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May 19th, 2013  Mystery  Delusion in Death (In Death, #35)
by J.D. Robb
It was just another after-work happy hour at a bar downtown—until the madness descended. And after twelve minutes of chaos and violence, more than eighty people lay dead.
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is trying to sort out the inexplicable events. Surviving witnesses talk about seeing things—monsters and swarms of bees. They describe sudden, overwhelming feelings of fear and rage and paranoia. When forensics makes its report, the mass delusions make more sense: it appears the bar patrons were exposed to a cocktail of chemicals and illegal drugs that could drive anyone into temporary insanity—if not kill them outright.
But that doesn’t explain who would unleash such horror—or why. Eve’s husband, Roarke, happens to own the bar, but he’s convinced the attack wasn’t directed at him. It’s bigger than that. And if Eve can’t figure it out fast, it could happen again, anytime, anywhere. Because it’s airborne… (goodreads.com)
For the first time in a long time, the murder part of this story freaked me out. I don’t know if I am extra sensitive to things right now due to my own trauma experience earlier this spring, or if it was just the scope of what happened on its own that freaked me out. But that first chapter, the one that sets up the scene and knocks it out of the park… it made me gasp and need to take a moment before continuing on.
It can’t be easy cranking out 30-plus books in a series and keeping them all top notch. It’s also rare that I am completely disappointed in one of these books. Sure there are stories that don’t quite connect with me, or ones that seem a little too cookie-cutterish, but for the most part, I enjoy each and every one of these Eve Dallas mysteries I read. This one, however, is one of the best that I can remember.
You know what you’re getting with the In Death series. Each book has the same format, it’s more a matter of how interesting the murder mystery part is and this one hooked me. My only problem with it was how it seemed to be solved really fast and rather obviously. I felt like we were sort of robbed of the mystery part. I don’t know, it just seemed too tidy? Up until Eve figured it all out I was on the edge of my seat, but then she meets with a handful of people and she’s all “Ok, I know who did it. Let’s set them up!”
I think because the scope of the murder was so BIG I felt a little bummed out that the bad guy catching wasn’t as BIG. Does that make sense? I’m probably alone in this, but whatever. I still really enjoyed this mystery and I can’t wait for the next two to come out in paperback. Regardless of my having an ereader, this is one series I like to wait for because then I know I’ll have my Comfort Food Book on hand to cuddle up with when I need to be comforted. Eve Dallas and Stephanie Plum are my two comfort BFFs. (Which reminds me, I am sure the new Evanovich must be out in paperback soon! Wheee!) (Drat, it doesn’t seem to exist yet. November, I guess.)
In Death Series
- Naked in Death
- Glory in Death
- Immortal in Death
- Rapture in Death
- Ceremony in Death
- Vengeance in Death
- Holiday in Death
- Conspiracy in Death
- Loyalty in Death
- Witness in Death
- Judgement in Death
- Betrayal in Death
- Seduction in Death
- Reunion in Death
- Purity in Death
- Portrait in Death
- Imitation in Death *
- Divided in Death
- Visions in Death
- Survivor in Death
- Origin in Death *
- Memory in Death *
- Born in Death *
- Innocent in Death
- Creation in Death
- Strangers in Death *
- Salvation in Death *
- Promises in Death *
- Kindred in Death *
- Fantasy in Death*
- Indulgence in Death*
- Treachery in Death*
- New York to Dallas *
- Celebrity in Death *
- Delusion in Death *
- Calculated in Death – hard cover Feb 2013 /pb Aug 2013
- Thankless in Death – hard cover Sept 2013
(mass market editions, unless otherwise noted)
* book I own
May 19th, 2013 eBook | Fantasy  The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms, #4)
by Cinda Williams Chima
A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed — Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.
Now, once again, the queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana’Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible. Tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells’ inner turmoil, Raisa’s best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she’s falling in love.
Navigating the cutthroat world of blueblood politics has never been more dangerous, and former streetlord Han Alister seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds it impossible to ignore his feelings for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it?
A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last comes to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series. (goodreads.com)
The conclusion to the Seven Realms series sees a war brought to Raisa’s front door and all sorts of deception and bad guys abound. Thankfully, there are also an abundance of secret tunnels and passageways for our heroes to travel through. Brilliant planning on their ancestors’ parts, I say!
The Crimson Crown helped me pinpoint something that had been bugging me throughout the series. I was so mad and annoyed by the Clans’ complete dislike and hatred towards Dancer and Han. Dancer, especially, since his mother was Clan and he was Clan-born. As soon as they found out he was a wizard they wanted to put him to death and they exiled him. This boy grew up with them and showed no signs of being evil, but then they all turn on him just because of what he can DO. Clans have their own magic but apparently the kind of magic Charmcasters (or, jinxfingers, as they call them) can do is evil and never done for good. These Clan people just can’t give up on their past. A THOUSAND years go by and they still mistrust and hate the wizards. I’d have thought that maybe since one of their own flesh and blood showed signs of magic that they’d try and see if he could do good for them. But no. And the hypocrisy with which they treat Han is just infuriating. Not once did I warm up to anyone – other than Willow – in the Clans. I couldn’t stand Raisa’s father or grandmother. I hated Nightwalker and Bird wasn’t really that interesting to me until she sort of started to think for herself – but I still didn’t like her much. I mean, even some of the WIZARDS were willing to listen to reason and see that things needed to change. Not all of them, but some.
I could see how the new generation would be forming together to rule with more mixing of the people in the Queendom and around. It made more sense how they should work together and not against each other and because of Raisa and Han they were brought together. Few of the older generations wanted Raisa’s plans to work, but it was time for the younger ones to take up the leadership roles and start to breakdown the walls that had been built between people and races if they were to stand strong as a country.
Raisa surprised me throughout the series with the head she seemed to have for getting things to work out, even if she did make mistakes. She is certainly a strong female protagonist and I truly enjoyed reading her.
Another thing that stuck out to me in this series is the characters’ – both male AND female – reference to how much they like kissing and kissing before getting married. Raisa surprised me by how many kisses she shared with the boys in the book. It’s rare you read a fantasy book and have the female character be as much of a, um, player? as the male. Sure all the girls loooooved Han and looooooved Nightwalker and loooooved Malfoy Malik, but also Raisa looooooved the boys and she managed to get what she wanted and have little flings with them. She wasn’t a damsel in distress and she wasn’t a floozy, she was totally in control of her romances and I’m not sure if this stood out to me BECAUSE it’s so rare to have a female character act like a typical male character in a book or if because it bothered me. I don’t think it bothered me to be honest, but I assure you it made me think about why I noticed it so much. Why it seemed so odd in a book. I can only conclude it’s because she was a girl. Because every time Han’s dalliances were referenced I hardly blinked an eye! So, points to Ms. Cinda Williams Chima for treating her boys and girls equally in this series. And I’d like to see more stories like this – where the girl can kiss boys and not be called a slut or a harlot or be thought of any less because she just likes kissing boys. Han liked kissing girls and no one cared about that, either. 
Ultimately, the Seven Realms series was exactly what I needed in a fantasy series. I loved it to pieces and I am so happy that I went on this ebook buying binge even though I wasn’t supposed to be spending money at the time. It has been a long time since I have been so immersed in a series that I don’t want to put it down and just read four books back-to-back without coming up for air. I should have looked into this series earlier – BUT! – the bright side is that all 4 books were published by the time I did so I had zero wait time between instalments. HA!
Seven Realms
1) The Demon King
2) The Exiled Queen
3) The Gray Wolf Throne
4) The Crimson Crown
May 14th, 2013 eBook | Fantasy  The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms, #3)
by Cinda Williams Chima
Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana”‘Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.
Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it–he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive–and even that might not be enough.
The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate. (goodreads.com)
That’s a much better summary length. Was worried they were all going to get longer and longer until I didn’t need to write anything myself!
The number of people trying to kill Han and Raisa throughout this and the next book, sort of amuse me. These two crazy kids seem to have their days numbered. It’s hard to live in a fantasy novel you know.
I really liked how smart Raisa could be while handling situations. Sure, she doesn’t have Han’s street smarts, but she comes pretty close to being able to best her enemies and keep the situation somewhat under control. I like that she and Han have the arrangement to have him take the rooms next to hers, all the while convincing the court and everyone else that she feels nothing for him. (Although I found that one a little hard to swallow, because they kept getting caught talking together and stuff so I think the court must be pretty dim to have not clued into their ruse earlier.)
The series is so totally addictive and because of that I read these all one after the other and they are all blurred together in my head now. The sad part is I don’t know what else to say about this book that I haven’t said about the first two – it is that amazing. The world, the characters, the political plots, the deception, the pending war. This series is pretty much everything you want out of a fantasy series. I’m sort of sorry that I waited so long to read it BUT I’m also happy that I did because this meant I could read all four books in a week. HA!
Seven Realms
1) The Demon King
2) The Exiled Queen
3) The Gray Wolf Throne
4) The Crimson Crown
May 11th, 2013 eBook | Fantasy  The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms, #2)
by Cinda Williams Chima
Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, hunted by the powerful Bayar family, Han Alister makes a devil’s bargain with the clans. If they sponsor his schooling at Mystwerk Academy at Oden’s Ford, he will become their magical sell-sword against the power-hungry Wizard Council.
Han and his clan friend Fire Dancer undertake the dangerous journey south through war-torn Arden. Once in Oden’s Ford, it doesn’t take long for the smoldering feud between Han and Micah Bayar to kindle into flame. After several attempts on his life, Han knows he has to find a way to defend himself.
In the magical dream world of Aediion, Han meets the mysterious Crow, a wizard with a long-standing grudge against the Bayars. Crow offers to tutor Han in wizardry in exchange for his help. Han agrees, once again forced into a bargain he hopes he won’t regret.
Meanwhile, Han’s friends Fire Dancer and Cat Tyburn struggle with their own demons. Dancer is determined to become a clan flashcrafter, despite his charmcaster status. Cat carries a load of guilt, as the only survivor of the slaughter of the gangs in Ragmarket and Southbridge.
Resuming her disguise as gently-born Rebecca Morley, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna travels with her friend Amon Byrne and his triple of cadets to Wien House, the military academy at Oden’s Ford. There she hopes she will find both temporary sanctuary from a forced marriage and the education she needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.
Much of Raisa’s education takes place outside of the classroom. As she mingles with students of all classes from throughout the Seven Realms, she forges the kind of friendships that don’t happen amid the cut-throat politics of the Gray Wolf Court. She also struggles to deal with her attraction to Amon—an attraction he seems determined to discourage.
When Han Alister asks the girl he knows as Rebecca to tutor him, she agrees. The streetlord turned wizard with the complicated past fascinates her, and he makes it clear the interest is mutual. But Han blames Queen Marianna and the Bayars for the loss of his family. As their relationship deepens, Raisa suspects that if Han knew her true identity, he wouldn’t want anything to do with her. (goodreads.com)
Ok, so I think this summary was longer than the one for book 1. What the heck, people!?
Hands down, this was my favourite of all four books.  I loved following Raisa’s storyline and her travel to the military academy at Oden’s Ford. I loved all of the different, um, factions? (arts, military, wizardry) all in one location to learn about their crafts and whatnot. I just loved everything about this book!
My one issue was that of Fire Dancer’s story as he tried to come to terms with his charmcaster status. I would have felt more involved in his woes if there had been a better focus on his story. I almost felt that he was just tossed in as an afterthought and not given nearly enough depth to make his issues matter. Even though we’d only just met Cat Tyburn in this book I felt more connected to her own struggles with being a street rat to a (more or less) upstanding citizen than I did about Dancer. Dancer’s plot was watered down and vague at times and I never once felt any emotion for him whatsoever. Poor Dancer.
Heck, I felt more sympathy for Amon Byrne’s conflict about his role as protector of the Queen line and his feelings about Raisa than I did about anything Dancer was up to.
Much of the book focused on the trip TO Oden’s Ford and then a few months there before everyone up and left to return to the Queendom for various reasons (oddly all at the same time. Oh, Fantasy books, you are your clever coincidences!) and I just loved every single second of those travel and schooling days. Hunks of cheese and bread and dried meat were eaten! Stew! Ale! Cider! Ahhh, questing food!
I don’t really know what else to say about this second book that wasn’t already said in the epically long summary, but I feel compelled to write more in the body of my post than was in that stupid blockquote. Um….
Micah still reminds me of Malfoy – regardless of how different he actually is. I think once I got that idea stuck in my head in the first book, it was pretty much a given that I wouldn’t be able to shake it. heh
This series has an odd mix of very strong female characters and oddly weak and not very bright ones. I did love how quick and smart Raisa was about things, despite her age. She was always aware of the politics going on, even if she would act contrary to how things should be at times. I think this made her a stronger leader because she didn’t just follow the rules, she broke some for the good of the Queendom and her own people.
Right now the story is blurring into one big book in mu memory. Guess that’s what happens when you read all 4 books in 9 days and don’t stop to write blog posts in-between.
Seven Realms
1) The Demon King
2) The Exiled Queen
3) The Gray Wolf Throne
4) The Crimson Crown
May 5th, 2013 Fantasy | The Reader
April 30th, 2013 eBook | Fantasy  The Demon King (Seven Realms, #1)
by Cinda Williams Chima
Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell – the thick silver cuffs he’s worn since birth. They’re clearly magicked – as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off.
One day Han and his clan friend, Dancer, confront three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to keep him from using it against them. Soon Han learns that the amulet has an evil history – it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.
Meanwhile, Raisa ana’Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She’s just returning to court after three years of freedom in the mountains – riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea – the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But her mother has other plans for her – including marriage to a suitor who goes against everything the queendom stands for.
The Seven Realms tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide, fanning the flames of the smoldering war between clans and wizards. (goodreads.com)
Holy cow. That was ALL of the summary from goodreads. 0_o
I am late to the party that is the Seven Realms fantasy series. There are four books in this series and I’m not sure why I never noticed them before because I am all about the high/epic fantasy books, people. And this is YA fantasy and we totally need more YA fantasy in the world.
I read all four books between April 27 to May 5. Nine days. And it only took me THAT long because I had to go to stupid work during the week days. Jeez.
At the same time, I can’t really say this is only YA fantasy, because many fantasy novels have young protagonists, but they aren’t always classified as Young Adult novels.
The Demon King is the first book of four and you are introduced to the cast of characters who you will grow to love and hate through the next three books. Han a.k.a Hunts Alone, a.k.a. Cuffs Alister is the main focus of the story although other chapters are told from the point of view of Princess Raisa.
The pacing of the story is gripping and interesting. I could not stop reading (except when I was at work. Sigh.) and I was just devouring page after page (or screen after screen, rather, since I got this on my Kobo.) I wasn’t even half-way through the novel when I went and bought books 2 and 3 knowing that I would want to continue the series as soon as possible!
The description throughout the story held my attention 100% and I tend to phase out when I come across long passages of description in fantasy novels. I like the dialogue and action scenes, but description is sort of my zone out area. There really wasn’t much about the book that I didn’t like.
However, I wasn’t instantly in love with either Han or Raisa. I didn’t dislike them, but it took me a little while to warm up to them and really feel for them. Towards the end of The Demon King (an ending I was totally suspecting, because, you know, the TITLE and all…) I was pretty sure that I was fully on board rooting for each of the two protagonists and their respective quests. I especially enjoyed Raisa in the next books because she reminded me a lot of Ce’Nedra from the David & Leigh Eddings Belgariad / Mallorean series. (I always loved Ce’Nedra…not as much as I adore Polgara, but close!) (That being said, I kept picturing Draco Malfoy as the mean boy wizard even though he was described as not looking anything like him. It was just how mean he was I was all, BAD MALFOY! PLAY NICE!)
This is a story about many stories and you sort of know right away that they will all eventually connect. That is the way of fantasy, my friends. And I am ok with that, because I tend to like formula in my fantasy stories. It’s comforting.
Be prepared… Since I read this series all in a row, my next bunch of posts will be all about the Seven Realms. You have been warned.
(And I am writing this in Word, while on a train trip. I am going to try and get as many of them written as I can since my blog has been woefully silent for too long. Sorry!)
Seven Realms
1) The Demon King
2) The Exiled Queen
3) The Gray Wolf Throne
4) The Crimson Crown
April 28th, 2013 Fiction | Young Adult  Letting Ana Go
by Anonymous
In the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky, a harrowing account of anorexia and addiction. She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she felt like she could never be good enough. Like she could never live up to the expectations that surrounded her. Like she couldn’t do anything to make a change.
But there was one thing she could control completely: how much she ate. The less she ate, the better—stronger—she felt.
But it’s a dangerous game, and there is such a thing as going too far…
Her innermost thoughts and feelings are chronicled in the diary she left behind. (goodreads.com)
Release date: June 4, 2013
I have never read Go Ask Alice but I keep meaning to. When I got an email about the possibility of reviewing this book, I said yes. I had just finished my course and, well, it’s a disorder book. I have an addition to disorder books. This one is about anorexia, but it could be about mental illness, depression, cutting, suicide, and I will gobble it up. My soul likes to purge its own demons through literature now rather than act out in real life.
I will tell you, I read this book 2 weeks ago and I am STILL thinking about it. Not because I knew I wanted to write up this post, but because it just stayed with me. I don’t know what the another “Anonymous” books are like, but this one felt like I was reading a real journal. It was written in a way that reminded me of my own diaries when I was a young teen. The narrator’s voice was real and loud in my ears.
Parts of it reminded me of my own summers on the lake, even though this was really nothing like my own life. There was just a feeling…a sense, if you will that brought up so many flashbacks to when I was 13-16 years old. Maybe it’s also because the weather finally warmed up and I always feel nostalgic for my summers on the lake that I no longer have. Don’t know.
All I know is that this novel had a voice that resonated with me and felt so raw and real. I didn’t cry but I just felt everything in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t feel trapped as I normally do with emotionally heavy books, rather I felt…ok. I felt ok while I read this story and felt like I was reading a real girl’s journal and spiral into the unhealthy habits she picked up. I think because I knew what the outcome was going to be – even though I continuously hoped I’d be wrong – I didn’t feel the same sense of panic I normally feel, as I wonder if this kid will make it out alive?
I’m not sure how to explain how this story made me fee, other than it’s still fresh in my mind 2 weeks after reading it. Almost like I’d lived it myself. Like these were my own memories. They are nothing like my memories, but they still felt so real.
I was especially affected by the boyfriend relationship. It’s so rare to see a story where the boyfriend tries so hard to convince his girl that she’s beautiful the way she is and he doesn’t want her hurting herself. It was just such a beautiful and painful part of the book.
This is a book I will keep forever. I think I’d even re-read it, as difficult as it was. There was something about it that just connected with me. It’s heartbreaking that a girl can go from healthy and happy to thinking that she has to be skeletal to be pretty. This book is just so wonderfully written and painful to read, but it’s worth it.
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