sparkindarkness | Entries tagged with books

Blood Rites by Jim Butcher, book 6 of the Dresden Files

The war between the White Council and the Red Court of the vampires continued to rage (in fact, it seems to include all 3 courts of vampires) and Harry Dresden remains at the heart of it as well as maintaining his limited income doing what jobs he can as Chicago's only wizard in the yellow pages.

Harry's life remains excitingly complicated. The Black Court is in town, perhaps the most dangerous and magical of the vampires and his old enemy Mavra is gunning for him with her followers. He has to take the fight to her before they succeed in bringing him down – especially since the Black Court can multiply so quickly and kill so many people. Meanwhile a new job pushed on him by his old almost-friend Thomas of the White Court leads to him trying to protect a porn studio from a powerful and random death curse as well as dropping him neck deep in White Court politics - and those pretty vampires are so much more devious and often more dangerous than their more brutal cousins. To top it all off, he finally learns more about his missing family – and how they're not all as missing as he had previously thought.

And as an added bonus, he also has to figure out how to pay a mercenary before that mercenary extracts his own payment and disturbing revelations about his mentor. Never a quiet life for Harry.

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Taste of the Night, Book 2 of the Zodiac series by Vicki Pettersson

When we last left Oliva/Joanna she had rooted out the spy in the light, met the Tulpa and come to terms that are life had changed forever. In The Taste of Night, Oliva/Joanna must live with the results of her decisions. Though she has developed an attraction for Hunter, her heart still belongs to Ben. The fact that she belongs to shadow and light continues to cause friction between her and the shadow warriors. She fears that they will never trust her. Within the turbulence of all the conflicts, chief among her concerns is to seek vengeance for the rape that she just barely survived at the tender age of fifteen.

There was a lot of world building in this book, but it did not slow down the action in the slightest. We learned how the comics are made which document the actions of the Shadow and Light warriors. We learned that it is possible to kill the Tulpa and that we are quickly approaching a time when Oliva/Joanna will bring light to the world if she manages not to shift to the dark side. In some ways the play between the dark and the light reminds of Star Wars and the Matrix. Of course, even when this approach was taken in Star Wars, it was not new, because it very much is a spin on the bible. What makes Pettersson's Zodiac books different, is that this time, the chosen one is a woman. I find this transgressive, because 'woman' has always been constructed as the downfall of man, rather than the savior.

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Fangs for the Fantasy Podcast episode 27

This week we discuss True Blood "Cold Grey Light of Dawn", Yasmine Galenorn's Darkling from the Sisters of the Moon series, Lauren Beukes' Zoo City, Kelley Armstrong's Bitten from the Otherworld series and Rachel Caine's Glass Houses from the Morganville Vampire series

Clicky clicky

Teen Wolf Episode 10

Another week is another episode of Teen Wolf. We're continually impressed by how this teenage show keeps the angst levels down (occasionally anyway) and how it remains both dark and with a deep nuanced story. It continues to hold our interest and this is one that was well worth our time. What follows is our discussion on episode 10.

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Fangs for the Fantasy is having its first give away for Kevine Hearne's book Hammered, a book in the Iron Druid Chronicle series that is among my favourite books of all times (our review of Hammered can be found here. Our reviews of Hounded and Hexed are also up).

People who read us at Fangs will be aware of how much we fanpoodle Kevin Hearne and generally put him at the peak of the best books we've read – honestly it's an effort of will for me not badger for the 4th book in the series, it really is.

We actually had an interview with Kevin Hearne (which you can find Here) which just further added to our fanpoodling. We managed not to embarrass ourselves by fawning slavishly but it was a near thing. Of course him sending us a signed book for this give away (assuming I can pry it from Renee's desperately clutching hands) just confirned his awesomeness and probably sealed our Fanpoodling for all time (unless Book 4 is late, in which case I'm going to be totally unreasonable and needy).

Read more for full details of the offer This book is most certainly worth it.

Now I'm going to have to find a crowbar or a acetylene torch to get the book free of Renee's grasp

So we open up knowing that Damali & her gang are depressed. I'm not entirely sure why they're all depressed – they just kind of are. I think it's because they escaped from the tunnels of hell but Carlos – a vampire who none of them knew – didn't. This also really depresses Damali who expresses this by having a random vampire kill, just because and decides to have a reunion with an old friend, drink booze and spend some time reminiscing and being depressed

We know they're depressed because they spend an awwwfully long time telling us that they're depressed. No, really, this is like 15% of the book here, spent telling us how depressed they are. They might rename the “exposition room” to the “moping room.” I honestly didn't think I'd finish this book because that first 15% was almost impossible to read. Somehow, I managed. I wish I hadn't. This book makes me feel I have to go back and re-read Sunshine, our only DNF review because if I got through this I owe McKinley a second chance!

Anyway, Carlos, has survived! Yay, I guess? He is found by the surviving priesty-dudes and taken to a secret location to recover and be offered a deal – he fights the good fight for 7 years and his soul will be redeemed (because, y'know, nearly dying to save the Neteru and the world? Totes not enough). There then follows page after page of Carlos saying how horny the Neteru makes him and how there's some vampire women out there and they make him horny and zomg so horny and hungry and horny and – for gods' sake Carlos, go get some alone time with your right hand already.

Anyway, after convincing the priesty-dudes that he's scary (and he is, we know this because interminable pages are spent discussing this) Carlos is released into the world to preserve his soul, contact Damali, dodge the vampire council which want him to join them as one of them since he's a big bad Master, avoid his vampire brides (each Vampire Master has several extremely powerful female vamps as PAs). He also has to re-establish himself as the biggest baddest vamp in town which involves lots of posturing and show downs. Oh and find some thing that is killing people in Brazil. For some reason. I kind of lost the why in between the angst and the sex and the angst and the drama and the angst. There's quite a large, important story reason which is interesting – but it's lost in all the endless pages of crap you have to wade through. Oh and the big bad in Brazil is a woman who is horny for Carlos and she wants to have evil sex with him. And she makes Carlos horny. Really horny. Which makes Damali jealous and sad because she can't do evil sex. And she's also horny. And Carlos is horny and angry and hungr........ ooops, fell asleep on the keyboard for a second there.

What? It's hard to follow the plot when your brain is screaming for you to put the book down

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Harry Dresden returns in a much more epic tale of battle and mystery in which the fate of Chicago – in fact the whole world, rests.

Epic. I do like me some epic, I does. And we have meta-plot! In the last book, Harry Dresden started a war to protect the woman he loved and to stand up to the cruelty of the Red Court of vampires. Due to his actions the Red Court declared war on the White Council, the ruling body of wizards, a war that now covers every part of the world and concerns the White Council greatly as important wizards fall in battle. The Council has come to town and Harry's detractors are eager to end the war by sacrificing Harry to the vampires

But there is a way out – the White Council has approached the Summer and Winter courts of the fae to gain allies and free transport through the Nevernever. Harry, as the newly appointed emissary of the Winter Court can secure his life – and the White Council's alliance – by solving a mysterious death. It's only as he investigates, he realises far more is at stake than one death, perhaps more than the war between the wizards and the vampires, for the Summer and Winter courts stand poised for war - and this war could devastate the world. And if that weren't complicated enough, an old flame comes back to haunt him.

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Harry Dresden returns in another Urban Fantasy Mystery. This time, ghosts are running amok, causing chaos and killing people and similar shenanigans. Harry must go out with his new side-kick, Michael a Knight of the Cross, and stop this sudden tidal wave of deadly ghost activity.

Following the exhausting and dangerous trail finds that someone is tormenting and manipulating these ghosts raising them and encouraging them to spread their havoc – and further, in doing so they are thinning the barrier between the real world and the Nevernever, allowing more and darker spirits to emerge. As if that weren't enough, there is something else out there, a Nightmare that is darker than any ghost they've faced that is hunting Harry and his friends specifically.

Harry must find how they are all connected and what lies behind the ghosts, the Nightmare, the thinning of the Nevernever all the while dodging his faerie godmother who hunts him and seeks to drag him away to be her slave – and even that must be done while negotiating the twisted and convoluted plots of the vampires as Bianca, an old enemy, rises within their ranks.

It's a desperate fight to keep body and soul together – and to protect those he cares about who are being targeted by forces even Harry can't comprehend.

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This review is difficult for me. Blood Bank is a collection of short stories by Tanya Huff that involve the characters and world of the Victory Nelson series. The problem I have in reviewing it is I, frankly, don't like short stories. As soon as I realised what it was, I admit I was disappointed. I like epic series with huge meta-plot and endlessly developing themes and stories and plotting. Little vignettes of people's lives just generally don't do it for me. So, I'm going to try and work past my natural disinclination to do this book justice

I would say these are a series of delightful little stories that just add a lot of little bits of flavour into the world. They each add depth, they each add a new angle and they all hint at the breadth of the world as well as giving little bits of insight into things like Henry's past and Vicki's relationship with Mike.

But, and I admit this could all be personal taste, it all felt a little empty. It added a little flesh to the bones but not much grew – there was no development, no advancing of the plot or story, no growth. It was interesting, it was a series of amusing insights and curious stories. But after 5 books of the plot advancing and going forwards it felt a little like someone had pushed the pause button and we were having an intermission. Even if the intermission is interesting – seeing how Vicki is settling in with her new circumstances, seeing more flashes from Henry's past – it's still an intermission.

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Harry Dresden is back investigating a series of brutal and vicious murders, people torn apart by what looks like wild animals – wolves in fact. There being a somewhat lack of wolves in Chicago, this points us in one direction. Actually it points us in several directions as it turns out there are several variations on the theme of werewolf – and several denizens of the city who may count.

Harry has to sort through the threads, work with the local police hindered by their distrust and the looming presence of both the FBI and an Internal Affairs inquiry and try to avoid working for a notorious mob boss with whom he has been closely linked because of his past activities. Worse for him, his investigations have aroused the anger of those he has investigated – both guilty and innocent – and he faces several more attempts on his life to dance around while still trying to find the truth.

Like Storm Front, I think this book struck a great balance. It has several possible suspects, several different supernatural creatures, any of which could have been the murderers creates a genuine mystery - without being convoluted or confusing. In even a conventional murder mystery that's a difficult balance to strike

I also liked the world building – the bringing together of a variety of werewolf myths from around the world as varying and difficult antagonists and possible suspects in the book - each of which could be the murderer and many of them actively hunting or needing Harry for various reasons. We also see Harry's power continue to be develop and displayed for us – an excellent bit of world building that requires gentle showing rather than bludgeoning telling. And we're reminded that, yes, harry is a severely powerful and extremely dangerous being – while at the same time being very flawed and very human.

In many ways I'm in 2 minds about this review. Not because I didn't like the book – but because I feel I have so little to say that contrasts with what I said about Storm Front. It's another nuanced and well balanced mystery. It has a strong and informed world. The characterisation of Harry seems very real, while at the same time the books are so centred on him that the side-characters feel rather under-done. This is particularly problematic when we consider that these characters are women.

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Yes, here I am getting fully up to date with Anita Blake so I can have another break before I have to face this again. So, Hit List, by Laurell K Hamilton

Anita finds herself called all around the US and finally to Seattle in her role as US Marshall of the preternatural branch. The Harlequin loyal to the Mother of All Darkness are hunting tigers – weretigers – and leaving a trail of butchered bodies in their wake. Anita, away from St. Louis and her powerful magical foundation there, as well as her mighty and numerous – oh-so-numerous – allies now must face Harlequin and Mother Darkness with a few body guards and her fellow US Marshalls, including Edward, Bernardo and Olaf.

In some ways I was relieved when the focus of this book became clear. It was another Obsidian Buttferly, another rescue from the endless sex, another holiday from the angst. Another attempt to return to what Anita Blake was – Necromancer, kick arse fighter, strong, powerful, driven by justice and finding the bad guy. Rather than what she had become – sex addicted, surrounded by angst and personal issues, constantly emotionally crashing, constantly fretting about her loves and marvelling at the new shiny power du jour.

Already we've removed many of the problems that normally make me cringe at Anita Blake. Without the 10 zillion extra characters, we're not going to get stuck on unnecessary tangents and side-plots. Without her harem we're not going to have page and page of sex. Without all their emotional baggage to juggle, we're not going to get the endless angst pages. This made me happy! Less so when Anita picked up a new tiger boyfriend to put some of the sex and angst back, but still, it was an improvement

click for the rest of the review

Yes. I read it. I know I know, reading Anita Blake at this point redefines flogging a dead horse. But I feel compelled to finish this hot mess – and it's like a trainwreck, you just have to keep watching. So here I am, suffering through book 19 of the series. Book 19! Ye gods, who would have thought it would last this long

On the actual plot (let's cover it quickly since it's a relatively minor element). And there's some sorta there, carefully sandwiched between the drama, angst and random ongoing side issues.

It would appear the Mother of all Darkness is not dead. Though her body got all exploded, her spirit live son, possessing... the vampire council! And with this power Mother Dark can rule the world (dramatic laugh) and do deadly dark, evil things, using the power – political and metaphysical – of these mighty vampires to feed on death and destruction and raise up to new and greater powers until the earth is swallowed under a tide of badness.

Jean-Claude, Anita & the ever expanding posse will oppose this – by setting up a new Council and becoming a new pre-eminent power and part of this involves binding more power to them – especially the tigers – all the colours. The red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and... no, wait, that's Sing a Rainbow. Anyway, Anita & JC must bind to themselves to be the new Master of Tigers and Lord of the Day. Since (if you've been keeping up from the last book, or the one before. I forget, they all involved humping) Mother Darkness' arch-nemesis had these powers before Anita killed him after performing a sex show for him (yeah, I know, I know).

So, anyway. JC & Anita (and the posse) need to gather their power and their multi-coloured day-glo tigers (gotta catch 'em all!) and become the overlord of all Masters in the US to protect everyone from Mother Darkness.

That plot summation could probably have been done with little more attention. Probably. Sad thing is? The plot idea I liked. I was intrigued and the idea of again being forced to gather power to protect themselves and again facing a danger so epic and completely terrifying in scope as this was presented. And it was presented as that – it was literally a “oh shit” moment when you realised what the antagonist was. But it's so damn hard to be engaged in this series now with all the endless sex and utterly pointless angst that get in the damn way. I think the actual plot made up about 20% of the book, if that

Read the rest on Fangs for the Fantasy

Oh I like this one. And the ooooh means I mean it!
No, I really do. The main character is awkward enough, clumsy enough and generally human enough to appeal. And I like how he is both an awesomely powerful wizard capable of so much, while at the same time being several kinds of dorky and human.

I also love the little tricks of world building like electronics not working near wizards. Little things like that make a world :). Which is big and rich – but I haven't seen it all. Which is good – I'm on the first book and I shouldn't see the whole world in a several book series yet. This is how world building is done – in increments not info dumps, in lots of showing not long lecturous tellings

And I love the magic system, I love the system of imagery and symbolism that makes it up. I like it a loooot :)

But above all I like the story. And I didn't think I would. I'll be honest, the supernatural consultant to the police isn't something I dislike, but it is something that has been done a whooooole lot and it's beginning to feel just a tad tired to me. However Harry Dresden is a police advisor in a Masquerade world that is a little bit of a twist and it was done well enough that it didn't bother me :). I think it also got the right balance for a crime mystery – complicated enough that the detectives don't look like fools for not getting it right away without being so convoluted that the whole thing just didn't make any damn sense at all.

There's a wizard out there and he's killing people. Killing people in big, nasty messy ways. Harry has to find them. He also has to make rent, which is overdue, complete work for one of his few paying clients (being Chicago's only public wizard doesn't pay well – not with most people not believing in magic) and deal with saving himself from the attentions of the same murderous wizard. As an added bonus, the White Council, the wizard ruling body, thinks he's done it and is willing to execute him unless he proves otherwise. On the side he has to deal with a cynical police force that doesn't believe in magic and a curious journalist who very much does.

Read the rest at Fangs for the Fantasy

I liked this book. Yes yes I know, if I start like that you know I'm trying to lay the groundwork against a lot of fuckery to follow. But, no, really, I like this book.

The story follows Kellie Rivière, hoodoo practitioner who has gone to visit a magical carnival run by the Hecatean Alliance, kind of international magic police/UN. It's a time to party and play with your fellow magical practitioners and Kellie has a blast – until she wakes up and finds the guy she slept with last night is now dead in her bed. And worse, the magic seems to have been aimed for her.

She now has to deal with her dead lovers surviving friends and family, the Hecatean Alliance officials and the shadows of her own traumatic past while trying to find out who is trying to kill her, her friends and her family in the name of an ongoing vendetta.

The rest of the review is over at Fangs for the Fantasy

I am going to do something I never ever do. I am submitting a DNF review. Yes, a Did Not Finish.

I normally refuse to review a book I haven't finished. I think it's wrong and unfair to write a review unless you have read it. I've always held on this – but this book broke me.

In my defence, this is me here. Seriously, I read 3 LA Banks Vampire Huntress novels and intend to read the rest. I even read LJ Smith's Vampire Diaries. I got through Cassadra Clare's over written mess and Yasmine Galenorn's florid florid prose, I even read through Anya Bast's interminable sex scenes. I read Vampire Academy that gets a special award for slow start (the story starts at 80% in). I read Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series – ALL of it, every last minute of the drek and that should have been banned by international law. I'm even STILL reading Anita Blake when everyone else has declared themselves done with the fuckery 10 books ago

In short, I have a high high high tolerance for crap books. But this broke me. The very idea of reading another word makes me cringe.

The rest of the review is at my blog clicky clicky

I actually have a hard time reviewing books I like. There's so much more to say about a series you hate, a series that is deeply problematic or a series you can snark over. More, I feel far leerier about spoiling a book that is ZOMG awesome than I do about spoiling a book that defiles the very page it's printed on

So I approach a review of the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne (and may I add, YUM for that cover art? Yes yes I cam. Nomnomnom) with some difficulty. Because I LOVE IT. Yes yes I do. Kevin Hearne has actually done the impossible and displaced Kim Harrison as my favourite Urban Fantasy writer. Sorry Kim, I love you and the Hollows, but you've been left in Kevin's wake because his books are awesome.

Review up on the blog clicky clicky to see why I love these books and why Beloved hates them

Ok. so someone has written a “won't you please think of the children” article about the terrible terrible darkness and drama of YA fiction And won't we allll please think of the children.

Life is dark.

Life for many teens is also dark.

Closing your eyes and pretending it's light really doesn't stop you running into things. It doesn't help guide you through the darkness. It doesn't give you a hand or a direction. It doesn't turn on a light or show you the way or help you hold on until it gets lighter.

You think teens don't know these things? You think teens don't live these things? Do you think teens live in fluffy little boxes where all is summary and light and shiny? Do you think teens don't live with drug addiction, with self-harm, with mental illness, with eating disorders with suicide, with pain, with suffering, with fear, with grief, with loss?

The rest of my thoughts continue on the blog. clicky clicky

I have a review up on the bloggy thing

CLICKY CLICKY</>

This time Amazon seems to be removing all yaoi listings for the kindle

I'll be honest, I'm not especially inclined to defend yaoi. The many issues I have with the m/m and slash genres seem to be exacerbated 1,000 times when we come to yaoi and I've yet to read yaoi that hasn't made me feel insulted, irritated and generally annoyed.

However, much as I may dislike yaoi, I doubt very much that Amazon is refusing to list it because it's appropriative, insulting, rife with gross stereotypes, fetishising and highly disrespectful. No, methinks Amazon is cutting it because we have the icky icky icky gayness, especially given their past record.

New post on the blog. Clicky clicky

Review up on the blog

Clicky clicky to go there

Kissing is not considered obscene. Kissing is not considered too risqué for public consumption. Kissing is not something we feel the need to keep behind closed doors for the sake of our delicate sensibilities

Yet let it be 2 men?

I love Beloved,. He is my husband and yes, I kiss him. I love to kiss him. And I want, I dearly want, to be able to do so whimsically, when I want to do so. Not looking over my shoulder, no fearing being kicked out or some arsehole sticking their oar in or being attacked. I just want to kiss my husband.

New post on the blog, clicky to be taken to it. Comment here, there or everywhere

As anyone would guess given what I have spoken about reading in the past, I am something of an Urban Fantasy addict. Yes yes I am. I devour them at a great rate of knots, especially now I have my Kindle (loves this thing sooo very much). From reading (Laurell K Hamilton, Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong, Ann Rice – yes, even Stepheny Meyer. I read it, I love some of it, hate others – and snark about it all) to watching (True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Lost Girl) I have a love of the fantastic, the cheesey and the fun Yes I admit it. In fact, every week Renee and Tami and I gather together every week to ramble (and snark. Oh yes and snark) about what we’ve been watching and reading lately (and, of course, analysing from a social justice standpoint. Because it matters). There are months upon months of archives

And in our endless daring and recommending each other what to read next – I was advised (by Tami. BLAME HER!) to read the Vampire Huntress Series by L A Banks.

I have read the first 2. The Awakening and the Minion. I feel the need to rant before tackling more….

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Spark In Darkness

Reviews:Taste of the Night by Vicki Pettersson, Blood Rites by Jim Butcher, Fangs podcast

Reminder: Fangs for the Fantasy Giveaway ends tomorrow

Book give away - Kevin Hearne's "Hammered"

Review: The Hunted by L.A. Banks, book 3 of the Vampire Huntress Legend

Review: Summer Knight by Jim Butcher, Book 4 of the Harry Dresden Files

Review: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher. Book 3 of the Harry Dresden Files

Review: Blood Bank by Tanya Huff, Book 6 of the Vicki Nelson Series

Review: Fool Moon, by Jim Butcher. 2nd Book in the Harry Dresden files

Review: Hit List by Laurell K Hamilton, Book 20 of the Anita Blake series

Review: Bullet by Laurell K Hamilton, Book 19 of the Anita Blake series

Review: Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Book 1 of the Harry Dresden series

New Review: Black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoenix

Review: Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Kevin Hearne - Iron Druid Chronicle

On the terribad "darkness" of YA literature

Review: Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling Series

So it seems Amazon be failing again.

Mortal Instruments review

Kissing is not obscene

A book review – L. A. Banks – The Minion, The Awakening

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