Trickster's Queen - Tamora Pierce

Trickster's Queen
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Copyright: 2004
9780375828782

The Amazon.com product description:

Aly’s adventure continues. . . . No longer a slave, Alanna’s daughter is now spying as part of an underground rebellion against the colonial rulers of the Copper Isles. The people in the rebellion believe that a prophecy in which a new queen will rise up to take the throne is about to be realized. Aly is busy keeping the potential teenage queen and her younger siblings safe, while also keeping her in the dark about her future. But Aly, who is usually adept at anticipating danger and changes, is in for a few nasty surprises.

Trickster's Queen is the concluding volume to the duology about Alianne, the daughter of Alanna from the Song of the Lioness Quartet and the sequel to Trickster's Choice. It's also another really good read. I'm kind of disappointed that I had it on my shelves for over a year before I got around to reading the book. It should have been finished much sooner than that.

While this book picks up where the first book left off, there are some very interesting twists and turns, although some aspects of the ending can be predicted from the start, others come as complete surprises. Dovasary really comes into her own in this book, as does Nawat. All of the characters are well thought out and interesting as people too, even the secondary characters.

Definitely a good book for any teen girl (or adult) who likes fantasy, it's a different type of storyline. Where the other books have girls who want to fight, Aly wants to follow her father and become a spy/spymistress instead. A good reminder that there's more than one path you can follow to do what you want. I also liked that the "girl power" message wasn't overly in-your-face, unlike some of Tamora Pierce's books.

Overall, I really liked this book a lot.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - March 29

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books each week. Thanks for keeping me on track with my reading.

In the last week I read:
Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce: YA fiction and a good read.

Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce: The sequel to Trickster's Choice. Another book I quite enjoyed. Now I just have to review it.

Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Paranormal Romance. Read for Royal Reviews. Now I just have to write up the review and send it off.

Wild Horse Annie and The Last Of The Mustangs: The Life of Velma Johnston by Alison Griffiths and David Cruise: Non fiction biography.

Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West by Marguerite Henry. A cross between a biography and a novel, written for nine to twelve year olds, though it's just as good a read for adults.

What I'm reading right now:

The Aeneid by Virgil. Translated by Robert Fitzgerald. With only a month to go on the Pre-Printing Press Challenge, I've really got to get going with these books again.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs. The newest book in the Mercy Thompson series.

What I'm planning to read:

The Breath of Allah by Tempest O'Rourke. This book was sent to me for review a couple of weeks ago when I had that really nasty cold. I'm finally feeling up to tackling it now.

Trickster's Choice - Tamora Pierce

Trickster's Choice
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Copyright: 2004
978-0375828799

The Amazon.com product description:

Tamora Pierce brings readers another Tortall adventure! Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.

 In terms of the timeline for the Tortall novels, these two are the last ones so far. Trickster's Choice and its sequel, Trickster's Queen are set after all the other books: the Lioness Quartet, the Immortals Quartet and the Keladry books.

These two books are a bit different from most of the others Tamora Pierce has written too. First of all, they're written for slightly older teens IMHO, given that Aly is older in the first book, much like the Beka Cooper series. And then, where all the other books in the world of Tortall have been written in sets of four, there are only the two books in this set.

Aside from those pieces of trivia, the important thing about these books is that they're well written, and good stories. I was reading the second book, Trickster's Queen last night, and the next thing I realized was that it was after one in the morning. Where did the time go?

Of course, that's true of most of the Tortall novels, but I liked this one more than most of them. I didn't find that the "Girls are as good as boys/girls can be whatever they want to be" message to be as in-your-face present as it is in some of Tamora Pierce's books, which I really appreciated. That's the one thing about her books that I don't really care for.

Overall, Trickster's Choice is a good, solid read that is longer than most of the other books the author's written in this world. It's also a book I'm likely to find myself re-reading in the future.

Wild Horse Annie and The Last of the Mustangs: The Life of Velma Johnston -

Wild Horse Annie and The Last of the Mustangs: The Life of Velma Johnston 
David Cruise and Alison Griffiths
Scribner
Copyright: 2010
978-1416553359

The Amazon.com product description:

In 1950, Velma Johnston was a secretary at an insurance company in Reno, Nevada. Twenty years later, she had become a national hero, responsible for spurring Congress into passing legislation that protected wild horses, a feat that cemented her renown as "Wild Horse Annie." This stirring biography is the first to tell the story of Johnston's life and her extraordinary dedication to the mustangs that represent the spirit of the West.
Veteran writers David Cruise and Alison Griffiths paint a vivid portrait of this intrepid woman, who survived a cruelly disfiguring bout with polio as a child and channeled her energy and intellect into her career and marriage -- until she encountered a truck of injured, half-dead horses on her way to work in 1950. Those horses, destined for a pet food rendering plant, launched Johnston into a decades-long campaign against ranchers and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to stop the roundup and slaughter of mustangs. At a time when animal rights was barely a cause and women were still expected to stay at home, Johnston embarked on dangerous vigilante missions to free captured horses and document roundups, and began a highly organized one-woman campaign to raise public awareness of their plight, all while continuing to work and maintain a household.
Johnston's courage, determination, and innovative tactics -- she initiated a children's letter-writing campaign that flooded Congress with more mail than it had received on any issue except the Vietnam War -- pitted her against ranchers and powerful politicians, but eventually won her support and admiration around the world, including the friendship of celebrated children's author Marguerite Henry, who fictionalized her story in a children's novel.
In this absorbing and carefully researched biography, Cruise and Griffiths depict the ups and downs of a remarkable woman's life and mission, reveal her lasting legacy, and capture the romance and magic of the wild horses that inspired her. 

As a kid I'd read the Marguerite Henry version of this story: Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West several times. As a result, I picked up this book as soon as I saw it. I thought it was pretty good, and Wild Horse Annie is definitely thought provoking. I'm still not sure if Velma Johnston is a person I'd like, but I definitely admire her determination.

Don't think that you know the whole story just because you've read the aforementioned book by Marguerite Henry. I was surprised by just how much of the story she'd changed for the book she wrote. The basic facts are the same, but she completely changed a lot of the background information, as well as some of the events.

Wild Horse Annie is both an exciting and an ambiguous read. Exciting because there's a definite feeling of danger in some of what Velma is doing to publicize what was happening to the mustangs, and in the way she's chosen to break laws, but also ambiguous because by the end of the book it's still not clear just how well she's succeeded in her quest, even today.

A good read, especially if you like horses, but, honestly, this wasn't my favorite biography read. I'll still recommend it though, as the book is thought provoking to say the least.

Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West - Marguerite Henry

Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West
Marguerite Henry
Aladdin Publishing
Printing Date: 1992
978-0689716010

The Amazon.com product description:

Horses were in Annie Bronn's blood. For as long as she could remember, she had been fascinated by the spirited wild mustangs that roamed free throughout the West. So when greedy cattlemen started to round up the mustangs for slaughter, Annie knew it was up to her to save the breed.
The true story of Wild Horse Annie's crusade to save the mustangs is inspiring. Readers will cheer her on, all the way to the White House, in her struggle to preserve these beautiful creatures from extinction. 

 I've enjoyed Marguerite Henry's books from Misty of Chincoteague on. I think I've read every one of them. So, they're from the 1950's and 1960's, but they're still good reads for everyone from nine years to ninety-nine years of age.

What inspired this particular re-read was seeing the new book Wild Horse Annie, which is a biography of the main character of this book. I'd thought so, and wanted to double-check my memory before reading the new one.

One thing that makes this book a bit different from Marguerite Henry's other ones is the illustrator. Most of the books were illustrated by Wesley Dennis, but Robert Lougheed has done a wonderful job on Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West. All the illustrations are black and white, but they're a mix of paintings and line art sketches.

Although, the core of the book is the true story of Annie Bronn, I was surprised when I read the new biography of how much of the story had been changed. Mostly to make the characters and the course of events more clear and understandable for younger readers. The book also ends on much more of a high point.

This is definitely a good read for anyone who's horse-crazy, kid or adult.

What Would You Recommend? - Naomi Novik

 This is a question I get asked all the time working in the bookstore: "What would you recommend for somebody who loved "_________"? (fill in the blank)" Usually I can come up with something, but that something can be a bit of a wild guess if it's not a book or genre I normally read. This is where you helpful people come in. If you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

This week I'm asking about the books by Naomi Novik. I've read the first three in the Temeraire series: His Majesty's Dragon,The Black Powder War and Throne Of Jade and loved them, but I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with recommendations for other books people who liked this world might like. I've heard the books being described simply as "Napoleonic Wars with dragons" and Naomi Novik has made a very different world here, using her dragons in a manner I've never seen before. The books aren't quite pure fantasy, being set in our world, but neither are they fully urban fantasy, being set in so much of an earlier time.

Too often though because it's not quite one thing or the other, it's made it difficult to make other suggestions. I've had enough people say they liked these, but they don't like fantasy or something similar. What would you suggest?

Traitor's Sun - Marion Zimmer Bradley

Traitor's Sun
Marion Zimmer Bradley
DAW Books
Copyright: 1998
9780886778118

The jacket blurb:

The power of laran

It has been fifteen years since Marguerida Alton returned to Darkover, discovered the terrifying powers of her special laran, and fell in love with Mikhail Lanart-Hastur, heir designate to the regency of Darkover. With the proper instruction, Marguerida has has, over time, learned to control her telepathic Gift, and can even work with her unique shadow matrix.

Now Marguerida's life is more settled - though no less hectic. As the second-in-command to the aging Regent, Regis Hastur, life in Comyn Castle for Marguerida and Mikhail is far from serene.

But the current tensions on Darkover have more to do with the Terran Federation than with anything internal to Darkover. For nearly ten years, Lyle Belfontaine, the corrupt and ambitious Station Chief at Federation Headquarters in Thendara, has been pressuring Comyn Council to relinquish Darkover's Protected status and join the Federation as a full member planet. Yet this is something Comyn Council will never agree to do, for it would mean the death of their culture and the rape of their planetary resources.

But when a military coup rocks the Federation, cutting off all communication with local envoys, Belfontaine sees an opportunity to wrest by force what he has been unable to gain thorugh diplomacy and plans a violent takeover on Darkover.

Can Mikhail and Marguerida face the might of Terrann weapons with only their combined telepathic laran powers?

The sequel to The Shadow Matrix and Exile's Song, Traitor's Sun is both connected to the previous books and a stand-alone in a sense. I'm almost more inclined to view it as a stand-alone in the world of Darkover: the book is set fifteen years after The Shadow Matrix and the main viewpoint characters are all new: Herm Aldaran and his wife, Katherine, and Dominic, the son of Marguerida and Mikhail. Even the plot lines are all new ones.

This book is signaling the end of an era in more ways than one: The changing characters, for example, and also the way the Terran Federation is falling apart, although there have been hints of that beginning in the previous books. Things are never going to be the same again, even on Darkover.

Definitely a needed book in the world of Darkover, it matches up nicely with Rediscovery in some ways - that being the introduction of the Terran Empire/Federation to Darkover, and this one being about the last days. Who knows what's going to happen next now?

Traitor's Sun winds things up very nicely, and yet at the same time leaves them open for some future date. Overall, I really liked reading this book.

The Shadow Matrix - Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Shadow Matrix
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Daw Books
Copyright: 1999
978-0886778125

Amazon.com product description:

After spending her youth in the Terran Empire, Margaret Alton returns to Darkover, the planet of her birth. There she discovers she has the Alton Gift--forced rapport and compulsion--one of the strongest and most dangerous of the inherited "Laran" gifts of the telepathic Comyn--the ruling families of Darkover. And even as she struggles to control her newfound powers, Margaret finds herself falling in love with the Regent to the royal Elhalyn Domain, a man she has been forbidden to marry, for their alliance would irrevocably alter the power balance of their planet!.

 Not the best description for this book at all, but I didn't have my copy of The Shadow Matrix handy to copy off the jacket blurb myself. The Shadow Matrix picks up more or less where Exile's Song left off, as Margaret is busy learning about the mental gifts she has and her role in Darkovan society. At the same time, Mikhail, the heir to Regis Hastur has been made the Regent to the Elhalyn Domain, the family who, historically have been the Kings of Darkover. All this causes a whole new set of problems to replace the ones solved in the previous book.

I found that even though this was a re-read of the book, it still picked me up and swept me along into the story. The characters are vivid and full of life, problems and all. There was the occasional line of dialogue that was incredibly stilted, but not too much overall.

To really enjoy The Shadow Matrix though, you really need to have read Exile's Song, as so many of the events in this book build off of what happened in the previous book. I liked it, and if you like the Darkover books, you might find yourself agreeing that these two books are the best in the series.

Waiting On Wednesday - Silver Borne

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted each week at the Breaking The Spine blog. It's really neat seeing what everyone's waiting to read.

My pick this week is Patricia Brigg's next novel in the Mercy Thompson series: Silver Borne. Thankfully, I don't have too much longer to wait. It's supposed to be out on March 30th.

The amazon.com product description:

All-new action in the #1 New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series

When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

Exile's Song - Marion Zimmer Bradley

Exile's Song
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Daw Books
Copyright: 1996
978-0886777340

The jacket blurb:

She was Margaret Alton, the daughter of Lew Alton, the Darkovan representative to the Terran Imperial Senate, but she remembered almost nothing about the plantet of her birth, or her early and tumultuous childhood. What fleetimg memories disturbed her sleep were fragments of terror - a strange silver man and a screaming woman with hair that circled her head like a ring of fire.

Since leaving Darkover as a child, Margaret has lived her life on Thetis. Lew and her stepmother, Dotima, were gone much of the year, working in the Senate, struggling to keep Darkover safe from the all-consuming imperialism of the Terran Federation. She hardly knew her father, a brooding man who, when he returned to Thetis was prone to long bouts of drinking. At these times his normally morose and uncommunicative demeanor would take on an even darker hue...times when he seemed to look at Margaret and see someone else - someone he did not want to remember. As soon as Margaret was of age, she fled her stormy home and took refuge on University. Here Margaret, strangely uncomfortable around her peers found solace in the isolation of study. She excelled in music and was granted the position of assistant to her mentor, renowned musicologist, Dr. Ivor Davidson. This prestigious job took her to many worlds and when she and Professor Davidson were assigned to collect folk songs on Darkover, Margaret was curious and pleased.

But once on Darkover, Margaret's innocent excitement quickly waned. The world of her birth evoked long-buried memories, painful and terrifying, and she soon found herself falling deeper and deeper into a waking dream that threatened to become a nightmare. Margaret began to hear voices in her head - one voice in particular which seemed to confront her at every turn - and she wondered if she were losing her mind.

Beneath the light of the Red Sun, as Margaret slowly unraveled the veiled and mysterious secrets of her heritage, she found herself driven by a destiny more dreadful than any nightmare. For the screaming woman and the silver man were merely markers on a trail - a trail which lead into Margaret's own mind, and towards a trap which had been set for her centuries before her birth...

Although a relative latecomer in the Darkover series, this was the first book set in the world of the Bloody Sun that I'd ever read. As such, even though it's billed as being the follow-up to The Heritage of Hastur and Sharra's Exile, I found Exile's Song to be a very good introduction to the world. It lays out who the characters are, and as Margaret finds out about the world, so do we.

Darkover is a very interesting world, being a series that's spanned several decades in writing. I know of some titles that date to the 1970's (Darkover Landfall) and I think that some of the books are even earlier than that. And the most recent book in the series just came out this past January: The Hastur Lord. It's a world that's evolved as it was written, with some very neat concepts melding both science fiction and fantasy.

Almost from the first pages of Exile's Song I really got to like Margaret and feel for her - even on this re-read of the book. She's an intelligent, strong character with a very definite set of beliefs and now she's on a planet where everyone else has some very strong ideas about her place and what she should be doing, while expecting Margaret to have all the background knowledge that she doesn't have, all resulting in some very interesting situations and conflicts.

Exile's Song is the first book about Margaret, so while things are resolved by the end of the book, there are some hints of interesting things to come in The Shadow Matrix. Which is interesting all on it's own, even in the implications of the title.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - March 22

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted at One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books.

I know I completely skipped last week's post, (and all the reviews this week, which I'm now paying for), but I'm back.

This past week I read:
Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning by Judith MacKenzie McCuin. A non fiction book on spinning with both a drop spindle and a spinning wheel.

The Collegium Chronicles: Foundation by Mercedes Lackey. Fantasy, the first book of the Collegium Chronicles series. A re-read.

Exile's Song by Marion Zimmer Bradley. One of the Darkover series of books.

The Shadow Matrix by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Another Darkover novel, and the sequel to Exile's Song.

Traitor's Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The sequel to the previous two books.

The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce. An omnibus edition of Alanna: The First Adventure, In The Hand Of The Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like A Man and Lioness Rampant. Teen books but a fun read nonetheless.

What I'm reading now:
The Aeneid by Virgil. Possibly going to get abandoned like so many other books lately

Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon. For Royal Reviews.

Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce.

What am I planning to read?
Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce


Mustang: Wild Spirit Of The West by Marguerite Henry (if I can find my old copy)

Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning - Judith MacKenzie McCuin

Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning
Judith MacKenzine McCuin
Wiley Publishing
Copyright: 2007
978-0470098455

The amazon.com product description:

With its soothing, meditative effect, handspinning is a relaxing hobby, and the beautiful yarns you create are an even better reward. This visual guide shows you the basics, beginning with the tools and fibers, and takes you through spinning, plying, making novelty yarns, using exotic fibers, dyeing, and more. Whether you use an inexpensive hand spindle or splurge on a spinning wheel, stick with wool or try alpaca, cashmere, or cotton, you'll learn how to create fun, original, one-of-a-kind yarns that you can knit or weave into truly unique, handmade, and all-natural creations.
Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick review

• The skill demonstrated is defined and described
• Detailed color photos demonstrate each step
• Step-by-step instructions accompany each photo
• Helpful tips provide additional guidance
  

Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning is the first reference book on the subject that I bought myself after I got my spinning wheel a couple of years ago. The explanations are simple and concise, and well illustrated with full color photos.

There are sections on drop spindles of various types as well as on the different types of spinning wheels - how they work and how to care for them. Most of the book though is on different types of fibers and different spinning techniques. I'd read the book before when I first got it, and now reading it again I found that it made a lot of sense (and told me what the techniques I was using are called). Not just for spinning singles out of fiber, but also for plying and fiber care both for common fibers and exotic.

I find it rather neat that the model of wheel used in some of the photos is the same as the one I have: the Ashford Traveller, but that doesn't have any effect on the information in the book.

Overall, Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning is a good book for both the beginner and for someone who is a bit more advanced, although there are times when I wish they'd gone into more detail on various techniques. On the basis of this book, I'd recommend other books in the Teach Yourself Visually series too - at least for their crafting books.

Another plus for this book is that it's available in bookstores. It's the only one I've seen on the shelf to date, and so I didn't have to special order it.

Update

I know I've let All Booked Up slide badly this week. I'm sorry.  I haven't lost interest in the blog or abandoned it. It's also not because I haven't been reading. Completely the opposite in fact.

I ended up with a really bad cold last week (I'm still feeling it) and just didn't have the energy or focus to write up proper reviews or anything. I've still been reading however (only thing to do when I couldn't sleep).

The books that need to be reviewed now:
Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning by Judith MacKenzie McCuin
Exile's Song by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Shadow Matrix by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Traitor's Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley

I also need to come up with a book and read it this week for my guest review slot at Royal Reviews.

What Would You Recommend? - Diana Gabaldon

This is a question I get asked all the time working in the bookstore: "What would you recommend for somebody who loved "_________"? (fill in the blank)" Usually I can come up with something, but that something can be a bit of a wild guess if it's not a book or genre I normally read. This is where you helpful people come in. If you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

Diana Gabaldon's books are popular and well-known, especially the main series, the Outlander books. Long and detailed, they're not quite any one category: there's time travel, romance, historical fiction and more. I'm finding though lately that I've got to be in the "right" mood to read and enjoy them. Either way, they're books I get a fair number of requests for.

Now, there's an unknown wait again for the next book to be released. I haven't seen any rumors yet of new titles for the book, and no hints for a date. So, what should I recommend to tide readers over until the next book comes out, whether it'll be a sequel to An Echo In The Bone, or one of the Lord John novels.

The Collegium Chronicles: Foundation - Mercedes Lackey

The Collegium Chronicles: Foundation
Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books
Copyright: 2008
9780756405243

The amazon.com product description:

In this chronicle of the early history of Valdemar, a thirteen-year­old orphan named Magpie escapes a life of slavery in the gem mines when he is chosen by one of the magical companion horses of Valdemar to be trained as a herald. Thrust into the center of a legend in the making, Magpie discovers talents he never knew he had-and witnesses the founding of the great Heralds' Collegium.

Discovering that the sequel to this book is finally available for pre-order for next October inspired me to re-read Foundation yesterday. My original review is here: The Collegium Chronicles: Foundation.

Most of my opinions haven't changed between the last time I read the book and now. It still seems rather suited to the same teen audience as the Arrows series (Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight, Arrow's Fall), but that suited me just fine this time around.

I said last time as well that Mags fits the 'formula' for Mercedes Lackey's characters. I still feel that way, but she's taken some aspects to more of an extreme this time. Namely the rough background aspect. Mags, before being Chosen lived a life rather like that of Vetch at the beginning of Joust.

On the other hand, I found myself paying more attention to the actual starting of the Collegium this time around. It's interesting, because the Collegium is just something that we take for granted as being a part of Heraldic, Bardic, and Healer's training. Just because the Last Herald Mage trilogy is the only one where there is no Collegium. Seeing all the doubts and 'what-if's' when we know it's going to work is interesting.

I'd forgotten just how many loose ends Foundation left hanging for the sequel. Frankly, I'm not sure there's even one resolved by  the end of the book, and the story built to it's climax very quickly. Still, I definitely enjoyed the read, and I'm waiting for Intrigue, the next book.

Oath Of Fealty - Elizabeth Moon

Oath Of Fealty
Elizabeth Moon
Del Rey
Publishing Date: March 16, 2010
978-0345508744

The Amazon.com description:

Elizabeth Moon’s bestselling science fiction novels featuring Kylara Vatta have earned her rave reviews and comparison to such giants as Robert Heinlein and Lois McMaster Bujold. But as Moon’s devoted fans know, she started her career as a fantasy writer. The superb trilogy known as The Deed of Paksenarrion is widely judged to be one of the great post-Tolkien fantasies, a masterpiece of sustained world-building and realistic military action. Now Moon returns to this thrilling realm for the first time in nearly twenty years. The result: another classic in the making.

Thanks to Paks’s courage and sacrifice, the long-vanished heir to the half-elven kingdom of Lyonya has been revealed as Kieri Phelan, a formidable mercenary captain who earned a title—and enemies—in the neighboring kingdom of Tsaia. Now, as Kieri ascends a throne he never sought, he must come to terms with his own half-elven heritage while protecting his new kingdom from his old enemies—and those he has not yet discovered.

Meanwhile, in Tsaia, Prince Mikeli prepares for his own coronation. But when an assassination attempt nearly succeeds, Mikeli suddenly faces the threat of a coup. Acting swiftly, Mikeli strikes at the powerful family behind the attack: the Verrakaien, magelords possessing ancient sorcery, steeped in death and evil. Mikeli’s survival—and that of Tsaia—depend on the only Verrakai whose magery is not tainted with innocent blood.

Two kings stand at a pivotal point in the history of their worlds. For dark forces are gathering against them, knit in a secret conspiracy more sinister—and far more ancient—than they can imagine. And even Paks may find her gods-given magic and peerless fighting skills stretched to the limit—and beyond.

I was saying over on my Upcoming Books post that I hoped the store got Oath of Fealty in early. Well, they did. Yesterday. Privilege of working at the store meant that I was able to grab my copy off the cart in the back almost before it was out of the box.

Oath of Fealty was well worth the years wait since The Deed of Paksenarrion came out - over fifteen years, I think. I half worried that my anticipation of the book - I found out last year that it was coming out - would build it up to a point where I'd be disappointed. Not in the slightest. The characters all felt 'right', although the book was told in a very different manner.

Where The Deed of Paksenarrion was all from the point of view of Paksenarrion, Oath of Fealty is from a number of viewpoints; both of established characters and new ones. Some of the characters we meet again as viewpoint characters are Dorrin Verrakai, Kieri Phelan, Sergeant Stammel, Captain Arcolin and a number of others. The new characters include the Crown Prince of Tsaia and his friends.

This book picks up right where The Deed of Paksenarrion left off, with Kieri Phelan having just arrived in the capital city of Lyonya, and goes into the aftermath of the treasonous attack by the majority of the Verrakai family.

I did find that I have a few minor quibbles with this book - nothing major (aside from the fact I now have to wait for the next book to come out). Mostly that I don't remember the use of the term "hand" for five in the first books, yet it's used here all the time.

The wait was definitely worth it for Oath of Fealty. If you liked the earlier books: The Deed of Paksenarrion and The Legacy of Gird, I'm sure you'll like this one as well.

What Would You Recommend? - Percy Jackson Series

This is a question I get asked all the time working in the bookstore: "What would you recommend for somebody who loved "_________"? (fill in the blank)" Usually I can come up with something, but that something can be a bit of a wild guess if it's not a book or genre I normally read. This is where you helpful people come in. If you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

This week we're back to kids books. With the movie still in theatres, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan is going strong in stores. Am I the only one who hasn't read the books yet (or seen the movie)?


So, once the last book in the series, Percy Jackson And The Last Olympian has been finished, what else might a reader like? I'm functioning on the assumption that the Harry Potter books have long since been read. There are just so many similar books coming out these days that I'm starting to lose track of which ones are especially good. Kids fantasy is really going strong these days with new books coming out all the time.


What else can I point out that Percy Jackson fans might really enjoy?

Upcoming Books - These look like good ones

These are some of the books that are coming out over the next few months that I'm especially looking forward to:

Stealing Fire
Jo Graham
Orbit Books
Release Date: May 25, 2010
978-0316076395

Amazon.com product description:

Alexander the Great's soldier, Lydias of Miletus, has survived the final campaigns of the king's life. He now has to deal with the chaos surrounding his death. Lydias throws his lot in with Ptolemy, one of Alexander's generals who has grabbed Egypt as his personal territory. Aided by the eunuch Bagoas, the Persian archer Artashir, and the Athenian courtesan Thais, Ptolemy and Lydias must take on all the contenders in a desperate adventure whose prize is the fate of a white city by the sea, and Alexander's legacy.

Given how much I've enjoyed Jo Graham's previous two books The Black Ships and Hand of Isis, this is nearly a sure bet.

Oath Of Fealty
Elizabeth Moon
Del Rey
Publishing Date: March 16, 2010
978-0345508744

The Amazon.com description:

Elizabeth Moon’s bestselling science fiction novels featuring Kylara Vatta have earned her rave reviews and comparison to such giants as Robert Heinlein and Lois McMaster Bujold. But as Moon’s devoted fans know, she started her career as a fantasy writer. The superb trilogy known as The Deed of Paksenarrion is widely judged to be one of the great post-Tolkien fantasies, a masterpiece of sustained world-building and realistic military action. Now Moon returns to this thrilling realm for the first time in nearly twenty years. The result: another classic in the making.

Thanks to Paks’s courage and sacrifice, the long-vanished heir to the half-elven kingdom of Lyonya has been revealed as Kieri Phelan, a formidable mercenary captain who earned a title—and enemies—in the neighboring kingdom of Tsaia. Now, as Kieri ascends a throne he never sought, he must come to terms with his own half-elven heritage while protecting his new kingdom from his old enemies—and those he has not yet discovered.

Meanwhile, in Tsaia, Prince Mikeli prepares for his own coronation. But when an assassination attempt nearly succeeds, Mikeli suddenly faces the threat of a coup. Acting swiftly, Mikeli strikes at the powerful family behind the attack: the Verrakaien, magelords possessing ancient sorcery, steeped in death and evil. Mikeli’s survival—and that of Tsaia—depend on the only Verrakai whose magery is not tainted with innocent blood.

Two kings stand at a pivotal point in the history of their worlds. For dark forces are gathering against them, knit in a secret conspiracy more sinister—and far more ancient—than they can imagine. And even Paks may find her gods-given magic and peerless fighting skills stretched to the limit—and beyond.

Only five days to go for this one. I can't wait, I just keep hoping the store gets it in early.

A Mighty Fortress
David Weber
Tor Books
Release Date: April 13, 2010
978-0765315052

The Amazon.com product description:

Young Cayleb Ahrmahk has accomplished things few people could even dream of. Not yet even thirty years old, he’s won the most crushing naval victories in human history. He’s smashed a hostile alliance of no less than five princedoms and won the hand of the beautiful young Queen Sharleyan of Chisholm. Cayleb and Sharleyan have created the Charisian Empire, the greatest naval power in the history of Safehold, and they’ve turned Charis into a place of refuge for all who treasure freedom.

Their success may prove short-lived. The Church of God Awaiting, which controls most of Safehold, has decreed their destruction. Mother Church’s entire purpose is to prevent the very things to which Charis is committed. Since the first attempt to crush the heretics failed, the Church has no choice but to adopt some of the hated Charisian innovations for themselves. Soon a mighty fleet will sail against Cayleb, destroying everything in its path.

But there are still matters about which the Church knows nothing, including Cayleb and Sharleyan’s adviser, friend, and guardian— the mystic warrior-monk named Merlin Athrawes. Merlin knows all about battles against impossible odds, because he is in fact the cybernetic avatar of a young woman named Nimue Alban, who died a thousand years before. As Nimue, Merlin saw the entire Terran Federation go down in fire and slaughter at the hands of a foe it could not defeat. He knows that Safehold is the last human planet in existence, and that the stasis the Church was created to enforce will be the human race’s death sentence if it is allowed to stand.

The juggernaut is rumbling down on Charis, but Merlin Athrawes and a handful of extraordinary human beings stand in its path. The Church is about to discover just how potent the power of human freedom truly is.

 A Mighty Fortress is the sequel to By Heresies Distressed and By Schism Rent Asunder. And that's not the only book by David Weber coming out this year. There's going to be a new one in the Honor Harrington series too. The main series, apparently, and not one of the 'side' series.

Mission Of Honor
David Weber
Baen Books
Release Date: June 22, 2010
978-1439133613

The Amazon.com product description:

The Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Republic of Haven have been enemies for Honor Harrington's entire life, and she has paid a price for the victories she's achieved in that conflict. And now the unstoppable juggernaut of the mighty Solarian League is on a collision course with Manticore. The millions who have already died may have been only a foretaste of the billions of casualties just over the horizon, and Honor sees it coming. She's prepared to do anything, risk anything, to stop it, and she has a plan that may finally bring an end to the Havenite Wars and give even the Solarian League pause. But there are things not even Honor knows about. There are forces in play, hidden enemies in motion, all converging on the Star Kingdom of Manticore to crush the very life out of it, and Honor's worst nightmares fall short of the oncoming reality. But Manticore's enemies may not have thought of everything after all. Because if everything Honor Harrington loves is going down to destruction, it won't be going alone.

 Should be an exciting read.

Now, here's a surprise! I just put Mercedes Lackey into Amazon's search, not thinking I'd find much. Boy, was I wrong! No cover images or official product descriptions yet but some new books coming out in October and December:


Intrigues: Book Two of the Collegium Chronicles
Mercedes Lackey
Daw Books
Release Date: October 5, 2010
978-0756406394

This is the sequel to Foundation, which came out two years ago now. Looks like the wait for the next book is finally coming to an end.

Finding The Way And Other Tales of Valdemar
Mercedes Lackey
Daw Books
Release Date: December 7, 2010
978-0756406332

Perfect gift for the Mercedes Lackey fan for Christmas, this is the next anthology volume of stories by various authors set in the world of Valdemar. No clue who has stories in it yet though.

The Shadow Grail #1
Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
Tor Teen Books
Release Date: July 6, 2010
978-0765317612

No description or clues yet for this book. However, Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill have collaborated together very successfully in the past on other books in the world of Bedlam's Bard and sequels.

And, one more Mercedes Lackey novel. Another fairy-tale retelling, I'd guess, going by the title:

The Sleeping Beauty
Mercedes Lackey
Luna
Release Date: July 1, 2010
978-0373803156

Again, I don't have a description or much other information for this book yet, but Luna is the publisher that's put out Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series. Which makes me think this book might be set in  that world.

Dragongirl (The Dragonriders of Pern)
Todd J. McCaffrey
Del Rey
Release Date: July 27, 2010
978-0345491169

The Chapters/Indigo.ca product description:

The specter of sickness looms over the Weyrs of Pern, felling fire-lizards and threatening their dragon cousins, Pern's sole defense against the deadly phenomenon that is Thread. Fiona, the young rider of queen dragon Talenth, is about to assume the duties of a Weyrwoman when word spreads that dragons have begun succumbing to the new contagion. As more dragons sicken and die, Weyrleader B'Nik and queen rider Lorana comb Fort Weyr's archives in a desperate search for clues from the past that may hold the solution to the plague. But could the past itself prove the pathway to salvation for Pern's imperiled dragons? Guided by a mysterious ally from a wholly unexpected place, and trusting in the dragon gift for transcending time, Fiona will join a risky expedition with far-reaching consequences for both Pern's future and her personal destiny.

Book Rambling: That Lost Feeling

I finished Jo Graham's book Black Ships earlier this week and I found myself feeling completely lost when I'd turned the last page. I just didn't know what I wanted to read next (to a certain extent, I still am feeling that way). I ended up picking up and starting a number of books (most of which ended up on my It's Monday! What Are You Reading? post for the week) but putting them down again. Labyrinth, Water For Elephants, Cicero, Peony In Love. Not one of them really grabbed me this time. I've ended up going with Heinlein's Space Cadets.

What does this have to do with all of you? It's this. When I've finished reading a book that I really really liked, and Jo Graham's book was just the most recent one of them, I often find myself wondering what to read next. There's no drive to pick up the next book because I enjoyed the last one so much. And, often, I don't even know what kind of book to read next. Another, similar book? Great, if there is another book by that author. Sometimes though, going to a different author but a similar type of story, I end up comparing the two unfairly. Sometimes I've just turned around and read the book again cover to cover.

This is all in comparison to knowing what book I want to read next before I'm finished the previous book, which is what usually happens. Of course, right now, I'm waiting eagerly for Elizabeth Moon's new book, Oath of Fealty, which is due out next week. I know darned well that I'll be abandoning whatever book I'm reading when I get my hands on that one. Just hope it lives up to my expectations.

Do you get the same feelings when you finish a book? If so, which books have inspired them for you? What's your solution (not that it's a problem that needs solving)?

Waiting On Wednesday - Stealing Fire

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted each week at Breaking The Spine, so we can all discuss that subject near and dear to our hearts: that book we've been waiting for that has yet to come out.
This week's pick:

Stealing Fire
Jo Graham
Orbit Books
Release Date: May 25, 2010
978-0316076395

Amazon.com product description:

Alexander the Great's soldier, Lydias of Miletus, has survived the final campaigns of the king's life. He now has to deal with the chaos surrounding his death. Lydias throws his lot in with Ptolemy, one of Alexander's generals who has grabbed Egypt as his personal territory. Aided by the eunuch Bagoas, the Persian archer Artashir, and the Athenian courtesan Thais, Ptolemy and Lydias must take on all the contenders in a desperate adventure whose prize is the fate of a white city by the sea, and Alexander's legacy.

The Black Ships - Jo Graham

The Black Ships
Jo Graham
Orbit Books
Copyright: 2008
978-0316068000

Amazon.com Product Description:

The world is ending. One by one the mighty cities are falling, to earthquakes, to flood, to raiders on both land and sea.

In a time of war and doubt, Gull is an oracle. Daughter of a slave taken from fallen Troy, chosen at the age of seven to be the voice of the Lady of the Dead, it is her destiny to counsel kings.

When nine black ships appear, captained by an exiled Trojan prince, Gull must decide between the life she has been destined for and the most perilous adventure -- to join the remnant of her mother's people in their desperate flight. From the doomed bastions of the City of Pirates to the temples of Byblos, from the intrigues of the Egyptian court to the haunted caves beneath Mount Vesuvius, only Gull can guide Prince Aeneas on his quest, and only she can dare the gates of the Underworld itself to lead him to his destiny.

In the last shadowed days of the Age of Bronze, one woman dreams of the world beginning anew. This is her story.

The Black Ships is a retelling of The Aeneid as seen from the perspective of Gull, a girl who was born a slave but given to the temple of the Lady of Death. It's a very different view on this classic epic, and one I absolutely loved. Jo Graham has captured a similar feeling for this book to the Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It's from a woman's perspective and there's a similar use of reincarnation for example.

I loved The Hand of Isis, Jo Graham's other book, which is a retelling of the story of Antony and Cleopatra, so I knew I'd really enjoy The Black Ships, and my prediction turned out to be true. I couldn't put this book down at all.

Given the setting of the Aeneid as the same period as Homer's Iliad and Odessey, Jo Graham has had to incorporate a lot of Minoan and Mycenean, mostly Mycenaean history and culture into the story. One great example of this is the island of Santorini/Thera, and there are a number of other, similar moments throughout the story.

In the back of this edition of The Black Ships is a bit of an interview with Jo Graham, where she talks about some different things such as music that she relates to Gull - Enya's Book of Days, and some of her favorite books: many of which are favorites of mine too: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Lammas Night by Katherine Kurtz and Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon.

Jo Graham has a new book coming out in May, Stealing Fire, about Alexander The Great and the Ptolomies. I can't wait for it. Given how much I liked both of Graham's current books, I'm sure I'm going to love this one.

The Black Ships is definitely a five star read.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - March 8

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted each week by Bookjourney at One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books. I find this meme to be a really good way of staying on track with my reading each week.

This past week I read:
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein. Classic science fiction, this book is over fifty years old and is as good today as it was when it was first published (or so I guess. The book predates me by quite a margin).

Starman Jones by Robert A. Heinlein. Another one of his classic 1950's science fiction novels.

Rescue Ink: How Ten Guys Saved Countless Dogs and Cats, Twelve Horses, Five Pigs, One Duck and a Few Turtles by Rescue Ink and Denise Flaim. A good read, but not quite what I'd thought it would be given the title. Possible contender for "book having the longest title"?

The Serpent's Shadow by Mercedes Lackey. One of her fairytale retellings.

The Black Ships by Jo Graham. A retelling of the Aeneid. Just wonderful. My favorite book of the week I think.

What I'm reading right now:
Anthony Everitt's biography of Cicero. Not sure this is going to get finished at this point.

The Alliterative Morte Arthur and the Stanzaic Morte Arthur. This has been on my list for a while now.

As has John Boswell's The Kindness of Strangers.

What I intend to get read this week:
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse.

Starship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein

Starship Troopers
Robert A. Heinlein
Ace Publishing
Copyright: 1959 (Reissued in 1987)
978-0441783588

Back cover blurb:

Cosmic Combat
The Mobile Infantry of the startling twenty-second century attracts young and eager-to-serve Johnnie Rico. He enters basic training as a naive youth who must learn quickly how to cope with every soldier's problems of courage, discipline, and loyalty.

But he barely learns the value of freedom before he finds he must fight for it bravely - in fantastic interplanetary battles against he most incredible adversaries of the future.

I've read Starship Troopers before and loved it then as much as I loved it this time around. This is a book that has been called Heinlein's best novel, and I think it may well be that. A simple but effective story that fifty years later is just as relevant as it was when the book was first published. Like many of Heinlein's novels, Starship Troopers has nothing in it that dates it, the story is as readable and fresh as ever. There's no dates given in the story to limit it.

The characters are what make this story. Which seems to be the case with most of Heinlein's books. I know I just said that about the characters in my review of Starman Jones, but it's just as true here.

There are some points in Starship Troopers that are interesting to think about, such as the political structure they've come up with, and a few others that make me cringe: namely the methods of training a puppy. Guess it's the time span between the book's first publishing and now.

Some reviews I've seen for this book spend some time talking about the various movie versions of Starship Troopers. Not having seen them, I wonder how good they are. I'll admit I'm more of a purist towards the books when I've seen movies made of books. So, what do you think of the movies made of Starship Troopers.

Starman Jones - Robert A. Heinlein

Starman Jones
Robert Heinlein
Del Rey
Original Copyright: 1953
978-0345328113

The indigo.ca product description:

Where were they? In fact, when were they? and how could they get back?

It''s easy to stow away on an intergalactic spaceship, if you''re a smart lad like Max Jones. But it''s quite another thing when the spaceship touches down on an unknown planet after passage through a time warp...perhaps an unknown century. Especially when the spaceship''s pilot dies, and his charts and are destroyed. Now survival was up to Max...

 With an original copyright dating from 1953, the novel Starman Jones is over fifty years old, but it's still a very readable novel, not being too dated in feeling. It's a bit such, with the characters still using log tables, slide rules and the like, but not so much that it feels overly unrealistic. After all, the book most definitely predates computers by a substantial amount.

Of course, I'm a bit biased. I like the science fiction of Robert A. Heinlein, so I'm generally looking for the positive as I read his books. Still, I didn't like this one as much as I did Space Cadet and Starship Trooper (my original review). Now, that's a good novel.

It's the characters that make this book: Sam, the vagrant, Max Jones and the astrogator, Dr. Hendrix especially, but all of the characters have an important role. 

Anyway, Starman Jones is suited for all ages from teens on up and is an exciting read for anyone who likes classic science fiction, and my copy is likely to stay as a permanent part of my collection.

Rescue Ink: How Ten Guys Saved Countless Dogs and Cats, Twelve Horses, Five Pigs...

Rescue Ink: How Ten Guys Saved Countless Dogs and Cats, Twelve Horses, Five Pigs, One Duck and a Few Turtles
Rescue Ink and Denise Flaim
Viking Adult Press
Copyright: 2009
978-0670021161

The Amazon.com product description:

The true story of ten tough and tattooed bikers who rescue animals in danger

Using their combined 1700 pounds of muscle, Joe, Johnny O, Batso, Big Ant, G, Angel, Eric, Des, Bruce and Robert stop at nothing within the bounds of the law to save animals, be they furred, feathered, or scaled, from life-or-death situations throughout the New York City metropolitan area.

Working from tips from concerned neighbors and anonymous sources, they have rescued countless animals, including a dognapped bulldog and 180 cats from the home of a hoarder. In between rescues, they've protested the barbaric practices of a horse slaughterhouse, visited schools to educate children about animal kindness and that "abusers are losers," and participated in Puppy Mill Awareness Day in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Former Newsday writer Denise Flaim chronicles their adventurous tales, detailing just what these brawny bikers, who will stop at nothing within the bounds of the law, can teach us all about respecting the creatures in our midst.

 Rescue Ink was a book I picked up on a whim, thinking it looked interesting. I'm a sucker for animal stories. As such, the book was interesting and a good read. The folks involved with Rescue Ink are definitely not the type you usually think of when thinking of animal rescuers. But, they're definitely needed. These guys have managed to do quite a bit of good in New York and the surrounding areas.

The book focuses on both the men involved with Rescue Ink and the animals they rescued. Both aspects of the story were good reading, and the men definitely had some interesting stories, but I would have liked to see more of the animal rescue stories and the happy endings for the animals the guys rescued.

Each chapter of the story looks at the lives of one of the men, or their associates, with plenty about their various pets - many of which are pit-bulls. You get a very different picture of the breed in this book than you do in the newspapers - that's for sure.

If you like animal stories and happy endings, this might just be the book for you.

What Would You Recommend? - Charlaine Harris

This is a question I get asked all the time working in the bookstore: "What would you recommend for somebody who loved "_________"? (fill in the blank)" Usually I can come up with something, but that something can be a bit of a wild guess if it's not a book or genre I normally read. This is where you helpful people come in. If you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

This week I'm asking about the novels by Charlaine Harris. Primarily, I'm wondering what you'd recommend for the fans of her Sookie Stackhouse books, which are the basis for the True Blood T.V. series. However, Charlaine Harris has also written a number of mysteries, which I've seen people buying, though not as often her vampire series.

I've neither seen the True Blood series, nor read the books it's based on, so I'm not overly familiar with Charlaine Harris's style of writing. It is on my 'read one day' list, as quite a few people have recommended the books and the t.v. show to me. In the mean time though, I've got to come up with recommendations for people who've liked the books.

I've been recommending the Blood Ties novels by Tanya Huff, which starts with Blood Price, and also the Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson books (first book Moon Called) for fans of the Sookie Stackhouse series, although I do think the Blood Ties books may be closer in style. I don't know about suggesting the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels by Laurell K. Hamilton. I like them, but there's been such a debate about the most recent books in the series. What would you suggest (and yes, I'm also asking because I like urban fantasy and would always like to have more authors/series to try)?

And, if you've read her other mysteries, what would you suggest for fans of those?

The Serpent's Shadow - Mercedes Lackey

The Serpent's Shadow
Mercedes Lackey
Daw Books
Copyright: 2001
978-0756400613

The chapters.ca description:

Living most of her 25 years in her native India, Maya Witherspoon is the daughter of a prominent British physician and a Brahmin woman of the highest caste--and a doctor herself. Maya''s mother was a former priestess of the magic fueled by the powerful pantheon of Indian gods. When her parents are murdered, Maya flees to Edwardian London where she must master her own magic.

The Serpent's Shadow is the first book in the Elemental Masters series. I'm not actually sure I'd call this set of books a series however, but rather a world. Each of the books more or less stands alone, only making occasional references to the characters of previous books. Many of the books are also either retellings of fairy tales, or at least based on them. I'd also call this a 'world' because The Fire Rose, one of Mercedes Lackey's earlier novels follows the same 'rules' in it's magic. It's not part of the series, and was even put out by Baen Books rather than Daw. For some of the stories, the fairytale is obvious, but in the case of The Serpents Shadow, it's rather open to questioning. There are some elements of the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, but is that the story being told here in its entirety?

Mercedes Lackey has managed her usual great job of descriptions and characters, with scene after scene that feels right and sticks in the mind. There's quite a few lines that left me smiling too. As with most of her books, The Serpent's Shadow is just as suitable for a teen audience as it is for adults.

Perhaps not great literature (in fact, I'm sure it's not), but The Serpent's Shadow is a good and fun read. One that I've enjoyed before, and I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it again.

Lover Revealed - J.R. Ward

Lover Revealed
J.R. Ward
Signet Eclipse
Copyright: 2007
9780451412355

From the cover of the book:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now, an ally of the Black Dagger Brotherhood will face the challenge of his life and the evil of the ages.

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard living, ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world- to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. If he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...

Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, found by a miracle, the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him...

Lover Revealed is my favorite of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. With Butch, there's more to the story than just the happy ending required by a romance novel. He's the only human to have ever been allowed so deeply into the world of the vampires, much less the world of the Brotherhood. Living with them, living off their money, but not able to do anything much in return, something has to change. And it does.

In many ways, the storyline for Lover Revealed was being set up as far back as the first book in the series, Dark Lover. There's been hints and plot points dropped into the previous books, especially in Lover Awakened, all of which come to a head in this fourth book.

J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series is rather a cross between the urban fantasy genre and paranormal romances: each book focuses on an individual character and ends with their happy ending - all classic of the romances I've read, but at the same time, there's constantly something being set up for the next books in the series, which is a lot more like the fantasy series such as the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs.

She's also created one of the most original worlds I've seen - with some of the most different heroes. Are they heroes? Heroes are 'supposed' to be characters you can look up to. These guys get up to some rather dubious activities to say the least. Drug use and dealing is pretty much constant as is drinking and even the use of prostitutes. The language the characters use is also very rough (and flecked with several four letter words not used in polite company).

Even so, I really like these books, and I'm enjoying them just as much on re-reading as I did the first time around.

Waiting On Wednesday - Oath Of Fealty.

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking The Spine every Wednesday.

I'm waiting for Elizabeth Moon's newest book, Oath of Fealty:

Oath Of Fealty
Elizabeth Moon
Del Rey
Publishing Date: March 16, 2010
978-0345508744

The Amazon.com description:

Elizabeth Moon’s bestselling science fiction novels featuring Kylara Vatta have earned her rave reviews and comparison to such giants as Robert Heinlein and Lois McMaster Bujold. But as Moon’s devoted fans know, she started her career as a fantasy writer. The superb trilogy known as The Deed of Paksenarrion is widely judged to be one of the great post-Tolkien fantasies, a masterpiece of sustained world-building and realistic military action. Now Moon returns to this thrilling realm for the first time in nearly twenty years. The result: another classic in the making.

Thanks to Paks’s courage and sacrifice, the long-vanished heir to the half-elven kingdom of Lyonya has been revealed as Kieri Phelan, a formidable mercenary captain who earned a title—and enemies—in the neighboring kingdom of Tsaia. Now, as Kieri ascends a throne he never sought, he must come to terms with his own half-elven heritage while protecting his new kingdom from his old enemies—and those he has not yet discovered.

Meanwhile, in Tsaia, Prince Mikeli prepares for his own coronation. But when an assassination attempt nearly succeeds, Mikeli suddenly faces the threat of a coup. Acting swiftly, Mikeli strikes at the powerful family behind the attack: the Verrakaien, magelords possessing ancient sorcery, steeped in death and evil. Mikeli’s survival—and that of Tsaia—depend on the only Verrakai whose magery is not tainted with innocent blood.

Two kings stand at a pivotal point in the history of their worlds. For dark forces are gathering against them, knit in a secret conspiracy more sinister—and far more ancient—than they can imagine. And even Paks may find her gods-given magic and peerless fighting skills stretched to the limit—and beyond.

Just over two weeks to go. Given how much I love The Deed of Paksenarrion, I'm just hoping the store gets this one in early. The sooner the better!

Lover Awakened - J.R. Ward

Lover Awakened
J.R. Ward
Signet Eclipse
Copyright: 2006
0451219368

From the cover of the book:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Of these, Zsadist is the most terrifying member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…

Lover Awakened, the third book of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series has all of the key aspects that make the Black Dagger Brotherhood books so good in my mind: the loyalty between the warriors, the love story between the two heroes, while setting up the characters for the next book, Lover Revealed, and a very exciting storyline.

I've read the book before, last year and loved it then, and the same thing was true this time. I ended up staying up far too late yet again by reading my way through this series. As soon as I finish one book, I immediately pick up the next, no matter how late it is (typically around 12:30-1:00 AM). My original review of Lover Awakened is here.

The lessers just get creepier as this series goes on. Mostly, that seems to be by becoming more human (and therefore, showing some disturbing behaviors). Mr. O is the creepiest so far, in what he does. It's not the torture we see in the earlier books.

The heroes of these books are definitely not the wonderful role-models of the other romances I've read. These are characters who would be (if generally known about) on the wrong side of the law: heavy drinkers, drug users, drug sellers and more. And yet, they're the heroes and the villains are worse.

That's all part of what makes the Black Dagger Brotherhood books unique in my experience. The characters. Well, that and the way J.R. Ward has made the vampires of her books so different. They really do have a parallel society, and one where if all the humans vanished from the face of the earth, they'd still be able to survive and probably thrive.

I class this entire series as five star reads, even on re-reads.

Lover Eternal - J.R. Ward

Lover Eternal
J.R. Ward
Signet Eclipse
Copyright: 2006
0451218043

From the cover of the book:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast, Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood...

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He’s the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover—for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships, is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage’s protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. Her faith in miracles was lost years ago. But when Rhage’s intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves…

Lover Eternal is the sequel to J.R. Ward's first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Dark Lover. I've read the series before and my original review of Lover Eternal is here. I have to say though, the books are just as good this time around as they were on my original reading.

Lover Eternal is the story of Rhage, but it also sets up the story for Zsadist and Bella in the next book, Lover Awakened. One of the things that makes this series so good in my opinion is the character interactions. Well, that and the overarching story arc that spans the whole series. The books are romances, where each of the Brothers gets his happy ending, but at the same time, there's more going on.

At this point in the series, it's quite clear that none of the Brothers are exactly what you'd call role models. The books are rife with drinking and drug use, not to mention prostitution and other less than savory activities. That's something different from the usual 'hero' in my limited experience with romances. It's just one of the things that makes the Black Dagger Brotherhood series original.

I think I've said this before, but this whole series is one that I end up racing through, leaving me with a backlog of books to review. At the moment, I'm reading book five, but this is the review of book two. Only a couple more months until Lover Mine, the newest book and the story of John is due out at the end of April. I can't wait.