Monthly Reads: March 2012

Okay, so I keep telling myself that I have time, that there's a few more days left to April. But the truth is, May is creeping up on me!! But I'm done, so it really doesn't matter how much longer April will last or how close May is! Phew LOL.

I have to say, ever since I started the Week-End's Minis feature, my Monthly Reads posts are so much easier to write!! I think the WEM is my best idea ever LOL. And guess what? I'm really close to be reviewing everything I read. Wow!

So without further ado, here is what I read in March:

1) Driving Mr. Dead by Molly Harper: C

This is a novella taking pace in the same world as the Jane Jameson series, actually not only same world, but same town! Its purpose is to introduce the spin-off series featuring Iris Scanlon and her business, Beeline - Half-Moon Hollow's premiere vampire concierge service, to the readers. However, Driving Mr. Dead is not about Iris, but about her employee, Miranda Puckett. Miranda comes from a family where everyone is organized and knows what they want in life. But it is not the case for Miranda and as a result, she is considered a flake and her parents are still looking out for her, hoping that one day she'd come back to her sense and work in the family's law firm. Miranda's newest job is the position of driver for Beeline and her assignment is to drive to Washington state, pick up Collin Sutherland - a vampire, and drive him back to Kentucky before the deadline so he can deliver the mysterious black case to Council official Ophelia Lambert. Needless to say, with Collin's paranoia and OCD quirks and Miranda's emotional turmoil due to her fiance's affair, the drive is anything but straightforward. Especially when Miranda is prone to run in the most unimaginable situations :)

Overall, I thought Driving Mr. Dead was a fun read and a nice set-up for Ms Harper's new series. I liked both Miranda and Collin. Collin's OCD quirks were hilarious, especially that 16 pages document about the conditions for the travel LOL. However, at the end of the day, I felt like the changes in Collin were too quick and sudden and it was hard for me to believe the two have fallen in love, especially since it seemed they didn't have anything in common ^_^; It was just a bit too unrealistic to me, although I definitively wouldn't mind reading more about them :) Another little niggle... I don't know if it was due to the length of the novella, but the vibe I got from Miranda was very similar to Jane. I know that personality-wise, the two women are very different. However, the fact that they both find themselves in ridiculous situations... I think it was even mentioned in the novella how Miranda reminded someone of Jane ^_^; Then when you pair Miranda up with a stuff shirt like Collin, you can see the similarities. I understand part of the similarities is due to Ms Harper's writing style, but I really don't want interchangeable characters. I really hope Ms Harper will be able to give a distinct feel to Iris in The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires which comes out in August.


2) Fair Game by Patricia Briggs: B+


3) Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors by Molly Harper: B


4) By a Thread by Jennifer Estep: B

5) The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh: B-

For a more comprehensive review, please check out Hilcia's :) Otherwise, keep on reading!

In the past year, I've been going through Ms Balogh's extensive back list. She's quite popular as an historical romance author and while not all of her books have worked for me, they are solid and consistent reads :) Why did I pick up The Temporary Wife in particular? Well I like marriage of convenience plots.

Lord Anthony Earheart is the heir to a dukedom and to say he is on bad terms with his father is an understatement. When Anthony finally decides to respond to his father's summons, he's determined to thumb his nose at his father. After all, he's made a name and a fortune for himself in the past 8 years without the duke's support... and the last thing Anthony wants is to marry the bride chosen for him. As a result, Anthony places an ad for a governess... but what he's looking for in reality is a bride - one who is mousy and beneath his station. And he chooses Miss Charity Duncan. Unfortunately for Anthony, first impressions are often misleading as Charity turns out to be a lovely young woman. Her father's death left her family in a dire financial situation. Charity wanted to help her brother shoulder the burden and therefore has been working as a governess; however, she lost a few positions due to her outspoken and direct personality and her look. When she responded to Anthony's ad, she tried very hard to downplay her person... She never expected that Lord Eearheart would propose! And the money that he offers would be salvation to her family. All she has to do is keep the charade up.

The Temporary Wife has everything I usually like to read: marriage of convenience, opposite attract and it's almost a "happy-go-lucky heroine thawing a stuffy hero" story... So theoretically, I should have loved this book. However, I felt that The Temporary Wife was very similar to another of Ms Balogh's book, The Ideal Wife... and it turns out I enjoyed The Ideal Wife better - hence the grade. However, this book remains very enjoyable :) Indeed, it had good characters - I very much liked Anthony and Charity. I liked how brave and perspicacious she was, but also clever. As soon as Anthony explained to her his ploy, she knew what part he wanted her to play, what to expect, etc. I also loved that she didn't care what other people thought and did what she thought was right. My kind of heroine :) As for Anthony, he was a good hero as well. I think he felt like he had to prove something... and there were so many misunderstandings between him and his father and brothers. So much time lost. I also thought the dynamics of the family were very interesting and totally did not expect what was the source of so much misery on both sides. That was very well-done by Ms Balogh.

A few reasons why I didn't like The Temporary Wife as much as The Ideal Wife were the lack of background development for Charity. She has all those qualities, but we know next to nothing about her. For example, her father is supposedly a gentleman... Was he a good or bad guy? What happened for him to leave so many debts? When did her mother pass away? Where do all the kids come from? I also felt the H/H fell in love a bit too fast and would have appreciated seeing their romance developed a bit more. There was a lot of aspects to this book and while it wasn't overwhelming (like too much), it wasn't well-balanced in my opinion.


6) Doubletake by Rob Thurman: A-
Upcoming buddy review to come over at Breezing Through


7) Oracle's Moon by Thea Harrison: B


8) The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook: C


9) Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea by Sophia Nash: C+


10) Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas: B-


11) Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas: B


Books bought: + 17
Books read: -11
TBR pile: + 6


Genre

Historical Romance – 2
Contemporary Romance – 2
Paranormal Romance – 3
Urban Fantasy – 3
Steampunk Romance - 1

***

All in all, I think March was a good month. I admit being a bit disappointed by the number of books I've read in total. 11 is my smallest number so far this year... However, it's not so much that I've read only 11 books... It's that the month started out so well, with so many books I wanted to read! It was like the UF/PNR festival with so many good releases in the genre coming out at the end of February and beginning of March! :) Fair Game, By a Thread, Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors, Angel's Flight, etc. With such good authors, it's no surprise that half my reads were UF and PNR :P So basically, I was in heaven at the beginning of March, but I ended the month feeling blah, not knowing what to read anymore and taking forever to read one book! I felt like I lost my reading mojo which is really not a fun feeling :( I wonder if it's not the Rob Thurman effect ^_^; For some reasons, I tend to read her books really slowly and it seemed I just continued that pace the rest of the month. Or maybe I just burned out reading too much UF/PNR? Hmmm.

Also, March was the first month I had a positive balance in my TBR pile in a while. LOL, I blame the "Buy 3, get the 4th free" promo at the bookstore. I mean, how can you not take advantage of that? :) I also don't mind very much because I've been doing really well in the past month.

So there you, my month of March! How was yours?

Re-Read: Trust Me on This by Jennifer Crusie

Happy Halloween everyone!!

While I don't particularly like Halloween, I think it's great that we do end the month with a bang :) Makes it more exciting, I guess. In any case, I'm just happy the month is over. It's been a really tough month and I want it behind me :P

For this month's Re-Read challenge, I'm cheating a little bit, because Trust Me on This is not a re-read per se. See, I bought this book by Jennifer Crusie eons ago. At that time, I've just discovered Ms Crusie and tried to get my hand on all her backlist, but especially this one since apparently, it was hilarious. I remember reading somewhere that Trust Me on This was so good that the person thought she should buy a second copy and put it in a safe in a hermetic seal, open it 20 years later and make a fortune out of it, LOL. So after much efforts and money (I think I paid about 25$ on ebay ^_^;) I got the book, skimmed through it and put it on the shelves ^_^; I think that at the time, I was afraid to be disappointed because of too high expectations... and seriously, the cover wasn't that appealing as it turns out ^_^;

This month, Trust Me on This was re-released; I bought it and finally read it :) While I never truly read it previously, I have skimmed through it... and I have had years for my expectations to cool down. With such a history, I think Trust Me on This could be considered a re-read :P Well no matter, that's what I'm going to do...


Trust Me on This by Jennifer Crusie
published by Bantam Books in June 1997

Dennie Banks is an investigative reporter chasing down the biggest story of her career. Alec Prentice is a government agent working undercover to catch an elusive grifter. When they meet by accident, it's a case of mistaken identities at first sight. What they don't mistake is the instant attraction they have for each other, an attraction they'll do everything in their power to resist-because Dennie thinks that Alec is running interference for her interview subject, and Alec suspects that Dennie is linked to his swindler. As the confusion grows, so do their feelings for each other, and what begins as a romantic comedy of errors may just end in the love affair of a lifetime.

Genre: contemporary romance, category romance
Series: none

The Story: The book starts off with Victoria Prentice, a college professor who has dedicated her last 40 years to her career, feeling old. At 62 years old, Victoria feels the need to rejuvenate herself and decide to spend time with her favorite nephew, Alec Prentice, at a literature conference.

Alec is delighted to spend time with his aunt and might as well combine pleasure with work. Alec works for the Bureau of Fraud and with a pair of glasses, has practiced to be the perfect mark. While his field agent days are over and he sits behind a desk... Alec misses being in charge. Alec and his boss, Harry, are currently after Brian Bond, a conman who sells real estate to college professor, and his brunette accomplice. Alec figures there is a chance he'll find Bond at the literature conference and that'll put some excitement back into his job.

Dennie Banks is a brunette whose life has been stagnant. An investigative reporter, she's been covering the socialite events, dating men she could wrap around her finger and stayed at the same job because she knew how to handle her boss. Realizing she's been taking the safe path for too long, Dennie decides it's time to take some risks... To land a job at a better newspapers, Dennie has a plan: interview Janice Meredith - the expert on relationships and marriage - about her upcoming divorce. Luckily, Dennie knows just where to find Mrs Meredith... at a certain literature conference.

However, things don't work out as planned for Dennie. Instead of getting the interview she's hoping for, she is warned away for stalking. However, she quickly figures out that she can get to the Janice woman through Victoria through Alec...

My Opinion: Put together a lot of colorful characters and a few misunderstandings and in true Crusie-style, you get mayhem... and the best kind LOL.

Frankly, I felt like Trust Me on This was a wee superficial. Superficial in the sense that we never went deep into the characters as the storyline was very focused on what was happening during the literature conference (Four Fabulous Days! Three Glorious Nights!). All I know was that all these characters were dissatisfied with their current lives. I don't feel like I got to know Alec or Dennie very well and as a result, didn't connect with them very much. It doesn't help that the timeline of the book was very short, so the relationship was developing very quickly and sometimes, too quickly to be believable.

Still, Trust Me on This was a fun book. It's really a book that you take at face-value, the kind that you read to have fun. It'd actually be the perfect book to adapt into a romantic comedy movie :P What with the colorful characters, their hidden agendas and the misunderstandings. Throughout the read, I had a huge grin on my face because after all, this is a Crusie book. However, there were never really LOL moments, never a passage that I had to re-read again because it was so funny or read out loud to someone because I just had to share it.

In the end, I think it was a good thing I let years go by before really reading this book. I think that I enjoyed it more now than I would have in the past, when I've just binged on Ms Crusie's backlist. Still, what I want to remind everyone is what Ms Crusie writes is comedy romances and humor is very subjective. I might not find this one as funny as others, but you might find it more funny :P The writing is there, the characters and the situations and surprisingly, I thought that Trust Me on This withstood the test of time very well, it doesn't feel date at all. I mean, there are a few 80 and 90s reference... but the characters, their clothes and the settings are quite timeless :)

My Grade: B. Not my favorite Crusie book, but I am still glad I read it :)

Re-Read: The Golden Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz

Last day of the month of September! It's hard to tell whether the month has gone by quickly or slowly LOL. It seems just a few days since it was Labor Day week-end. At the same time, the weeks without new releases have gone by oh-so slowly! Anyway, it's useless to complain about it, LOL. All I can say with certainty is that fall is here... and seriously, it shows - at least, over here. Temperatures have dropped a lot and we've been getting lots of rain. The only nice touch is that the leaves have started changing colors as well - was it earlier than the previous year?

Good news, bad news for this month's re-read challenge. The good news is I did re-read a book. The bad news? Not the one that I planned... but does it really matter? LOL. I guess not. I was planning to read Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, but I just never got around to it. I've been kind of in a slump at some point this month... nothing was appealing to read ^_^; Then, I had a friend who was purging her books. She was getting rid of many Jayne Ann Krentz and while going through my own stash of JAK books to see which ones I've read and which ones I haven't, I came across The Golden Chance... and just felt like re-reading it :) So The Golden Chance it is this month :)

The Golden Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz
published by Simon & Schuster in December 1997

When she gains control of his family fortune, it's love at first fight.

Stunning, stubborn, and independent, Philadelphia Fox lost her best friend because of the fabulously rich and powerful Lightfoot family of Washington state. Now she's got her friend's controlling shares in Lightfoot Industries - an inheritance that brings Nick, the family's prodigal and supremely attractive son, knocking at her door.

An unexpected and irrepressible spark between them blazes into extraordinary passion, and Phila - historically unlucky in love - finds the deepest satisfaction she has ever known. But behind Nick's gray eyes lurks a disturbing enigma? and Phila must make the choice of her life. Trusting Nick may come with quite a price - but giving in to his strong, sensual seduction is a golden chance that may never come again.

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: none

You can read my previous review of The Golden Chance here. Since there's already a review, I'm not going to summarize the plot again :P

My Opinion: I cannot believe it's been already more than a year since I went on my Jayne Ann Krentz binge! Seems like yesterday, really.

Okay, so I read this book till 3am in the morning, that must tell you something about my enjoyment, right? :P This is pretty much a classic JAK book - hero is a businessman with a hidden agenda and heroine is someone a bit eccentric, a lot unique :) They meet, they are attracted and they try to navigate all the obstacles - usually involved family and business. It might be classic and in some way, predictable; however, it's well written and I liked it :)

I like Phila's determination and loyalty and the fact that she tries to understand the situation and the people she has to deal with. She's not ruthless, but at the same time, she doesn't let people run over her. She stands by her own beliefs and values and that's what make her such an admirable character... and I can totally see why Nick finds her so attractive. As for Nick, I think he's a great match for her. Not as direct as her, but I do think he believes in the same thing as her... Simply, it comes off differently because they were raised in different environments. LOL, is it me or reading this time, it seems that Nick is a bit nerd-ish. Totally missed that :P In any case, I think he complements Phila well and I like that he wants to take care of her. Not simply because he wants her, but because that's who he is. Also, he's not above being sneaky or harsh to get what he wants... in this case, I think that's manly or typically male. As in, it's too much bother explaining his motives and reasoning, I'll just do it and you can think whatever you want. LOL, typically male ^_^;

One aspect of this book that I enjoyed is the whole family. Everyone fighting to protect or advance their own interest. It's a bit saga-ish and I like that style of story. I also think it's a good kind of plot when you want to focus on relationship, but have something else. I mean, you can make it as complex or uncomplicated as you want, so it will match with other elements of your storyline... and Ms Krentz knows how to take advantage of this kind of plotline.

I cannot really pinpoint what makes me enjoy this book so much. Could be the relationship between Nick and Phila, could be the story, the writing. I simply do LOL. I know, not very helpful as a review, but The Golden Chance has become somehow a comfort read.

My Grade: B+

Re-Read: Deep Waters and Hunter X Hunter

For this month's Re-Read challenge, you guys get a twofer. First, my comfort read of the year, Deep Waters by Jayne Ann Krentz, and a manga series, Hunter X Hunter :)


Deep Waters by Jayne Ann Krentz
published by Simon & Schuster in January 1997

You can read my review here.

The first time I've ever read this book, I was still a teen, still going to the town library and still reading in French. My, so many things have changed right? LOL :)

For years, this book has been on my mind. I remembered parts of the storyline, but did not remember the author or the title - let me tell you, it makes it hard to find the book and re-read it. Then, I decided to ask blogland and I was quite lucky, I got an answer :P So in February, I read Deep Waters and somehow, it has become one of my comfort reads this year.

I'm not going to write a detailed review, since I've already posted one earlier this year... Just write my impressions on my re-read.

My Impressions: Having read Deep Waters not that long ago, the re-read wasn't as powerful. Back in February, when I read Deep Waters, it was like discovering a new book, partly because I was reading it in English for the first time, partly because it's been so long ago... So this time, I wasn't so entranced by the book. The mystery didn't interest me at all and I focused on the romance in the book. I still really like Elias and Charity's characters... they are very different from one another, but somehow, they match. It's kind of fun to see Elias so clueless at times and figuring things out. It seems to me it's always delayed LOL. A lightbulb goes on and then, you see his mind working and finally, he jumps in. I think that only Charity could handle him :) It's also very interesting to see their relationship progresses... I think that back in February, I was so focused on the entire book... I didn't realize that their relationship wasn't that smooth. It seems to me, despite his water talks, Elias has a quick temper and too often, Charity seems to give in. Also, she was nervous and insecure in too many instances :( That did take out a bit of my enjoyment :(

Still overall, it's a pretty good story. I still enjoy their cooking contest and the "sweet" part LOL.

However, I think this is a book that the longer you haven't read, the better it's going to be on the re-read. So maybe I should wait a while before my next re-read :)


Hunter x Hunter by Togashi Yoshihiro

Hunter x Hunter is a manga drawn and written by Togashi Yoshihiro. The first chapter was published back in March 1998 and is still ongoing. There are currently 291 chapters released, compiled into 27 volumes and I have 26 of them in French.

This manga was hugely popular when it was released and even got its own anime adaptation as well as several OVAs which followed the manga very closely (those are the best). The only problem however is that the author is kind weak/sickly. As a result, the art has suffered a lot and he's been going on and off hiatus a lot. However, he should be starting up again (yay!!) and actually, chapter 291 is the first one of this come back. Hopefully, this time, he'll draw more than one volume... because at this rate, we'll never see the end ^_^;

The Story: Hunter X Hunter is the story of a young boy, Gon, who has been raised by his aunt on an isolated island. Much to his aunt's sorrow, Gon has decided to follow his father's footstep and become a professional Hunter. In this world, being a professional Hunter is quite an achievement and speaks loudly of who you are. They are several types of Hunters - bounty hunters, archeologist hunters, etc. Thus the story starts with Gon taking the exam and follows his friendship and adventures. However, the ultimate test that Gon has to face - find his father.

Like any manga, the story is divided into many story arcs. So far, we could divide Hunter X Hunter as followed:

1) Hunter exam (vol. 1 to 4)
2) Celestial Tower (vol. 5 to 7)
3) York Shin City (vol. 8 to 13)
4) Greed Island (vol. 14 to 18)
5) The Insects (vol. 19 to ?)

My Opinion: This manga is one of the best and it's really no wonder that it has so many fans and people are waiting so impatiently for its continuation. This is a fighting manga and the protagonist is very young, Gon and Killua (his best friend) are 11-12 years old when the story started and about 1.5 years has gone by. So Hunter X Hunter is mostly written for a male audience... still, I like it :)

It was great re-reading Hunter X Hunter. I have forgotten how fast the pacing of the story was. It's one great story arc after another and everything is moving swiftly. The whole story consists of clever twists and good ideas. The action is pretty non-stop, but it's balanced with a great story and world building.

I really enjoy the main characters - Gon and Killua. These boys are just fun to read and follow, quite endearing actually. Gon is pure and honest. He's quite direct, but he is not dumb. Killua is more interesting because he has more depth and dimensions... He comes from a family of assassins, so he's been trained quite strictly since he was young... So seeing him with a character so pure such as Gon, you can sometimes see Killua's internal struggles... the many shades of grey that makes up his characters. There are also two other characters worth mentioning: Kurapika and Leolio. They appear quite early in the manga (actually, even before Killua) and become very good friends with Gon... however, after the Hunter exam, they each go their own way. The characters do return for the York Shin City story arc which is very exciting. Anyway, this band of four would be invincible in a couple of years in my opinion :)

So yes, I really enjoy this manga. However, I'm not that much into the last story arc, the Insects one... and to my discontent, it's been the longest story arc :( Part of the problem I think is the slowness at which it's being written - the author having taken many hiatus. I just can't wait till he finishes and moves on. Seriously. I mean, this story arc is almost 1/3 of the whole story... I do hope that there'll be more story arcs after the Insects too. That's the problem with manga... the ending is always uncertain ^_^;

Also, since we're talking manga, we cannot forget the art. I think that Hunter X Hunter's art is very nice, easy on the eye. It's quite simple, but it works. Of course, the art also has suffered while the author was on hiatus (some of the chapters released in the magazines looked like draft @_@ Luckily, the author redrew them for the release of the volumes, phew). Still, it's a good style and I like that he plays with clothings and detailing ;)

Oh and since it's a re-read review, I'll say this... Hunter X Hunter is the kind of story that will withstand time and will become a classic, really :) As a re-read, I think that again, it depends on how long it's been since you've last read it. There's a lot of exciting moments and again, the longer it's been since you've read it, the better the re-read will be... because you'll be sitting at the edge of your seat and turning the pages so fast :)

My Grade: A-. It'd be an A if it wasn't for the last story arc...

Review: The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner

I rarely read Young Adult books. I don't really know why... I guess it's harder to believe in the HEA ending when the characters are so young. From time to time though, I will pick up one because of a recommendation. That's what happened with The Thief. I first heard of The Thief on Jennie's blog (here) and it stuck in my mind. Partly because it was fantasy (it kind of reminded me a bit of the Poison Study premises... just a wee bit :P). Then, for March, the bookstore's special was 20% off on YA books, so I picked it up along with the two sequels, Queen of Attolia and King of Attolia.

Here is my review of the series. Few warnings though. First, beware, there will be spoilers. I will try to write the review of The Thief without any, but for the rest, I really can't go into any details without spoiling ^_^; Also, when I read the series, I did something very bad ^_^; I started reading The Thief, but got curious. I thought King of Attolia was the last book, so I read the end - just to see what happened. Of course, I've already read spoilers over at Dear Author, so... One thing led to the other and I finished King of Attolia... Then, I went back to read Queen of Attolia and finally, The Thief. So yeah, I didn't read it in order. Oups. So perhaps my view of the books is a bit different than what it should be... Still the series is excellent :)

Also, before going onto the review, I'd like to discuss a bit the world setting of the series. This series is fantasy and it sets in a world from the author's imagination. The world is heavily influenced by Greece, but is not exactly a Greek setting. The time period is also very difficult to pin-point, since there are guns, but soldiers seem to use their sword more. Overall, it's a very interesting and appealing world. I like the feel I get from it... It's very "ancient" period time, what with the three countries and their queens and kings and trying to take over each other, gain control over each other, but with a touch of modernity. All in all, I like the setting very much, but wished there was a map included that would allow the readers a better visualization.


The Thief
published by Hapercollins in October 1997

"I can steal anything."

After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task - to steal a hidden treasure from another land.

To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

Genre: fantasy
Series: Queen's Thief, book #1

The Story: Gen is a thief who bragged that he could steal anything. After stealing the King of Sounis's seal, he ended up in prison. He is released by the Magus, because the King's advisor needs Gen's skills as a thief to steal the Hamiathe's Gift, a legendary stone that will ensure an alliance between the countries of Sounis and Eddis if it is successfully obtained. Thus, Gen embarks on a long journey with the Magus, his two students (the Elder Useless and the Younger Useless LOL) and Pol, their bodyguard. Their journey will lead them to Attolia, another powerful country which is ruled by a ruthless queen.

My Opinion: This was a great read :) The whole story is narrated by Gen and it was very enjoyable :) Gen is indeed a trickster and a thief, but he's also very smart and skilled. I know some readers didn't enjoy his character so much, because they thought he was selfish... However, I felt his character really fit his personality and the storyline. Gen is petulant :) He is very clever, kind and loyal. He does have a smart mouth that he sometimes should shut, but that's all part of his personality :) All in all, he's a very interesting and intriguing character. You do realize that there is more to him than meet the eye and you want to know what he is hiding :) I liked the other characters as well and I thought they were well developed. I liked the Magus. He is the king advisor and has the good of his country in his mind. Quite a clever person, but he still got outwitted by Gen :P

The storyline is quite interesting, but what really makes the book is the ending. The last quarter of the book had me sit on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen and if Gen, the Magus and the Younger Useless (also known as Sophos) would survive. And what about the revelation at the end? Oh my god, genius!!! I really didn't expect it and then, when you go back, you realized that the author has been dropping a clue here and there :)

As a whole, the book is even better because of Ms Turner's writing style. It's simple, but not simplistic... It's definitively not dumbed-down because it's for kids. It flows well and the pace is good :) If you're looking for a good fantasy, be sure to pick up The Thief.

Grade: B+.


*** Spoilers start here, beware***

Queen of Attolia
published by Harpercollins in April 2000

When his small mountainous country goes to war with the powerful nation of Attolia, Eugenides the thief is faced with his greatest challenge. He must steal a man, he must steal a queen, and he must steal peace.

But his greatest triumph - as well as his greatest loss - can only come if he succeeds in capturing something the Queen of Attolia may have sacrificed long ago.

Genre: fantasy
Series: Queen's Thief, book #2

The Story: So at the end of The Thief, we discover that Gen is actually Eugenides and is the Queen of Eddis's cousin as well as the queen's thief, kind of her right-hand man with lots of freedom. He can infiltrate Sounis and Attolia, the two neighboring countries, without being captured and as a result, is a dangerous man. In The Thief, Eugenides was able to successfully steal the Hamiathe's Gift no once, but twice - the first time from Attolia and the second, from the Magus of Sounis. As a result, he had secured the throne of his Queen, Eddis, and avoided a political marriage between Eddis and Sounis. However, in the process, he had made some enemy, namely the Queen of Attolia...

The story of Queen of Attolia starts with the queen of Attolia capturing Eugenides in her palace. To weaken Eddis' influence, she punishes Eugenides by cutting his right hand off and sending him back to Eddis. Fortunately, Eugenides survives, but the Queen is livid and declares war to Attolia. Sounis stands as a bystander, but will not for long. In addition, there is a Mede ambassador in the court of Attolia who seems to be getting cozy with the Queen and everyone fears an alliance between the Mede and Attolia... if it happens, then Eddis, Attolia and Sounis independence will be lost and their countries will not longer exist...

My Opinion: A great sequel to The Thief. What I particularly like in this book is that it was written in the third-person POV, so we get to see what everyone is thinking. I think it was a wise decision :)

Some will say that the book started off slowly - Eugenides lost his hand and has to recover, both physically and mentally. However, it makes sense. You don't rebound from having your hand cut so easily. I think that the author handled that part very well and was able to inject a bit of humor through Eugenides retorts. We also see Eugenides maturing in those pages and trying to build himself a new life. Then, when he realized that a war has started because of him, he snaps out of it and tries to find ways to resolve the problem. You can't help but admire Gen's mental strength.

I really enjoyed the relationships between all the characters and how they connect and the ambiguity. For example, Eugenides and the Magus are friends; however, the Magus can't deny that Eugenides is a dangerous man - he could easily assisinate the King of Sounis. On the other hand, the Magus is the advisor of Sounis and he keeps pushing for a marriage between the two countries that Eugenides does not want to see happen. Still the two men are friends.

The most interesting of course in this book is the romance that develops - rather quickly - between Eugenides and the queen of Attolia. From the beginning of the book, you know that these two characters are connected. However, I have to admit that it took me by surprise... and of course, Eugenides profession of love to Attolia completely took her by surprise. Can she trust him? Does he really love her or is it a ploy to become King? All those questions swirling.

Ms Turner is a great story-teller and she takes it a step deeper this time and gives us a heavy dose of politics, but that's what makes the whole book interesting.

My Grade: B/B+. I enjoyed Queen of Attolia very much, but I still prefer The Thief because of its great ending. However, it was still a great read and I love Eugenides! :)


King of Attolia
published by Harpercollins in January 2006

Standing alone in the doorway was the king. The ruler, anointed by priests and priestesses, of all the lands of Attolia, the official father of the people, the lord of the barons who'd one by one sworn him their oaths of obedience, the undisputed, uncontested, and absolute sovereign of the land. The swollen discoloration by his mouth closely matched the elaborated purple embroidery on his collar.

"Most people in your circumstances would kneel," said the king, and Costis, who had been staring transfixed, belatedly dropped to his knees.

Genre: Fantasy
Series: Queen's Thief, book #3

The Story: After the events in Queen of Attolia, Eugenides and the Queen of Attolia have married... and Eugenides has become King of Attolia. However, he is reluctant to assume the role. After all, he never wanted to be King, he only wanted to be with the Queen.

Unfortunately, the court does not know and understand Eugenides. They only see this younger, shorter man (than then queen) who had his hand cut by their queen. For them, this marriage is a farce, a fine revenge by Eddis to humiliate Attolia. As a result, nobody takes Eugenides seriously and his attendents "bully" him by playing some nasty tricks on him - sands in his food, food that he cannot eat because he does not have both his hands, stained clothes, etc.

However, we the readers know better. Eugenides is nobody's fool... he's a dangerous man, even with only a hand.

Costis is part of the royal guard and, well unfortunately for him, punched the King in the face. Instead of being exiled or executed, he becomes Eugenides' personal bodyguard. A difficult task, since he can't stand the man... However, bits by bits, Costis discovers the real man...

My Opinion: Definitively my favorite book of the series!! King of Attolia is simply great! Excellent! I loved it!! LOL! The court is full of fools, LOL, that's all I can say :)

The book is still written from a third-person POV and in this one, Costis is the principal narrator which was a very good idea. We get to see how the Attolians perceived the King which really does not fit our memories of Eugenides and we see the lightbulb going on in Costis mind :)

I loved the court intrigues in this book, the plots against the King and the Queen, and how Eugenides fooled everyone. It is soooo like him :) I'm also happy for Eugenides because he and his queen are happy together... and I love seeing a more adult Eugenides... although he still simpers and preens LOL :)

The second half of the book was excellent... from the attempted murder, to the fall of the House of Erondites to the fight at the end through which Costis forced the King to reveal himself :)

My Grade: A. Excellent storyline, excellent writing, excellent characters :) Just read it!

There you have it. One of the best series I've read so far in the year. Seriously, 2009 is shaping up great!! I love Ms Turner writing style in the series... I've noticed also that she doesn't bother too much with background information. For example, we know that Eugenides has siblings, but we're never introduced to them or even given a number. Also, the author limited the number of names... For example, we only know Eugenides' father as the minister of war... the Magus is still the Magus throughout the series. I find it special and refreshing. The author also doesn't waste time summarizing all the events that have happened in the past books, she jumps straight in the storyline. We're not given ages... These are all details that in other books, I'd probably want to know, but in this series, it doesn't matter. Also, don't you think the covers are gorgeous?!?! I love them sooo much!! And luckily for us, apparently, the series is not over yet... Yay!!! and the 4th installment of the series should be out next year. Oh, I wish so!