Tag: rants

Books, fantasy, great reads, indie author, Reviews, scifi

Dragon Storm by Lindsay Buroker

Karen

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Lindsay Buroker was the first indie author I ever read, and I still love her books. This is the newest series she is realeasing. First the blurb:

Telryn “Trip” Yert has always been a little odd, with hunches that are too accurate to explain. Magic is feared and forbidden in Iskandia, so he’s struggled his whole life to hide his eccentricities. As a boy, he was forced to watch his mother’s execution. Her crime? Witchcraft.

Understandably, Trip wants nothing to do with the power that lurks within him, always threatening to reveal itself. Instead, he dedicates himself to serving as an officer in the king’s army, to battling pirates and imperial conquerors. He longs to become a soldier as respected and renowned as the legendary General Zirkander.

But his country is in need of more than a soldier.

After disappearing for over a thousand years, dragons have returned to the world. A few of them are willing to be allies to mankind, as they were millennia before, but far more want to destroy or enslave humans and claim the world for themselves.

There are few people left with the power to fight dragons. For reasons he doesn’t understand, Trip may be one of those people. But if he chooses to learn more about his heritage and the power he can wield, he risks losing everyone he loves and everything he longs to be.

This book reminded me of why I fell in love with indie authors. This is quality writing, a fast and fun fantasy and it was $1 (free if you have KU)!! I know I’ll pay more no doubt for the rest but that’s okay because I’m hooked. I loved the world, where swords talk and dragons power depends on their color, I enjoyed the cast of characters, most quirky and crazy, and the story was fun.

You should grab this book.

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, fantasy, great reads, Out of the Box Blogs, Reviews, Romance

Who is going to see 50 Shades darker?

Les

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So who is going to see the movie 50 Shades Darker? I am just wondering. I am going to see it.

I was rereading the book “Grey”yesterday and I was thinking about doing a piece on all the books and the movies so far.

I am just going to say this, I am not recapping the books in the piece, people know what happened.

I actually like the 50 shades of Grey books. Funny thing is that I like them, but I absolutely dislike Anastasia. Which is terrible since she is the main character and it is written from her perspective. She annoys me to no end. She is whinny, and tries to stand her ground at the wrong times, and because of it shit happens and she wonders why he is angry.

I think Christian is messed up too, however I think he is more of an adult than Ana. I also just like him more. He does need to let go, but damn he is trying to have a dominate/submissive relationship here. Bad idea on his part to ask Ana the cry baby to do that.

The movie: The movie was bad! I was so disappointed. The soundtrack was really good. They cut too much and Christian looked like nothing more than a rich stalker/abusive control freak. The Actors are all wrong for this movie. Jamie Dornan may be hot, but he looks like he is struggling to play his role. He looks like he is in pain most of the time or like he is going to throw up. Dakota Johnson is even worse. Am I the only one who was trying to figure out why she was moaning all the time in the sex scenes before he ever really touches her? It was so annoying and they made her seem stronger than she was in the book, but also made her seem less smart. These people look nothing like the book describes them at all. They butchered this book and I think that is why E.L. James has taken over for the second and third movies. Hopefully these will be better!

I know what your thinking. If I disliked the movie and the main character so much, why am I going to see the second movie? Well, I am seeing it to give them a second chance, and because I freaking love Christian Grey and I am hoping they will do a better job of portraying him this time.

 

I love the book “Grey” from Christian’s perspective. It was a breath of fresh air to get out of Ana’s inner monologue. His thoughts are crazy sometimes, but others make me laugh. Like when he is like “I still want this, why I don’t know. She is so difficult.” I was like I keep asking myself the same thing, Christian.

Before anyone comments, It is so poorly written, I don’t know how anyone could read it. Well, I have read way worse, and I have read way better. I tend to like the story line and whether or not I can let myself run away with it. If I can picture the characters, or relate to them and see them as possibly being real, then I will read it anyway. I am faithful to one author, whose books always have errors. I love her stories and she is great at telling them.

So I think this turned into a rant! Oh well!

Peace,

Les

Books, fantasy, great reads, indie author, Out of the Box Blogs, paranormal romance, Romance, scifi, steampunk, Urban Fantasy

Questions on Multiple Series

debra

How many series can an author successfully write at one time before the series start to suffer?  When do you know it is time to let a series go?

These are questions I have been pondering for some time and I am interested in opinions that you guys may offer, especially anyone who may be an author. Please understand I am not an author so I approach this only from a reader’s viewpoint.

Can an author successfully give multiple series the attention each deserves without any of them suffering?  I have been reading an author for many years, but this author is now writing five series—the fifth series just started with book one a week ago.  I really enjoyed this book and will write my review very soon.  The series I started with is now nearing release of book number 30.  Personally, I feel this series needed to be ended some time ago, but we now have new characters whom will undoubtedly have books written for them and the overall story arc is still not finished.  It is the series that will never end!!  I also have to wonder, in the author’s defense—how much of this is the author and their muse and how much of it is the publisher continually trying to capitalize on an author’s popularity.

I read several authors who have multiple series, and it is normal for those authors in my experience to release one book a year in the series.  When we are talking about  3 or more series, how can that possibly happen?  Therefore, we are probably looking at over a year between books.   One of my favorite authors generally writes one series at a time and we get a book usually every 6 months and then they start another series.  Granted, these series usually contain 4 to 5 books.  However, the series is completed and then we get to start another one.  With the author who is on book 30, I could literally be in my mid 60s before it finishes and I am already 53!! Some of the recent books have disappointed me with much repetition—hence question 2—when do you know it is time to let go?  I have many years invested in this series and I want to see the end, but I’m tired and don’t receive the level of enjoyment that I used to.

Have any of you faced a similar dilemma and how did you decide?  Looking forward to your thoughts.