It takes places 9000 years ago
Mother Earth Father Sky
Chagak is the only survivor of her clan,who has been massacred by an enemy clan.She finds an old man who takes her in as a daughter,but soon theyre disturbed by a cruel warrior from the clan that killed her people.She must use all her wits to try and rid them of their foe.
Brother Wind
Kiin is born a girl and therefore useless to her father,he is just about to set her out to die when the leader of the tribe steps in an announces she will be his sons future wife.As Kiin grows up she falls in love with the leaders son,,,just not the right one.
Not long after she is wed to her betrothed she is kidnapped by her evil brother and sold to a faraway clan.Her husband and everyone of their clan thinks she had an accident and died.
Kiin has the talent to carve things out of bone and tree,work only allowed to shamans and men Because of this and that she is pregnant she is given as a wife to a shaman,who believes she will strenghten his powers.
When she gives birth to twins,Kiin is given a choice:kill one of them. Since one of the twins surely is evil.Kiin of course cannot do this,and the only way out is escape.Now begins a long and dangerous journey back home.
This is the story of survival,love and feminism.
The women in this series starve,get raped,falls in love,but despite it all emerge from it as stronger women. Kiin for example has a stutter due to the bad treatment she gets from her father and brother.But she obtains selfworth as a carver and trhough her inner strenght
Im sure this probably is listed as romance novels,but theyre really gripping reads and theres nothing trivial over their ordeals.
- Mood:
content
I first read The Changeover when i was oh,about 14 or so,but its still a terrific read even if it was written in the mid 80s.It has aged well.
Laura is a a 14 year old girl who lives with her younger brother and her quirky single mother. Her life is ordinary until the day her brother is stamped with the image of a horrible man.Her brothers soon becomes very sick and has to be admitted to the hospital,but the doctors are clueless to what has caused is his sickness. Laura turns to Sorry, an older, intriguing boy who she believes to be a witch. Will he be able to help her?
You can relate very well to how Laura feels,you can really feel how hard it is to be a teenager.Especially if youre surrounded by dark forces.
Sorry isnt your usual standard love-interest thats very prevalent in YA.He is strange and a little bit ambigous.For example he doesnt rush to Laura´s rescue at once.She has to convince him to help her.Does it sound strange? Well if you read the book youll get what I mean.
- Mood:productive
- Music:Swingfly - Singing that Melody
Kate and her little sister Emily are orphans in the Regency era who are sent to live with their distant relatives.They settle in but it doesnt feel like a home to them.
One day they get lost and night falls before they can find their way home.But luckily they happen upon a band of what they think are gypsies who help them home.But they arent gypsies at all...theyre not even human.
It turns out there are goblins in the neighbourhood and their king has been smitten with Kate. She isnt exactly happy with the prospect of becoming his bride.And she intends to fight him all the way.
But when her sister is kidnapped she has no one else to turn to but the goblin king,Marak.
Some may be put off by the idea of abduction (I´d know i´d be) But I was so immersed in the book that I found myself not caring,it was fun to find out how Kate thwarted the goblin king,and to find out more of the goblins world and culture.Goblin revenge sure isnt something to be trifled with.Youll know why after you read the book.
But even though there is a romance in this book dont except much kissing and so on.Its implied but never shown.In that way it reminded me about Jane Austens novels. Its an YA after all and dont worry there is a HEA too.
This is the first in a trilogy.
- Mood:
ditzy - Music:Queen Latifa:Come so far(got so far to go)
When on his deathbed he sends for her and
But her mother thinks Genevieve was told where her father hid a vast fortune.But Genevieve of course dont know anything and is then put through such abuse that she has no other choice but to leave home.
While escaping she happens on the powerful society witch Catherine Montvoisin Who proposes a deal:work for her and get revenge.
Now she is the Marquess, a 200 year old fortune-teller and its not long before she is popular in the aristocratic circles of Paris.
But things get dangerous when Athenais Montespan,the kings mistress,ask to get her fortune told.
It seems like Monvoisin has some darker agenda that could shake the foundation of if the plan is ever carried out.
I dont want to give to much away,but there is enough suspense so you wont get bored.And all the characters feel real and has motivation for their actions.
The court of the Sun king,witchcraft and a good romance.
Judith Merkle Riley has written other historicals wich ive also enjoyed but this book remains my favorite of them.
There is some horrible elements in this story(rape,occult rites,poisoning) But in the end the good prevail.
This is built around an actual event in history,the affair of the poisons ,so its not just a figment of the authors imagination wich makes it even more good.^^
Djinni is a young woman living in England,she enjoys painting,karate and playing chess.Oh and shes half alien,AND can read minds.In fact her father hid her there until she comes of age and can marry her betrothed J-J.
Too bad wicked prince Tarrant-Arragon,the heir to the Tigron Empire discovered her.Hes determined to marry her but unfortunately she isnt thrilled by the idea. It could be because whole Tigron society is focused on sex,and there are no bigger sex-maniacs than the males of the Imperial Djinn family. Thats why Tarrant-Arragon decides to pretend he isnt a Djinn,but rather a lovable guy.
Things do not go according to plan to say the least.
Turns out Djinni got a head on her body and she isnt going to go willingly to the altar or the marriage bed for that matter.
Identites are mistaken,fiery kisses exchanged and chess is played.
Its essentially a "beauty and the beast" story But its very funny.I actually found myself giggling while I read it.And not in the way trashy romances usually makes me snicker.Because this is not something a simple as a trashy romance,its a book who parodies the genre in a way I wish more books could be written.
You got your alpha-male,your shy but headstrong virgin,the jilted fiancee,and other various rivals/foes.
Its definetely a keeper.
- Mood: content
The accomplished woman of the title is Lydia,a independent spinster who ten years ago turned down the most eligible bachelor in the neighbourhood. And since she made her decision she has lived a perfecltly happy life.Until a friend asks her for help.
She is persuaded to be the chaperone of a young lady who has acquired two(!?) suitors.Now only to get her ward to decide wich one she truly loves.But to do this she has to travel to a place that she despises...Bath. The place to go to find a husband in the Regency era.
There her former beau also plans to go to find himself a wife.
She strikes a bet with him. If he manages to find a wife before she can get her charge engaged he wins and vice versa.
And yes,there is a happy ending.^^
If you want something Austen-like to read here it is.But only if you want a clone.It really feels like a mish-mash of her books The base story is Persuasion the setting Sandition with a dash of Pride and Prejudice and Emma.Its solid but it isnt as inspiring.
Not the best I ever read but its not bad. Read?:Yes! Buy?:Perhaps.
Oh,well I´ll re-read my copy of Pride and Prejudice instead.
- Mood:
bouncy - Music:Emma Bunton-Downtown
...Well it was so-so. (review coming up) I gave up my hopes for finding another Victorian Era Lady Sleuth Book
Until I found "A most dangerous woman" by LM Jackson
A mysterious woman called Sarah Tanner opens up a coffee house in a place Leather Lane.No one knows where she comes from but she seems to have a PAST(thats in capital let
ters folks) Not soon after she is recognized by an old friend,who hardly makes it out of the door before he is murdered. Even if it means she has to face old foes and other dickensian london obstacles.Like a Victorian female crime boss and her henchmen and other villains from the London underworld.
Sarah Tanner is a bit unconventional,but she feels real within the era that she lives in.And while she isnt from exactly upper class or working class she knows how to act both downstairs and upstairs.The other characters both villains supporting character feels real and substantial .
The mystery is quite good and well thought out,as I didnt figure out who was the culprit until the protagonist did and even then youre in for some twists and turns in the plot.
Its a historical fiction,with a mystery and a spunky heroine.Whats not to like?
Ps.Book 2 in the series just came out.Ill review it as soon has ive read it.
- Mood: ditzy
- Music:Sarah Bareilles-Fairytale
But here it is...my review for...
Night life by Caitlin Kittredge
Yes its an gritty urban fantasy with werewolves.
I became interested in it after reading the excerpt.And the title was nifty.
But after 100+pages into it i could hardly finish it.Full of words like "hex me" "for hex sake" and so on transformed it into whats terrible about most urban fantasy novels.
And I could feel no chemistry between Luna and Dmitri.Yes it was written how much they were attracted to each other but I didnt FEEL that they really were. And the sex scene made me shudder(not in a good way mind you) Im not a prude,but this scene creeped me out.Big time.
The mystery isnt that interesting either...I kind of lost track of it in the midst of all the "scenting" and whatnot.It seemed like the mystery was a kind of aftertough on the authors behalf.
But I cant discommend it..beacause I do believe there are people out there who will like it.
These are the people who enjoys reading books by Laurell Hamilton,Kim Harrison or Lilith Saintcrow.
Sadly ms Kittredge, I do not believe our paths will cross again.I had hopes for your work.
For my urban fantasy needs Ill just have to wait for Kelley Armstrongs "Personal demon" to come out later this month.
- Location:a darkened room
- Mood:
numb - Music:The click five-Time machine
The Last Concubine by Lesley Downer
I read many favourable reviews about this book.
A Japanese “Gone with the wind” With a gorgeous cover. Can you imagine I was so eager to get this book in my hands?
The plot boils down to this: Sachi is a peasant girl who is adopted by a princess.The princess is going to be the shoguns wife. Sachi grows up in the
War breaks out and Sachi and a handmaiden flees the castle,Sachi posing as the princess.They met up with some ronin samurai and decide to travel with them. After this I lost grip on the plot….except for the love story between Sachi and one of the samurai.
Someone hand this author a synonym book!There is only so much repeating of words one can endure. For example someones hair is described as “bushy” throughout the whole book and everyone seems to have “plump” lips.And the plot structure is lacking,feeling sketchy and not that thought out.
Fascinating history but it reads more like a factual novel than a novel sometimes.
And even if I found the love story touching sometimes..it didn’t have that extra oomph! Like in the real “Gone with the wind”
Readable but sadly not a keeper.
- Mood:
blah - Music:Kate Alexa-Somebody Out There
This is my new blog featuring my insightful reviews of books...it might not only be books but this i my primary aim.
I hope I can help people spot excellent,not so excellent and right down bad books.
- Mood:creative
- Music:Darren Hayes-The Future Holds A Lions Heart
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