All Souls Review - Part 3: The Book of Life

The Book of Life 
All Souls Trilogy, Book 3
Deborah Harkness

Published: 2014

Headline, Trade, 
ISBN:

After traveling through time in "Shadow of Night," the second book in Deborah Harkness's enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew's ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from "A Discovery of Witches"--with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy's final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

All Souls Review - Part 2: Shadow of Night

Shadow of Night 
All Souls Trilogy, Book 2
Deborah Harkness

Published: 2012

Headline, Trade,
ISBN:

In a world of witches, daemons and vampires the fragile balance of peace is unravelling. Diana and Matthew's forbidden love has broken the laws dividing creatures. To discover the manuscript which holds their hope for the future, they must now travel back to the past. When Diana Bishop, descended from a line of powerful witches, discovered a significant alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, she sparked a struggle in which she became bound to long-lived vampire Matthew Clairmont. 

Now the coexistence of witches, daemons, vampires and humans is dangerously threatened. Seeking safety, Diana and Matthew travel back in time to London, 1590. But they soon realise that the past may not provide a haven. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy for Queen Elizabeth, the vampire falls back in with a group of radicals known as the School of Night. Many are unruly daemons, the creative minds of the age, including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot. Together Matthew and Diana scour Tudor London for the elusive manuscript Ashmole 782, and search for the witch who will teach Diana how to control her remarkable powers...

All Souls Review - Part 1: A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches 
All Souls Trilogy, Book 1
Deborah Harkness

Published: 2011

Headline, Format B paperback, 688 p.
ISBN: 978-0-7553-7404-5


It begins with absence and desire.
             It begins with blood and fear.
                          It begins with a discovery of witches.


A world of witches, daemons and vampires.

A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future.

Diana and Matthew - the forbidden love at the heart of it. 

 

Book Review - The Hexed

The Hexed
Krewe of Hunters #13
Heather Graham

Published: July 2014

Harlequin MIRA, mass market pbk, 390p.
ISBN: 978-174356597-1

A place of history, secrets. . . and witchcraft

Devin Lyle has recently returned to the Salem area, but her timing couldn't be worse.  Soon after she moved into the eighteenth-century cabin she inherited from her great-aunt Mina - her 'crazy' great-aunt, who spoke to the dead - a woman was murdered nearby.

Craig 'Rocky' Rockwell is a new member of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI's team of paranormal investigators.  He never got over finding a friend dead in the woods.  Now another body's been foud in those same woods, not far from the home of Devin Lyle.  And Devin has been led to a third body - by a ghost?

Her discovery draws them both deeper into the case and Salem's rich and disturbing history.  Even as the danger mounts, Devin and Rocky begin to fall for each other - something the ghosts of Mina and past witches seem to approve of.  But the two of them need every skill they possess to learn the truth - of Devin's might be the next body in the woods. . .

Ghosts, ghosts and more ghosts!  Throw in some witches, Salem, a couple of bodies and you've got The Hexed in a nutshell.  I'm a sucker for witches and genealogy, so I really enjoyed the history that Heather Graham incorporated in to the storyline.  

The characters in The Hexed were exactly what you'd expect from a Romance book.  You have a pretty girl who meets the handsome, strong and possibly heroic guy.  They get into trouble, fall in love/lust, make out like little bunnies, solve a murder and possibly live happily ever after.  So if you're looking for amazing characters that will break your heart with their realism, then perhaps this isn't the book for you.

However if you are still interested The Hexed follows Devlin, said pretty girl, and our protagonist who has recently moved into her great-aunt's cabin.  There, along with Poe - the raven she inherited -  Devlin writes childrens books.  One day she hears cries for help from the woods surrounding her home.  In true romance fiction style our budding sleuth heads out to see what's happening, only to stumble upon the body of a newly dead woman.  Devlin runs for the road and flags down a car - this car belongs to Rocky, our potentially heroic love interest, who has been sent to find out who is killing the women.  Mystery and chaos ensue.

Apart from our lovers, Devlin and Rocky, there are more than the usual number of secondary characters that don't hesitate to jump into the action.  All are interesting in their own way, and all have links to a murder that took place over 10 years earlier.  Out of all the characters, my favourites would have to be Great-Aunt Mina - yes, she does have a part to play - as well as Poe, the guard Raven who protects Devlin.

On to said mystery angle.  It was well constructed and executed, with suspect all over the place.  They make good grist for misdirection mill by the author, and it worked.  My attention was successfully diverted from the identity of the real killer - I definitely didn't see it coming.  The identity of the killer came right out of left field.  So congrats to the author in that respect.

I will say that while most of my experience reading The Hexed was positive, there were a few issues that really niggled.  The first is that there is no real relationship between Devlin and Rocky.  Just a closeness enforced by a murder investigation.  Amazingly, they managed to hold off jumping into bed until the last third of the book (which is quite refreshing for a change!).   Also - and this is my biggest criticism - that there was no real resolution in regards to the punishment of the killer once he/she/it were caught {trying not to give any spoilers away there ;-D}.  There was no trial, or any other measurable means of justice.  Very annoying to invest in a book and then feel let down at the end.

So in conclusion, while The Hexed is not in the same literary league as War and Peace, or even The Diviners, this book did tick most of the boxes that I look for in regards to a M&B style romance book.  It was fast paced, and the world building let me envisage the characters, and their story easily.  Harlequin MIRA has been publishing some amazing mysteries in the last couple of years and I would recommend that you try them as they aren't all straight up romance with a bit of mystery on the side.  In all I really enjoyed reading The Hexed.  It is a quick read (I finished in under 4 hours) and would be great for travelling.

Until next time,

 

Review: Dark Witch (or Three Sisters Island v2.0)

Dark Witch

Book One of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy

Nora Roberts

Published: October, 2013

Piatkus, Trade Paperback, 342p.

ISBN: 978-0-7499-5859-6

Three cousins inherit a gift that will tranform their lives...

Iona Sheehan has just taken the biggest gamble of her life.  Leaving her job, her home and her family in Baltimore, she has come to Ireland in search of adventure - and answers.

Iona has always felt a powerful connection to the home of her ancestors.  So when her beloved grandmother confesses an extraordinary family secret, she can't resist visiting County Mayo to discover the truth for herself.  Arriving at the beautiful and atmospheric Castle Ashford, Iona is excited to meet her cousins, Connor and Branna O'Dwyer, for the first time.  And when she lands a job at the local riding school she finds herself drawn against her will to its owner - the hot-tempered but charismatic Boyle McGrath.  Perhaps in County Mayo she has found her true home at last.

What Iona doesn't realise is that her cousins have been expecting her for a long time.  Connor, Branna and Iona have all inherited a powerful but dangerous gift from an ancestor known as the Dark Witch.  And they are about to discover that some old legends can return to haunt the present...

My library emailed me to let me know that Dark Witch was waiting for me and I was so happy - good reading material has been scarce around here lately - so the next time I went into town I made sure to pick it up.  It sat for a day, staring at me from the arm of the couch, until I finally gave in last night and headed off to bed early (had a big thunderstorm - perfect for witchy reading).

Hounded

Hounded
The Iron Druid Chronicles Book 1
Kevin Hearne

Back cover...

Atticus O'Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona running an occult bookshop and shapeshifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound.  His neighbours and customers think this handsome, tattooed Irishman is about twenty-one years old when, actually, it's twenty-one centuries.  Atticus draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants the sword, and he's been after Atticus for centuries.  Now the determined deity has trackef him down and Atticus will need all his powers -  plus a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of lawyers, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good, old fashioned Irishluck - to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Its a few days since I finished reading Hounded.  I wanted to give myself time to soak it in.  Now, as I start to write my review I'm reminded of how much I loved this book.  I just want to get my hands on the next book, but unfortunately my local library doesn't hold any of them.  So it's off to my family's place to raid the library over there.

As I have said in earlier blogs, I usually don't enjoy books written by men.  Don't ask me why, I don't really know?  But Atticus was so much fun.  He's a hip old Druid who has managed to make a living doing what comes naturally.  His lawyers are supernaturals (werewolf and vampire respectively), he's being harassed by a local coven, some faerie dudes tried to kill him, a Celtic God wants his sword, and his best bud is a throwback Irish Wolfhound who has a thing for poodles.  What more could a girl ask for?... I had a ball!

Hearne's world building is a joy.  I lost myself completely in the pages.  Our hero has to deal with all manner of difficulties, and he does it with grace and style.  And while the popping in and out of Celtic/Norse and other Gods and Goddess' could have been a stumbling block, it just seemed totally natural - like every guy has a hot Norse Goddess popping in for a bit of nookie.  It was so well written that I didn't even balk, I just took that as an everyday occurrence and kept on reading.  

For those of you concerned with graphic sexual content, rest easy.  While there is a bit of horizontal mambo, it's not graphic {nothing like LKH} so I feel confident in recommending it to all.  There is a little bit of violence at the end, and some characters don't make it in one piece - literally - but there is no real gore or horror to it.

After finishing the book, I tracked down and listened to the audio book sample online - SO GOOD! - and have placed it in my wishlist to order at a later date.  There is just something about Atticus that will keep me coming back for more.

A Discovery of Witches and sniffles

Hello my lovelies,  I'm here hold up in bed with a stuffy head - thanks to whomever must have passed on their germs to me - and, being stuck in bed I decided to grab a few books to tide me over for however long this stupid headcold lasts.

Yesterday I finished re-reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, and let me tell you it was as great the second time as it was the first.  Of course, now I just want to get my hands on the next book, Shadow of Night, but unfortunately, the local library doesn't hold any copies of it yet.  Grrrr!  Anyway, what can I say?  I loved it.  Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont are wonderful - although IMO Matthew does in some ways remind me of an older, more mature version of Twilight's Edward with all the brooding he can manage - and I certainly loved the whole Ashmole 782 angle (and the fact that it is a real manuscript that has been missing for over 100 years!) plus the uber-witch angle.  The woman who for the first time since she was 7 will have to embrace her witchy-ness if she wants any chance of surviving. . . and, any book that includes witches, vampires and daemons just has to be worth checking out.

Now, I will admit that I did start to see parallel's with Twilight and other paranormal star-crossed lovers stories.  I guess when you're doing a forbidden love story you just can't get away from some stereotyping, but even that is not enough to put me off the book.  Now while the book is great, there are a few harsh moments when the reality of the world creeps to the forefront.  For those of you who haven't yet picked up ADoW, Diana's treatment at the hands of some vampires and a certain witch aren't for the squeamish.  It's a definite reminder that Diana and Matthew are involved in a cut-throat world where the weak don't survive long.  But, take heart dearies, while heavy moments like those are present, they are more than outnumbered by the relationship that's building between our witch and her man, and their families (plus a touchy cat, ghostly witch ancestors and a house that I would personally love to live in!

So, that is my quick once-over of the first installment of what promises to be a fabulous trilogy.  Next on the list, the Chronicles of Elantra by Michelle Sagara.  Wish me luck!