CBR4 Book 78: "When Beauty Tamed the Beast" by Eloisa James

Page count: 384 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars
Date begun: August 24th, 2012
Date finished: August 24th, 2012

Miss Linnet Thrynne has to get married fast, after her obvious flirtation with a prince and an unfortunate fashion disaster has made the entirety of polite society convinced that she is pregnant. But what man would be willing to take a woman embroiled in scandal, possibly carrying an heir of royal blood?

Piers Yelverton, the Earl of Marchant, lives in a fairly remote spot in Wales, and has absolutely no wish to get married. He'd much rather practise medicine and let his formerly alcoholic father's bloodline die out without issue. Piers is a brilliant physician and also in constant pain due to a leg injury from his childhood (see bad relationship with his Dad). Yet when his father comes to visit, bringing the stunning Linnet with him, Piers can't help but be impressed, both with Linnet's physical charms, but by her sarcastic wit and refusal to be threatened or cowed by him. Used to bossing his junior doctors around and having everyone obey his every whim, he rather likes having Linnet around to talk back at him.

As the gorgeous Linnet and the crotchety Piers spend more time together, their attraction grows. But when an outbreak of scarlet fever erupts in a nearby village, their budding romance might come to a dramatic end.

Eloisa James freely admits that her hero, the Earl of Marchant is based on Dr. Gregory House, and that, as well as some of the wonderfully witty dialogue between the many different characters, is what really made the book for me. Linnet isn't a bad heroine, but no matter how witty, it's hard to fully sympathise with a character who's looks are constantly described as gorgeous, stunning and bewitching. Piers, with all this flaws, was a lot more appealing, and I admired his dedication as a physician, as well as understood his fraught relationship with his father - alcoholism really can and has destroyed many a happy family.

By no means one of my all-time favourite romances, the Regency version of Dr. House more than made up for some of the flaws the book had, and the book really is a lot better than the awful cover makes it seem.

CBR4 Book 77: "Thirteen" by Kelley Armstrong

Page count: 409 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Date begun: August 19th, 2012
Date finished: August 21st, 2012

This is the final book (at least so far) in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. This review may contain spoilers for previous books in the series, and anyone who hasn't read Kelley Armstrong before, would be better off starting with Bitten, Dime Store Magic, Haunted, Personal Demon or Spell Bound.

Thirteen starts pretty much immediately after the cliffhanger ending of Waking the Witch. Savannah Levine has rescued her half-brother from a renegade group of supernaturals determined to reveal their existence to the world. They've injected Savannah's half-brother with some something containing the DNA of several supernatural races, and it's making him really sick. Savannah and her friends need to make sure that the Supernatural Liberation Movement don't succeed in their plan, but with powerful forces involved, both on the demonic and angelic sides, the struggle could turn into an all-out war, and that would be very bad for humans and supernaturals alike.

As a fan of Kelley Armstrong since 2004, it was both nice and a bit strange to read Thirteen, the culmination of all her Women of the Otherworld books. Like the previous book in the series, this book features pretty much every major character in the series, both protagonists of previous books and a large cast of supporting characters. As such, I doubt it'll be very satisfying to anyone for whom this is their first foray into Armstrong's supernatural universe. Armstrong writes good heroines, and no one can say that she has cookie cutter characters. While the quality of the series has been a bit varied (I went off it for a bit, only to go back and rediscover why I loved it a few years back), this is a solid ending, and it was great to see all the former heroines and heroes working together towards a common goal.

Savannah, who started out as a supporting character in Stolen and Dime Store Magic wasn't always a very likable character, and even annoyed me quite a bit in the previous two books in Armstrong's final trilogy. Yet it was obviously carefully calculated by the author, to show just how much growing and development the character had left to do. I'd rather a character had too many flaws, rather than none and it's always nice when they develop and mature into someone better after a series of trial and tribulations.

If you've read some or all of Armstrong's other books in this series, then you'll probably enjoy this one a lot. If you haven't, do yourself a favour and check out one of the earlier ones I mentioned, they're some of the finest paranormal fantasy out there.

CBR4 Book 76: "Leviathan Wakes" by James S.A. Corey

Page count: 504 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Date begun: August 2nd, 2012
Date finished: August 11th, 2012

Summary from Goodreads, because I'm feeling lazy, and I really need to get these reviews done:

Humanity has colonized the solar system - Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond - but the stars are still out of our reach. 

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations in the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, The Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for - and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why. 

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to The Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that the girl might be the key to everything. 

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations - and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe. 

I don't read a whole lot of sci-fi, but I don't want to find myself stuck in a rut either, limiting myself to only one of two genres of literature. So I try new things occasionally. I read sci-fi a few months back, when Felicia Day's Vaginal Fantasy Hangout featured two books I hadn't read before. They were more to my taste than this, which turned out to be a bit to spacey for me. I didn't hate it, by all means, but the story didn't really grip me either, and I kept making myself go back to the book to get through it. I don't like it when reading becomes a chore.

There's some very cool world building in this book, and the characters are nicely multi-faceted, it's not quite clear who's right and wrong. The story is told mainly from Holden and Miller's alternating POVs, and for the first part of the story, they're in very different places. There were some very cool concepts in the book, and certain sections are rather horrible, but creatively speaking very well done. While this book just doesn't seem to have it done it for me, I can see why it's popular, and why it was selected as a monthly pick in the Sword and Laser book club.

CBR4 Book 75: "Gunmetal Magic" by Ilona Andrews

Page count: 433 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Date begun: July 31st, 2012
Date finished: August 1st, 2012

While this is sort of a stand-alone book, it fits into the larger framework of the Kate Daniels series, and as such, this book will be best enjoyed if you've read the previous 5 books in that series. Also, this review may and probably does contain spoilers for some of the developments in those books.

Andrea Nash lives in a post-apocalyptic version of Atlanta, where technology frequently is disabled when waves of magic sweep through the world, and it keeps things interesting, to say the least. Previously a valued member of the Knights of the Order of Merciful Aid, Andrea was retired when it came out that she is beast-kin, half human, half hyena (lower in status than a were-hyena). Shortly before she was kicked out of the Order, her romantic relationship fell apart, as her boyfriend didn't take it kindly when she picked the Knights rather than the shapeshifters in a city-wide crisis. So she doesn't have a whole lot left to lose, to say the least.

Now Andrea works with her best friend Kate (Consort to the Beast Lord, Alpha of all the shapeshifters in Atlanta and the surrounding areas, and generally a pretty scary lady) at Cutting Edge Investigations, trying to put her life back in order. She tends to wake up in the morning curled in the cupboard clutching some sort of weapon, plagued by nightmares about her really shitty past. When the head of Pack security asks Andrea to investigate mysterious deaths at a Pack construction site, she agrees, both because Cutting Edge needs all the business they can get, and because she needs to keep herself busy. The construction company with the dead shapeshifters is owned by Raphael Medrano, though, her ex-lover, and he appears to have moved on in a spectacular way, with a leggy, chesty, air-headed version of Andrea.

Shapeshifters are fiercely territorial and get crazy jealous, but Andrea has spent a lifetime trying to suppress her animal instincts and desperately trying to pass as a normal human. When she's forced to work closely with Raphael to solve the mysterious murders, however, it may be that she has no choice but to tap into her inner beast - both to solve the case, and win her lover back.

I love Ilona Andrews' books, pretty much without reservation. I was thrilled when I was actually in the US on release day for this book, and able to pick it up myself in a bookstore. While the book probably works fine for a new reader, to me, who's seen Andrea's development through the Kate Daniels books, I suspect that it's even more rewarding to get Andrea's full backstory and fight for her own HEA after getting to know her as a secondary character first.

There's been some talk on the internets of late about Strong Female Characters. The husband and wife team who are Ilona Andrews write PROPER strong female protagonists. They are capable, independent, fiercely protective and loyal to those they care about, not afraid to go out there and kick ass, but just as happy to stay at home and do girly things. Andrea has an exhaustive knowledge about weapons and firearms, and due to her incredibly awful time growing up, has taught herself to use said weapons expertly, so no one will ever mess with her again, and if they do, they're probably not going to live long enough to regret it.  But she also loves dressing up, doing her hair and reading romance novels.

As I said, this book gives us a back story to Andrea that it would have been strange to include in the main series. As the books are first person narrated, it was fun to see the world in the Kate Daniels books through someone else's eyes. I especially got a kick out of Andrea's description of her best friend Kate (who obviously doesn't spend a lot of time describing herself in the main series) and her mate Curran, the Beast Lord of Atlanta (who Kate obviously has different views about than Andrea).

Like all Andrews books, this novel is action-packed, sometimes terrifically violent, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, has an amazing cast of supporting characters, as well as main characters you'd love to hang out with (and have on your side in a fight). I think it may be my second favourite book set in the Kate universe, which is very high praise indeed. If you like other books by Ilona Andrews, don't miss this one.

CBR4 Book 74: "The Queen of Attolia" by Megan Whalen Turner

Page count: 362 pages
Rating: 5 stars
Date begun: July 12th, 2012
Date finished: July 13th, 2012

This review will contain spoilers for The Thief, so you may want to avoid it if you're bothered by that sort of thing.

Eugenides, official Queen's Thief of Eddis, is a thorn in the Queen of Attolia's side. Countless times he's broken into her palace, he even leaves little gifts for her. Even worse, after he managed to retrieve the legendary Hamiathes' Gift for his own queen, Attolia lost power and face. She wants revenge on Eugenides, and Eddis, and will ally herself with anyone who can help her. Patiently she waits for him to slip up, secure in the knowledge that one day her men will catch him, and he can haunt her no more.

Attolia does capture Gen, and seemingly exacts her revenge, but at what cost? Soon Attolia is at war with Eddis, with the more powerful Sounis trying to take over both countries. While no longer able to break into her palace, Eugenides haunts her thoughts all the more. To save Eddis from war with two more powerful foes, Gen has to recover from a grievous blow, steal a man, steal a woman, and possibly even steal peace. While he once claimed he could steal everything, such a task may be too challenging even for Eugenides.

Megan Whalen Turner's books may be young adult literature, but they don't pander to the reader. They are incredibly clever books that require patience and attention, but the reader is also richly rewarded. The Thief was pretty much a quest narrative. The Queen of Attolia has plotting, and political intrigue, a further exploration of the world first introduced in the first book in the series, and the story of how the Queen of Attolia became the cold and seemingly ruthless ruler that she has turned into. She has few that she can trust, and easily feels slighted. Bitterly jealous of the Queen of Eddis who doesn't have to be constantly vigilant to stay in power, she can't stand that the Thief of Eddis sneaks into her palace so frequently, taunting her with his easy access. She thinks she'll feel better if she teaches him a lesson, but discovers that revenge isn't all its cracked up to be.

Eugenides truly shines in this book, and manages amazing feats for someone so young. Most remarkable of all is the reason why he keeps breaking into Attolia's palace, and his plan for creating lasting peace between the countries, even after Attolia does something unspeakable to him. The Queen of Attolia is a wonderful book, and can be just as easily enjoyed by adults as teenagers. One of the best pieces of young adult literature out there, it is a joy to read.

CBR4 Book 73: "The Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner

Page count: 280 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Date begun: July 10th, 2012
Date finished: July 11th, 2012

In the kingdom of Sounis, the King wants an ancient artifact that could grant him power over the neighbouring kingdom of Eddis. He sends his Magus to retrieve the item, and with him, the Magus brings a small group of companions. As well as a guardsman and two young noblemen, they drag Gen, an arrogant young thief who claims he can steal anything, and who'd been thrown in the dungeons for stealing the King's private seal.

Skinny, extremely scruffy, rather coarse and deeply boastful, the Magus is not at all sure that Gen possesses the abilities necessary to retrieve the artifact that they seek. He attempts to gain a handle on the young thief, while continuing to educate the two noblemen in his charge. Will Gen really have what it takes to steal an item allegedly bestowed on humanity by a goddess? Will the Magus succeed in getting the item back to his King?

The first time I read The Thief I wasn't overly impressed, having heard good things about it, and knowing it had won a Newberry Award. The story starts slow, and Gen really is a surly and rather dislikable protagonist. I stuck with it because I liked the stories that the Magus and the others in the group told along the way, which were nice twists on ancient Mediterranean mythology. However, towards the end of the novels, the author's cleverness suddenly turned everything on its head, and the book became something else entirely.

Thus, re-reading it became a completely different experience. Because I knew more about Gen and his ultimate goals, as well as about the Magus and the two young men in his charge (some stuff is revealed later in the series), I was able to appreciate the story on another level and can absolutely see why it's become so critically acclaimed and lauded. Thus I would recommend you, if you pick this up for the first time and feel a bit bored - please stick with it. You will be rewarded in the end, and possibly tempted to start the book over from the beginning, just to experience the story once more.

CBR4 Book 72: "Grave Memory" by Kalayna Price

Page count: 348 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Date begun: July 5th, 2012
Date finished: July 9th, 2012

This is the third book in the series, and as such, this review can and probably does contain spoilers for the previous two books. So if you don't like that sort of thing, avoid this whole review, and start at the beginning with Grave Witch instead.

Plot summary from Goodreads:
When the dead need to talk, Alex Craft is always ready to listen...
As a Grave Witch, Alex solves murders by raising the dead - an ability that comes at a cost, and after her last few cases, that cost is compounding. But her magic isn't the only thing causing havoc in her life. While she's always been on friendly terms with Death himself, things have recently become a whole lot more close and personal. Then there's her sometime partner, agent Falin Andrews, who is under the glamour of the Winter Queen. To top it all off, her best friend has been forever changed by her time spent captive in Faerie.

But the personal takes a backseat to the professional when a string of suicides occur in Nekros City and Alex is hired to investigate. The shades have no memory of the days leading up to their brutal endings, so despite the very public apparent suicides, this is murder. But what kind of magic can overcome the human will to survive? And why do the shades lack the memory of their deaths? Searching for the answer might mean Alex won't have a life to remember at all...

Having eagerly anticipated this for months, ever since I finished Grave Dance, I must admit that the book didn't entirely live up to my expectations. I think this is partly due to the fact that the book starts very slowly, and the action part of the plot doesn't really kick in until about a third of the way through. What the readers do get in this book, is a lot more Death. More of his back story is revealed, and there's further developments in his relationship with Alex. Falin, on the other hand, barely makes an appearance, but the very end of this book suggests that book 4 is going to be a lot more focused on him. While I'm not normally a fan of the drawn out love triangle, I must admit that Price does a marvellous job of making me root for both guys, and making both options seem both extremely appealing, yet seemingly impossible for Alex. I can't wait to see where Price is going with this.

If you liked the first two books, you'll enjoy this one too, and I suspect that if I hadn't had my expectations turned up so very high, and if I'd known it was a slow starter, I would have been less impatient and enjoyed it more. You'd better believe I'll be getting the next one in the series, eager to find out more about Falin and the various Faerie courts.