Review: The Ritual (Theft and Sorcery 01) by Erica Dakin

Book info: 

Form: pdf e-book 

Genre: paranormal romance, fantasy
Target audience: adults 

Synopsis:

It is a first person narration of Chiarin or Rin, a half-elf girl living in a world where cross-breeds are discriminated against, shunned and persecuted for what they are. She has a twin sister, Shaniel or Shani who is a sorceress. Magic is a rare gift but also a dangerous one, because coveted by elven aristocracy; once you get into their service they’ll never set you free. That’s why both girls have to hide and lead a hand-to-mouth existence.

One night Rin, a professional cutpurse, is robbed by another half-elf, a very handsome man called Zashter who has…an identical twin brother, Mior, and Mior happens to be…another sorcerer. Rin first avenges herself by causing the arrest of those two but soon her sister and her conscience make her regret that move so she breaks into the prison and set Zash and Mior free.

After carrying out her ambitious plan, all of a sudden, she offers to accompany those two complete strangers wherever they are going. Zash reluctantly agrees, apparently because he has a very dangerous and important mission to fulfill – obtaining  four powerful artifacts, one for every natural element, as required by his shadowy boss. He is a master thief, though; with the support of his brother’s magic he can manage without anybody’s help even the most ambitious endeavours. Being also very handsome, he can have a new lover in every town he visits. What does he really need both sisters for?

My impressions:

It is the first part of a paranormal romance series and I am not going to criticize it for that – it would be as stupid as complaining that lemons are yellow and sour. If you don’t feel like reading about pointy-eared hotties making out on every possible occasion don’t even look at the book, as simple as that. Still I am going to carp a bit because in my humble opinion it could have been a lot better.

I liked the idea – half-elves who live in a hostile world where they have only two possible career choices: either become slaves or criminals, sometimes both, but never independent adults with a normal life. Our characters chose what they chose and never looked back. Fine. Just why they had to be two pairs of identical twins with identical skills is beyond me. A bit of variety is always a nice thing but unfortunately variety is not this novel’s forte.

Then you have the world building which is so sketchy that almost borders a catastrophe. Rin more often than not focuses on her romantic feelings, rarely sparing some time for the surroundings or politics or anything at all. The easy way Zash agrees to take both sisters under his protection and provide some tutelage is fishy from the very start; however dear Rin remains in the dark for most of the novel, never even daring to confront her lover or ask him the simplest and most natural questions. She is so busy, kissing, stealing, dreaming and kissing again. It would be such a nice change to have an interesting, clever heroine who actually knows how to make use of those two gifts in practice, especially when confronted with a handsome stranger.

I don’t want to be overly cruel and dwell too long on obvious plot flaws: like the fact that a certain monastery, full of stupid, kinky monks and some browbeaten sex slaves, contains a well which water heals every disease and can bring you back to life; seriously, the author wants me to believe nobody has ever considered taking it over and enjoying an everlasting and extremely profitable trade, not to mention an instantaneous and full recovery? Really, nobody was interested enough to gather an army of professional soldiers and punish those hideous monks for their depravity, keeping in mind that the reward might be worth more than a kingdom plus you would get those delicious women to play with? Nobody? How very improbable…

Let me finish my musings in a positive way – I appreciate the fact that the book ended the way it did, without any of those ugly cliffhangers. Funnily enough it made me curious about the second part – curious enough to buy it when it is available and the mood strikes again.

Final verdict: 

Good idea, not really great execution. Don’t think too much while reading this book – the effects might be disastrous. However if you want something steamy and lowbrow easy to read, with elves, half-elves, magic and thieves, this novel might fit the bill. 

Rameau's Review Archive: What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss

Originally posted on Goodreads December 13th 2012.

Synopsis:

Is Rachel Robinson the only one on campus who doesn't know who Devin Freedman is? No big deal except that the bad-boy rock star gets a kick out of Rachel's refusal to worship at his feet. And that seems to have provoked his undivided attention. Devin, the guy who gave new meaning to the phrase "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll." Devin, the guy who somehow becomes wedged between her and the past she's kept hidden for years. 

It's up to this librarian to find out firsthand just how "bad" he really is. Because her secret--and her growing feelings for a man who claims he's bent on redemption--depend on his turning out to be as good as he seems. Which is really, really good.

What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss

This review can also be found on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell-blog.

I may or may not have found my new favourite author.

There’s a reason Harlequin Superromances sell so well in Finland, better than Blaze or any other kinky ultra hot sex series or imprint. The impact of naked skin kind of evens out when you get used to seeing it regularly in the sauna. And we have those long winter nights and comfy blankets in our beds… anyway, it’s all about the story.

Here, two adults in their thirties meet at a point in their lives that isn’t particularly auspicious for romantic entanglements. One desperately wants a family but isn’t ready to commit to a man to have it, and another is trying to build a new start for his life. It’s a good thing then that they don’t know anything about each other and can discover together what the future holds for them. But as I said, the timing isn't the best possible and their past mistakes are about to catch up with them.

I made a list of all the things I loved about this book and it’s as disorganised as are my thoughts, still. I loved the wit and humour Bliss infuses her text with. Jokes are a delicate thing to write especially when the audience doesn’t necessarily share the cultural context with the author, but here:

”It wasn't that he had a five o'clock shadow at nine-thirty in the morning that screamed 'bad boy.' To Rachel's eyes, that simply made him scruffy.”

"Anyone could see she had a conscience. That must be painful for her."

”’I’m not offended. You're not my type, either.'
Perversely, he was piqued. 'Not a nerd, you mean?'
Her eyes narrowed. 'Not housebroken.’”

Look at that and tell me it’s not funny even without the context. I dare you.

I loved the fact that Rachel and Devin didn’t succumb to the insta-lust/love/attraction that’s a plague in modern romances. They were actually slightly antagonistic before building a tentative friendship with the option for more. Their romance was the slow burn kind with push and pull to keep them balanced. One gave the other took, and then they switched places. Truths were shared and actual smarts were displayed. I loved that both Rachel and Devin acted like adults. They weren’t perfect but they owned up to their mistakes and were determined to face the consequences.

One thing I absolutely hate in romance novels is the plot twist involving an artificial, prolonged misunderstanding. It was delightfully absent from this book and it all comes back to characters acting like real adults. Even in their most idiotic moments, they remained true to their characterisations instead of changing to fit the whims of the plot.

As for the reason why I now have a “can-I-has-a-Devin” shelf, let’s just say—without spoiling the book for everyone else—that the man knows the right things to say. (Yes, I’m aware that a woman wrote him.) He has brilliant scenes with Rachel and another character where he expresses his unwavering love, devotion, and trust in her. Once he’s in, he’s in. He’s made up his mind and he won’t let her insecurities drive him away, and he trusts her to figure it out eventually.

I’ll need to read that other book by Bliss I bought on the Harlequin Christmas sale. Then I’ll know if I’ll be adding another author on my list of favourites.

Series review: Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

First of all:
here you can find the titles of novels as listed on Goodreads, available in Black Dagger Brotherhood series. And much more. You might notice that the series enjoys overall a very high ranking - that's why I was lured into trying it. I skimmed just three books and surrendered to the inevitable - each one of these was for me a DNF of a kind. Why?

My impressions:

It is easy to recognize one of these series from the first book. The author introduces you to a group of available men and/or women – they might constitute a big, extended family or a unit of fighters/warriors or a pack of werewolves – relatively young, close-knit, highly trained and rather secretive. In this case it is a coven of male vampires called the Black Dagger Brotherhood led by Wrath with a mission of fighting ugly lessers. In every installment one of them is paired with an appropriate love interest a.k.a a worthy female, Wrath being the first victim…er…happy bride groom of the aforementioned pairing.

All the characters share several tell-tale traits – for example every single one of males is handsome and muscled (actually let me quote one of the novels to make my little review more colourful: ‘built like a brick shithouse’ and ‘hung like a Louisville Slugger’ was the actual description) but also in some way conflicted, with shadows in their past (in other words pop psych at its finest). At first it might seem an interesting idea but after two-three books you find you have to stifle a yawn or two, so similar to each other they all seem. Also every one of these ‘worthy females’ is invariably pretty, kind, curvaceous, young and honorable. Damn it, even intelligent. They might behave sometimes like a skunk but only with their ‘chosen one’ so it remains more or less acceptable.

Well, it is a world where you recognize your second half instantly and without any necessary hassle and once you fall in love, you stay in love no matter what. Vampires dress well in brand-name clothes and swear like your common–or-garden thug. They tattoo (or rather carve) the name of their beloved on their own backs. If they have sex (and there’s plenty of it) it is always and unvaryingly mind-blowing experience with multiple orgasms and such trifles. Of course, despite being kick-ass, as-hard-as-nails, tough-and-rough, leather-clad professionals every single one of them has that white fluffy bunny buried deep inside. Who can find the bunny? Who can make a big, muscled macho vampire snuggle and moan and lick your metaphorical shoes, all sappy and soft, while proposing on his knees or on all fours or on his back, with all limbs flailing about, his position completely depending on your mood and preferences? You guessed it – a worthy female, the one and only.

 If there are any problems in this vampire paradise you get Her Holiness Scribe Virgin - an entity who is neither a virgin (she has a vampire son and daughter!) nor a scribe but a deus-ex-machina solve-it-all fairy godmother of the scarier kind. Add to that blend a bit of family drama, bad childhood memories, feminist whiffs and some unpleasant torture – the parts of particular vampires’ past experiences – and you get in a nutshell what this series is about. Artificial as hell and sweet as glucose-fructose syrup. If you swaped these heroes and heroines with, say, My Little Ponies, nobody would notice.

 Rubik's cube  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is of course a lot of steamy scenes during which male parts and female parts are getting closely acquainted, no inhibitions. It is a paranormal romance, very close to paranormal erotica after all, right? Insta-lust and insta-attachment seem to be two virulent diseases plaguing these stories – as soon as a male or a female gets a whiff of their future mate they are in a constant hormone overdrive mode and you can be sure: in the end every Jim will get his Jane, no matter what obstacles are thrown their way and they will remain blissfully happy, like ‘a Rubik's Cube solved (another quote - isn't the writing style lovely?). The syrupy sweet ending is one of the features the readers of such novels are expecting, actually one of the most important reasons they  buy and devour those books with a notorious regularity of a sugar junkie.

There have been ten books published so far and there will be two more. I really can't help thinking that it speaks volumes about the state of the publishing business and not exactly kind words, mind you.
Junk food literature, nothing else. Well, if you need a nice piece of junk food from time to time who is to say you can’t have it? And who is to judge you? Not me.

Bon appétit or tuck in! In my case, however it was...

Review: Strong Enough to Love (Jackson #1.6) by Victoria Dahl

Synopsis:
USA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Dahl delivers sassy and sexy contemporary romance in a new series set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Get a taste with this novella, Strong Enough to Love....

Photographer Eve Hill was completely comfortable being single. Or at the very least, she was completely resigned to it. There was only one man who made every nerve in her body and brain light up when he walked into a room. But Brian Stewart had always been off limits. Hell, she'd never even kissed him!

For Brian, returning to Jackson Hole feels like coming home. But that has nothing to do with the town. It's Eve drawing him back. Eve and the chance to finally see if they have something or if it's all been in his imagination.

Eve doesn't think she can open her heart to Brian again after getting hurt so badly before, though her body still wants him. She offers Brian one night to fulfill their long-denied fantasies, and that's it. No love or promises, just a chance to get their attraction out of their systems. But can one night really be enough?

Return to Jackson Hole for more steamy romance by Victoria Dahl in Close Enough to Touch, Too Hot to Handle and So Tough to Tame.



It started out so well. Dahl painted the picture of Eve and her life and slowly eased in the tropes. I liked that they’re an older couple, closer to forty than twenty.

And then I started feeling sorry for the throwaway suitor, Mitch, who could never compete with Eve’s one true love or have the Chemistry with her that Brian has. Except that Mitch was the decent, loveable guy who didn’t stalk Eve, break her heart and storm back into her life expecting to replace whatever and whoever was occupying it currently. There is or there should be a difference between wearing someone down and pushing too hard.

It’s safe to say I didn’t care for Brian at all.

The ending? It’s the “unbelievable, too fast, miraculous cock cures all” kind.

Maybe this is a good read for those who already are fans of Dahl’s work, but for a casual reader it offers little. It certainly didn’t entice me to read more from her.

Rameau's Review Archive: Unveiled (Turner #1) by Courtney Milan

Rameau's ramblings: After reading Unclaimed and converting Anachronist into a romance reader, I had to hunt down everything Milan had ever published. So far. These days I savour her books instead of devouring them. 

Originally posted on Goodreads September 22nd 2011.

Synopsis:
Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family--and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance....Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who's stolen her fortune and her father's legacy--the man she's been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties--and the tantalizing promise of passion....


Unveiled by Courtney Milan

I'm in no shape to write as comprehensive review as I did for the sequel Unclaimed, mostly because I'm lazy and because this not being one of my few ARCs I don't feel obligated enough. But at the same time I feel like I'm not doing this book justice if I don't.

Courtney Milan can write a romance, again, in the best sense of the word. Her characters while highly sexual beings even in historical setting don't just abandon their morals and jump in the sack at the first opportunity. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to name another author who understands as clearly the need for seducing the mind as Milan does. It's all about showing why these two characters are right for each other and why they should choose each other above everyone else with Milan.

In here, Ash Turner is the epitome of as self-made man. He left home at the age of fourteen to make his fortune and ensure the future of his brothers, in doing so, he sacrificed his relationship with them. Now, it's his turn to exact vengeance on those who wronged him and his family when they were poor and in desperate need of help. But he doesn't know if he can have that revenge without damaging his tenuous connection with his brothers permanently.

Margaret Dalrymple is an innocent victim of Ash's revenge, collateral damage if you will, but she's prepared to fight back. Her only chance is to find some unforgivable flaw in the new Parford heir to reclaim her family's inheritance. The only problem, she finds herself falling for the last man whom she should ever fall in love with.

There are numerous reasons why these two should hate each other and why they should be bitter enemies to the end. There's also that tiny spark that if nurtured correctly can grow into an unquenchable blaze. And that's what Milan does. She introduces that tiny spark of chemistry and attraction and lets it grow into an unforgettable love affair without ever sacrificing the uniqueness of the characters.

I might even like Ash and Margaret more than I did Sir Mark and Jessica, but as a whole, the second Turner book was better paced. This one seemed to drag towards the end only to collect itself at the last minute and finish the race in top three.

Spoilers for Unveiled and Unclaimed both: <spoiler> As much as I enjoyed the Sir Mark seduce the debauched courtesan in Unclaimed, nothing in it came close to the sexiness of Margaret taking that key from Ash and locking them in his bedroom for the night before their planned wedding. </spoiler>


Still, I have a feeling I'm going to like Smite's story the best, he just sounds like my kind of man. Can't wait for Unraveled.

Rameau's Review Archive: Unraveled (Turner #3) by Courtney Milan

Rameau's ramblings: What can I do to help kick off the Romance May? Give you another Milan review! Naturally.

Originally posted on Goodreads December 14th 2011.

Synopsis:
Smite Turner is renowned for his single-minded devotion to his duty as a magistrate. But behind his relentless focus lies not only a determination to do what is right, but the haunting secrets of his past—secrets that he is determined to hide, even if it means keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Until the day an irresistible woman shows up as a witness in his courtroom…

Miranda Darling isn’t in trouble…yet. But she’s close enough that when Turner threatens her with imprisonment if she puts one foot wrong, she knows she should run in the other direction. And yet no matter how forbidding the man seems on the outside, she can’t bring herself to leave. Instead, when he tries to push her away, she pushes right back—straight through his famous self-control, and into the heart of the passion that he has long hidden away…

Unraveled by Courtney Milan

Having read Unveiled and Unclaimed both, I knew what I was getting myself in for. That's why this review is littered with comments about the anxious wait I was made to suffer until self-published Unraveled was released. You'd think the author would have the decency to write something bad to make it up to me, to make my part as reviewer easier, but no. Damn you Milan, how dare you make me love Smite Turner even more than I thought I would? And Miranda Darling and Ghost? How dare you!

Of the three Turner brothers Smite is the most scarred. His skin may be intact, but inside he carries the weight of the water that once nearly crushed and suffocated him. Inside he's an impenetrable fortress that stands alone under the storms of his nightmares. Inside he's cold, but far from dead.

Ghost, the puppy, may have started the thawing, but it takes a blazing sun like Miranda Darling for Smite to forget himself and break the barriers he's erected just to be able to function. For two decades he's spent simply existing, but when Miranda flattens him with few sharp remarks Smite finds himself wanting to live again.

She's naive yet worldly as only a child grown amidst actors can be. She's a survivor, but not hardened through and through. She has a sharp tongue and wicked mind, but she's also loyal and too trusting. She's a ray of sunshine that lights up the room, but will scorch if faced directly. Miranda is just the right woman to get under Smite Turner's skin.

What starts with a lie and on the grimy streets of Bristol, moves to shining marble halls and into a bedroom. While they are discovering new physical boundaries, an unexpected accord forms between the two lovers. Miranda finds herself attracted to a decent man and Smite opens up to her in a way he hasn't been able to do with anyone else.

I could quote the whole book and it would make more sense than this review so far.

What you need to know is that Smite is a diligent magistrate in Bristol with an unerring memory. He recognises Miranda and stops her from committing perjury, he also follows her to warn her not to try that particular trick in his court again. What Smite doesn't realise is that Miranda has her own set of problems and very little choice. She's bartered her life and skills to the Patron for personal protection for herself and the boy living with her.

Smite might be able to remove Miranda from the dirty and sooty streets, but he can't free her from her obligations. And here, Milan surprises positively. Instead of hiding her troubles and trying to deal with them by herself, Miranda faces Smite and confides in him risking everything now dear to her. Of course this doesn't stop Smite from reacting rather stupidly, but he has the baggage to excuse it.

Despite the slight feel of repetition in the beginning–which might be because I kept putting the book down and rereading to get where I'd left off–the text carried me through the story like a gentle way pushing me to the shore. The way Milan writes makes days feel like hours and weeks feel like years. By the time I finished reading the last chapter I couldn't believe how far both characters and their extended families had come. It felt like I had read the first pages a lifetime ago instead of few hours.

I know I'm forgetting something important–like the laughs–but for the life of me I can't think of anything else without spoiling the journey. This is the best I can do for a five star review and I know it's not nearly enough.

P.S. If anything, this story shows you how important a comma can be.

Review: The Lion's Daughter (Scoundrels 01) by Loretta Chase

May is going to be a very romantic month on this blog - as we promised you in the previous post there is going to be plenty of reviews covering all kinds of romantic fiction. Let me start with a classic: Loretta Chase and the first part of her 'Scoundrels' series, The Lion's Daughter.

Synopsis:

Varian St George, baron Edenmont, is an English peer who knows Davies and Byron. He is also a handsome, penniless whore, shamelessly sponging money off naïve women whenever he can. A jackal and an opportunist – that’s him. While he was traveling through Italy, seducing different rich and bored wives in order to earn his upkeep, the fate made him accompany a young boy, Percival, for a fee of course, to Albania.

There he meets the love of his life – a scrawny girl with green eyes and a mop of red curls, known as ‘a little warrior’ or ‘the Red Lion’s daughter’. Some people also call her ‘a spitfire’. Her name is Esme and her father, Jason Brentmor, has been just assassinated while in service of the Vizier of Janina, Ali Pasha or so they say. Esme needs a white knight rather badly – another suitor, far less civilized than Varian, is waiting impatiently to wed her and she doesn’t fancy him, not even a bit.

Varian, although hardly as noble as a real knight should be, falls in love, seduces the girl and marries her properly which is like a huge leap of faith for him – Esme is poor as well. Still she has a rich, eccentric grandmother who might or might not provide for the young couple. Unfortunately the old lady is hardly willing to throw good money after bad – and who can blame her? Varian is facing a big challenge : he must try to rescue whatever can be rescued from a shambles called his life and persuade everybody, his young wife and his own family included, that this time he means it. You must admit it is a scarier task than slaying a dragon.

What I liked:

The main heroine, Esme, was a great character. She was intrepid, funny, intelligent and far more independent than your average female romantic interest - a fearless rebel with a tender heart but a temper that runs hotter than fire and her flaming red hair. It always bodes well for a book, romance or not, if I like the main lead so don’t be surprised by the rest of my review : yes, I did like this one, I liked it very much. How not to like a book after reading such a scene?

“Esme’s lips were twitching as she gave the letter back to her grandmother.

“It ain't funny,” the old lady growled.

“Not only amusing but imaginative,” Esme said. “They say I have tattoos on my hands, wear a ring in my nose, and in this garb—and nothing else—I dance lewd dances in your rose garden. By the light of the full moon. Mrs. Stockwell-Hume does not mention my howling at the moon as well, but perhaps her London friends will think of that in time.”

Her beloved Varian wasn’t bad either; as his name, St Georges, indicates, he was simply predestined to save virgins from dragons even if he was the dragon itself. :) Still he will feature in the ‘dislikes’ section as well -  I suppose carping about romantic heroes is my second nature. One thing is sure: I really appreciated the lack of misunderstandings between Esme and Varian. Practically from the very beginning they had a degree of trust, or at least a degree of strength of character that allowed them to put themselves in the other person's shoes and not jump to conclusions about nefarious motivations if anything went wrong.

What I didn’t like:

Here you go. 

Varian was too pretty, too honourable and reformed too fast for an inveterate womanizer, a rake and a coxcomb. If only he was given more time...By the way imagine what Jane Austen would say: a baron, possibly married but with two younger, eligible brothers, is never visited by any of his curious neighbours while reparing the crumbling ancestral  mansion. No curious maiden ever set her foot in the proximity, no hen-pecked husband, forced by his wife to make the acquaintance for the sake of his daughters, called with a visit, no intrepid servant appeared near the Mount Eden estate...was it a desert or an English countryside? It seemed as if the poor man worked in a complete void.

Apart from that the political intrigue in the book  was overdone to the point of being incredibly complex and confusing. I enjoyed Albanians customs but the rest hardly made sense. Fortunately it was also very skippable.

Final verdict:

If you want to read something "mindless" after all the "heavy" stuff you've done recently this is a perfect position. Don't think too much about the plot concerning the politics of the region, focus on relationship and you'll be fine. The humorous parts are quite enjoyable and the book is definitely different, good enough to read at least once.

BTW the other parts of the series were reviewed by me as well: here you can find Lord of Scoundrels and here Captives of the Night  - enjoy!