I have been waiting for Bentley Little’s latest – His Father’s Son – for months. I love Bentley Little, I have a collection of some of his rarer works, including the infamous Murmurous Haunts (I was lucky enough to score a signed copy a while back), a couple of ARC’s of his earlier books, a couple of signed hardcover copies of his books, and even an early promotional copy of The Store that is actually printed on standard 8 ½” x 11” copy paper, complete with a cover and promo letter from the publisher/publicist. So, to say that I am merely a fan is a bit of an understatement. I liked the guy before he was cool. I have issues of The Horror Show Magazine (and several others) from the 1980’s, having trolled for them on Ebay because he contributed to them.
His Father’s Son is the story of your middle aged everyman, Steve Nye. He is dealing with a situation that many of us have or will have to face during the course of our lives – the mental and physical deterioration of a parent. In Steve’s case, his father just snaps one day, physically assaulting his mother. The attack is completely out of character, and Steve’s father is diagnosed as suffering from a degenerative form of dementia and is committed to a psychiatric facility.
During one of Steve’s visits, his father appears to be perfectly lucid. It is during this period of lucidity that he says the words “I killed her.”
After hearing what he perceives as his father’s confession, Steve begins an investigation into his father’s past that makes him question everything he has ever known about his father, his family and himself.
The way this book is written, I really can’t say much more about the plot without being a spoiler.
There are dozens of little reasons that I have become such an avid Little fan. However, there have always been three big ones that have never varied or wavered. 3) He is among the most prolific writers I have ever read. It is a delight to troll around for obscure magazines and anthologies that he has contributed unique short stories to. You always find something different, but it always has a distinct Bentley Little flavor. 2) His flair for the surreal. Regardless of the specific plot or subject matter in a given book or story, you can count on Little to warp the very fabric of reality. All of his work has a certain level of wrongness to it, which is what makes it such great horror. 1) The man is deals in real, unapologetic horror. Nothing is taboo or off limits.
With all of the above being said, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with His Father’s Son. Maybe I have read too much of his stuff, because I kept thinking of how this story line should have gone down as I read. Unfortunately, it was fairly predictable (in my opinion), and it lacked a lot of both the surrealism and the depth of the majority of Little’s previous novels. His short stories even. I had a very hard time getting into the book, which is almost unheard of for me, although after the first few chapters it did hold my attention fairly consistently.
Unfortunately, I was left feeling shortchanged. I kept waiting for something to happen, and it never really did. There were instances of short stories being intertwined throughout the novel (Steve Nye happens to be a writer), and it was only throughout these several short chapters that I was able to really feel Little’s true nature leech into the story. It was almost as if this book was thought up by a publisher or something, and the integrated short stories were Little’s metaphorical middle finger.
All in all, the book was a big letdown for me. I have read a lot of criticism of Little’s work, and it always contains suggestions that would make his writing more mainstream and less out of the box and controversial. Frankly, I am a Little fan because of the blatant sex and violence and carnage that his books are (unapologetically) crammed with. I feel as though this was a pandering release, put out there to placate the whiners. I hope that his next book is a return to his surreal and totally unique flavor of storytelling, written for his fans - not everybody else. Three stars.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
"To Tempt the Wolf" by Terry Spear Giveaway!!
To all of you fans of the darkside, be it Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Gothic or some other yet-to-be definded genre, you know who you are and you know what you like :)
I would like to offer all current and future fans of the darker genre's the opportunity to win a copy of Terry Spear's To Tempt the Wolf. Just comment here or on Terry's guest post to be entered. Please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. I have one copy to be given aways, thanks to the good people at Sourcebooks, and the winner needs to have a U.S. or Canadian mailing address. No PO boxes.
Contest ends 11:59 PM MST 9/11/2009.
Thanks all, and good luck!!!
I would like to offer all current and future fans of the darker genre's the opportunity to win a copy of Terry Spear's To Tempt the Wolf. Just comment here or on Terry's guest post to be entered. Please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. I have one copy to be given aways, thanks to the good people at Sourcebooks, and the winner needs to have a U.S. or Canadian mailing address. No PO boxes.
Contest ends 11:59 PM MST 9/11/2009.
Thanks all, and good luck!!!
Guest Blog: Terry Spear
Terry Spear Guest Blog, author of To Tempt the Wolf
Horror and Fantasy Book Reviews; September 4, 2009
Join Me on the Dark Side—or Wolf Side, Rather
Thanks so much to Horror and Fantasy Book Reviews for having me!
The first time Heart of the Wolf finaled in a contest, the final judge, a NY editor, said it was a unique twist on a horror story. I understand what she meant—werewolves = horror.
But no way do I think of horror stories when I’m writing about my werewolves, who, when they are in their wolf forms, are like wolves, except, maybe a little bigger. They’re not monster-like wolf kind-of creatures.
Ever see pictures of two wolves playing when they look like they are ready to kill each other? Ever see one bare its very big, very sharp canines at you? The way it narrows its eyes? It wrinkles its nose? It growls deep and low?
To me, the wolf is majestic in part. Yet, it can look really scary without any of the monster effects thrown in.
But no longer is the werewolf just the bad guy, someone who kills during the full moon, but doesn’t remember having shapeshifted to do so during the night. No longer does the werewolf hate who or what he is.
No clinical psychology couches for my werewolves. They’re very well-adjusted. Born to the role, they’re content to live in secrecy and survive among the rest of mankind. For those who are not so fortunate to have been born to the role and suddenly become one of their kind through folly or choice, reactions will differ based on the personality of the individual. But no one mopes about being a werewolf. Not when being one has so many advantages.
In the old werewolf stories, a single werewolf often ran around in the woods attacking people. But in my stories, a big part of the world is showing the pack dynamics within a pack and with other packs.
And although there are lots of bad guys and murder and mayhem, suspense and mystery and adventure in my wolf tales, humor and romance are a big part of the stories, too. So I emphatically say my werewolves are not horrific in the least. Well, the bad guys can be pretty bad. But the good guys can be downright loveable. If man’s best friend is the dog, then a girl’s best friend is a werewolf.
So join me on the Wolf Side and learn about a new age of werewolves.
And thanks again for having me! If you want to join me, here are a few places you can find me:
www.terryspear.com
http://twitter.com/TerrySpear
http://www.facebook.com/terry.spear
http://www.myspace.com/terryspear
http://www.terry-spear.blogspot.com
http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com
http://www.wickedlyromantic.blogspot.com http://shapeshifterromance.wordpress.com
Terry Spear
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male.”
To Tempt the Wolf—In Stores September 1
In this third in the series, wildlife photographer Tessa Anderson must prove her brother innocent of murder charges. But when she discovers a gorgeous naked man barely alive on her beach, she's got a new world of troubles to deal with, not least of which is how he affects her with just a look, a touch, or a whispered word.
Hunter Greymore is a lupus garou, a grey werewolf. Hoping to keep a low profile at Tessa's cabin on the coast, he's drawn into her life—and into her bed. His animal instincts war with his human half, but in the end, the only thing he can do about this fascinating, adorable woman is to leave her forever —unless she becomes one of them.
About the Author
A retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, award-winning author Terry Spear has an MBA from Monmouth College. An eclectic writer, she dabbles in the paranormal as well as writing historical and true life stories for both teen and adult audiences. Spear lives in Crawford, Texas. Her 2008 Sourcebooks Casablanca release, Heart of the Wolf was named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly. Destiny of the Wolf and To Tempt the Wolf are in stores now, and more are on the way: The Legend of the White Wolf (February 2010) and Seduction of the Wolf (August 2010). For more information please visit www.terryspear.com
Horror and Fantasy Book Reviews; September 4, 2009
Join Me on the Dark Side—or Wolf Side, Rather
Thanks so much to Horror and Fantasy Book Reviews for having me!
The first time Heart of the Wolf finaled in a contest, the final judge, a NY editor, said it was a unique twist on a horror story. I understand what she meant—werewolves = horror.
But no way do I think of horror stories when I’m writing about my werewolves, who, when they are in their wolf forms, are like wolves, except, maybe a little bigger. They’re not monster-like wolf kind-of creatures.
Ever see pictures of two wolves playing when they look like they are ready to kill each other? Ever see one bare its very big, very sharp canines at you? The way it narrows its eyes? It wrinkles its nose? It growls deep and low?
To me, the wolf is majestic in part. Yet, it can look really scary without any of the monster effects thrown in.
But no longer is the werewolf just the bad guy, someone who kills during the full moon, but doesn’t remember having shapeshifted to do so during the night. No longer does the werewolf hate who or what he is.
No clinical psychology couches for my werewolves. They’re very well-adjusted. Born to the role, they’re content to live in secrecy and survive among the rest of mankind. For those who are not so fortunate to have been born to the role and suddenly become one of their kind through folly or choice, reactions will differ based on the personality of the individual. But no one mopes about being a werewolf. Not when being one has so many advantages.
In the old werewolf stories, a single werewolf often ran around in the woods attacking people. But in my stories, a big part of the world is showing the pack dynamics within a pack and with other packs.
And although there are lots of bad guys and murder and mayhem, suspense and mystery and adventure in my wolf tales, humor and romance are a big part of the stories, too. So I emphatically say my werewolves are not horrific in the least. Well, the bad guys can be pretty bad. But the good guys can be downright loveable. If man’s best friend is the dog, then a girl’s best friend is a werewolf.
So join me on the Wolf Side and learn about a new age of werewolves.
And thanks again for having me! If you want to join me, here are a few places you can find me:
www.terryspear.com
http://twitter.com/TerrySpear
http://www.facebook.com/terry.spear
http://www.myspace.com/terryspear
http://www.terry-spear.blogspot.com
http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com
http://www.wickedlyromantic.blogspot.com http://shapeshifterromance.wordpress.com
Terry Spear
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male.”
To Tempt the Wolf—In Stores September 1
In this third in the series, wildlife photographer Tessa Anderson must prove her brother innocent of murder charges. But when she discovers a gorgeous naked man barely alive on her beach, she's got a new world of troubles to deal with, not least of which is how he affects her with just a look, a touch, or a whispered word.
Hunter Greymore is a lupus garou, a grey werewolf. Hoping to keep a low profile at Tessa's cabin on the coast, he's drawn into her life—and into her bed. His animal instincts war with his human half, but in the end, the only thing he can do about this fascinating, adorable woman is to leave her forever —unless she becomes one of them.
About the Author
A retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, award-winning author Terry Spear has an MBA from Monmouth College. An eclectic writer, she dabbles in the paranormal as well as writing historical and true life stories for both teen and adult audiences. Spear lives in Crawford, Texas. Her 2008 Sourcebooks Casablanca release, Heart of the Wolf was named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly. Destiny of the Wolf and To Tempt the Wolf are in stores now, and more are on the way: The Legend of the White Wolf (February 2010) and Seduction of the Wolf (August 2010). For more information please visit www.terryspear.com
"The Plight of the Darcy Brothers" by Marsha Altman
First, I would like to apologize to my followers and occasional visitors alike for my extended hiatus. I have had some personal issues that prevented me from attending my blog as I should have, and I hope that they have been resolved to the point that they do not impact this outlet again.
Over the next few days, I am going to be reviewing several Jane Austen sequels. These are books that have been authored by modern writers and which continue the story of Jane Austen’s books, primarily the big one – Pride and Prejudice.
Today’s review is of one of these sequels; The Plight of the Darcy Brothers by Marsha Altman. In addition to being a sequel to the original Pride and Prejudice story, this particular volume is also a the follow-up to The Darcy’s and The Bingley’s, which tells the stories of three couples. Two of these couples are familiar to any Austen or P&P fan – Darcy and Elizabeth and Charles and Jane. The third couple is a creation of Altman’s; Caroline and Daniel.
In this installment, there is much scandal afoot as the least likely of all the Bennet sisters finds herself in deep and irreversible trouble. Mary has fallen in love while abroad in France, and that love resulted in a pregnancy. As this book is set in Regency period England, unwed pregnant women were far from the norm, and were socially ostracized. As were their families. So, it is no surprise that Mary is a little apprehensive about returning to mother England and her family and having to face the inevitable music.
This particular Jane Austin Sequel was full of mystery and drama, with plenty of action and adventure abound. While the level of action may or may not appeal to fans of Austen and the numerous books that have been dedicated to following up on her masterpieces, they do add a bit of dimension to this particular volume that is often lacking in period romance novels.
There are several secrets to be revealed, involving several different key players. Of course, amongst the most important to the story is the identity of the father of Mary’s illegitimate little fetus. However, that is not the only surprise that is in store for readers.
All in all, this particular volume should entertain and enchant Austen lovers, but it is recommended that The Darcy’s and the Bingley’s be read first, as a prerequisite. Doing so will prevent confusion, as this tome builds on that book as well as the original. Overall, this was a 3 star book for me; enjoyable but not the best Austen sequel I have ever read.
Over the next few days, I am going to be reviewing several Jane Austen sequels. These are books that have been authored by modern writers and which continue the story of Jane Austen’s books, primarily the big one – Pride and Prejudice.
Today’s review is of one of these sequels; The Plight of the Darcy Brothers by Marsha Altman. In addition to being a sequel to the original Pride and Prejudice story, this particular volume is also a the follow-up to The Darcy’s and The Bingley’s, which tells the stories of three couples. Two of these couples are familiar to any Austen or P&P fan – Darcy and Elizabeth and Charles and Jane. The third couple is a creation of Altman’s; Caroline and Daniel.
In this installment, there is much scandal afoot as the least likely of all the Bennet sisters finds herself in deep and irreversible trouble. Mary has fallen in love while abroad in France, and that love resulted in a pregnancy. As this book is set in Regency period England, unwed pregnant women were far from the norm, and were socially ostracized. As were their families. So, it is no surprise that Mary is a little apprehensive about returning to mother England and her family and having to face the inevitable music.
This particular Jane Austin Sequel was full of mystery and drama, with plenty of action and adventure abound. While the level of action may or may not appeal to fans of Austen and the numerous books that have been dedicated to following up on her masterpieces, they do add a bit of dimension to this particular volume that is often lacking in period romance novels.
There are several secrets to be revealed, involving several different key players. Of course, amongst the most important to the story is the identity of the father of Mary’s illegitimate little fetus. However, that is not the only surprise that is in store for readers.
All in all, this particular volume should entertain and enchant Austen lovers, but it is recommended that The Darcy’s and the Bingley’s be read first, as a prerequisite. Doing so will prevent confusion, as this tome builds on that book as well as the original. Overall, this was a 3 star book for me; enjoyable but not the best Austen sequel I have ever read.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Guest Blogger: Donna Lea Simpson
Ladies and Gentlemen, please enjoy this second guest blog, contributed by guest blogger and paranormal writer Donna Lea Simpson. This is a great introspection into the process of writing, and more specifically of creating new and exciting paranormal worlds. Whether you are an aspiring author yourself, or simply enjoy reading the creations of these creative individuals, you can learn a thing or two about the process in this enlightening guest post. So, read, learn and enjoy. And be on the lookout for my review of Eve of Chaos, the third book in S.J. Day's Marked series, coming later this week!!
(And, I am excited to say, I was lucky enough to score a review copy of Donna Lea Simpson's upcoming novel Lady Anne and the Ghost's Revenge a while back, and that review will also be posted in the relatively near future!!)
Writing the Paranormal – The Difficulties of World-Building
Guest Column for Patricia Ramirez
By: Donna Lea Simpson
My first foray into writing paranormal romances (Awaiting the Moon – Berkley – February 2006) came when I responded to market pressure. I wanted desperately to move from the traditional Regency romances I had written for Zebra/Kensington into longer historical romance novels. I chose, among all the possible paranormal avenues, to write werewolf romances because I could understand, at least, the appeal of werewolf males, where vampires leave me, pardon the expression, cold.
But when I moved into werewolf romances I did not realize that by the second book (Awaiting the Night – Berkley – November 2006) I would have begun to include witchcraft and then… well, it seems that once you begin with paranormal elements, it’s kind of like potato chips, you can’t stop at just one! In planning Book 3, Awaiting the Fire (Berkley – September 2007) I found myself intrigued with the idea of an earthbound werewolf becoming involved with a spiritual, virginal angel. Except that the virginal angel (ancestor of one of the Fallen Angels) was the man and the experienced werewolf the woman. A little odd in a historical, perhaps.
And now I am trying to finish #4, Awaiting the Magic, just to be able to cap off and finish the series for my supremely patient readers who still, two years later, want to know what happens to long-suffering Christoff von Wolfram. It’s not easy while I’m writing another series, planning three more, and attending to other duties, but I’m more than halfway through.
However… how do you know when enough is enough, when it comes to paranormal elements? How do you stay true to your world, and go your own way as a writer? How do you tie all the threads together in a logical fashion? I read a lot of message boards on which romance readers express their dissatisfaction with how weird an author has made their once-straightforward paranormal world. I am trying to be true to the world I created in Awaiting the Moon, and that involves bringing to a natural conclusion a storyline inspired by an original concept.
As I wrote about werewolves, and about Christoff, in particular, who is going through a difficult time without knowing that he is a werewolf (really, I put him through hell, poor guy, one reason I feel compelled to give him the happy ending he deserves), I began to wonder if there would be some who would resist the ‘change’, that moment when the werewolfism kicks in, some time around puberty, in my werewolf world creation. To resist such an elemental part of yourself would warp everything, and so it did for Christoff, whose ‘change’ was delayed by things he wasn’t even aware of, among them being drugged by the villain in the first book. So, in my paranormal world I created the concept of being an ‘unchanged’ or ‘unveraenderte’ (my butchered German); being an ‘unchanged’ has dire consequences of which werewolves superstitiously do not speak. To be one of the ‘unchanged’, having resisted the werewolf change that is a natural part of his soul, means that his physical being will gradually fade until he walks the earth invisible, unable to communicate with anyone.
It’s a horrible thought but it’s a metaphor, my expression of what I feel happens to people when we aren’t true to ourselves, or don’t express our inner selves openly; we fade, until we are just a ghost of our true selves. As Awaiting the Magic is intended to be the final book of the Awaiting series, I have to deal with the consequences of creating that concept, and take it to its natural conclusion for a character I introduced in book #2, Awaiting the Night, and I have to find a way to do that without damaging the integrity of the world I’ve created.
It’s a fine line, for a writer, being true to ourselves and our characters, and yet writing fulfilling, entertaining novels.
To learn more about my novels, visit me at: http://www.donnaleasimpson.com
Or drop in at my blog, where I have an excerpt of Awaiting the Magic online: http://donnaleasimpson.wordpress.com
(And, I am excited to say, I was lucky enough to score a review copy of Donna Lea Simpson's upcoming novel Lady Anne and the Ghost's Revenge a while back, and that review will also be posted in the relatively near future!!)
Writing the Paranormal – The Difficulties of World-Building
Guest Column for Patricia Ramirez
By: Donna Lea Simpson
My first foray into writing paranormal romances (Awaiting the Moon – Berkley – February 2006) came when I responded to market pressure. I wanted desperately to move from the traditional Regency romances I had written for Zebra/Kensington into longer historical romance novels. I chose, among all the possible paranormal avenues, to write werewolf romances because I could understand, at least, the appeal of werewolf males, where vampires leave me, pardon the expression, cold.
But when I moved into werewolf romances I did not realize that by the second book (Awaiting the Night – Berkley – November 2006) I would have begun to include witchcraft and then… well, it seems that once you begin with paranormal elements, it’s kind of like potato chips, you can’t stop at just one! In planning Book 3, Awaiting the Fire (Berkley – September 2007) I found myself intrigued with the idea of an earthbound werewolf becoming involved with a spiritual, virginal angel. Except that the virginal angel (ancestor of one of the Fallen Angels) was the man and the experienced werewolf the woman. A little odd in a historical, perhaps.
And now I am trying to finish #4, Awaiting the Magic, just to be able to cap off and finish the series for my supremely patient readers who still, two years later, want to know what happens to long-suffering Christoff von Wolfram. It’s not easy while I’m writing another series, planning three more, and attending to other duties, but I’m more than halfway through.
However… how do you know when enough is enough, when it comes to paranormal elements? How do you stay true to your world, and go your own way as a writer? How do you tie all the threads together in a logical fashion? I read a lot of message boards on which romance readers express their dissatisfaction with how weird an author has made their once-straightforward paranormal world. I am trying to be true to the world I created in Awaiting the Moon, and that involves bringing to a natural conclusion a storyline inspired by an original concept.
As I wrote about werewolves, and about Christoff, in particular, who is going through a difficult time without knowing that he is a werewolf (really, I put him through hell, poor guy, one reason I feel compelled to give him the happy ending he deserves), I began to wonder if there would be some who would resist the ‘change’, that moment when the werewolfism kicks in, some time around puberty, in my werewolf world creation. To resist such an elemental part of yourself would warp everything, and so it did for Christoff, whose ‘change’ was delayed by things he wasn’t even aware of, among them being drugged by the villain in the first book. So, in my paranormal world I created the concept of being an ‘unchanged’ or ‘unveraenderte’ (my butchered German); being an ‘unchanged’ has dire consequences of which werewolves superstitiously do not speak. To be one of the ‘unchanged’, having resisted the werewolf change that is a natural part of his soul, means that his physical being will gradually fade until he walks the earth invisible, unable to communicate with anyone.
It’s a horrible thought but it’s a metaphor, my expression of what I feel happens to people when we aren’t true to ourselves, or don’t express our inner selves openly; we fade, until we are just a ghost of our true selves. As Awaiting the Magic is intended to be the final book of the Awaiting series, I have to deal with the consequences of creating that concept, and take it to its natural conclusion for a character I introduced in book #2, Awaiting the Night, and I have to find a way to do that without damaging the integrity of the world I’ve created.
It’s a fine line, for a writer, being true to ourselves and our characters, and yet writing fulfilling, entertaining novels.
To learn more about my novels, visit me at: http://www.donnaleasimpson.com
Or drop in at my blog, where I have an excerpt of Awaiting the Magic online: http://donnaleasimpson.wordpress.com
Monday, July 6, 2009
Guest Blogger: "Some Girls Bite" by: Chloe Neill
All of us here at Horror and Fantasy Book Review (ok, it's just me!!) would love to give a big welcome and thanks to Drey over at Drey's Library for contributing the following review for my readers to enjoy! Indeed, Some Girls Bite looks like a great read, and it is one that I am adding to my TRB list! And I would like to encourage all of you who read and enjoy this review to head on over to Drey's Library and look around. Thanks again, Drey!!
drey's thoughts:
Some Girls Bite is one of my birthday presents (yay me!). I ran through it once, and really liked it, but couldn't really put my finger on why. I mean, when you think about it, here's another vampire novel, out of the plethora of vampire novels out there. So I read it again. Good thing I read fast, eh? =)
Merit--she goes by her last name only, and there's no reference to why, other than "it's better than the alternative"--is a newly turned, former graduate student, who lives in the Windy City. In this world, the US vampires are organized into twelve Houses, each with its own Master, each with its own identity. Three of the twelve houses are in Chicago, and Merit now belongs to one of 'em. As far as heroines go, she's not whiny, which is a huge plus in my book. She has strong physical abilities--I'm not sure I like how she's "special" right away, but if it's just one aspect out of the whole Merit picture, I can deal--and gets training in weaponry. From a sorceror who happens to work for her grandfather. Yeah, there are some surprises here.
She's sassy, too, and if you know me, you know I like my heroines sassy. There's nothing better than a healthy dose of sarcasm when confronted with centuries-old vamps who think they know everything, lol! And she has a healthy dose of fear to go along with all this too.
In any case, I like Merit, I want to know what the "alternative" is, and I like the story and characters so far. I want more. =)
drey's thoughts:
Some Girls Bite is one of my birthday presents (yay me!). I ran through it once, and really liked it, but couldn't really put my finger on why. I mean, when you think about it, here's another vampire novel, out of the plethora of vampire novels out there. So I read it again. Good thing I read fast, eh? =)
Merit--she goes by her last name only, and there's no reference to why, other than "it's better than the alternative"--is a newly turned, former graduate student, who lives in the Windy City. In this world, the US vampires are organized into twelve Houses, each with its own Master, each with its own identity. Three of the twelve houses are in Chicago, and Merit now belongs to one of 'em. As far as heroines go, she's not whiny, which is a huge plus in my book. She has strong physical abilities--I'm not sure I like how she's "special" right away, but if it's just one aspect out of the whole Merit picture, I can deal--and gets training in weaponry. From a sorceror who happens to work for her grandfather. Yeah, there are some surprises here.
She's sassy, too, and if you know me, you know I like my heroines sassy. There's nothing better than a healthy dose of sarcasm when confronted with centuries-old vamps who think they know everything, lol! And she has a healthy dose of fear to go along with all this too.
In any case, I like Merit, I want to know what the "alternative" is, and I like the story and characters so far. I want more. =)
Sunday, July 5, 2009
"My Forbidden Desire" by Carolyn Jewel
I was fortunate enough to get a review copy of My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel and to be invited to participate in the blog tour associated with the book. I have to say that I have been getting some pretty hot review copies lately, and My Forbidden Desire was no exception. The cover alone was a good indication that I was going to be getting into some pretty explicit reading, so I wasn’t surprised when that turned out to be the case (and would likely have been had the reading stayed tame). However, the book didn’t start out with any egregious sex or nudity; indeed, it began with a confrontation between two siblings.
In the opening chapter Harsh (star of the first book in this series, My Wicked Enemy), is having a heated discussion with his little sister, Alexandrine. Harsh is doing his best to protect his sister from an evil mage (who happens to be her father); however, Alexandrine is resisting. She is a witch who is used to taking care of herself. Not to mention the fact that she has believed her older brother to be dead for years, and simply isn’t prepared for him to step back into the role of protector so quickly. Unfortunately, he is older, stronger, and unwilling to take no for an answer, and he leaves Alexandrine little choice but to accept his offer of protection.
Making her brother’s intrusion into her life even harder to swallow is the fact that his idea of protection comes in the guise of a warrior named Xia. While Xia owes loyalty to Harsh, he hates witches with every fiber of his being. And when he discovers the truth of Alexandrine’s parentage, she ranks slightly below slime in his eyes. This is because Xia has personal history with the mage who is Alexandrine’s sire, and though he agrees to protect her, it is not entirely willingly.
On top of this, Alexandrine is in the midst of enduring some pretty strange psychological side effects from a talisman she has been wearing for several months. Indeed, it is much like Golem in The Lord of the Rings. She is unable (or unwilling) to take it off, is strangely possessive of it and doesn’t want anyone else touching it, and, (the kicker) it appears to be awakening new and unpredictable magic inside of her.
All of these variables add up to a fiery and tension-charged romance, which is as unpredictable as it is intense. While attempting to protect her life, Xia must come to terms with the depth of his feeling for Alexandrine. And he struggles to reconcile his adoration for her personally with his soul encompassing hatred for what she is, a witch. And Alexandrine must come to terms with her mysterious beginnings in order to fully harness the true power that burns within her being. There are times that you wonder how the two of them can pull it off and still retain the parts of them that make them who they are. All in all, My Forbidden Desire was an entertaining tale of unexpected love. It wasn’t the best book I have read this summer, but it was far from the worst. 3 ½ stars.
In the opening chapter Harsh (star of the first book in this series, My Wicked Enemy), is having a heated discussion with his little sister, Alexandrine. Harsh is doing his best to protect his sister from an evil mage (who happens to be her father); however, Alexandrine is resisting. She is a witch who is used to taking care of herself. Not to mention the fact that she has believed her older brother to be dead for years, and simply isn’t prepared for him to step back into the role of protector so quickly. Unfortunately, he is older, stronger, and unwilling to take no for an answer, and he leaves Alexandrine little choice but to accept his offer of protection.
Making her brother’s intrusion into her life even harder to swallow is the fact that his idea of protection comes in the guise of a warrior named Xia. While Xia owes loyalty to Harsh, he hates witches with every fiber of his being. And when he discovers the truth of Alexandrine’s parentage, she ranks slightly below slime in his eyes. This is because Xia has personal history with the mage who is Alexandrine’s sire, and though he agrees to protect her, it is not entirely willingly.
On top of this, Alexandrine is in the midst of enduring some pretty strange psychological side effects from a talisman she has been wearing for several months. Indeed, it is much like Golem in The Lord of the Rings. She is unable (or unwilling) to take it off, is strangely possessive of it and doesn’t want anyone else touching it, and, (the kicker) it appears to be awakening new and unpredictable magic inside of her.
All of these variables add up to a fiery and tension-charged romance, which is as unpredictable as it is intense. While attempting to protect her life, Xia must come to terms with the depth of his feeling for Alexandrine. And he struggles to reconcile his adoration for her personally with his soul encompassing hatred for what she is, a witch. And Alexandrine must come to terms with her mysterious beginnings in order to fully harness the true power that burns within her being. There are times that you wonder how the two of them can pull it off and still retain the parts of them that make them who they are. All in all, My Forbidden Desire was an entertaining tale of unexpected love. It wasn’t the best book I have read this summer, but it was far from the worst. 3 ½ stars.
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