Book Review: Close Kin by Clare B. Dunkle

 

Close Kin (The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy #2) by Clare B. Dunkle
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 224
Acquired: 08/09/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: Series
Series: The Hollow Kingdom (2)

We met the sisters Kate and Emily in the first book, Hollow Kingdom. Their life since the joining Goblin society has been "uneventful." They both have their jobs to do, although those jobs would seem strange to most humans, and have made a place for themselves in the underground kingdom. However, Emily is getting older, and as a human woman, the Goblin King is not so patiently waiting to see which of his subjects she will choose to marry. Everything goes a little crazy when Seylin, a friend Emily made in the first book, proposes and Emily doesn't even realize it! Completely offended and heartbroken, Seylin leaves the kingdom to try and find his ancestors, the elves. Once Emily realizes that Seylin has left and what she did to him, she sets off to find him and bring him back.

I still love Emily's character and I really wish we had seen more of her in this book. From the description, I thought it would be about half about her and half about Seylin. While Seylin was very heavily featured, Emily really lagged behind in coverage. Seylin is a very interesting character, but I didn't see him really grow or develop much here. I'm afraid that the second book in The Hollow Kingdom just isn't quite as good as the first, which is a trait I find quite often in series. I'm still going to try and read the third, but it will have to wait until I get some extra spending money.

3/5

Book Review: Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox

Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pages: 464
Acquired: 08/09/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: Series
Series: Dreamhunter Duet (2)

I read the first book in the Dreamhunter duet as part of the Most Underappreciated Book Contest earlier this year. It intrigued me enough that I went out and got the second. However, about half way through I almost put the book down. The characters seemed to be stuck in a loop trying to figure the same things out over and over again.

Things were just taking too long for me, but I stuck through it and the second half of the book made up it. The characters started to develop again and the plot become involved and was progressing once again.

Laura Hame is once again center stage of the story, and she has finally started to put things together about the mysterious Place. The pieces eventually fell together quite nicely and the story ended well.

3/5

Book Review: Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey



Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 768
Acquired: ???
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I read it: Series
Series: Kushiel's Avatar (3)

Ten years have passed for Phedre and Joscelin. Years of peace and happiness uninterrupted by intrigue. The only damper is the knowledge that her best friend, Hyacinthe, is stuck as master of the straights, fulfilling an age old curse. But one again the gods have a higher purpose for them, a message seen in dreams and in the form of a plea for help from the traitor, Melisande. her son, hidden away for the past ten years, has been kidnapped. Thus begins the most imporatant journey of Phedre's life. A journey to not only save an innocent boy, but finally a way to free Hyacinthe and thwart an evil that no one realizes even exists.

A fantastic conclusion to the trilogy. Phedre takes Joscelin to hell and beyond and pushed both of their vows, to each other and to their gods, to the test. As they decend into near madness they realize how great sacrifice can lead to such amazing rewards. The journey takes to places few have heard of and brings them back home full of rewards, but scarred for life.
This is my favorite book of the series by far. I keep wanting to say more about the story, but I don't want to give too much away for those that haven't read the first two yet. What I can say is that if you haven't read these yet, you must! There is a follow up series that I have all but the first one for, and I know that it has moved up to the top of my wish list for books to buy.
5/5

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins



Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 275
Acquired: 4/2/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: Series
Series: The Hunger Games (2)

I'm sure there have been countless other reviews of the second book in this popular series, so I'm going to be brief. I imagine there are quite a few other people out there that share my opinion.

The Capitol is very angry with Katniss and Peeta for forcing his hand in last year's hunger games. The districts are in rebellion and they are using the two as mascots and motivation. The second book in the series takes us back into the hunger games with a whole new arena. I found this arena to be much more inventive and played a major part in the story. The contestants are once again set up to battle until only one survivor is remaining, but once again things don't go as the gamemasters planned.

I did not enjoy Katniss and Peeta nearly as much as I did in the previous book. They did not seem to grow. The other contestants also seemed to be a bit shallow, even though the book was set up in a way that left the door wide open for some new favorites to emerge. I'll be reading the third because the story ended with quite a cliffhanger and I am still quite attached to many of the characters in the book.

3/5

Book Review: The Serpent and the Rose by Kathleen Bryan

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 316
Acquired: 4/17/10
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I read it:
Series: The War of the Rose (1)

The Kingdom of Lys has an interesting form of magic. It is worked by knights, magicians, and the Ladies of the Isle. Using glass to concentrate and hold the magic they shape. They also hold the great responisiblity of keeping the Serpent imprisoned by holding the secret of his location as a sacred secret.

Averil has been trained as a Lady of the Isle but was called back home prematurely to help her father, who is the Duke of Quitaine. The Duke has good reasn te fear for the safety of his throne, so he wants his daughter home and wed to secure the succession of his lands. But when everyone's worst fears and more come to pass, she is forced to flee with a band of knights and Gereint.

Gereint is a farmboy, but not so plain and simple. He has magic of an unknown nature running through his veins. His mother, in a misguided effort to protect him, has forbidden him from seeking out the knights for training. He slips away one day to follow the knights and find his destiny. It takes him far from home where he meets Averil. When Averil is forced to run from the invaders, he goes with.

Their journey takes them to places that are made of myth and legend, and dark secrets are revealed and discovered. As they try to find safety and a return to their old ways, it dawns on them that much has been forgotten, and to win they must remember and learn.

A fantasy tale with a touch of christian story mixed with magic, I loved the characters. They were incredibly dynamic. Tere were many I loved and the ones I hated, I loved to hate. Their fourney is a fantastic one that kept the pages turning. The only draw back was that at times the point was driven home a little too hard. There is much to say for subtlety and at times it was lacking.

3/5

Book Review: Outriders by Kathryn Mackel



Genre: Christian Fantasy
Pages: 288
Acquired: 4/17/10
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I read it:
Series: The Birthright Project (1)

The world has almost come to an end. Vast areas have been rendered desolate by bombs and disasters. What remains is ruled by evil overlords that force the people to undergo cruel experiments in the endless effort to rule over all. But hope is not lost. Far beneath the polar ice caps a second ark lies, housing people and animals untouched by the blight that has swept across the surface. The time has come for the Birthrighters, as they call themselves, to venture out into the world. Setting up outposts where they can, they fight against the overlords and rescue what they can of the remaining animals and plants that have retained their original form.

I was a little leary when I realized this was a Christian book, many of them get too preachy for my taste. However, Outriders' mix was just right. There was plenty of lessons to learn as the people fought against the overlord Alrod and his mutants, most of which were created against their will from the peasants under his rule. The Outriders must learn to fight when it is needed while learning to accept that it is not always the only way. The overlord isn't their only concern. As the first group to leave the arc enters their 20's, they begin to fight temptation and jealousy. There is much to overcome if the Birthrighters want to succeed in their mission of returning the earth to its original glory.

3.5/5

Book Review: Kendermore by Mary Kirchoff

Kendermore by Mary Kirchoff


Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 342
Acquired: ???
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I read it: Re-read of older books
Series: DragonLance, Preludes (2)

Tasslehoff Burrfoot is a kender, a race known for their light-fighers, fearlessness, and love of a good story. Tasslehoff has been summoned back home to marry, but he's really not too interested in settling down just yet. The mayor sends a bounty hunter off after him and on their way back, they encounter quite an adventure. They travel across the world of Krynn to encountering freak storms on the sea, mad wizards that want to pickle him for their museum, treasure hunters, and a sinister force out to stop them.

Tasslehoff has always been one of my favorite characters in the DragonLance world and he doesn't disappoint in this story. It is a fun romp through the world from a kender's perspective. While reading previous books in the series may help understand some of the finer points of the story, it is not necessary in order to enjoy the story.

4/5

Book Review: Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 704
Acquired: ???
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I read it: Re-read to continue series
Series: Kushiel's Legacy (2)

In the second book of the Kushiel's Legacy series, Phedre and her Cassiline, Joscelin, journey to La Serenissima in search of Melisande. But, as always, there is more to the game than anyone suspects at first. Phedre must learn to navigate her way through a whole new politcal climate and use all her wits to try and decipher the clues she has which lead her on a not so merry journey across the seas, where she encounters pirates, gods, and ancient rituals. She is forced to look at herself in a new light time and time again, and make sacrifices she never thought she would have needed.

I was happy to see so many of my favorite characters back for a second book. The change of scenery and introduction of the La Serenissiman characters was the perfect addition to her already fantastic mix. The people and the setting meshed in a way that improved the flow of the story. Throwing in the action, which never seems to stop for Phedre, you have the perfect combination for an amazing book.

5/5

Book Review: The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Pages: 496
Acquired: 6/20/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: NetGalley
Series: Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms (1)

The Five Hundred Kingdoms continually live the fairy tales. It is part of the magic that holds the realms together. Elena was destined to follow in the footsteps of Cinderella, but her prince was just a baby so the fairy tale went wrong. The magic of the realm built up around her until her kingdom's godmother takes her in as an apprentice. Her life is filled with directing the magic to make her realms a better place and keepp the evil ones away. Throughout it all she makes brave and very inventive solutions to keep the tales alive but under control. At least until she breaks with tradition and takes an unruly prince under her wing. She is determined to make him a better person, but the fairy tales have another idea altogether.

I loved Elena. She was just the right mix of bold and confident with an underlying insecurity and doubt that she is good enough to perform her new role as godmother. She rises to the challenge and succeeds in ways she never quite thought possible. She is surrounded by a host of mythical creatures, each with its own unique personality and part to the story. The romance was definately there, but in a way that made it part of the story instead of the point of the story. I'm going to have to keep my eyes out for the others in the series.

4/5

Book Review: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 969
Acquired: ???
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I have it: Series
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire (2)

The battle for the Seven Kingdoms continues as up to five different people have declared themselves "king". The exiled Targaryan princess gathers her strength and a plan to return and reclaim her throne. Beyond the Wall in the north, strange things have are rising and the wildlings are on the march.

Once again the reader is drawn into a complex plot that it hard to walk away from. It continually amazes me how much detail Martin has put into the series and his skill at pulling all the different people and storylines together in a way that seems so effortless. The characters are constantly being forced to change and adapt as the war quickly covers the entire kingdom. The only ones that manage to stay out of it is the Night's Watch in the far north on the Wall. And they have their own problems to deal with as strange creatures have risen beyond the wall and it is rumored that the wildlings have gathered and are on the march.

A fantastic second book in the series that takes off running from the first pages. I can't wait until it's time to start the third.

5/5

Book Review: Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo

Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Christian
Pages: 305
Acquired: 2/27/2010
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I have it: Gift
Series: Dreamhouse Kings (3)

The King family continues to discover new and dangerous secrets about their house. The boys, Xander and David, continue to search for their mother but find someone else instead. The strange man, Taksidian, continues to try and get the Kings out of the house in any way he can.

The third book in the Dreamhouse Kings series continues to offer great action. The characters are still a bit stagnant and none of them seem to be anywhere closer to their goals. While there is little resolution, there is still a lot of forwrd momentum that is driving the story forward.

3/5

Book Review: The Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul

The Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 390
Acquired: 6/4/2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: ARC
Series: Valley of the Dragons (1)

Tipper's father, Verrin Schope, has been missing for a long time. When he returns in a most unexpected manner, followed by a magician and his librarian, things start to get a little strange. Verrin Schope is an artist, and three of his sculptures are much more important than anyone could ever guess. In order to save the world (and himself) the statues must be reunited once again. Tracking down the three statues, which have been sold over the years Verrin was missing, proves to be harder than it was originally thought. The journey to recover the statues is what drives the story forward through a very interesting series of events.

I enjoyed reading Dragons of the Valley, and while this book preceeds the story, knowing part of the outcome did not detract from the story at all. Seeing where my favorite characters came from and how they met was great. I did not enjoy the characters quite as much as I did in Dragons of the Valley. They did not develop and grow in a way that I found satisfying, but this being the first book in the series it may have just been setting them up to do so.

A very typical good vs bad storyline, with a few twists to make it interesting. The bad guys were a little too obviously bad. A few more in depth surprises would have helped the story a bit.

3.5/5

Book Review: The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 240
Acquired: 6/9/2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle 2011
Series: The Hollow Kingdom (1)

Two young sisters, Kate and Emily, have recently moved back to be raised at the family estate by their new guardian. They don't realize that their new home is near the goblin lands and soon the goblin king takes a special interest in Kate and Emily. The two girls use all their wits try and escape from the clutched, succeeding time and time again. But a strange twist of events, that the goblins weren't even part of, eventually lures the girls back into the reach of the goblin king.

I really enjoyed both Kate and Emily. There were smart and inventive in their ways to avoid the king. They learn to trust and rely on each other. The king himself, Marak, is quite a character. While he is supposed to be evil and mean...the bad guy.. I couldn't help but like him. The king's subjects are quite the variety and are fascinating to read about as well.

4/5

Book Review: Touched by Venom by Janine Cross

Touched by Venom by Janine Cross

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 384
Acquired: 4/17/10
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I have it: bookcloseouts.com sale
Series: Dragon Temple Saga (1)

Set in a strange land where dragon masters rule over vast areas of the kingdom called dragon estates, Zarq is a young girl in a pottery clan. Their small clan draws the eyes of the dragon master and their peaceful lives are turned upside down. Zarq's sister is sold into slavery and her mother is slowly losing her mind. Zarq makes a run for it, dragging her mother with her. Their journey takes them to a variety of areas, including a home for the dead and a convent built for the care of elderly dragons. She blames the dragon masters for her mother's condition and her sister's disappearance and will do anything as she seeks her revenge.

A very odd tale, and one that I came close to putting down several times. The beginning sequences were almost to fantastical, and I had a difficult time falling into the story. The characters, while changing, did not seem to have very many dynamic qualities to them. Their circumstances changed their actions, but their personalities or thoughts.

The land itself was well thought out and interesting. The locations each had their own unique charm without ever being perfect. The plot was easy to follow, once you figured out the ways of the kingdom. I'm going to give the series one more book to see if I can get into them a little bit more before giving up on it.

2.5/5

Book Review: Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 928
Acquired: ???
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I have it: Re-read of old bookd
Series: Kushiel's Legacy (1)

Phedre has been marked since birth by a scarlet spot in her eye. At first viewed as a terrible flaw, an more observant and educated man, Delauney, sees it for what it really is. Phedre has been struck by Kushiel's dart, and is bound to feel pleasure and pain as one. He takes her into his household to raise and train. But she is not trained in the typical way. She is taught to use her wits and her wiles to get others to reveal their deepest secrets. But Delauney's game is far more dangerous than any of them imagine. When everything backfired, Phedre finds herself left with no one but her bodyguard, Brother Joscelin, and fighting for not only their lives, but the freedom of the kingdom.

A very political book, full of court intrigue and plans. With an aging king and an unmarried female heir, no one is quite sure what will happen when the king dies. Several try to fight for the throne, but are defeated. But the biggest threat is one unseen to anyone. A threat that is revealed layer by layer as the Phedre's story unfolds.

I loved everything about this book. The characters, the places, the events all seem to come to life. The variety of scenery and people is just amazing. The story is full of so many people and places, but it moves at a pace that allows you to learn each one's part in the story before moving on, yet never seems to slow to a point that events become dull or repetitive. My only complaint, and its importance can be debated, is that the reader is not given a log of detail on their deities at first. The deities play a major part in how and why people act the way they do. A great read for those that enjoy epic series. I have book two up to read soon.

4.5/5

Book Review: Darkness & Light by Paul B. Thompson & Tonya R. Carter

37. Darkness & Light by Paul B. Thompson and Tonya R. Carter
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 376
Acquired: Prior to 1998
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I have it: Park of DragonLance World
Series: DragonLance Preludes (1)

Back to the world of Krynn in the first book of the Preludes Trilogy. The series follows the main characters from the DragonLance Chronicles trilogy in the years before the series starts. Darkness & Light follows Kitiara, the feisty female mercenary, and Sturm Brightblade, the honorable Solamnic knight, as they set off on an adventure to find Sturm's home and family. A home which was ravaged and burned when we was a small child, a family that has scattered to the winds. Along the way they run into an interesting group of gnomes and their flying ship. The flying ship, a gnomish invention that actually works, whisks them off and up even better and further than anyone suspected it could....right up to one of the moons. The moon, called Lunitari, is full of surprises and its own brand of magic. As the group tries to find its way home, they are put to the test physically and mentally.

This story could have been fantastic. It's all there. The crazy storyline and the unique characters should have been a slam dunk of a book. Unfortunately it wasn't. The writing style was a little choppy, with lots of action happening far too quickly and down time that seems strangely out of place. The conflicts between the characters are almost comical at times, but it lacked a serious side that I had become used to in the series.

2.5/5

Book Review: Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox

Dreamhunter: Book One of the Dreamhunter Duet by Elizabeth Knox

Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 384
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: Dreamhunter Duet (1)

The Place is where dreamhunters go to find dreams. Dreams that are very different than the ones we have ourselves. These dreams can be shared and shown in a way similar to our movies. Only a select few have the ability to capture dreams from the Place and share them with other nearby sleepers. Laura and her father are two of these people.

When Laura's father, the first dreamhunter known to exist, disappears she has to follow a strange trail of clues to find out what he was working on. A trail that leads to many disturbing discoveries. Will she have to strength to carry on and follow in his footsteps, or will she instead choose to follow the status quo and let his knowledge disappear as he did?

I found the story fascinating. There were so many different levels of relationships and personalities that were explored without making the characters overly complicated. The world was where the author lost me a little. There was so much that I just didn't understand. While it was all made clear as the story continued on, I feel like there were many things that I missed and would have understood or appreciated more had I known more about the world itself. It led to a bit of a disjointed story.

3/5

Book Review: The Branding by Micaela Wendell

The Branding by Micaela Wendell

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 149
Acquired: March 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: ERC
Series: No

A young elf girl, Morwen, disobeys the rules and explores the forest around her village. Now, the forest is forbidden because elves of all ages have been disappearing in it. Morwen's wandering brings a little good and quite a bit of bad. The good thing is that she meets a human ranger that begins to teach her how to become a warrior (something that is strictly forbidden for females to learn). The bad thing is that her little sister follows her and disappears.

Morwen decides to rescue her sister and ends up under a curse, the slave of a truly evil being. She only has a short time to find a way to remove the curse before it takes over her very soul.

The action in the story is very quick and erratic. It tends to jump from one scene to another with very little build up. While this keeps the story exciting, it also makes it hard to follow one leap to the next, and to develop the characters. The characters do change and grow, but it occurs in a very jarring way. Relationships develop and fall apart without any reason leading up to it.

2/5

Book Review: Weasel's Luck by Michael Williams

Weasel's Luck (Dragonlance: Heroes Volume Three) by Michael Williams

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 347
Acquired: Prior to 1998
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I have it: Part of DragonLance world/series, Reread
Series: DragonLance, Heroes (3)

Galen Pathwarder, not so affectionately referred to as Weasel, is the third son of a noble family of Solomnic Knights (think uber honorable and a bit uptight). He isn't the son his father always wanted. Instead he lies, cheats, and occasionally sets something on fire. His older brothers aren't much better. The oldest is rather stupid and is always up to no good, while the middle brother seems to be some sort of a priest or monkish type, always meditating and trying to live among the animals.

One night Galen is approached by an entity of sorts he refers to as the Scorpion. Now the Scorpion is a very foul character that only lead Galen even further astray from the path his father hopes he will someday follow. Little do any of them know that the seemingly dark path Galen finds himself now on is far more important than they can imagine.

Galen is faced with a multitude of trials as he travels through satyr and centaur infested swamps, ogres in the mountains, and curses in the castle. He handles each situation with his own version of knightly duty - namely hiding and claiming to be keeping look out. But the journey changes him along the way and he finds himself the unlikely hero several times.

Another DragonLance novel that can be read as a stand alone book. It fills in some of the history and culture of the world without directly relating to any of the other stories.

3.5/5

Book Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Genre: Fantasy, Scottish, Romance
Pages: 896
Acquired: 2/26/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have/read it: Fantasy February
Series: Outlander (1)

Claire Randall, an English nurse from the 1940's, is in for the surprise of her life. While on vacation with her husband in Scotland, she finds a strange circle of stones and somehow is transported back into 1743 Scotland. Confused and disoriented, she finds herself in the hands of a Scottish lord and his men, on the run from the English.

As Claire adjusts to her new life in Scotland, she take son the task of being nurse to the castle she now lives in. The people slowly work their way into her heart. At the same time, she desperately misses her husband and searches for a way she may be able to sneak off and use the stones to go back to her own time and place. Instead she finds herself right in the middle of a feud between the Scottish people that have taken her in and an English Corporal, that just happens to be one of her husband's ancestors.

I enjoyed the little twists and turns the story took along the way. Gabaldon was able to keep the story moving very nicely throughout the almost 900 pages, something that can't be very easy to do. There were a few sections that I did struggle through, but were important to the development of the many characters.

I was very surprised at the amount of romance that was included, and have to admit there were times I skimmed over a bit of the love scenes. There were times it seemed a bit much for the type of novel that I expected, but at the same time it didn't seem to effect my overall liking of the book.

4/5