Twisted Kingdom

I have to say that although I've been reading quite a lot of paranormal romances in the past few years, I've been sticking to the mainstream kinds - or perhaps, I should say, the authors have sticked to the mainstream kinds. However, this is changing and authors are starting to diversify the paranormal beings in their books. As a result, I've been wanting to read Hell's Belle ever since I've heard about it, because the main character is a succubus.



Hell's Belle by Jackie Kessler: 3.75/5
published in January 2007 by Zebra/Kesington Books (Trade paperback format)

Hell on Earth starts here…

Jezebel’s not your average exotic dancer. For one thing, she’s a 4,000-year-old succubus. For another, she’s on the run from Hell (which isn’t easy to do in high heels). Hiding on the mortal coil as a human doesn’t protect her from muggers, lactose intolerance…or having feelings for Paul Hamilton, a man haunted by his past. Demons are closing in, which is enough to make Jezebel shiver in her G-string. But it’s her love for Paul that’s going to have deadly consequences. (Humans, she laments, really should come with instruction manuals.)

I tried writing a synopsis for this book, but figure out that the book's back blurb was doing a better job than I was :P I'll just add this:

Jezebel was unhappy with the changes and new leadership in Hell and decided to pack and leave. As a result, the new Lord of Hell put a bounty on her head, sent his hunters after her to set an example. To escape, Jezebel obtained a human body through witchcraft, borrowed the look, identity, credit cards and amulet, which protects from Evil beings, of Cailtin, the witch who helped her and left Salem for New York. In the train station, she met Paul, a NY cop, and there was this instant connection between them. While adapting to her life, with the help of Paul who wants to help her (he thinks she was abused and forced into prostitution), she finds a job as an exotic dancer which is right up her alley. However, it doesn't take long for friends and ennemies to find her...

Series: Jezebel the Succubus
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Succubus

Review: I like the book and I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, I read the back blurb and wanted to read it for awhile, but that didn't guarantee that I would like the book right? Also, succubus are a bit out of my comfort zone. Another pleasant surprise was the beginning of the book. From reading the black blurb, I thought she was already settled and everything. Instead, we accompany Jezebel on her run and learns about the reasons through flashbacks. All in all, I thought the series had good potential, enjoyed the book which made me want to read more. However, the writing style takes a bit of getting use to and Paul is not developed enough ^^;

The Characters - I like Jezebel and I like how she stood up and decided to take her life in her hands when she was unhappy, even if it put her in danger. She definitively has more depth than you'd think a demon has and she's something :D I'm also happy that she's not entire clueless as how to behave like a human, since as a succubus, she did have to appear human.

Now Paul is yummy :D No wonder Jezebel falls for him so quickly :D He's a cop who has lost his fiancee to a hit-and-run a few years ago. Because he couldn't handle the pressure his soon-to-be-in-laws were putting on him, he moved to New York. There's an instant connection between Jezebel and him and he's determined to pursue it. I have to say, although he's yummy, there was something that bothered me: he was hanging out in a strip-club ^^; Not usually an attractive trait in a hero, but then, at the end it made sense. Also, I liked how he tried to understand and help Jezebel. I know that I did say that he was not developed enough, but I guess that given the fact that Jezebel is the main character, it is understandable that the focus is on her and so, the author did a good job.

Other characters we get to meet are Jezebel's best friend - a fury, Daun - an incubus and also, Jezebel's friend and Lilith - queen of Hell. There's also a few of Jezebel's co-workers, but really, the book mainly focused on Jezebel, which is good :D

The Style & Writing - This is where it started getting tricker. Basically, I didn't have any problem with her writing style, as in how she formulates her sentences, dialogue and so on. What took a bit more of getting used was how Ms. Kessler broke down the book. Basically, Hell's Belle is divided into many parts (I think 6) and each part is given the name of a character. First was Jezebel, than the fury friend, Paul and etc. So the story is told, but in each part, there'll be a flashback of Jezebel and whoever is the character of this part. This wasn't a bad idea, but the problem was the transition between the parts. The transition wasn't always smooth, which results in breaking the flow, and it was a bit confusing at first. So it took a little bit getting used to, but still, I was able to enjoy the book.

The Cover - I think the cover is nice :D I guess there's a leg fetish going on in the cover industry, but I don't mind. I think it's better than a man's torso ^^;

Am I keeping this book? Yep, I am. I'm also going to buy the next one when it comes out :D

Anything else? Well, I wasn't sure I would like to read about a succubus, because of all the sex... I'm the kind of person who likes faithfulness and usually one man-one woman relationship. However, the characterization, setting and story won me over, but I'm still ticked at Jezebel for having sex with Daun, even if he was in the disguise of Paul...

anyway, here is Ms. Jackie Kessler's website.

Enough time has passed for the young girl Jaenelle, heir to the magical Darkness. Her physical wounds have healed, while amnesia keeps her frightening memories at bay. But with Saetan--a Black-Jewelled Warlord Prince and Jaenelle's foster-father--to protect her, she will continue to grow. Her magic will mature. Her memories will return. And Jaenelle will face her destiny when she remembers Daemon, Saetan's son, who made the ultimate sacrifice for her love.

I finally read this book! I read the first book in the trilogy last year, and it is has taken me all this time to get to book two. Since this book has been reviewed on blogland many many times, I thought that I would make this at bit more interesting and buddy review it with Aarti from the blog Booklust. Aarti is in the reddish colour and I am typing in black. If all goes well we will also be reviewing the other books in the series together.

Yes, I read the first book in the series last year as well. It was difficult to get a grip on the story and the characters at first, but then I caught on and it was pretty smooth sailing from there!

I have to say that this was, for me, much better than book one. I liked book one, but this one attracted me more than the previous one. I am more interested in reading book three now because I am hoping that it will be even better than this one.

I also really enjoyed this book, though I think I liked book one just as much. Book one really set the scene for me, and while I struggled with getting through the beginning parts- not for lack of interest, but for lack of understanding- I really liked the atmosphere created. I think Bishop continues that here, and into book three as well.

I have been considering over and over again which one is my favourite character in this trilogy. I think in this book my favourite would have to be Saetan. There is lots of humour presented between him, Janelle, and Lucivar that makes you laugh aloud. In the first book he did not really interest me, but he becomes more of a controlled character in this book. I find him interesting, and not at all what I would imagine him to be as the leader of hell. He really adds to the story, I think, so I was glad to read his parts. There really are a lot of funny parts in this book because Janelle and Lucivar are reunited, and Lucivar learns that Saetan is both his father and Janelle's foster father, so suddenly they are siblings. They fight like siblings, too, and Saetan gets in there and fathers them. It was great.

I really liked the family dynamics, too! My favorite character was also Saetan, as he was really an upstanding man, with so much integrity. You could tell how much he cared for the people around him. I think his scenes with Jaenelle, especially, and some with Lucivar, are either very poignant or very funny. And the dynamics between the three of these characters is fun to watch.

I am not sure what I think of Lucivar. In the previous book he had been held captive by the self-declared queen of hell and the priestess that works for her in the human world, so he was not a major character beforehand. He has a lot of potential, though. I think he was the right addition to the cast of characters. With Daemon lost in the Twisted Kingdom, there had to be a young, interesting male to balance out the characters. I might add that young here is a relative term.

That's an interesting point. Lucivar does balance out the book, with Daemon gone for most of it (which saddened me, as I really like him). I think Lucivar is much more fun than Daemon is; Daemon seems to be intense for so much of the time. However, Lucivar did declare himself to be Jaenelle's older brother, and in some parts of the book, he was so brother-like that he really started grating on me! He just has such a bracing personality- I don't know if I could spend time with him for very long without getting a headache!

Then, there is Janelle. She was relatively young in the first book, so I liked her a lot better in this one because she is older and easier to relate to... in a sense. She has a lot of crazy powers, though, and often acts like she is years older than she is. She seriously gives Saetan a lot to deal with, and Lucivar is always trying to get her to slow down. She has a kind heart, and will run herself into the ground to save others. That is clearly shown throughout this book, and the sad thing is that the scenes that she helps out in, you cannot help as the reader feeling very bad for both her and the characters involved. Janelle annoys me sometimes, but overall, I think she is a good character and strong. That's one thing about this trilogy, all the women are strong.

Yes, all the women are strong! Some of them still annoy me, though :-) I actually don't know what I feel about Jaenelle. Yes, sometimes she is wise beyond her years. But sometimes, she also seems very childish. Also, it kind of weirds me out that she snarls so much. Really, though, the depth of her care and loyalty for the people around her is pretty great- she is a wonderful leader. I also really liked the greater introduction of the Kindred in this book- it added a whole set of new characters to the story. We don't get into their heads that often, but it is always a lesson when we do. I thought Bishop added in the animal insights very well.

Overall, this is a good book, and awesome for a book two. Book twos are generally slow in trilogies because there is not a lot of action. Bishop really works with the lack of action, though, and gives us some interesting scenes that will have you eagerly turning the pages. I have started the next book in the trilogy (I know that Aarti has already read it), so expect a review of it in March.

Agreed- a very strong book overall, and I look forward to reviewing the next one as well! And to reading the other Bishop books I have on my shelf- I also have Sebastian.

For fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But that is about to change when destiny seeks him once again. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished and FitzChivalry, possessed of magical skills both royal and profane, is the only one who can retrieve him in time for his betrothal ceremony--thus sparing the Six Duchies profound political embarrassment...or worse. But even Fitz does not suspect the web of treachery that awaits him or how his loyalties to his Queen, his partner, and those who share his magic will be tested to the breaking point.

I had picked this book up at some point in time because I had heard good things about Robin Hobb, and this was the only book one that the bookstore had by her at the time. That was as far as it went at the time, though. I had always planned to get around to her and never did. The other day I was at the bookstore and I was talking to a friend of the person I was with. They read fantasy, the person I was with does not, so they were asking me for some recommendations. I asked for some back, and they said that their favourite author was Robin Hobb. That night I went home and collected this book from my shelves and decided to finally see what the fuss was about.

I did wrong. When I bought it, I did not look up her books, so I did not know that I should have read her Farseer Trilogy first. I know that now, and plan to backtrack to that trilogy before completing this one. It is the suggested method of reading her books, and I should have done it in the first place. My only big complaint with Hobb is that I think the book could easily have been shorter. The first part of the book lays the background for things, but I thought it was a lot of stuff that was not entirely necessary. That was my only really big complaint with the book, too long.

The trilogy follows FitzChivalry as he tells the story of both what is happening now, as well as recounting what has happened in the past. He was first introduced in the Farseer trilogy, which is why you should read it first, and is a very interesting character. It has been fifteen years since the events in the last trilogy, and by all accounts, Fitz has gone from one extreme to the other. He is leading a very calm and collected lifestyle with his pet wolf and his adopted son. Most people believe him to be dead, so it is very easy for him to hide out and not have visitors from the outside world. Things are changing, though, and suddenly he finds himself quite the popular character, as people from his past start to look him up.

Truth of the matter is, Fitz annoys me in the beginning. I mean, he is supposed to have such an interesting past, but he appears so ordinary in the beginning. He is very straight and narrow, and his lifestyle is not really anything to write home about. I understand that it is how people want to live, but it is dull at times to read about. To be honest, the book only really picks up when the Fool enters the story. An old friend from Fitz’s past, he livens the book up for several chapters, but then he goes away. You start to worry that the book is going to go downhill, whether it is worth keeping on with, but the back of the book says that something is going to happen, so I keep reading waiting for the events that it mentions to happen. Thankfully, I do not find that the book falters all that much after the Fool leaves. And, he comes back, so no worries there.

The real importance of this book is a story about a search for a kidnapped prince. The central thing that happens is Fitz and the Fool searching for him. The rest of the stuff that happens is just lead up so we get to know the characters and stuff. I can see this being a bit boring if you have read the other trilogy. Anyways, Fitz starts to be an interesting character after he has the chance to spread his legs a bit. Accompanied by his faithful wolf, which I will let the book explain the significance of, the book gets interesting. Overall, I think that Hobb has a lot of potential. She has also written a book about fear and prejudice that even if it is not about things present in our society, it is reflective of our own culture. I recommend Hobb for fantasy readers. She really did write a good book, even if I thought it was a bit too long. I look forward to reading more from her.

4/5

The Light-Bearer's Daughter tells the story of eleven-year-old Dana, who is about to emigrate to Canada from Ireland with her father, despite her protests. If she leaves, how will she ever find her mother, who disappeared when she was three?

As Dana grapples with her father's decision, she is unwittingly drawn into the world of Faerie. She encounters a mysterious young woman who calls her into the woods. There, Dana is charged with an important mission: she must carry an urgent message from the High King of Faerie to his second-in-command deep in the mountains. If she succeeds, Dana will be granted her heart's desire - any wish will come true.

But why has the High King of Faerie chosen Dana for this mission, and what does it have to do with her long-lost mother?

I have to say again that this is truly a great series to invest your time in. Book 3 in the Chronicles of Faerie series following on from The Hunter’s Moon and The Summer King, this story follows other girls’ adventures to save fairy from impending disaster. This little girl is rather young compared to the other girls in the first two books, as she is only eleven-years-old. We learn through the course of the book, though, that she is not a regular little girl. She has aspects of strength that she is not aware of and secrets that she has chosen to not remember. Her mother left her when she was very young, and Dana has always felt like it was her fault.

She has always lived in Ireland, but her father is from Canada. He came to Ireland for a trip, met Dana’s mother, and decided that he did not see any reason to return to his homeland. Dana is getting older, though, and he finds it hard for a single man to deal with a child that is entering her teenage years, so he decides that it is time to move closer to his family so that the female members can help with her up-bringing. Dana does not know if she wants to leave her home, though. She keeps thinking that her mother will return, and she will not be able to find them if they live in a different country.

Anyways, Dana encounters the faerie folk, and suddenly her life takes a very different turn. She has been commanded to carry a message to one of the faerie kings because for some reason he has made it so that only humans can get near where he rests. So, Dana is sent out to stop him because the faerie folk need him. It is quite an adventure for an eleven-year-old, and the faerie that gives her the mission is often not sure if she can handle it. It means leaving her father for an unknown period of time and setting out in the forest by herself. She does not know who is friend or foe; she just has to keep her wits about her to get the message out in time.

Dana is a good heroine. Sometimes she ages the book, making you aware you are reading about a young child, but Melling writes so well that it really captures your attention. She does not just write simply to write, she has studied folklore and things, so she has a basis for everything that she is saying. It improves the quality of the story, making it better than some of the other faerie books that are on the market. I particularly like that there are translations and pronunciation guides provided at the end so you understand the Gaelic.

All in all, I like this series. I am reading book 4 right now, but it will likely be March before I review it. I like it, but I got a bit Melling’d out, so I am reading it slowly.

4/5