that really got me intrigued. Her background had almost a Game of Thrones vibe and explains why she is so cynical and mostly wants to be left alone (other than her found family in the traveling troupe. I liked Cat from the beginning, but Griffin had to grow on me. It depends on how you like your male main characters. He's pushy and demanding, and arrogant. He thinks he knows everything and expects others to fall in line. He decides to kidnap Cat because of her powers, and as the story goes along, he wants to keep her for romantic reasons. I did like how hard he fell for her and how fast, but he was way too bossy for my tastes. Having said that, they had good chemistry and I could see the love between them.
I really liked Cat and Griffin's gang. If I am honest, I liked Griffin's warriors more than him for most of the book. I know it's because he is established as the enforcer of his family and is used to making hard decisions and making enemies for his sister who is the leader of their people. His boys are more fun loving and they get along great with Cat from almost the beginning. I liked their dynamics. I appreciated their escapades as they traveled.
The action scenes were great. Cat's magical abilities are pretty awesome and make for some great set pieces. Those were some of my favorite parts in the book.
I liked the narrator a lot. She does a great job with the different characters, giving them distinct tones. I especially like how she embodied Cat.
While the end is a little abrupt and feels a little cliffhangery for me, I did enjoy this book. I didn't quite like how Cat wasn't completely honest about who she is with Griffin. It's extremely important information. I realize how hard it would be to tell him that, but it's completely necessary, and I am sure things are going to come to a head very soon. I think now that I understand that it's not fantasy romance, but moreso paranormal romance, I can go into the next book with that expectation.
I think this is sitting at about a 3.75/4.0 stars. I would probably have given it 4 stars had I gone into it knowing it wasn't a fantasy romance....more
I was very pleasantly surprised by the first book in the series, Free Agent, so I was glad that I had access to the audiobook for this next book. ThisI was very pleasantly surprised by the first book in the series, Free Agent, so I was glad that I had access to the audiobook for this next book. This book had a slightly different feel as an audiobook. The narrator is really good. She give Marissa a lot of attitude. I also like the way she characterizes the other characters. Liam sounds extra yummy and adorable. Marissa comes off as a tough cookie, but she is very caring and loyal to her friends and loved ones, a driving force to her actions.
I feel like the body count was pretty high in this book compared to the first, and there's an overall cavalier attitude about death and dying. I supposed that's to be expected, considering the business and the overall state of affairs.
I am a sucker for the fairy tale theme, and I appreciate how naturalistic this is to the overall story. In this world, fairy godparents, princesses, evil queens, and all manner of supernatural being are part and parcel.
This novel provides more insight into the mysterious Grimm and his background. I would definitely read these books in order because otherwise one would be lost. This book picks up where the first book left off.
If you can grab the audiobook, I recommend it....more
One of my all time favorite fairy tales is The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and this is set in the 20s, so I could not resist it! It's not magical, but One of my all time favorite fairy tales is The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and this is set in the 20s, so I could not resist it! It's not magical, but that doesn't make it less enjoyable. Instead this is a story about sisterhood and women who are subjected to a father who does not know the meaning of love, much less doing the right thing by his family.
Josephine, who goes by Jo, and who is called General by her eleven younger sisters, has taken on the care of them. They are afraid and at times disdainful of her, using her as a punching bag for their resentment for their situation--virtual slaves in their father's house. Their father is a rich man who married into society. He kept his wife pregnant in the desire for a son, until she died. Now he's ashamed of having a quiver full of daughters and no son. He's ready to start marrying them off.
He is unaware that the daughters have started sneaking off at night to go dancing in the speakeasies and nightclubs that have sprung up as a result of Prohibition. The girls are carefully guarded and directed by The General, and she takes this responsibility seriously. It's not at all convenient when she falls in love, especially with eleven sisters to watch over.
The audiobook narration was absolutely the way to go with this book. The narrator was spot on. She imbues each character with life. I loved her cadence and intonation for each character. From the no-nonsense Jo, to the sarcastic Lou (2nd oldest), and even the male characters. I hated their father. What a horrible man. I felt for the sisters, especially Jo. The girls didn't realize how much she had suffered being the oldest. And how much she gave up for them.
Valentine nails the 1920s to a T. She gives the description that is needed to firmly cement the setting, and draws this reader into that atmosphere of the speakeasies and dance clubs, and the flapper culture.
I didn't think this would have a happy ending. At the risk of possibly spoiling, I will say I was happily surprised at the ending.
I have no great criticism of this novel. It just doesn't feel like a five star book. That doesn't mean it's not an awesome book. Recommended. ...more
This was a good read. Jonah Hex is a hero whose demeanor is as disreputable as his appearance. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty, and probably enThis was a good read. Jonah Hex is a hero whose demeanor is as disreputable as his appearance. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty, and probably enjoys violence too much. But he's not an amoral killer either. He makes his way to Gotham, and that place is definitely in need of a tough hero like him. Set in the late 1800s, more than a 100 years before Bruce Wayne is born, but Gotham is already a cesspool of corruption in the making. There is already a secret society who really runs things, and they are committing murders to send a message. Jonah teams up with the future founder of the Arkham Asylum, a psychologist who cannot help analyzing him, and there's a lot to analyze. He eventually comes to respect Hex for his methods, because there is no better man to have at your side or cutting a swathe of destruction in front of you to clear the way.
I'm not sure how much Bruce Wayne would respect or get along with Hex. Probably a certain level of respect, but I'm sure Batman wouldn't be as fond of all the killing that Hex does as a matter of course.
Other stories feautured different western heroes like El Diablo and the Barbary Ghost. I liked the Barbary Ghost because she is a kickbutt Chinese woman who takes on the crime syndicate who wiped out most of her family. How could I not like her?
This graphic novel is fans of good, old-fashioned western action. The supernatural elements are light here, but that's okay. There's plenty of action to keep this reader happy.
The real monsters are the ones who try to create them.
A brilliant geneticist embarked on a quest to create the perfect weapon. Nobody believed in her,The real monsters are the ones who try to create them.
A brilliant geneticist embarked on a quest to create the perfect weapon. Nobody believed in her, but when she finds a person willing to finance her research, Dr. Sarah Kinney comes to realize she has gotten into bed with real monsters.
With stolen genetic material from the legendary Weapon X, aka Wolverine, these fringe scientist create clones (to make more weapons, of course), only to realize that the clone embryos aren't viable because of the Y chromosome. Dr. Kinney hits on the idea to use a X-gene. Of course the male chauvinist pigs don't like the idea. She does it anyway, and X-23 survives. Her penance is to have to carry the embryo to term. This backfires on the researchers and the company, because Sarah bonds with her daughter, instilling lessons into her that will come into play in her life at a later time. Despite the fact that Dr. Zander Rice, a %$%* of the first order, exercises his complete misogyny on X-23 (and latent hatred of Wolverine, who killed his father), torturing her to making his weapon, and unleashing her into the world as a killing machine with the use of his trigger scent.
This story is very tragic and also heartbreaking. I'm not sure if the writer intended to put so much pathos into the story, or if he was just trying to create a credible origin story suitable to Wolverine's daughter. The end result was a graphic novel that inspired a lot of emotion in me. Outside of my awe that X-23 is so awesomely kickbutt, is my sadness for her deprived childhood and what she was forced to do by her handler. I mean I can't help but appreciate an assassin of her caliber. But the idea of a child being raised that way and created to be a weapon, is heinous. It reminded me of Saber of the GhostWalker series by Christine Feehan (Predatory Game, which is a nice recognition, since I love that series. She was also cultivated as a child assassin (using her innocent, childlike appearance to infiltrate and destroy her targets).
To think I didn't even know who X-23 was six months ago. Boy was I missing out. Glad I discovered her. She's up there as a Marvel favorite now for me. Unfortunately, the Craig Kyle versions are out of print. But at least the awesome Marjorie M. Liu takes over, and those are still in print, so I will be checking those out.
Because of the storytelling and lovely artwork, I'd have to give this one 4.5 stars. ...more
These Zatanna graphic novels are great. I like the sense of whimsy and fun mixed with the intrinsic warning that magic can have an allure and be misusThese Zatanna graphic novels are great. I like the sense of whimsy and fun mixed with the intrinsic warning that magic can have an allure and be misused and abused by dark forces. While I am more afraid of clowns than puppets, I can completely see Zatanna's trepidation when it comes to puppets. And it turns out she has excellent reason for it. The story arc about the puppet was spooky in a good way, and it had plenty of twists to it.
Zatanna's stories go from humorous to very dark, and while Zatanna is a character with an inner light, she is very well equipped to handle even the worst magical bullies.
Unfortunately, this series got cancelled with the 52 reboot, so we don't get to see the conclusion of the Brother Night story. I hope that they come out with more Zatanna adventures outside of her work with the Justice League Dark. I really like her style....more
This was definitely a unique Harlequin Presents. Aiesha really is a bad girl. She's not a very nice person, and while I felt sympathy for her, at firsThis was definitely a unique Harlequin Presents. Aiesha really is a bad girl. She's not a very nice person, and while I felt sympathy for her, at first, she was not easy to like. As time went along, it was clear that her outrageous behavior and caustic personality was a defense mechanism against the deprived nature of her childhood and all its attendant disappointments. She used sex as a weapon, and I'm not ever a fan of that kind of behavior. At the same time, it was refreshing to have a bad heroine and a nice hero. Milburne flipped the usual HP script around, giving Aiesha many of the HP hero traits. I think it would have been cooler if she was independently wealthy so that 'gold digger' aspect was not part of the equation.
The sexuality was a lot more blatant in this book, probably because Aiesha is quite sexually experienced and rather callused about sex. James tends to be more circumspect about sex, although he definitely knows what he's doing in the bed. I would have loved to see him as an inexperienced hero, which would have made the role reversal more thorough. Although James does have a condemning attitude towards Aiesha initially, I really did respect and like him. He was seriously harmed emotionally by Aiesha's antics ten years ago, and had a reason to be angry. I liked that he was able to put that behind him and evaluate Aiesha more thoroughly and he had learned to see past her offensive behavior and sex kitten armor to the wounded woman underneath.
The ending was pretty cool. Aiesha gets her dream come true and her man, and realizes that she doesn't have to be ashamed of her childhood, because none of that is her fault. At the same time, I think she did learn that treating people badly because of what she'd been deprived of wasn't good behavior either.
By the end of this book, I did believe that Aiesha and James truly loved each other, and were more than willing to take a risk and go after a life together, regardless of what had taken place in the past. James showed that he was for her and she showed that she loved him in a very demonstrative way.
I would give this four stars. It was well written and thoughtful. Despite the way it seemed, this is a very angsty and rather pathos-inducing. It made me feel a bit melancholy after I finished it, so that's why I didn't rate it higher....more
This is comic book history. It really is. Frank Miller tells an epic love story that a few sad people who have never heard of Daredevil and Elektra wiThis is comic book history. It really is. Frank Miller tells an epic love story that a few sad people who have never heard of Daredevil and Elektra will never know. It starts with two idealistic college students who meet and fall in love, and ends with them on opposite sides of the law.
I don't think I am exaggerating by saying that Elektra is one of the most lethal women ever written on paper. She is an accomplished assassin who uses her pointed sais to end the lives of those who either become her target, or get on her bad side (although she is not a psychopathic killer who murders at will). Like Daredevil, her entire body is a weapon. Elektra has renounced the law after the death of her father, so she sees nothing wrong in working for the highest bidder. This puts her in extreme contradiction to Matt Murdock/Daredevil, who believes in the law and supporting it even to his detriment (while he is a masked avenger, his work is to uphold the law). As such, Daredevil has sworn to bring her to justice.
What I liked about this book, among many things is that Elektra and Daredevil are like moons that continually encounter each other as they follow their individual gravitational paths. While their romance is doomed, it's clear that they cannot forget or disavow each other completely. In fact, they save each others lives more than a few times in this book. While they are enemies, their hearts are never parted from each other. It's romantic in the deepest sense.
The artwork was really good. I was especially impressed with the motion and energy of such athletic and graceful characters as Elektra and Daredevil. Elektra herself was extremely visually stunning. She is so iconic in her complete look in this graphic novel, I can see no need to change her look that much even so many years later (although it was done in the two movie incarnations, which I liked to varying degrees). Honestly, I liked her artwork in this better than in Elektra: Assassin, which looked muddy to me. When I started painting last year, Elektra was one of the first characters I attempted, because her look strikes me so profoundly.
The emotional landscape of the characters was very clearly portrayed through the artwork and narrative. Elektra's desolation at her father's death and the fact that Matt is everything she wants but cannot have, that he has moved on. Matt's determination to follow his hard path, despite the fact that his heart wants something else. And the end of their tumultuous love affair, it's brutal and abrupt, and Miller is unapologetic about it. And Matt is not ready to move on from Elektra, despite confirmation that she is denied to him in every way.
Some episodes in this volume were a bit more cartoonish than others. The character of Turk, a two-bit thug that is continually humiliated in his encounters with Daredevil, is clearly played for laughs. Matt's friend and partner, Foggy, is almost always drawn rather goofily, but even he has some very serious moments. I honestly didn't like Matt's girfriend, Heather, at all. Her personality seems very dated to me. Even though Elektra is a ruthless killer, I think she's a much better love interest for Matt. There is a deadly seriousness to the stories that feature Kingpin and Bullseye, two major adversaries to Daredevil. The first a methodical career criminal who veers more towards sociopathy, the latter a complete psychopath with some serious malignantly narcissistic tendencies. Kingpin has a vibrancy and a power, a charisma that comes off the pages at the reader. I don't like him, but at the same time, I liked looking at him and reading his dialogue. I can't stand Bullseye for reasons apparent and some I can't get into.
In my opinion, this is a groundbreaking series of comic books. Miller has given us the comic book antiheroine we always longed for, but assumptions about gender held many back from delivering. Even twenty plus years later, I think that Elektra will always stand out. She touches on the inner ninja that every girl secretly wants to be, even when we have been told that girls don't do that. This wannabe ninja is cheering!
Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars--Not quite 4.5 stars, but better than 4. ...more
I am working my way through a reread to get ready for the next books in the series, and I also just plain love the Prakenskii bReread in January 2016.
I am working my way through a reread to get ready for the next books in the series, and I also just plain love the Prakenskii brothers (they're Russian, enough said!) and the Sisters of the Heart, the found family of women who buy a farm together and are united by personal tragedy and their gifts of power over the elements.
I can easily say this is still my favorite so far (out of the first 3 books), although I loved to the third power Water Bound and I really did enjoy Spirit Bound. I think that this has the best action and the romance between Airiana and Maxim is so natural in its progression. Although they seem to start as enemies, the mutual alliance they found becomes a bond of trust and love.
It hit me hard like for the first time how lethal Maxim is. He doesn't play around! Airiana is sweet, but she has the capability to dive into the fray and do what needs to be done. She's feisty too and she definitely tells Maxim what she thinks. They're such a great couple!
The children are integral to the story and adorable, but it's so awful and heartbreaking what they have experienced. The subject matter here is definitely not for the faint of heart.
I'm super jazzed to finally be able to start reading Earth Bound and excited about Fire Bound coming out in April! I've a feeling that Casmir is like Maxim on steroids.
*** Previous Review I loved this book!
I am seriously in love with the Prakenskiis, and I have to say that Maxim is my favorite now. He's a mad, bad, dangerous man but he loves so good! I had no clue that this tough, lethal man that we met at the beginning of this book could be such a sweet, gentle, loving guy to Airiana. I think that is Feehan magic, how she creates this guys who are lethal and ruthless, but then they are so deeply in love with their heroines, that I end up sighing as I read the book. Now this won't work for some readers, but I am such a sucker for the mix of action and suspense and romance, and Feehan has delivered both in such a delicious combination in this book.
I will confess that she's autobuy for me and I didn't even read the synopsis. I was there because I knew it was a Prakenskii hero. I didn't read the blurb until I opened the book to read it, and I was like, 'cool.' So I didn't have much preconceived notions, but I was just in it for the ride, and what a fun, wonderful ride it was.
Most of the book takes place away from Airiana's sisters, but I didn't mind that. I think that the situation was crafted very well to the lead characters. While somethings will always be the same about Feehan's books (but those things are why I read her), the situation felt different in an appealing way. Maxim is in no way a carbon copy of his brothers. And Airiana is also distinctive from her 'sisters'. Despite her air element, she's actually quite cerebral and far from flighty and hippie-chick, like I was suspecting. I liked the backstory of her life and how it ties into Maxim's story. Airiana is a tough young woman. For such a small, delicate person, she can hold her own and she was quite the action heroine in this book. She's really a very cool, down to earth, mature for her age woman. She gets my seal of approval.
I feel that Feehan does a good job of plotting and tying her stories together. and this fits very cohesively into the series. She makes the idea of the 'Sisters of the Heart' all ending up with Prakenskiis a lot more plausible than one would expect. I'll admit that I am fine with it because I can't get enough of these guys.
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I liked that the love scenes come later in the book. Considering how dangerous Airiana and Maxim's situation was, it made a lot more sense. I can't stand when they take an inappropriate 'sex break' in romantic suspense novels. When the the love scenes come, they are blisteringly sexy but also very romantic. Although both are wounded, the 'getting busy' part isn't implausible. the love scenes say so much about the love journey of these two characters. You can see how much Maxim cherishes Airiana and you can also see that Airiana truly trusts Max and gives her heart unreservedly. That makes me sigh happily.
There is a really cool twist in this book that I really liked, and it adds to the believability of Maxim settling into a normal life, which he never had because of his family and their tie to the Russian government. There was some horrible tragedy and wrongness in this book, but I think that Max and Airiana were in exactly the right place at the right time and they will make things right.
I really can't say enough good things about this book. I wanted to read it again right after I finished it. Lately, I've felt less sucked into books, and this book certainly breaks that trend for the better. I rejuvenates my romance novel juices and makes me want to go on a reading tear. I have a need for more high octane romance novel action books like this, with a yummy hero and heroine I really like for this long, hot summer I am facing! Please write the next book soon, Ms. Feehan!...more
My first review got sucked into the Review Twilight Zone, so here we go again.
Zatanna is an interesting mix of showmanship, jocular affability and incMy first review got sucked into the Review Twilight Zone, so here we go again.
Zatanna is an interesting mix of showmanship, jocular affability and incredible magical aptitude. Her costume is a shirtwaist and tails, with a top hat, and she brandishes a magical wand. Her enemies tend to underestimate her abilities, big time. She's more than capable of taking on the practitioners of the darkest of magics, as evidenced in the story arcs of this book.
This book was an improbably successful mix of a light-hearted vibe and kooky magic tricks and a glimpse into the world in which sorcerers practice dark arts and demons trade power for souls. It shouldn't have worked, but it did. I think it's because Zatanna successfully straddles that line of fun-loving, cheerful stage magician and truly talented wizard who uses her skills to protect humans from the world of evil sorcery that she is familiar with through past battles and a heartbreaking loss.
I am watching "Young Justice" on Netflix (fantastic show, by the way!), and Zatanna was on an episode I watched today, and it was serendipity that I had read this around the same time. I think she's a cool character with a skillset that is distinctive compared to some of the more famous DC Comics heroes. I found Justice League Dark at my library, where she teams with other sorcerers and wizards to combat dark magic, and I'm looking forward to reading more Zatanna graphic novel content.
I'd recommend this to readers who aren't too squeamish about sorcery and magical content. One of the baddies is really, really bad, and some folks die in terrible ways due to evil magic, so not for the faint of heart....more
I've really been into Sherlock Holmes lately. Well, at least more than usual. Yes, you can rightly blame that on the BBC series Sherlock. So when I saI've really been into Sherlock Holmes lately. Well, at least more than usual. Yes, you can rightly blame that on the BBC series Sherlock. So when I saw this graphic novel series at my library, based on a super-sleuth along the lines of Mr. Holmes, and his trusty sidekick (in this case, a woman), I couldn't resist. After finishing this book last night, I would definitely recommend it to Holmes fans.
Similarities:
*Simon Archard is arrogant, has poor people skills, and extremely well-developed deductive reasoning skills like Holmes. His flaws nearly balance out his strengths, and he manages to be endearing because his sidekick clearly thinks so much of him. That sympathy brings you along for the ride. *His assistant, Emma Bishop, is long suffering and often mal-treated by her friend, although her skills do come in handy in solving their little cases. Bishop is also the narrator. *And yes, there is a Moriarty-like arch-nemesis in the making.
Differences:
*Emma is far from ordinary. She has some very special powers that she must hide or suffer dire consequences. It provides for hairy moments because she has to resort to her instincts and intellect to get Archard and herself out of tight situations instead of using her powers. *Unless you're a Johnlock (Sherlock and John Watson shipper), there is a subtle undercurrent of romantic tension between Simon and Emma that the story plays on. Of course, this isn't a romance, but I think that there's a 'will they or won't they' question hanging around. *In this situation, the world is a created Londonesque city that has a potential for supernatural happenings.
I enjoyed this graphic novel. Good adventure and good mystery stories. The illustrations are gorgeous. The detail of the characters' features kept my eyes drawn to the page. Each story had some good plot twists. On the negative side was the fact that it was hard to read. Normally, the graphic novel panels go from left to right and down the page. In this book, their progression varied, even from page to page. I got confused a few times and had to retrace my steps. Also, the lettering for the character thoughts was too small, hard to read. That's the main reason I didn't like this more, was the confusion I felt in its organization and setup. Overall, it's good for fans of action-adventure comics, and of course Sherlock Holmes fans. I liked the fact that in this case, Mr. Watson's role is taken by a woman, who has something yet to pull out of the rabbit hat. Like Watson, her narrative voice kept me pulled into this story and inspires more sympathy for the arrogant Archard that I probably wouldn't have felt otherwise. I will continue this series....more
This was a very good follow up volume in the Saga series. It reads as though it picks up immediately after the first volume ends, which is great. I enThis was a very good follow up volume in the Saga series. It reads as though it picks up immediately after the first volume ends, which is great. I enjoy this series, but at times, I feel as though the writer/artists are deliberately trying to be shockingly gratuitous with their subject matter. The violence is quite graphic and there are at least two borderline pornographic scenes on top of the sexual content that I feel is acceptable in a mature-themed graphic novel. I didn't even understand the point of showing the porny images, honestly. I took a double take, and I felt like I had to look again to make sure I saw what I thought I was. One was so gross I had to show my aunt. I couldn't even see what the point of that was.
After all my ranting, I guess I have to explain what appeals to me about this graphic novel. What wins me over with this series is the fact that at its heart, this is a story about the purest forms of love. It's a story about a family that is committed to stay together and fight for a life for their young daughter. Even the cold, amoral bounty hunter turns out to have an altruistic side for a child who is in a very bad situation. I am a sappy, diehard romantic, and I can't help but love a story where enemies fall in love and are willing to face any obstacle for their family, where people sacrifice and fight for love. I enjoyed meeting Marko's parents, and I can see why Marko fell so hard for Alana. She reminds me of his mother in the best ways. Similarly, Marko reminds me of his father, the more gentle, but steady as a rock member of the partnership.
As before, I loved the narrative of Hazel, the young daughter of Marko and Alana. I have a feeling she will be the best of both of her parents, and she will be tough as nails for all she has gone through in her short life. The way this story is written, they are in almost constant danger, and you know that it's only going to get worse, considering that they have the rulers of both planets on their tails, and a very determined bounty hunter.
I just plain love the setting and the out there science fiction/adventure tone. If they toned down some of the violence and sexual content, I could see this is a fun series for basic cable. Of course, they could go in the direction of the HBO/Cinemax and Showtime series and keep the over the top stuff as well. I'd probably end up watching it, but I admit I would cringe or cover my eyes on some parts. That's how I roll.
Anyway, despite the porny parts, I really enjoyed this second book. I'm looking forward to the next installment....more
Readers who like their contemporary cowboy romance on the spicier side might enjoy this. For me, the book seemed to have an identity crisis as far as Readers who like their contemporary cowboy romance on the spicier side might enjoy this. For me, the book seemed to have an identity crisis as far as its romance genre status. The characters are emotionally all over the place and that was wearing. Overall, pretty good.
Another hilarious installment in this series. I love spending time with IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway, who can't seem to stay out of trouble in the Another hilarious installment in this series. I love spending time with IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway, who can't seem to stay out of trouble in the line of duty.
I can't believe Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ate another review of mine! This sucks! I guess this is an opportunity to better clarify my thoughts this time.
I was very exI can't believe Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ate another review of mine! This sucks! I guess this is an opportunity to better clarify my thoughts this time.
I was very excited about reading this book, and I snatched it off the library shelf. I have a fixation on assassin main characters (don't you judge me!). I also liked the idea that the heroine might fall in love with her would be assassin and vice versa (no judging!). Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this book. I'll try to start with the positives and then go to the negatives, because that seems fitting.
What I liked:
Ananna was an interesting lead character. I loved how distinctive her background as the daughter of pirates was. The author kept her characterization true to her origins. Her narration was uneducated sounding and her actions and beliefs showed the ethics of a person who was raised on a pirate ship. She was believably down to earth, and I liked that while she could hold her own and was a capable fighter, she wasn't amorally bloodthirsty.
The background on the pirate factions was intriguing. I also liked the magical aspects of this book, although they could have been better described.
What I didn't like:
Naji's characterization palled in comparison to Ananna. While this was a 1st person point of view, that didn't necessarily have to result in such an obvious lack in definition that his character had. He felt more like a background character, which doesn't work for this story, due to the intimate connection they share.
Speaking of, I think the curse could have been better described. I understand the author was trying to keep some suspense about why Naji had to protect Ananna, but it wasn't very well explained. Also Naji's magic was cool enough for me to want more explication.
I think the plotting could have been better. The beginning was catchy and I was sucked in, but around the last third of the book, I started losing interest. I couldn't decide where she was going with the story, but I didn't really care after a point. I just wanted to finish the book.
The magical aspects had a lot of potential, but after a while the different magical factions sort of ran together and lost distinction for me. I couldn't understand where she was going with the story overall.
Speaking off, I am heartily sick of cliffhangers. I think it's a dirty cheat to write a story that ends abruptly, just so people will keep reading. There are rare circumstances where a cliffhanger makes sense, or if the book is just really long. This was not the case in either way with this book. I truly believe the book could have been longer and the story could have been wrapped up to a satisfying conclusion without sacrificing tension for a series. When it ended, I was like, "What the What?!" like Finn on Adventure Time. Not cool! I don't want to turn this into a rantview, so I'll leave it at that.
While I don't regret reading this book, I wasn't satisfied with it overall. There were enough things I liked to propel me to read the second book in the series from my library. I hope that the character and story development are improved in the forthcoming books, since it has a lot of potential.
I am rereading these first book on audiobook and I have to say it was a great idea. I love the way the narra2nd read completed in 4/2018 on Audiobook.
I am rereading these first book on audiobook and I have to say it was a great idea. I love the way the narrators brought these beloved characters to life. Will and Jessica are mirrors of each other, and the way in which Baldacci explores that relationship is beautiful. Jessica's life seems more tragic than Will. The fact that she isn't a sociopathic machine killer is a great testiment to her inner character considering the way she grew up and the fact that this was exploited when she was recruited as an assassin. I like that Will was not the type to just go straight to eliminating her. He asked questions and delve deeper, based on the fact that what he knew about Reel didn't gel with what he was told. I like that they don't stay adversaries very long (yes it's a spoiler, but you know this if you follow the series). I think they make a great team. Plus, Julie likes Jessica.
I recommend these books if you haven't read them.
*** Oh man! I loved this book. Baldacci took the firm foundation he built in The Innocent and kicked it up sky high. It was like he asked, "How can I really do something interesting with Will Robie in the next book?" And he did. He introduced Jessica Reel. Jessica Reel is the female counterpart to Will, and that is something indeed. Jessica is Grade A, high level lethal kickbutt to the extreme. Her life is as edgy as you can image, just like Will. I love bonafide tough women characters, and it's kind of hard to find the well done ones. But Baldacci has impressed me, because that is definitely Jessica.
I liked her so much, I really didn't want her and Will to be adversaries. Good thing that Baldacci resolves that very well in this book. Because if you have someone guarding your back, you'd want someone like Will or Jessica. And you definitely wouldn't want them gunning for you!
As far as the action, this book is high level. Yet, the plot and a workable story isn't sacrificed just for a good action scene. Everything holds together, and if it served the story better not to have an onscreen action scene, Baldacci wasn't afraid to do that. This book is a good combination of action and thriller/suspense. I don't love a lot of political conspiracy-type storylines because I just find it dry, but it's well done here. Not too much to bore me, but sufficient for the story. With characters like Will and Jessica, you have understand what their motivations are and what would push them over the edge, and that was here in the novel.
The pacing was excellent. I never got bored. Any downtime between action sequences progresses the story and allows us to learn more about the characters. Actually one of my favorite parts of this book was seeing the way Will and Jessica's minds worked. It's uncanny how their minds seemed to click. That was the fun of this book. Had Baldacci decided to take it in another direction, it still would have been a fantastic book, but I liked it better the way it was done. And I have high hopes to see more of this dynamic duo, or at least see Jessica pop up again.
I did get my other wish for this book, I did get to see Julie again. She wasn't in this book as much, but it fits the story. It was just good to know that she and Will are still in each others' lives and they know they can count on each other. Also great to see Nikki Vance and Blue Man again.
I can't say enough good things about this book. Just adored it. I definitely want to get copies of these books for my collection, because Will is definitely on my list, and Jessica as well. Please write more books about Will, Mr. Baldacci!...more
I listened to this book on audio, and it was definitely a distinctive read. I have to say that while I enjoyed it, it was challenging to listen to. I I listened to this book on audio, and it was definitely a distinctive read. I have to say that while I enjoyed it, it was challenging to listen to. I found it hard to visualize some concepts. I honestly have no brain for mechanical concepts, so listening to descriptions of the mecha devices was difficult for me. I decided to stop analyzing and go with it. Not worry about trying to get a crystal clear image of those parts of the story, but just enjoy what I could understand. The ideas were interesting, but I was a bit clueless about what exactly made Clare what he was, and the exact interplay between his physiology and his abilities. At the end, I determined that he was heavily depending on the continual processing of information for his well-being, but he could think too much and end up in trouble. Perhaps he also has some enhanced sensory abilities which also make him susceptible to different environments.
While the magic system was very intriguing, it took me a long time to understand it or get a handle on it. I absolutely loved some parts. They were darkly beautiful. They inspired a deep sense of unease with the arcane natures of the magical acts and the beings perpetuating them, but also a sense of awe. While I have no real life interest in magic whatsoever, I do love reading about magic in this kind of fictional setting. And I thoroughly enjoyed the fact magic is so intrinsic to the fabric of Great Britain in this novel. It was very cool that the present monarch is a host for the spirit of Britannia. I haven't encountered that concept before.
As far as characters, Emma really came to life for me. She's such a complex person. She's a mix of good and bad, and her manner of interacting with others can inspire winces as often as wows. I loved how vigilant and fierce she was. She took her role as a Prime sorcerer very seriously, and her vow to protect Britain. And it often cost her personally. The scene near the end brought shivers down my spine. I also loved Mikhail. He was luscious. The way the moderator spoke his parts was utterly appealing. Especially the way he spoke to Emma and called her Prima. It sounded like a verbal caress. I was surprised at the direction that the author took with Emma's relationship with Mikhail. It added to the complexity of her character. I wish I had more answers about what Mikhail is. I have to be honest that he is a big draw for me right now, although I also find Emma very appealing as a heroine, although not always laudable in the way she acted towards some characters. Clare was interesting. I enjoyed his deductive reasoning and analysis of the very strange situations he encountered after being recruited by Emma as the sole surviving unregistered mentath. As I mentioned earlier, I didn't always 'get' what he was doing and how it affected him. I hope that will change with later books. I also liked Valetinelli. I have a fondness for roguish characters who are insanely good at being lethal. That's definitely him. The moderator made his voice very fun. He spoke with a blatant Italian accent that was lyrical and appealing.
I think the major reason why I didn't give this a higher rating was that I had a hard time getting a grasp on the story to the extent that I desired. I had a lot of questions. As far as the writing having an appeal and impact on me, that was very well done. Saintcrow has a way of bringing magical and arcane elements to vibrant life that stays with me. That imagery was very well depicted. As a visual reader, I could feel and experience the powerful magics that the characters employed, although some parts were just plain weird and my brain didn't know what to make of those. I also give this book points on having such a distinctive heroine. Not always pure in her motives, but underneath, driven to do what is right. That's a hard thing to conceptualize in a novel without polarizing your audience.
I have to give this 3.5 stars because it was flawed in some ways, but in others a very good book. I will continue this series with the hopes I will be enlightened on some of the world-building particulars and to explore more of Emma, Clare, and Mikhail, and not to mention, Supernatural Victorian Great Britain.
Danielle The Book Huntress
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