eyes.2c Reviews

Wow! …move over Erikson…there’s a new singer in Fantasy land!! Violence and magic lurk just beneath the veneer of this medieval type world, The Red Knight . The Wild is closing, strange creatures are abroad and protective garrisons are undermanned. By the fourth page the Red Knight and his mercenaries pass through a farm littered by its dead, including a nun. The steading is a supporter of the fortress nunnery Lissen Carak. The Red knight surveys the carnage and asks the question. 'How did the Wild make it here? ...Past the wall was the wild, many leagues beyond the mountains.'     'Some fool must have asked them in,' was the reply. Thus the reader falls into the mayhem and magic from the beginning, displayed through the violent carnage, as witnessed by the half consumed body and 'a single clear footprint...the size of a warhorse's hoof or bigger, with three toes.' The story has barely begun...and much more is to come. Magus, knights,...

The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell The NetGalley pre publication blurb grabbed me immediately, ‘Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller.’ Two of my favorite authors! How could I not want to read this? I did and I loved it! Alex Lidell's voice is a gratifying addition to the YA milieu! All the necessary elements of a complex and fascinating world are present in the Cadet of Tildor. Readers! Walk in! The leading voice is Renee, a female cadet struggling with warrior training amongst a mostly male, elitist cohort, with all the baggage that brings. As her world unfolds Renee must contend with warring groups, a father's disdain, a friend’s addiction, an illegal Mage bond, rescue a hero, defeat a gang and satisfy a king. She must decide between law and grace, law and friends. Action and contradiction swirl throughout Tildor and around this particular lead player. Crown, Family and Vipers jockey for key pos...

The Beggar King: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch Once again the executioner’s daughter is embroiled in mayhem and mystery. This time Magdalena's father Jakob Kuisl, the Hangman of Schongau, has been lured to far off Regensburg where he is falsely accused of murdering his sister and her husband. Meanwhile, Magdalena and Simon having fled Schongau and become embroiled in the same plot. Someone wants the executioner Kuisl dead, and more, revenge! At the same time prostitutes are disappearing from the streets of Regensburg. Not enough to rouse the interest of the authorities, but enough to arouse the reader's. Dastardly plots and political mayhem color the very air of Regensburg confusing the senses Plots and sub plots abound. All lead to a very dangerous, cunning and nameless enemy of the Hangman of Schongau, and his family. The only clue, ‘Weidenfeld, 1637!' Who is that? Kuisl worries at it, as through a glass darkly. Who is friend? Who i...

Have been reading this series by Australian author Stephanie Lauren's.   Her forward on why she writes and advice to aspiring authors is quite interesting. This comment resonated particularly,  (On a Wicked Dawn, p.20) 'Find your voice--not anyone else's, but yours. Then tell your story, the one you've been given  to tell. That's the story you love, the story that moves you. Take the creating one step at a time,  but remember: you can only find your voice by writing your book. So write the book--and then  rewrite and rewrite, by yourself, until your voice rings clearly. Until your book sings. ' Lauren's Regency Romances are redolent with heavy breathing, sensuality, reformed rakes (masking warriors with the to have and to hold motto) and the odd bit of adventure. Enjoyable reads, not much thinking required except to keep straight who is related to whom, who married who, and where all other family and non family members fit in. Stories ar...

Harbinger This intriguing offering from Australian Peta Crake, grabbed me from start to finish. I just had to keep reading. I loved the main character, Ophelia (Phi to her friends). Feisty and energetic (I’m sure she wears blunnies on the job!), yet often emotionally weary, you feel her sadness in the face of huge odds, and you her admire for her pluckiness and integrity. The interaction of the pantheon of Greek gods, from the Furies to Pandora and more, with mortals in the modern setting of Perth, Australia is provocative. Putting Zeus and Hera as Phi’s uncle and aunt with the various gods as probable relatives is masterful. Phi is just your average Aussie girl—NOT! Her day job is messenger for the gods. At night she hangs out in a bar in Perth. But now there's a new bar owner, (demigod Adonis-Aden for short) and Phi doesn't mess with the gods. But when Aden sends her on a series of exhausting non stop deliveries things go from bad to worse and the stakes are...

Disappointingly, The Bridegroom Wore Plaid is not the greatest Burrowes' book . The characters are enjoyable but the plot's a tad crowded. There were some interesting happenings but again just too many. One could see the story evolving a mile off. It was predictable. But on a meltingly hot, or wet, or snowy afternoon (depending on your hemisphere) it will while away the time. Burrowes' fans will buy it just because. A Netgalley ARC

Waking up with a rake by Connie Mason At the beginning I stifled a 'ho hum' and thought, 'not another 'rake' story!' Fortunately I was pleasantly surprised. The story of Olivia and Rhys has several twists and turns that add spice and dash to the happenings surrounding these two increasingly interesting characters. Olivia is not quite the shy, retiring wallflower first depicted and Rhys,the seemingly uncaring rake, hides a tortured past behind by his well honed facade.Murder and mayhem hide under the surface and thoughtless lust is overturned by innocence. I gave it 4 stars on Amazon and 3 on LibraryThing. Really I feel it's a 3 but an Amazon 3 is a barely ok and I think this was a bit more than that. Mind you, the various paths of the novel give an opportunity to develop more fully the lesser characters. That however is not what this novel was about. A quick and quite enjoyable read. A Netgalley ARC