Blood Magic-Jennifer Lyon-(Book One)

Hi there!! Long time no see. I’ve been around diving into my other hobbies, but I’ve managed to finish two books since my last review.

One is a by Robert Zelazny, but that one’s not the focus of this entry. It’s not paranormal so, I am gonna start with a book that just came out this year, February specifically. And the best part? It’s a book one in the series to you can totally use this review. So what’s what? Okay, here goes:

Jennifer Lyon has brought us…….hunters. Ummm, that’s been done. Yeah it has been done in one way, but let me tell you this, Queen Kenyon doesn’t own the rights to the idea of “hunters” any more than she does to the Gods she uses in her story. But, that doesn’t really matter because in truth, if you like Kenyon you’ll probably like Lyon.

So it involved hunters. Wing Slayers to be exact. These are dudes created to protect witches. And they did this for a while until some of the witches began serving demons thus becoming demon witches. These witches decided to bind the Wing Slayer hunters to them as familiar, but all hell broke loose and what occurred was a curse.

Witches could no longer obtain familiars and hunters craved the blood of witches. In the mess, earth witches basically lost half their powers and half their souls. The hunters lost have their soles too, but they could lose it entirely if they gave into their blood lust and killed a witch.

Phew!!!! That’s a lot to digest and hell there is more. I just told you the basic premise of Lyon’s world, not the plot of the book. Want to hear about that?

Sure you do.

There’s this chick Darcy, an adopted daughter who always felt like an outcast. Her adoptive father thought she was evil, her adoptive mother tried to protect her but was often sick. Darcy has lived most of her life trying to prove her self to her father, but to no avail….

That sounds kind of boring huh? You know, it some ways it is, but we all want our heroes and heroines to overcome something, right? Everybody has shit poured on them. We like it best when those very people come out shining.

Oh ew,

Anyway, you see what I’m getting at. So Darcy’s adoptive mother dies and that’s when all hell starts breaking loose. Darcy is kidnapped and learns she is a which that has rouge witch hunters out to kill her. But that’s not even the terrifying part.

The very man who kidnapped her, Axel, is a hunter, who craves her blood. But that’s only part of the problem….

I have to toss in another “phew” here. This plot has a lot of layers and much is tossed out at the reader. I will tell you this though, there’s tons of action, drama, love, hate, sorrow and joy. The book is definitely a bangin’ start to a whole new series involving witches, demons, and gods. It’s a very, very tasty adventure all wrapped up in one current goal, saving the life of a special little girl, Axels’ little sister.

So nab it, read it, get hooked on a very well written, well rounded, story. I’m glad the cover caught my eye.

© 2008

On Writing and Kathy with a K.

I was out roaming used bookstores yesterday. I met a woman named Kathy. I’m going Kathy with a K, because I likes it. To tell you the truth, I see that far more than with a “C”.

I could be wrong about that. I have been about such things before.

So I met Kathy with a K in the paranormal section of said used book store. She was looking for the latest Laurel K., I think. I could be wrong on that one, too. I have to admit my minds been on a lot of things lately and simple facts like those mentioned above get a little skewed.

Anyway, I’m on the floor looking for more Stover books. I have this sudden minor obsession with him. I don’t know why…Oh, I’m looking for him in the mini-paranormal section because the sci-fi/fantasy bleeds into it.

Always has really. I got my first paranormal out of my Science Fiction Book Club catalog when I was a teen.

You don’t care. And I see why.

So, I’m sitting there in her way. She’s actually pretty cool about it and before I know it, we’re talking shop, shop for me I guess, books for her. Though again, I don’t really know. I’m making a lot of assumptions based on a five minute interaction with someone I’ve just met.

So we’re talking about paranormals. She’s thinking on Kenyon. I mention this site. As I do, I realize that there’s not much to this site other than my reviews and most of the reviews are on things that have been out for a while. No hardcore reader needs my reviews, except maybe those new to any series I’ve reviewed.

Blehg…..stick to the point. I have a pattern of running from points, especially blunt ones aimed at my chest…

So we’re talking books. I like talking books. I love talking about them, that’s why I started this blog in the first place. I wanted to talk about what I’d been reading while I did my never ending research for my genre. In that realization I asked my self:

Am I a reader or a writer?

After some thought, I have to say both. I think the two go hand in hand and if they don’t it’s a lot harder to be a writer. The more I read the easier it gets for me to write the full length novel. I don’t need a book to tell me how to write a short piece. That’s easy for me. What’s hard is the long term mental organization of anything over 15,000 words.

So I think I need to be a reader to be a writer. There’s an issue with that though.

How much reading is too much?

I’ve read a ton of books this last year. I’ve started a novel. I have finished about 20 books or so, but I’m still working on said novel and the latter is really pissing me off.

I have my reasons. We all do. I think every writer on the planet has a reason for dropping the ball and screwing the pooch on time-lines. I do it all the time. In fact, it’s my greatest talent. I start writing novels and don’t finish them.

And that’s what I’ve been trying to overcome. That’s what I’ve been placing as my god-damned goal this year. Finish writing a fucking book!!! It doesn’t even have to be good; it just has to be done!!!

Is that so much to ask?

Sometimes I think it is. Sometime I think I should stop all of this crap and just be a reader, keep writing my blogs and my little blinks of writing. Fuck the novel, fuck the book, fuck the idea of ever getting published.

At times like these I have to wonder how close I am to my time of the month?

Not gonna look, not gonna check. Hormones can’t get in the way of what I want.

I can though. I can get in my way so damned easily that I trip over myself without even knowing, not until my face hits the floor.

So in my bump and grind mental bitching I’ve gotta ask myself:

What do I need to do to finish a book?

Read? I bought some books on writing. I bought one from Ray Bradbury and one from Stephen King. I’ve never done that before because I believe I don’t need to learn how they write. I need to learn how I write. But this isn’t really about style or stories or the actual writing anymore. It’s about organization, pushing myself, overcoming fears and creating space, really creating mental and physical space so I can get off my mental ass and fucking write a damn book. No, finish writing it.

You know, all I’m asking for is a finished first draft.

So, I’m talking to Kathy with a K. I wanted to be able to tell her I wrote a book. I wanted to be able to point to it on a shelf. I wanted to say , “Hey, that’s me. I wrote that.” That would have been nice. It could still be nice if I push myself to keep on towards that goal.

I though about going to a writer’s groups again. I like my old one, kind of. Truth is, there were some really, really good writers in that group. There were also some really, really crappy ones. (Note to one bad writer: DON”T write fantasy if you’ve never picked up a single fantasy book in your life. It’s obvious and you’re not so profoundly brilliant as to pull jack shit off.)

Sometimes I think I have a few bitter bones in my body. Nah, cynical. That’s not the same thing.

I don’t really know what I’m going to do to focus. I can read more this and that. I can spend one night a week at a table talking to other writers. I can continue to bitch on these pages, but I know that none of that is going to be the key to getting my fingers tapping. They may help, but in the end I am the only thing stopping me from anything.

Maybe I need a few more blunt points aimed at my heart? Maybe then I’ll write screaming to the finish line. Ah, maybe all my book needs is a blood sacrifice.

Or does that only work for mechanical things?


© 2009

Heroes Die: Matthew Woodring Stover

Hello everyone. This review is from a different genre. I warned you in my last post and here it is. Heroes Die… Oh but first, please get past the cheesy cover, please. Trust me.

I found the recently released Caine: Black Knife at one of my beloved bookstores and was enthralled. Stover’s writing has a gritty edge to it that I like. It’s kind of like mine, but his is very male in perspective. For me, that’s actually a nice change. I’ve been reading tons from the female perspective.

Oh yeah, review.

Anyway, I picked up dude, liked it and of course it was the third book of our hero, Caine. That pissed me off. Nah, not really, it was an excuse to buy more books, but you know the first two in this story arc are out of print. They shouldn’t be and I’m willing to bet they will see a reprint.

So, I bought the first two books, Heroes Die and Blade of Thyshalle just so I could read Caine: Black Knife. I’ve never read anything else by Stover and purchasing Heroes Die wasn’t a feat. You can still get it for $7.99. Book two though….is a flippin $35.00 used and that’s a minimum price.

S’okay though. I have my needs and I met them. Admittedly, I was taking a chance because for all I knew, Stover just got good; he could have sucked ass years ago. To my delight, he doesn’t, err uh, didn’t. How’s that grammar go?

Heroes Die is set in an alternate universe. It’s a little sci-fi. It’s a little fantasy. It’s not paranormal in any other way than there’s magic involved. You and I know though, that magic in and of itself isn’t paranormal. Hmmm, I guess I’m trying to defend the genre here. I forgot I don’t need to. My blog. My rules. My god-damned Universe. So screw that and let’s get on with it.

Hari Michaelson is an Actor, not an "actor" as you and I know it, though. In this world, Actors are transported to another world and “act” out missions and so forth. The people at home get hooked up to these thingys and can feel and experience those Adventures first hand, if they’re lucky. Second-handers are more common since they cost less. Anywho, it’s way cool. Can you imagine feeling what Harrison Ford feels as he’s hopping through the jungle? His adrenaline’s spiking. He’s full of fear, full of confidence, full of…fuck, full of life.

Imagine that. Imagine you knowing what it feels like to snap the whip, take the hit, over come an opponent. Ever wonder what it’s like to kill a man? Hell, I’d like to ride in a man’s pants once, from the other side. What does that feel like?

The people in this world know. First-hand.

So there’s your little sci-fi. The fantasy is where they go. They go to Overworld or Ankhana as the inhabitants know it. That’s were all the action is. There’s thrones to be overthrown, emperors to be killed, thieves to be tricked, rivals to be thwarted.

Really it’s a great Sunday afternoon read.

Oh there’s a bit of love story here. You romancey types are gonna love that piece of the pie. You get the super alpha hero on top off all the other yummy stuff because while Hari/Caine is contracted to kill an Emperor and may be god, he really wants to save his wife from death. (Estranged wife.) She’s stuck there and if she can’t get back to their rightful world she goes splodey, in an utmost icky way.

The story is quite more complicated than all that, but I gave you enough to take a look-see right? You gotta read it. It’s gritty. It’s intelligent. It takes a little from ancient governing concepts, tosses it into an alternate future and wraps it all in a heated, action filled, fast pace, adventure that leaves you wanting more.

You’ll pay $35 for book two. Screw dinner for the kids. You’ll want the high.

© 2009

Stover’s blog: http://mattstover.blogspot.com/

P.S. Stover's site says Blade of Thyshalle is available in e-book format.

On Other Things and Request a Review?

I’m taking a break from the paranormal. I’m reading Heroes Die by Michael Woodring Stover. I suppose he has to add the Woodring on so that he’s not lost in the enormous crotch spew of other Michael Hoovers.

Heroes Die was published before the new millennia….I guess that means it’s fucking old. Book three was released this year. I guess that means Stover is a lazy bastard.

Whatever meaning you take, I’m nineteen pages in and loving it.

I used to read tons of sci-fi and fantasy when I was a kid. I think my first huge novel was The Hobbit. My first truly intellectual sci-fi was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

I guess you could say I started with the classics. I got into Narnia…sort of. I can’t say I read past book two. I loved the Cheysuli Chronicles by Jennifer Roberson. I dug me some Elric, tried to down some Jordan, but didn’t really get into it. I probably could now though, now I can stomach things I couldn’t back then.

Then I wanted super fun, super cool like Han Solo’s Revenge and Johnny Mnemonic. Too bad Johnny was such a short story. I did the Conan thing, the Gor thing, though I didn’t see the slavey stuff for what it was. I thought it was cool though and read through the crap to get to my slave girls.

Anyway, my vamp thing started big time and I lost touch with the sci-fi world and certainly the fantasy world. I traveled back for a bit though. Roberson tossed out her Deep Wood Trilogy, though I’m still pissed at her for making me wait for book three. I ate the shit up though and will patiently whinny for more.

I’m glad Stover is giving me something to chomp on. Something fast paced, gritty and intelligent. I hope he continues on. (Since I paid an arm and a leg for out of print book two.) When I’m done I will of course review it. I’m no longer reading things without reviewing them. (Makes me feel important.)

Speaking of reviews. If you have anything you want me to review, your book or someone else’s let me know. You can e-mail me at liliadiorfeo@yahoo.com. I can’t guarantee review times, but if you give me enough notice on something newly out I can do my best. Hell, if you fucking paid me, I’d read it on the spot.

Wow, I’m a potty mouth. *grins*

Hey, here’s the site of a friend of mine. http://kennethmarkhoover.com/ I’ve read some of his stuff and I really like it. I’m going to be reviewing his book, Fevreblau as soon as I get it. It’s Sci-Fi, but don’t worry I won’t be setting up camp on that side of the literary world. My heart belongs to the vampires, werewolves and gods of the universe.

All right, I’m outty. See you on the other side.

© 2009



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Dream Warrior: Sherrilyn Kenyon-Book Seventeen

It's here!!! Well, it's been here for a few days now. I
loyally hopped on over to my local bookstore and
picked up Dream Warrior on it's official release
date. Sort of. The official Dark-Hunter site said it
was due out February 2nd. My bookstore didn't
shelve it until the 3rd. Ummm, you don't care and I
totally understand that. So, what do I have to say
about the latest Dream-Hunter installment?

Charming. Simply charming.

Kenyon comes at us with a fine romp through the
realms. She brings us Cratus and Delphine, Titan
and Oneroi alike. Of course, this is a love story but
like all good paranormals it's a spine tingling romp
as our heroes save the world and the whole gods
damned universe from utter and I do mean utter,
annihilation.

Cool huh?

So who's this Cratus dude?

He's a god, a Titan, a once Sentinel of Zeus. He's
born of Warcraft and Hate. He's a venomous
bad-ass who was cursed by Zeus for his defiance
against the father god. Mr. Meany-Hand-of-Zeus
dared to spare the life of an innocent, baby to be
exact. Cratus, now known as Jericho, has spent
thousands of years stripped of his god powers,
living amongst the humans and dying a nightly
brutal death only to wake again to his horrible
existence.

Really, that's enough to make anyone pissy.

Meet Delphine, an Oneroi sent to persuade Jericho
to save the very gods who turned his back on him.
She has to, the fate of the world hinges on it. Does
she get to Jericho in time?

Maybe. Maybe not. Evil is afoot and sometimes it
wins out. But no worries, right? Love will find a
way? The Gods will find a way?

Hey come on, Ash is in this one. Of course
someone, somewhere will find a way. Question is,
what kind of gods awful price has to be paid. You
know someone's gotta give up something. We can
only hope that it doesn't suck total ass.

But wait!!!!! There's more!!!! There are sooo many
seeds planted in this book that there is no doubt
that all this phase two spew is true. Kenyon has a
new cycle of story line that is turning the world on
its head. And really page 314 of our straight to
paper back is a doozy. Don't peak though, let it
tease you, let it caress you 'til you want to cry.
But don't wait on this book. Get it now. I know you
won't regret it.

One Silent Night: Sherrilyn Kenyon-Book Sixteen

Kenyon: One Silent Night



One silent night for sure. I started reading One Silent Night early Saturday afternoon. I was done with it by the next early afternoon. It was a really short book, but surprisingly cool, quick and hot. I guess it was traditional Kenyon in many ways. Traditional except for the fact we are focusing on the bad guys.

The “bad guys”? Who is to say who is bad and who is good? Is justice nothing more than balance or…..this isn’t really a philosophy class but hey who says romance novels can’t have a little intellect wrapped in the hot sweaty sex?

No one important…

So, who is this “bad guy” I speak of? I speak of Strykerius. Mr. Son-of-Apollo-turned Daimon-King-Himself.

At first glance I was “eh”. I can take him or leave him. I have to say that that really hasn’t changed much for me. He’s got the noble asshole thing going and I really love that, but the character himself doesn’t spin my goggles. I see nothing, but another relatively hot demigod who is just okay in the pantheon of hot Kenyon dudes. You know who got my fires going though?

Zephyra.

Normally the female version of “ you burned me and I’m bitter routine” comes off kind of too bitchy to me. A lot of writers go a little too far with it and the female gets annoying. Phyra isn’t in this category and her rage comes across as passion. Her anger is justified and when she sees the light she gives in without truly backing down. I think for the first time in a long while, Kenyon delivers a partnership of true equals and really that’s what makes One Silent Night one of the hotter books in the series.

So what’s the deal with the plot?

Here’s where I have to tread carefully. I want to tell you everything, but I also want you to have that bit of surprise. So, I will be brief. Stryker and Zephyra were once an item. He left her because Daddy threatened to kill her. The rest is full of miscommunication, hurt, anger and even lies. In the end, all is good. Well, what does “good” mean when we’re talking “bad guys”?

Oh, Stryker unleashes some major deadly shit to go after Acheron. The kind of deadly shit that the Gods really, really don’t want the stink of to the point that they are actually scared. And then there is Nick G.

Yeah, he’s back and well, I have to say with a vengeance.

You gotta read it now. I know you do. I can feel you aching for it. Believe me you, it’s entirely worth it and the only bad thing about finishing One Silent Night is now you have to wait for Kenyon to finish writing the next one.

© 2009

Acheron: Sherrilyn Kenyon-Book Fifteen

Redeemed!!!!!!!

Yeah I know you are thinking I mean Acheron and partly that’s right, but this is personal.

Ack-uh-rhan. Turn to page 542 kiddies and look it up. That is the CORRECT pronunciation of Acheron. It’s like Cicero isn’t sis-uh-ro . It’s Kick-a- ro. That’s the way the old fucks did it and when I walked into a shop looking for Acheron under it’s correct pronunciation I got tsked, scoffed and treated like a total newb.

Okay, I was a newb. I hadn’t seen Acheron called “Ash” yet and I admit I like the sound of ASHERON better, but I am an anthro freak and all that historical shit means a lot to me, including pronunciations. So, like I said REDEEMED by the great one herself.

You gonna argue with me now, Miss Store Clerk?

Fuck no, you’re not.

Umm…I guess we can start the review now.

In my hopping around many a book store I often heard that the first half of the way long Acheron was just too harsh and “Kenyon goes on and on. Okay, we get it. His life sucked.” This sentiment and others like it worried me. What the hell was coming up?

Well, I’ve now read the entire book, out takes and all and you know, the first half is harsh. It is brutal. It did make me cry and at times it made me shudder. There were moments I connected to Acheron’s pain in ways I didn’t want to. And it took me four days to read the book because I couldn’t stomach a constant intake of such sorrow. That said, I think Kenyon did Acheron justice by telling his WHOLE story.

But if you have rape issues, molestation issues, or any kind of abuse issues and you are not ready to confront your own demons, skip the first half of the book and go straight to part two that takes place in present time. You won’t lose much by not knowing the gory details of Ash’s life. You will by now, assuming you’ve read the entire series, gotten the gist of everything.

I think it brave of Kenyon to put it out there though. I have stories that I have set aside because I thought the world wasn’t ready for them. I’m reading this stuff thinking that world is ready for such darkness and I will be able to plate up my own tales.

Anyway, let’s get back to Acheron.

The second half of the book brings us back to the “normal” feel of a Kenyon DH book. It’s lighthearted, humorous, romantic and dark all at the same time. We get to see parts of Ash that we already knew were there and we get to see him find his own way, wrestle with his own demons and find a happiness he deserves. Of course…..

Things are never easy and things often have a price. I don’t think, even in this, even in Acheron’s tale that he got out of it unscathed. Do any of our Dark-Hunters?

No, not really. They do find redemption though even if the purity of happiness is forged in fire. Acheron is no different and quite frankly, I don’t think he wants to be, not entirely anyway.

So who is the super chick? (She hates the word chick, by the way.) She is Soteria Kafieri. Hmmmm, sound familiar? It should. Megeara ala Arik is her cousin and we might have spent some time in Tory, Soteria’s, part of the world.

If I have my memory straight, I didn’t care much about Tory when I first met her. I didn’t hate her or like her. She was just there. In this latest piece by Kenyon though, I do like her and what seems like an unlikely match becomes very likely. And I have to say this:

Tory is not stupid. She didn’t let a lot of things slide like her cousin did in her tale. Tory thought things through, questioned and had a balance of curiosity and logic. I guess I’m saying Tory is a believable character.

And I guess I’m saying I like the book. I do, very, very much. ALL of it, too. So nab it if you haven’t. I think it’s still in hardback, but if you get it through Rhapsody Romance the book is a tad lighter than the one you might get at Borders or a place like that.

So what’s next? One Silent Night. I can’t wait. Well, yeah I can. I think I’m going to revel in the idea of Acheron before I move on. It was a long time coming, so I’m going to savor it.

© 2008

Dream Chaser : Sherrilyn Kenyon (Book Fourteen)

What can I say?

It’s about fucking time!!

I mean that in two ways.

One, it’s about time I actually started and finished Dream Chaser. It feels like months have passed since this book was at the front of the queue. Well, the Holidays do take months two get through. Starting with Halloween my time is…oh, this is a book review.

Two, it’s about time I adored a Dream-Hunter novel. This is book three in that little part of the Dark-Hunter ‘Verse and I have to say I love this one. Xypher is just the right mix of gothic angst and demon/god bad ass. And the best part? I love the chick in this one, but before I go on let’s talk plot.

Xypher who we met in the little Dimme incident is back, with a vengeance for vengeance. He’s pretty pissed at Satara and when you find out why you’ll be pissed at her as well.

So, Xypher is freed from hell for one month for revenge. In his search he happens upon Simone, a medical examiner who collects oddities, oddities that happen to be ghosts, squires and the like. Simone is a great woman. She’s smart, funny, playful and has her own demons to contend with. (After you read the book that sentence is funny.) Dream Chaser takes us on a romp through New Orleans, love, death, betrayal and the coming together of two people.

All in all it’s fab. This Dream-Hunter novel takes on more of the feel of the Dark-Hunter ones. I’m glad Kenyon found her groove in the story lines. I don’t exactly want her to do a DH repeat, but I do want believability. I like logical reaction to circumstance and she comes back to that in this installment. Seriously, she needed to or I was going to bail on the whole Dream-Hunter thing. Now I won’t and now I will suggest the other two D-C novels as should reads, still not must reads, but you should if you want complete knowledge of that side of the world. You certainly should read this one and meet Jaden an apparently upcoming focus.

Yanno I could go on, but I don’t want to. Acheron is next and I have several hundreds of yummy pages to get through. Mmmmmm,Ash….

(c) 2009

Twilight, The Movie

I had this long, no short debate on whether to read the book first or not. It only seemed long because I had two or three five minutes bouts of this since the movie came out.

However I kind of did both. Let me explain because how do you read the book before it’s movie and vice versa at the same time.

Simple. I didn’t finish the book.

I read Twilight up to the point Edward is all grinchy and wants out of his biology class. Then I set the book aside and read Sunshine even though I’m supposed to be reading the last couple available books in the Dark-Hunter Series. Truth be told, I’m holding off on them only because I don’t want the world to end, my interaction with the DH world anyway.

Let me get on with it.

So, as you read this review do remember that I haven’t completely read Stephanie Meyers book completely, but I did read enough of it to get the feel for the two main characters and the town.

I liked Bella. I think she was cast very well and well just about everyone was cast with a visual success right down to Bella’s beat up truck. The feel of the upper mid-west was captured effectively from the rainy, overcast, leisurely feel to the enormous consumption of vitamin R, Mount Rainier beer. (There is a pun in there….)

The movie also seemed to follow the book rather well, as far as I read anyway. But…

I have to say the sorest point for me is the soundtrack. I hated 90% of the insipid music that was trying very, very hard to create a 70’s romance but instead made what could have been wonderfully romantic scenes into big yawners and the need for the movie to “just get on with it”.

Not to mention that the vamp make-up sucked ass. Everyone was too pretty, too perfect and it looked too fake. (And all the vampires seemed like they had constipation issues.)The golden skin thing was cool, but they were waaaay too pale for believability and well, I was absolutely reminded that Twilight is for young adults and though the reading of it may transcend age, the movie didn’t. (Strange how Harry Potter movies do and this doesn't.)

And….well there are some flaws in the plot, some notions that teenagers have such freedom and well…it’s fantasy so we’ll let it go.

Aside from that, I kind of liked the movie. I wasn’t thrilled with it in any way, but the overall story is a nice departure from basic vamp stuff and that in and of itself is cool. Oh and the fight scene was good, predictable, but good. Overall, if you’re a vampire fan go see it just to say you did. (Or rent it, that might be better unless you have teenage girls or are one.)

Hmmm, if I were going to give out stars, five being super way excellent then I’m giving Twilight, the movie, 2 and half stars. I’ll probably be nicer to the book, but not until after I get my DH fix.