RESISTING DARKNESS, the third Forest of Darkness novel by Kate Wendley, is an entertaining and intriguing paranormal romance that improves greatly on the previous two novels. I give it 3 stars.
In the novel, each character seems to have some darkness that must be resisted. While Ethan may be strong enough to be a Master vampire, he's not THE Master of Atlanta; instead, the son of his wife's killer is the Master of Atlanta, and Ethan has struggled for seventy years against hating and wanting to kill the man who reminds him so much of his wife's murderer. With some help from a friend, Ethan has learned how to beckon the killer back to Atlanta so he can finally have his revenge. Harmony arrives in town before the murderer, though, and distracts him from his mission.
Harmony has been alive for more than two hundred years, and has been afflicted with extreme wanderlust at least the entire time she's been a vampire. There's something, or someone she has to find, but she's not certain who or what it is. Fortunately, her Master allows her to roam freely, only requiring her to return to him in Malibu once a year. In the meantime, she tutors and teaches where she can until she feels it's time to move on, until she arrives in Atlanta and meets Ethan. With Ethan she finally stops feeling the need to seek. Their relationship isn't easy though. Ethan seems to be caught up in his dead wife, and Harmony doesn't want to share him with anyone, especially not a ghost.
Meanwhile, Anthony and Kaia struggle with the next steps in their relationship, which are not aided by human illness or the return of Anthony's father, Isaiah. It's been seventy-five years since he left, and he didn't stay in touch. Anthony's uncertain about his father's motives and intentions, and after he harms Kaia, there may not be room for Isaiah in the family. All of that drama would be enough, but Isaiah brought some old friends to town with him, and their presence shakes things up even more.
I absolutely enjoyed this novel. The plot was rich and complex, with some hidden minefields. (I will do my best to talk about what I enjoyed without giving any spoilers. Apologies if my comments are too vague!) Ethan is such a sympathetic character that one can't help but love him and want him to deal with his grief and live happily ever after with Harmony. Their romance seems to be nearly a love at first sight thing, but it is supported by the context of the novel. Their journey to HEA is a difficult one, but well worth the read.
I thought that Isaiah would eventually play a larger role in the novel, but perhaps his story will unfold in future novels or maybe a prequel. (He certainly has a lot to answer for in my book.) Or it could be that his arrival was merely a catalyst for other characters' development. I also enjoyed the drama with Anthony and Kaia and am happy about where their relationship is going.
There's also some introduction of new beings and further explanation of the magic in this world. I felt bad for some of the characters who needed more information about their magical world than they had, but they are learning right along with the reader.
On the technical side, the pacing of the novel was good, without any sticky points, and aside from a few grammar errors and wordy sentences, there weren't any editing issues that significantly detracted from my enjoyment of the novel.
On the whole, I was impressed by how much better this novel is than the first two in the series. I would still recommend reading the first two novels to gain an appreciation of the characters' lives and motivations. While there are some parts in this novel that summarize the backstory, it was just vague enough that anyone new to the series might still be lost. With the intriguing plot and steady pace, though, I think any lover of the vampire/shifter genre would like this novel.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Abandoned Darkness by Kate Wendley - 2 stars
ABANDONED DARKNESS, the second Forest of Darkness novel by Kate Wendley, successfully builds on the first novel's plot, but the interesting ideas are lost in the many substantive and technical issues. I give it 2 stars.
In the novel, after reading Anthony's girlfriend, Kaia, Sebastian goes for a run to shut off Kaia's memories, thoughts and feelings, but when he returns home, his wolf is still in command. Sebastian makes a move on Jade, resulting in a surprising connection and outing their mutually "unrequited" romantic interest, but he doesn't remember it. After some gossip makes its way back to him, he and Jade can't deny their attraction. Sebastian has to learn how to trust Jade with his heart and how to risk rejection not only from her, but also from his pack. Having closed himself off from the people who rejected him years ago, Sebastian has some additional hurdles put in his path when Torin, his "second" and thorn in the flesh, attempts a truce.
Jade is also a fish out of water in her relationship with Sebastian. So many of her thoughts and opinions about herself and their world are challenged, and she has to decide whether to take a final leap of faith and show Sebastian how she feels before she loses him. Things come to a head the night of the full moon when danger threatens the pack. Meanwhile, Anthony is learning his new gifts, but using one of his gifts puts him in a perilous position politically.
Overall, I did not enjoy this novel, though the plot was more intricate than the previous novel in this series. I was happy to see more development of Anthony's relationship with Kaia, even though this novel is more focused on the romance between Sebastian and Jade. Surprisingly, my favorite aspect of the novel was Torin's truce. It unraveled much of Sebastian's character and history, and Torin's obnoxiousness balanced out the sweet aspects of the Sebastian/Jade romance.
But for all the excitement caused by the intriguing plot lines, I was dismayed by many things. Occasionally, the characters seem to act out of character, e.g., even if Sebastian and Kaia are no longer strangers, it is still weird that she "cozies" up to him in the beginning of the novel and that he sits watching television on the couch with his arm around her shoulders. She's dating Anthony, and Sebastian is not that affectionate with *anyone*. So it was just weird. There's no explanation early on to help the reader understand why Sebastian is acting so chummy with Kaia. If this were a human pair, there would be some major jealousy issues, so there was a missed opportunity to add depth to the shifter world, or at the very least, Anthony and Sebatian's friendship.
In another instance, it seemed that Sebastian is self-aware, and yet his actions are those of someone who has absolutely NO self-awareness. He is angry because other wolves don't treat him well, but what does it mean to be the Alpha? There's no background to explain to the reader what makes an alpha and how the rest of the pack is supposed to treat him, so there is no context to explain Sebastian's actions and thoughts.
There was also major repetitive narration of emotional thoughts. If the same feelings arise on a different day, they should be presented differently, maybe even point out that this character felt these feelings *again*, rather than simply repeating the same statement. Also, things are kept rather shallow, e.g., the reader doesn't ever learn more about Jade's hatred of her animal, other than her stalwart statements that she's a human being, NOT an animal. There were so many opportunities to delve into how she came to think the way she did – did something happen when she was a child? What do her parents think of her perspective? Has she even talked about it with them? There were many missed opportunities like this to make the emotional narration a deeper, more interesting exposition.
Consequently, the dense emotional narration mostly felt like I was listening to a pre-teen girl recount the drama of the day; the emotions and resulting thoughts of these characters were all over the place and didn't follow a logical growth progression. So the declarations of love in the end were surprising and not quite believable.
On a technical side, the novel needed a new set of eyes for another round of editing. The grammar errors were pervasive with misused subject/object pronouns (her instead of she), verb/object disagreement and misused words (accept, instead of except, etc.). The sentence structure swung erratically from simple, almost bullet type statements to wordy sentences that meandered around the meaning. I had to re-read many sentences several times to make sure I understood what the convoluted wording really meant.
So while the plot was intriguing and I began to care about what happens to the characters, there were just too many issues that kept me from even remotely enjoying it. If the novel went through another round of revision, I might recommend it to others.
**Review originally written for The Romance Review.com.
In the novel, after reading Anthony's girlfriend, Kaia, Sebastian goes for a run to shut off Kaia's memories, thoughts and feelings, but when he returns home, his wolf is still in command. Sebastian makes a move on Jade, resulting in a surprising connection and outing their mutually "unrequited" romantic interest, but he doesn't remember it. After some gossip makes its way back to him, he and Jade can't deny their attraction. Sebastian has to learn how to trust Jade with his heart and how to risk rejection not only from her, but also from his pack. Having closed himself off from the people who rejected him years ago, Sebastian has some additional hurdles put in his path when Torin, his "second" and thorn in the flesh, attempts a truce.
Jade is also a fish out of water in her relationship with Sebastian. So many of her thoughts and opinions about herself and their world are challenged, and she has to decide whether to take a final leap of faith and show Sebastian how she feels before she loses him. Things come to a head the night of the full moon when danger threatens the pack. Meanwhile, Anthony is learning his new gifts, but using one of his gifts puts him in a perilous position politically.
Overall, I did not enjoy this novel, though the plot was more intricate than the previous novel in this series. I was happy to see more development of Anthony's relationship with Kaia, even though this novel is more focused on the romance between Sebastian and Jade. Surprisingly, my favorite aspect of the novel was Torin's truce. It unraveled much of Sebastian's character and history, and Torin's obnoxiousness balanced out the sweet aspects of the Sebastian/Jade romance.
But for all the excitement caused by the intriguing plot lines, I was dismayed by many things. Occasionally, the characters seem to act out of character, e.g., even if Sebastian and Kaia are no longer strangers, it is still weird that she "cozies" up to him in the beginning of the novel and that he sits watching television on the couch with his arm around her shoulders. She's dating Anthony, and Sebastian is not that affectionate with *anyone*. So it was just weird. There's no explanation early on to help the reader understand why Sebastian is acting so chummy with Kaia. If this were a human pair, there would be some major jealousy issues, so there was a missed opportunity to add depth to the shifter world, or at the very least, Anthony and Sebatian's friendship.
In another instance, it seemed that Sebastian is self-aware, and yet his actions are those of someone who has absolutely NO self-awareness. He is angry because other wolves don't treat him well, but what does it mean to be the Alpha? There's no background to explain to the reader what makes an alpha and how the rest of the pack is supposed to treat him, so there is no context to explain Sebastian's actions and thoughts.
There was also major repetitive narration of emotional thoughts. If the same feelings arise on a different day, they should be presented differently, maybe even point out that this character felt these feelings *again*, rather than simply repeating the same statement. Also, things are kept rather shallow, e.g., the reader doesn't ever learn more about Jade's hatred of her animal, other than her stalwart statements that she's a human being, NOT an animal. There were so many opportunities to delve into how she came to think the way she did – did something happen when she was a child? What do her parents think of her perspective? Has she even talked about it with them? There were many missed opportunities like this to make the emotional narration a deeper, more interesting exposition.
Consequently, the dense emotional narration mostly felt like I was listening to a pre-teen girl recount the drama of the day; the emotions and resulting thoughts of these characters were all over the place and didn't follow a logical growth progression. So the declarations of love in the end were surprising and not quite believable.
On a technical side, the novel needed a new set of eyes for another round of editing. The grammar errors were pervasive with misused subject/object pronouns (her instead of she), verb/object disagreement and misused words (accept, instead of except, etc.). The sentence structure swung erratically from simple, almost bullet type statements to wordy sentences that meandered around the meaning. I had to re-read many sentences several times to make sure I understood what the convoluted wording really meant.
So while the plot was intriguing and I began to care about what happens to the characters, there were just too many issues that kept me from even remotely enjoying it. If the novel went through another round of revision, I might recommend it to others.
**Review originally written for The Romance Review.com.
Mastering Darkness by Kate Wendley - 2 stars
In order to enjoy MASTERING DARKNESS, the first novel in the Forest of Darkness series by Kate Wendley, one must first master one's own impatience. The pace and length of the novel proffer a serious obstacle to lovers of the vampire/shifter genre, and so I give it 2 stars.
In the novel, Anthony Foster is a vampire and the Master of Atlanta, as was his father before him. He maintains peace and order in the vampire and shifter community, and that responsibility weighs heavily upon him, so much that he has not been in a relationship for a very long time. One evening, Anthony goes out for some fresh air and a break from the club/residence he oversees, and meets a woman at the local bookstore.
Kaia has been through some seriously difficult times in her life. More than a decade ago, she left her home, changed her name and started over. A friendship with co-worker Ethan has been an anchor in the storm for her, and even though she is sensitive to the supernatural energy around her, she doesn't know that Ethan is a vampire or that most of her neighbors are supernaturals. Meeting Anthony at the bookstore changed her life, and suddenly she feels as though she might have found someone with whom she can share a romantic relationship - if only Ethan and his centuries-old grudge wouldn't interfere.
I am a huge fan of the vampire and shifter genre, and so I read any book that sounds like it has something unique to offer. The concept behind MASTERING DARKNESS intrigued me, despite how simple the plot is. The characters are sympathetic; I want them to find happiness after years of difficulties and loneliness. The illustration of the plot and characters, though, fell flat.
The big issues for me were the pace and length of the novel and the shallowness of the story. The story moves as quickly as molasses, and the plot drowns in minutia. The 158 page novel could have been 100 pages if the minutia had been edited. I'm a huge proponent of using dialogue to move the plot along and tell the story, but sometimes dialogue can be just as cumbersome as over narration. For example, it's enough to state that while out to dinner, two characters engage in small talk as they peruse the menu and eat. The reader doesn't actually need to hear every painful sentence of the small talk. I often felt that the dialogue was contrived and repetitive, which made the romantic relationship seem unrealistic.
The romance was not too graphic, but enough so that the novel is really only appropriate for adults.
There were also some aspects of the story that could have been expanded to make the novel fuller and well-rounded, but they were simply dropped into the novel and left where they lay. Perhaps those parts were meant to set up future novels, but that effect could still be achieved while embellishing on the puzzle piece in this novel. Sadly, the cliffhanger at the end was not quite sudden enough. It was one or two sentences too long and the "jaw-dropping O.M.G." effect was lost.
On the technical side, there were significant grammatical errors that were distracting – the use of object pronouns instead of subject pronouns – and often the sentence construction and word choices were underdeveloped and lacked flair or finesse. There were also some seemingly inconsistent facts about the setting of the novel. It is understood that the novel takes place in Atlanta, but then some of the characters find themselves west of Dallas, Texas and still in Anthony's territory. Atlanta and Dallas are about 800 miles apart, making it unlikely that the characters were still in Anthony's territory, unless Anthony is considered Master of the Gulf Coast instead of just Atlanta. This kind of issue tends to stick in my craw until it is resolved. Here, there was no resolution for me.
As a side note, the categorization of the novel seems a bit broad. I would fit this squarely in the paranormal romance and vampire shifter genres, but I don't see much of the fantasy romance or urban fantasy qualities in the novel.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy the novel, though I seriously want to find out what happens to the characters. Perhaps things will pick up in the second novel in the series, but I'll need some extra patience and fortitude to find out.
In the novel, Anthony Foster is a vampire and the Master of Atlanta, as was his father before him. He maintains peace and order in the vampire and shifter community, and that responsibility weighs heavily upon him, so much that he has not been in a relationship for a very long time. One evening, Anthony goes out for some fresh air and a break from the club/residence he oversees, and meets a woman at the local bookstore.
Kaia has been through some seriously difficult times in her life. More than a decade ago, she left her home, changed her name and started over. A friendship with co-worker Ethan has been an anchor in the storm for her, and even though she is sensitive to the supernatural energy around her, she doesn't know that Ethan is a vampire or that most of her neighbors are supernaturals. Meeting Anthony at the bookstore changed her life, and suddenly she feels as though she might have found someone with whom she can share a romantic relationship - if only Ethan and his centuries-old grudge wouldn't interfere.
I am a huge fan of the vampire and shifter genre, and so I read any book that sounds like it has something unique to offer. The concept behind MASTERING DARKNESS intrigued me, despite how simple the plot is. The characters are sympathetic; I want them to find happiness after years of difficulties and loneliness. The illustration of the plot and characters, though, fell flat.
The big issues for me were the pace and length of the novel and the shallowness of the story. The story moves as quickly as molasses, and the plot drowns in minutia. The 158 page novel could have been 100 pages if the minutia had been edited. I'm a huge proponent of using dialogue to move the plot along and tell the story, but sometimes dialogue can be just as cumbersome as over narration. For example, it's enough to state that while out to dinner, two characters engage in small talk as they peruse the menu and eat. The reader doesn't actually need to hear every painful sentence of the small talk. I often felt that the dialogue was contrived and repetitive, which made the romantic relationship seem unrealistic.
The romance was not too graphic, but enough so that the novel is really only appropriate for adults.
There were also some aspects of the story that could have been expanded to make the novel fuller and well-rounded, but they were simply dropped into the novel and left where they lay. Perhaps those parts were meant to set up future novels, but that effect could still be achieved while embellishing on the puzzle piece in this novel. Sadly, the cliffhanger at the end was not quite sudden enough. It was one or two sentences too long and the "jaw-dropping O.M.G." effect was lost.
On the technical side, there were significant grammatical errors that were distracting – the use of object pronouns instead of subject pronouns – and often the sentence construction and word choices were underdeveloped and lacked flair or finesse. There were also some seemingly inconsistent facts about the setting of the novel. It is understood that the novel takes place in Atlanta, but then some of the characters find themselves west of Dallas, Texas and still in Anthony's territory. Atlanta and Dallas are about 800 miles apart, making it unlikely that the characters were still in Anthony's territory, unless Anthony is considered Master of the Gulf Coast instead of just Atlanta. This kind of issue tends to stick in my craw until it is resolved. Here, there was no resolution for me.
As a side note, the categorization of the novel seems a bit broad. I would fit this squarely in the paranormal romance and vampire shifter genres, but I don't see much of the fantasy romance or urban fantasy qualities in the novel.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy the novel, though I seriously want to find out what happens to the characters. Perhaps things will pick up in the second novel in the series, but I'll need some extra patience and fortitude to find out.
Storm & Silence by Robert Thier - 1 star
As a reader, nothing upsets me more than putting a massive amount of time and effort into reading a book only to be given nothing in return. Unfortunately, with STORM AND SILENCE by Robert Thier, after pushing through the ridiculous and unbelievable characters, the romance novel clichés, and the more than 500 pages of glacially paced, overly narrated and repetitive prose, that is exactly what the readers will get: Nothing. No resolution. Just an end, as if someone's hard drive crashed and these 500+ pages were the only ones recovered. I give it 1 star.
In the novel, Lillian Linton is a nineteen year-old suffragette in early Victorian England who meets Mr. Rikkard Ambrose, the wealthiest man in London, on the street outside a polling place. Lilly is garbed in her uncle's clothing, intending to vote in the current election, and hears a gentleman attempting to swindle Mr. Ambrose by misrepresenting a property for sale. Lilly can't help but speak up (the reader never gets confirmation of how exactly she knows about this property), and by doing so gains employment with Mr. Ambrose as his private secretary. Of course, difficulties arise when Lilly carelessly reveals herself at the polling place - curtseying instead of bowing to the pollster- and Mr. Ambrose learns she is, in fact, female.
Mr. Ambrose has enough difficulties of his own running his business (which is never really explained to the reader) and he has no intention of actually employing Lilly. After she "tricks" him into hiring her, a devastating security breach is uncovered in his office, and he is determined to recover the stolen papers. His challenges are amplified by Lilly's determination to be a part of the recovery efforts, even if it kills her – literally.
As may be obvious, I did not enjoy this novel in the least. The idea was interesting, but the execution failed epically. As far as substance goes, the characters were annoying and didn't quite act according to the parameters and world in which they lived. I don't know whether this was because the time period wasn't well-researched, but it certainly seems like the times and the characters don't quite align. Lilly is determined to have her own way regardless of the consequences – for her or anyone else, including her family. For an orphan who has no family to take care of her if something happens to her aunt and uncle, she's unbelievably flippant about her and their reputations. She's also initially portrayed as someone who has smarts, but she does the most idiotic things that even modern women in 2016 wouldn't do, despite having similar passions. She honestly can't keep her mouth shut to save her life. In the middle of breaking into a fortified and heavily guarded buildings, she's chatting away and asking questions and dragging her heels until she gets an answer. I wanted to smack some sense into her.
Mr. Ambrose's character has similar idiotic deficiencies. First off, the reader never does quite learn anything about him. How old is he? Where does he come from? Who is his family? He is supposed to be this ruthless and cunning businessman, but sometimes, he acts like someone needs to hold his hand while crossing the street. One would think that with his business and worldly knowledge that he would be smarter in certain situations, not needing silly Lilly to deduce obvious aspects of a problem.
On the more technical side, this novel moves at a glacial pace. When I want to read a book, I want to escape the mundanities of real life, not suffer through some fictional character's drudgery for the length of a Bible. This book FEELS and moves at a real life pace; it drowns in minutia and scenes that do not progress the plot. This problem is not aided by the length of the novel. At over 500 pages, it should either be two separate books, or simply edited to get it down to 300 pages, which could easily be done by cutting out or summarizing in narration several lengthy and ridiculous subplot scenes. Another contributor to this issue is the overuse of narration during suspenseful dialogue, and over-narration of Lilly's snarky inner monologue in general. In the beginning, the inner monologue narration is important to help sketch Lilly's character, but after a certain point, it become a hindrance to the progression of the plot and pace of the novel.
There are also too many romance novel clichés and too many instances where the reader has to suspend reality to believe the story. One of my biggest pet peeves – even during a full moon, a person cannot possibly see someone blush or go pale in the moonlight, especially if they are ten or twenty feet away hiding in the bushes. I challenge any writer to go outside at midnight and see what a person can and cannot really see in the dark. When Lilly and Mr. Ambrose are shoved into a carriage with several other people, via narration she comments that she feels something rigid up against her leg and that she hopes it's Mr. Ambrose's walking stick. He's sitting next to her. Anatomically and logistically, this cliché is an impossibility. When the ship Lilly and Mr. Ambrose are on runs into a storm, why are the passengers sent into the lifeboats? That's ridiculous. The ship isn't sinking, and the tiny lifeboats have a decidedly LESS chance of surviving the approaching storm. So many contrivances made this book difficult to read.
There were many editing issues with missing words or extraneous words from a previous revision. There were inconsistences in the setting (e.g., Lilly gets to work at 9, but later she "always" gets to work at 8; she takes off her waistcoat and then in the next sentence has trouble unbuttoning it). The progression of time is also not well done. A twenty-minute dialogue does not equate to seven hours at sea. After a full day's work, a three hour conversation with Sir Phillip and another three hours waiting for Lieutenant Ellingham would put the setting well into the middle of the night, rather than dinnertime. Better and more accurate markers of time passing are needed. The reader sees Lilly get up, rushes through dressing, goes to work, comes home and rushes through dressing for balls. There is no mention of her bathing or eating dinner. These things are irritating in general, but with everything else, they become yet another hurdle to enjoying the story.
Finally, as if wading through the quagmire of the foregoing weren't enough, the novel just ends without any resolution! Just ends. One minute you think there may finally be a happily ever after in the next chapter, and then the words "THE END" appear, resulting in reader's whiplash. There are so many unanswered questions: Most importantly, what happens with Mr. Ambrose and Lilly? Do they EVER get together, and do they even survive the trip back to England? On a smaller scale, the issue of Lilly's clothing is also never resolved. Is she wearing the SAME clothes EVERY DAY?! Why can't she sneak in and trade them with some others of her uncle's so that her clothes can be washed? How is it that no one has commented on how bad she smells? Is Mr. Ambrose actually Lord Ambrose, what connection does he have with the Earldom in the north, and who is the lady who sends him letters on perfumed stationery? What really happened to Lieutenant Ellingham? There is just too much time spent on extraneous scenes and not enough time wrapping up the main plotline.
Overall, STORM & SILENCE had some potential in its conception, but it dies a tragic watery death on the sea. I really want to find out what happens with Mr. Ambrose and Lilly in the sequel to this novel, but honestly, I just cannot bear to think about having to read another word if it's like this novel. I want a refund of the entire day of my life that I spent trudging through this novel. By page 300 I was skimming most of the novel just to get to the important bits and get to the (most unsatisfying) end, so I can't recommend this novel to anyone.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com
In the novel, Lillian Linton is a nineteen year-old suffragette in early Victorian England who meets Mr. Rikkard Ambrose, the wealthiest man in London, on the street outside a polling place. Lilly is garbed in her uncle's clothing, intending to vote in the current election, and hears a gentleman attempting to swindle Mr. Ambrose by misrepresenting a property for sale. Lilly can't help but speak up (the reader never gets confirmation of how exactly she knows about this property), and by doing so gains employment with Mr. Ambrose as his private secretary. Of course, difficulties arise when Lilly carelessly reveals herself at the polling place - curtseying instead of bowing to the pollster- and Mr. Ambrose learns she is, in fact, female.
Mr. Ambrose has enough difficulties of his own running his business (which is never really explained to the reader) and he has no intention of actually employing Lilly. After she "tricks" him into hiring her, a devastating security breach is uncovered in his office, and he is determined to recover the stolen papers. His challenges are amplified by Lilly's determination to be a part of the recovery efforts, even if it kills her – literally.
As may be obvious, I did not enjoy this novel in the least. The idea was interesting, but the execution failed epically. As far as substance goes, the characters were annoying and didn't quite act according to the parameters and world in which they lived. I don't know whether this was because the time period wasn't well-researched, but it certainly seems like the times and the characters don't quite align. Lilly is determined to have her own way regardless of the consequences – for her or anyone else, including her family. For an orphan who has no family to take care of her if something happens to her aunt and uncle, she's unbelievably flippant about her and their reputations. She's also initially portrayed as someone who has smarts, but she does the most idiotic things that even modern women in 2016 wouldn't do, despite having similar passions. She honestly can't keep her mouth shut to save her life. In the middle of breaking into a fortified and heavily guarded buildings, she's chatting away and asking questions and dragging her heels until she gets an answer. I wanted to smack some sense into her.
Mr. Ambrose's character has similar idiotic deficiencies. First off, the reader never does quite learn anything about him. How old is he? Where does he come from? Who is his family? He is supposed to be this ruthless and cunning businessman, but sometimes, he acts like someone needs to hold his hand while crossing the street. One would think that with his business and worldly knowledge that he would be smarter in certain situations, not needing silly Lilly to deduce obvious aspects of a problem.
On the more technical side, this novel moves at a glacial pace. When I want to read a book, I want to escape the mundanities of real life, not suffer through some fictional character's drudgery for the length of a Bible. This book FEELS and moves at a real life pace; it drowns in minutia and scenes that do not progress the plot. This problem is not aided by the length of the novel. At over 500 pages, it should either be two separate books, or simply edited to get it down to 300 pages, which could easily be done by cutting out or summarizing in narration several lengthy and ridiculous subplot scenes. Another contributor to this issue is the overuse of narration during suspenseful dialogue, and over-narration of Lilly's snarky inner monologue in general. In the beginning, the inner monologue narration is important to help sketch Lilly's character, but after a certain point, it become a hindrance to the progression of the plot and pace of the novel.
There are also too many romance novel clichés and too many instances where the reader has to suspend reality to believe the story. One of my biggest pet peeves – even during a full moon, a person cannot possibly see someone blush or go pale in the moonlight, especially if they are ten or twenty feet away hiding in the bushes. I challenge any writer to go outside at midnight and see what a person can and cannot really see in the dark. When Lilly and Mr. Ambrose are shoved into a carriage with several other people, via narration she comments that she feels something rigid up against her leg and that she hopes it's Mr. Ambrose's walking stick. He's sitting next to her. Anatomically and logistically, this cliché is an impossibility. When the ship Lilly and Mr. Ambrose are on runs into a storm, why are the passengers sent into the lifeboats? That's ridiculous. The ship isn't sinking, and the tiny lifeboats have a decidedly LESS chance of surviving the approaching storm. So many contrivances made this book difficult to read.
There were many editing issues with missing words or extraneous words from a previous revision. There were inconsistences in the setting (e.g., Lilly gets to work at 9, but later she "always" gets to work at 8; she takes off her waistcoat and then in the next sentence has trouble unbuttoning it). The progression of time is also not well done. A twenty-minute dialogue does not equate to seven hours at sea. After a full day's work, a three hour conversation with Sir Phillip and another three hours waiting for Lieutenant Ellingham would put the setting well into the middle of the night, rather than dinnertime. Better and more accurate markers of time passing are needed. The reader sees Lilly get up, rushes through dressing, goes to work, comes home and rushes through dressing for balls. There is no mention of her bathing or eating dinner. These things are irritating in general, but with everything else, they become yet another hurdle to enjoying the story.
Finally, as if wading through the quagmire of the foregoing weren't enough, the novel just ends without any resolution! Just ends. One minute you think there may finally be a happily ever after in the next chapter, and then the words "THE END" appear, resulting in reader's whiplash. There are so many unanswered questions: Most importantly, what happens with Mr. Ambrose and Lilly? Do they EVER get together, and do they even survive the trip back to England? On a smaller scale, the issue of Lilly's clothing is also never resolved. Is she wearing the SAME clothes EVERY DAY?! Why can't she sneak in and trade them with some others of her uncle's so that her clothes can be washed? How is it that no one has commented on how bad she smells? Is Mr. Ambrose actually Lord Ambrose, what connection does he have with the Earldom in the north, and who is the lady who sends him letters on perfumed stationery? What really happened to Lieutenant Ellingham? There is just too much time spent on extraneous scenes and not enough time wrapping up the main plotline.
Overall, STORM & SILENCE had some potential in its conception, but it dies a tragic watery death on the sea. I really want to find out what happens with Mr. Ambrose and Lilly in the sequel to this novel, but honestly, I just cannot bear to think about having to read another word if it's like this novel. I want a refund of the entire day of my life that I spent trudging through this novel. By page 300 I was skimming most of the novel just to get to the important bits and get to the (most unsatisfying) end, so I can't recommend this novel to anyone.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Duty by Rachel Rossano - 2 stars
DUTY by Rachel Rossano is an action-packed romantic drama that promises a little something to tempt every reader. I give it two stars because while the plot was stirring and interesting, there was too much going on for one stand-alone novel. I think I would have enjoyed it more as two novels that allowed more time for detail and fleshing out the political and social plotlines.
In the novel, war has come to the medieval Rhynan. The king is dead and apparently, so are all the men from the village of Lady Brielle Solarius. She and all the women from her village have been given to a conquering army as a part of a cease-fire agreement. As a noblewoman, Lady Brielle is given to Lord Irvaine, a newly-titled earl.
Lord Irvaine has been given the daunting task of ruling Rhynan, which is complicated enough politically without the stress of inadequate provisions and the more personal pressure of getting to know his new wife. The current provisions won't last through the winter, and the perceived success or failure of Irvaine's marriage will have significant political ramifications. And this is only one part of the drama.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel, but it took me significant determination to get through it. In the beginning, there were a lot of names used without enough description of who or what they were in relation to everything else. Getting past that issue to understand the story was challenging. At a certain point I had to make up my own explanations so I could continue reading, and in the end, there seemed to be a lot of sub-plot lines that fizzled out instead of coming to fruition.
The romance was nicely done, making the novel okay for teens, and when declarations of love are made, they are fairly credible considering the circumstances.
This novel really needs another revision with an eye to clarify and simplify the plotlines. I would recommend a revised version to all readers who love medieval dramas.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews at
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=14807
In the novel, war has come to the medieval Rhynan. The king is dead and apparently, so are all the men from the village of Lady Brielle Solarius. She and all the women from her village have been given to a conquering army as a part of a cease-fire agreement. As a noblewoman, Lady Brielle is given to Lord Irvaine, a newly-titled earl.
Lord Irvaine has been given the daunting task of ruling Rhynan, which is complicated enough politically without the stress of inadequate provisions and the more personal pressure of getting to know his new wife. The current provisions won't last through the winter, and the perceived success or failure of Irvaine's marriage will have significant political ramifications. And this is only one part of the drama.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel, but it took me significant determination to get through it. In the beginning, there were a lot of names used without enough description of who or what they were in relation to everything else. Getting past that issue to understand the story was challenging. At a certain point I had to make up my own explanations so I could continue reading, and in the end, there seemed to be a lot of sub-plot lines that fizzled out instead of coming to fruition.
The romance was nicely done, making the novel okay for teens, and when declarations of love are made, they are fairly credible considering the circumstances.
This novel really needs another revision with an eye to clarify and simplify the plotlines. I would recommend a revised version to all readers who love medieval dramas.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews at
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=14807
The Wrong Sister by Kris Pearson - 2 Stars
THE WRONG SISTER by Kris Pearson attempts to answer the question: What if you fell in love at first sight with the groom at your sister's wedding? While this is an intriguing scenario to explore, unfortunately THE WRONG SISTER is just all kinds of wrong. To be fair, I expected a serious investigation of the idea, even though the series, entitled Wicked in Wellington, invites the "Bodice Ripper" moniker.
In the novel, Fiona Delaporte has taken leave from her cruise ship employment to be with her wealthy brother-in-law, Christian Hartley, and her niece, Nicola Jane, after her sister succumbs to breast cancer. Fiona and Christian weather some crime and other health issues, and Fiona stays until her leave is over. The twist comes after Fiona returns to her ship, and as expected, there's a happy ending.
I did not enjoy this novel. In fact, I felt sorely cheated out of my personal time. (I acknowledge that my eternal optimism often keeps me chained to books drowning in their own dreadfulness.) Right off the bat, the reader is inundated with the tension between Fiona and Christian--tension which would be understandable if it were just two strangers being forced to cohabitate after the death of a mutual relation. There could be many possible underlying causes of that tension--one person wants to grieve alone, another person feels guilt for being absent from their loved one's life, one person wasn't supportive during their loved one's illness, another feels slighted by another person's response to the death of the loved one--but the tension here is entirely sexual. Each character ruminates over their romantic/sexual feelings for the other and also for the resulting guilt over those feelings. Neither demonstrates any depth of character via their ruminations. Rather, their obsessing merely demonstrates how shallow they are, as they both individually reminisce on their ONLY time spent together--one dance during Christian's wedding reception.
The characters' ruminations also causes the pace of the novel to remain in the sludge or molasses range. It was difficult to get past the first chapter, but again, my own idiosyncrasies forced me to persevere. There was no improvement in either the novel's pace or the plot's substance after the first chapter. Also, the romance in the novel is graphic, making the book suitable for adults. I give this novel two stars because it has potential to be revised and developed into a novel that is both serious and romantic.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews at
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=11781
In the novel, Fiona Delaporte has taken leave from her cruise ship employment to be with her wealthy brother-in-law, Christian Hartley, and her niece, Nicola Jane, after her sister succumbs to breast cancer. Fiona and Christian weather some crime and other health issues, and Fiona stays until her leave is over. The twist comes after Fiona returns to her ship, and as expected, there's a happy ending.
I did not enjoy this novel. In fact, I felt sorely cheated out of my personal time. (I acknowledge that my eternal optimism often keeps me chained to books drowning in their own dreadfulness.) Right off the bat, the reader is inundated with the tension between Fiona and Christian--tension which would be understandable if it were just two strangers being forced to cohabitate after the death of a mutual relation. There could be many possible underlying causes of that tension--one person wants to grieve alone, another person feels guilt for being absent from their loved one's life, one person wasn't supportive during their loved one's illness, another feels slighted by another person's response to the death of the loved one--but the tension here is entirely sexual. Each character ruminates over their romantic/sexual feelings for the other and also for the resulting guilt over those feelings. Neither demonstrates any depth of character via their ruminations. Rather, their obsessing merely demonstrates how shallow they are, as they both individually reminisce on their ONLY time spent together--one dance during Christian's wedding reception.
The characters' ruminations also causes the pace of the novel to remain in the sludge or molasses range. It was difficult to get past the first chapter, but again, my own idiosyncrasies forced me to persevere. There was no improvement in either the novel's pace or the plot's substance after the first chapter. Also, the romance in the novel is graphic, making the book suitable for adults. I give this novel two stars because it has potential to be revised and developed into a novel that is both serious and romantic.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews at
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=11781
Saturday, June 6, 2015
The Tears of the Rose by Jeffe Kennedy - 5 stars
The Tears of the Rose, the second book in the Twelve Kingdoms series, is a fantastic read filled with drama, romance, fantastic symbolism and self-realization. I give it five stars.
In the novel, which picks up where The Mark of the Tala left off, Princess Amelia is grieving the loss of her husband and love of her life, Hugh. She is also devastated by the loss of her dreams for the future and her relationship with her sister, Andi, now Queen Andromeda of Annfwn, who reportedly killed Hugh during Urosin’s attempt to “rescue” Andi from the Tala.
Through some interesting turns, Amelia realizes that she’s pregnant, and since Hugh was heir to the throne of Avonlidgh, she and their unborn child become pawns in the political maneuverings of Amelia’s father, Urosin, King of Ordnung and High King of the Twelve Kingdoms, and her father-in-law, Erich, King of Avonlidgh. In order to protect herself and her child, Amelia must figure out what the truth is and how to avert war. Given that Amelia was always the beautiful and kind princes who related to others via her beauty and sweetness, she has to dig deep within herself to find the wisdom and courage to free herself from the political web.
I really loved the character development in this novel. Yes, there was some action and adventure, but this novel tells the story of the Twelve Kingdoms during a lull in overt warfare. So what readers get to see is how Princess Amelia finds herself and routes two kings in the process. There are some really deep themes touched upon as Amelia figures out how to be alone without Hugh, e.g., her realization that her relationship with Hugh will be forever pristine because they had not had time to face the challenges that all couples face. A lot of time in the beginning of the novel shows Amelia acting in ways that can really only be described as whiny and bratty. So it was a relief to see her come to her senses and realize that though her life was perfect with Hugh, she had no assurances that her their relationship was going to continue to be all unicorns and rainbows. Such is life, and I’m grateful for romance novels that keep that kind of reality front and center.
Another thing I liked about the novel was the symbolism of the rose. As Glorianna’s avatar, Amelia is inextricably linked to pink roses, and the idea of the rose is woven throughout the novel. One of my favorites is the idea of smell and Amelia’s growing ability to smell the intentions and emotions of other people, e.g., lies smell like something’s burning. Another favorite rose symbol - Amelia learns that she has thorns! I loved seeing her embrace and wield them to her advantage.
As far as audience, there are a couple scenes with graphic sex, both in narration and dialogue, making this novel appropriate for adults.
Overall, I loved this novel and can’t wait to read the next.
Review originally written for The Romance Reviews. com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=15795.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Stop Dragon My Heart Around (Las Vegas Dragons #2) by Susannah Scott - 3 stars
STOP DRAGON MY HEART AROUND by Susannah Scott is a sizzling emotional drama that continues the fantastic story of the dragon shape shifters' quest to save their race. I give 3 stars and continue to recommend this series to all dragon lovers.
In the novel, Tee (Tallulah) is a Native American woman living off her reservation and working as a concierge at the Crown Jewel casino hotel. Aside from trouble on the reservation and the cut-throat competition between Tee and another concierge for the title of best/highest grossing concierge and the accompanying bonus, Tee struggles with her feelings for Leonidas, her boss and the second in command at the Crown Jewel. They recently shared a passionate kiss, but Leo is suddenly fighting his desire for her.
Leonidas has been left in command of the Crown Jewel by the honeymooning Alec, the King of the Dragons. He feels the pressure to keep the business running smoothly, but even more so, he feels the struggle between his incredible desire for Tee and his natural desire to continue his family line. Only his destined mate will help him save his waning dragon form. Since Tee doesn't have his dragon mark, Leo accepts that he must look elsewhere for his mate, but he is beginning to wonder whether he wants anyone else besides Tee.
I enjoyed STOP DRAGON MY HEART AROUND. This second installment of the Las Vegas Dragons series was more dramatic and less action-packed than the first, but such is life; not every person's story is the same. I applaud Susannah Scott's varying the challenges in each character's life. The book title is also a nice play on words.
I liked the characters, especially Tee with her inner struggle to move on from Leo even though she is in love with him. Since it has been a while since I read the last novel, I could have used some more substantive scenes with Leo and Tee that establish their relationship. The declarations of love were just a bit thin and unsubstantiated for me.
The romance was graphic and sufficiently pervasive to make this novel appropriate for adults only.
I also appreciated the description of tribe politics and the tension between the old and young members of the tribe when discussing the tribe's future; that aspect provided some interesting depth to the plot. I would have liked to see some more drama with Roy. In the beginning of the novel, he seems like a major character, and I expected more drama surrounding the competition--more scheming, more back-stabbing. While we hear what happens to him in the end, I would have liked to see a scene involving Roy and Leo's confrontation. I feel like Roy's character provided such an opportunity to add complexity and depth to the overall plotline, but ultimately, I felt like the opportunity was missed. As with Roy's character, the reader learns very little about Leo's family in Australia, though they could have been a greater presence in the novel.
On the technical side, there were a few typos and blocking issues, but they weren't overly distracting.
Overall, I liked STOP DRAGON MY HEART AROUND and look forward to the next book in the series about Jane and Nico.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=13744.
In the novel, Tee (Tallulah) is a Native American woman living off her reservation and working as a concierge at the Crown Jewel casino hotel. Aside from trouble on the reservation and the cut-throat competition between Tee and another concierge for the title of best/highest grossing concierge and the accompanying bonus, Tee struggles with her feelings for Leonidas, her boss and the second in command at the Crown Jewel. They recently shared a passionate kiss, but Leo is suddenly fighting his desire for her.
Leonidas has been left in command of the Crown Jewel by the honeymooning Alec, the King of the Dragons. He feels the pressure to keep the business running smoothly, but even more so, he feels the struggle between his incredible desire for Tee and his natural desire to continue his family line. Only his destined mate will help him save his waning dragon form. Since Tee doesn't have his dragon mark, Leo accepts that he must look elsewhere for his mate, but he is beginning to wonder whether he wants anyone else besides Tee.
I enjoyed STOP DRAGON MY HEART AROUND. This second installment of the Las Vegas Dragons series was more dramatic and less action-packed than the first, but such is life; not every person's story is the same. I applaud Susannah Scott's varying the challenges in each character's life. The book title is also a nice play on words.
I liked the characters, especially Tee with her inner struggle to move on from Leo even though she is in love with him. Since it has been a while since I read the last novel, I could have used some more substantive scenes with Leo and Tee that establish their relationship. The declarations of love were just a bit thin and unsubstantiated for me.
The romance was graphic and sufficiently pervasive to make this novel appropriate for adults only.
I also appreciated the description of tribe politics and the tension between the old and young members of the tribe when discussing the tribe's future; that aspect provided some interesting depth to the plot. I would have liked to see some more drama with Roy. In the beginning of the novel, he seems like a major character, and I expected more drama surrounding the competition--more scheming, more back-stabbing. While we hear what happens to him in the end, I would have liked to see a scene involving Roy and Leo's confrontation. I feel like Roy's character provided such an opportunity to add complexity and depth to the overall plotline, but ultimately, I felt like the opportunity was missed. As with Roy's character, the reader learns very little about Leo's family in Australia, though they could have been a greater presence in the novel.
On the technical side, there were a few typos and blocking issues, but they weren't overly distracting.
Overall, I liked STOP DRAGON MY HEART AROUND and look forward to the next book in the series about Jane and Nico.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=13744.
The Mark of the Tala (Twelve Kingdoms #1) by Jeffe Kennedy - 5 Stars
Magical, Magnificent and Mesmerizing - THE MARK OF THE TALA by Jeffe Kennedy will keep you glued to your seat until the end. I give it 5 stars and recommend to all.
In this character-rich novel that has the same spirit as the Game of Thrones series, Princess Andi (Andromeda) is the middle of three sisters born to the high king over the twelve kingdoms. She is used to blending in, being invisible, and feels most at ease while out riding her horse. One day while out riding, she meets a tall, dark and handsome man and his intimidating wolf-hounds. She thinks she is being attacked, but he claims to be taking her back where she belongs as his queen, according to the treaty. That one interaction turns Andi's world upside down, and she soon learns that nothing is as she was taught.
I absolutely loved this novel. The reader gets all the intrigue and plot twists as the Game of Thrones series, but the entire book is told from Andi's perspective, so it is easier to follow. I love the initial lesson offered by the novel, that history is a matter of perspective, and knowledge is useful in understanding all sides of the political dice.
I loved the characters, how unique they are, and especially the sisters, their interactions and love for each other despite their differing personalities. The world building is fantastic, easy to imagine and understand, and simply magnificent in its richness and complexity. The romance is understated and well done.
The pace and plotline were also well done. With plenty of characters to deepen the plot and plenty of action to keep the plot moving, the reader cannot help but want to read the book in one sitting to find out how it ends.
I cannot wait until the next book in the series and highly recommend THE MARK OF THE TALA to all readers.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=669.
In this character-rich novel that has the same spirit as the Game of Thrones series, Princess Andi (Andromeda) is the middle of three sisters born to the high king over the twelve kingdoms. She is used to blending in, being invisible, and feels most at ease while out riding her horse. One day while out riding, she meets a tall, dark and handsome man and his intimidating wolf-hounds. She thinks she is being attacked, but he claims to be taking her back where she belongs as his queen, according to the treaty. That one interaction turns Andi's world upside down, and she soon learns that nothing is as she was taught.
I absolutely loved this novel. The reader gets all the intrigue and plot twists as the Game of Thrones series, but the entire book is told from Andi's perspective, so it is easier to follow. I love the initial lesson offered by the novel, that history is a matter of perspective, and knowledge is useful in understanding all sides of the political dice.
I loved the characters, how unique they are, and especially the sisters, their interactions and love for each other despite their differing personalities. The world building is fantastic, easy to imagine and understand, and simply magnificent in its richness and complexity. The romance is understated and well done.
The pace and plotline were also well done. With plenty of characters to deepen the plot and plenty of action to keep the plot moving, the reader cannot help but want to read the book in one sitting to find out how it ends.
I cannot wait until the next book in the series and highly recommend THE MARK OF THE TALA to all readers.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=669.
Leave No Stone Unturned (Lexie Star #1) by Jeanne Glidewell - 2 stars
LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED by Jeanne Glidewell tells the tale of a woman who suspects that her new son-in-law murdered his previous wife, and who sets out to investigate before informing her daughter of her suspicions. While the plot presented an intriguing idea, the execution of that idea left much to be desired. I give it 2 stars for its slow pace, simplistic plot, and unrealistic romance.
In this first installment in the Lexie Starr series, Lexie Starr grapples with the conundrum of whether to tell her newlywed daughter, Wendy, that her new husband, Clay, may be a murderer. She takes some rather risky steps to find out the truth – leaving no stone unturned in her quest – and in the process, Lexie’s car is sabotaged, Wendy is abducted, and all of their lives are put in danger. Oh, and Lexie falls in love.
Overall, the idea behind the books is intriguing: If you thought a loved one was in a relationship with a murderer, would you tell your loved one, and if so, when would be the appropriate time? Unfortunately, there were several problems that made my interest in this novel fizzle away like helium leaving an untied balloon, the first being the pace of the novel. The beginning was too slow, and the ending was too fast. There were many pages that contained information that did nothing to advance the plot, instead causing the reader to be caught in a quagmire of minutia.
For example, the history of Wendy’s charm bracelet is detailed, as is its loss and the efforts to replace it. Also, the reader gets almost a moment by moment view of Lexie’s visits to the dentist and auto mechanic prior to leaving on her road trip. These scenes were unnecessary in their length. It is enough for the reader to know that Lexie inquired with a Stone Van Patten, who lived in South Carolina, about finding the pieces for a replacement charm bracelet, and that she went to the mechanic and had her car serviced before embarking on her trip. The number of pages devoted to those issues were wasted on me to such an extent that I nearly quit reading. The novel took entirely too long to get to the point. The pacing issue also reared its head in the end of the novel, where the resolution was so fast that I felt as if I had whiplash. The climax and resolution could have been expanded to create a more balanced novel.
There were also several opportunities to expand the plot and give it more substance and depth, but in the end, the linear plot led me exactly in the direction I expected. I won’t give anything away, but I will say that I’m always disappointed when I can guess the ending correctly at the halfway point in a mystery novel.
As for the romance, the novel depicts a more mature relationship between Lexie and Stone, which is nice departure from the typical romance novel. The book is definitely a mystery novel with romantic elements, rather than a romance with a bit of mystery, and contains no graphic scenes that would make it inappropriate for younger readers. Still, the romance was not believable given the incredibly short amount of time that passes from first meeting to the declarations of love. I could have been satisfied with the resolution of the mystery leaving a question as to whether Stone and Lexie would try to make something of their mutual affection, and then adding an epilogue wherein some months or year later they decide to get hitched because of their love for each other.
Overall, I was disappointed in LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED. The issues I raise here can certainly be addressed in any future Lexie Starr mystery novels though, and because I love mystery novels, I’m definitely willing to give the next installment in this series a chance to entertain me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)