Fantasy

Book Review: Dancer (Terran Times) by Viola Grace

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Seduced into becoming host to an ancient goddess, will Del survive the attentions of the god of lust?

Del is taking erotic dance classes at the Companion Centre when she locks eyes with a huge, burly alien with a vivid green gaze. He has come to secure a Companion to act as a permanent host to a goddess, but when he hears Del’s bright laughter, he changes his target from Companion to dancer.

Kurat has been raised as host to two gods. Changes in his body have made it difficult for him to take a casual lover, only a mate will do. With Del’s bright soul welcoming his, he knows the moment he meets her that she will be the one the goddesses will accept.

With the god of lust and the god of war agreeing to his choice, Kurat’s entire being is in agreement. The dancer will be theirs.

First book of the year for me and this one was just alright, I almost put it down from boredom in the first pages but it managed to keep my attention for a fair amount of time. I admit I have not read the first book in the series, and that may have something to do with it. So the first thing I would say that Dancer is not a stand alone at all.

I am personally used to my Sci-fi not having casual references and wording that fit into a modern or earth society and this one did so that set me off it a little bit and just kind of made me lose the feel for it. Other than that the flow was pretty decent and the writing itself was enjoyable enough. As someone who dances I did like the different descriptions of dances and some of the way to explain why Del chose such a broad course load, but we did not stay with that to long once Kurat entered the picture.

Overall this was an okay one for me, not fantastic but not terrible, I think if you have read the first book in the series you will be a bit more attached then I was to the world and what is going on with it.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Faerie Wars (The Faerie Wars Chronicles #1) by Herbie Brennan

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When Henry Atherton helps Mr. Fogarty clean up around his house, he expects to find a mess and a cranky old man; what he doesn’t expect to find is Pyrgus Malvae, crown prince of the Faerie realm, who has escaped the treacherous Faeries of the Night by traveling to the human world through a portal powered by trapped lightning. An egomaniacal demon prince, greedy glue factory owners Brimstone and Chalkhill, and the nefarious Lord Hairstreak, leader of the Faeries of the Night, all dream of ruling the Faerie realm and are out to kill Pyrgus.

Enlisting the help of his sister, Holly Blue, and his new friend, Henry, Pyrgus must get back to the Faerie world alive before one of his many enemies gets to him instead. But how many portals are open, and can Pyrgus find the right one before it falls into the wrong hands?

Conjuring scenes filled with vivid color, unforgettable detail, and fearless characters, author Herbie Brennan brings readers to the Faerie world, where nothing is ever what it seems and no one can be trusted

I am very glad that I got this one at the library because if I had spent money on it I would have been very disappointed. This book was just pretty bad. Now I know it is a young adult novel but I actually think to get enjoyment out of this one it would have to be geared even younger, and even then I am not sure.

The first many chapters run very slow and I mean like a frozen river in the middle of a Minnesota winter. Most younger readers I know like things to be a bit more up tempo then that. Some of the humor was pretty good and that is why I plugged along and why it got two stars.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Éire’s Captive Moon by Sandi Layne

- Ambrosia 2 Comments

Release Date January 10th 2013

Éire’s Captive Moon, the first book of Sandi Layne’s Éire’s Viking Trilogy, brings you to the unsettled era of the early Viking raids along the coast of Éire – today’s Ireland. Red-striped sails make their first appearance on the shores near the village of Ragor and the peaceful life of the villagers is obliterated in one deadly raid. Agnarr Halvardson and his overlord, Tuirgeis, have come to Éire for treasure, honor, and slaves. After slaying her husbands, Agnarr claims Charis, the healer of the village, as his personal medicine woman – and sex slave. Cowan, a local prince, is captured by Tuirgeis to serve as translator for trading journeys. Leaving the smoking ruins of Ragor and Bangor Monastery behind them – as well as the children Charis had carefully hidden from the Northmen – the invaders sail away. Cowan, a Christian, is captivated by the pale, widowed herbalist, and finds himself in love with her by the time they reach Nordweg, where they will spend the winter. He is compelled to leave her, however, to serve his master. The winter brings many trials. An invasion from another village’s warriors throws Cowan and Charis together more intimately than she is prepared to handle equitably. Her own feelings are growing uncertain, though she reminds herself that she has to return to Éire and the children she left there. As winter passes in Nordweg, Charis plans vengeance upon Agnarr even as she learns to see him differently. Beset by accusations of witchcraft, hounded by Agnarr’s betrothed and her slave – a refugee Charis herself healed more than a year before – and having to adapt to the strange language and customs among the people around her, Charis still makes her plans. Will she be able to put aside her feelings and escape when spring returns.

Éire’s Captive Moon by Sandi Layne is a gripping story that throws you into the middle of conflict almost as soon as you start reading it. We get to be present for the birth of the main character Charis who’s Mother is a mysterious pale woman who gives birth in a wolf den and dies as soon as her Daughter is in the world. Charis is however saved by an Irish healer and raised with his people to also be a healer. Charis had a perfect life as she got older. According to her ways she could have two husbands and she did two proud warrior husbands. Until the “invaders” or the Vikings showed up and attack her village.

I loved the writing in this book I really did. There were times that I hated the Vikings for what they did to the Irish and there were other times where they made me smile because they did something honorable. You learn a good amount about the different cultures of the time. Between the Irish who had been turned to Catholics those like Charis who still believed mostly in the old ways and the Vikings.

Occasionally I was left conflicted over how to feel about Charis’s actions towards her captor Agnarr but when I put myself in her shoes I could understand. You may have to learn to like someone when they seem to be your only friend in a land that is far from home. I can say this is a very readable book and I would recommend it to those who enjoy an adventure but do not mind a bit of violence in the writing. I am looking forward to the next part of this trilogy.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

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Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of her having written the bestselling book The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she’s found herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.

But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: Her incubus is not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the demon, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this supernatural lover from her heart.

I was granted this book to read through Net Gallery and I was very excited to read it. I know you should not judge a book by its cover but the cover art and then the summary drew me in. So I was set up to really like and enjoy this book. Sadly I really just did not.

So why didn’t I like this book? For me there were a lot of plot holes in it things that clearly did not seem to have the background to make sense. How did Callie know she was the descendent of a curse creating witch? Or why love the incubus when he is a shadow but not when he is a real man? This was perplexing to me and of course the lack of a happy ever after makes this to me not a paranormal romance at all.

The story was also too cluttered with background characters. There were so many side characters that had partially or very little explained stories so you cannot really grasp on to anyone and decide you like them or dislike them. When I read a book I want at least one character I can feel truly drawn to with their story. There was just too many buzzing around in this one to be useful.

Now someone who does not mind a bit of clutter in characters and the lack of a happy ever after might enjoy this book. However for me there were just too many short comings to really center myself with the book and enjoy it. I might give the second book a read when I am given the chance to see if I can warm to the characters anymore but I am not sure.

My Gemstone Rating:

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