Category: Reviews


Review: Crossroads by Mary Ting

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June 7, 2015

Crossroads (Crossroads Saga, #1)Crossroads by Mary Ting
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am on vacation and not near my computer so I’m having to write this on my tablet using speech to text feature. This is new to me so please be patient if I miss any mistakes that happen.

Let me start by saying, Crossroads is an interesting book. I think this may be the author, Mary Ting’s,  first book. If so, she did a nice job. Although, I think there was an awful lot of repetition. Since I read it on my Kindle app on my tablet with Whispersync, my experience includes the narration by Amanda Friday. I don’t know why, but Miss Friday’s voice was abrasive and her acting skills were nil. Maybe it was just the combination of both that left me in the dust. Or maybe I’m just not the audience it was written for. There are a lot of 5 star ratings for this stories so it may just be me.

Or maybe I’m just not in the mood for one more paranormal, forbidden romance between an angel and a human. Still there was something about the story that kept me coming back and not throwing it aside. I did liked the relationships between mother and daughter, daughter and the friends, and the main character and the person she calls Gamma. I also like the parts where she talked about riding her bike to work and that she worked retail. That’s not something you find often in fictional books.

Like I often say, don’t take my word for it. You may love this story and the narration. Last I looked both were free. Can’t beat the price for entertaining read!

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Review: Sky Dragons by Anne McCaffrey

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June 2, 2015

Sky DragonsSky Dragons by Anne McCaffrey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a bittersweet book. Published after our Pern Queen, Anne McCaffrey passed. That acknowledgement is at the beginning of the book and set the tone. At least it did for me.

I already had the hardback so all I needed was the audio. I borrowed that from the library. Now I have this on my Audible wishlist. Once again, Emily Durante was the narrator. She is excellent! Her acting skills shine in this recording.

In this book, the McCaffrey’s join the 21st century breaking the dragon-glass ceiling for those who love differently, for women. Feminists erupted from Pern and showed they could do anything the guys could. With the framework set up by Fiona and Larana in the previous books Xhinna sets out to save Pern from total destruction by thread. Illnesses cut the human and dragon populations and in the following passes of thread all could die. Xhinna comes up with some solutions, much of it trial and error but she is strong and pushes the envelopes of what she should be able to do. Just as her ‘sisters’ before her, Xhinna loves deeply and uncommonly. From that love, she finds uncommon answers.

It makes me sad that this may be the last Pern novel. Of course, I still have a few in the middle that I haven’t read yet. But knowing the chronological ending of the series just makes me feel SO sad! I will have to make sure to reread all of these again later. Even still, it astonishes me at how much story Ms. McCaffrey was able to create from this one planet. The mass of world and personality maps and charts of information, she and Todd must have sitting around … well, it must be amazing!

If you get the chance to read the entire series, do so! If I had to narrow it down, I think these last three, starting with Stargirl written by both mother and son, with the narration of Emily Durante, are the best ones of all!

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Review: Resignation by Amanda Thome

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May 31, 2015

Resignation (Worlds Apart #2)Resignation by Amanda Thome

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Cliffhanger me once, shame on you. Cliffhanger me twice and I am finished reading your books!

This is a second book in a series that had promise. I don’t know many authors that can write action scenes like Amanda Thome. But when I read the cliffhanger at the end of book one I was forced to wait a long time to read the next book. By then I couldn’t remember the people or even the world left behind in book one. I spent more time online researching other reviews and blurbs to see if I could finally recall anything. By the time I did remember I almost didn’t care anymore. That Ms. Thome was able to still make me breathless as I read her action scenes and I cared that the people involved might get hurt among the bombs didn’t help me care enough to want to go through this again.

If a person knows they are writing a series, I think they need to write ‘cliff’notes to remind us all where we were and how we got there. But, PLEASE! leave us in a place where we can breathe and know that our friends are safe enough to live without our eyes keeping them alive.

If you like that sort of ending given in the Worlds Apart series. The books do read quickly. The second does need a bit more editing. And if you’re lucky enough to read book one and two in quick succession it may be worth being left out in the cold.

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Review: Dragon’s Time by Anne McCaffrey

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May 30, 2015

Dragon's Time (Pern, #23)Dragon’s Time by Anne McCaffrey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, this was a slower continuation of the last book I read, Dragongirl. Which wasn’t about a girl but rather a grown lady. Neither story let us in on the time Fiona was a girl. And this story takes place both after and before Dragongirl. Confused yet? Yeah. Get used to it. That is the problem in books of time travel. That is the problem of worlds that don’t have the same rules as our own.

Luckily, I was able to borrow the audio-CD version of the book to complement my hardback version. And I highly recommend others read the series this way. Emily Durante’s narration is superb! I love her acting. Since this book centers more on Larana who is older than Fiona and Emily’s voice sounds more aged and settled than Fiona’s often high-pitched excitable voice. And she is able to portray the male voices with differing styles. She is amazing! I have the Audible version on my wishlist now.

I do have to admit that this one was harder to follow for me and I often had to back up and re-read/re-listen to certain parts of the story to make sure I knew when and where the story was taking place.

But the love continues. The great love Fiona and Larana share with each other and planetwide, is what moves the story. Forgiveness plays a big part. There is much a person can learn from these last two stories about love and communication. Many who have reviewed these two books have been negative about the polyamorous viewpoints brought up here. But to me, this depth of love is needed for the problems that Pern is presented. The newly found abilities of moving back and forth in time solve and create other problems but without love it would have all fallen apart. Pern isn’t another Earth, it needs its own rules and answers. I think the McCaffrey’s came up with some great ideas… maybe we should institute many of these back here before our own world is caput.

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Review: After the Sky Fell Down by Megan Nugen Isbell

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May 27, 2015

After the Sky Fell DownAfter the Sky Fell Down by Megan Nugen Isbell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, my! That wasn’t a book I would have seen myself reading. But somehow the author drew me in. And even when I wanted to stop reading during some boring or overly angsty part, I just couldn’t leave this poor widow and her life.

BIG WARNING: Get the Kleenex ready from the very start of the book. What I found interesting was how well Megan Nugen Isbell wrote all the feelings of a grieving person. She was able to capture how just the slightest thing could pull the sadness out, even on the most delightful of occurrences. Over and over I found myself wondering about the depth of the author, what she must have been through herself to find the depth she was able to put into words.

As the main character tries to pull her life back, love seems to propel her into other relationships. A baby, the deceased brother, and soon, a chance at life apart from the past. It was so honest and painful to watch what this poor young woman had to go through. I know it happens every day. We forget that even young people can have deep losses. It is hard enough to deal as an older adult but imagine when you are still young and have all those hormones running through you.

I know, I know, this is the very thing I get mad at in the Young Adult books, but somehow, this is different. This is written with pure heart. Motivations for life seem undiluted by appearances and overt sensuality. If there is romance, it seems to come in more gentle forms, holistic in nature. Geez, I am doing a poor job reviewing this. I would have given it five stars, but I have to admit to being bored with the angst on occasion. Not the grief. It felt natural. Just jealousy. I always find the green monster boring. Not that it doesn’t exist, but that too much is made of it when there are other deeper feelings to understand. Insecurity and fear cause jealousy. Anger because he catches her kissing someone else drives me crazy. But the author doesn’t dive into that too much and when she did she pulled out before I had the chance to throw the book aside and find something else to read.

If you feel the need for a good cry, this is the book for you. If you don’t want to cry, find another book for now. I loved the bittersweetness of the whole thing.

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Review: Dragongirl by Todd J. McCaffrey

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Dragongirl (Pern, #22)Dragongirl by Todd J. McCaffrey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wish I could give this book 20 stars! I think it is my favorite Pern novel ever! I must admit that I borrowed the audio CDs from the library to help with the hardback I own to get through it. It is the first I’ve read that doesn’t have Dick Hill’s deep voice but poor acting. Instead, this starred Emily Durante. Okay, I must admit that at first this high voice nearly drove me as crazy as Dick’s deep voice. And I missed his echoing sound for his dragon voices. But I soon got used to Ms. Durante’s energies and voices and added the Audible version to my wishlist for the future. I am thankful the library had the CDs in the meantime.

This book proposed a different way to look at life and love. I see in the reviews that many found this book disgusting. More’s the pity for them. Sorry. If your humans and dragons are dying and you are given a gift of love and it seems others can find that fluidity of love within themselves, there is an answer to procreating in a new way. Old methods of impressing dragons show that the old ways don’t work in the world anymore. Much time travel is needed to help keep the planet alive. All these new methods combine to promote a healthier Pern. Stuck in Earth’s ways with old mores, Pern would have surely ended with this book.

LOVE is the key of this book. Fiona, gold queen-rider and weyrwoman, has more love than anyone can imagine. She gives it freely and does her best to shine her positive light on everyone. But even greater love has Lorana who has given the ultimate sacrifice, her dragon, to Pern. How could others not see the magic and love of these two womyn?

One warning? Have the Kleenex ready near the end.

Okay, to those following my reviews: I know my goal is to mainly read books written by women that contain strong fem leads. This one more than qualifies as Todd McCaffrey merely channeled his mother’s world and populated it with the strongest womyn I have met yet. Thank you, Todd! I can’t wait to read more!

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Review: Dragon’s Fire by Anne McCaffrey

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May 25, 2015

Dragon's FireDragon’s Fire by Anne McCaffrey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Would this book get a higher rating from me had I not solely listened to Dick Hill read it? Could it have been better with text-to-speech? I think so. I just don’t like how this narrator interprets females or the young males. They all sound weak and whiny. I don’t mind his deep sonorous voice for the Masterharper, or even for just descriptive parts of the book. But mostly I don’t like his acting.

This is the first book in a long time that I didn’t have the hardback book to help me along. I had to just listen. That was sheer torture to this ADD mind. To be stuck under the headset for so long nearly drove me mad… there are those that think I already arrived, but that’s another story!

As for THIS story, I do think it is the weakest so far. I’m a little afraid to state that per above remarks, but there was quite a lot of time that there was just NOTHING going on. I read these books to be flying with dragons or their kin, but there seemed to be very little of that and a whole lot of bad guys and bad decisions that had nothing to do with impressing or flying.

Luckily, this was a library CD and I don’t have to worry about whether I should buy the book. Nope. I have a lot of the books in this collection, but I see no reason to get this one.

Still, good try, Todd. I still miss your mom. RIP, Anne.

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Review: Crux by Julie Reece

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May 24, 2015

CruxCrux by Julie Reece

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! What a wonderful, unexpected find! I think I mentioned that my husband recommended a book titled Crux to me a while back. Well, I found two titles of Crux and both were free. So I picked them both up not knowing which one he was alluding to. That cleared up, I read the other one, by Moira Rogers, first. Yep, it was grand. But then I didn’t feel it fair not to read this one by Julie Reece, just to make sure it got a chance. IT WAS TERRIFIC!!!!!

Okay, it wasn’t the erotic volcano that Moira Rogers’ book was. In fact, this one is tame enough that anyone could read it and not be embarrassed by sexual, much less sensual acts of the main characters. Okay, maybe there was a kiss or two, but that was expected. On the other hand, just in warning, it does have some very violent scenes. And I almost think that they were necessary for the whole picture. But otherwise, this was a fantastic read.

This was a longer than usual book. But it managed to tell the whole story without the need for a book two. Yet, I wish I could visit the characters again. I always feel like that. Birdie, the main character is a lovable young lady, homeless after years of foster care. The story is contemporary with throwbacks to early Viking/English wars. Since my studies don’t cover the Vikings (except for the glorious TV show, Vikings) I must admit to being a little out of my element at times, but it all starts to make sense after a while and it is always a fun read. And often it is on the edge of your seat exciting.

I highly recommend this wonder of a story to everyone, violence be damned, it’s worth it!

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Review: Innocence Lost by Patty Jansen

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May 23, 2015

Innocence Lost (For Queen and Country, #1)Innocence Lost by Patty Jansen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having finished Crux, then the prequel to this book, Whispering Willows, I was still not ready to go to sleep. So I thought I’d get started on this one. Yet, it was too short to do the job. I mean it did a good job getting me involved in the story and wanting to know more…then it ended. And the worst kind of ending! Yes, a cliffhanger! Argh! I hate those! Just as I finally am invested in the characters and outcome, it ends. The sad part of that trick is that if the next were free or even $.99 I would have grabbed it up and started reading. But this is just beyond my reach right now. By the time I remember that I need to read book two, I won’t care. Especially if it is long enough away to require a reread of book one. Note to self: Don’t do this when publishing my own books!

Now the story itself isn’t about the girl in the prequel, Loesie, though she plays a very pitiful part. I mean, you will pity that poor girl. Rather, it stars Johanna, a girl lucky enough to be a merchant’s daughter and high enough on the status scale to be invited to the ball. But Johanna wants nothing to do with frills and fashion of the day. She wants fun and adventure. Be careful what you wish for? She asks the question, if the aim for a young woman is to be married, why are so few of the married ladies happy. That attitude makes it well worth the read! Johanna is strong and cares about others. Cliffhanger be damned, she is worth learning more about. AND Johanna can ‘hear’ the willows just like Loesie. And she has more opportunities to do something about the warnings.

This is a bit of a cautionary tale about organized religion and reflects our own history of the witch trials. I found Ms. Jansen’s take on the subject refreshing. Again, that makes it worth the read. All in all, I think, if you can afford it, that this is a fun adventure and worth pursuing through the series.

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Review: Whispering Willows by Patty Jansen

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Whispering WillowsWhispering Willows by Patty Jansen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to read Patty Jansen’s books in order and found this one to be a prequel to the For Queen and Country series. At least that was my hope. I thought it would be enough to see me from the ending of one book and to the point of well-involved-yet-ready-to-sleep time.

Too short! I don’t like short stories. Mostly because you can’t get involved with the characters. You don’t get enough of what makes them tick. But I did pick up enough to know a little about Loesie. She can hear magick in the willows. She has a gift. That makes her a dangerous person. People have been hung for less. Yet, how can she not pay attention to what the willows say to her. They’ve always been right. It’s the rest of the world that doesn’t get it.

And so this story tells her back story. What is sad is that in the next story she is pitiful and I miss her gumption. I don’t know if this adds enough to the series to make it necessary to read before starting the series. Maybe beyond book one I will see why we needed to get to know her better.

Sadly it wasn’t enough to get me to the sleep realm and I needed to start the book one. This book was free so you can’t say it isn’t worth the price. 🙂 Maybe it is more for you?

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