Felicia Day

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed books  here ( you can keep abreast of more current reviews/reads I have on my GoodReads account!) But since I read all five books in this series in three days, I felt the obsession bonus was worth a blog entry.

Yeah, this cover is awful.  The pink font in the trees, the kitchy Meg-Ryan-Movie quote, the chick UNDER the horse (I mean, that just looks UNSAFE!), ugh.  Thank god for my Kindle, I don’t think I’d have been brave enough to pick this one up live.

There are five books in Moira J Moore’s “Heroes” series.  I picked this series up on a whim from an Amazon List (honestly, I find the best books that way! Thank you Amazon contributors!) It looked to be something I wouldn’t necessarily love (a bit twee from the descriptio)n:

In a realm beset by natural disasters, only the bonded Pairs–Source and Shield–make the land habitable and keep the citizenry safe. But can Dunleavy Mallorough and Lord Shintaro Karish put aside their differences to defeat something even more unnatural than their reluctant affections for each other?

Luckily I quickly fell in love with the characters and the world.  It’s the perfect light romantic fantasy I was in the mood for as I’ve been traveling.  Reminded me of one of my fave series by Lisa Shearin, so if you picked that up and liked it, this will be for you.

This is a light fantasy romp that really hangs it hat on the characterizations of the two main characters, Lee and Taro. It has a lot of romance, but there’s enough in magic and the mystery of the plots to not define it WHOLLY as that kind of book.  It’s not a cookie cutter relationship between the two leads, often they’re quite maddening, which is what I found refreshing. It’s just so sweetly and cleverly done.

What really carries the series through is the POV of the main character, Lee. The books are written in first person from her point of view. When I first started the first book, I first thought it was a bit simply written, like a Young Adult novel. But as I progressed through the book and into series, I realize it’s because the author was being so faithful to the first person view. Lee is naive, not experienced, and very stubborn, so, even if I, the reader, knows something is up with a secondary character or plotline, Lee doesn’t necessarily do the sensible thing or add it up, which can be annoying, but makes it REAL.  The main character grows through the series, but is never going to be terribly insightful, by definition of her character and the world the author built, which is part of the fun. I just have to admire that.

Also the relationship between the two main characters is very interesting, they are both VERY flawed, so the story (and their relationship) goes through unpredictable and interesting, real twists. I really loved that there isn’t some fairy tale happiness between them, and that is even more endearing.  To have a character admit in a “romance” book that she enjoys not being around her amour all the time, that she likes to enjoy her own company sometimes, is just so much fun compared to the obsessive “we’re in love so we always can’t get enough of each other forever” sort of attitude in most romance novels.

Also, the books are quite funny at times, because Lee is snarky and amusing.  Some lines had me laughing out loud.  Anyway, I would highly recommend the books, they are very very enjoyable light reads and get better and better as the series goes on.  Will definitely stay on my “OMG THERES A NEW ONE OUT!” list.

First, let’s get this first piece of new over with:

I’VE MADE IT!

How exactly is that you ask? The Guild getting popular? An awesome role in the 13th episode of Dollhouse? Something bigger? Oh yes. Take a gander at this recent piece in the NEW-frikkin-YORKER:

“The success of the ebook is being fueled by the romance and erotic romance market,” Peter Smith, of ITworld, reports. Smith cites the actress and Kindle enthusiast Felicia Day, of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” who has been bingeing on paranormals like “Dark Needs at Night’s Edge.” “I’ve read like, 6 books this week and ordered about 10 more,” Day blogged. “It’s stuff I never would have checked out at the Barnes and Noble, because the gleaming and oily man chests would have made me blush too much.”

Oh yes, I’m the “oily chest” chick.  My Dad is proud all right. Er….whatever. Onto the book reviews I’ve accumulate for the past month or so:

Thorn Queen (Dark Swan, #2) – Richelle Mead
My appetite for the “tough paranormal chick” literature has waned in the recent months, namely because I think I’ve read them all. Like, hundreds this year it feels like. But this series really caught my interest with the first book, Storm Born. The second book, Thorn Queen, after a slow first couple of chapters lived up to expectations. Eugenie is a cool character, a real-life working Shaman but who is connected to the Faery world as well.  What I like about this series is that some takes place in “real life” and some in the Faery land.  It’s what the Merry Gentry series from Laurell Hamilton COULD have been (other than porn with lots of guys, bleck).  I really liked how the characters developed in this second book and a few twists in the romance were very satisfying.  I can’t spoil anything, except to say I really really hope that the ending isn’t a feign, and that a key character who’s yummy doesn’t turn bad in the third one!  If you like Laurell Hamilton, or Jeannie Frost or Lillith Saintcrow or Rachel Caine you’ll like this series.  Also, for a time the Kindle edition was free download on Amazon, not sure if it’s still free but check it out!

Naamah’s Kiss (Kushiel’s Legacy, #7): Jacqueline Carey

I loves me some Jacqueline Carey.  I mean, I even turned into a blithering idiot getting a video with her at last year’s Comicon.  Whatever.  She’s had two books come out lately, Sainta Olivia last month (which I liked a lot as well) and just recently Naamah’s Kiss, which I went out and bought in hardback because I need her on my “keep you long time” bookshelf.  So, if you’ve read the first 6 you’ll know the world, and this book is the start of a new series in the same world.  This time the heroine is Moirim, who turns out to be er… *slight spoiler*

a hot bisexual druid.  You read that right.

*end spoilers*

The world is lush and awesome, I love love it as always, and after we visit familiar territory we take a jaunt outside of the worlds that have been established towards the end of the book.  I enjoyed it a lot.  It’s hard to live up to Phedre and Jocelyn from the first trilogy, but this had enough intrigue and definitely set up for some tussles down the line.  There are a BUNCH of (awesome) racy scenes in this, so if you’re not into that…who’s not into that again?  I just think this author is the bomb and would read her grocery list if I could.  The book has a lot of romance in it, but the world building is so rich and thorough it’s really epic fantasy at its best.  I would compare her to Guy Gavriel Kay with way more naughty bits.

Desperate Duchesses: Eloisa James

Ok, boys look away.  This is pure romance crap coming towards you.  Eloisa James’ Duchess series, starting with Desperate Duchesses is crack, pure and simple.  Think “Pride and Prejudice” meets “Sex and the City” or the “OC”.  It’s amazingly addictive.  I’ve tried a lot of other authors in this historical romance genre lately, and none of them capture the flirtation and wit that this author does.  It’s just really enjoyable to be frivilous with these aristocrats.  I’ve read pretty much all her Duchess books and am working my way through her other series as well.  They’re all very similar, but enjoyable as the characters weave in and out and pair up book after book.  Fun reading.  I enjoy them with no shame…because I have the Kindle to hide behind.

Best Served Cold: Joe Abercrombie

Boys, you can come back now. If you follow my reviews you already know my love for the First Law trilogy by Abercrombie.  Well, his latest installment, Best Served Cold, just is….as awesome.  Whew!  Cool thing is, a few of the secondary characters from his trilogy come back in this book and are much more fleshed out.  It’s a very cool way to expand the universe. If you like grit and blood and nastiness and double crossings, this is the author for you.  The realism of his descriptions and his world is really intoxicating.  After I read this book I wanted to log onto a FPS game and shoot me some zombies.  There’s no “romance” in this book, Abercrombie busts any of that into bits, and it’s so fun to watch!  I really loved it and hope to make a drooling YouTube video where I look like an idiot with him one day as well.  If you like George RR Martin, or Stephen Erikson or Brent Weeks or Richard Morgan’s SF books, try Abercrombie, you will not regret it.

Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book 1): Lian Hearn

So, do you like Kung Fu or Samurai films?  Did you like Memoirs of a Geisha?  Would you like those things combined and then some magic thrown in?  Then try this series starting with Across the Nightingale Floor.  I have a weakness for any movies involving Asian Martial arts, so I was sucked in big time!  The books are set in a nebulous country, but it’s so similar to Japan you might as well say it’s Japan.  There are feudal lords and women held hostage, orphans and assassins…it’s got it all.  Boys and girls will like this.  I will be continuing this series!

Whew, that’s a lot of reviews (and only a fraction of what I’ve read this summer)!  Books I read that I hate, I simply let the experience go off into the ether.  I know how hard it is to create things, so who am I to dissuade people from trying an author, or trash someone’s creation?  Everything is subjective.  I do add a lot more books than I blog about to my GoodReads account, occasionally those are a little more critical, but I only list ones I would want other people to try.  Here on the blog I try to feature my very favorites.  Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think!

Oh, Kindle, what have you done to me?  I used to read “respectable” high fantasy, things with castles on the covers, 800 pages long with 5 sequels and lots of swordplay.  Now I use your anonymous leatherette cover to read vampire and demon lady-porn.    Sigh.

Well, I think I may have reached my saturation point with my secret “oiled-up chests” fetish.  I stumbled on a very popular sub-genre of the sub-genre of paranormal romance and may have burned out on it.  It’s what I like to call the “Packs O’ Men” series.

Examples:

Sherrlyn Kenyon’s “Dark Hunter” Series
JD Ward’s “Black Dagger Brotherhood” Series
Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld Series (Best smutty cover art that makes me laugh)
Laura Adrian’s “The Midnight Breed” Series
Natali Singh’s “Psy-Changeling” Series (Worst smutty cover art. Bubblegum fog machine anyone?)
Christine Feehan’s “Carpathian” Series

I think I’m leaving a few series out, but whatever, I’m tired of linking stuff.  Post more examples in the comments if you have them.   Yes, I read at least 2 novels of each of these series, a lot of them more.   All in the past 5 weeks.  Eep!

Why am I listing these together?  They’re all series featuring an immortal, sexy group of dangerous, Alpha men who, one by one, fall like dominoes to a practical, spunky woman who tames his inner beast.  Because, despite ripping people’s faces off for centuries, they’re all REALLY pining for “The One.” How can one tell they’ve met “the one”?  Loin burning on sight, followed by dangerous bad guy antagonist, followed by graphic sex scenes, that’s how!  And then they talk about their feelings together.  And more sex.  And more rescuing of the woman from evil, because these dudes are protective of their ladies like a dog over a pot roast.  Then more sex.  Happy ever after!

Also, the structure for these (and I’m generalizing because there is some variation within the series I’ve mentioned) is that each book is a standalone romance between two characters, but there’s an overall plot from sequel to sequel involving the same world of characters.  You meet some characters in earlier books as secondary characters, only to get THEIR romance later in the series.  Genius way to sell sequels!

Don’t get me wrong, some of these I really loved (Natali Singh’s world is really interesting and I like her writing a lot).  But the thing is about these books is that, after a girl gets to star in her book and gets her man, the cast-off heroine takes a total tangental role in the world, whereas their sexy, powerful man usually remains more present in the overall intrigue.  I found the whole idea of “now she’s taken, so she’s not interesting to write about anymore” a little crazy, especially when the whole sub-genre is supposed to be aimed towards women!  I’m generalizing of course, but considering the men hold authority positions in most of these worlds, the little ladies seem to get knocked up and start cooking a lot more than I personally like to read about.

Now, I know the other sub-genre of paranormal romance is “kick ass female with emotional problems gets challenged by a dark, immortal and powerful man who is vexing and then ultimately great in bed and they kick ass together”.  That can get annoying too, but in some of these series, the Carpathian is the WORST at this, the girls are “chosen” and the dudes just wear them down into having sex and being with them for eternity whether she’s into it or not, and in the ones I read in the series, SHE WAS NOT!  Total caveman behavior.  NOT SEXY!

What’s the appeal of the Alpha man in romance novels?  Do ladies really want to be dominated and pampered by men who are brutes on the outside and sappy marshmallows on the inside?  Is it some kind of primitive appeal?  I can definitely say that the tall dark and smoldery keeps me coming back to some of these, but the best books had a lady as equally equipped and clever and powerful as the dude.  Pardon me for not rooting for a heroine who’s too stupid to live.

This post was not a review, it was merely an observation.  I am going to list some of my favorite paranormal fantasy series in the next week or so, but I’d love to hear what people think about these kinds of novel.  I’ve migrated back to my more standard fantasy fare and urban fantasy with more PLOT than romance-y stuff.  Will be reviewing more individually down the line.

You can keep up with what I’m reading in this genre by check out my GoodReads vaginal-fantasy and vaginal-urban-fantasy shelves.  I wanted to distiguish modern-day from tradition fantasy settings.  You can thank me later.