I've been incredibly busy with "life" lately - so busy that I have not been able to find the time to read any new novels. This is highly uncharacteristic of me, as for most of my life I have usually had at least one novel on the go. So, this means I really am, really, really busy!
However, right at the moment I'm resting my aching feet and giving my tired brain a rest by watching the SPACE channel, and enjoying a Canadian produced show (Go Canada!) called "Famous Monster". It's a profile of the famous sci-fi fan, writer, and editor Forrest J Ackerman. (I deliberately did not put a period after the J because that was his personal preference.)
By the way, I also think that it is so cool that the editor of Rue Morgue Magazine is a female horror fan!
Fabulous!
My next project is going to be in response to the comment written here in my blog by author WD Gagliani of the excellent werewolf novel Wolf's Bluff. Encouraged by him, I am going to order, read, and review his previous two werewolf novels. Hopefully he also has some new material soon to be on the way!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay
This dark urban fantasy novel is set in Atlanta -- a re-imagined Atlanta -- which has become a desirable destination for "off-worlders" from two different parallel dimensions called "Elysia" (which is a name drawn from the Elysian fields section of the mythical Greek underworld) and "Charbydon." I may be wrong, but based on the origins of the word Elysia, I can't help thinking that the name Charbydon is very close to Charybdis a monster that appears in Homer and which is linked with a dangerous whirlpool called Charybdis. In the novel, Elysia is like a sort of heaven and Charbydon is like a sort of hell. The visitors from these dimensions have special powers for good or for evil, light or dark.
The protagonist is Charlie Madigan. She is a single mother and a tough cop on the "Integration Task Force" who has returned from the dead with some mysterious, newly emerging magickal powers of her own. Charlie and her Elysian partner Hank find themselves grappling with the terrible effects that a deadly new narcotic called "Ash" has upon those who try it. Ultimately the fate of the people of Atlanta depends upon Charlie developing a greater control over her new abilities.
Not bad. Entertaining enough for an evening's reading.
The protagonist is Charlie Madigan. She is a single mother and a tough cop on the "Integration Task Force" who has returned from the dead with some mysterious, newly emerging magickal powers of her own. Charlie and her Elysian partner Hank find themselves grappling with the terrible effects that a deadly new narcotic called "Ash" has upon those who try it. Ultimately the fate of the people of Atlanta depends upon Charlie developing a greater control over her new abilities.
Not bad. Entertaining enough for an evening's reading.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Personal Entry
My mother called yesterday morning. She wanted to know (again) when I was going to write my first novel. Sigh. I wish I knew.
Here's something I read in The Body Sculpting Bible for Women that I think applies here:
"Combining action with desire and discipline creates the three musketeers of achievement. Many people have great ideas, foolproof plans and creative knowledge, yet everything falls apart for them. Why? Because they never act or they never act persistently enough. The difference between a person who knows and one who succeeds resides in the individual's ability to act." (p. 23, The Body Sculpting Bible for Women by James Villepigue and Hugo Rivera)
"Act as often as possible!" (p. 23)
I am too busy reading other people's books, and frittering away my time doing other things, avoiding sitting down and actually writing something for myself. I avoid acting on my desire by not imposing discipline upon myself. As long as I continue on this way I will never write that book I've been dreaming about writing since I was a little girl.
Here's something I read in The Body Sculpting Bible for Women that I think applies here:
"Combining action with desire and discipline creates the three musketeers of achievement. Many people have great ideas, foolproof plans and creative knowledge, yet everything falls apart for them. Why? Because they never act or they never act persistently enough. The difference between a person who knows and one who succeeds resides in the individual's ability to act." (p. 23, The Body Sculpting Bible for Women by James Villepigue and Hugo Rivera)
"Act as often as possible!" (p. 23)
I am too busy reading other people's books, and frittering away my time doing other things, avoiding sitting down and actually writing something for myself. I avoid acting on my desire by not imposing discipline upon myself. As long as I continue on this way I will never write that book I've been dreaming about writing since I was a little girl.
The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Wow. I was truly blown away by this insidiously spooky, goose-flesh-prickling ghost story/psychological thriller.
Caitlin R. Kiernan has 9 novels published so far. The Red Tree is her newest. She specializes in developing characters that are marginalized outsiders, lost, complex, confused, struggling, in pain, flawed, dirty, raw, and unfinished. She also does a great deal of research to create a richly detailed, multi-layered story filled with fascinating references, historical details, and evocative quotations from classical authors. Her writing is magnificent. She is able to describe places and events and evoke atmospheres and moods in a completely convincing manner.
The more I read, the more I was hypnotized by and sucked into the story, and into the world and experiences of the protagonist. I found myself forgetting that I was reading a journal written by a writer that was written about by a writer. I became tense and anxious and honestly frightened as the character herself felt those emotions. I worried for the character while she lived completely isolated in an ancient New England farmhouse, too bogged down by depression to write her next novel, pressured by a publishing deadline she will never meet, haunted by the ghost of her suicide girlfriend, increasingly obsessed with a wicked demi-demon-deity of a tree and a phantasmagoria of ghouls, werewolves and ancient spirits, and confused by ambiguous experiences where the lines between truth, fact, evidence, reality, memory, fantasy, fiction, nightmare, dissociation, and hallucination become completely blurred. By the end of the story I was as disoriented and uncertain as the protagonist as to what really had happened.
There are multiple narrative voices within this novel. It's sort of like finding a treasure box within a treasure box within a treasure box, a frame within a frame within a frame, or a reflection within a reflection within a reflection on and on into infinity. Reading this novel is definitely an "Alice through the Looking Glass" type of experience (which is heavily referred to and drawn upon in the novel.) There is the voice of the writer-protagonist, the voice of Dr. Harvey's academic manuscript which she reads (an anthropologist and folklorist who lived at the farmhouse five years before and who hung himself from the oak tree), newspaper articles and various historical documentation about the tree and other people in the past who had horrific and catastrophic experiences with it, a short story apparently written by the writer-protagonist but she doesn't remember writing it, the writer-protagonist's journal, exerpts from Poe, Lewis Carroll, and various other famous authors, and the writer-protagonist's editor who writes at the beginning of the novel after the death of the writer-protagonist. At the end of the novel is a note by Kiernan writing in her own voice about what inspired her story.
It isn't very often that a book is able to scare me anymore, but this book was successful. When I finished reading it, I was uneasy turning out the light and worried about what I might "dream" about.
Four Talons. A truly excellent novel. A real keeper. Now to find and read her other novels!
Caitlin R. Kiernan can be found on the following websites:
www.caitlinrkiernan.com
greygirlbeast.livejournal.com
Interesting trivia about the author:
Before Caitlin became a novelist she was trained as a vertebrate paleontologist.
She currently makes her home in Providence Rhode Island.
Caitlin R. Kiernan has 9 novels published so far. The Red Tree is her newest. She specializes in developing characters that are marginalized outsiders, lost, complex, confused, struggling, in pain, flawed, dirty, raw, and unfinished. She also does a great deal of research to create a richly detailed, multi-layered story filled with fascinating references, historical details, and evocative quotations from classical authors. Her writing is magnificent. She is able to describe places and events and evoke atmospheres and moods in a completely convincing manner.
The more I read, the more I was hypnotized by and sucked into the story, and into the world and experiences of the protagonist. I found myself forgetting that I was reading a journal written by a writer that was written about by a writer. I became tense and anxious and honestly frightened as the character herself felt those emotions. I worried for the character while she lived completely isolated in an ancient New England farmhouse, too bogged down by depression to write her next novel, pressured by a publishing deadline she will never meet, haunted by the ghost of her suicide girlfriend, increasingly obsessed with a wicked demi-demon-deity of a tree and a phantasmagoria of ghouls, werewolves and ancient spirits, and confused by ambiguous experiences where the lines between truth, fact, evidence, reality, memory, fantasy, fiction, nightmare, dissociation, and hallucination become completely blurred. By the end of the story I was as disoriented and uncertain as the protagonist as to what really had happened.
There are multiple narrative voices within this novel. It's sort of like finding a treasure box within a treasure box within a treasure box, a frame within a frame within a frame, or a reflection within a reflection within a reflection on and on into infinity. Reading this novel is definitely an "Alice through the Looking Glass" type of experience (which is heavily referred to and drawn upon in the novel.) There is the voice of the writer-protagonist, the voice of Dr. Harvey's academic manuscript which she reads (an anthropologist and folklorist who lived at the farmhouse five years before and who hung himself from the oak tree), newspaper articles and various historical documentation about the tree and other people in the past who had horrific and catastrophic experiences with it, a short story apparently written by the writer-protagonist but she doesn't remember writing it, the writer-protagonist's journal, exerpts from Poe, Lewis Carroll, and various other famous authors, and the writer-protagonist's editor who writes at the beginning of the novel after the death of the writer-protagonist. At the end of the novel is a note by Kiernan writing in her own voice about what inspired her story.
It isn't very often that a book is able to scare me anymore, but this book was successful. When I finished reading it, I was uneasy turning out the light and worried about what I might "dream" about.
Four Talons. A truly excellent novel. A real keeper. Now to find and read her other novels!
Caitlin R. Kiernan can be found on the following websites:
www.caitlinrkiernan.com
greygirlbeast.livejournal.com
Interesting trivia about the author:
Before Caitlin became a novelist she was trained as a vertebrate paleontologist.
She currently makes her home in Providence Rhode Island.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Midnight's Daughter by Karen Chance
I didn't realize it right away, but I had already read this novel a couple of years ago. I hate it when that happens. That's one of the reasons I started this blog!
Here's another half vampire, half human. The protagonist Dorina Basarab is a dhampir and dhampires hunt vampires. Her father, Mircea is a vampire, and brother of the famously evil Dracula. Dracula has escaped imprisonment and that means trouble for everyone, especially Dorina who must hunt him down.
It was ok - not as good as some of the books I read in this most recent batch, but still ok.
Here's another half vampire, half human. The protagonist Dorina Basarab is a dhampir and dhampires hunt vampires. Her father, Mircea is a vampire, and brother of the famously evil Dracula. Dracula has escaped imprisonment and that means trouble for everyone, especially Dorina who must hunt him down.
It was ok - not as good as some of the books I read in this most recent batch, but still ok.
Destined For An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost
I always enjoy reading books from the Night Huntress series. Over the years I have developed a real fondness for Cat Crawfield half-vampire, and her vampire husband Bones. Cat is spunky and stubborn and there is always interesting trouble brewing when she is around. Bones is intelligent, complex, and undeniably sexy. As a couple they are always setting off fireworks.
In this novel their relationship is under serious pressure when an ancient vampire named Gregor is obsessed with Cat, insisting that he is her true husband. By the time this story is over Cat, and her relationship with Bones will have gone through a major transformation.
In this novel their relationship is under serious pressure when an ancient vampire named Gregor is obsessed with Cat, insisting that he is her true husband. By the time this story is over Cat, and her relationship with Bones will have gone through a major transformation.
Wolf's Bluff by W.D. Gagliani
Werewolves! Bloodthirsty, violent, scary werewolves!! It's about time!
I loved the character Nick Lupo, tough homicide cop and werewolf with a conscience. I also loved his girlfriend who is a doctor with a secret gambling habit, and who is also not afraid to wield a shot gun when necessary. And, it does become necessary when the highly dangerous and top secret military werewolf group code named Wolf Paw comes hunting Nick and everyone associated with him...
Lots of sex, lots of blood, lots of murderous mayhem and messy death in this one.
Fun, fun, fun! I got lucky with my last lot of library books.
I loved the character Nick Lupo, tough homicide cop and werewolf with a conscience. I also loved his girlfriend who is a doctor with a secret gambling habit, and who is also not afraid to wield a shot gun when necessary. And, it does become necessary when the highly dangerous and top secret military werewolf group code named Wolf Paw comes hunting Nick and everyone associated with him...
Lots of sex, lots of blood, lots of murderous mayhem and messy death in this one.
Fun, fun, fun! I got lucky with my last lot of library books.
The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon
This is not the deplorably hacked up first edition that Warner Books put out. This is the original pre-hacked version which Richard Laymon wrote and intended to have published. After his death his daughter dug through her father's files until she found all the pieces and put them back together the way her father first wrote the book.
I've been reading horror since I was a kid so not much creeps me out anymore. But I do have to say this book was truly freaky. It starts out like a train out of control and just keeps on chugging away towards the horribly horrific ending. Horror. Horror. Horror. Yup. That about sums this one up.
Bravo Richard Laymon! It's a terrible shame you didn't get to see your book published properly the way it deserved to be while you were alive.
Oh. No vampires. No werewolves. No witches. But still scary.
I've been reading horror since I was a kid so not much creeps me out anymore. But I do have to say this book was truly freaky. It starts out like a train out of control and just keeps on chugging away towards the horribly horrific ending. Horror. Horror. Horror. Yup. That about sums this one up.
Bravo Richard Laymon! It's a terrible shame you didn't get to see your book published properly the way it deserved to be while you were alive.
Oh. No vampires. No werewolves. No witches. But still scary.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Novel: Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan
I have a new favorite author!
I literally could not bear to put this book down and stop reading it.
I loved, loved, loved, Miranda Grey, the heroine of the story.
She is tiny and beautiful and incredibly talented. She is terribly vulnerable, but also incredibly strong. She starts off tortured by her powerful gift of empathy which she has no idea how to control. She's a musician living in the city of Austin, TX, and the only way she can bear her empathy is to channel it through music. But, she is so tortured by sensing other people's emotions that she is slowly being driven mad.
One night after performing in a bar, she is brutally raped and very nearly killed. If you are particularly sensitive to this sort of thing you probably won't want to read it. I found that it was a graphic scene and very upsetting to me. But, she is saved by David, (the "Prime" male vampire in charge of the Southern parts of the USA) who takes her back to his vampire "Haven" in the Texas Hill country. There he patiently helps her to heal, and teaches her to control her gift of empathy. The two of course fall in love, but try with all their might to resist the attraction, very nearly to the end of the story. I gave the book extra bonus points for this factor. This isn't one of those stories with gratuitous sexual scenes oozing all over the place. It is definitely more about the story and character development which I prefer.
In the meantime, there is a deadly war among competing vampire factions to be fought. Miranda and David try a separation thinking that it will save her life. They do everything that they can to try and forget about each other for months (which thankfully, they finally realize is impossible). While David is trying everything he can to outwit his elusive enemies, Miranda works on her music, becoming ever more famous and successful, and she also studies Martial Arts. Having studied JiuJitsu during my University days I was *very* into Miranda's Martial Arts training.
By the end of the novel Miranda has been completely transformed from the frightened, mousy, nerve-wracked empath out of control to a supremely powerful force to be reckoned with. The end was a total triumph and I was standing up cheering for "Queen Miranda!"
Four Talons. A keeper. I won't forget this story, or it's author.
I literally could not bear to put this book down and stop reading it.
I loved, loved, loved, Miranda Grey, the heroine of the story.
She is tiny and beautiful and incredibly talented. She is terribly vulnerable, but also incredibly strong. She starts off tortured by her powerful gift of empathy which she has no idea how to control. She's a musician living in the city of Austin, TX, and the only way she can bear her empathy is to channel it through music. But, she is so tortured by sensing other people's emotions that she is slowly being driven mad.
One night after performing in a bar, she is brutally raped and very nearly killed. If you are particularly sensitive to this sort of thing you probably won't want to read it. I found that it was a graphic scene and very upsetting to me. But, she is saved by David, (the "Prime" male vampire in charge of the Southern parts of the USA) who takes her back to his vampire "Haven" in the Texas Hill country. There he patiently helps her to heal, and teaches her to control her gift of empathy. The two of course fall in love, but try with all their might to resist the attraction, very nearly to the end of the story. I gave the book extra bonus points for this factor. This isn't one of those stories with gratuitous sexual scenes oozing all over the place. It is definitely more about the story and character development which I prefer.
In the meantime, there is a deadly war among competing vampire factions to be fought. Miranda and David try a separation thinking that it will save her life. They do everything that they can to try and forget about each other for months (which thankfully, they finally realize is impossible). While David is trying everything he can to outwit his elusive enemies, Miranda works on her music, becoming ever more famous and successful, and she also studies Martial Arts. Having studied JiuJitsu during my University days I was *very* into Miranda's Martial Arts training.
By the end of the novel Miranda has been completely transformed from the frightened, mousy, nerve-wracked empath out of control to a supremely powerful force to be reckoned with. The end was a total triumph and I was standing up cheering for "Queen Miranda!"
Four Talons. A keeper. I won't forget this story, or it's author.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
My latest stack of novels to read
Just picked up from the library today:
Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan
Wolf's Bluff by W. D. Gagliani
The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon
Midnight's Daughter by Karen Chance
Destined For An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost
I've started off with Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan. Only 6 pages in and I can already tell I'm going to eat this one right up. It's well written. It's dark urban fantasy (set in Austin, Texas), it has a strong female protagonist, and it has vampires. Ok. I'm off to devour it...
Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan
Wolf's Bluff by W. D. Gagliani
The Woods Are Dark by Richard Laymon
Midnight's Daughter by Karen Chance
Destined For An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost
I've started off with Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan. Only 6 pages in and I can already tell I'm going to eat this one right up. It's well written. It's dark urban fantasy (set in Austin, Texas), it has a strong female protagonist, and it has vampires. Ok. I'm off to devour it...
Friday, October 15, 2010
Novel: Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
This novel was the best one out of the most recent batch. It was "hard-boiled", dirty, nitty gritty, rough and tough. It was very well written, with a refreshing style all it's own. Think dark, extremely violent, modern-urban, sarcastic, cynical, supernatural, bounty hunter/spaghetti western, mystery, horror and action all rolled into one.
The protagonist James Stark survives as a hitman in Hell for eleven years. Somehow he escapes Hell and returns to Earth for revenge against some very nasty old "friends". He can take some serious beatings and come back for more, over, and over, and over again. How and why he's survived so far is a total mystery to everyone in Heaven, Hell and on Earth, including himself.
Turns out he's a nephilim - half angel, half human. He's got special powers all his own and he uses them to dish out mighty a** whompings of all evil creatures that get in his way, demon, vampire etc. In the end he manages to stop the apocalypse and save everyone. Hoo Ra! Did I say I liked this one? Well, I did. Three Talons. A percher, but not a keeper.
Ok. Now I can return all my overdue novels, pay my fines and get out some more books.
The protagonist James Stark survives as a hitman in Hell for eleven years. Somehow he escapes Hell and returns to Earth for revenge against some very nasty old "friends". He can take some serious beatings and come back for more, over, and over, and over again. How and why he's survived so far is a total mystery to everyone in Heaven, Hell and on Earth, including himself.
Turns out he's a nephilim - half angel, half human. He's got special powers all his own and he uses them to dish out mighty a** whompings of all evil creatures that get in his way, demon, vampire etc. In the end he manages to stop the apocalypse and save everyone. Hoo Ra! Did I say I liked this one? Well, I did. Three Talons. A percher, but not a keeper.
Ok. Now I can return all my overdue novels, pay my fines and get out some more books.
Novel: Legend of the Jade Dragon by Jasmine Galenorn
Prolific Wiccan fantasy author Jasmine Galenorn cranks it out again. I think I'd call this one a supernatural mystery "cosy".
The protagonist Emerald O'Brien owns a quaint, charming, and successful tea shop where she also offers psychic readings. She is also a hereditary witch, and a single mom of two children.
A troubled customer arrives for a reading and leaves her shop only to be hit by a van. Just before dying, he hands her a mysterious and valuable Ming dynasty jade dragon which carries a terrible curse. And, we are off on another Galenorn adventure.
It was fun and light, but not so deeply memorable and moving that I'd want to read it again. I was mildly amused but nothing more than that. So, this book barely registers on my Talon vs Owl Pellet rating system. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. It was just..."ok".
The protagonist Emerald O'Brien owns a quaint, charming, and successful tea shop where she also offers psychic readings. She is also a hereditary witch, and a single mom of two children.
A troubled customer arrives for a reading and leaves her shop only to be hit by a van. Just before dying, he hands her a mysterious and valuable Ming dynasty jade dragon which carries a terrible curse. And, we are off on another Galenorn adventure.
It was fun and light, but not so deeply memorable and moving that I'd want to read it again. I was mildly amused but nothing more than that. So, this book barely registers on my Talon vs Owl Pellet rating system. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. It was just..."ok".
Novel: Night Souls by L.H.Maynard & M.P.N. Sims
This horror novel has a different interpretation of the vampire myth. Vampires are not "the undead", but a different race from humans completely which have always co-existed alongside of man. They are called "Breathers". They feed not only upon blood, but also upon the inner organs, and the soul energy of humans using special feeding claws in their hands which puncture the body, a feeding tongue which can enter the mouth and throat and extend deep into the stomach, and if a male even the sex organ becomes a feeding tool. They have split off into different factions which want different things. One wants to keep the status quo and continue to feed off humans. The other wishes to develop a special hybrid race which can exist without feeding on humans and wipe out the human race completely.
A secret UK Government organization which specializes in the paranormal becomes aware of the Breathers and their threat to the human race and sets out to battle them.
It was an ok read. Not thrilling or terrifying for a horror novel. I never felt a moment of unease or fear while reading it. Maybe I'm just jaded and spoiled, but I wouldn't bother reading it again. No talons, and no pellets. Just all Ho Hum De Dum.
A secret UK Government organization which specializes in the paranormal becomes aware of the Breathers and their threat to the human race and sets out to battle them.
It was an ok read. Not thrilling or terrifying for a horror novel. I never felt a moment of unease or fear while reading it. Maybe I'm just jaded and spoiled, but I wouldn't bother reading it again. No talons, and no pellets. Just all Ho Hum De Dum.
Novel: The Seventh Witch by Shirley Damsgaard
I have stolen an extra hour or so from the day so I can catch up on my novel reviews.
This novel is set in a small Southern town, complete with a magickal family feud between rival witch clans. I thought it was quaint and cute, fluffy and cosy. It wasn't frightening or challenging or exciting in any way. I guess I'd call it supernatural "lite". It's definitely not something I'd read again. Kind of boring actually. Snore...
This novel is set in a small Southern town, complete with a magickal family feud between rival witch clans. I thought it was quaint and cute, fluffy and cosy. It wasn't frightening or challenging or exciting in any way. I guess I'd call it supernatural "lite". It's definitely not something I'd read again. Kind of boring actually. Snore...
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Yikes! I have really fallen behind!
It's been far too long since I made an entry here. I've been sooooo busy! I have a stack of four novels that I have read through and are waiting to be reviewed before I return them to the library. They are probably overdue by now. I will have to log on to the library system and renew them if I can. Anyway, I intend to make an entry if not today, hopefully tomorrow.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Novel: The Warded Man by Peter Brett
The Warded Man (aka The Painted Man in the UK) is Peter Brett's first novel. Four Talons! This one is a keeper for sure.
The hero grows up on a planet where the days are safe, but filled with backbreaking work to survive. The nights are filled with terrible danger from demons which rise from the core of the planet to wreak havoc, destruction and death upon all humans. The only defence the humans have against the demons are written symbols or wards which they place on their doors, windows and walls. Most humans have grown used to huddling behind their wards at night. However, sometimes the wards weaken and fail and the demons get past them and then the humans are defenseless.
The protagonist grows up wanting to fight the demons and the story is all about his search for a way to fight back and defeat the demons. He goes through a mostly solitary journey of discovery and personal metamorphosis. In his searches through ancient ruins of past civilizations destroyed by the demons, the hero discovers a way to tattoo both the defensive and offensive wards right into his skin.
Then he goes out into the night armed with warded skin and warded spears and other such weapons which he creates. In helping and rescuing others, and teaching them how to fight the demons, he becomes the subject of legend and prophecy, although he resists being called the long prophesied "Warded Man". Along the way he also finds an ally in a young woman who has been trained as a Herb Gatherer and Healer. I found myself really liking both of these strong male and female characters.
The writing is very well done. I was totally drawn into the story and could hardly bear to put the book down. I was honestly very disappointed when the story ended, and now I can hardly wait to hunt down and read the already published sequel The Desert Spear.
I have read on Brett's website that there is a possibility of a movie coming out of this story! It may be produced by the same people who made the Resident Evil series which is a favorite of mine. (Go Alice!)
You can find the author and his works at www.PeterVBrett.com
As an aside I find it interesting that with the last two books I've read, tattoos have been magically significant in both. This isn't anything new, but it is a fascinating subject. Tattoos have had mystical and magickal significance in many cultures throughout history. Whoever is the artist of the one below, I want his number! Gorgeous work!
The hero grows up on a planet where the days are safe, but filled with backbreaking work to survive. The nights are filled with terrible danger from demons which rise from the core of the planet to wreak havoc, destruction and death upon all humans. The only defence the humans have against the demons are written symbols or wards which they place on their doors, windows and walls. Most humans have grown used to huddling behind their wards at night. However, sometimes the wards weaken and fail and the demons get past them and then the humans are defenseless.
The protagonist grows up wanting to fight the demons and the story is all about his search for a way to fight back and defeat the demons. He goes through a mostly solitary journey of discovery and personal metamorphosis. In his searches through ancient ruins of past civilizations destroyed by the demons, the hero discovers a way to tattoo both the defensive and offensive wards right into his skin.
Then he goes out into the night armed with warded skin and warded spears and other such weapons which he creates. In helping and rescuing others, and teaching them how to fight the demons, he becomes the subject of legend and prophecy, although he resists being called the long prophesied "Warded Man". Along the way he also finds an ally in a young woman who has been trained as a Herb Gatherer and Healer. I found myself really liking both of these strong male and female characters.
The writing is very well done. I was totally drawn into the story and could hardly bear to put the book down. I was honestly very disappointed when the story ended, and now I can hardly wait to hunt down and read the already published sequel The Desert Spear.
I have read on Brett's website that there is a possibility of a movie coming out of this story! It may be produced by the same people who made the Resident Evil series which is a favorite of mine. (Go Alice!)
You can find the author and his works at www.PeterVBrett.com
As an aside I find it interesting that with the last two books I've read, tattoos have been magically significant in both. This isn't anything new, but it is a fascinating subject. Tattoos have had mystical and magickal significance in many cultures throughout history. Whoever is the artist of the one below, I want his number! Gorgeous work!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Novel: Night Myst by Jasmine Galenorn
Night Myst is the first in a series about the Indigo Court. This novel was a real hoot! I couldn't put it down, and I was very disappointed when it ended all too soon and left me hanging. The next book in the series won't be out until next summer! Booo! It's like having to wait for the next season of True Blood.
Not only are there the big bad vampires of the Crimson Court, there are the even more bigger badder vampiric Fae of the Indigo Court. All the vampires are pretty darn scary - powerful, bloodthirsty predators that they are.
Obviously you can tell from my blog that I love owls. Well, wasn't I chuffed to discover that the protagonist Cicely Waters (who is as tough and brave and streetwise as they come) just happens to be a human-fae hybrid wind witch who is from a line of fae who changes into owls! Hoot! Hoot! :D She also has some pretty hot magical tattoos (wolves and owls). Also, looking at the cover, wouldn't I kill for a set of abs like hers! The cover artist did a nice job!
Her lover is a full Fae who changes into a wolf. He also has magical tattoos. Unfortunately he's been turned by the Indigo Court.
The author Jasmine Galenorn is able to write about magic and the supernatural with convincing ease and comfort - and no wonder since she is a witch in real life. She's also a very prolific author with several supernatural series under her belt.
Well worth checking out. Three Talons!
You can find her at www.galenorn.com
Not only are there the big bad vampires of the Crimson Court, there are the even more bigger badder vampiric Fae of the Indigo Court. All the vampires are pretty darn scary - powerful, bloodthirsty predators that they are.
Obviously you can tell from my blog that I love owls. Well, wasn't I chuffed to discover that the protagonist Cicely Waters (who is as tough and brave and streetwise as they come) just happens to be a human-fae hybrid wind witch who is from a line of fae who changes into owls! Hoot! Hoot! :D She also has some pretty hot magical tattoos (wolves and owls). Also, looking at the cover, wouldn't I kill for a set of abs like hers! The cover artist did a nice job!
Her lover is a full Fae who changes into a wolf. He also has magical tattoos. Unfortunately he's been turned by the Indigo Court.
The author Jasmine Galenorn is able to write about magic and the supernatural with convincing ease and comfort - and no wonder since she is a witch in real life. She's also a very prolific author with several supernatural series under her belt.
Well worth checking out. Three Talons!
You can find her at www.galenorn.com
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Novel: Daemon's Mark by Caitlin Kittredge
Daemon's Mark is the fifth in Kittredge's "Nocturne City" series. The protagonist Luna Wilder was bitten and turned into a werewolf in her teens then grew up to become a tough female cop working supernatural crimes. The world that she lives in is full of supernatural creatures like magicians, selkies, trolls, and harpies. Throw in some Russian mobsters trafficking in supernatural females for the sex slave industry, and some supernatural bio-engineering and it's a suitably creepy, fun and entertaining novel. It's not badly written. It took me "away" while I read it so it was a success. I didn't mind my escape ride into Luna Wilder's world at all. I'll be on the look out for more of Caitlin Kittredge's books. I'm perching on three Talons out of four!
From her back cover photo she is young and cute and dresses just a little bit Goth.
She has a website: www.caitlinkittredge.com
Enjoy!
Next on my list to read: a dark supernatural novel by Yasmine Galenorn (who besides being a prolific fantasy author is also a Shamanic Witch in "real life".)
From her back cover photo she is young and cute and dresses just a little bit Goth.
She has a website: www.caitlinkittredge.com
Enjoy!
Next on my list to read: a dark supernatural novel by Yasmine Galenorn (who besides being a prolific fantasy author is also a Shamanic Witch in "real life".)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
TV series: True Blood, Haven, Lost Girl, Boardwalk Empire
So, "True Blood" is over until next spring/summer. Boo! *long dark sulk*
I guess I'm just going to have to make do by catching up with "Vampire Diaries", "Haven", and the new succubus/fae show "Lost Girl". The interesting thing is that "Haven" and "Lost Girl" are both Canadian made productions. I caught a glimpse of one our red Toronto streetcars in one of the scenes of the series premiere this past Sunday. Haven is shot out on the East coast.
I might give Boardwalk Empire a go as well. It's not anything supernatural, but it is about prohibition, mobsters and flappers (aka, booze, violence and sex). I'll temporarily make do with that if I can't have my supernatural fix.
I guess I'm just going to have to make do by catching up with "Vampire Diaries", "Haven", and the new succubus/fae show "Lost Girl". The interesting thing is that "Haven" and "Lost Girl" are both Canadian made productions. I caught a glimpse of one our red Toronto streetcars in one of the scenes of the series premiere this past Sunday. Haven is shot out on the East coast.
I might give Boardwalk Empire a go as well. It's not anything supernatural, but it is about prohibition, mobsters and flappers (aka, booze, violence and sex). I'll temporarily make do with that if I can't have my supernatural fix.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Novel: Wild Hunt by Margaret Ronald
Wild Hunt is Margaret Ronald's second book in a series. Her first book was Spiral Hunt.
The first question I always ask myself after finishing a book is, "Would I read it again?" I think if it was a few years later and I found it on a library shelf and I couldn't find anything else to read at the time I'd check it out again. It wasn't so thrilling that I'd go and buy it from a bookstore and keep it on my shelves, but yes, I'd read it again, so that means it was a decent read. I'd also get the first novel out the library to read as well.
As is usual for my preference, the protagonist Evie Scelan is a strong, independent, kick-a** female character. She works as a mundane bicycle courier in Boston. Her supernatural nature is that of a "Hound" and it comes down the family line from the "old Irish" (whatever that really means - the author isn't historically or culturally specific enough). She isn't exactly a shape-changer, but she has all the abilities to "scent" and track and chase down whomever she needs to. Since taking down the corrupt Fiana organization who ruled the Boston "undercurrent" in Spiral Hunt, she is now the de facto person in power of the city. Her boyfriend, irony of ironies, turns out to be a very reluctant werewolf. (He is also a nerdy graduate student with a miserable TA job. This brought back memories for me of being in the same situation so I felt quite sympathetic towards him). And then there is the stolen horn of the Wild Hunt. So there is lots of magickal canine influence afoot, anose, and atail in the city of Boston. Woof!
Not epic, but basically well written, entertaining, and fun to read. This one gets three owl talons. It's a percher, but not a keeper.
The first question I always ask myself after finishing a book is, "Would I read it again?" I think if it was a few years later and I found it on a library shelf and I couldn't find anything else to read at the time I'd check it out again. It wasn't so thrilling that I'd go and buy it from a bookstore and keep it on my shelves, but yes, I'd read it again, so that means it was a decent read. I'd also get the first novel out the library to read as well.
As is usual for my preference, the protagonist Evie Scelan is a strong, independent, kick-a** female character. She works as a mundane bicycle courier in Boston. Her supernatural nature is that of a "Hound" and it comes down the family line from the "old Irish" (whatever that really means - the author isn't historically or culturally specific enough). She isn't exactly a shape-changer, but she has all the abilities to "scent" and track and chase down whomever she needs to. Since taking down the corrupt Fiana organization who ruled the Boston "undercurrent" in Spiral Hunt, she is now the de facto person in power of the city. Her boyfriend, irony of ironies, turns out to be a very reluctant werewolf. (He is also a nerdy graduate student with a miserable TA job. This brought back memories for me of being in the same situation so I felt quite sympathetic towards him). And then there is the stolen horn of the Wild Hunt. So there is lots of magickal canine influence afoot, anose, and atail in the city of Boston. Woof!
Not epic, but basically well written, entertaining, and fun to read. This one gets three owl talons. It's a percher, but not a keeper.
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