"Dangerous to Know" by Tasha Alexander

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Page count: 320 pages
Rating: 2 stars
Date begun: November 11th, 2010
Date finished: November 13th, 2010

WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE LADY EMILY SERIES!

Lady Emily Hargreaves is in Normandy, trying to recover from her near-death experience during her honeymoon in Constantinople. Her loving husband, Colin, has taken her to his mother's house to recuperate and regain her strength, but when she comes across a brutally murdered young woman while out riding, it is clear that the area is not as peaceful as they had hoped. The girl has been brutalized a manner reminiscent of the Jack the Ripper murders a few years back in London, and Colin and the local police are concerned that the killer may not be satisfied with just one victim.

Emily is troubled with guilt and grief after losing their unborn baby when she was nearly killed saving a young girl from a brutal killer. There are rumours in the area that the ghost of a motherless girl haunts the countryside, and when Emily starts hearing the cries of a child, and occasional glimpses of a little girl with a blue ribbon, she starts to doubt her own sanity. Her relationship with her mother-in-law is less than excellent, as the formidable Mrs. Hargreaves clearly feels Emily's unworthy of her son and treats her with a cold disdain. The appearance of her old friend, Cecile du Lac, and the re-appearance in the area of the gentleman thief, Sebastian Capet, cheer her spirits to some extent, but she cannot rest until she manages to solve the murder of the poor girl she found.

It turns out that the girl, Edith, had escaped from a mental asylum, and her mother is an old school friend of Cecile's. When they go to talk to the family, it is clear that poor Edith lived a dramatic life, and had also heard the cries of a little girl and seen a ghostly child in the days before she was committed. Her twin brother Laurent is furious about the whole thing, and his brooding and obsessive closeness with his sister seem very suspicious. Colin seems reluctant to let Emily continue the detective efforts she has previously reveled in, worried that she will be put in danger yet again. He wants her safe and protected, and this causes tension in their marriage.

Dangerous to Know is the fifth Lady Emily mystery, and just as good and suspenseful a read as the previous ones. I must admit that I was distressed by the marital tension between Colin and Emily, and while his reactions were completely understandable, his heavy-handed ordering about of Emily made me unhappy. Although even at his most controlling, he would have been super progressive as a Victorian husband, letting his wife study ancient languages and gallivant about the countryside with known art thieves, it felt wrong for him to try to limit Emily's involvement with the detecting. I also knew that things would probably sort themselves out in the end, and their marriage would be as close and comforting as it was in the previous novel.

Cannonball III announced

As I suspected, there will indeed be a third Cannonball Read, but the next one starts on January 1st, 2011. Once again the goal is to read and blog at least 52 books, and I should be able to do that no trouble at all. Like this year, I doubt I'll blog every single book I read, although it would be an interesting challenge for me to try and do all the books - unfortunately, I'm not sure it would be as fun for my readers. We shall see what the future brings.

But I will absolutely be taking part in the next Cannonball Read, and if the amazing Jen K takes part again, my goal will once again be to come second, as there is no way I will be able to beat her. She finished her first 52 at least a month and a half before me last year.

Challenge completed!

As we were going away for the weekend, it was looking as if I wasn't going to be able to achieve my goal of reading and blogging 100 books before the Second Cannonball Challenge ended. I've actually read 145 books and reread 23 book since November 1st, but I've mentioned before why I decided not to blog about all of them.

It sadly looks like there may not be another Cannonball Challenge next year, or if there is, it won't start tomorrow. They've stopped posting book reviews on Pajiba, and there is no mention of another challenge starting soon. Of course, most of the 100 participants don't appear to have even partially completed their reading assignments, or if they have, they've not been blogging a lot. We shall see, if they do another challenge, I shall participate. If they don't, I'll set my own challenge for next year.

Still, I've completed not only the 52 required books, but the 100 books set in the first Cannonball challenge, and I will try to keep going. I doubt I will number the rest of the books this year, though. I'll more likely start a new count after New Year's, to see what my tally for 2011 ends up being.

I've also got myself a new hobby that I may blog a bit about. Not being able to knit anymore, as it really aggravates the tendinitis in both my wrists, I have taken up crocheting instead. It is to quote my husband the "open g tuning of handicrafts", i.e. it looks as impressive as knitting, but is much faster to learn and way easier once you know what you're doing.

CBR2 Book 100: "Victoria" by Knut Hamsun

Publisher: Den Norske Bokklubben
Page count: 140 pages
Rating: 1 star
Date begun: October 16th, 2010
Date finished: October 31st, 2010

Johannes is the miller's son, pining for Victoria, daughter of the local estate owner. The book starts when he is 14 and she is 10. A lonely child, Johannes wants to play with the rich children, but is normally only called upon to wait on them and row them around when they have guests from the city visiting. He spends most of his time alone, using his fertile imagination to invent solitary games and adventures.

When he is 18, and returns home from school in the city, he hopes he has finally been noticed by Victoria after he rescues a young girl from drowning, in front of Victoria and her rich friends. But she still seems more taken with Otto, a young soldier and friend of the family, and once again his hopes are dashed.

Johannes goes to university, and becomes a poet and a writer. After publishing several poems, he moves on to novels, all the while dreaming of Victoria. He is aware that they are from different social classes, but pines for her nonetheless. As his literary fame grows, he is accepted into higher layers of society, among them the home of the girl he rescued from drowning. He also sees Victoria again, but she appears to be engaged. Still, one evening, when he walks her home, she professes his love for him.

Knowing that her family would never accept his suit, Johannes writes several angsty romantic novels and moves abroad. When he finally returns, years later, he arrives back in time for Victoria's engagement party to Otto. Victoria's family are in great need of money, Otto's family have lots. Camilla, the girl he rescued is also there, and nearly 18, she is very infatuated with him. The romance between Johannes and Victoria seems more impossible than ever.

Victoria was written by Hamsun in 1898, and is apparently considered not only one of his most popular books, but one of the most beautiful and well known love stories in Norwegian literature. If so, the state of romantic literature in Norway before 1898 and since, is deplorable. While I understand what Hamsun was trying to do with his tragic romance, it is just not very effective. Mainly because Johannes is a total weenie and Victoria is given as much personality as a wet rag.

Why should Hamsun bother infusing the object of Johannes' affection and love with any sort of personality or character? The more important thing is the development of the young man and HIS feelings. Also, the lyrical descriptions of the Norwegian country side, those are important. This is period literature, and as a former lit student, I know I shouldn't be upset that writers who lived a 150 years are misogynistic or write only from the POV of the gender they know.

It's not like Jane Austen writes anything but the female point of view in Pride and Prejudice. But at least there is some substance in her books. In Victoria, the whole romance seems based on the characters interacting a few times when they were kids, then pining a whole lot for each other and constructing elaborate fantasies about the other party, a few short meeting as adults, where they have no chance to get to know each other more closely, a lot of angst from Johannes' side, then the book ends.

I read this mainly because we (the Norwegian teachers at the school where I work) are forcing the 10th graders to read the book so they have a literary classic to analyze for their final exam in the spring. I suspect that most of them are going to find the book both boring and deeply uninteresting, and I can't say that I blame them. This is the second Hamsun novel I have read now, and while his descriptions of the Norwegian nature are stunning, his plotting and so called romances leave a lot to be desired, and I don't know if I will read any more of his books unless forced.

CBR2 Book 99: "Storm Glass" by Maria V. Snyder

Publisher: Mira
Page count: 512 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Date begun: October 28th, 2010
Date finished: October 31st, 2010

Opal is a young glassblower who can infuse small glass statues with a spark of magic, allowing other magic users all over her homeland of Sitia to communicate with each other over long distances. As long as someone with magical abilities holds a glass animal she made, they can talk to another magic user holding another. Despite years of lessons at the magic academy, however, Opal doesn't appear to have any other powers whatsoever, and this causes other students to tease her and avoid her. Her role in helping Yelena Saldana (the heroine of Snyder's first trilogy) save the country from rogue evil magicians is well known, but she is disappointed that she seems unable to do more with magic than make communicator devices for mages.

Opal is charged by the academy's Master magicians to go to the Stormdancer clan and discover what is breaking their glass orbs and killing their dancers. The Stormdancer magicians can control the weather, and channel the energy from storms into special glass orbs that are then used as a type of battery. But if one of the orbs break, the dancer using it will die instantly. So far, two have died, and Opal and the youngest of the Masters, Sitara, have to figure out what is causing the orbs to break before more Stormdancers die and the storms in their area of Sitia run out of control.

Despite being doubtful of her abilities to help, Opal solves the mystery of the brittle glass and earns the respect of the Stormdancers, including the brooding Kade, whose sister was one of the dancers killed when an orb broke. On their way back from the Stormdancer clan, Opal is kidnapped. A group of renegades want to learn the Stormdancer secrets and are prepared to torture her to get them. She manages to escape, and discovers that she can channel another magic user's power into an empty glass orb while she is fleeing a magical attack.

Back at the Academy, the Masters are very interested in studying Opal's new powers. It is quite obvious that she is not the "one trick pony" the other students have been accusing her of being. But she is still in danger since she is one of the few who know the Stormdancer glass secrets, and she has to figure out her feelings towards two men, Kade the Stormdancer, and Ulrick, a young man from her home village who's come to the Acedemy to see if he too has magical abilities connected with glass.

I was a big fan of Maria V. Snyder's Study trilogy, especially the first novel, Poison Study. The other two books in the trilogy were neither as exciting or gripping, but Snyder created a fascinating cast of characters, especially Yelena and Valek, and the books were entertaining enough. Opal is a supporting character from the first series, and unfortunately, she is not as engaging a heroine as Yelena. She survived a pretty horrible ordeal in the previous series, and this has obviously affected her, but she seems rather stuck up and self pitying, and instead of being grateful for the magical abilities she does have, keeps wanting more and being sulky. She is also a bit of a pushover, and too easily led by others.

This does change a bit during the course of the book, but she still has a lot of growing to do as a a a character to stop being annoying. The vague love triangle in the book just did not hold my attention at all. Kade is interesting enough, tortured and broody, and with some very cool powers. But Ulrick was clearly just a whiny jerk, who while he'd been treated badly by his family was not really sympathetic at all, but overbearing, controlling and like a walking list of danger signs in a potential boyfriend. Even Opal doesn't really fancy him, just seems to settle on him because Kade isn't available to her.

Some of the supporting cast are good, but others are frankly as annoying as Opal's non-romance with Ulrick. Her sister Mara, in whose shadow Opal has always grown up, is supposedly pretty and talented and someone admired by everyone, but she just irritated me, and some of her advice to Opal was dreadful. The youngest Master Magician was promising as a supporting character, and I'm hoping that Opal may be developing a few friendships that can go good places, so that there is more of an appealing supporting cast in the sequels. Opal does discover some pretty cool powers, but the set up for the next book (which will be all about Ulrick the douche) didn't exactly fill me with excitement. Still, I bought the whole trilogy in a 3 for 2 sale, so will read them all. But probably not right away.

98: "First Truth" by Dawn Cook

Publisher: Ace
Page count: 352 pages
Rating: 3 stars
Date begun: October 23rd, 2010
Date finished: October 26th, 2010

Alissa has never been accepted by the people around her parents' foothills farm, as her mother is from the plains, and her father from the foothills. There is fierce rivalry and much prejudice between the tradesmen of the plains and the farmers of the foothills and intermarriage between the peoples is frowned upon, and the offspring of such unions are treated as outcasts.

Alissa's father has been missing since she was five, and now, at nearly twenty, her mother is sending her away, claiming she needs to find the mystical Hold and learning to use her latent magical powers. Alissa doesn't believe in magic, and is crushed, but has no choice but to set off. She has to make her way through the mountains before the first snows fall, and see if the mythical Masters and Keepers of the Hold can shed some light on her father's disappearance and her own supposed heritage. Accompanying her is Talon, her tiny kestrel, who guards her fiercely despite her diminutive size and warns her of dangers.

Having fallen into a ravine looking for water, Alissa is saved by Strell, a wandering minstrel who has is trying to make his way to the coast. Strell is from the plains, and has been travelling for years, collecting stories and music. He discovers that his entire family has been wiped out in a flood five years earlier, and no longer has any true home or connection. At first, he is suspicious of the clearly half-blood foothills girl, and he and Alissa get off to a bad start. As they are going the same way, however, they decide to travel together and quickly become friends.

Alissa is unaware that the Hold is nearly empty, with only one crazy former Keeper having sent all the Masters on a pointless quest far away, and killed the other Keepers. Only one Master is left, trapped in the dungeons. Bailic, the ex-Keeper is an old friend of Alissa's father, and wants a legendary magic book, First Truth, which was given to Alissa's dad by his teacher. Bailic has dreams of world domination, and quickly realizes that one of the two strangers that show up to the Hold can help him find the book he needs to achieve his goal. But he is unable to figure out whether it's Alissa or Strell who have the latent magical abilities. Alissa and Strell need to try to find the book before Bailic gets to it, and stay safe during the winter, hoping Bailic doesn't kill them too.

I had read both of Dawn Cook's Princess books (The Decoy Princess, Princess at Sea) before I discovered that the author is also Kim Harrison, an author whose paranormal fantasy series I've been reading and loving for years. As far as I can tell, she started writing traditional, vaguely romantic fantasy and did OK, but never became particularly successful. Then she created her paranormal series under the pen name Kim Harrison, and became a several times bestselling author. Ace has recently republished her Truth books pointing out that the authors are one and the same, but the new covers are absolutely awful, and I'm glad I was able to get the classic covers.

The first book (in a series of four) is mostly setup, and the friendship between Alissa and Strell is slowly developing into something more romantic, but anyone wanting a passionate love story, should possibly pick something else. Nor is this a very epic fantasy story, but a nicely paced little adventure tale. I'm looking forward to reading the next three.

CBR2 Book 97: "Princess of the Midnight Ball" by Jessica Day George

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Page count: 304 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Date begun: October 21st, 2010
Date finished: October 22nd, 2010

The country of Westfalin (basically like 18th century Germany) has finally won a long and costly war against the neighbouring country of Andalousia (bits of Spain). Galen is the son of a soldier, whose mother was an army laundress. He grew up following the army, and lost his father, mother and little sister during the war. On his way to the capital, hoping to find his mother's sister, he meets an old lady and kindly shares his meagre provisions with her. She thanks him and insists on giving him three presents as thanks. He is given two balls of wool, one black "and strong as an iron chain", one white "like a swan, floating on water", as well as a magical cloak that can turn him invisible. He tries to refuse, but the crone claims his need is greater than hers.

When he arrives in the capital, it turns out that his uncle is prosperous, having made money during the war taking care of the late queen's precious garden. Galen is trained as an under-gardener, and soon meets the twelve princesses of the kingdom, who all love the garden too. While his uncle detests gossip, several of the other gardeners and palace servants tell him of the great mystery of the princesses' dancing slippers. Every third day the princesses are found in their rooms, exhausted, while all their slippers are worn through. Even though their bedroom doors are locked and guarded and they have maids in their rooms. The king is distressed at the extra expense of constantly buying his twelve girls new slippers, but none of his daughters will tell him why the slippers get worn out.

The first time Galen meets Rose, the eldest of the princesses (all named for flowers in the garden that Queen Maude loved), she nearly falls into a fountain, and gets rather wet. He is embarrassed at first, then distressed, as the princess falls ill, first with a cold, then with pneumonia. One by one, her sisters fall ill as well, and even when they are all sick, their slippers end up worn through. It takes the girls months to recover, as they are clearly exhausted by their late night dancing, yet none of them will tell anyone what they do at night.

At his wit's end, King Galen invites foreign princes to his kingdom, offering to let them solve the mystery of the princesses' midnight adventures in return for the hand in marriage of one of the girls. Yet one by one, the princes fail, get infuriated, leave Westfalin, and shortly after die in horrible accidents. As the months go on, and more princes die, the neighbouring countries start accusing the princesses of witchcraft. Galen, who has gotten to know all the girls, and who has befriended and then fallen for Rose, is determined to help the girls, and solve the mystery, before the country is plunged into another war, which would devastate the country.

Princess of the Midnight Ball is a retelling of the fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses. In an interview included in the extras in the book, Ms George says she always wondered about this tale, thinking that if the girls danced their slippers through every single night, they must be exhausted and weary, and from this speculation, her story developed. Even with twelve different princesses, aged between 17 and 6, the various girls have distinct personalities, and it's rarely difficult to keep them apart.

Rose may be a princess, but she is troubled by the burden of taking care of all her younger sisters after their mother's death. While she would prefer to be carefree, she still shoulders the responsibilities given to her, acting as hostess for her father at social functions and surrogate mother. She is helped by her eldest sisters, but none the girls don't have it easy, forced to dance in the court of the King Under Stone first every third night, then every night, even when they are sick to death with flu. If they try to tell anyone what is going on, they are either unable to speak or spout silly nonsense, even when the situation gets serious and the clergy accuse them of witchcraft.

Galen may be of common birth, but he is loyal and resourceful and kind to those around him. As a true fairy tale hero, he is rewarded for his kindness with magical gifts, and these prove instrumental in helping save the princesses from the curse. He is fully aware of the impropriety of an under-gardener being friends with a princess, let alone loving her, but can't help himself, and becomes more and more fond of all the girls the longer he works in the garden. He decides to help the princesses not in the hopes of the king's reward, as he is convinced no king would want his daughter marrying a gardener, but he cannot stand to see the girls suffer any longer, and possibly get excommunicated and convicted of witchcraft.

The story has a mystical quest, helpful old people, an evil villain in a sinister underground kingdom, determined that the Westfalian princesses will marry his half-human sons. It has a brave hero who knits his own socks and scarves and is not afraid to get his hands dirty, and twelve lovely princesses cursed by the foolish decisions of their now-dead mother. I was delighted by Jessica Day George's last fairy tale retelling, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, and this one was also excellent. It's also the first book I've read that contains knitting patterns in the back. I am very much looking forward to Day George's take on Cinderella, currently out in hardback, and will buy and read it as soon as it's out in paperback.