Melanie's Week in Review - December 7, 2014

I can't believe that it is already December and everyone has started the countdown to Christmas. I have spent the week hoping to have read loads of books but I have only managed to finish 2. So what did I read?

I started the week with Richard Parks' To Break the Demon Gate which features the disgraced Lord Yamada. I got this book from NetGalley a few weeks ago but only just found the time to read it. I wasn't completely clear when the story was set but I am guessing the late 1800s to early 1900's. It was steeped full of mystery, intrigue and haiku. Yamada uses his knowledge of supernatural to keep a promise, a promise to a princess. With little but his honour to protect him Yamada embarks on a mission to save the future emperor and to keep a promise to a former love. If you read this book description you would expect non stop monster and ghost battles but this is not the case. In fact the story is quite slowl moving. However, there is a beauty in this story and it comes from the haiku poetry sent and received by Yamada. I am not the biggest fan of poetry or haiku but it was definitely the highlight of the book. This isn't a book for someone who likes a lot of action. The story seems slow but gently flows along and finally just ends but with quite a big twist. A gentle book for an over taxed mind.

I found a posting by Ilona Andrews that they had released a short story in the anthology Night Shift. I immediately went and pre-ordered the book and it didn't take too long for it to arrive on my Kindle. For those of you who know my reading likes and dis-likes you will know I am not the biggest fan of short stories but I do make the exception for my favourite authors. I know that Nalini Singh is very popular but her contribution to this anthology did not gel with me. In fact I didn't finish it. I did however, enjoy Andrews contribution set in the Kate Daniels world with a story of Jim and Dali. This short had almost my every favourite element  - Dali - plain, not athletic but intelligent. Jim is everything Dali isn't but he loves her anyway. They are caught up solving the mystery of why a group of shop owners have been cursed while at the same time starting to realise what they mean to each other. A solid continuation of the Kate Daniels series.

Contribution 3 was from Lisa Shearin and story of a small town girl in the big city of New York fighting crime in a supernatural police force. This story was OK. I didn't mind the characters and thought the plot was OK. Leprechauns on a stag do didn't sound like an exciting plot but in the end it was pretty action packed. I would consider reading more from this author. The final tale in this anthology was from Milla Vane and was surprisingly high fantasy. This story was so unlike the others but again, another author I would like to read more of. Overall, I found this anthology quite disjointed. There didn't seem to be an over-arching theme or if there was one it wasn't obvious. Had Ilona Andrews not been involved I don't think I would have bought this book

For those of you who have read my WIR before you will know I have been following 2 weekly serials. I have to say I have been quite discouraged of late. One of the authors hasn't posted since early October and despite large breaks the other has been more regular. Its rather disappointing as both authors have great stories to tell but for whatever reasons aren't able to keep to a regular schedule.

That is it for me this week. Qwill has given me the heads up on the next Karina Cooper book is available on NetGalley so hopefully I will have  chance to tell you about it next week. Until then Happy Reading!