Tag: blog review

Books, fantasy, paranormal romance, Reviews, steampunk, Urban Fantasy

Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

Karen

Wow. I am so sad because Patricia Briggs has been one of my top 5 authors for a long time. This is going to be hard. First the blurb..

They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok’s pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf–but can’t stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills–his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker–to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn…

THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Alright now that everyone has been warned let’s talk about the book.I didn’t like this book and allow me to explain why.I felt that characters I have grown to love were changed on a whim or to suit a new plot, let’s go through them each:

Anna was mean in the beginning of the book though she has always been kind and sweet. She does something to Leah (I know Leah is suppose to be the bad guy, but Anna is suppose to be the Omega and above all this) to hurt her emotionally. She knows it will make her feel terrible,and she does it for spiteful, petty reasons. It makes her appear bitchy and childish. Then she has a conversation with Charles that makes her appear manipulative. Isn’t Anna suppose to be sweet and kind? But wait we are constantly reminded how smart she is, at nauseous amounts. By chapter two I started to dislike her and she started to grate on me.

Leah the lead bitch is suddenly dumb though she has survived as the Alphas mate for centuries. I liked Leah better horrible. And the destruction of other characters to try to defend her was worthless.

Charles is a murderer, he killed a submissive without even talking to him and we all know submissive wolves can’t disobey dominant, and is a complete ass. That everyone is so terrified of him is getting old, aren’t dominates suppose to protect those weaker than they are? So why does everyone live in fear of him?

Bran is a pedophilia who at some point fell for a 2-16 year old. That is when Mercy lived in his pack. And if you are thinking I read to much into the story or that’s not what Patty meant, nope a Goodreads reviewer emailed her assistant and someone asked her during a signing. It’s exactly what she meant. Basically, everyone should have stopped asking for more on Bran and we got what was coming to us. Oh and he is suddenly too weak to handle problems in his own pack? Seriously..this is Bran now???

Then the rules of the world keep changing, Charles tells a story of how he couldn’t disobey his father because he’s alpha. Then Charles gets mad at another wolf for not disobeying his alpha. What? Literally the same thing. It’s like in this book Anna and Charles live by a different set of rules and judge people who do the exact same things that they did.

I thought that this might be a fluke, I know Patty has had some terrible emotional things happening but all the feedback I’m getting is it’s not, Mercy will never know but everything is true and it won’t be changed. This is a second series/author that I have followed for over 10+ years that I might be losing. I hope she changes her mind.

Books, great reads, Reviews

The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon

debra

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Hey everybody,

The Blurb:  Swallow, Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, Daughter. Stay alive.

The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would trade his soul and lose his son to the sky. My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free. But freedom will require escape, and I’m a prisoner of my mother’s curse and my father’s greed. I can’t speak or make a sound, and I can’t wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love . . . a bird?

My thoughts: I loved this story. This is the first book by this author I have read and I want to read more from her. This story is her first venture into the world of fantasy, I understand, and I think she did a great job. I found this book because it was this month’s book in the online book club I belong to.

Lark is a 5 year old girl when her mother is killed in front of her and her voice is gone. She is rejected by her father, yet she grows into a loving, caring person. Tiras is the king of Jeru with a secret. This book contains fantasy, magic in a mysterious world, betrayal and interesting characters, a council of lords that helps to provide additional angst to the story. The story also has a medieval feel to it. The author has spun her world building wonderfully. I have heard good things about this author so I plan to try some of her other writings.

Happy Reading,

Debra

Books, great reads, Mystery, Reviews, Romance

Fatal Scandal by Marie Force

debra

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Hey everyone,

The blurb:  As a new year dawns in the capital city, dual scandals rock the Metropolitan Police Department—and Lieutenant Sam Holland is right in the middle of them. Chief Farnsworth is catching heat for the way he handled a recent homicide investigation, and Detective Gonzales is accused of failing to disclose an earlier connection to the judge who decided his custody hearing. When Gonzo’s fight for his child turns deadly and he has a shaky alibi, Sam must defend two of her closest colleagues. All while her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, settles into his new office at the White House.  Nick begins to wonder if the president is using him for a political boost, and his worries mount over a complication in the plans to adopt Scotty at a time when Sam is being put through the wringer by the always-rabid DC press corps. As the evidence against Gonzo piles up, Sam suspects someone is gunning for her—and her team.

My thoughts:  Another enjoyable entry in the continuing saga of Sam and Nick trying to balance their relationship, their jobs, their family and life in general. Sam is this time trying to prove one of her crew innocent of murder! This hits close to home. Nick is not enamoured with his new position as Vice-President so he is trying to figure out what type of Vice-President he will be. The world of Sam and Nick is rocked on it axis with the ending of this story and is well-written.

Happy Reading,
Debra

 

Books, great reads, Mystery, Reviews, Romance

Fatal Consequences by Marie Force

debra

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Hey everyone,

The Blurb:  Lieutenant Sam Holland has no sooner accepted Senator Nick Cappuano’s proposal than she’s back on the job. A woman has been found brutally murdered and evidence points to Henry Lightfeather, a senator and close friend of Nick’s. While Sam investigates, Nick stands by his friend–complicating his own bid for reelection, and causing tension between the couple.
As Sam’s investigation reveals a scandal that rocks the capital, Nick and Sam discover that the biggest threat to their future might be someone from her past…

My Thoughts:  I am really enjoying this series. This book continues the story of Nick and Sam’s growing relationship and I really enjoyed the murder mystery of this book. Ms. Force wrote a tightly woven suspense-filled mystery in this book. She is also highlighting the stories of the secondary characters in this series and showing us how their lives are unfolding. Although I seem to be late to the party, I am glad that I found this series and I plan to continue.

Happy Reading,

Debra