Review: GUNMETAL MAGIC

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
Book 5.5 of the Kate Daniels series
Genre: urban fantasy

About Gunmetal Magic:

Some people have everything figured out — Andrea Nash is not one of those people. After being kicked out of the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea's whole existence is in shambles. All she can do is try to put herself back together, something made easier by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend, Kate Daniels.

When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano — the male alpha of Clan Bouda and Andrea's former lover — die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate ... and must work with Raphael. As her search for the killer leads her into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta, Andrea knows that dealing with her feelings for Raphael might have to take a backseat to saving the world ...

Source: Info in the About Gunmetal Magic was taken from at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12288282-gunmetal-magic on 09/03/2012.


Review:

Gunmetal Magic is just a novella in the Kate Daniels series. This is the story of Andrea, Kate's bestfriend. Included in this book, is a bonus story which is another novella in the Kate Daniels series, titled Magic Gifts. I've read Magic Gifts as an ebook about last year, I think, and is one of my favourites of the Kate Daniels novellas. Together, these two short stories make a good reading, specially for old time fans of the series like me. But really, I was looking for another installment of this series as a full book. A continuation of the story, not side trips. In fact, I thought I was buying one. And that was a bit of a disappointment! However, having said that, I was still happy to re-read about Ivar, my favourite dwarf, in Magic Gifts.

Gunmetal Magic managed to present a full story with a solid story structure and a good plot despite it being a short story only. The build-up to the climax was gradual and nicely orchestrated. But for some reason the story telling quality in this short story is not as compelling as previous works were that I found it rather odd. However I did like the author's excursion attempt into the realm of investigative crime fiction genre. It melded well. I think with a little bit more work, Ilona Andrews can shift genres with this series rather smoothly, into crime fiction.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 4
Pace = 3
Plot = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Kate Daniels Series:

Review: SHAKESPEARE'S LANDLORD

Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris
Book 1 of the Lily Bard mysteries
Narrated by Julia Gibson
Genre: murder mystery
Format: paperback, audiobook

About Shakespeare's Landlord:

Disguising herself with short hair and baggy clothes, Lily Bard has started a new life; she's becoming a cleaning lady in the sleepy town of Shakespeare, where whe can sweep away the secrets of her dark and violent past.

However her plan to live a quiet, unobserved life begins to crumble when she discovers the dead body of her nosy landlord. Lily doesn't care who did it, but when the suspicion od the police and local community falls on her she realises if she doesn't unmask the murderer, her life might not just crumble: it might also end.

Source: Info in the About Shakespeare's Landlord was taken from the back copy of the paperback edition with ISBN 9780575105256 on 14/04/2012.

Review:

I bought the audiobook from ebay and borrowed the paperback from the library. I kinda gotten used to having a paperback back-up whenever I am listening to an audiobook, see...

This is not my usual genre but I am an old Charlaine Harris fan and Miss Harris brought into this series/book the same wonderful compelling story telling quality that I admire so in her! But here is the real bonus, unlike her Sookie Stackhouse series where Sookie is annoyingly too stupid to live (TSTL), Lily, the main protagonist, is actually sensible! The girl uses the brains she was born with. Definitely adds goodness to the reading experinece! However, maybe because this is not my genre, I didn't find it as interesting as the Sookie Stackhouse books. But I honestly think this is more due to reader's preference rather than an actual lack in the story telling quality. Another thing which I did not like in this book is the darkness in the crime element. It sat just about at the borderline of my comfort zone. That was probably one of the reasons that I stopped-started reading this book. I do not like rape and torture and such. I'm an escapist reader. I do not want to know about the state of the world or anything about the human nature. I read for fun. Anyway, this book just about reached my tolerance for darkness. Having said that, I still think that this book is a wonderful start to a promising series!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 3
Pace (paperback) = 2
Pace (audiobook) = N/A
Narrator = 4

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries

Thank you to the RCT Library for letting me borrow this book!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. No money received for this review.

Guest Post: VANCE SMITH

Good Writing

Writing was easy. No, honest, it was! In the beginning, with eyes wide and fingers poised to create opus upon opus on pure fancy, writing was like a walk in the park. Not a simple park, mind you… I suppose it would be sort of a really large, confusing park, with a map drawn in crayon and held together with Sellotape. Sure, you wander about, taking no notice of the path you’re travelling, but the foliage is staggering, and it’s been kept up well.

Perhaps I’ve wandered a little too far into this thought, but I do like to look back on the simpler times, when one didn’t concern themselves with the rules, either of grammar or structure. Everything was a go, and nothing needed mending. The whole process of crafting a story was explosive and captivating, consuming you in a warmth that only comes from the creation of a story. Sure, it’s all good for a laugh a few years down the road, but the magic that you felt in the beginning is like nothing else.

Then the work comes, and it is a slog, isn’t it? Trying and failing to live up to standards: Standards that you, grammar, and your peers have placed on you. And don’t take me the wrong way, this is all good, it’s the process of learning, and growing as a writer, and a storyteller. It’s the kind of pain you feel with exercise and building muscle; it tears you up, but somehow, with all the pain, it manages to feel good. I have been going through some of my work, and I will admit that it’s terrifying in parts. If I don’t have half a mind to throw it all out, then someone else surely does, but that’s not exactly the best solution, in the long run.

Sometimes I long very much for simpler times. I remember writing my first two books quite well, actually. It was a flash in the pan, and a very exciting one at that, but looking back, I do realize that those stories have major problems. But then again, that bit of writing I did only yesterday has problems, and the edit I just finished on another novel has missed some of the glaring errors that I need to address!

But that’s it, isn’t it? As a writer, you’re always going to make mistakes. It’s really like walking up a down escalator, if you think about it. You keep on walking, but you don’t ever have a chance to catch your breath.

Writing was easy. In the beginning, it was, honest. But even in the darkest of days, and the bleakest bouts of writers-blocks and plot holes and complete and utter implosions of stories, it retains its magic. No matter how many rules of the English language I learn and seem to forget overnight, I can’t stop myself from slogging on. It’s captured a piece of me, and won’t let go. Any writer knows this. It doesn’t matter how hard it seems to get, because for every bit of suffering we seem to put ourselves through, that explosive, captivating, all-consuming joy puts it all behind us. So it doesn’t really matter what barriers I come up against, or how poorly I seem to have written on occasion, because I am a storyteller, and a writer, and in the end, that’s something worth working for.

Fight on, mates, and good writing!

Shadow Mountain by Vance Smith
Genre: urban fantasy, YA

About Shadow Mountain:

More than one hundred years ago the Gateway was sealed by the last Gatekeepers... since that time, Magic has been fading in the world... * James Newt and Elizabeth Hartwell think they are ordinary run-of-the-mill orphans - until they are abandoned at a new orphanage, where statues talk, magic rules, and they have been chosen to learn and unleash the ancient, nearly forgotten, magic of the Gatekeepers! But with power, comes great danger, terrible evil from the past, and the Secret of the Gatekeepers...

Source: Info in the About Shadow Mountain was from http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Mountain-Secret-Gatekeepers-Smith/dp/1452009724/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1344154759&sr=1-1 on 05/08/2012.
Buy Link(s):

About Vance Smith:

Born and raised in North W est British Columbia, Vance Smith discovered that reading was more then a little enjoyable and so got his mind set on the idea of forging his own stories; where thrilling things could happen. Vance enjoys other things as well, including music, art, and making a fool of himself in front of crowds and individuals. Having never used his brain as much as he has for writing, Vance looks forward to bringing many more stories to life for anyone who will read them.

Vance's Link(s):
vsmithblogstodiefor.blogspot.ca

SHADOW OF NIGHT Launch Party Tickets Giveaway!

Win 2 tickets to the book launch party of SHADOW OF NIGHT plus a signed hardback copy!

Win a chance to go to Deborah Harkness’ London launch party for SHADOW OF NIGHT on Monday September 10th from 6.30 to 9pm.

The winner plus a friend will receive free tickets to the private drinks reception at a central London bookstore and a chance to chat to Deborah Harkness and receive a free signed hardback. They will also get to meet Deborah’s fellow Hachette authors Ben Aaronovitch, James Treadwell, Suzanne McLeod, Benedict Jacka and Kate Griffin who will also be there to chat and sign their own books.

Shadow Of Night by Deborah Harkness
Book 2 of the All Souls Trilogy
Genre: urban fantasy

About Shadow Of Night:

"Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown" — the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Discovery of Witches

Deborah Harkness exploded onto the literary scene with her debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, Book One of the magical All Souls Trilogy and an international publishing phenomenon. The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.

Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.

Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season.

Source: Info in the About Shadow Of Night was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11559200-shadow-of-night on 29/06/2012.
Buy Link(s):


Prize(s):

• Two tickets for you and a friend to the Shadow Of Night book launch party in London.
• Signed hardback copy of Shadow Of Night.

To Enter: Fill in the rafflecopter below to be in the chance of winning.

Giveaway details:

• Ends on the 11th of August 2012.
• Please note that the Book Launch Party is in London, therefore you have to be in the UK and able to travel to London to be eligible for entry.
• Please note that all entries, i.e., follows, tweets, etc. has to be public, meaning it has to be viewable by me for verification purposes.
• Winner will be picked by Rafflecopter's randomized draw.
• Winner to cover own travel expenses.
• Please read the Disclaimer page as it forms part of this giveaway's terms and conditions. By entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of this giveaway.
• This giveaway is courtesy of Headline Publishing.

Goodluck!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: SARAH MUSSI

Writing And Getting It Right
by Sarah Mussi

Writing seems like it should be easy. Just 26 letters in the alphabet and you jumble them together and put them on paper and that’s it. That what I thought when I was about 5. I used to do pretend writing and line up letters to make words, show them to my mum who would then turn them into a story. I was fascinated by very long words and thought the longer they were the more sense they’d contain. If only!

Now I agonise over every word, every verb tense and every letter. I want to makes words as short as possible and believe entirely the opposite: the shorter the words, the briefer the sentence and more succinct the writing - the better. But being brief takes time. Winston Churchill once ended a very long letter with the comment, "I'm sorry this letter was so long – I didn't have time to make it short." He just said that so much better than I could have!

Once I get writing though, I go into what I call THE ZONE. In THE ZONE the length of the words don’t matter and time seems to stand still. I want to write madly, badly, compulsively until I ache from sitting down, until my hunger drives me into the kitchen and my eyes are all bleary. And I only stop because I get interrupted by REAL LIFE! You know the sort of thing: go shopping. Do the washing up. Go for a walk. (I love walking. I plug in my iPod and listen to books.) And it’s great. Unless it’s a working day. I mean a day-job working day.

On a day-job working day. I get up at four in the morning and try to do all the above before I go to work. Needless to say I often fail to deliver anything very succinctly at all with such a short writing stretch to work in.

Writing ANGEL DUST was done half during day-job days and half over the Christmas holidays. But because I loved the story so much and was so totally fascinated by the character of Serafina I was able to keep the routine up. Serafina, the protagonist of ANGEL DUST, is an angel – a seraph – who is sent down to Earth to collect the soul of Marcus Montague, a gangsta, who is bound for Hell. Marcus is shot in a turf war exchange – but when Serafina catches him and makes ready to help him into the afterlife she can’t do it. There’s something about Marcus that stops her. He’s so handsome and brave and so mortal. She’s shocked at that. So very mortal. And then he looks into her eyes. And she sees something in him worth saving. And to make it worse, he thinks she’s his guardian angel come to save him. So she doesn’t deliver him his death and the repercussions of that are her undoing.

ANGEL DUST is a metaphor for first love. For the kind of emotion that sweeps you away and tears you apart. While I was writing it I felt its power again, that dizzying rush of excitement at the thought of seeing someone you love – of being what they want you to be – of finding your soul mate - and that was amazing.

Such a buzz.

It makes me want to keep on writing and writing…

In fact I think I will…

Angel Dust by Sarah Mussi
Genre: urban fantasy

About Angel Dust:

Would you move heaven and earth for the one you love? ANGEL DUST is a powerful, gritty and utterly modern tragic love story with a twist. When Serafina, the brightest and most beloved of all God's angels, is sent to collect Marcus Montague - the original badman - and take him to Hell, she finds herself powerfully drawn to him and makes a decision that places her in the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell. Can Serafina fall in love without falling from grace? Can Marcus's soul be saved? And just who is the mysterious and ever-so-helpful stranger Harry?

Source: Info in the About Angel Dust was from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15723139-angel-dust on 30/07/2012.
Buy Link(s):

About Sarah Mussi:

Sarah Mussi was born in Gloucestershire. After her education at a girl’s school in Cheltenham, she completed a post graduate degree at the Royal College of Art before leaving the UK for West Africa. She lived in Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana in West Africa for over eighteen years, finally teaching English in Accra. Sarah now lives in Brixton and teaches in Lewisham, splitting her holidays between England and Ghana.

Sarah’s first published novel The Door of No Return won the Children’s Book of the Year 2007 Award at the Glen Dimplex New Writers’ Awards and was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award, shortlisted for Wirral Best Paperback of the Year and awarded Junior Library Guild Status in the USA. Her second novel inspired a London walk and was shortlisted for The Lewisham Book Award.

Sarah's Link(s):
sarahmussi.wordpress.com

WW28: KISS THE DEAD

WW28
A chance to showcase your favourite!

• First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
• Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
• Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

WW28 book offering: Kiss The Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton

The act came into law after lives were lost because several Marshals who had been trying to get a warrant of execution, but hadn't been granted one yet, had hesitated to kill vampires for fear of being brought up on charges.

Wonder what law that is... power to kill or not...

About Kiss The Dead:

When a fifteen-year-old girl is abducted by vampires, it’s up to U.S. Marshal Anita Blake to find her. And when she does, she’s faced with something she’s never seen before: a terrifyingly ordinary group of people—kids, grandparents, soccer moms—all recently turned and willing to die to avoid serving a master. And where there’s one martyr, there will be more…

But even vampires have monsters that they’re afraid of. And Anita is one of them…

Source: Info in the About Kiss The Dead was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12383252-kiss-the-dead on 15/06/2012.