strange and random happenstance

A Charmed Death: A Bewitching Mystery Book 2 by Madelyn Alt
Published by: Berkley Prime Crime
Publication Date: December 5th 2006
Format: Paperback, 289 Pages
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense 2011
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Maggie is coming to terms with finding out that her small Indiana town has witches and that she's one of them. Before the events of the past few months she has always lived in an insular Midwestern mindset, wherein she's the odd duck out. But meeting Liss, the resident witch, and being brought into her coven and her career, as a worker bee in Liss's store, Enchantments, has changed everything for Maggie. She's having a hard time coming to terms with this new world, but that's not to say it isn't fun while also being scary.

While working the Christmas rush one Saturday, teen queen Amanda enters the shop to buy a Christmas present for her mother to "get her out of the dog house." After dropping a cool $500 in cash, with much to spare, and having an altercation with local goth girl Tara, she walks out of the store and disappears that night, to be found dead near an old railway trestle a few days later. The town goes into morning with churches holding vigils and everyone wondering about the killer in their midst. Maggie, being a bit nosey, and also a bit sweet on the local cop Tom Fielding, she thinks that it's her duty to do what she can "magically" to help speed the investigation along. But it's less magic and more being in the right place at the right time and finding secrets that Amanda had squirreled away. The deeper Maggie investigates, the more secrets she starts to keep, the closer she gets to the killer... the closer she gets to death.

I originally picked up this series because it looked like a fun little bit of fluff. And that's what it is, fun fluff. What really captured me in this installment was the overtones of Twin Peaks brought from the West Coast and placed in Indiana. Because really, that tragedy could be any small town anywhere, and this goes to show that. When Madelyn Alt started describing the location of Amanda's body, I instantly saw Ronette Pulaski walking along those tracks having escaped the killer with the strains of music in the air.



This feeling carries nicely through the book, making it feel like a slightly modern version of Twin Peaks. What could Laura Palmer get up to with a digital camera? Moving beyond the world of Agent Cooper, there where times when I felt there was a very overly religiosity about the book. Being a Midwestern small town, I guess I can forgive a bit of it, but after awhile it grates on you when Maggie is for the 50th time wondering how this new world she's been exposed to fits into the typical Christian mentality. She has to move beyond doubt and just realize that she belongs in this new world she's discovered, why else would she have these gifts? Also, just a weird aside, but, why would a Ouija board freak her out and then the divining method that Liss shows her, which is just a classier version of a Ouija board be A OK!?! Ah well, people do have flaws, and I guess these are Maggie's. At least the ending threw a slight curve ball so that the perp I had fingered was only a slight red herring. I will definitely be picking up the next installment.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, A Charmed Death, Agent Cooper, Madelyn Alt, Twin Peaks

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion by Charlaine Harris
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: August 30th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
Challenge: Vampire Challenge, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★
To Buy
If this book proved one thing to me it's that, while I consider myself a Sookie fan, I'm truly a dilettante. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about Sookie, truly. I enjoy the books, they are fun, do I need a Sookie Encyclopedia? Perhaps a pared down one because the general plot lines and characters are getting unwieldy and out of control. Do a need more than three hundred pages of this? Hell no. While I agree it is fun to have reference books to your favorite authors, these really aren't meant to be read cover to cover but only picked up on occasion for a query here or there. Consisting of some fun elements, like a map of the town (which seems to have too little distance between some locations like Sookie's and Merlotte's) and correspondence snarkiness that takes place during the books between Eric and Bill, it also contains questions and answers with Charlaine and Alan Ball that are deathly dull and a recipe section. Now that's what I find odd. Recipes! Now, I can see that with all the mention of food in the books that a recipe book for the series is a good idea... but... do a separate darn book don't put it in a book that I don't want anywhere near food or a kitchen, especially when the foods use a lot of deep fryers. The mere thought makes my blood boil and the risk to any book, even if it's one I'm not overly wild about. No books near anything that has heat or flames or grease people, jeez.

The main reason to buy this book though is not the minutiae of every character that was ever mentioned or ever had a line, or even the book summaries which by the final book are so long and incoherent, you can see how this series is getting the better of it's author, the reason is the short story. Well... it's really more of a novella. I originally thought when we first had mention of Sam's little brother's wedding that it might be a full book, heck, it would be more plot than some of the more recent installments. But instead we got a little novella, which showed more about Sam, resolved some issues with Quinn and Sarah Newlin, and felt more like Sookie than a lot of the short stories do. It was a quick little story that once again made me wish that Sookie ends up with an actual human like Sam. But like all the short stories it just seems like a way for us to spend more money on this ever greedy franchise. These books are fun quick reads and that's all. This Companion seems to be giving the series more weight than it rightfully has. A "companion book" indicates something of note, something worthy of further discussion and research, and I don't know if Sookie and her vampires are that... but perhaps I'm wrong and all those people who watch True Blood and actually liked it past the second season will disagree.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Alan Ball, Charlaine Harris, Companion Book, Encyclopedia, Sam Merlotte, Sookie Stackhouse, True Blood

Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse Book 11) by Charlaine Harris
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
Challenge: Vampire Challenge, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Something has to be done about Victor. He is no longer acting as emissary to the King of Nevada, he is acting like the King of Louisiana. He is doing everything he can to undermine Eric and Sookie. He's even created rival bars aimed at Eric and Sookie's respective clientele, for Fangtasia he's created Vampire's Kiss, for Merlotte's he's created Vic's Redneck Roadhouse. All because of a petty little vampire with a Napoleon complex life has become very hard for Sookie. Of course the drop in patrons at Merlotte's could be because of any number of things besides "Vic's" wet t-shirt competitions and beer pong tournaments. Merlotte's troubles could be because of the continuing hostilities to shifters, the firebombing, the brawls, any number of horrors. Sookie is no longer going to take this lying down. They want war, they'll get war. There will be a mighty reckoning for the once perky blond waitress. By the time Sookie is done she will have put Victor Madden behind her, as well as all her baggage left over from Debbie Pelt's murder and the vengeance her step-sister Sandra has wrought her. If there's a trail of bodies, so be it. At the end will Sookie be left with anything? Could she even loose Eric? Also, those fairies are massing at the strip club and it can't be just because they're lonely.

The newest installment of the ever expanding and unwieldy world of Sookie Stackhouse was a fun romp in vengeance and tying up loose ends. And what better way to get ride of the pesky problems then by making corpses of them. As seen in the previous book, Sookie has now seen too much and been hurt once too often to be as naive, sweet and forgiving as she used to be. She will not politely ask the unwanted naked werewolf in her bed to leave, she will forcibly eject him from her house. She will no longer let a "blood bond" with Eric control her emotions, she will be the master of them. Victor is a problem, bye bye Victor. I liked that this book was very much a cleaning of Sookie's house.

Not only did she clean the cobwebs out of her attic and get a nice new room and some cash from selling her antiques, she cleaned up her life. She got ride of all those problems that kept piling up. Sure, what she did will have repercussions and new consequences. But they'll be new and shiny horrors, not Sandra Pelt seven books later still causing her problems. Really, I know Debbi was her sister, but Debbi was scum, how many books is Sandra going to be dragged out for? Well not anymore (hehe). But notice, to spoiler freaks, she been dealt with, and that can have a wide variety of implications, her cousin was bespelled to leave Sookie alone after all. Overall I think we're reaching the end of this series' feasibility. There is no plot anymore, there are, thankfully, less loose ends, and if Charlaine does end at book thirteen, which hopefully she will, I will still have fun, happy memories of a series that I really liked, despite it being uneven. Carry this on much longer... it could get ugly. It still might get ugly, but in a good way if you know what I mean.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Charlaine Harris, Dead Reckoning, Debbie Pelt, Fangtasia, Sookie Stackhouse, Victor Madden

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Published by: Doubleday
Publication Date: 1847
Format: Hardcover, 576 Pages
Challenge: Victorian Literature 2011
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)
Everyone has to know the story by now. It is THE standard of Gothic romances. There are so many adaptations and reinventions, there was yet another movie version which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be just this year. Poor sad orphan girl meets man of her dreams, too bad he's her rich boss and has a crazy wife in the attic. She runs away and wanders the moors, has a close call with becoming a missionary and gets her happily ever after once she's an independent woman and her rich boss is a maimed widower. What more could you want in a story? High passions, high adventure, and crazy person in the attic. There are those who love it, there are those who hate it. I am of the love camp.

After I first read it I didn't know if it would retain all it's wonder on a re-read. The first time through the early schooling at Lowood is deathly dull, as is the religious fervor that gripes St. John in the bizarre Rivers section wherein it feels as if Charlotte has a few issues with her family... The middle with Rochester is what the book is about, but it does need the two bookends to fill out the story. On my re-read I was shocked how quickly Lowood receded away. I was through that in a thrice! Perhaps knowing that it does end makes it bearable? But it was fine with her little religious buddy and her strict discipline. The book really comes alive though with Rochester. You don't realize how much of a life force he is and how he brings out the best in Jane. St. John... oh my, I hated him even more this time. It was hard work slogging through his harsh strictures on himself and others. But what struck me again as it did the first time is the modernity. The writing style feels like it was just written. It's fresh and lively. Some books, such as Jane Austen, while I adore them to bitty bits, I can see people's criticisms because of the staid writing style. To them I say Jane Eyre! It shows that classics can be contemporary. Old is new. There is no wonder as to why they keep adapting this story, despite not having the shock value of the first time, there is something in the passions and the way it's written that make it of now yet timeless.

Finally a note on the edition. The New York Public Library did these wonderful editions back when I was just out of high school. I never bought them new and have been kicking myself ever since. I have made it a goal to find all the books in this series, and let me tell you, it has been a battle. If you ever see one, get it, you will not regret it. Beautiful binding, gorgeous deckled edges. A cover that has a slight glossy feel but with a little matte texture as well. Oh, and the embossed signatures! Anyway, I've only seen their edition of Jane Eyre once, and that's the one reviewed here. And if you see the Frankenstein in this set, message me, we'll work something out.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Charlotte Bronte, Gothic, Jane Eyre, Lowood, New York Public Library, Rochester

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows: Flavia De Luce Mystery 4 by Alan Bradley
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: November 1st, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense 2011
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy
Christmas is coming to Buckshaw. Which means Santa and presents and a film crew. The De Luce's, ever in financial ruin, have rented the house out to a film crew so that they can afford such things as Christmas and food. Flavia, for the moment, is more concerned with the arrival of Santa, because with her cunningly devised experiment she will prove to her sisters once and for all that Santa is real! All that was needed was to whip up a little birdlime, which is a no-brainer to the chemically inclined Flavia. The arrival of the film crew does prove a fun distraction till the long awaited results of Christmas Eve, especially when the star of the film is revealed to be none other than Phyllis Wyvern, the most famous film actoress of the day. Phyllis brings along the requisite entourage of hangers on who make such good suspects, from the leading man to the disaffected lady's maid to the dictatorial director and the haughty costumes mistress. Throw in a blizzard, a bizarre accident to one of the films roustabouts and a charity performance for the church's roof with all the villager's of Bishop's Lacey descending on the house and you have the perfect setting for a nice cozy country house murder. Because, there will be a murder. And if there's one group of people who like to keep secrets, it's those in film who have spent their lives being other people and trying to hid what they really are.  And if there's one person who is good at uncovering secrets, it's Flavia De Luce.

The fourth installment of Bradley's Flavia De Luce stories is perhaps the best yet, despite my holding a great fondness in my heart for The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag with the Porson Puppet Show. The country house whodunit is a classic of the mystery genre, and while the previous installments have veered towards this style with the insular little community of Bishop's Lacey, it is nowhere near as perfect as a snow bound Buckshaw. Buckshaw with all it's hidden doors and snow topped heights and forbidden rooms is not just a perfect setting for a period film, but perfect for murderous intentions.

Each book has had their enigmatic stranger that becomes the focal point of Flavia's world, and Phyllis Wyvern is wonderful. An aging actress that still has the chops to pull off a teenage Juliet and capture the audiences devotion, even after she's slapped a lighting assistant who happens to be a local. An actress who nightly carries out her own version of Sunset Boulevard watching her old films and keeping everyone in the heated wing of the house awake till the wee hours. But far away in the unheated wing Flavia is not bothered by this and more fascinated by Phyllis's love of the macabre... having heard all about the Bonepenny incident and subscribing to all the murderous periodicals. I picture Phyllis as Gillian Anderson. She has the smallness of frame, the timeless beauty and with all that X-Files work, the macabre would suit her just fine. I in fact wonder if Alan felt the same because shortly after mentioning her appearance there are multiple references to Bleak House, which is what revitalized Gillian's career. Perhaps it was just felicitous, but I would love to see Buckshaw brought to the screen, and Gillian would be perfect.

What Bradley gives us more than a festive little cozy is a glimpse into a bygone age. A time when villages where villages, when great families could go back generations in a house but be unable to keep the roof up. Where vicars where there to bring everyone together, where films where a special occasion and where little girls could go about their way, even if their way was with dangerous chemicals and poisons and pipettes.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Alan Bradley, Bleak House, Buckshaw, Flavia De Luce, Gillian Anderson, I am Half-Sick of Shadows, Rupert Porson, Sunset Boulevard, X-Files

Hair of the Dog: Algonquin Round Table Mystery by J.J. Murphy
Published by: Amazon
Publication Date: May 17th, 2011
Format: Kindle
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense 2011
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
Dorothy Parker just wants a quiet lunch, but the dining room at the Algonquin is anything but. There's a big brouhaha over some missing meat. With the owner steaming mad he points the finger at the likely suspects, the waiter, or Dorothy's dog. One being in the vicinity when the veal was purloined, the other being a dog. But in this day and age with liquor being illegal not slacking the thirst, there's more fluidity to crime and punishment. There's a give and a take. There's a barter system that might just be what's at work. This quick little story was not nearly enough to slack my thirst for this new series. Hair of the Dog was a quick little read that offered yet another glimpse into the bygone era Dorthy Parker lived in. Here instead of the publishing world we see more the lower classes and how, even in the darkest of times, there are ways to have a grand celebration, if you are willing to turn a blind eye.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy Parker, Hair of the Dog, Vicious Circle

Murder Your Darlings: Algonquin Round Table Mystery by J.J. Murphy
Published by: Signet
Publication Date: January 4th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense 2011
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
"In all reverence I say Heaven bless the Who-dunit, the soothing balm on the wound, the cooling hand on the brow, the opiate of the people." - Dorthy Parker

Dorthy Parker may be at the center of a vicious circle of writers in New York, in fact, THE Vicious Circle... that still doesn't mean that any of them are responsible for the appearance of a corpse under their celebrated round table at the Algonquin. But, as any good writer knows, that doesn't eliminate them from the suspect pool. The fact that the corpse is a reviewer that one or more of them has wished dead doesn't help matters. Once the press gets a hold of the story and starts to sensationalize the scenario, things are libel to get out of hand. Dorthy and her fellow writer, Robert Benchley, decide to solve the case on their own without the cops, who seem to be questioning all the wrong people. Not to mention the cops seem obsessed with the young wannabe writer Billy Faulkner, who Dorothy just knows couldn't have done it. She must make sure that Billy is safe and not prime suspect number one! With her dog's lead in one hand, a cup of tea filled with anything but in the other, and a heart longing for the married Benchley, Dorothy will solve this crime if she has to go to every illegal gin joint, speakeasy and bad play that stands in her way.

The unwieldy cast coupled with the plethora of puns does take awhile to adjust to. But once you grasp who everyone is and what they're notorious for, the story fully captures you. I wouldn't say that it's one of those books you just start and plow through cover to cover, with it's wonderfully short chapters and it's witty dialogue, it's a book you can pick up and set down like a nice snack. You get a little bit of refreshment and go on with your day, mulling over the wonderful little world you've been reading about. It's a nice leisurely stroll to the conclusion, which, when reached, makes you wish that you had a few more hours to bask in the time period. I was left with a happy glow that I still look back on fondly and look forward to having again when the next book comes out. Perhaps this time a who's who and maybe a map would improve the reading experience. Or little bios of everyone... because this wonderful world is made that much more interesting when you know the history. Thanks Wikipedia!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Algonquin Round Table, Dorthy Parker, J.J. Murphy, Murder Your Darlings, New York, Robert Benchley, Vicious Circle, Wikipedia, William Faulkner

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Published by: Everyman's Library
Publication Date: 1900
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
Challenge: Victorian Literature 2011
Rating: ★★
To Buy

Everyone knows The Wizard of Oz. Or at least everyone thinks they do. Let me disabuse you of a few notions. There are no ruby slippers. The flying monkeys aren't the creatures of the Wicked Witch, they only answer to her because of a golden cap. The Tin Man cut off his own  limps because of an enchanted ax and has a bit of a problem with wanting to chop off other creatures heads French Revolution style. The Emerald City is only Emerald colored because of a nice little trick with colored glass. Likewise, the Wicked With isn't mentioned as being green, only having the deformity of a single eye. Glinda the good witch doesn't meet Dorthy at the start of the Yellow Brick road, but only till the Wizard is gone and Dorothy journeys to the land of the Quadlings. There are no lions and tigers and bears oh my, or manic singing. There aren't a lot of things that where changed to make cinema magic. And finally, it wasn't all just a dream.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written in an attempt to create a new class of Fairy Tales distinctly American. I can think of no other literary character so closely connected to America, except perhaps Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Dorothy is an icon in literature, which is why it's frustrating that not more people have read the book and rely on the film to know about Oz. The story is a cute little voyage of discovery where Dorothy lands in a magical utopia that is very primary color based (all the countries really LOVE their color) and meets a few friends and gives them a better life and then gets her wish to go home. Because, while a fairyland is well and good, the movie did get it right that "there's no place like home." Or at least, not until the depression comes and your whole family moves to Oz to be treated as royalty...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Dorothy Gale, Huck Finn, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Quadlings, The Emerald City, The Tin Man, The Wicked Witch, The Wizard of Oz, Tom Sawyer, Yellow Brick Road

The Fifth Elephant, Discworld Book 24 by Terry Pratchett
Published by: HarperTorch
Publication Date: November 4th, 1999
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy
Samuel Vimes, Watchman extraordinaire, is about to be out of his depths and his comfort zone... again. Lord Vetinari has need of a diplomat up in Uberwald to witness the crowning of the new dwarf king. Samuel is, sadly from his point of view, a Duke, therefore a perfect candidate for this goodwill mission. But Lord Vetinari's schemes are usually far more complex and far more cunningly thought out. If Vimes is to go to Uberwald, there is more to it than Vetinari is saying. He needs Vimes there, not a diplomat. Which means... well, Sam isn't sure what it means, but it could very easily tie in with the unrest of the dwarves in Ankh-Morpork who are brawling left right and center, and the disappearance of a replica of the loaf of dwarven bread that was stolen from a museum recently. Yes, dwarves do take their bread that seriously, especially when this "Stone of Scone" is the seat upon which the new king will be crowed. Taking a full entourage incorporating the ethnic diversity of Ankh-Morpork, from Cherie, the dwarf, to Detritus, the troll, Vimes sets out hubwards, with his wife Sybil viewing it as a second honeymoon, or technically a first, which they never got due to Sam's devotion to his job.

The road is fraught with peril, but a few assassins is nothing to Vimes, he'd be more concerned with whats happening in Ankh-Morpork if he knew his second in command Carrot had quit to search for his girlfriend Angua. His girlfriend who happens to be a werewolf and whose family happen to be quite powerful in Uberwald and will be on hand when Vimes arrives. This leaves Colon in charge, who, in his sudden rise to power, becomes a little despot with no Watch to watch. Back in Uberwald, Vimes has landed in the center of a great political struggle, the dwarves have divided into factions, the old guard versus the new, while the werewolves and the vampires try to tip the scales one way or another in order to gain more control. But even wrongly accused of an assassination attempt and hunted through the woods by Angua's insane brother Wolfie, Sam will make sure justice is served, because that's what his family is known for. Even if you have to cut off the head of the king, justice will be done.

I trully think that Sam Vimes and the City Watch are my second favorite group of people in Discworld. I'm sorry Sam, you are never going to unseat the witches... but your nod to their last story, Carpe Jugulum, with the Igors did make me oh so joyful. Discworld is just insane and funny and has everything from dwarven opera to werewolves that have spent too much time in wolf form and are becoming more and more like dogs. There is just no equal to Terry Pratchett's writing that goes from total absurdity to deep human insights at the drop of a hat. Everything always comes together in the end in an unpredictable way that just makes so much sense and leaves you happy and knowing you've read a great book. I'm also happy that there's still so many more for me to read. I just don't want Discworld to ever end. I hope, if you haven't already, you'll one day join me in the most wonderful of worlds that strides across space on the back of four elephants that ride the great turtle... after all, the Fifth Elephant had a bit of an accident...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Ankh Morpork, Captain Carrot, Carpe Jugulum, City Watch, Discworld, Lord Vetinari, Sam Vimes, Terry Pratchett, The Fifth Elephant, Uberwald, Vampires, Werewolves

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Published by: HarperTorch
Publication Date: 1990
Format: Paperback, 412 Pages
Challenge: Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★
To Buy
Crawly and Aziraphale have quite literally been there since the beginning. Man, woman, garden, snake. Crawly was the snake. But nowadays he has the car and the suave clothes that befit his side while Aziraphale collects books. What else is there to do when you're waiting for the world to end? The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch predicted it all back in 1655. And that's not the nice that indicates the end of the world next Saturday is a good thing, it's the other, more "precise" kind. It's going to happen. Everything has been put in place, the "horsemen" are assembling, the time has come for the uprising of evil. If only there hadn't been that little mix up with the son of Satan a few years back... because if things had gone to plan it would have been nice and smooth, instead Crawly and Aziraphale aren't sure whose side they're on because they rather like the world as it is, even if any tape left overly long in a car will start blaring Freddie Mercury and Queen. Can you go up against a witch who always knew what was going to happen? Or can you thwart the omens?

While you can see how this book has developed the cult following it has, it still just wasn't it for me. I felt hollow after reading it, most likely due to my inflated expectations. I've read Gaiman and Pratchett at the top of their game, and I just didn't feel this was it... of course, this was before they where GAIMAN and PRATCHETT. Their styles where not yet formed, but I will say they worked well together. They claim that they can't tell who wrote what and they think that perhaps the book started writing itself at some point. I agree with this, not with the book writing it's own text, but who knows, but the bite about who wrote what. The book had a cohesion that made it feel that it was written by one person. The ideas where melded together into one perfect vision and did not feel like two competing minds, which is often the case when two writers collaborate.

More than any gripes I have with plot or character, which I don't really have except that I really thought that Satan's son shouldn't have been such a boring twit, my problem was that it felt so dated, so 1980s. Ansaphones? Really? Ok, I mean, sure they have been referenced on Dr Who recently, as well as being part of the common vernacular of England, but it still made it feel past it's day. Which brings me back to these authors at their current prime. They don't feel dated! Pick up any Discworld book, it feels fresh and now. Grab American Gods before it becomes mainstream with the HBO series. These are classics. Maybe in a few more years the dated will become nostalgia and I'll like. Every book changes every time you read it. I can see why people have wanted an adaptation or a sequel for years, because there is so much you could do now to update this and make it relevant. So many avenues you could explore. As for the original... not my favorite. But as for the Queen joke, it was worth buying the book. That was priceless.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Agnes Nutter, American Gods, Apocalypse, Discworld, Freddie Mercury, Good Omens, HBO, Neil Gaiman, Queen, Terry Pratchett

The Last Camel Died at Noon, Amelia Peabody Book 6 by Elizabeth Peters
Published by: Grand Central
Publication Date: 1991
Format: Paperback, 430 Pages
Challenge: Valley of the Kings, Mystery and Suspense 2011
Rating: ★★
To Buy
Amelia and Emerson are all abuzz. Parts of the Sudan are once more under British control. All new archaeological sites are at their fingertips! All Amelia can think about is the pyramids. All those pyramids that have been not been studied due to political conflict and strife. But, never can the Emersons be allowed to just work, oh no. There must always be something more. That something more comes as a plea from a Mr. Forthright, who happens to pass out at Amelia's feet. Luckily Viscount Blacktower soon arrives to explain the situation in full, unconscious grandson and all. Over a decade ago, his eldest son, Willoughby Forth, set out to explore the Sudan with his new bride. They were never to be heard from again, until now. What with the conflict in the region there is a slim chance that a message might have taken this long to reach them. Now that England has reclaimed the land and the mysterious note has arrived scrawled on ancient papyrus, Lord Blacktower hopes that the rumors of the Emersons going to the Sudan are true and that they can help in his cause. Despite having known Willoughby, Emerson does not hold out hope for the Forths. The unique message and map drawn on a page from one of Emerson's own journals, does not raise Emerson to the bait. He is for pyramids and pyramids alone, but if he should hear of something, well then... he'll pass along the information.

Soon the Emersons are ensconced near the British regiment in Napata with a whole plethora of pyramids and Mr. Reggie Forthright. Thinking that perhaps he should be on the scene if news of the Forths reach them he has brought himself all the way to the Sudan. Things start to escalate, as they always do. Ramses is almost kidnapped, Reggie is attacked and then decides to head off into the dessert in search of his uncle, against the better judgement of everyone, where he soon disappears. Whence Reggie went, Emerson and Amelie feel it their duty to go. The mysterious map they follow appears to be eerily correct. Could the Forths still be alive in some secret oasis? As time passes it looks as if they will never know. Not only do their men desert them, but soon the last remaining camel dies. They are miraculously saved and awaken to find themselves in the secret oasis that the Forths discovered years ago. Ancient Egypt is alive and well in the secret land. Time has stood still for thousands of years. It's an archaeologists dream come true. If only they were treated as honored guests and not as well maintained prisoners. Embroiled in the fight for the crown between two brothers, one of which was secretly working at the Emersons' site, they must find out what truly happened to the Forths and then make good their escape. The natives seem a little too keen on keeping them in their hidden valley with their masked maidens waiting on them forever. Biding their time, the mysteries start to unfold, but hopefully, this mystery won't end in death or imprisonment.

Going in an entirely different direction than her previous novels, this is Amelia Peabody does Indiana Jones, or, as the author herself says, H. Rider Haggard. Only, it's more like the crappy forth Indiana Jones movie then the wonders of the earlier films. It's all just too far fetched having them stumble upon this "lost tribe," but thankfully it wasn't aliens. There has always been a grounding in reality with the Amelia Peabody stories. The ghosts aren't ghosts, the mummies don't actually walk amongst us, despite all evidence to the contrary leading up to Amelia's Scooby Doo reveal. But here, here it is like the mummies walking amongst us. It's just silly and stupid all at once. So the Forths found this secret place by accident and then lived out their days there, and now it appears the same thing has happened to the Emersons. So? I really couldn't be bothered to care. They sat around all day in a house with a nice courtyard which occasionally had a cat. The cat was the high point, they mainly sat around. So what if Mrs. Forth is still there? Once they finally get to the good part, it's convoluted and nothing is openly resolved. It's a mess of a novel which I pushed through. I'm just hoping we never end up in this bizarre Never-Neverland of the Peabody cannon again. Please, I want this series back on track, not meandering with dead pachyderms in the desert.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Amelia Peabody, Elizabeth Peters, Emerson, H. Rider Haggard, Indiana Jones, Lord Blacktower, Napata, Pyramids, Ramses, Reggie Forthright, The Last Camel Died at Noon, The Sudan

The Deeds of the Disturber, Amelia Peabody Book 5 by Elizabeth Peters
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: 1988
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
Challenge: Valley of the Kings, Mystery and Suspense 2011
Rating: ★★★
To Buy(different edition than one reviewed)

Heading back to England after their run-in with the master criminal, Amelia Peabody Emerson and her husband are hoping to spend the summer finishing up Emerson's manuscript that was due at the publishers quite awhile ago. But even on the return journey it looks as if that might not be the case. There has been a mysterious death at the British Museum. A death that just happened to have occurred in front of a mummy. All of London has an Egyptological fervor which reaches critical mass when a mysterious priest starts to visit the mummy. It should perhaps be mentioned that he was wearing historically accurate garb, animal prints and all, that the lay person would not know to employ. Further adding to their troubles is their old "friend" the journalist O'Connell as well as Amelia's niece and nephew, whom she unwittingly agrees to care for. O'Connell has brought the Emersons into the case saying that they will consult upon their return to England. O'Connell, of course, failed to consult them before making this wild claim. But he does know them almost better than they know themselves, because there is no way they can stay away from this story. Soon they have another reporter on their tail, a Miss Minton. Between the goings on at the museum and trying to avoid reporters all day it's sure to get worse before it gets better. Soon another death occurs and the police arrest the wrong man, or so O'Connell swears.

"Officially" delving into the investigation, the two Egyptologists are soon sneaking off to opium dens, running into Emerson's ex-flames, dealing with aristocrats, because they just seem to come out of the woodwork, and star crossed lovers, which Emerson just wishes would go away. With Amelia's rising jealousy of Emerson's past life and the escalation of bizarre incidents at the museum, it's no wonder that soon there's a few kidnappings and imprisonments and recreations of Egyptian rituals. Because once the Emerson's are involved, there's investigations and counter investigations and secrets half told, but at the end of the day, the bad guy will be locked up, with or without the help of the police.

I love Amelia and Emerson, I really really do, which is why it hurts me to say that this wasn't my favorite story. At first I was concerned that I would dislike it due to it's not being set in Egypt. But surprisingly, London really worked well. The atmosphere, the fog, oh yes, the fog, perfect for mysterious people to appear and disappear into. I just feel that this relied on too many cliches and was just lackluster in the extreme. Perhaps the fact that it was the only book that was out of print, until recently, should have been a clue. I will only focus on the two things that made me mad... ok three, or maybe four, but one can be mentioned really quickly. With all Amelia's understanding of humans, how could she not see that her nephew was a little evil bully. It' was so obvious, also, they could have gone a more interesting way with the niece and her screaming of dead over and over again... like what if she had seen a murder? Oh, I would so like that, the little curly haired annoyance would need therapy for years.

Next, Emerson and Amelia's love life. I adore that they still love each other so much, but one can only take so much of their amorous affections before it becomes over the top and a little sickening. I get how wonderful Emerson is, everyone falls for him, heck, I've fallen for him, I do not now need hundreds of little asides to reassure me of this. Which then leads to... if they are so in love, how can Amelia doubt that love? Their relationship has always been so solid, so in sync. Yet here we have constant doubts. What the what I say? It's absurd, their love is a given, so why do this Elizabeth Peters? WHY!?! You're tearing yourself down. Just stop it. Also, random aside, not part of my four points, how is it they haven't had like 50 million children like Evelyn?

As my final point, in my, what were you thinking Elizabeth Peters? An Egyptian Hellfire-esque Club, really? The Hellfire Club gets used so much in these period pieces, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. This is definitely one of the not times. If you're going to do it, do it all out, like in The Young Sherlock Holmes. I still get nightmares from that! This, I could barely be bothered to read it. I was almost skimming near the end, something I never, never do! Also with the syphilitic lordling and his friend, who cares. I kept getting them mixed up because they both had so many differing titles that I didn't know who was who. Stick to one naming convention and leave it at that. Don't confuse and alienate the readers! Ok, soapbox put away. Niece and nephew, check, love life, check, jealousy, check, Hellfire club, check. Looks like I've covered what I disliked thoroughly. I did still enjoy it, don't get me wrong, the ranting is just some things that got under my skin. I'm just concerned about which way this series is headed. This book was the first that felt almost like a parody of itself, take a cursed mummy, throw in some lines about the wonders of Emerson, add a Ramses mishap (with fire this time) and set page count for the late 300s, print.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Amelia Peabody, British Museum, Egypt, Elizabeth Peters, Emerson, Hellfire Club, Mummy, Ramses, The Deeds of the Disturber, The Young Sherlock Holmes

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury
Published by: Atheneum
Publication Date: May 24th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
Challenge: Valley of the Kings
Rating: ★

Agnes Wilkins' debut is being kept under wraps. Her mother is having her dress secretly made at their house, far away from the prying eyes that might wander past a dress shop. Agnes' debut will be the splash of the season, if only her mother could get her to stop reading Mansfield Park or quoting the other books by A Lady in several different languages, Greek and Russian amongst them. Her bookishness might just put off the dashing Lord Showalter. But then again, her magpie tendencies of keeping exotic knickknacks that her brother David sends from around the world as he sails with the Queen's navy might appeal to the collector and amateur Egyptologist, Showalter. Before her big debut, she is invited to a mummy unwrapping at Lord Showalter's home. Agnes and her brother are among the first chosen to cut the mummy open, all under the watchful eyes of Mr. Caedmon Stowe, of the British Museum. But there's been a mix up and the wrong mummy was sent. All discoveries are asked to be returned to the mummy and bundled off to the museum. Only Agnes never showed anyone the metal wolf's head she found, and Showalter did say she could keep what she found, before the error was discovered...

Agnes' desire to keep that little trinket sets in motion a series of events that could destroy or save England. A mummies curse is soon descending on the attendants of the party, which ended with a rather shocking death of a waiter. Agnes plans to tell her father right away, he being of some importance within the government, but instead of doing what is logical, she sets off secretly to the museum and finds Caedmon, and maybe a little romance. Bucking tradition and sneaking around with Caedmon, even if it's not fun and games, but the very fate of the British Empire, is better than the life Agnes was preparing to endure. Can all end up right and an army of undead soldiers at the command of Napoleon be stopped?

First off, when someone says a book is about mummies, you expect it to be about mummies, not having the mummies relegated to an almost insignificant plot point. This book is about a young girls entrance into society and how she secretly bucks the norms and saves her country at the same time. If I had known this going in I would have had different expectations. Damn you cover blurbs! You make a book sound so wonderful and appealing and dash my hopes like a mummy being unskillfully unwrapped at a party by amateurs, all be it a few years before they actually became fashionable, which irks me no end. Instead I was crabby and irritable while reading the book. Now you may ask, would this change my one star rating? The answer is no. Even if I had gone in knowing what the book was about I would still have called out the flat writing, the generic storytelling and the one dimensional characters. If Agnes had bucked the tradition of this genre further and enlisted the help of her father, I might have been more forgiving. Instead she blunders about and solves an incredibly easy cypher, which insults the name of the Rosetta Stone, and which the French could have easily figured out before her, but unbelievably didn't. As I read in another review, these characters felt so staged. The writer told, didn't show.

Another major annoyance, the affectation of always quoting "A Lady," aka Jane Austen. I wanted to harm Agnes. I don't think anyone would be always saying "A Lady," I think they'd be more likely to say the book's title. Also, the little nudge nudge, wink wink of hinting who the authoress really was was insulting. Jane Austen was only revealed AFTER her death, there where no hints. Blurg. I will forgive the stupidly named Egyptian War Deity Wepwawet, because he really existed. Though really, I would have chosen any other deity so I didn't have to type Wepwawet out and be laughed at by my readers. In the final analysis, I'm sure I will forget this book in no time, hence my having to write the review so quickly, because I know there was nothing memorable in this book. Wrapped feels like a story I've read a thousand times without any originality. If you want Napoleonic Spies, read Lauren Willig, if you want mummies, read Elizabeth Peters or R.L. LaFevers. In fact, if you want zombie soldiers being controlled by a mystical Egyptian staff, read R.L.Lafevers' Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris. Same plot point, only handled with originality and a true authorial voice, not a flat lifeless string of words arranged one after the other.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, A Lady, Jane Austen, Jennifer Bradbury, Lauren Willig, R.L. LaFevers, Rosetta Stone, Valley of the Kings Reading Challenge, Wepwawet, Wrapped

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 12th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
Challenge: Valley of the Kings
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

With Will's brother in a mesmeric trance by the Great Awi Bubu he eerily repeats Theodosia's false prophecy to the Black Sunners: "The Black Sun shall rise up in a red sky before falling to earth, where a great serpent will swallow it." Theo is instantly suspicious of this Egyptian Magician. How did he get Ratsy to say what she herself said? It's got to be a trick! But when she's trying to loose her "protective detail" that the Black Sunners have set on her, the Egyptian Magician doesn't really bear thinking about. But at least The Black Sunners have a tendency to take care of those other occultists trailing her, The Serpents of Chaos. But that Egyptian Magician comes to the fore when he appears one night at the museum, which her parents have shut down for two weeks to prepare for their gala opening to celebrate their recent discoveries from the Tomb of Amenemhab. He then asks for Theo to return to him an artifact of great value. But how could he know about the Emerald Tablet when she just discovered it in the basement mere hours before? She needs to inform The Chosen Keepers about these events, but by forcing her to deal only with Fagenbush, she'll just have to find a way to keep him occupied... perhaps a few cursed objects landing in his lap? After all, she'll do whatever is necessary to deal with Wigmere himself and cut out Fagenbush and use only Will, her street urchin best friend. But with a mummy who is haunting her brother, all these occultists and parents to keep happy, it's a wonder Theo gets anything done! But she has a feeling, if she could just find out who the wedjadeen are and get ride of the Emerald Tablet, everything would return to normal... or at least as normal as can be when you can detect curses and have mysterious powers that don't have an easy explanation.

In the third  installment of the Theodoisa series by R. L. LaFevers', we once again are immersed in the wonderful world of Edwardian England in the grip of Egypt fever. I too have that fever. I don't know if it's contagious... but those mummies coupled with that fashion sense, I wish I could dive right into these books. This book had a very satisfying ending to plot points that have been dangling for awhile, yet at the same time opening it up to a whole new level of awesome. The end of the Black Sunners and their uber creepy and inappropriate leader is at an end. The Serpents have had a little bit of a smack down and Tetley, that inconveniently "modern" mummy has been put to rest. Also, surprisingly, Theo's prophecy came true. Who would have thought that!?! But then again, as Awi Bubu told her, she is more than she could ever imagine. She has a role to play and her powers, as well as her travelling companions, indicate that the Gods themselves might have a stack. After all, who else do you know with an occasional jackal sidekick?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Awi Bubu, Black Sunners, Egypt, R.L. LaFevers, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, Theodosia Throckmorton

River Marked (Mercy Thompson Book 6) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 1st 2011
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy
Mercy Thompson has been tricked. She's been fooled into believing that a shot gun wedding to Adam was her own idea. But her mother and Adam's daughter are far more cunning then she gave them credit for. She should have known better. On the bright side, everything turned out better than she could have expected and her and Adam get to sneak away to a campground on the Columbia River in a gorgeous new RV. As soon as she learned that the RV was lent to them by a fairy and that the state of the art campground was owned by a fairy, her and Adam should have turned right around back to the Tri-Cities. Fairies don't just do favors. They always expect something in return. Sure enough, turns out something evil is lurking in the waters. It soon marks Mercy's leg, and the idyllic honeymoon turns into something entirely different. It becomes a struggle to survive and save lives.

Mercy has grown to accept that her life will be full of danger and death, but this outing offers something more. Answers. The local tribe of Native Americans throws in their lot with Mercy to avenge the death of one of their own and to make the river safe once more. Among them, yet apart, Coyote appears. As in THE Coyote. He has answers, if he chooses to share them that is. He sheds light on Mercy's past and the father she never knew. He also provides some help with a certain walking stick that is inordinately fond of showing up in random places, not always trying to trip Mercy, but usually succeeding none the less. For a piece of wood it is very helpful. With Mercy and Adam trying to save the innocent as well as each other, this is going to be Mercy's toughest battle yet. Without a pack, without knowledge of those whom she must trust, with magic she never knew she possessed, a very magical fake Stonehenge and some nasty otters, her goodbye letter to Adam might end up being read this time.

With a long running series you always run the risk of it going stale. Look at Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels. The most recent book in her series lacked a plot, I think mainly due to the fact she has reached an unwieldy number of characters that everyone cares about and that must be included. That's a sarcastic must by the way. Catching up with everyone took up all 300 some pages with nary a hint of plot. Charlaine needs to break the mold, do something different and escape all her characters that are controlling her narrative. Charlaine, look to Patricia Briggs. Patricia Briggs did just that in River Marked. Briggs took Mercy and Adam away from the pack and into unfamiliar territory. Not only did this allow us to see how the couple actually function as a couple, but it allowed a breather from pack politics and vampire machinations. Charlaine, take note! That little scene with Stefan, we got caught up with him and then moved on to a story with structure, we didn't spend an entire book dealing with Stefan's depression and worsening state that resulted from his maker's betrayal.

What else made this novel work for me? Well, we finally had some answers! Mercy was able to find out more about her powers and what she is capable of. She's been in desperate need of a "How to be a Shifter" guide for awhile, and Coyote got to be that guide. The evil that was faced, while yes, it did tie into the fae, it wasn't solely fae, it was something else. Her books tend to be vampire/fairy/vampire/fairy, alternating the menace from book to book. It's a little nice to say, evil river demon isn't it? Such a refreshing new evil. I really have fallen for this series, and that walking stick, and I felt that this was an enjoyable quick read, yes, I did ignore homework, which is a rarity for me. River Marked also provided breathing space for character development without a pack breathing down our neck. Briggs has an innate ability to let her characters grow and change naturally. We have seen the bond between Mercy and Adam grow, we have read along with all Mercy's exploits, and I have to say, if Briggs keeps this up and is able to keep these characters real and the stories fresh, I'll be reading it for a long time to come.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Adam, Charlaine Harris, Columbia River, Coyote, Mercy Thompson, Native American, Otters, Patricia Briggs, River Marked, Sookie Stackhouse, Stefan, Tri-Cities

Hunting Ground (Alpha and Omega Book 2) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: August 25th, 2009
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★
To Buy
Charles and Anna are still adjusting to married life. Charles isn't used to letting anyone into his closed off, sequestered little world and Anna is having trust issues after the brutality she faced at the hands of her previous pack. But personal issues have to be set aside for the greater good of the werewolves. Bran, the Marrok, the Alpha of all North American Alphas, has called a meeting in Seattle where the European werewolves can voice their concerns about the announcement of their existence. They don't have a vote or a choice. This will be happening. But Bran is willing to offer them whatever they need in return, from monies to shelter. The Italians, Germans and French werewolves are the main factions, with England being solely represented by their leader Arthur. They all have personal grudges and feuds. The Italians are bringing another Omega, Ric, whom they swiped away from the Germans, and France is being represented by Chastel, THE BEAST, whose blood lust is notorious. Charles has such concerns over his fathers safety that he does the unheard of and stands up to his father saying that he and Anna will go in his stead. Charles does not care if the others view this as a slight. It's for his father's protection. Arriving at the local packs landing strip, Anna and Charles head into Seattle. For Charles, this is not his element. He is one with nature, not concrete and noise, which is what Anna is. She loves the bustling metropolis right on the water, reminiscent of her hometown, Chicago. Their first stop off is to visit the fairy that Bran has negotiated with. Dana is to see that there is no bloodshed and the truth is spoken, of course, it is virtually impossible to do that around werewolves anyway.

Once their offering has been given to Dana all sorts of hell starts to break loose. There are too many Alphas in once place. First they all show up at a local restaurant and the fracas has to be calmed. The next day Anna is taken shopping by a member of the local pack and his white witch wife, where they are promptly attacked by vampires using werewolf pack magic. But this doesn't stop business from continuing on as usual and dinner parties needing to be attended. Anna and Charles visit Arthur and his human mate Sunny for dinner. Arthur believes he is the reincarnation of the real King Arthur, and even carries around a sword he claims is Excalibur. Sunny will be the first victim. It should have been Anna, but, her life seems to be worth something, unlike others. As death starts to reign down on what was to be a "peaceful" conference, Charles is glad his father isn't present, but he sure wishes that Anna was out of harms way. Trying to untangle who is really behind these attacks and who they can trust will take all the courage and strength the newlyweds have. And hopefully they'll get a happily ever after.

Intertwining myth and pack politics, this is the least successful of Briggs' novels I've read. So much of what drove the first installment of the Alpha and Omega series was the ping ponging back and forth between the confused minds of the two leads. Will they make this work, can they truly be mated. Seeing as at the beginning of this book they are together and everything is going as smoothly as it can given that they have just recently met, there is way to much uncertainty in each other and too much possessiveness on the part of "Brother Wolf." They are MATED. In the world Briggs has created, they are together, there's no going back. They are one. To then have them doubt this over and over makes you kind of want to slap them. But aside from their obvious character flaws, this book took to long to get to the center of all the swirling red herrings. Once you finally got there you realized, it's kind of cool. This is a neat integration of Arthurian Legend and other mythologies into a world of werewolves. But it took a long time of "are we there yet" to reach the point of satisfaction. While I am interested to see what happens to these characters, if they keep doubting themselves and their purpose, I'll start doubting why I'm still reading this series.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Alpha and Omega, Anna, Charles, Chastel, Excaliber, Fairies, Hunting Ground, King Arthur, Marrock, Mate, Patricia Briggs, Seattle, Werewolves

Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega Book 1) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: July 29th, 2008
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Anna is off to Montana with Charles. Little does she know that in the dark, snowbound forest, evil is lurking. Leaving Chicago behind is at once exhilarating and terrifying. She no longer has the fear of her pack, she now has the fear of the unknown. What does Charles expect of her? Is he really a good man? Upon landing in Aspen Creek, Anna is all the villagers are talking about. The stoic and cold Charles has found a mate. Too bad the first time that she gets to be presented to the masses is at Doc Wallace's funeral. A time of respect and reflection is turned into a bit of a to-do when another wolf, Asil, makes a bit of a play for Anna, but recoils when he realizes she's an Omega. Later, back at Charles' house, he explains to Anna that she's quite a catch and that they aren't officially mated yet, so others will set their cap at her.

But the possibilities of other mates is not on Anna's mind. She's worried over Charles still recovering from the Chicago trip and the fact that his father is sending the two of them out into the forest to track a rogue werewolf that is causing trouble. The trouble could be one of two things, it could be a simple rogue, or it could be a power play to intimidate the Marrok and make him back down on his decision to "out" the werewolves, like the fae did twenty years earlier. Neither Charles or Anna think they are in any danger, but Asil knows differently. He is dreaming of her. The young upstart witch who murdered his beloved. The fact that the rogue werewolf has the same markings as Asil's dearly departed Sarai means something. Can a pack of werewolves band together and make a stand against the evil in the forest? Even if that evil might be a very deadly witch.

I loved this spin off from Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. Here we do get a bit more of a romantic boy and girl co-narration going on, but we also get a riveting story and some history. With a smaller cast of characters fighting for survival in the woods, it's kind of like Michael Crichton does werewolves, of course, I should mention that I am a fan of Crichton, and this isn't a slur on the book. Also, delving deeper into the characters that have mainly stayed on the sidelines or in Mercy's back story gives even more depth to the world Briggs has created. From learning about Bran's youth and how he was changed into a werewolf, to Charles' own upbringing and his type of magic. I'll add here, I so want to be able to conjure clothes for myself like Charles does. It seems like such a useful power, especially in the colder climates. I feel like I need a sweater, bam, I have one, awesome! See what I'm saying?

But hands down, it was Asil that rocked my world. A werewolf of legend whose wife was a healer and a wolf and he cultivated roses in Spain till one day their young ward, from a powerful family of witches, turns against him and his life is ruined. So heart wrenching, and so not vampires and fairies. I'm so glad we got to have some witch action in this book, varies it up from the vampire book, fae book, vampire book, fae book pattern that Briggs has established in her previous series. Though I still have some unanswered questions about Walter... but overall, I'm very satisfied, reading to dive into book two and keep my wait for River Marked as painless as possible.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Alpha and Omega, Anna, Asil, Bran, Charles Cornick, Cry Wolf, Michael Crichton, Montana, Omega, Patricia Briggs, River Marked, Sarai, Spain, Werewolves, Witches

On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 7th, 2007
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★ (Alpha and Omega only)
To Buy
The cat needs to be fed. Anna may be dead tired after a long shift at work, but that doesn't mean she'll forget her neighbor's cat. All she really wants to do is curl up and go to sleep, but a promise was made to Kara. Even if the cat hates Anna, not surprising, seeing as most cats hate werewolves. But she'll calmly sit and read the newspaper till Mouser is done, because in that way of all cats, he has an idiosyncratic habit, his is needing someone around while he eats. But everything leaves Anna's mind when she sees a picture of a young boy in the paper, Alan MacKenzie Frazier. Alan has been missing for two months... but Anna saw him in a cage at her Alpha's house being prepared for sale quite recently. Times are tough for a werewolf, and very tough if you belong to Leo's pack with Justin as his second. The 40% tithe is nothing compared to the beatings and rapes that Anna has had to endure. But Alan, Alan is something new and she dares to call the Marrok in Montana, the Alpha of all Alphas. As it turns out, Bran is aware of the peculiarities happening in the Chicago packs and is sending his son Charles, who is enforcer and executioner in one. Anna goes to the airport to meet Charles's plane and they have an instant connection. Charles's wolf feels immediately that he has found his mate and it is his duty to protect and care for this underfed and abused redhead. But there's something more about Anna. Something that everyone in the pack should have noticed and respected. She is an Omega. She is not submissive, she is not lowly, she is magical and has the ability to sooth the savage beast as it where. With Anna at his side, Charles vows to get to the bottom of the mysteries in the Windy City, and if he's not wrong, which he seldom is, there will be blood shed and death.

This little short story in the On the Prowl anthology sets the stage for the Alpha and Omega series that Patricia Briggs has written. But more than that, it also fills in some blanks from the first Mercy Thompson book, Moon Called. Moon Called starts with the appearance of Alan MacKenzie Frazier in the Tri-Cities in Washington State. He has bad tidings from Chicago, but before they can get the truth out of him he is killed. We then follow Mercy on her mission out west. But we only hear a little about the mission in the heartland that Bran sends Charles on. Turns out it was quite interesting, what with love at first sight, Greek food and silver bullets, not to mention a crazy rapist or two. Seeing as this is a prequel and is setting the scene for a new series, how important is it that you hunt down a copy of this before jumping into the world of Charles and Anna? I'd say pretty important. After having read Cry Wolf, I think you might be lost jumping into this world without the back story. And the back story here is quite important. But it's a quick fun read with an even better book to follow.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Alpha and Omega, Anna, Charles, Cry Wolf, Marrok, Mercy Thompson, Moon Called, On the Prowl, Patricia Briggs

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Del Ray/Dabel Brothers
Publication Date: August 25th, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011, Vampire Challenge, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Mercedes Thompson has arrived in the Tri-Cities for a job interview. Trained as a History teacher she is hoping to get a job at the local High School. Summer is almost over and her time to find employment is running out. Once the school year starts it's a waiting game till the next year. But before she can even go to her interview she's out running in her coyote form and she is attacked by a pack of werewolves. Not that this is news to her, seeing as she was raised in the Marrok's own pack in Montana. But what is unusual is that another pack of werewolves saves her. Too bad her car wasn't as lucky. Forcing it to the nearest mechanic, Mercy steps in a heap load of trouble in the form of vampires, but she had to save Tad, the little Fae boy. Tad offers her a job, if a nine year old is allowed to do the hiring when his father is drunk with grief. Zee disagrees and promptly fires Mercy. But despite all the wolves and vampires and warnings to leave town now, it's starting to grow on her, despite not getting the job at the High School. Also, if she could finesse Zee to take her back, a mechanic is better than a burger flipper any day. But soon the two packs decide it's time for a throw down and Mercy is caught in the middle.

I am always hesitant of comic adaptations of book series that I love be it Buffy or what have you. Some of that has to do with the artists and the over sexualization of the women and some of this has to do with the writing. But I felt confident to pick this up because Patricia Briggs herself did a lot of the writing, but more importantly, it was a prequel! Sure, we have learned almost all the information provided here in narrative form through back stories and asides in the Mercy Thompson series. But it's fun seeing Mercy's first interactions with Stefan, Zee and Adam as it played out, not in bites and pieces thrown in to help plot development. Also, can I just say, the art is amazing. All the characters are portrayed in a realistic and plausible manner, espcially in the second half. Mercy looks about what I pictured Mercy to look like. And about is good enough for me when it comes to fictional characters in comics. She has a uniqueness and a personality, and gorgeous tawny eyes that made me connect with her on a level I haven't before, versus some Lara Croft big boobed barbie. I am just so pleased to have a more accurate representation of the world I love in the graphic medium, and it's made me slightly psyched for their adaptations of the rest of the series... even if I'd take new material over old any day.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Adam, Buffy, Comics, Lara Croft, Marrock, Mercy Thompson, Mercy Thompson Homecoming, Patricia Briggs, Tri-Cities, Zee

Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson Book 5) by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 30th 2010
Format: Hardcover, 342 Pages
Challenge: Shifter Challenge 2011, Horror and Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
Zee's son Tad calls Mercy with worry over a mutual acquaintance. Phineas helped Mercy exonerate Zee with the loan of a book from his store awhile back, so the least she owes him is to check up and return the book. Instead of relieving Tad's fears, Mercy gets a bad feeling. But it's late and she heads home. Things with Adam are going well. She's learning to like the connection they now have, even if the constant feeling of the pack is a bit unnerving. A bit unnerving amps up to a real problem when out bowling someone in the pack plants bad thoughts in her head and a young child is almost hurt. But almost hurt is nothing compared to actually hurt. Samuel has tried to kill himself. Too long in the world and burying too many friends, he has tried to take his life and his wolf half has decided to take over. But the expected massacre of a werewolf without the human half in control does not happen. Sam seems remarkably on top of it... so perhaps if Mercy can just stay away from the pack for a few days so they won't report Sam to his father for execution she can sort this all out. And with the self imposed exile from Adam, she worries she's hurting him, when really she is just trying to protect Sam. As is the case with Mercy, things never go as planed. Instead of everything getting easier, everything gets harder. She looses Gabriel, her garage assistant, because his mother worries about the risk of werewolves, plus, it doesn't look good when a reality bounty hunter show shows up with a fake warrant for your boyfriends arrest with guns loaded.

One thing is clear. There's someone out to get her, and she has a feeling it has to do with Phineas' book, which can mean only one thing. Fae. Soon her home is torched and Adam is wounded. His lack of strength leads to the members of the pack who have been messing with Mercy to make a power play that goes wrong. But the one thing that is made clear is who the real threat is. Turns out it's not just fae, but a Fairy Queen. She wants the Silver Borne. It should have revealed itself through death or fire, but it remains hidden. So the Queen has taken matters into her own hands, or more aptly, hostages. She has kidnapped Gabriel and will make an exchange for the Silver Borne. Mercy agrees to the trade, even if she's not sure the book is the Silver Borne, and other nonsensical restrictions the Queen places her under in order to secure Gabriel and Phineas' safety. Turning to Zee they find a ray of hope. Ariana. Phineas' grandmother, the maker of the Silver Borne and Samuel's lost love. Working through all their difficulties, they head to the Queen's secret liar in Underhill and attempt to get back that which was stolen. But once you're in the land of the fairies, nothing is as it seems and you're playing by their rules. Rules they like to twist to their advantage. Here's hoping when they get out it's the same century.

My least favorite book in a long time in this series. First, let me get the tiny rant off my chest. Again with the kidnapping!!! Ok, rant done, mini rant shall not return till the next kidnapping... River Marked perhaps? Now as to why I didn't feel that "connection" with this book. To me, it took too long to delve into the fae plot while spending too much time on werewolf pack politics. Plus once we get to the fae we're in Underhill and have lost any real sense of how these characters work in the real world. The series works because it's our world, only different. It has an inherent plausibility to it that was lost the second they went into fairyland. It's like Mercy inadvertently ended up in a Tolkien story. But whereas this took us too far away from reality, the reality tv show crew took us too far into reality. It made it too "now." Which is why I've always disliked the references to Buffy. It's too current. Scooby-Doo is more a part of our shared cultural heritage, whereas Buffy is a show for fringe groups and has a cult following, ie, the readers of this book series. It was just too all over the place, lacked coherence, and with a depressing subplot. I hope River Marked gets back on track, because I don't want my new favorite series to go off the rails!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Buffy, Fae, Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs, River Marked, Samuel, Scooby Doo, Silver Borne, Underhill, Werewolves, Zee