I have loved/hated this series from the beginning! I love the writing, the characters, the story is so intense and well done. I hate slavery, and hate knowing it is still so much a part of this world still. The casual cruelty of the slavery network is horrifying, and the their ability to kidnap and enslave the people that no will will look for or miss it so possible. In the portion of the serial book, Mathias frees himself, although we know how fragile and short lived that freedom can be. A big squee for seeing Zane and Ty, and the nod to the x-files and SPN. A great read, but still made me sad
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Book Review – The Bloodletter’s Daughter, by Linda Lafferty
The story begins with the lives of two young people; Giuglio the over indulged bastard son of the Hapsburg King Richard, and Marketa, the bloodletter’s daughter.
In the summer of 1606 their lives intertwine, as the bastard son known as Don Julius is sent to a castle in Bohemia, by the town of Cesky Krumlov, where Marketa assists her mother in the bathhouse they own. This story is beautifully written, rich in historic detail and wonderfully drawn characters. Every event is tied together, and some parts had me tense with suspense. I especially appreciate the lack of revisionist history; this was a time steeped in misconception and myth, and it’s all there. A very good read
Book Review – Cold in July, by Joe Lansdale
Richard Dane is an average man; with his own small business, a loving wife and a young son he loves but doesn’t understand. He shoots a robber during a home break in, and begins a descent into that dark underworld we all know is there but hope to never see. He begins to examine his past; his fathers’ abandonment, the loss of a child, then begins to understand the path he’s on. This book is well written, the characters so deftly drawn they followed me out of the book. I was on the edge of my seat for the tense parts, and was constantly surprised by the next event. Nothing was as it seemed, and there were so many, plausible, plot twists I had trouble putting the book away. Plausible, because as an event was developing, I’d think “oh yeah, I should have realized that was coming!” Jim Bob is wonderful, and I really loved Russell and Ann. This was a great read, I am looking forward to the movie
Short story review – Cat Scratch Fever, by Jane Davitt
Start with a hard working Fae, Garin, who is trying to keep his magic under control in the human world for Simon, the love of his life. Add a build up of magic, a surprise health inspection and sneaky tom cat, stir for a sweet and sexy short story. Well written, with just enough of each character for the reader to want more. Formerly published by Torqere Press, now available to download it from AO3, though I would gladly have bought it
Book Review – The House of Bathory, by Linda Lafferty
A thrilling tale that takes the reader back to Slovakia, in the very early 1600’s. The protagonist, Betsy Path, is a Jungian psychoanalyst, as was her father. Daisy Hart is a current teen patient of Dr. Path’s, a haunted Goth with a terrifying tendency to quit breathing when certain memories overcome her. As a Jungian psychoanalyst, Betsy has been taught of the collective subconscious of humanity. Jung believed all people are connected, and the dreams of one person can reveal the past, present and future of another. He partially defined these theories in a book, Liber Novus, written as he descended into madness. Grace and Cesny Path, Betsy’s parents, were connected in many ways to the area in which Erszebet Bathory lived and died. Countess Bathory’s murdering ways are detailed, she is thought of as one the first female serial killers, and was a possible descendant of Vlad the Impaler. The chapters switch between Cachtice castle in 1610 to modern day Colorado. Transitions were smooth and well done, and the characters were so well written, even the most minor character had a distinct and well planned persona. Pschoanalysis never seemed so interesting! I would really like to hear more about Morgan, Daisy’s older half sister, who reveals in just a few sentences how she saved Daisy. Beautifully written, thoroughly researched, and a better than good read, I’m going to get this in hardcover also. The best kind of book is one that leads the readers to others; now, I’ve got to read [ “The Red Book: Liber Novus” by Carl Jung and “The Bloodletter’s Daughter”, also by Linda Lafferty
Book Review – The Anomaly, by Wendy Joyce
The opening scene takes place in Alaska, where rescuers are excavating for possible survivors of an avalanche. Guides surround the area, invisible to humans. One of the shells (dead people) contained the soul of Zia, of the order of Agitators. I read this book carefully, going back and skimming through passages, and it just never made sense. A centuries old soul with the temper and attitude of a terrible two year old yells at the angel in charge, his Guide, who has supposedly know him for those entire centuries, has a conversation with him that makes it sound as though they’ve just met. Supposedly, this soul is the one soul in gazillions who’s both good and bad, free or not free, whatever. There’s no continuity, no filling out of characters, and I never felt the slightest connection with the characters, or any desire to know them better. The book reads like a very dull acid trip.
This book has all the necessary ingredients for a good book; sexy Fae, scorned curvy woman with mystic powers, a fairy mound in the British isles. The writing and characters did not live up to their potential. The writing itself lacked cohesion. There were paragraphs of sentences beginning with prepositional phrases, chapters of run on sentences . Ancient Celtic males saying lines like this – a pure blood prince is talking to his son, who’s been abusing women,”you are no longer of my line, my son as close to me as any creature living”, the next line is “dont try to play me brian, I’m not some simpering southie wench”. Really?! They were just two minor characters, mind you. The protagonists are just as ill defined, there didn’t seem to be any logical sequence of events, and I wasn’t able to work up any passion or feeling for anyone in the story.
stregamari 