Review: Hexed by Kevin Hearne

Okay, turns out that I'm still busy. Sigh, go figure ^_^;

I'm slowly going through the list of authors at the literary autographing event and making my own list :) Oh, you know what is the most frustrating though?!? There's an in-store promotion: Buy 3, get the 4th free!! Ugh!! You know me! So let see if I can make use of that promo... somehow. I'm hopeless, I know LOL.

Also, I got a new camera! Woohoo! We didn't research it extensively, so I hope it's a good one or at least, good for our needs :) At least, it met my and my sister's requirements: can take black and white pictures, have sounds when shooting a video. See, we're easy! LOL. Going to tell my sister to charge it today so we can test it tonight :P

In the meantime, here's a review :) It's not the one I was hoping to put up - I had a plan... but I had no time to execute my plan ^_^; So Hexed it is, because it's the one that come to me easily :)


Hexed by Kevin Hearne
published by Bantam Books (Del Rey) in June 2011

Atticus O'Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn't care much for witches. Still, he's about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty-when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they're badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II.

With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor's rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book #2

The Story: In Hexed, Atticus has to deal with the fallout of the events of Hounded. First, there's people warning him to leave them alone... and also requests to take out some of their enemies. Let say that taking out a god definitively puts you on the radar! And one of these requests is from Atticus' own vampire attorney and friend, Leif Helgarson, who wants Atticus' help to take down Thor; but while Atticus has become a very popular guy, he still remembers the one constant in his life: survive.

Unfortunately, survival is not easy when you still have demons roaming the neighborhood and Coyote mandates you to take care of it. Even worst is with half of the local coven - the Sisters of the Three Auroras - gone, Tempe has suddenly become fair play for other supernatural/magical beings and two factions have decided they want total control - die Tochter des dritten Hauses and the Bacchants. To Atticus' horror, he'll need the help of his "friendly" witches if he wants to stay alive and stay home.

My Opinion: For some reasons, I like characters that have magic powers such as witches, sorcerers, wizards... you get the drift, right? I don't know, I just do... So whenever I come across a book or a series featuring a magic wielder, I give it a try... Hence Hounded with its druid :) The premises of Hounded was quite interesting and the series showed a lot of potential and so, I was really looking forward to Hexed :)

I find it a bit hard to look at the Iron Druid Chronicles series objectively, because I can't help but compare it to the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Part of it is because both protagonists are male and have magic of their own. As I whole, I find Atticus character friendly and likable. I really liked his interactions with Leif at the beginning of the book, attempting to teach Leif how to speak 21st century LOL. However, Atticus is also a lot more wily than Harry. I guess it comes with age and everything he's seen and everything he's done. I find he's a lot less sincere and I'd say more selfish than Harry... and that makes  me wonder if we've seen Atticus' true face yet...

The storyline in Hexed was interesting, but I think it'd have been better if it focused a little bit more on Atticus' alliance with the Sisters of the Three Auroras and their fight against the German witches and the Bacchants. I also thought some of it was resolved a bit too easily ^_^; It was a bit of a let-down, especially considering how much things were happening in Hexed: Coyote and the demon, the two unfriendly witch covens and the demon hunters, etc. and I have to say, all the elements felt disconnected to me :( It was as if Mr Hearne was too busy tying up the loose ends from Hounded and setting up for Hammered that he neglected the actual storyline of Hexed. I mean, I was expecting much more resistance from the bad witches than what we got :(  And not to repeat myself, but it made for a disjointed story :(

Also, one major flaw of Hexed was the slow start. It really took a while for me to get into the book and I felt it's because a lot of the events in the beginning felt random. Also, what is it with Atticus' neighbor?!? I don't know it was meant to be funny... but it missed the mark with me ^_^;

Despite all my complaints, I think that once the action picked up, the book became much more enjoyable. I'm really liking the secondary characters - Granuaile, Oberon and Atticus' attorneys, Hal and Leif. I really would like to see more of their characters :) The story is interesting enough and I liked how Mr Hearne has set up for Hammered. I think that book will also be very interesting :) I hope that in the future books, we'll also find out more of Atticus... not just his past, but also his true self :)

My Grade: This is a hard one. I originally gave this book a B in Goodreads, but once again, upon reflection... there were some issues that pop up... So I think a C+ is the fair grade :) If you look at the overall picture, then Hexed was also an enjoyable read, despite its slow start and it being a bit unfocused.  I'm still very much looking forward to Hammed :P

Review: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Two reviews this week!! Woohoo :) Although it's 11.40pm and that means I won't have much time to read... ah well. Nothing much happening this week. I'm a bit disappointed because I'm doing computer work these days and I thought I'd have time to write reviews or blog-hop,but unfortunately no :( Booo. As for reading, it's going so-so...

I went to the library yesterday to pick up a book - A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh - but once I was there, somebody else had already gotten to it. And turns out the other copy that was available, was only available on May 19. Seriously, if it's not available now, then just don't mark it as available! Anyway, let see if I can be a good girl and resist the temptation of buying it :P


Hounded by Kevin Hearne
published by Ballantine Books (Del Rey) in May 2011

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book #1

The Story: On the outside, Atticus O'Sullivan is an Irish lad, too young to run his own occult bookshop with an apothecary's counter. In truth, he is 21 centuries old and the last druid walking this earth. Centuries ago, during the Battle of Magh Lena, Atticus stole a magic sword, Fragarach - the Answerer, given by Lugh Lamhfhada to Conn of the Hundred Battle so he could conquer and unite Ireland. The Fragarach's magical powers allow it to pierce any armor, a definite ace up your sleeve in a battle. Because of this, Aenghus Og, the not so lovable god of love, has hounded Atticus to reclaim the sword and through a deal with Morrigan, Atticus has remained alive and been on the run for centuries. As a result, Atticus has seen and done it all...

Nowadays, Atticus is settled in Tempe, Arizona because of its low god density and quasi-total absence of faeries. Unfortunately for him though, the respite is over as Aenghus Og has found him... through the internet! And this time around, the god of love has decided to get his hands dirty instead of sending his goons... and Atticus will be waiting, tired of running. Standing on his side will be the local pack of werewolves, a  Viking vampire, bartender possessed by a Hindu witch and his loyal wolfhound, Oberon. Together, they'll have to wade through the various Celtic Gods intentions and be wary of witches...

My Opinion: I saw the cover of Hounded a couple of months ago and told myself I had to check it out... and then, forgot about it ^_^; It's only after seeing Anna's review that I remembered and then, checked out the author's website. After reading the blurbs, the reviews and ahhh-ing over the covers, the decision was quite simple - I had to give Hounded a try :)

I have to admit, I found the whole concept of this series very similar to the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and that played a big part in my decision to pick up this book. I liked the idea that Atticus is a druid, although I have to say, Celtic god pantheon is not my favorite ^_^; Overall, so far, there is some similarities between the Iron Druid Chronicles and Dresden Files, but it's different enough to stand on its own and Hounded was quite enjoyable :)

The most important element in a series like the Iron Druid Chronicles is the main character and in this case, Atticus. I think Atticus was quite an interesting character, given what he is and how long he's lived. He is very knowledgeable - of about everything :) He's definitively smart as well as friendly. Also, his wittiness reminded me a lot of Harry. What bothered me though was that he felt "young." I know he has to look the part and that means adopting the demeanors and speech of a modern American, but the aura Atticus projected... He didn't feel like 21 centuries old. I'd have expected someone a bit more wise, zen and less of a hot head. Also, I can't help but LOL at men and sex - gets them at any age :P Still, I think he makes a good hero and it's someone I'd read more about :)

The world building so far is okay. I enjoyed the parts that were about Atticus' magic - I thought that was very interesting, how he drew power from the earth, the three forms he can morph into. I think that Mr Hearne took time to think about that part and it paid off. I also liked the other supernatural beings present - witches, werewolves and vampires. I especially love the fact that Atticus' lawyers consist of the second-in-command werewolf Hal, and the viking vampire Leif. By the way, viking vampire - two words I never thought to associate together LOL. Really looking forward to seeing more of him! I also liked the animosity between witches and druids which for some reasons doesn't surprise me. What didn't work as well for me was the whole Celtic aspect ^_^; I know that comes with the druid territory, but I thought it was a bit confusing, especially combining it with the faeries. Except for Morrigan, my Celtic mythology knowledge is very limited... Add in Celtic terms like Tir na nOg, Tuatha De Danann and yep, I was a bit lost. Sure, by the 10th time I stumbled across those words, I kind of figure out what they meant... but while reading Hounded, I wished there's been an index and I usually loath those, but in this case, it would have come in handy. Also, I know it adds authenticity, all the Celtic words incorporated was just too distracting ^_^; So on the world building front, I think that it was a bit of a mixed bag.

When I picked up Hounded, I was quite surprised at how thin it was - it comes at just under 290 pages. At the end though, I was pleasantly surprised because I think Mr Hearne handled it quite well. We got a good sense of Atticus, the world is set and there was even a story in it! LOL. No, truthfully, I thought the story was a bit slow at first... it seemed that all we saw was Atticus running around in a bit of panic at first... but in the end, it turned into something quite complex and had me engaged :)

At the end, I'm going to say that the most interesting part of this book was Atticus and his interactions with everyone else. How he found himself in this situation, how he's adapting and dealing :) Plus, he has a great cast of characters surrounding him. Oberon his wolfhound is just too cute and seems like the perfect companion for Atticus... Plus his addiction to French poodles tells me that he is quite the dog version of a lady's man like his master :) I'm also really looking forward to Granuaile's storyline, I think to see what a druid is is going to be very interesting.

By the way, as I mentioned in one of my comments, don't go into Hounded expecting romance. I think it is in the cards in the future, but unfortunately, not this time...

My Grade: Originally, I was going to give Hounded a B+... but after a few weeks and this review, I think a B is better suited. Hounded was definitively a very enjoyable read, although a bit muddled at times. I'm really looking forward to the next release, Hexed. I think that the series has a lot of potential and that's why I'm going to hold back on the grade a little :)

By the way, did I mention the covers? :P

Re-Read: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

Things never go as planned... doesn't that suck? Work is totally kicking my butt. My experiments aren't working ideally, having two new co-workers really put a cramp in my routine... and the pain is still there :( Seems like I'm having a sinusitis (well, according to deduction power + internet). The good news is that it's moved from the whole face to the right side of my face only. Still have pain in the cheek and teeth ache... the bad news is that Advil doesn't seem to have an effect. Good news is that the pain is intermittent. Ughhhhh!! I hate being sick, it's official!

I had plans to write this review while at work, but as I said, plans never go as planned :( This probably means all the posts I wanted to write will be delayed, sigh. Oh well, too bad for me, right? Still, I have time to write my review for my re-read, so it's not a total loss :)


My re-read this month is His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik. You can read my previous review here. I chose to re-read this book because of Renee's post about the Non-romance Romance here and it made me want to re-read His Majesty's Dragon. So thank you very much Renee :D


His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
published by Del Rey in March 2006

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain's defense by taking to the skies... not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.

When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future-and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France's own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte's boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

Genre: fantasy
Series: Temeraire, book #1

The Story: His Majesty's Dragon takes place during the Napoleonic era, in a world where dragons exist and are valued as great warriors.

Basically, England and France are at war and Captain Will Laurence has accomplished quite a feat by finding himself in possession of a dragon egg. However, his life changes when Temeraire, the newly hatched dragon, chooses Will as his aviator. Now responsible for Temeraire, Will finds himself putting away his navy life and starting a new life as an aviator, which includes lots of training and a different mindset. However, in time of wars, Will will adapt for his Majesty... and his love of Temeraire.

My Opinion: There are five books in the series so far and His Majesty's Dragon is by far my favorite. I just love, love Will and Temeraire's relationship. Like Renee said, it's not romance, but a non-romance romance. There's just this connection between Will and Temeraire and yes, love. I love the way Will comes to care for Temeraire even though the beast changed his life completely. All these little things Will do for Temeraire, buying him jewelries, defending him, being proud of Temeraire's uniqueness. It's a blend of parent-child/older-younger brother/friend love.

As for Temeraire, he is simply just too cute LOL :) He's like a bright kid growing up, needing security, reassurance and love. He'll do anything to please Will. I love how Will comes first, no matter what where Temeraire is concerned. Also, like I said, Temeraire is just too cute and smart. I love Temeraire most in His Majesty's Dragon because there's this innocence to him. Strangely, I don't really like Temeraire's political stand and free-thinking in the subsequent books... and while their relationship is still as loving, the focus has shifted more to the plot... which is probably why His Majesty's Dragon is my favorite book in the series :D

Aside from Will and Temeraire, His Majesty's Dragon is wonderful for its world building. Seriously, dragons serving in the army? The whole logistic is mind-boggling, but Ms Novik is able to make it believable. The words flow and I, as a reader, is able to imagine it which is quite a remarkable feat. The plot is also quite interesting and the story keeps on moving, never remaining static or dragging. I find myself loving this book and going "awwww."

It might not have any "romance" as I know it, but the relationship between Will and Temeraire will make hearts melt. In addition, Temeraire's friendship with other dragons is also lovely. His Majesty's Dragon is simply a great, great book and if you enjoy fantasy and want something different, but I mean completely different, then this is for you :D

My Grade: A.

Review: The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik

Wow! I just, just finished reading the third book of the series and that's pretty much all I can say, wow. Actually, no, I have plenty to say :P First, I'd like to thank Mailyn, for the recommendation, and also Ames, for her review which gave me the little push I needed to start the series. I have to admit I've seen the books many times at the bookstore and I've picked up one many times, but aviation has never truly been my forte and I've always put them back on the shelve. So when Mailyn gave me a list of rec, I didn't realize that do the link between the title and the book till I was at the bookstore :P Anyway, for all those that luv fantasy and still haven't read it, find and read it!!!


Temeraire series by Naomi Novik: 4.5/5

The series is set during the Napoleon Bonaparte war era between France and well, the rest of Europe. Although planes do not exist, these countries possess an air force composed of dragons and valiant aviators. However, in Britain, being an aviator is not very glorious as these soldiers are taken away from their family at 7 y.o. and trained. In addition, Britain's aviation force is quite small as the country is not big and the resources to feed these dragons, limited. Thus, the chances to become a captain, i.e. aviator, are slim and opportunities, rare, especially as some of the dragons are inherited (they outlived humans) and aviators for eggs are pre-selected.

Dragons existed all over the world, but the best breeders are the Chinese, as they were able to tame the dragons first, long before the Romans. Many different breeds exist; they can be small, big, fast, have particular offensive abilities (spit fire or acid), etc. The rarest breed are the Celestials, a Chinese breed usually reserved to royalty, with the unique abililty, the "divine wind."

Book One - His Majesty's Dragon: 4.75/5
published in March 2006 by Del Rey

Will Laurence is the captain of the Reliant and part of the Britain's Navy. During his journey, his crew was able to overtake a French ship with an egg aboard. All were very happy, figuring out the prize money it would bring them, till the ship doctor announced that the egg would hatch in less than a week. According to European's customs, dragons have to be harnessed as soon as they are hatched from the egg and before they eat or else, they will fly away and become feral (rogue). However, usually, the person who harnesses the hatchling becomes the aviator and thus, in this case, it would mean a change in career completely. Thus, one person was drawn from the crew. However, the dragonet had a mind of its own and chose Laurence as his aviator. Laurence then names him Temeraire and together, both, start their training in order to join force to Britain's Corps and defend against France. Along the way, Laurence and Temeraire will forge a very strong friendship as well as discover that Temeraire is one of the precious and very rare Chinese Celestial dragon.

Review: I really love this book and I have to admit this is my favorite among the three books so far. I love it because of Laurence and Temeraire's friendship; how it started and how it grew. In addition, I enjoyed the whole training and Temeraire's friendship and interaction with the other dragons as well. I like how Laurence had to adjust to his new position and how much he has come to care about Temeraire, very touching. Basically, a very good first book that set the bar very high.


Book Two - Throne of Jade: 4.25/5

published in April 2006 by Del Rey

By the end of His Majesty's Dragon, Laurence and Temeraire discover that Temeraire is a Celestial dragon (he was previously mistaken for an Imperial - a very rare Chinese breed, but not as precious as a Celestial), and his egg was intended to be a gift to Napoleon Bonaparte. Now, China has sent a delegation to demand Temeraire's return; however, the dragon is unwilling to be separated from his aviator, as Laurence is to be separated from him. Seeing no other solution, the delegation accepts that Laurence accompanies Temeraire to China, since it is only under this condition that Temeraire would go. However, the journey to China is going to be long and anything can happen...

Review: Basically, I like every scene between Temeraire and Laurence, as well as Temeraire and his crew and dragon friends and scene of Temeraire's growth. What made me enjoyed this book less than the previous one is that there is a lot of politics involved and in addition, many wanted to separate Temeraire and Laurence. In my head, I know that of course, both will remain together since there's more books in this series and so on... My problem is the doubts that both are having, their fear of being separated - it makes me uncomfortable. To see such a friendship in danger, just makes my heart aches. It helps that both were willing to do some sacrifices in the end for the other to be happy, but at the same time, I can't help it to wonder if both are content now.

Book Three - Black Powder War: 4.5/5
published in May 2006 by Del Rey

In order for Laurence to remain Temeraire's aviator, he had become the Emperor's adopted son. Now, both of them along with their crew are preparing to go back to Britain, their home. After seeing how dragons were treated in China compared to in Britain, Temeraire has great plans in his mind to improve dragons' living-style in Britain and cannot wait to get home. However, their departure is delayed by a fire which destroyed the dragon transporter and at the same time, Laurence receives order to fetch 3 eggs purchased by Britain from Istanbul, Turkey. Debating the situation, Laurence decides in the end that they must reach the eggs as soon as possible, as one of them will soon hatch and they cannot risk to lose the dragonet. Thus, Laurence, Temeraire and their crew engage on a long journey through land (as opposed as sea - the way they came)... However, very little goes as planned.

Review: This was a very interesting story, a bit more action-based I'd say, than the others. Lots of battles and you can feel that the situation is becoming very critical - Bonaparte is gaining a lot of territories, many are surrending, etc. There is a lot less of politics, which I thank the author and adding to the storyline is revenge - while in China, a prince tried to kill Laurence and instead was killed. His dragon, an albino Celestial named Lien, blames Laurence and Temeraire for the death of her aviator and thus, sets out to help Bonaparte to see Laurence and Temeraire lose everything - their country, their friends, etc. Really, I enjoyed it a lot, especially the new dragonet's birth and how Temeraire acts - jealous big brother. The only thing which I felt sad about is Temeraire's ideals for a new living style for the dragons. It is very noble and ideal of Temeraire, but practically, it will be very hard to implement. Of course, Laurence tries to warn Temeraire, but at the same time, he doesn't want to shatter all of the dragon's hope... so I think this part of the storyline puts a bit of strain in their relationship. Oh, and I miss Temeraire's dragon friends T_T


Overall

Characters - Laurence is issued from nobility; however, he is only the third son and not heir. His relationship with his father is quite strained, as his father would have preferred Laurence to become man of Church instead of a soldier, and now, becoming an aviator is like a demotion in his eyes. Laurence is, how to say, a very proper man - good manners, judicious choices, long thinking, very conscious of his position and his surroundings, etc. He is not a stuffy shirt, but a 30-something years old man with a very level head on his shoulders. I like his character a lot as he is quite new and refreshing. We're not talking about a rake or an alpha male, and so he is very different than most main characters. However, I have to say, it's bit hard to connect with him, as his thinking and his ways are from another era. Nonetheless, a very interesting and well-developed main character.

Our second main character, critical to this story, is Temeraire! My description of Temeraire would be a very intelligent/genius little boy - okay, with frightening weight and ability to fly :P By the end of the third book, he might be 2 -2.5 years old. He is so very innocent and with so much to learn. Temeraire is a Celestial dragon, the only one in Europe - he is very intelligent, able to learn stuff and languages, interested in everything, curious about everything. He's also very protective of the persons he loves... He's also very wise at times... Overall, a very complex character, but you can't help but love him and find him cute. He's also the comic relief in the series which you need, because after all, the stories take place during war time.

These two are really the main characters and they carry the story on their own :P There's a myriad of other characters tho: Granby- the first lieutnant, Keynes - the doctor, Maximus and Lily - Temeraire's dragon friends, etc. They all play a role in the series, but they're not the focus.

Story & Writing - Well, what can I say about the writing style? Can't complain for sure. What I'm impressed the most at is how Ms. Novik was able to bridge the action or more important scenes together. Time flows quite rapidly, the story is not dragging at all. This is tricky, especially on long journey like the ones on which Temeraire and Laurence embark on. So really... the only thing I'd had like is a bit more description of the different breeds of dragons - it's also very difficult to keep tracks of all of them, but luckily, there's now a wiki page to help.

As for the story, I really enjoyed them. All three stories are very different from each other and continuous. What I mean is that, they don't only just fight, fight, fight. They have a mission to achieve, a goal and it is not the same in each of the book and so it adds novelty to each book. However, don't be mistaken - this is war time, and Ms. Novik is not shy about killing characters - crewman, dragon, etc. which does cause me a lot of heartache T_T

The Covers - They're all very nice :) I like them a lot, especially the dragons the image inside the , I don't know, compass, watch?

Am I keeping this book? Hell yes! Need to ask?

Anything else? Lots :D 1. Here is Ms. Novik website, livejournal, as well as the wiki page.
2. Ms. Novik has signed another contract with Del Rey for 3 other books (Yay!). The 4th one is name Empire Ivory and is coming out sometimes this Fall (it's too far away!). The 5th book will come out in 2008 in hardcover. Still no news of the 6th book.
3. Apparently, Peter Jackson has optionned the Temeraire books :)
4. For those who have read the 3rd book and the excerpt that is at the end of the book, please read (Spoilers ahead): I'm going to die, if I have to wait till Fall arrives. I need to know which dragons are dead and which ones are alive. Please, please, please, Maximus and Lily must be alive! And Excidium too, please, please, please. T_T
5. Ames, Mailyn, if we beg Ms. Novik, do you think she'll send us an ARC?