Greetings, I trust you have all had a good week. I was wondering, based on the weather, if we had fast forwarded to November. It was pelting down with rain, freezing cold and windy for the early part of this week. Normally, that makes me want to cuddle up with a good book. The books I have tell you about this week were a bit mixed. I mentioned last week I am part of the beta review group for Michael J. Sullivan's newest instalment in the First Empire series. Time flew when I was reading it, but alas I can't tell you what I thought about it. So what else did I read to take my mind off the weather?
Both books I am going to tell you about came via NetGalley. Lucky me! Bring the Heat is the 9th instalment of G.A. Aiken's Dragon Kin series. Each book of this series features the romantic entanglements of two of the characters set in the back drop of a variety of wars between dragon clans and over the final few books the war brought about by the zealots who support the god Chramnesind. Nearly all of the main and supporting characters have been paired up, whether human or dragon. In Bring the Heat the hot and steamy is between Branwen the Awful and Aidan the Divine. They have been sent on a secret mission with Keita the Viper that may well win the war....if they don't kill each other first.
Aidan and Branwen aren't the only stars of this story. Nearly every character in the series gets their time in the spotlight starting with Annwyl when she gets sucked into a well that leads directly into hell. While she fights through the many hell dimensions the story switches to other characters including the twins (Talan and Talwyn), Queen Rhiannon with quite a bit of time with Dagmar and family also. It seemed that a majority of the story focused on characters other than Branwen and Aidan which in my opinion was all for the better. There just didn't seem to be a spark between these two characters and the romance was a bit forced. Aiken wraps up the overall plot arc and gives us a HEA for all the characters. I am assuming this is the final book of the series though I do not know if it is. Overall, I have enjoyed this series purely for the fact that it never takes itself too seriously. Earlier books were more amusing than the latter ones but there are enough scenes with the 'funny' characters to liven things up.
The Heir of Illaria is Dyan Chick's first instalment of the series of the same name. Young Wilona discovers that everything she thought she knew turned out to be a lie. Rather than being a poor orphan living with her grandmother it turns out that she is none other than the Princess of Illaria. She has been hidden from the Necromancer King who killed her family. With the help of the clandestine organisation the White Ravens, Wilona's mission now is to defeat the King and restore her family to the throne.
I haven't read youth fiction for awhile and thought I would give Heir of Illaria a go. I also loved the cover. I was quite disappointed with the story however. While I thought the premise of the necromancer king was a good one the story itself was very predictable. In fact, I guessed many of the things that happened in the story. I believe this would be a good book for young readers, especially those who are new to fantasy.
That is it for me this week. Sorry, there are no big winners for me...well none I could tell you about :) I hope you have had more luck than I have. Let me know what you have read and loved this week. Until next time...Happy Reading.
Aidan and Branwen aren't the only stars of this story. Nearly every character in the series gets their time in the spotlight starting with Annwyl when she gets sucked into a well that leads directly into hell. While she fights through the many hell dimensions the story switches to other characters including the twins (Talan and Talwyn), Queen Rhiannon with quite a bit of time with Dagmar and family also. It seemed that a majority of the story focused on characters other than Branwen and Aidan which in my opinion was all for the better. There just didn't seem to be a spark between these two characters and the romance was a bit forced. Aiken wraps up the overall plot arc and gives us a HEA for all the characters. I am assuming this is the final book of the series though I do not know if it is. Overall, I have enjoyed this series purely for the fact that it never takes itself too seriously. Earlier books were more amusing than the latter ones but there are enough scenes with the 'funny' characters to liven things up.
The Heir of Illaria is Dyan Chick's first instalment of the series of the same name. Young Wilona discovers that everything she thought she knew turned out to be a lie. Rather than being a poor orphan living with her grandmother it turns out that she is none other than the Princess of Illaria. She has been hidden from the Necromancer King who killed her family. With the help of the clandestine organisation the White Ravens, Wilona's mission now is to defeat the King and restore her family to the throne.I haven't read youth fiction for awhile and thought I would give Heir of Illaria a go. I also loved the cover. I was quite disappointed with the story however. While I thought the premise of the necromancer king was a good one the story itself was very predictable. In fact, I guessed many of the things that happened in the story. I believe this would be a good book for young readers, especially those who are new to fantasy.
That is it for me this week. Sorry, there are no big winners for me...well none I could tell you about :) I hope you have had more luck than I have. Let me know what you have read and loved this week. Until next time...Happy Reading.
Bring the Heat
Dragon Kin 9
Zebra, August 29, 2017
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 416 pages
Dragon Kin 9
Zebra, August 29, 2017
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 416 pages
He Says…
I, Aidan the Divine, am, well divine. My name was given to me by the Dragon Queen herself! I’m a delight! Cheerful. Charming. And a mighty warrior who is extremely handsome with a very large and well-hidden hoard of gold. I am also royal born, despite the fact that most in my family are horrendous beings that don’t deserve to live. And yet, Branwen the Awful—a low-born, no less—either tells me to shut up or, worse, ignores me completely.
She Says…
I’ll admit, I ignore Aidan the Divine because it annoys him. A lot. But, we have so much to do right now, I can’t worry about why he keeps staring at me, or why he always sits so close, or why he keeps looking at me like he’s thinking about kissing me. We have our nations to save and no time for such bloody foolishness…no matter how good Aidan looks or how long his spiked tail is. Because if we’re going to win this war before it destroys everything we love, we’ll have to face our enemies together, side by side and without distractions. But if we make it out alive, who knows what the future will hold…
Heir of Illaria
Illaria 1
Illaria Publishing, January 21, 2017
Trade Paperback and Kindle eBook, 270 pages
Illaria 1
Illaria Publishing, January 21, 2017
Trade Paperback and Kindle eBook, 270 pages
In Illaria, there is a fate worse than death.
As long as I can remember, I’ve been taught to fear the Necromancer King. He controls the kingdom of Illaria with dark sorcery and the constant threat of his undead army. I never thought I’d have reason to cross his path. Everything changed the day his guards tried to kill me. That’s when I found out my whole life has been a lie. By joining a resistance group called the White Ravens, I’ve claimed new roles. Princess of Illaria, sorceress in training, and threat to the Necromancer King.
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