The King of Attolia (The Queen's Thief #3) by Megan Whalen Turner: Book Review

This, the third book in The Thief series, is FANTASTIC. I laughed, I cried, I was shocked, I was moved, and I loved every minute of it. I cannot say too much about this book without giving too much away. It's just too good a book to ruin for anyone. Do yourself a favor and read this series from start to finish without reading the dust jackets, the synopses, or any longish reviews of the books. Go into it completely unaware and I promise you will not be disappointed.

Just like the previous book, The King of Attolia is filled with courtly intrigue, conspiracies, political maneuvering, lying, deceit, torture and pain, and unbelievable twists. And I felt it got started right from the first chapter. For me, there was no lag in the first half of the book as there was in the previous two installments of this series. I was hooked from the beginning.

Megan Whalen Turner is a master of character and plot development. Her writing is flawless. It's astonishing how perfectly these books are written. It's as if she deliberately chose every single word in every single sentence and willed it to be there and to be perfect. No words are wasted and not one is superfluous or out of place. My mind is blown.

I only hate that I can never go back and unread this book...just for the pleasure of reading it again for the first time. Truly a gem and one of the few five-star books I've read this year. I will definitely be adding this entire series to my personal collection.

Get your own copy of The King of Attolia on Amazon.com.
Read more about the author, Megan Whalen Turner, on Goodreads.

The Queen of Attolia (The Queen's Thief #2) by Megan Whalen Turner: Book Review

An excellent sequel to The Thief, The Queen of Attolia is exciting and more fast-paced than the first book. It was still somewhat slow for me at the beginning, but the pace soon picked up and raced to the end. It is a darker book than the first one; there is a bit more violence, and at times it is unsettling. There is plenty of political maneuvering, intrigue, back-stabbing, spies, and conspiracy to keep it interesting, and I never knew which way things would go. After having experienced the twist in book one, I expected a similar event in book two, but was completely taken by surprise when it happened. I truly did not see it coming. Now I cannot wait to read book three because I have no earthly idea how it's going to go!

You must read this entire series and do not read any of the summaries, lengthy book reviews, or even the dust jackets of the books. It would be so easy to be spoiled. And trust me, you want to enjoy the surprise of these fantastic books! This one gets four stars for me, just short of five because I felt the beginning a little slow to start.

Get The Queen of Attolia on Amazon.com.
Read more about the author, Megan Whalen Turner, on Goodreads.

Manuka Honey Hand & Nail Cream: Product Review

I purchased this hand cream, Manuka Honey Hand and Nail Creme by Wild Ferns, on the recommendation of my mother. I have apparently inherited her dry skin, which gets worse in the winter. It's not quite winter here yet, but we have had several days that are cold and dry enough to cause my hands to peel, crack, and bleed. After using this product at least once, sometimes twice, per day for over two weeks, I can say it definitely soothes and heals. It took only about 24 hours to heal the first cracks, and my hands have so far not been dry, peeling, or cracked since then.

The cream absorbs quickly and leaves your hands soft for hours, without being greasy. And it does not take a large amount to do the job. I cannot tell a difference in my cuticles or nails, though I have always had fairly healthy cuticles and strong nails. So on that, I cannot really comment.

My mother reports that after about a month of regular use, this product has caused several surgical scars to fade and even disappear. Apparently honey has healing properties, and Manuka honey is especially good for such.

The only downside for me is the smell. It is VERY strong. It smells of floral/honey, which makes sense of course, but I was not expecting it to be quite so strong. I'm not normally a floral scent lover; I prefer the fruity ones, so it took me several days to get over my aversion to the scent of this hand cream. If that doesn't bother you, then this may be the cream for your dry, injured skin.

At the time of this review, a 2.87 ounce tube was available on Amazon for $13.60 (Amazon Prime).

In Bed With a Highlander (McCabe Trilogy #1) by Maya Banks: Book Review

This is a fast-paced highland romance that doesn't spend time getting bogged down in the details of the period. If you're looking for a highly accurate and detailed historical fiction novel, this isn't it. (Read something by Diana Gabaldon instead! Start with Outlander.) But it's an engaging story with likeable characters that keep the momentum going so you don't get disappointed.

Because the "official" description of the plot line from Goodreads does a better job, I will quote it here:

Ewan McCabe, the eldest, is a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Now, with the time ripe for battle, his men are ready and Ewan is poised to take back what is his—until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust upon him. Mairin may be the salvation of Ewan's clan, but for a man who dreams only of revenge, matters of the heart are strange territory to conquer.

The illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin possesses prized property that has made her a pawn—and wary of love. Her worst fears are realized when she is rescued from peril only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding savior, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband makes her crave his surprisingly tender touch; her body comes alive under his sensual mastery. And as war draws near, Mairin's strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons—and embrace a love that means more than revenge and land.

Mairin annoyed me a good bit; she was so clueless and ridiculously naive. But it didn't ruin it for me. I LOVE all the brothers and think Caelen is my favorite. I assume the third book is his love story? If so, I can't wait to get to book #3. Love all their names too. I will definitely read on in this series.

Get your copy of In Bed With a Highlander on Amazon.

Read more about the author, Maya Banks, on Goodreads.

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12): Book Review

This installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series did not disappoint. Even though it did involve the fae, which I do not enjoy or like, it was fast-paced and interesting. Things are starting to wind down in Sookie-land, and although I've enjoyed the entire series, I do think it's time to bring it to a close. Harris's writing has really come along. I think back to how many things I had issues with in her first book, and I realize just how much she has improved. This was an enjoyable, fast read, and exactly the "popcorn" entertainment I was needing at the moment.

(Read in April 2013)

Fallen by Lauren Kate: Book Review

This was my choice of a read for my book club's "Judge a Book by its Cover" challenge. I love the cover. It's Gothic and mysterious-looking. And I love the title; both the cover art and the title drew me in.

But the story wasn't great. It's the story of a girl, Luce, who is in some sort of maximum security juvenile detention school thing for teenagers who have apparently done Bad Things. I guess Luce killed a boy, or they think she did, and so they've locked her up. The place is depressing. Luce has zero self-esteem and she's a stalker. It's difficult to like her. But she's inexplicably attracted to Daniel, a cool dude who is mean to her. The first time they lock eyes, he flips her off. He rejects her at every turn, yet she continues to stalk him. Why? Because she's drawn to him...she LOVES him. Whaaa???

The book starts off with a scene way back in history, of a guy and a girl who are in love. The guy is sketching a portrait of the girl because he knows he's about to lose her. They kiss and it's over; she's gone. Fast-forward to present day. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Luce and Daniel keep being reincarnated throughout the ages, and that Daniel is a fallen angel. I kind of went into the story knowing that in the back of my mind, and I'm sure you will too. But then, toward the end of the book, the author comes out and tells you this. Apparently she thinks you're not a very smart reader; surely you didn't see it coming. It's quite insulting, actually. I guess it was supposed to be a big revelation. But it ended up just annoying me because I was waiting for something big; I'd already known the revelation all along.

This is the second or third "fallen angel" YA story I've read. After all the vampire books that have saturated the market in the past decade, I was ready for something different, something with a little more light. But so far I've been sorely disappointed. I'm still looking for that really good fallen angel / guardian angel story that hooks me and draws me in.

I dislike reading books in which I feel the author has little respect for me as a reader, or my intelligence. I realize this was written for a YA audience and not an adult audience, but I assert the intended YA audience is more intelligent than what was assumed by Kate in writing this book.

All in all, 2.5 stars from me; I'm rounding up to be nice.

The Haunted Soldier (Lord John Grey #2.5) by Diana Gabaldon: Book Review

This review is only regarding the third novella in Diana Gabaldon's book Lord John and the Hand of Devils. In The Haunted Soldier Lord John finds himself being interrogated by an army council on the specifics of an exploded canon - one that nearly killed him. This catapults him into yet another mystery, which includes a love triangle, political intrigue, and a government spy. Grey's relationship with his half-brother, Edgar, and Edgar's wife is touched upon, and our understanding of Grey's character--and his obsession with Jamie Fraser--is deepened.

Gabaldon's writing is beautiful, as usual, and this is the best of the three stories in this collection. Her sharp wit shines through in the character of Grey, and you just can't help but love him for all his gallant, self-deprecating insistence on honor and doing what is right. I was a bit confused during the boat/ship scene at the end; I really had very little understanding of what was happening. But everything is wrapped up nicely, and I suppose I gathered enough from the explanation at conclusion of the climax to "get it." I'm not sure if I just lack understanding of nautical terms, if it is my inability to keep straight in my mind the various minor characters, or that the particular scene was not very clearly written that was the problem. In the end I suppose it doesn't really matter all that much; things are resolved, and Major John Grey lives on to take another assignment--and more adventures, no doubt--with the army.

Get a copy of Lord John and the Hand of Devils on Amazon.

Read about the author, Diana Gabaldon, on Goodreads.

Lord John and the Succubus (Lord John Grey #1.5) by Diana Gabaldon: Book Review

True to form, Lord John Grey once again finds himself in the middle of a fracas. It's humorous to me how he always stumbles upon these things and finds himself knee-deep in some sort of scandal or investigation. In this novella (originally published in 2004 in the anthology Legends II: New Short Novels by the Modern Masters of Fantasy, edited by Robert Silverberg, and now also found in the collection Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon), it is the fall of 1757, and Lord John is stationed in the town of Gundwitz, Prussia as the English liaison to the Prussian army. As liaison, he is forced to mediate a dispute between an English soldier, a Prussian tavern owner, and a gypsy prostitute. This begins his adventure, which involves investigating the mysterious deaths of two soldiers, thought to have been killed by a succubus. The rumors of a female demon preying on men in their sleep passes like wildfire throughout the troops and soon the camps are in an uproar. Everyone is too afraid to sleep, so the soldiers fight to stay awake (using various interesting tactics), and their performance in the line of duty is thereby compromised. Lord John is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, having every confidence that there is a logical explanation for the deaths.

As always in the Lord John stories, there are one or two references to Jamie and Claire Fraser, but they are brief and do not shed any new light on the adventures of your favorite Outlander couple. This is not Gabaldon's best work, as I believe she writes best when not constrained by time or word count. But the humor and lightheartedness of John Grey still shines through, and there is even a bit of a shocking revelation about his past toward the end. I love Lord John and will continue to read more in his series.

Get a copy of Lord John and the Hand of Devils on Amazon.

Read about the author, Diana Gabaldon, on Goodreads.

The Thief (The Queen's Thief #1) by Megan Whalen Turner: Book Review

I read The Thief based solely on the reviews of two of my favorite book-reading friends and was not disappointed. The story is about a thief, a king's advisor and his two apprentices, and a bodyguard on their journey/quest to find an ancient, mythical stone. As almost every reviewer has stated, the beginning is quite slow. I do not typically enjoy tedious journeys described in books. Thankfully, this particular journey was not as long or as difficult to follow as those in The Hobbit or The Fellowship of the Ring. And by about the half-way point, things start to pick up and get interesting. A good bit is revealed toward the end, and it is enough to satisfy you and make you want to read further. I had a feeling that something was up, though I couldn't quite figure it out before all was revealed. So though I was not surprised at the twists, they were still enjoyable.

It's difficult to pinpoint a specific time/age/country for this fantasy world. It has a Greek mythological feel to it, of course, but there are hints of other times and places as well. The characters travel by horse and by foot; there are archers and swordsmen, but they also have guns. The language has a more modern feel to it. So you're never quite sure of your bearings, but it works. And the author's writing is flawless. I'm giving it four stars only because of the slow tedium of the first half. Character development and plot are fantastic. I love the narration - first person from the thief's point of view.

Everyone says you've got to read this book in order to read the second one, The Queen of Attolia, and that the second is the best of the series, so I'm on to book #2....

Get a copy of The Thief from Amazon.

Read about the author, Megan Whalen Turner, on Goodreads.

A Raging Storm (Derrick Storm #2) by Richard Castle: Book Review

Part two of the three-book trilogy, which is really just one book broken up into three tiny parts so they can make more money off it. Part two (I can't even keep the titles straight in my head) doesn't even give you an introduction. It just starts where part one left off, so you really do need to read these in order. 

Here is the official story synopsis, cut and pasted from Goodreads:

"Days after being brought out of retirement to investigate a kidnapping, Derrick Storm has a dead US senator on his hands, an assassin to track down, and nearly six billion dollars' worth of gold bars--hidden by the Communist Party somewhere in the former USSR--to uncover. Teaming up again with FBI agent April Showers, Storm must talk to Ivan Petrov, a secretive millionaire who has ties to the assassination, coordinates for the gold, and a mole leaking information to the Russian government from within his inner circle. And while the CIA mission is getting heated, it's nothing compared to the growing sexual tension between Storm and Showers."

This short story seemed to be a bit better written (than book #1); the plot was tighter and there was more action, though it still has a few typos and grammatical errors. It seemed more predictable than part one, but also more enjoyable, which, to me, is the point of these little books. A question or two is answered, but you still don't know the entire story. On to part three (thank goodness for the library)....

Get A Raging Storm for your Kindle on Amazon.

A Brewing Storm (Derrick Storm #1) by Richard Castle: Book Review

A fun, quick read for fans of the ABC show, Castle. If you watch the show, you know that Nathan Fillion's character, Richard Castle, is a New York Times bestselling author. In the show, he shadows Agent Kate Beckett of the NYPD for inspiration for his new series of books. In what I think was a brilliant marketing ploy, the creators of the show decided to have this fictional author actually write and publish the books he is working on in the show...in real life. Fantastic idea, right? Because if you love the show and love to read, chances are you would read the real books too.

This is book #1 in a trilogy of short stories about Derrick Storm, a character in the Nikki Heat books that Richard Castle writes on the TV show. The Derrick Storm series is only in e-book form...why didn't they just condense them all into one novel? They're all so short - like 80 pages or so, so all three would have made a decent regular-length novel. Well whatever, it's a fast-paced story about Derrick Storm, a former CIA operative who faked his own death in order to go "off the grid" and lead an uncomplicated life once again. His former boss, who saved his life once, calls in a solid IOU and drags him back into spy work. A high-powered senator's son has been kidnapped and they want Storm to find him.

There's not a whole lot to it; it's certainly not a literary read. But if you're looking for an afternoon's entertainment and like stories of espionage and intrigue, this might be a good pick. Just be forewarned: not much is wrapped up in this book. You'll probably want to read book #2 to find out more. Three stars from me.

Check out A Brewing Storm for your Kindle from Amazon.