Twisted Kingdom

The comfortable world of Martris Drayke, second son of King Bricen of Margolan, is shattered when his older half-brother, Jared, and Jared¿s dark mage, Foor Arontala, kill the king and seize the throne. Tris is the only surviving member of the royal family aside from Jared the traitor. Tris flees with three friends: Soterius, captain of the guard; Carroway, the court¿s master bard; and Harrtuck, a member of the royal guard. Tris harbors a deep secret. In a land where spirits walk openly and influence the affairs of the living, he suspects he may be the mage heir to the power of his grandmother, Bava K¿aa, once the greatest sorceress of her age. Such magic would make Tris a Summoner, the rarest of magic gifts, capable of arbitrating between the living and the dead.

Although my expectations where high when I first heard about this book, as Necromancers are one of my favorite character types, I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I would be. I have to admit that yes, I was hoping this was a rare gem of a book that lives up to my expectations but, although it was not, it wasn't that bad a disappointment.

The book starts off well enough with murder at the palace and the escape of Tris and his friends. His quest to get to his uncle's lands takes up most of the book and are what, IMO, made it interesting as their journey is plagued with great dangers. It was fast paced enough to keep the reader entertained. In fact, it was not until they get to where they are going, almost at the end of the book, that the pace slows down and the novel loses interest. This is where we have some rather cliche moments, such as Tris having to fight with a ghost for an ancient sword or the fact that a character, merely pages old and a little too conveniently, turns out to be related to the one person they were going to see.

The problem is that the writer doesn't know what to do with the characters once they reach their first destination where Tris is supposed to get trained as a mage. We spend over half the book having fun as we follow their adventures and then the action gets bogged down in the last few pages as there is too much still to say and not enough room to say it in. It's almost over and Tris doesn't have any sort of training or control of his powers. All of a sudden and with the help of the Sorceress we find out that he knew a lot of magic all along but his grandmother, the great Summoner of her time, had repressed this knowledge until "the right time" else it cost him his life. He had to come of age and then be in danger before the magic kicked in, so to speak. A little too convenient way to get Tris to learn a lot in what little pages where left. To be sure he has a long way to go and anyone expecting an all out battle between good and evil will be highly disappointed. This book is obviously the first in the series and the ending clearly tells you so. Tris and his friends still have to learn to use their powers, gather an army and then they may be ready to face the villain.

Since most of the book was spent on the journey I rather enjoyed the book and I think it's pretty good for a first effort and as a beginning of a series. It does have a lot of room for improvement and I can't wait which way Gail goes with this. The next book in the series will be out on January 2008.

A 3.5 out of 5.

It's finally my turn to review one of Kelley Armstrong book: Industrial Magic!! It's funny, because while Kailana and Ames' challenge was to read one of the book, my challenge is that all of the Women of the Otherworld books are reviewed at TK before the 15th! LOL! All right, onto the review now... This is my favorite of the series, so it might be a little bit biased.

Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong: 4.75/5
published by Seal Books in 2004

From Kelley Armstrong website:

Think your in-laws are scary? Try meeting Paige Winterbourne's potential father-in-law: CEO of the Cortez Cabal, a multinational corporation...and the supernatural equivalent of the Mafia. Lucas Cortez has devoted his life to ruining the Cabals, though that doesn’t stop his father from expecting him to take over the family business someday. Benicio’s favorite ploy is to appeal to Lucas’s quixotic ideals by asking him to investigate Cabal cases of injustice.

After years of failure, Benicio finally has the perfect case: a teenage witch attacked and left for dead. Refusing will be difficult enough for Lucas...near impossible for his new witch girlfriend. Paige and Lucas soon discover that the young witch wasn't the first Cabal teenager attacked.
When the infighting among the Cabals threatens to let the killer continue his spree, Paige and Lucas decide it’s up to them to stop him. The chase takes them on a cross-country hunt through the supernatural world, where allies can be found in the strangest places, including a celebrity necromancer, a wise-cracking Celtic deity, a pissed-off ghost, a half-mad clairvoyant, and a group of vampires who’d really rather be in an Anne Rice novel.

Genre: vampires, witches, sorcerers, vampires, werewolves, ghost, necromancers, urban fantasy
Series: Women of the Otherworld, Book 4

Review: I usually don't take synopsis from others, but in this case, I didn't really know what to say as so much is happening, that I've decided to make an exception. All in all, this book was great! I know that some find Paige a little bit annoying, but this book was more focused on the case and so much more interesting than Dime Store Magic where the book was mainly focus on Paige's struggle. We also get to see a myriad of old characters (the vampires: Cassandra, Aaron, the werewolves: Elena, Clay and Jeremy, the demon: Adam) and get introduced to new very interesting ones (necromancer: Jaime and ghost: Eve, sorcerers: Benicio and the rest of the Cabals).

I think that Kelley Armstrong achieved a great balance in this book between the development of the characters as well as the mystery/suspense aspect. I like how this book doesn't pick up right after Dime Store Magic, but instead a few months after. It gives time for Paige and Lucas relationship to develop as well as their interaction with Savannah. Also, Paige's interaction with the other supernatural beings was also very interesting. What I really enjoy is that every character has their own personality and most of them do not follow cliche, which is hard to avoid. Also, I found Paige definitively less annoying in this book than in Dime Store Magic. I think that she has matured and doesn't need to prove that she can be a leader. Instead, her focus has shifted for the best.

Although Kelley Armstrong did a great job at characterization and revisiting old characters without it feeling so gratitious, the strong point of this book would definitively the case on which Paige and Lucas are investigating. Not only is the case complex, but very interesting and it kept me wondering. Definitively a strong plot.

Finally, I guess the reason why this book is my favorite is exactly because most of the characters are present and I like to see their interaction with each other. Clay and Lucas' friendship, Elena trying to bond with other females. Jaime is just hilarious and very different from what you'd expected for a necromancer. There's also Savannah and Jeremy's special status...

This is definitively the Must Read book in the series :D

Holly here they are! ^_^




by Mailyn

I've had a helluva hard time writing a review for this book. In fact, I only recall another time when I had SUCH a hard time writing a review and that was for The Gilded Chain: A Tale of the King's Blade. Just as it happened with that book I loved Poison Study so much I had no idea what else to say about it. If you've been here before then you'll notice this is not my regular review format and that's the reason why.

Some people look for good grammar or spelling mistakes. Me, I love what writing with style, with class. I am turned off when I encounter writing that seems too contemporary or just bland. This is especially true when I read Fantasy since a lot of it is based on other worlds that somewhat remind me of Medieval or 18th century Europe. Even when this is not the case I think Fantasy should have writing that stands out and is more than just a simple telling of events. It requires "fancier" language if you will.

Mrs. Snyder doesn't disappoint one bit. From the moment I started reading Poison Study I was hooked on her world and everything that was happening to our characters. Her writing is engaging and I never found myself bored or wishing a scene had been cut.

As far as characters, Snyder has come up with two of the best I’ve seen in any genre. Without a doubt I think that Yelena is one of THE best heroines I've ever read. This is how you write a strong female lead. There is no need for her to huff and puff and declare she doesn’t need anyone or that she knows what she is doing while running headlong into enemy territory. Yelena knows exactly what her weaknesses and strengths are and she is not above asking for help when she needs it. She tries to learn as much as she can and, as she truly has no choice, she accepts her new life. At the same time, she does dream of getting away but she goes about it the right way. She starts training and learns as many skills as she can which will help her defend herself from those that want to harm her and also to make her escape more plausible. I honestly didn't find any major faults with her character. She is not obnoxious like many Xena wannabe heroines. She carries herself with dignity regardless of all that she has been through.

Then there is Valek. He quickly became one of my favorite heroes as well. Much as I love my cocky, tortured, alpha bastards he was a breath of fresh air. Silent but deadly is how you'd describe him. At first you aren't certain that you like him, especially since he is the one in charge of teaching Yelena about poisons...and that means she has to drink them all in order to recognize the tastes. Soon enough you see that there is more to Valek and you start seeing things from his perspective as well. Just like Yelena he doesn't have much choice in serving his master. He is, in fact, the deadliest assassin they have but, almost like Yelena, he was driven by outside forces to choose this path in life.

As for the relationship between the two all I have to say is that I enjoyed every single minute of it. They start off as uneasy allies who don't trust each other yet are forced to work together. With time you see the way that Valek comes to care about Yelena's health even if he tries not to show it. Yelena also starts having feelings for Valek but she doesn't know what to make of them. On the one hand he is her enemy in a sense and she knows she shouldn't develop any "friendly" feelings towards him. I loved the way they interact with one another and none of it seemed forced or rushed. For me it was perfect.

As far as fantasy this is one of the best books I’ve read in a while, especially by a new author, and I can’t wait to find out what happens to my favorite characters as the series progresses.

I give it a solid 5 out of 5!!!!!





by Nath

Grade: 4.75/5

Wow, this book was great. You know, I've been hearing so much about it... I think the first time was on Jennie's blog :) I was hearing so much good stuff about it that it scared me and that's why it took me so much time to decide reading it :D Definitively a keeper :D

You probably know the story by now, but it doesn't matter. Growing up in an orphanage, Yelena was sentenced to death after killing the son of her benefactor, General Brazell - not without good reason. Now the day has arrived and she is given a choice: death by hanging or become the Commander's food taster. Yelena is no fool and the choice is easy. Then, her learning of poison starts. However, poisons are not the only thing Yelena has to worry about: a) Valek (the Commander's right hand man)'s imprevisible tests and b) Brazell's attempts on her life. In addition, Yelena discovers that she has magic power in a country where magic is forbidden and magicians are killed. Who is friend, who is foe and how can she escape?

I really liked this book. The telling was very smooth and although it was a first person point of view, it didn't bother me at all. I liked it when we went through the learning of the poisons, although it was too short to my taste and I liked it that her job wasn't limited as food taster. Yelena is bright and courageous, but she's human too. She has doubts, she fears, but she's calm. She can be in a good mood one moment and be down in the next. You know, she's not the fearless food taster who's like: I want to escape and that's my goal and unique goal. She gets attached to the others... anyway, she felt really real to me :D I liked Valek a lot... see, that's the kind of man who is obviously an alpha male, but he doesn't overshadow the woman. That was quite a nice change. Valek is smart, cunning and moves like an assassin :) Valek and Yelena together are a deadly combination :D I liked the ppl Yelena befriended with too, but for once, it seems that the story will focus only on the main couple.

Okay, I'm running out of thing to praise LOL. Basically: I love it, everything - the characters, the plot, the writing - people love it and if you haven't read it, go find it! I'm going to read Fire Study tonight and tomorrow, while you're looking for it :D I'm actually glad that Fire Study is also getting good comments, because what's worst than having a good first book and the second is a flop? Nothing... that would be major disappointment. I know, I know... if I love it so much, why only 4.75? Why not a perfect grade like Mailyn? One major reason and one minor. The major reason, I thought as a reader, I didn't get enough world-building information. This is fantasy... I know that they live in Ixia which is divided into Military Districts... The commander rules, everyone has a job and wears uniform... okay, I get that... but what about the setting: is it a desert? because I kept imagining somewhere very dry, a bit like in Kingdom of Heaven (with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson), but then, I was reminded that there was a forest... so you know, was the castle where they live more European or Middle East? My other reason, which is really, really, really minor and I know, you're going to laugh... is that the author, i think only twice (and in the same conversation), used the word 'okay.' So what's the problem with it? Well 'okay' sounds way too modern for Poison Study. It was just out of blues, out of context and it jumped right at me... am I too picky? Perhaps, but still. you don't use 'okay' in regencies right? well same thing here... it shouldn't have been used. Oh, and one more thing... what is the mutation? But nonetheless, this is an AWESOMELY, FANTABULOUSLY GOOD BOOK!





by Dance Chica

This book was a pleasant surprise. It was also one of those books where first person narration worked to the advantage of the story. Yelena was an awesome herione; she was likeable and smart. She has a dark past with a lot of painful memories and so when we're first introduced to Yelena, her past experiences have conditioned her to run and hide when there's danger. But even so, she's hardly weak and as the story develops, Yelena begins to blossom and come into her own. Synder did a wonderful job of portraying her growth.

I liked that the worldbuilding was subtly done and that the focus was on the characters. Synder created a wonderful cast of characters equipped with cleverness and sarcasm. Their interactions as well as the development of their relationships was enthralling. The action keeps moving while at the same time avoids becoming overwhelming.

There's a bit of magic and romance interlaced within the plot, however, the romance was minimal and just developing when the book ends; regardless, its development was interesting and I can’t wait to read more. There's also a bit of political intrigue as Yelena thrawts assassination attempts as well as attempts for power. But while all this is going on, I never felt that the plot became convoluted.

It's rare for me to be captivated so throughoutly by a book but this one grabbed me and wouldn't let go until I'd read the very last page. I honestly can't find anything that really annoyed me and do you know how rare that is?

I can't wait to see what else this series brings. Synder is a wonderful storyteller. I highly recommend this book!

Rating: 4.5

From Chapters/Indigo:

Meet the D'Artigo sisters: half-human, half-faerie, they're savvy-and sexy-operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But their mixed-blood heritage short-circuits their talents at all the wrong times. Delilah shapeshifts into a tabby cat whenever she's stressed. Menolly's a vampire who's still trying to get the hang of being undead. And Camille is a wicked-good witch, except her magic's as unpredictable as the weather, as her enemies are about to find out-the hard way.

Blurb at the back of the book:

At the Wayfarer Inn, a portal to Otherworld and the local hangout for humans and beasties alike, a fellow operative, Jocko, has been murdered. Every clue points to Shadow Wing, the soul-munching badass leader of the 'Subterranean Realms'. He's made it clear that he aims to raze humankind to the ground, turning both Earth and Otherworld into his private playground. Our assignment: Keep Shadow Wing and his minions from creeping into Earth via the Wayfarer. The demons figure they're in like Flynn. After all, with only my bumbling sisters and me standing in the way, how can they miss? But we've got a secret for them: Faulty wiring or not, nobody kicks ass like the D'Artigo girls...

First book in the trilogy, Witchling has been an utter disappointment for me T_T I've been anticipating this book every since I've read the synopsis and seen the cover, which was probably at the beginning of the summer 2006. The blurb sounds good, the cover is awesome, unfortunately, the storyline is another story. This trilogy is told in the first-person and the first book features Camille. I won't give a synopsis, because the book blurb basically sums up the story well and because this book was for me a Did Not Finish. Yes, a DNF... I can't even remember when was my last DNF...

So what was wrong? Let starts with the world building. So you have three Realms: the Otherworld which I guess is the Feary world in which you find all kind of paranormal creatures: shiftshapers, witches, sorcerers, fearies, elves, unicorns, gargoyles, vampires and etc. This realm is governed by the Queen; however, the aristo/government is pretty useless as it is corrupted and addicted to opium. There are portals which allow these creatures to go to the Earthside where humans live. The last Realm is the Subterranean Realm where demons and "not very good" creatures live. I thought the fantasy world in this book sucked. First, the Otherworld is so corrupted, it doesn't seem to have order at all... frankly, why would the Sisters miss home when it is soooo mess up? In addition, I don't even know if there's some hierarchy or does every type of paranormal creatures are equal... I mean, the Queen is a Faery, so are Faeries superior to say witch? Are vampires welcomed? How can three sisters who are born from the same parents can be witch, werecat and 'psychic'? By the way, Menolly wasn't born a vampire... she had some acrobatic and climbing powers (?!?), that's why I call her a 'psychic'... although it seems her powers have completey vanished since she became a vampire. Anyway, back to the topic, are the powers inherited genetically or what? But then, maybe it's my limited knowledge of Faeries... Anyhow, I didn't like the Earthside either. Humans are aware of the Faeries (and other paranormal creatures?), some wants to get rid of them and some creates fanclub to worship them. It was totally ridiculous the Faeries Watchers Club! Basically, Faeries are considered as special attraction, ^^;, almost a bit like some celebrities. You get news of them in gossip papers, you have fanclubs which are very possessive and you even get tourists who want their picture. Urgh. So the D'Artigo sisters don't hide the fact that they are Faeries, but they hide the fact that they are Otherworld Intelligence Agency (OIA) agents. To sum it up, I didn't like the world: too many creatures scattered everywhere with no order and not enough explanation of how the worlds were functioning.

Then, the characters... I guess the sisters are supposed to be gutsy and strong, but it came out all wrong. Instead, I felt that the D'Artigo sisters were weak, scared and stupid. I didn't even read a witty reply from any of the characters. It was sad... I mean, as they investigate the murder and learn that it's the work of demons, they get scared at every turn. In fact, think a bit of the Halliwell sisters from 'Charmed,' you know, always scared and nervous. But the worst came when Camille was like: I wish Father was here. What? You're this supernatural creature, surrounded with your two sisters... you three have considerable amount of power, even if you don't have much control over it and you want your Father?!? It said that the D'Artigo sisters kicked ass... I didn't see that at all. At all. As for the male characters, you have basically three: Chase which is a human working also for OIA. He is freaking annoying. You've been working with the OIA for a considerable amount of time already... so much that you've even create a unit that sounds like CSI... but at every turn of the story, you're surprised to learn that X being exists and how the Otherworld functions. Basically, the way he was introduced in the story, he was to be an ass. As an ass, I had every right to dislike him and think he wouldn't really be important... but then, he became Delilah's lover... and that's supposed to make me suddenly like him better? I don't think so, sorreh. Then, you have Trillian which is a Svartan (some sort of Dark Faery) and Camille's lover. It seems that Svartan are known to get bored of their lovers and throw them away... that's why Camille put an end to their relationship. Anyway, Trillian is perhaps the only character that I enjoyed. Only he wasn't really important, except to have sex with Camille... and finally, Morio who is Japanese and a fox-demon... He wasn't bad either, but I also think he doesn't have much purpose in the story than play third-party in Camille's relationship with Trillian.

The romance... urgh. I actually don't think that this book has an ounce of romance... oh actually, yes, a tiny bit that involves Menolly, but that's it. Camille and Trillian's relationship is a heavy dose of lust. LUST, not romance. I don't get Camille: she loves Trillian, but she doesn't like him. Hello? You can't love someone if you don't like him. You love having sex with Trillian, okay. You lusts after Trillian, true, but in any case, you DON'T LOVE HIM. Ever since her break-up with Trillian, she hasn't find a man to be with, well that's not because you LOVE Trillian... it's just that you find the others unsatisfying. There's a HUGE difference between love and lust and I'm astounded that the author is not making it. There's a saying in their world that say: Once you've bedded a Svartan, you'll never go back. But that still only explain the lusting part, not the loving part. Basically, Camille keeps saying that sleeping with Trillian is a mistake, but she keeps going back for more. Anyway, I don't see the love between the two... I don't even see chemistry. Usually, in a romance... making love can be a mistake at first, but then, feelings develop, story develop and at the end, it is no longer a mistake, it's right... well, this is not happening in this book. Worse. Worse. Camille sleeps with Morio. Okay, it was under a spell, but STILL... she goes back for more with Morio. This is just so screwed up! Morio might bethe first guy Camille's been attracted since Trillian... but this doesn't bode well with me at all. You might want to break thing off with Trillian in that case, Camille... oh but no, the author comes up with the terrific idea that: Faeries are not monogamous, so basically, all Trillian has to say is: You can sleep with him as long as it doesn't affect us. Well, it affects me, the reader because I don't like it. I'm old-fashioned... I don't like the H/H to be unfaithful to each other, is that too much asking? This is why I've almost give up on the Stephanie Plum series... this is why I'll never touch LKH books... did the author think that readers actually enjoy this? Not knowing who the heroine would choose? Oh, but there's worse... Delilah and Chase. Delilah's never had sex... at least not in human form. Sorry, but does this mean what I think it means? Because yuck, in that case, I don't want to know more. But what flaggerblast me the most is that Delilah and Camille are in a dangerous situation, with three demons to catch, an artifact to find before Shadow Wing, and saving the world... Camille is discussing the situation with Trillian and Morio, who are at each other's throat for Camille's attention. Delilah comes back... Camille immediately guesses that she'd had sex with Chase, so she drops everything and wants to have a talk with Delilah to see what she thought of it. My jaws dropped at that moment. I swear. I just thought this was the most inappropriate moment!

Anyway, last thing... the tone of the narration. I thought there wasn't much emotion in it... It didn't catch my attention, didn't grip my feelings, didn't even entice me. I thought it was bland, relating what was happening, giving explanations when the author thought it needed some. Not enough opinion/pov from Camille... or at least, no concrete opinion/pov... Yeah, if I had to describe the book, I'd say bland and frustrating. Didn't even crack a smile and that's telling.

Grade: DNF

I just finished my first Terry Patchett novel today! I am surprised that I had not read him before, but a web forum I go to suggested him, so I thought I would try him out. I chose Monstrous Regiment because on the back of the book it says: "Polly Perks had to become a boy in a hurry. Cutting off her hair and wearing trousers was easy. Learning to fart and belch in public and walk like an ape took more time..." I thought that sounded funny, so I had to see what was going on. The problem with this novel is that there is a secret, and if I tell you what the secret is, it ruins the book. So, I have to do the best I can without revealing it.

The main character, and one of the strongest characters of the novel, is Polly. Her brother has gone missing while away fighting in one of the wars that is always raging in their world. In order to do this, she must first become a man in order to enlist in the army. She is living in a time when women were not able to do very many things, so being a man was the only way to go anywhere. Polly's quest for her brother, is of course important to the novel, but you soon learn that it is not central. What is central is the quest for her to understand that being a female means nothing, it is what she does as one that is important and she can be as good as or better as any man, any day. I liked that quality to the story.

My other favourite part of this book is why they are called The Monstrous Regiment. This is because while there are humans on their team, there is also a troll, a vampire, and an igor. Not to mention you meet a zombie servant and a werewolf sergeant. It has by far the most diverse cast of characters of most books I have read this year.

All in all, this novel teaches its readers what it is to be female and shows that in the most unbelievable odds they can come out in the end and be the best that they can be. If this doesn't tempt you, read it and find out what the "secret" is. You will be glad you did. :) At the same time, though, it was written by a male... so the lessons are not as big as what you might get from a female author!

I give this book a 5/5. Can't wait to read more books by him!
And I know it is a man, why I keep saying "she" is beyond me!

Robert Newcomb's Savage Messiah: Book 1 The Destinies of Blood and Stone
Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora
Brandon Mull's Fablehaven
Dennis L. McKiernan's Once Upon a Winter's Night
Scott Westerfeld's The Secret Hour (Midnighters, Book 1)
Maria V Snyder's Poison Study
Elaine Cunningham's The Blood Red Harp
Dan Abnett's Daemon's Curse: A Tale of Malus Darkblade
Sharon Shinn's The Truth Teller's Tale
Sharon Shinn's The Safe-Keeper's Secret
Dave Duncan's The Gilded Chain: A Tale of the King's Blade
Rebecca Lickiss' Never After
Patricia Briggs' Dragon Bones
Yasmine Galenorn's Witchling
Shiloh Walker's Hunting the Hunter
Paula Volsky's The Grand Ellipse
Garth Nix's Mister Monday
Anne Bishop's Sebastian
Martha Wells' The Death of the Necromancer
David Gemmell's The Ghost King
Neil Gaiman's Stardust
Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy
Lynn Flewelling's Luck in the Shadows
Andre Norton's Shadow of Albion
Libba Bay's Rebel Angels
Libba Bray's A Great & Terrible Beauty
Sean Russell's World Without End
Patricia Kennealy's The Hawk's Grey Feather
Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing With Dragons
Elizabeth Boyer's The Troll's Grindstone
Laurell K. Hamilton's Death of a Darklord
Kim Harrison's Dead Witch Walking
Mark Oakley's Thieves & Kings
Ursula K. Le Guin's Tales From Earthsea
Gregory Maguire's Wicked
Christopher Paolini's Eragon
Elizabeth Haydon's Rhapsody: Child of Blood
Lisa Tuttle's The Silver Bough
Janet Elizabeth McNaughton's An Earthly Knight
Mercedes Lackey's One True Knight
Kelley Armstrong's Stolen
Kelley Armstrong's Dime Store Magic
Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars
Raymond's Feist's Magician: Apprentice