Tag Archives: fantasy

Raelia by Lynette Noni

The worst thing about this whole Medoran Chronicles series, of which Raelia is book two, is that the author, Lynette Noni, lives in Australia.

I on the other hand live in the USA, far from Australia. So far from Australia that hard copies of her books aren’t even sold here.

This is a terrible problem because these are books that need to be shared.

These are the kind of books that I want to be able to loan to the next young adult who walks through the door.

These are the kind of books I want to hand to the next adult who enjoys YA fantasy.

These are the kind of books that I want to lend my Harry Potter fan friends.

Then I want to pass them off to a person who claims not to like fantasy but that is enough of a reader that they will give them a try when I tell them how great the characters are.

And then, once everyone is done gushing, I want to put them nicely on my bookshelf where I would smile fondly at them whenever I passed by until the next reader dropped by my house looking for a good book.

Would I recommend it? Not only would I recommend both Raelia and Akarnae (which you should really read first) I encourage you to buy them, especially if you are outside of Australia. Perhaps then, one day, we’ll get some paper copies on the shelves here!

Also, if you, like me, are fond of “real” books come check out my Book at the Door giveaway, I’ve got books to share!

Round Trip Fare by Barb Taub

You know how when you wait and wait for a sequel to come out and then it finally comes and you read it and it’s so great that you just have to go back and re-read all the books that came before it while wondering why you didn’t do that before it came out to make the reading of it even more enjoyable and then debate with yourself if you really should just re-read the sequel again even though you just finished it mere days ago …

Yeah.

This book is just like that.Round_Trip_Fare-Barb_Taub-500x800

Would I recommend it? Yes! This book can be read as a stand alone but, it’ll be much better if you read the rest of the Null City books first.

Or second.

Or first and second.

Basically you just need to read them all because once you enter Barb Taub’s world of urban fantasy where super powers sometimes just suck, angles aren’t always what you’d expect them to be, and with a short ride on a sentient Metro you can arrive at Null City where superpowers will fade into a thing of the past,  you aren’t going to want to leave. The men are just too good looking (and tattooed), the imps make fabulous coffee (once they’ve been living in Null City for a bit anyway), the women kick butt (with large amounts of sass and style) and the dogs are awesome. Sure, you may very occasionally raise an eyebrow at the “convenience” of a character’s actions but don’t let it get to you. Focus on the snarky dialogue, the tattoos and the Firefly references and you’ll be having too much fun to care!

Round Trip Fare comes out on Thursday (Yeah, I totally got an advanced copy. And yeah, it’s pretty much reader heaven.) Luckily for you the first of the bunch, One Way Fare, is FREE right now!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Cogling by Jordan Elizabeth

Steampunk is a literary genre that confused me, if I thought of it at all.

When it did cross my mind all I could envision was people dressed in outfits involving lots of leather, corsets, top hats, a few random gears thrown in and goggles. Always the goggles. But the why of it all escaped me. I turned to the internet and Dictonary.com gave me a definition…

“A subgenre of science fiction and fantasy featuring advanced machines and other technology based on steam power of the 19th century and taking place in a recognizable historical period or a fantasy world.”

… clear as mud now right?

But what I’ve decided is, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what Steampunk is or isn’t because as the writing gets better, the genre matters less. Not to say that I wouldn’t have wanted the author to describe this alternate history full of magic and technology as well as she did. No, quite to the contrary. Because she described it so well and because her characters were so rich, there was no confusion. I didn’t read a “steampunk” book.

I read a book about a sister whose brother was kidnapped. I read about oppression and freedom. Class warfare and  outright warfare. I read about evil beings that weren’t and good citizens that weren’t either. I read about trust and I read about love.

Sure, there were some crazy gizmos in amongst all that but, at the end of the day, the gizmos weren’t what had me flipping pages long after I should have turned in for the night.

Would I recommend it? Don’t let a funny word like steampunk scare you off, give it a try, I think you’ll like it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

 

Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Hi, Honey!

So, don’t be mad but I really feel like the best way to tell, you know, all the people, how good these books are involves you. And by involves you, I really mean me telling you the thing I try not to say too often to the man who is the most wonderful husband ever.

You see, I know that I was a bit girly about the love I had for the completely awesome female assassin main character when I tried to push the book on you. I can see now that perhaps that wasn’t quite the right track to take with you. I could have mentioned more of the plot, or a few of the fairly awesome male characters. Probably I should have told you that thing about the beautiful witches with their iron teeth and nails and how they just “play” with men before, you know, eating them (unless, of course, they are just out killing for fun). And how by the end of the books you won’t hate them and how I think that’s pretty indicative of some amazing writing.

But I didn’t.

I just kept telling you that you were going to love it and badgered you until you finally started reading the first one. Then, of course, I’m sure you remember how I annoyed you until you read it faster so you could get to the amazing parts. That was foolish of me. I’m sorry. But, not even, when you went to the library in another town to pick up book three because you’d be able to get your hands on it sooner did I actually say “I told you so!” like I totally could have.

So sorry, for telling, you know, all the people, about all that. But I want them to believe me (or, really, it’d be believing us now right?) about how great these books are and how they should definitely read them!

Thanks for your help!

Love you!

Would I recommend them? Yes! (And I think John might too, if he’s still speaking to me after this…)

The Prince’s Man by Deborah Jay

Solid.

This book was solid.

Solid in the sense that it was, and I quote from dictionary.com, having relative firmness, coherence of particles, or persistence of form, as matter that is not liquid or gaseous. 

This newly created world is firm, there are no gaps or jumps of reasoning. One creature, idea, magic or bit of history flows right into the next. Characters that appear substantial at the beginning of the book do nothing but grow and evolve as their backstory unfolds behind them.

This is solidly written fantasy tale.

It was also solid in the, and now I quote form urban dictionary, cool or awesome aspect.  .

In this land people play a deadly game that involves lots of spying. Of course along with spying goes the lying. And that’s where the awesome part came in because more than once, just as the main character figured out some sort of mystery, I figured it out too!

Not way ahead of time so that I spent my time reading thinking, “Oh come on! It’s so obvious why haven’t you got that figured out yet!” Or one of those stories where they tell you the big reveal and you think, ” Well there is no way I could have ever figured that out.”

But at the same time!

That’s not only a really cool feeling as a reader but really awesome writing from an author!

Would I recommend it? If you are a fantasy fan put this one on your to read list. There is more of this story yet to tell and I’ll be lined up to read the next one when it comes out!

Also by Deborah Jay: Desprite Measures (Which is, I suspect, why the water sprite was extra… rambunctious…)Rosie's Book Review team 1

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I discovered this book because I’m a proud member of Rosie’s Book Review Team!

Runes by Ednah Walters

I loved it.

It’s young adult. It’s fantasy. It’s a sappy love story. It’s full of bad-ass “people” and it stars a tenacious heroine.

Of course I loved it.

While it could be said that there is nothing super surprising or novel about this story line, Runes is well written with a good back story and solid characters.

Just because I’ve eaten and loved chocolate chip cookies my whole life doesn’t mean I don’t still want more tomorrow.

Would I recommend it? Young Adult fantasy lovers, grab your copy.  Runes is free for downloading on Amazon! Just be careful, like chocolate chip cookies, it’s hard to stop after just one. And, since my cookie and YA fantasy willpower are about the same, I can tell you that book number two, Immortals, is also quite tasty!

Fire Blessed by Crystin Goodwin

Last fall I read UnBlessed by Crystin Goodwin and, while I recommend it. I refused to tell you about it. 

I didn’t want to ruin the experience.

Now I have read the sequel, Fire Blessed, and I’m still not telling.

I can’t tell you how it was that the author took a story that sucked me in so completely, expanded it and made the next installment even better without spoiling it for you.

I can’t give away just how the characters, that I wished had more substance in the first book, are fleshed out in this one. (But now there are characters of such complexity that I can’t decide if I love them or hate them.)

I can’t hint at the scheming going on behind the scenes. If you haven’t read UnBlessed you must come to it at it’s proper time. (But oh the scheming!)

And I can’t possibly tell you exactly how it leaves you at the end. (But I’m ready for book three!)

What can I tell you?

I can tell you that I’d absolutely recommend that you read it for yourself!

Would I recommend it? Start with UnBlessed (or it just wouldn’t be right) and have this one at hand for as soon as you reach the last page!

 

The Jack of Souls by Stephen C. Merlino

Harric is a good guy.

He saves damsels in distress because it’s the right thing to do. (And also, he likes girls.)

He’s joined up with folks who are off to save the land from evil. (But he needed to get out of town quick anyway.)

He keeps in contact with his mother. (Unfortunately she’s dead and working hard to kill him too.)

He thinks carefully about making the right decisions. (Except for those highly questionable situations that he dives headlong into.)

And he works hard selling his wares. (While he fleeces unsuspecting persons out of any money he can.)

I always like a book with a good guy don’t you?

Would I recommend it? This is far more than just a fantasy book with a good guy. It’s full of new worlds and magics, culture clashes and ideals, angry immortals and horses (it never hurts to have good horses)… it’s epic fantasy! I finished it, promptly took the book my husband was reading away and put this in his hands instead. If you’re a fantasy lover put this next on your list!

I’d also like to recommend popping over and reading Barb Taub’s book review and interview with the author but, unfortunately, it’s titled: “Don’t read this review…Go straight out and buy 5-star epic fantasy The Jack of Souls”

I feel that leaves you with two options:

Follow her advice and go buy the book.

Or, if you are one of those people who is terrible at doing what you are told, read it anyway, realize that she was right, and go buy the book. (That was me.)

But really, the choice is yours.

 

 

The Immortals by Tamora Pierce

My first introduction to Tamora Pierce was in her Beka Cooper series. (You can read a review/movie rant here where I sort of talk about Terrier.) I was hooked and then delighted to discover another two dozen books by the same author, many set in the same world. I had reading to do!

Last year I binge read The Song of the Lioness Quartet and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then, last week, feeling under the weather, I got all four of The Immortals books from the library and promptly devoured them.

The Beka Cooper books (Terrier, Bloodhound and Mastiff) are, so far, still my favorite – as an adult. The Song of the Lioness quartet I enjoyed, but would have loved as a kid. The Immortals? The Immortals main character can talk to animals. I’d have been over the moon to have discovered this when it was written!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Would I recommend it? These are the kind of fun, strong, female character books that I can’t wait to introduce my own girls to. When I hand the first of these to them I’ll be crossing my fingers that at least one of my girls will like it as much as I do!

 

Akarnae by Lynette Noni

The evening I finished Akarnae I sat down in front of the fire to write, unordered thoughts swirling in my head.

Do I go with the, “It’s like Harry Potter mixed with X-Men and The Chronicles of Narnia” quote?  Can I describe the pure awesomeness of Alex without giving things away? Characters, focus on characters. No friendships? The ways it’s better than typical young adult fantasy? The fun alternate world? The fantasticness that it is the first of a series…

Stymied by my enthusiasm, I decided to start at the beginning – the title.

People are going to need to know how to pronounce the title so they can find it and then tell all their friends about it.

I pulled the book out and started skimming through the first chapter knowing the phonetic spelling was hiding in it somewhere. Soon the skimming turned to reading, the pronunciation forgotten, and before I knew it I’d read the first quarter of the book again. 

Would I recommend it? Just in case that wasn’t clear, let me tell you again. The evening I finished the book I sat down and accidentally re-read the first quarter of the book- after reading the entire thing in less than two days.

I really liked this book and, because I know you’re still wondering, it’s pronounced Ah-kar-nay.

Now you can go find it, tell your friends about it and then, this is the really important part, after you read it tell me so we can sit down and talk about all the things that make it awesome!