Review: The Wish List by Gabi Stevens

Okay, I've decided to get back my blogging mojo :) The rush at work is about to slow down :) We're going back to my project and that means a lot more of incubation times. Woohoo! Hopefully, my will will be enough LOL.

First review to go!


The Wish List by Gabi Stevens
published by Tor in April 2010

Kristin Montgomery is more than a little shocked when her aunts inform her they're fairy godmothers. Worse, after dropping that bombshell they hand her a wand and head off on a world cruise. Now Kristin's uncomplicated life as a CPA in San Diego has disappeared like magic and she not only has to deal with her burgeoning magical powers, but also a reluctant-and distractingly sexy-magical arbiter.

Tennyson Ritter is a historian. A scholar by choice, he is yanked from his studies to act as arbiter for the newly chosen fairy godmother. He doesn't want to waste his time with a woman who doesn't know anything about magic or the magical world, but soon the beguiling Kristin draws him away from his books and into her life.

But before Kristin can hone her skills and pass the tests necessary to fully claim her powers, she and Tennyson must work together to defend the world - both magical and human - against those that would claim her powers for their own.

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Time of Transition trilogy, Book #1

The Story: Kristin Montgomery has just turned 27 and is informed by her three aunts that she's a fairy godmother coming into her powers. It is the Time of Transition which means things are changing in the magical world such as fairy godmothers retiring and new ones taking up the job.

Kristin is a Rare One - someone with magical powers coming from two normal humans - and is literally trusted into the magical world. Her aunts leave on vacation, leaving her in the hand of her arbiter, Tennyson Ritter. Tennyson is a historian wizard and has been put in charge of her training and will ultimately decide whether she is qualified for the position. This is a lot to take in for a CPA. Add in a mysterious Frenchman, the death of one of the most respected wizards and a revenge conspiracy... Kristin and Tennyson are in way over their heads.

My Opinion: Lately, I've been in the mood for paranormals with characters other than vampires and shapeshifters. The Wish List fit the bill and it looked fun and fluffy, plus it was published by Tor :) So I decided to give it a try.

I have to say, I really liked the premises of this book. I thought the idea of fairy godmothers was refreshing and fun. Unfortunately, I don't think Ms Stevens carried it out to its full potential and a lot of it had to do with the story/pacing.

The characters were okay. Kristin is a CPA who is suddenly dropped in a world she had no idea existed. Of course, there is some denial at first, but then she tries to adjust and adapt. Kristin pretty much has the typical reaction of other characters in the same situation. What was nice is that the action picked up quickly and Kristin was open-minded enough, so the mourning of her old life was kept to a minimum. Truth is though, I actually liked Tennyson a bit more. He's the grumpy hero type and is definitively not charming LOL. A bit too direct and honest, but still a nice guy :)

The story was okay; in fact, it was actually pretty interesting. Basically, several decades ago, a bad fairy godmother was imprisoned because she wanted to take over the mortal world. While imprisoned, she manipulated one of the guards and it resulted in a son being born. Time of transition comes around every 70 years (I think) and is the time period where the magic world is the most susceptible to change... Thus, the bad guy plans his attack and ultimately wants to release his mother so they can overtake the world. Muahaha :P In order to do so, he needs to corrupt the new fairy godmothers and thus, sets out to woo Kristin. Actually sounds like there's potential right? The problem though is that it was not executed to its full potential. I think the biggest reason why is that Ms Stevens did a poor job at blending everything together: the world building, the action and the romance. There was a lot of world building information to convey and she did so throughout the book, but not smoothly enough. The biggest thorn though was the romance. Sparks fly between Tennyson and Kristin, but it was more a cat and dog interaction. You know, the kind where the H/H don't like each other, but can't help being attracted to each other? That wasn't bad in itself, but my issue is that Kristin and Tennyson fell in bed together very quickly and early in the book... It pretty much felt like Ms Stevens got them together as quickly as possible so she could focus on the revenge conspiracy and the action. You know, getting it out of the way. Sure, there were some quibbles between Kristin and Tennyson during the rest of the story that passed as a relationship, but in the end, it just wasn't romantic enough and fulfilling. I did like the slight twist at the end though regarding home which is foreshadowing a very happy ending... but for now, it seems like we'll see more of Kristin and Tennyson in the future books.

Overall, I thought the book was a bit bland. The wow factor just wasn't there. It's really unfortunate, because the premises and ideas were good, but the writing simply didn't measure up :( The voice was engaging, but I guess what I'm saying is The Wish List wasn't smooth enough... still had too many rough edges to it.

My Grade: After reading it, I gave it a B-. Upon writing this review though, I feel it's more of a C. So I'm going to average it out to C+.  There are obvious flaws to The Wish List; however, it was interesting enough to keep me reading and to want to try the next book in trilogy coming out next year.

Review: In the Darkest Night by Patti O'Shea

Sigh, it's been a long week. Been very busy at work... You know, I think that me and my co-workers have accustomed our boss to miracles... Or we've been doing things too much to please him, bending ourselves and our time. We're planning an experiment and it's like, there's no way I'm going to be ready to do it next week. I have to prepare 40 freaking samples... I usually do 4 samples/day... that's 10 days. So seriously, you're giving me 5 days?!?!? Ugh. I mean, he even knows that we'll probably not be ready, but he thinks giving us a deadline will push us more... but to what purpose?!? He's afraid it's not going to get done... well sorry, we were busy doing something else! Seriously.

Being without computer in the last week hasn't been as bad as I thought it'd be. Part of it is thanks to blogland being so quiet :) That helped. I tried to blog-hop at work... the only thing that didn't get done was me blogging sigh. In any ways, I'm going to try to re-format my computer tomorrow. Wish me luck!! In th meantime, I've been watching The Mentalist which is pretty good :)


In the Darkest Night by Patti O'Shea
published by Tor Romance in March 2010

Kel Andrews has spent the last year living with nightmares and flashbacks. Unwilling to share what happened, he's withdrawn from his family and the Gineal council has removed him from his position as a troubleshooter. But when a woman shows up asking for protection from a demon, Kel reluctantly agrees to help--and finds himself facing an unexpected adversary, one he doesn't know how to fight.

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Light Warriors, Book #4

The Story: While the blurb is accurate, it's also not very detailed, so I'll try to add more. The heroine of In the Darkest Night is Farran, a character we've encountered in Edge of Dawn. She's a Tàireil who's technically the dark version of a Gineal. She was sent to this dimension by her evil father to steal the dracona despite her weak magic. However, Farran befriended Shona instead and betrayed her father. As a result, Farran is stuck in this dimension with little resources dodging both the Tàireils and Gineals... That is until she becomes the target of a demon and shadow walkers. Pushed to the limit, Farran goes to find Shona and her fiancé, Logan, for protection, but come across Kel instead.

A year ago, Kel was captured and tortured by people unknown. He might be well physically now, but mentally, he's still pretty screwed and as a result, has been removed from his position as a troubleshooter and has withdrawn from his family. When Farran shows up on his doorstep, he's willing to protect her because she's Shona friend... but when he finds out that she brings him peace of mind, he becomes determined. Unfortunately, Kel and Farran have no idea how to deal with shadow walkers and that might prove to be a problem...

My Opinion: It's no secret that Ms O'Shea is one of my favorite authors. I've discovered her a few years ago after reading Through a Crimson Veil and have been a loyal fan ever since. I was kind of disappointed with the first two books of this series, In the Midnight Hour and In Twilight's Shadow; however, Ms O'Shea seems to be hitting her stride :) Edge of Dawn was definitively a stronger book and I'm glad that it continues with In the Darkest Night.

I both enjoyed the characters and storyline of In the Darkest Night. I admit that at first, I wasn't too fond of Farran. There was a bit too much of self-pity and she seems weak. However, Ms O'Shea did a great job at developing Farran's character. I liked that Farran disliked her weakness and cowardice. That she wanted to do something to change it. However, change is hard, especially when your self-confidence is in the gutter. But she persevered and it paid off :) As for Kel, I liked him from the first. He's very smart, careful and very capable. That's always nice. Plus, he's been tortured and while he has recovered physically, mentally, it's another story. He still had nightmares and is now afraid of the dark... Even with problems, he tried his best and never gave up. He also has twin issues - tired of being considered the evil one :P Kel was simply a very complex and interesting character. I like that he dealt with his issues and problems and tried to overcome them, but that at the end of the book, there were still there, they haven't miraculously disappeared.

Together, Farran and Kel made a good couple. They had good chemistry and I enjoyed really enjoyed their interactions. Especially towards Kel's neatness LOL. The relationship really showcased how Kel is sensible. I liked how supportive he was of Farran and how he helped her re-building her self-confidence. He also never pushed her and was never impatient. Definitively the man Farran needed :)

As for the story, it was engaging and enjoyable. There was some action and it was enough to make it exciting.  What I liked though is that the characters acted smartly and were careful, especially when facing two different enemies. They put all the chances on their side, went into hiding and researched the enemies. Overall, I liked how it enfolded :)

I think that the last two books have been better because Ms O'Shea has had better plots with more interesting and better developed characters. The writing has also been stronger: tighter and less tentative in my opinion. Unfortunately, the weakness remains the world building, although we're finding out more and more about this world with every book. While Ms O'Shea keeps introducing new elements with each book; the problem is   these elements don't seem to mesh and connect. Instead of making the world building more understandable to the readers, it just add more question marks. I'm sure Ms O'Shea is going somewhere with it all, but I'm really not seeing it. So far, there is no story-arc encompassing the series. Instead, it feels like a number of stories simply taking place in the same world. This is not a bad thing; however, I'm not sure that is what going on ^_^;

My Grade: I'm debating a bit between a B and a B+. I enjoyed In the Darkest Night and I thought it was a solid addition to the series. It was definitively better than the first two books and I definitively think that she's found what was missing to make this series better. However, while I liked In the Darkest Night, it just wasn't as intense as Edge of Dawn... and it kind of make the flaw about her world building a bit more evident... so I'm going to go with a strong B :) Definitively looking forward to the next book and hoping it'll make things even tighter :) In the meantime, I'm lucky that Ms O'Shea has a release with Harlequin Nocturne - Demon Kissed that'll give me my fix :)

Review: Edge of Dawn by Patti O'Shea

How was everyone's week-end? Mine was quite relaxing, although I did a 12 hours shift at the priests' house on Saturday. Still, I only got a handful of phone calls, so I got off lucky LOL :P

Otherwise, I got to read 2 books, one of them Deathwish by Rob Thurman. Yesterday, my sister and I made tacos for lunch :) Good practice for when my parents are going to be gone on vacation :P There was also some good tennis happening and the top 20 for So You Think You Can Dance Canada was revealed. LOL, really nice week-end overall :)


Edge of Dawn by Patti O'Shea
published by Tor Books in June 2009

Glass artist Shona Blackwood has lost her ability to create, but instead of panic, all she feels is apathy. Her detachment is shaken when she narrowly avoids being mugged, thanks to a timely rescue by a man who makes all her senses come roaring to life.

Logan Andrews is a magical troubleshooter assigned to protect Shona from an unseen enemy. Shona is unaware that magic actually exists and Logan is under orders not to tell her, but it isn't long before he finds his loyalty torn between his people and the passionate woman he is guarding.

He thought this would be a straightforward job, but Logan quickly realizes that in an edgy contest between magic and passion, love is destined to win.

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Light Warriors, Book #3

The Story: Logan Andrews is the troubleshooter in charge of Seattle area. However, ever since the bouda attack, Logan has been having troubles with his magic - after every use, he gets seizures, flashbacks that do not belong to him... and each time, the amount of magic that triggers those seizures is less and less... Now, he's been assigned a mission by the council: protect Shona Blackwood, a dormant Gineal whose parents were stripped of their magic as a punishment and who has no idea of her real heritage and of having an older brother, Creed Blackwood - a rover, the elite of the elite. The Gineals believe that Shona is in danger from a taireil who is seeking revenge over Creed... but soon, it becomes apparent that it's something bigger than petty revenge... and Logan has his hands full with his magical problems, keeping the truth from Shona and their mutual attraction...

My Opinion: I love Patti O'Shea. She does not have an extensive backlist, but I've really, really enjoyed her books and as a result, she's one of my auto-buy author. However, I must say that so far, I haven't been wowed by the Light Warriors series... and as a result, I didn't move heaven and earth to get this book ASAP. For once though, I think that played in my favor. You know how sometime, you anticipated a new release so much, have high expectations and read the book as soon as it is released, basically inhaling it... and you're left with a void at the end, slightly disappointed. That's how I felt after reading In the Midnight Hour and In Twilight's Shadow... This time, my expectations weren't as high and it allowed me to really enjoy Edge of Dawn.

The best thing about this book was the H/H and their connection. I really like Logan and enjoyed his character. Put aside his magic and I felt like he was a "normal" guy which is what readers need from time to time :) He wasn't an alpha man, but at the same time, not beta either. He's just a guy who loves his job, loves his family and enjoy life. There's no complicated past, no tragedy, no tortured emotions. The simplicity makes him charming and very likable... and I love the fact that at the end, he chose her over everything. As for Shona, I like her as well. She was another normal and real character. I liked the fact that she was shy and a bit socially inept. She is definitively an introvert person with some self-confidence issues (somehow, she reminds me a little bit of myself :P) I wonder though if her self-confidence issues were linked to her artistic creativity being gone or not. She was also smart and level-head. One of the thing I like the most in Edge of Dawn is that Shona did not freak out once she discovered that Logan had been assigned to protect her. She didn't go bersek and angry because he lied or omitted telling the truth or that the fact that he appeared in her life was planned. She analyzed the situation and understood the circumstances. I really liked that of her and when Logan assured her there was something real and strong between them, that he didn't woo her because of his job, she didn't doubt his word. I gotta say though, I'd have liked to know a little bit more about her past. I think it was glossed over a little and I can't help but think that it would have helped readers understand her better. Then, there was Logan and Shona's chemistry. Wow, it was hot and intense... exactly what the book and readers needed. Love the fact that they went out on "dates" and got to know each other. Love that gallery scene, it was hot :) I liked the fact that they spent time with each other... There simply was a lot of chemistry between them, their characters fitting well together.

Edge of Dawn focused a lot on Logan and Shona, which was the right decision. I also liked the fact that it distanced itself from the first two books of the series. We see some recurring characters - the Council - and we know that Shona is linked to Creed, but otherwise, it was really Logan and Shona's book. Previous main characters do not appear, except for Creet at the end for an introduction. I think it was a smart choice to do... it also introduces some interesting future characters such as Logan's siblings.

There was also plenty of action in this book, as usual when it comes to Ms O'Shea book. Those were enjoyable and balanced out the relationship scenes. I liked the fact the whole plot, the villains trying to get the dracontias from Shona. Although I have to point out that once again, the weakest point of the book was the world building. I mean, I've come to expect this... if you don't establish the world building well in the first books of a series, it's not going to get better in the subsequent ones. I still find the Gineal world confusing and it doesn't help that Ms O'Shea keeps introducing weird creatures. I know they do not play an important role, but still. Also, in the last book, Maia turned out to be a special person... and in this one, Shona is the dragon mage... Hmmm, I know that Ms O'Shea is building up to something... I just hope the climax will be well done and it won't flop.

My Grade: B+. I think that so far, Edge of Dawn is the best of the series. I really loved Shona and Logan and their relationship. The world building could use some clarifications and if it was better executed, this book would definitively have gotten a higher grade. As it is though, I still enjoyed it a lot, so it's good :)

TBR Day: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

LOL, I'm so proud of myself... I'm writing a review for tomorrow LOL :) Yeah, I rarely schedule posts, but with work being so crazy, I think I'm going to start to do so more often.

Anyway, you're not here to hear me complain, but to read a review. The theme this month for Keishon's TBR challenge was category romance... However, I don't buy/read many of those and didn't have any that dated before 2008 and weren't read... so you get a fantasy book instead. I was looking for a fantasy romance and well, there's been a bit of a buzz for Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier lately. So I decided to start from the beginning and read Daughter of the Forest.


Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
first published by Tor in April 2000

Lord Colum of Sevenwaters is blessed with six sons: Liam, a natural leader; Diarmid, with his passion for adventure; twins Cormack and Conor, each with a different calling; rebellious Finbar, grown old before his time by his gift of the Sight; and the young, compassionate Padriac.

But it is Sorcha, the seventh child and only daughter, who alone is destined to defend her family and protect her land from the Britons and the clan known as Northwoods. For her father has been bewitched, and her brothers bound by a spell that only Sorcha can lift.

Exiled from Sevenwaters and cast out into the forest and beyond, Sorcha falls into the hands of the enemy. Now she is torn between the life that she has always known and a love that comes only once.

Thus the famous legend of the six brothers who turn into swans, and the sister who must save them, is beautifully retold by Juliet Marillier

Genre: fantasy
Series: Sevenwaters, Book #1

The Story: I don't know the legend of the six brothers who turn into swans, so I can't say how closely to the legend the book is... however, I was intrigued when I first read the synopsis.

Sorcha is the youngest of 7 children and the only girl. Her mother died, giving birth to Sorcha and it changed her father's attitude towards all his children and life in general. Raised by her brothers, Sorcha is not a spoiled princess... She's a bit of a tomboy who learned about medicine and healing herbs and run around, giving her help, barefoot. All the children seem to have some gift or calling...

Sorcha's people are at war with the Britons, trying to reclaim the magic island. The story really starts when Finbar, the most mysterious of Sorcha's brother, asks her to help him heal a Briton prisoner that he wants to set back free. The Briton is named Simon and they befriended each other. Unfortunately, on the day Sorcha's father comes back with his new bribe, Simon has to escape and his whereabouts and conditions become unknown to Sorcha.

Sorcha's father's new bride is definitively the evil stepmother. She tries to tear apart father and children and is somewhat afraid of Sorcha. In the end, the brothers decide to rebel to make their father sees reasons... but they are too late, as they are turned into swans. Sorcha was able to escape, she is then helped by the forest's spirit who tells Sorcha that if she can undo the spell. However, it will be difficult. For her brothers, Sorcha is willing to do anything... that includes not uttering a word or making a sound till she has spin starwort, some kind 0f flowers with needles, and made 6 shirts, one for each brother.

Although determined, it is a difficult task for Sorcha, all alone in the forest... till the day she has to leave and fall into the hands of a Briton, Lord Hugh Harrowfield who has come to Sevenwaters to look for his younger brother... Simon.

My Opinion: As a whole, I thought Daughter of the Forest was an okay book. I thought the story was quite original and the strongest point to the book. Unfortunately, there were a few things that did not work for me and it kept me from fully enjoying this book :( In addition, I guess I was expecting something a bit more focused on romance. While there is a love story, it is definitively not the focus.

So let see... First, I had difficulty getting into Daughter of the Forest. It took me several attempts before settling down and reading it. I don't know if it was the writing style or the pacing, but something was just a bit off for me to really get engrossed. In the end, I do think this was compensated by the storyline.

I thought the pacing at the beginning was particularly slow. Ms Marillier spent a long time building up the story, giving background information on Sorcha and her family... and that's good. However, I think she neglected the world building. I'm not totally sure what sort of people Sorcha is... as for the Britons, it seems they were English people. See, I don't know if the storyline is taking place in a new world, an alternative world or our world, but modified. As a result, it was hard to make up an image. At first, I thought it was a separate new world, but then, there were mentions of Vikings... so that confused me a bit. I think the first part of the book would have been better if Ms Marillier balanced it more between the world building and the characters.

I liked Sorcha as a heroine. I mean, what's not to like. The girl is bright, courageous, self-sacrificing, but at the same time, quite vulnerable and naive... totally my type of heroines. However, although I really liked Sorcha, I had a problem with her... her age. At the beginning, Sorcha is 12 y.o. if I'm not wrong... and at the end, she's around 16. That's wayyyyy too young. I know, I know, it wasn't surprising to see girls be married at that age in those times so it fits the time period; however, it's too young for my tastes. For Sorcha to have gone through all she's gone through at such a young age, it's just too much. Also, I'm not sure her personality really matches her age. It does explain her naiveness and innocence, but... couldn't she have been perhaps 2 years older? I think I would have liked it better.

The whole book really focuses on Sorcha. I felt like there wasn't really an hero. I guess I could pick Hugh aka Red as the hero... but the book is 544 pages long and he appears, what, half-way in? Also, liked I said, Daughter of the Forest doesn't focus on the romance... which is unfortunate. I think that Ms Marillier could have blend fantasy and romance better. It would have been nice to see Red and Sorcha spend more time together and would be more believable for readers to accept their love. I wasn't surprised when Red declared his love for Sorcha, but I didn't totally buy it either :(

Finally, the brothers... again, I don't know if it's the writing style or what, but I didn't fully connect with them. Especially Cormack and Diarmid. Something was missing for me to really like them... and as a result, I didn't believe in their connection to each other. I mean, no doubt that they all liked their little sister... but between each other? Not sure...

Okay, so it sounds like I didn't like the book... but I did. Despite the writing style, the slow start, Sorcha being too young, this is quite an interesting storyline. Was it the best book I've read or the wowzer I was looking for? No. If you're looking for a fantasy series and want to try something different, then this would be my pick. However, keep in mind that the romance is kept to a minimum.

My Grade: C. I originally gave this a B after I finished reading it... then, I realized that there were much more things that didn't work for me that I thought... but what really made me settle for a C is the fact that I've finished the book almost two weeks ago and I haven't rushed to read the sequels yet. While I think that Daughter of the Forest was okay and a decent set up for more, I still have difficulty getting into book 2, Son of the Shadows... Therefore, C it is.

Review: The Chronicles of Warldands trilogy by Elizabeth Vaughan

First, I have to thank Kris for making me read this series. I have seen Warsworn so many time at the bookstore, but I knew it was a series and I knew this time, I needed to read the first book, Warprize, first if I wanted to make sense of anything... However, I couldn't find Warprize in any bookstore in my region... so I put it off. It is only after reading Kris' reviews that I decided to order the book online :D and I'm really glad I did! So thanks Kris ;D


The Chronicles of Warlands by Elizabeth Vaughan

Warprize - Book 1 : 4.25/5
published by Tor Books in 2005

As a Warlord, Keir the Cat led his men to war against the city-dwellers of Water Fall's and defeat their king, Xymund. His goal was to blend both cultures together and change the ways of the Firelands. Never did he dream he would come across a Warprize.

Xylara is the half-sister of the current king, Xymund, and is a healer. Young, she defied most traditions in order to apprentice under Eln. When she became a master healer, she took an oath to treat everyone in need and that included the ennemies.

When the time of peace comes and the treaty is discussed, Keir demands fealty, taxes, surrender, and also Xylara whom he claims as Warprize. To maintain peace and protect her people, Xylara accepts... however, many would have preferred her to refuse...

Thoughts: I really enjoyed the book... Even before I started to read it, I glimpsed at the end and knew I would like it, so I rushed to the closest bookstore and bought book 2 and 3, so I wouldn't have to wait :P If I had to choose, I'd say this book was my favorite.


Warsworn - Book 2: 4.0/5

published by Tor Books in April 2006

Xylara has been claimed as Warprize by Keir of the Cat; however, her status needs to be confirmed by the council of elders. Xylara thus embarks on a journey, leaving her country and people for unfamiliar and faraway lands. On the way, they come across a town that has been wiped out by the plague, the "Sweat." As a healer, it is Xylara's duty to offer help... but at what risk?

Thoughts: I enjoy this book, because of the deepening of Xylara and Keir's relationship as well as the characterization of all characters. In addition, you learn more about both cultures and Keir's goals and motives... Some of the events are quite sad and so that's why I didn't enjoy it as much as Warprize; however, it makes the book very realistic.

Warlord - Book 3: 4.0/5
published by Tor Books in March 2007

Keir of the Cat and his army have been delayed by the plague to bring the Warprize back to Firelands to present her to the council. Angered and curious, the council sends an elder and some warrior-priests to fetch the Warprize. Because of the plague, many wonders if the changes that Xylara will bring to their lives will be good or bad; many questions Keir's goals and ways. Rebellion flares and the Firelanders are divided. At the most critical time, Xylara and Keir are separated... will Xylara be confirmed as Warprize? And who will she chose as her Warlord?

Thoughts: Again, another good book to the series. I enjoyed the book, but the fact that Keir and Xylara were separated did lessen my excitment a bit. Also, although a very good final book, it seems to me the ending is a bit unsatisfactory as many questions are left open and you don't know what's going to happen in the future. It seems to me, the Chronicals are not totally finished and perhaps, I hope, there will be another book.

Genre: fantasy, romance

Review: So, as you can see from the grades the books got, I did enjoy these trilogy a lot. I'm also very glad that I waited till the three books were all published to read it. I do hope Ms Vaughan will write more books, either to complete the Chronicles of Warlands or just other books.

The Characters - Obviously, the main characters are Xylara and Keir. Xylara is the princess of the country; however, she's very humble and earthy. I mean, she is a healer after all, so forget the whole spoiling thing... She's also not innocent - still a virgin, but not naive... She's quite strong and stubborn, in no-way a TSTL heroine. All in all, I like her and enjoyed discovering the new world through her eyes. As for her lover, Keir, what can I say? Yummy. I guess he's an alpha, very strong, very smart and very protective. His ideas and goals are all very realistic and feasable, but perhaps Keir is a bit too ruthless to carry them out smoothy. Keir is also very ambitious, as he aspires to become Warking, which is not impossible... All in all, a very sexy, yummy hero that I'd like to have as mine :P

There were also plenty other of characters as you can imagine. However, most of them weren't really fully developed. The focus of the books was really Xylara and Keir and their love. I'm not complaining though, cos you knew enough of the secondary characters to like them :) First, Marcus, the Token-bearer. He's like Keir's valet, but the grumpy kind that everyone is afraid to offend or else you'll be eating bad food for the rest of the month :P Marcus was serioulsy injured in a battle and lost one of his eye along the side of his face (burnt)... He's considered as a cripple, someone unworthy to live... and he's partly the reason why Keir wants to change the ways of the Firelanders. Simus is Keir's second-in-command, a very funny man ;) It's a pity you don't see much of him though, it would probably have been hilarious. Nevertheless, he's a very important character, and a bit the reason how Keir discovered and fell in love with Xylara. Joden is another important character, since he's the Singer. Basically, the Singer's role is to tell the past stories and history through his songs. As a result, he has a lot of influence. I liked the character, very honest and straightforward... I didn't like what he did in the books, but understood that it was his role. During the whole trilogy, Xylara had guards to protect her: Rafe, Prest, Epor, Isdra, Anders and Yveni. All contribute to the story, either through their funny side or more serious storylines. Quite interesting, really. Finally, you have Iften, Keir's third-in-command, who is against the changes, is wary of the city-dwellers and would like to see Xylara dead.

The Story & Writing - I hesitated a lot at first; where should I post this review - here or at Twisted Kingdom? And finally decided to post them here, because the romance outweighted the "fantasy" element of the story. Basically, if I had to describe the world in the Chronicles of Warlands, it would be Europe aristocracy meeting a nomadic, African tribes. There are a lot of difference in cultures between the two groups and Ms Vaughan did very well describing it, building it. To us, readers, we do recognize certain things... like kavage is probably coffee, and we already knows a lot of cultural aspects of both groups. However, it was very fun and enjoyable to discover the difference through the eyes of Xylara and other characters. MsVaughan certainly pulled that part off easily... Also, some things were also quite creative and I did laugh out loud a couple of times :)

I also really enjoyed the story and how it was cut into three books. It made a lot of sense and balance the story out very well. I have to admit that I liked the first book, Warprize, the most, because of the novelty I guess... also, it's in that book that Keir and Xylara get to know each other :)

The Covers - I'm not totally in love with them, but I like how you don't see naked torso or anything :P I also like the design, i.e. the silhouette of Xylara for the first book, of Keir for the second book and together for the third book. My only complain I would say is that book 1 and book 3's covers are very similar and it's easy to mistake them for each other.

Am I keeping them? Absolutely :) It's really worth it :)

Anything else? I have to admit that this series, especially the writing style, remind me a bit of the Study trilogy by Maria V. Snyder. So I believe that whoever enjoyed Yelena and the books by Maria V. Snyder will also enjoy the Chronicles of Warlands.

Week-end reads

Hey everyone :D

So how was your week-end? must have been busy or relaxing, since blogland was real quiet :P My parents woke me up at 7am on Saturday, so we could go line up at Costco to change our tires (ugh - you know, I really don't care whether I'm driving with winter or summer tires at that hour)... however, afterwards, didn't do much except reading. However, either I'm coming down with the reading slump syndrome (god, I wish not!) or all the books I've read were meh to bad ^^; So here we go with some quick reviews:

The Dare by Susan Kearney: 2/5

I really had a hard time getting into this book and finally, I decided it wasn't worth it and so, I skimmed through the ending...

Dora is a sentient computer who wants to become human in order to have sex with Zical, the only human being she found special among a billions. Dora gets her wish (as in, she becomes human), but adapting to life is not as easy as she thought...

And that about sums up the book. I don't know, after reading the blurb on the back of the book, I was really interested... but once I start reading it, it just lost me. Perhaps because this is the second book and I'm missing info on the world building. It just confused me a lot. Also, dare I say it's pretty stupid for a computer to become human simply because she wants to experience love-making?!? I mean, if she wanted to become human because she was in love, that would have been more interesting... in this case, she's so dense (so much like a real human) that she doesn't realize that she's in love with the guy. Euh, hello!!!! As for Zical, well he's well bleh... Didn't really like him, I mean, he's not very memorable, he doesn't sound yummy... he has some personal issues that keep getting in the way with his relationship with Dora, but at the same time, I thought the issues weren't that important and he was just running away... and there was all this mission about saving their planet that I really didn't get... sad no? Anyway, didn't really enjoy the book nor the characters... the story basically didn't grab my attention.

Nine Lives by Sharon Sala: 2.5/5
**EDIT on April 1, 2012: Jeez, I think I was really harsh on that grade. Because I actually really enjoyed the story and the book from what I remember, and I did get the rest of the series. I think a fair grade would be 4/5 (B).

I'm a fan of Sharon Sala ever since I read Out of the Dark. I usually really enjoy her books, but it seems to me she usually has better characters...

Cat Dupree lost her mother at the age of 6 in a car accident, and her father at the age of 13 when he was murdered. In both events, Cat was present and could have died as well... However, she survived and decided to become a bounty-hunter in order to avenge her father. Cat has only one close friend which is Marsha whom she met in a forster home, but when Marsha disappears and Cat suspects that she's dead, Cat becomes obsessed... Luckily for her, there is fellow bounty-hunter, Wilson Mckay, to help her out and support her.

Can I say I was majorly disappointed with this book? Really, first I thought that the book would focus on Cat finding her father's murderer, but it wasn't. Then, Cat as a character is not very likeable. Basically, Cat is this tough chick and is socially inept. She's been on her own for a long time and is pretty independent. I mean, I get that her past is a sad one and I understand why she's tough, but that's really not a reason to treat Wilson like crap. Poor Wilson, but then, the guy is really looking for emotional torture. He's quite okay as the male lead... I mean, a man that's thoughtful, protective and caring... What I didn't understand is why Wilson kept coming back? I guess he's really smitten, but still... *shakes head* The romance was kept minimal and at the ending is an open one. I mean, Cat is still pushing Wilson away, so you don't really know if it's a HEA. I'm trying to think whether or not there'll be a sequel to this book... I'm not sure I would want to read it, unless Cat really makes a 180 degree turn-about. What I did like about this book is the villain... He's quite the everyday man who commits a murder, because he's afraid that Marsha will ruin his life, and think he can walk away without being discovered. I also liked the fact that both Cat and Wilson kept bringing in bail-jumpers (altho it looked so easy) and didn't drop everything to investigate. All in all, the story was quite okay, but it's Cat character that ruined it for me.

A Holiday Spirit by Kay Hooper: 3.5/5

Two years ago, Antonia broke her engagement with Richard, heir to the Duke of Lyonshall, creating quite a scandal. No one knows why, except for Antonia. Two years later, Antonia's grandmother creates an opportunity for both Antonia and Richard to reconcile in the Castle of Ware...

As you well know by now, I'm quite a fan of Kay Hooper... so when I saw this anthology coming out, I jumped on it. This story was nice, but there's one problem: too short. Well that was to be expected from a novella. Although I find it stupid for Antonia to have ended her engagement that way, without confronting Richard, I can understand. I didn't thought much of Antonia, but I really liked Richard :P For once, someone's that is not a rake!!! Quite refreshing :P Anyway, if you're a die-hard fan of Kay Hooper, get it. If not, you can skip.


Surrender by Lisa Kleypas: DNF

It's quite sad really... the prologue was so promising with Jason Moran determined to get Laura Prescott as his wife as soon as she would be grown up enough... but then, when the first chapter started, I was like put off. Jason acted like a primitive man and Laura was, well not whiny, but weak and a coward. Obviously, both of them love each other, but they just didn't tell each other... So Laura thinks that Jason bought her (well he told her that... her father needed money) and Jason thinks that Laura married him out of family duty. So both are disatisfied and added to that Jason's inferiority complex because he's a Scot and came from a bad background... I might have read it if Jason wasn't acting like a brute. I can handle cold and calculative, but not brute.

I'm reading Winterset by Candace Camp right now... Actually, I was going to review it now, but realized that I only read half and I should continue before reviewing it (bright no? :P)

So yeah, didn't read anything really interesting this week-end (well except for Kay Hooper novella, but it wasn't enough)... By the way, I'm proud to announce that I haven't bought a book for a week! Personally, I think it's quite an achievement... but it'll be nothing compared to Jennie if she really doesn't buy anymore new book till 2007 :P Still waiting for the new Indigo to open, sigh.

Have a nice day :D