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.