BEYOND THE SHADOWS

Book 3 of the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks

Warning: Spoilers!!! Do not read if you do not want spoilers.

Is there a song for you, that when you hear it, reminds you of a book?

I was reading the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks when Jai Ho by the Pussycat Dolls hit the top ten. And I kept hearing it all the way I was reading the three books. Now, everytime I hear it, it reminds me of Jarl and Azoth and their special old "greetings" to each other, "Jarl O". And I think that will stick with me for life.

My review:
I liked the story telling-quality of Brent Weeks. I would give the story-telling quality per sey a score of 5 out of 5. And I would have given this book 4 cherries if not for the ending. It is just too, too drawn out. Too dramatic to the point of embarassing to read!!

Another reason this book got lower than 4, is that there are loose ends in the story. Like for example, who is going to lead the people of Khalidor? Since their one stalwart leader has gone mad? And given that they have the culture of corruption and utter domination, I have a hard time envisioning them not deteriorating back to their old ways without a strong leader. From that perspective, it was not a happy ending.

And I really, really did not like it that somebody who has strived to do what was right against all odds for so long only ended up being mad. I mean, the reason I read fiction is to get away from reality, and here, Weeks lets reality intrude. *sigh*

I liked the idea of a VIR. I think that was original of Brent Weeks!

What VIR is (as defined by a reader of Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks) :

Vir is a non-sensient parasitic entity that feeds on the magic of a person. It looks like a moving tattoo on a person's skin.

The Vir gives the ability to tap on the reservoir of magic which the goddess Khali keeps, thereby giving the person who has Vir, more power. And this is what makes Vir very desirable to the people of Khalidor. This is also the only fact about Vir which is known to the general population of Khalidor. The thicker the Vir is on the person's skin, the more power the person has. Therefore, the more Vir a person has, the higher is his status in the male-dominated society of Khalidor.

The Vir is also essentially evil. The more a person uses his/her Vir, the more evil he/she will become. He/she will enjoy doing evil deeds more. The pain and suffering of others will become more of a pleasure to the user of Vir. A person born with Vir can also choose not use his/her Vir so as to avoid the evil of Vir. However this is difficult due to the temptation of power which Vir offers.

The goddess Khali does not necessarily be the real goddess Khali, as long as she has the capability to hold all the magic that is being put into the reservoir as the people of Khalidor prays. The daily prayer that the people of Khalidor practices is actually a spell that transfers a small amount of a person's magic (and/or ?life force) to the goddess Khali or the reservoir which is the goddess Khali. Sacrifice offerings to the goddess also add to the reservoir of magic. The more pain and suffering involved in the sacrifice the more power is harvested out of the sacrifice into the reservoir.

Rating: 3 cherries out of 5


Genre: fantasy

Excerpt:
Excerpt taken from the author's website at: http://www.brentweeks.com/books on 23/06/2009.

Logan Gyre is king of Cenaria, a country under siege, with a threadbare army and little hope. He has one chance — a desperate gamble, but one that could destroy his kingdom. In the north, the new Godking has a plan. If it comes to fruition, no one will have the power to stop him.Kylar Stern has no choice. To save his friends-and perhaps his enemies-he must accomplish the impossible: assassinate a goddess.

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Other reviews of Beyond The Shadows:
Only The Best Sci-Fi/Fnatasy (added: 05/04/2010)

PARALLEL SEDUCTION

Book 3 of the Parallel Series by D. Knight

Genre: urban fantasy

The first two books were very good. And that was why I picked this one up. But.... There are just too many paradoxes that some of the story lines contradict each other. And I'm the kind of reader who likes the story to make sense. Then again there are readers out there who does not mind that very much as long as the story-telling quality is good. Which it is, well, for the last one-quarter of the book anyway. For the first three quarters of the book took me about two months to read. I literally have to force myself to finish reading the book just because I do not like "not-finish-reading-a-book". But it was hard going. The thing that saves this book from being a total no-reader is the author's story-telling quality. D.K. can spin a tale even with a very badly plotted paradoxes as this book is. And that is a real talent.

Rating: 1 cherry out of 5


Excerpt:

Warrior Jake Tierny travels back in time to stop a traitor in his beloved king's camp. But when a twist of fate proves the mission unnecessary, Jake is trapped in a time not his own, with friends who cannot learn his true identity. Scott Dillon may be the king's trusted lieutenant, but he is also a man at war with himself, a human hybrid who refuses to succumb to the Antousian nature he abhors-and that Jake Tierny embodies. FBI linguist Hope Harper refuses to let near-blindness keep her from joining the Refarians in their war to defend mankind. Yet her sizzling attraction to both Scott and Jake, and the strange memories they share, force all three to question the core of their beliefs. As their enemies surround them, Hope knows she must choose one man for all time.

Excerpt taken from the author's website at : http://www.deidreknight.com/parallel_seduction.html on 16/06/2009.
Cherry

ELVENBANE

Elvenbane by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey

Genre: epic fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


My Review:
Five out of five for the story-telling quality. Three out of five for the story per sey. The book did hold my interest but I just felt that it wasn't as absorbing as the Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. Still made me buy the second book, The Elvenblood. Waiting patiently for it to arrive in the post. And will most likely read more of M. Lackey and A. Norton offerings again.

Excerpt:

When Serina Daeth, favorite concubine of the Elf-Lord Dyran, conceives a half-blood child by him, she flees his wrath into the desert, where she quickly succumbs. But the child, born in Serina's dying moments, is rescued by a friendly dragon and raised with her own draconic brood. As the child Shana grows, she develops prodigious sorcerous powers--so strong that it seems she might be the fabled Elvenbane, powerful enough to free the enslaved humans from their elven oppressors. The dragons come to fear her unplumbed power, though, and cast her out. With a renegade elf-lord and his half-blood servant, and the aid of her remaining dragon friends, Shana prepares to challenge the elfish supremacy. Though battle is joined, a sequel is plainly on the way. Thoroughly rooted in genre traditions--with elves, dragons, unicorns, and sorcerers--but some variations make it more enjoyable than the average example: theses elves and unicorns, for instance, are cruel and dangerous, where in most fantasies they are shining examples of superhuman purity. Overall, then, despite shallow characters and a lack of real tension (we never doubt that Shana and friends will succeed), an entertaining adventure.

Halfblood Chronicles in chronological order:
Elvenbane by Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton
Elvenblood by Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton
Elvenborn by Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton
Elvenbred by Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton

Excerpt and above info were taken from the author's website at : http://www.mercedeslackey.com/books/elven1.html on 15/06/2009.
Cherry

CELTIC NATION WEEKEND

Whew… just got back from the camping trip from the Celtic Nation Show. Which turned out to be not much of a show because of the rain!

And this is the fantastic view from the campsite. Celtic Nation has a website at: http://www.celticnation.co.uk/. The website probably hasn’t been updated for like the last three years or so though, so the info there was true about three years ago. But the vicinity of the location is more or less the same.

This is Mike’s zephyr. Sounds like a dragon to me! As in the dragon Zaphira in Eragon by Paolini…. And no, Mike’s zyphyr is not a dragon, it’s a Kawasaki motorbike. He built it himself.

Cherry
cherryville.me

MAGIC STRIKES

I read the book through in about 2-3 hours and I am not a fast reader (ordinarily). The book is that good that it keeps the reader turning pages and wanting to know whats next. I had also been eagerly awaiting the release of this book which had raised my expectations, still Ilona Andrews has not failed to deliver! A truly enjoyable series!!

Gist: Fantasy, changeling story with romantic element. Futuristic with magic. Protagonist is a kick-ass chick with a masterpiece “story-telling quality” + wonderful humor between the pages.

Third book of Ilona Andrew’s Kate Daniels series:

Book 1 is Magic Bites
Book 2 is Magic Burns.

Verdict: A must read!!

Excerpt quoted from Ilona Andrews‘ site:

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot. But when Kate’s werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet. As her investigation leads her to the Midnight Games – an invitation only, no holds barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament – she and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta’s shapeshifting community…

Source: http://ilona-andrews.com/index.php/kate-daniels/magic-strikes (05/05/2009).

Rating:5 cherries out of 5


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Cherry

LAND OF FALLING STARS

Land of Falling Stars Receives Big NOD from The Book Wenches

Reviewed by: Teagan

Rating: 4.5

The war is coming to an end, and all that Sophia Whitfield has ever known is gone. Her family is all dead, her home is falling apart, all the slaves have left but two. Her childhood friends went off and fought for different sides: Jesse, her betrothed, for the South and Gavin, her savior, for the North. Little does she knows that the Yank she just shot is Gavin, and he holds a secret that he must tell her. Gavin has always loved Sophia, from the time he saved her from drowning and even now with her bullet hole in his chest. When he found out she was betrothed to Jesse from infancy, he had to hold his feelings in check and not let her know of his love. Now Jesse is gone, and though Gavin is a broken man from what has happened in the war, he has come home to tell Sophia the news. Unfortunately, their desire that burns so hot for each other brings them together, and he hasn’t been able to tell her. Conflict upon conflict conspires to keep them apart, but can they find happiness even through it all?

A story that has the ups and downs of a roller coaster and keeps the reader hanging on with bated breath, Land of Falling Stars is captivating. I thrive on conflict in a story, and there is what I would term “superior” conflict here. My heart was contracting with the highs and lows of the emotions in the story. Never a dull moment. Gavin is particularly enticing; he is strong yet compassionate, and I couldn’t get enough of him. Sophia, on the other hand, tends to be childish and annoying at times. Thankfully, her personality is the perfect foil for Gavin’s and works well with the story line. The author has a great knack for weaving words together to bring a vivid picture to the reader’s mind. Ms. Diablo tells a wonderful story. –Teagan

Author’s website: ketaskeep.blogspot.com

Publisher: Ravenous Romance

Release Date: December 2008

ISBN: 978-1-60777-076-3

Length: Novel

Format: Electronic

Genre: Historical

Sensuality Level: 3.5

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THE WAY OF SHADOWS

Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

My Review:
Unpredictable. Action-packed. Makes a reader look forward to what is going to happen next. Story-telling quality is good. But the ending is a cliffhanger. The ending is the start of the next book, so you have to read the next book. The ending is the only reason this book did not garner a five-star rating.

Excerpt: The perfect killer has no friends. Only targets. For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art. And he is the city’s most accomplished artist, his talents required from alleyway to courtly boudoir. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he’s grown up in the slums, and learned the hard way to judge people quickly — and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint. But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins’ world of dangerous politics and strange magics — and cultivate a flair for death.
Excerpt taken from the author's website at : http://www.brentweeks.com/books on 28/02/2009.
Cherry

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