Fantasy Book Reviews

"Murder of Crows" by Anne Bishop        

The sequel to "Written in Red" this story continues the adventure of Meg Corbyn, a blood prophet.  When her skin is cut she experiences a glimpse of the future.  When the others are attacked by humans, two new drugs are to blame.         

Overall, I thought this book was much better than the first.  It moved at a quicker pace and seemed to have more of a purpose.  Although I am still disappointed in the series, I will continue to read anything Anne Bishop writes.

"Written in Red" by Anne Bishop         

Meg, a blood prophet, sees the future when her skin is cut.  Escaping from confinement, where her gift was sold for profit, Meg finds her way to the Courtyard, a haven for the others.  The others are shape shifters, a race hugely feared by humans.         

Anne Bishop is my favorite author but I have to admit that I was disappointed with this book.  It seems like she keeps using the same helpless but uniquely powerful type of female lead and the same overprotective male characters who are inexplicably drawn to the female.  The story itself moved slowly and seemed to go nowhere.

"Throne of Glass" by Sarah Maas         

The well-known and well-feared assassin Celaena, has spent the past year in hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier.  She manages to survive this death camp until the day when Prince Dorian offers her freedom in exchange for entering into a competition to be the King's champion.  She is brought to the palace, given a fake identity and begins to compete in a variety of challenges.          

I thought the premise of the book was interesting, and overall I enjoyed the author's writing style.  However, I do have a few criticism.  I was a bit annoyed by the fact that this is the first book in the series, yet there is an unusual amount of information that the author hasn't given us, and provides to us in e-book novellas.  Although a lot of her background was mentioned, not enough detail was provided to make the issues clear.  I also found myself a bit annoyed by the contradictions within Celaena's personality. 

"The Voice: An Ephemera Novella" By Anne Bishop          

Whenever someone is having a rough day, feels sorrow, or is upset, they bake a cake and bring it to the mute orphan girl called "the Voice."  As a child, Nalah follows the villagers lead and bakes cakes for the Voice.  As she grows older she begins to question this practice, wondering what affect it is having on the Voice.         

I typically avoid novellas and short stories, but Anne Bishop is my favorite author, so I couldn't resist.  I wasn't disappointed.  I love her unique story telling flair and the emotion she puts into her characters.  I think this novella works well as a stand-alone story.  You do not have to read the Sebastian books to enjoy this novella. Overall, I highly recommend this (and anything else Anne Bishop has written.)

"Sebastian" by Anne Bishop         

Long ago the world was splintered into a variety of landscapes.  Landscapers are able to pull these different areas together and maintain the balance.  Bridges are able to connect the pieces of earth.  However, beware, one's heart determines where you land and you cannot travel to a landscape that doesn't resonate with your heart.  Sebastian, a half-wizard half succubus lives in the Den, a landscape created by the rogue landscaper Belladonna.  When strange things begin happening in the Den Sebastian asks the wizards for help.          

This book is very well written.  It is engaging, the characters are fascinating and the world building is ingenious.  Anne Bishop is my favorite author and I highly enjoyed this book.  I look forward to more in this series.

"Belladonna" by Anne Bishop         

The eater of the world has killed most of the landscapers and bridges, leaving the world unstable and subject to the whims of human desire.  Belladonna, a rogue landscaper may be the only one who can save Ephemera and prevent the darker side of the human heart from taking over.         

        This is the second time I've read this book and it was much better than I remembered.  Anne Bishop is a wonderful story teller.  Her characters are fascinating and lovable.  Overall, this book was a home run.

"Bridge of Dreams" by Anne Bishop         

Lee is having a hard time accepting the new Belladonna and her compatriots.  He tries to get some distance from his sister but ends up in the city of Vision.  Wizards capture Lee and slowly destroy his eye site.  After they have finished abusing him, they put him in an insane asylum.         

It was very interesting to see a new Ephemera landscape.  It also served to further develop the relationship between Lee, his sister and characters introduced in the previous two books.  Overall, I thought this book was well written and hope that the author writes another in this series.

"Shadowfell" by Juliet Marillier         

After Neryn's father gambles her away, the boat he is on is set on fire by the king's enforcers.  They are looking to capture anyone with magic and either destroy them or bring them to the King.  Neryn has an uncanny gift, the ability to see the Good Folk, even when they are trying to hide.  After her father's death she sets off for Shadowfell, a legendary town where she hopes to find help.

     I really wanted to like this book, but after awhile I became bored with it.  Neryn spends much of the first part traveling by herself, which quickly became tedious.  It was hard to like Neryn, she seemed a bit generic and one-dimensional.  I did think the good folk were interesting, but not interesting enough to hold the story together.  Overall, I would have a tough time recommending this book.

"Daughter of the Blood" by Anne Bishop         

"Daughter of the Blood" shows a corrupt society, which has twisted the notion that women rule and men serve.  Rather than service being a soft leash, it is pain, torture and humiliation.  Dorothea, the High Priestess, has conducted a campaign to brutalize female children before they can come into their power and destroy and maim strong men.  Foreseen by a black widow is a Queen who will rule the Blood and reverse the damage that has been done.  Jaenelle is born to a powerful family, but one who believes she is crazed and tainted.            

I have to admit right away that this is my favorite book series and Anne Bishop is my favorite author.  This is probably the dozenth time I've read this book, and it was just as good as the first.  The characters and their interaction are fascinating and the magic system is interesting.  I loved the interaction between the three realms and as always, look forward to (re)reading the next book.

"Gate to Kandrith" by Luiken Nicole         

Sarathena, a wealthy pampered noblewoman has been given the mission of discovering the secret of slave magic.  Sara is immediately glad to get away from potential suitors, the burden of being polite and social and the nature of city life.  However, she finds herself on the journey with Lance, a former slave who rescued Sara from an amorous lover.  As one of the members of Kandrith, or Slaveland, Lance knows the secret of magic but is wary of Sara's motives.          

I found this to be a delightfully refreshing novel.  I thought the magic system was brilliant and the characters well developed.  I think anyone who enjoys fantasy books will find this one hard to put down.  Overall, highly recommended.

"Grave Mercy" by Robin LaFevers         

Born after her mother took poison to induce a miscarriage, Ismae has a terrible scar running down her side.  Touted as a daughter to Saint Mortain, the god of death, she is an outcast among townspeople.  At a young age her father sells her into an arranged marriage.  Once her husband sees her scars he runs off to find the village priest.  Ismae is secreted away by a local wise woman and sent to the convent of St. Mortain.  There she is given a choice, a choice to learn the ways of death and become an assassin.  One of her first assignments takes her straight to the court of Brittany, where she must uncover traitors and meet out St. Mortain's justice.

         I highly enjoyed this book.  I found myself not wanting to put it down.  The characters were well developed and the plot line moved swiftly.  I did thought the traitor was a bit easy for the reader to discover, but that didn't take too much away from the plot.  I would have liked to have read more about her training period, but the author skipped over most of that time period.  Overall, I would like to read the next book in the series and plan on closely following this author.

"Promising Light" by Emily Ann Ward         

Grace, a lady of the court has been secretly courting Dar for six months.  After Dar abruptly ends their courtship, Prince William takes an interest in Grace and begins courting her.  Although Grace realizes that something is off, she doesn't uncover their secrets until she is kidnapped by Dar's family.  Ten years ago a curse was placed against the magical race of shape changers, and they are unable to have children.  However, based upon a prophecy, they believe that Grace will be able to break the curse.  Unsure, Grace is torn between the world she knows and helping Dar's family.

    Overall I thought that the book was well written.  The characters were engaging and realistic.  I did think that the theme of "chase, capture, escape" happened way too many times.  I stopped counting when I got to five.  Towards the end of the book characters were added and I felt that they weren't as flushed out as ones introduced at the beginning of the story.  However, despite these problems, the book was interesting and I found myself not wanting to put it down.  I am interested to read future books by the author and see how she progresses with her storytelling.

"Teacher Plus Two" by Valentina Heart         

Heart has created a futuristic universe where humans are valued based upon their sexual expertise.  Teacher status is the highest that a human can achieve, and with it comes notoriety, fame and prestige.  Orrin, on the cusp of Teacher status, is kidnapped and forced to teach slaves.          

I have to admit that I am a bit confused over whether this is an adult book or a young adult book.  The writing style seemed as if the intended audience was young adults however the subject matter said a completely different thing.  I found the plot line interesting, but the world building was a bit too simplistic.  The characters seemed a bit flat and anyone who wasn't a main character was pretty stereotypical.  Overall, I'm not sure whether or not I liked this book.

"Snuff" by Terry Pratchett         

Lady Sybil has finally convinced her husband Sam Vimes to take a vacation away from the city of Ankh-Morpork.  Completely unnerved by the country, Vimes begins to uncover crime everywhere he turns.  The book also tackles the issue of class and social hierarchy as it deals with goblins, a race considered less than human.  Overall, I thought that this book wasn't as good as the other Guard series.  The continual mention of poo and snot seemed to be overkill and took the book into a potty-humor category.  I will still pick up the next Guard book, but with less enthusiasm.

"Naamah's Blessing" by Jacquelyn Carey         

This is the third book in the Naamah series by Jacquelyn Carey.  This one begins with Moirin returning to Terre d'Ange and finding the royal family in shambles.  Queen Jehanne has died, King Daniel is wracked with grief and unable to rule, Prince Thierry has disappeared to the new world and Desiree is desperately lonely and strives for attention and love.  Moirin attempts to solve everyone’s problems, but ends up on a journey to the New World.          

I highly enjoyed this book.  It was much more interesting than the third book and the plot seemed to move rather swiftly.  The characters were once again engaging and full of life.  Although parts of the story did echo the story lines from Kushiel, I found it to be well worth reading.

"The Clock King and the Queen of the Hourglass" by Vera Nazarian         

Far into the future, the earth is a barren desert where few have survived.  Human kind has evolved into an emotionless, passionless group who are no longer able to procreate in the traditional manner.  Using DNA from ancient humans, Liaei is created to be the Queen of the Hourglass.  As Queen, once she reaches a fertile age she is taken to meet the Clock King, a man preserved and periodically reawaken to provide new genetic material for humankind.          

Overall, I found this book to be a bit odd.  Not bad, just odd.  I thought the book was well written and the characters well-developed.  The plot was not very appealing to me, but I think science-fiction fans would find the book to be fascinating.

"Dancing in the Shadows of Love" by Judy Croome         

Lulu, Jamila and Zahra are three very different women whose lives are somewhat entwined. The story takes place on a world much like our own, however the author has invented her own terms and phrases. I found the writing style to be odd and hard to follow. I kept having to refer back to the glossary, which was a huge downfall. Overall, I did not enjoy this book.

"The Inheritance" by Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm         

I have always been a fan of Robin Hobbs, but had never read any of her Megan Lindholm stories.  After reading this collection of short stories that will soon change!  From science fiction to fantasy, this book had it all.  I highly enjoyed the stories and would love to read more.

"Shades of Magic" by K. D. Wilson         

Edgar is a typical young adult, he has no idea what he wants to do with his life however, he knows he doesn't want to be a farmer.  When he has the opportunity to travel with his uncle, and master magician Magnus, he jumps at the opportunity.  Adelaide is apprenticed to an herbalist in a world where women are not allowed to use magic.  Half-way through the story, the reader discovers that magic is fading.  In order to fix magic, Edgar, Magnus, Adelaide and Hesita, the herbalist, travel on a journey to recover a vitality shard.  

Half of the book past before the plot line actually started.  Once the characters discovered that magic was failing, they undertook an extremely simple journey to solve the problem.  The  dangers and encounters of the journey were extremely simplistic and very easy to overcome.  Overall, I thought this book was a bust.

"Shifting Fate" by Alexis Leno         

When the royal family of Alii is targeted by a rival, Brynn find herself trying to alter the predestined future to save the world she knows.  I'm not really sure what to say about this book.  The writing wasn't great, but it wasn't awful.  The story-line and characters was fairly stereotypical, although some of their actions were absurd and highly unusually.  For example, after finding out her life is in danger, the princess goes to an inn with a complete stranger because she is tired, rather than going back to the castle to sleep.  When Brynn is targeted by Shifters, the resulting magical power seems to be something straight out of X-men.  Overall, I was fairly disappointed with this book, but I found myself finishing it, just to see what absurdities the characters did next.

“Twilight’s Dawn” by Anne Bishop             

Anne Bishop is by far my favorite author.  I was so excited when I found out she was writing another book about the SaDiablo family, and I was not disappointed.  My only regret is that there weren’t more stories to read and enjoy.  If you have never picked up any of her books, I highly recommend the Dark Jewels Trilogy and its companion books. 

“The Decoy Princess” by Dawn Cook         

Princess Contessa learns that she is actually a street urchin, raised as a decoy to protect the real princess.  Amidst assassination attempts and the castle’s takeover, Contessa fights for her family and kingdom.  The characters are well-developed and have a unique voice of their own.  Well written, this is an intriguing story one that I highly recommend to fantasy readers of all types.

“Princess at Sea” by Dawn Cook         

The sequel to The Decoy Princess finds Tessa fighting to free Princess Contessa from the pirates who have kidnapped her.  Although well-written, there is a bit of discontinuity between this book and the last.  Despite this, I really enjoyed the book.  Overall, I rate it a four out of five.

“Naamah’s Curse”by Jacqueline Carey         

Jacqueline Carey’s newest book, “Naamah’s Curse” continues the journey of Moirin as she searches for her love, Bao.  She finds him amongst the Tartars, and discovers that he has married a Tartar princess.  They conspire to win an archery contest, whereby Moirin will ask the Tartar Khan to dissolve Bao’s marriage.  Instead, the Khan sells Moirin to the Vralians.  Held in magical chains, Moirin is deprived of the magic she has come to rely upon.  The Vralians attempt to convert Moirin to their religion but she ultimately escapes to once again chase after Bao.

     Moirin’s story takes a myriad of turns as she endlessly tries to reunite with Bao.  Lacking the spark of earlier books, the characters seem stereotypical and one dimensional.  The romance is lack luster and a bit predictable.  Characters fall in and out of Moirin’s story, at precisely the perfect time to rescue her from another foible.  Moirin is not the strong versatile heroine of Carey’s prior books.

     Despite the predictability and lack of character development, Carey’s writing style continues to engage the reader as she vividly describes the world and its variety of cultures.  Although not a home-run, I will pick up the next book in the series, if only to find out what Carey creates next.

“The Spirit Lens:  A Novel of the Collegia Magica” Carol Berg        

Portier de Savin-Duplais is a failed student of magic, in a world where magic is fading and scorned.  A distant cousin to the King, he is called upon to investigate a failed assassination attempt on the King’s life, which is wrapped up in magic.  The King saddles him with his brother-in-law, Ilario, a frivolous court decoration, or so it seems.  Portier immediately seeks the aid of a mage, Dante, one who is outside of the typical magic circles.         

More a mystery novel than a fantasy novel, the book takes expected turns as its “heroes” attempt to uncover the would-be murderer.  Stereotypical characters lead to a luke-warm plot, where the mystery can be guessed long before it is actually revealed.  Rated 3 out of 5.