Faceoff

Title: Faceoff
Author: J.M. Synder
Series: Playing the Field (Book 1)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Christian is a professional hokey player who wants nothing more than to play in the NHL. When he gets traded from the Richmond Rebels to the Bedford Blizzards, he sees it as just another step towards the NHL. The only person he tells that he requested the trade is his teammate and lover, Ronnie. Now, months later, the Blizzards are playing the Rebels and he still has no clue where Ronnie and him stand.

Since this is so short, the characters are kind of flat. They're not completely cardboard cut-outs, but you don't really get to see the depth in them. They do have some depth however, they're not just brainless hokey players (most of them) and as such, struggle with inner conflict and emotions. It doesn't really detract from the story and is mostly just a side effect of it being so short.

I love how Snyder handled the plot. Instead of lumping all of the backstory into one section, she used flashbacks to give us a glimpse into Christian's past. Alternating between the past and present was an excellent idea, and made this novel much more fun to read. She handled the technique excellently and it was easy to follow which time you were in, unlike some novels.

Over all, I loved reading this novel. Snyder had a good balance of plot and sex, and didn't try to overwhelm the reader with too much of either. No grammar or punctuation errors jumped out at me, nor did any large plot holes. I would definitely recommend this story to romance lovers.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Orphan's Quest

Title: Orphan's Quest
Author: Pat Nelson Childs
Series: The Chronicles of Firma
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Rokey has lived in the Nobel Contemplative, a place where orphaned boys are sent, since he was two. Ever since he was a child, he wondered who his parents are and hoped of one day reuniting with them. When he fails at a job given to him by the administration, he is sent out of the Contemplative, never to return. He is given a small amount of money and a recommendation for work and is set off alone. Rokey wonders what will happen to him, how he will survive. What he doesn't expect how ever, is to find love and find out someone is after his life.

I found this novel on my quest for LGBT fantasy novels and this popped up. I'm really glad I found this book too, since it was a good read. The story starts out good and sucks you in, but there's a brief lull in the plot right after he meets up with Flaskamper, though it does pick up again shortly after. Some parts of the story were a little hard to pick up at first since the author uses some terminology I'm not too familiar with (he calls minutes minmark, and hours marks), but it didn't detract from the story too much.

The only thing I didn't like during the story was when they would get into trouble. It seemed like every other chapter they were getting into some sort of trouble, but by the next chapter they're escaped pretty much unscathed. It's a little bit too unrealistic to go through all those battles, come out on top, then have what happens at the end, happen.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy the book though and would gladly recommend it to fantasy lovers. Rokey and Flash are loveable characters and I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel, Scion's Blood.

Twin Temptations

Title: Twin Temptations
Author: Carol Lynne
Series: Good-Time Boys
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Twins Ryker and Ranger have had tough lives. No one really understands their relationship and most people don't approve of it. Neither of them is gay, but ever since they were babies they've been in love with each other and always sleep together. When Ryker falls in love with Lily, a waitress at the local bar, the two decide to bring her into their relationship.

At first I was going to rate this three stars, because Lynne seemed to be following a single plot thread. Two people fall in love, people disapprove, one person gets violent and attacks them, that person goes to jail, everyone approves of their relationship, happily ever after. That's basically the same plot that all four books in this series follow, but she did mix it up a little in this one. I like how neither of the twins are gay, but they're still in love with each other. It shows that their relationship transcends gender. I also like how she had Ranger having an internal battle, that veered off from the other three a little bit.

I also like how the main external conflict, Jeff, was pushed to the side and given a lesser role to the internal conflicts. I thought that this book would end up being a repeat of the others with Lionel and Lynne surprised me there.

Her characters were once again interesting and fun to read. The other books in the series had left Ranger and Ryker underdeveloped but this book fixed it pretty much. The first three books make Ranger and Ryker out of be gay lovers who have been having sex since they were teens. Twin Temptations, however, shows the true depth of their relationship.

Definitely a book I'd recommend to gay romance lovers. But be warned, to understand parts of this book you need to read the first three books in the series. Also, this book contains twincest which some readers may not like.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18. This novel also contains "twincest" or relationships between twin brothers and may be offensive to some readers.

Garron's Gift

Title: Garron's Gift
Author: Carol Lynne
Series: Good-Time Boys
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Garron and Sonny are still madly in love with each other even though they're receiving a lot of trouble from a couple people in town. Sonny decides to take their relationship to the next level and asks Garron to "marry" him. Garron agrees and the two hold a small ceremony on Garron's birthday. That's when everything goes to hell. When leaving the ceremony on Garron's bike, Sonny is shot causing Garron to crash.

This was a pretty good book to read. Not only did it have a nice romantic plot to it, it also had a bit of a mystery plot as well. The thing that really bugged me most though, was how it kept alluding to the twin's relationship but never really told you anything. I'm assuming everything will be wrapped up with them in their book (Twin Temptations), but I would've liked to at least been given something.

I also would've liked a bit better of an ending as well. It leaves you with a cliff hanger and you have to read the next book to find out what happens. I don't really like it when books end that way since it reads more like a marketing ploy than anything.

Over all though, I did enjoy this book. It let me escape the stress of Christmas and easily forget all my problems. I recommend this book for readers who like a good amount of plot in their romance novels.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Love in the Library

Title: Love in the Library
Author: J.M. Snyder
Series:
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review:

For bookworm Johnny, a job in the library sounds like heaven. But after shelving books all night, he realizes it's not what he thought it would be. After the cart he's using gets jammed in the elevator, Adam comes to the rescue and it's lust at first sight.

This is a free read on Snyder's website and thus is pretty short. Normally I don't like short stories like this too much because you don't get to see the romance evolve but I really enjoyed this one. I liked how she had them start dating but didn't try to convince the reader that they fell in love in 22 pages. There weren't any major flaws that I could find - good grammar, spelling, punctuation, and good characters that didn't read like cardboard cut outs.

Snyder did a great job with this story. It's a sweet little romance teaser that leaves the reader wanting a full length novel. I'd love for her to take these two characters and expand on their relationship. The little glimpse into their lives that we get is sweet and romantic. I highly recommend this short read to anyone looking for a romantic read to relax with.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Sonny's Salvation

Title: Sonny's Salvation
Author: Carol Lynne
Series: Good-Time Boys #1
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

When Sonny Good's father died, he left the FBI to return to Summerville, Nebreska and take over the family ranch. One night, while having dinner at the local bar, he meets Garron Greeley for the first time. Garron just moved to town to help his brother run the ranch next to Sonny's.

Though it was a little short, this was a pretty good story. I would've preferred it to be a little bit longer and their relationship a little more fleshed out. As it is, you only get to see a brief glimpse into their lives and not the full scope of their relationship.

The characters were all pretty interesting, not really stereotypes. It probably would've helped if Lynne had developed the side characters a little bit more and given them bigger roles. As it is, you only really get to see Rawley in a detailed way. The twins and Garron's brother only play brief roles.

Not deep literature by any means, but a good quick read. I recommend reading this if you're looking for something short and sweet to read.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Diving in Deep

Title: Chasing Smoke
Author: K.A. Mitchell
Series: Prequel to Collision Course
Rating: 3/5 stars
Review:

Ever since he was a teenager, Noah Winthrop has had a crush on Cameron. Cameron Lewis is Noah's older brother's best friend. Cameron pushed Noah away when they were teenagers - insisting that Noah was too young. But when the two get together at Adam's wedding four years later, Cameron isn't able to push him away. The next morning, Noah wakes up and finds Cameron gone. The two don't meet up again until fifteen years later when Noah ends up in one of Cameron's safety classes. And just like the last time they met, sparks begin to fly.

It's been a while since I've rated a book three stars. To me, three stars isn't bad, it's average. I did enjoy reading the book, but I doubt I'll read it again. There were parts of the novel I liked and parts I didn't like, so it kind of balanced out. It was really hard to rate this three stars, I've loved all of Mitchell's other books, but this one just wasn't as strong as the others.

The grammar (spelling, punctuation, etc.) in the novel was good, I didn't spot any obvious mistakes that distracted from the novel, but the characters in this novel are kind of flat. You don't really get to see much of any of the side characters - Joey, Mark or Adam and they aren't really developed at all. Joey reads like a stereotypical gay boy. I imagine him speaking with a lisp and waving his hands around while he talks most of the time. Even the characterization of the main characters - Cameron and Noah - isn't too deep.

The next thing I didn't like was the plot. There really wasn't much plot beyond their relationship. I don't mind that, but I'd like to see them explore their relationship in more ways than just the bedroom. (And no, the scene on the coffee table doesn't count.) There were some really good scenes that I liked, but I would've liked to have seen more. I would've liked to have seen more of their trip to Hawaii and also more interaction with Noah's family.

Overall, I didn't hate this story. I did enjoy reading it, but like I said, it's pretty much a single read novel. If you're into gay romance novels (with sex scenes) it wouldn't hurt to check this book out. You may not fall in love with it, but you probably won't hate it either.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Chasing Smoke

Title: Chasing Smoke
Author: K.A. Mitchell
Series: N/A
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

When he was 17, Trey Eriksson's father was accused of murdering his mother and then attempting suicide. When he had no where to go, the rich Gardner family took him in. That's where his relationship with Daniel Gardner began. Fifteen years later, Trey is still seeking the truth about what happened to his parents and he crosses paths with Daniel once again.

Once again, K.A. Mitchell has done an excellent job of characterization. Her characters a fleshed out and realistic. They have flaws and aren't cookie cutter stereotypes.

I enjoyed the side plot of this. I liked that it wasn't just a cheap romance with nothing but sex scenes. Rather, it had a mystery plot that was interesting and kept the reader wondering. The only thing I didn't like was that it was wrapped up too quickly and easily.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

The Minister's Black Veil

Title: The Minister's Black Veil
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Series: N/A
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

One day, a minister appears before his congregation wearing a black veil that covers his face except for his mouth and chin. This act startles and frightens the congregation and they shy away from him. The only one with a enough courage to confront him is his fiance, but he won't tell even her why he wears the veil.

For my English 201 class, I had to read two short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne - this one and Young Goodman Brown. I have to say, I liked this one far more than Young Goodman Brown. It was written simplistically but artfully. The grammar and tone was easy to read and follow through out the story. The plot was also very interesting and engaging.

Not only was the plot enjoyable, but there was interesting subtext. There was a moral that was easy to understand and didn't leave you sitting there staring at the page in an attempt to figure it out. I'd highly recommend this story to any English majors or those considering majoring in English.

Tigers and Devils

Title: Tigers and Devils
Author: Sean Kennedy
Series: N/A
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

When Simon's friends, Roger and Fran, drag him to a party, he never expects to fall in love. But that's exactly what he does. He meets Declan Tyler, one of the best football players in Australia. It's definitely not love at first sight for the two, but they start a relationship even though Declan is still in the closet. Eventually, the two are outed and you get to see the tolls that takes on their relationship.

Kennedy did a great job with his characters. Both Declan and Simon felt like real people. They both made mistakes and tried to fix them. When they were upset or mad, they acted just like real people would. Even the side characters were pretty well developed.

The plot of this novel was pretty good as well. It was a gay romance novel that wasn't sex, sex, sex. It also have a nice, romantic ending, but wasn't a cheap fairy tale, happily ever after, ending. At times it did seem a little bit long winded, but I did like it nonetheless.

Kennedy also did a good job of portraying the media. They acted just as they would in real life - like obsessed stalkers. It showed how much they invade privacy and twist things for their own benefit.

I highly recommend this novel to romance lovers. I like that it's also appropriate for younger readers since it doesn't have any graphic sex scenes.

Among the Living

Title: Among the Living
Author: Jordan Casitllo Price
Series: Psy Cop 1
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Victor Bayne is a Psy Cop - a cop with a psychic ability - in Chicago's Paranormal Investigation Unit. In Vic's case, he can see and hear the dead. He's a class 5 medium, one of the highest classes there are. During a murder investigation he meets a non-psychic named Jacob Marks. The two become intimate as they work together to catch a nasty serial killer - one who messes with Vic's power.

I've been told numerous times to read this book and I finally did. And wow. I'm glad I did. The story started out slow with a druggy main character that I didn't particularly like. But as it progressed, I began to like him more and more. Price did an excellent job with his characters - they're unique and interesting. The psychic powers were also handled very well.

My only real complaint is how short the books is. It was only 118 pages in PDF and I wish it had been longer. I want see more of Vic and Jacob's relationship. I also want to see what happens to their partners. I'm going to have to read the next book in the series soon. I highly recommend this book to anyone who like M/M romance.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Evermore

Title: Evermore
Author: Alyson Noel
Series: The Immortals 1
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review:

One day, Ever and her entire family are in a car crash. Her mother, her father, her little sister and her dog all die, but somehow she survives. And after surviving, she finds she has new talents. She can see people's auras, read their minds, see into the past and future, oh and she can communicate with her dead sister. Then Damen Auguste comes along and she finds out he has the power to cancel out hers.

I absolutely loved this book. I picked it up from the library this afternoon and finished it in a couple hours. It was engaging, well thought out and I didn't want to put it down.

The characters were pretty deep - not some cookie cutter stereotype. I do think we could have used a bit more depth with Ever's friends, but it wasn't too bad. I also liked the whole flower thing too. That was very romantic and funny.

Though the plot is a little cliched, Noel handled everything in a way that was unique and interesting. Looking back, and thinking about some things it seems a little cliche but it didn't seem so while I was reading it.

The only real fault I can find with the book is when Ever visits Disneyland. Magic Kingdom, is not in Disneyland nor is it in California. It's at Disney World in Florida. I think she probably should have done a little bit more research on that one. (But that might just be because I'm anal about things like that.)

The Vast Fields of Ordinary

Title: The Vast Fields of Ordinary
Author: Nick Burd
Series: N/A
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

This novel is about Dade Hamilton's last summer at home. He goes to parties, goes to work and meets a few friends. The boy he's fooling around with pretty much dumps him and he meets a new boy named Alex who he falls in love with.

Okay, I liked this book overall but there were a lot of things I didn't like about it. I think there were too many side plots going on and none of them were really developed at all. The whole thing with Jenny Moore was weird, and didn't really have anything to do with the story line. The problems between his parents was also weird and pretty anti-climactic.

I didn't much like the ending either. It seemed rushed and was also a bit anti-climactic. The author had some interesting ideas for the ending, but he kinda just crammed them all together in an overview plot summary. The ending leaves you with a lot of questions - What happened to Jenny? What happen with Pablo? What happened with Alex?

It also seemed like some of the characters were bipolar. One minute they wanted to be his best friend, and then next they were bitching and yelling at him. Pablo and "Fessica" (A crappy name IMO) in particular. The whole scene with Pablo in the milk cooler was unnecessary too. (Don't forget creepy.)

But for some reason, I liked the book over all. I enjoyed Dade's relationship with Alex, and I could relate to some of the things he was going through. The novel was well written, free of any blaring grammatical or punctuation mistakes. Once I got through the first chapter or two, it was a pretty engaging novel. =)

Oleander House

Title: Oleander House
Author: Ally Blue
Series: Bay City Paranormal Investigations
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review:

Sam Raintree is a computer tech who has just gotten a job with Bay City Paranormal Investigations. He hasn't even had a chance to see his new apartment in Mobile before he has a job. When he arrives at Oleander House two things happen - he meets a man who he falls for almost instantly and he feels a weird presence in the house - almost as if it's stalking him, waiting to attack.

This book is the first novel in the BCPI series and I absolutely loved it. The characters felt realistic and I really liked them - well, most of them. Even the paranormal investigating was extremely realists - it had a lot of science and factual information instead of just a team of "psychics".

I think the thing I liked most about this is that it read as a paranormal mystery novel and not a cheesy four dollar romance novel. I like my romance novels to have at least an equal amount of actual plot to go along with the romance - not just hot steamy sex - and this novel didn't dissapoint.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy paranormal books and don't mind a little bit of MM romance on the side. Bravo, Ally Blue!

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Love, Like Ghosts

Title: Love, Like Ghosts
Author: Ally Blue
Series: Bay City Paranormal Investigations
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review:

Love, Like Ghosts follows Adrian, a college student at UNC who is a little different than the rest. While most students would rather be out partying, he'd rather sit in his apartment and do his physics homework. Oh yeah, and he has psychokinesis, the ability to move things with his mind. Then he meets two people who change his world - Greg Woodhall, a theater major that he meets while constructing a haunted house and Lyndon Groome, a ghost who was murdered back in 1905.

Let me start out by saying that though this says it is book 7 in the Bay City Paranormal Investigations, it can be read as a standalone novel. Ally Blue's novel actually lists the novel as related to the series, rather than part of it.

Now, I read this book for the group read for October in the M/M Romance group and I was not disappointed. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I'm also extremely interested in reading the rest of this series.

The characters and their emotions were extremely real. The problems that they have and their reactions all are very well thought out and executed and could easily be a real story. (If psychokinesis and ghosts were real of course.) I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes M/M Romance novels. Maybe even to some of you who don't. This isn't like those trashy two dollar romances you can buy at the drug store - this is a well written and thought out novel.

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Personal Best

Title: Personal Best: A Going for the Gold Novel
Author: Sean Michael
Series: Going for the Gold
Rating: 2/5 stars
Review:

Wow... where to start....

Let's start with a basic plot summary. Jessy is a swim coach and is called by another coach about a possible job opportunity. That opportunity turns out to be Mike Gauliet. A natural swimmer whose parents were legends before they died. Jessy has Mike move in with him, and coaches Mike to reach his full potential.

Next let's go over the names. It was really annoying to have Michael switching up names for Jessy. One minute he's called Jessy and the next minute he's being called Coach. It was also confusing during the scenes where there were more than one coach. I kept having to reread to figure out who was talking.

Now let's talk about Michael's grammar. I really think this guy needs to go back to high school and learn the basics of writing. "Jessy didn't, hand working him, mouth stealing his breath." That is NOT a sentence! Neither is "He never had, but he wanted, he would let Jessy in."

Okay, let's move on to the sex/plot ratio. Way out of proportion. Now, I know a lot of people like their romance novels crammed with sex, but I like to have some plot sprinkled in there. It started out decently, with a good strong plot, but then the M/Cs get together and the plot is pretty much forgotten. It just turns into sex, sex, sex with about two or three scenes of plot thrown in as an afterthought.

Overall? I do not recommend this book unless you're looking for crappy smut. If you're like me and poor grammar and punctuation make you wanna get out a red pen, I'd stay far, far away from this novel. Ugh. Someone get this guy an editor. =[

** Warning ** This novel contains sex scenes and may not be appropriate for readers under than age of 18.

Kim Dare and Voracious Vamps!

M/M Romance author, Kim Dare is featured this week as the Author of the Week on Total e-bound! And to celebrate, she's giving readers and chance to win one of her e-books for free! Check out here website here for more information!

Total e-bound is also doing their own contest for Halloween! It's called Voracious Vamps Contest! Enter to win one of 5 £10 e-bound vouchers. Enter here.

The Nanny Diaries

Title: The Nanny Diaries
Author: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Series: N/A
Rating: 2/5 stars
Review:

The Nanny Diaries follows the tale of a woman named Nanny as she works for a family called the Xes. Nanny spends her time working for the Xes babysitting their son Grayer while attending NYU. Everything is going pretty well at the start, then the Xes become the family from hell.

Okay, I've had this book on my to-read shelf for a while and I finally got around to reading it. Well, it was very disappointing. The first thing I didn't like was the names. Her name is Nanny, the parents are Mr. X and Mrs. X, the child is Grayer and she calls her crush H.H. which stands for Harvard Hottie. To me, this showed a horrible lack of imagination and it felt like the authors were too lazy to come up with names.

The second thing that I didn't like was Nanny. She spent most of the novel whining and crying. She cried to her parents, to her grandmother, her friends and H.H. Instead of doing something about her problems, she just complains about her crappy life.

The only thing I really liked about this book was little Grayer. He just sounded so cute and I felt really bad for him. His parents really need to be smacked and told to grow the hell up. It's pretty bad when a four-year-old is more mature than his parents.

Overall, I was very disappointed in the book. It was hard to get into, and once I started reading I couldn't wait for it to end. I probably wouldn't ever recommend it to anyone.

Chance to win!

Misfit Salon is celebrating its three month blogiversary with a giveaway. You can enter for your chance to win
A) a $25 Amazon giftcard
or
B) An AUTOGRAPHED hardcover copy of Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Wiener, The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman, or The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl.

This giveaway will end on October 5, 2009 so hurry!

Click here to visit Misfit Salon!

The Martian Child

Title: The Martian Child
Author: David Gerrold
Series: N/A
Rating: 3/5 stars
Review:

David Gerrold is a single gay man who wants to have a family. After searching for the perfect child to adopt, he stumbles upon a picture of Dennis. After looking into adopting Dennis, he begins to have second thoughts. Dennis is a hyperactive child who has a habit of getting into trouble. Oh yeah, and he thinks he's a Martian.

I enjoyed this book for the first half. I like how neither David nor Dennis were perfect - each one had his own flaws. Dennis is hyperactive and can't help but get into trouble and David is constantly worrying that he'll make a mistake and ruin Dennis's life - he desperately wants to help his son.

Like I said, I enjoyed the first half. I wish I could give this book two ratings - one for the first half and one for the second half. (WARNING! Possible spoilers!) In the second half of the novel, Dennis is still insisting that he's a Martian and can make things come true with Martian Wishes. Instead of trying to help Dennis understand himself, and try and help him fit in in the world, David starts to believe his son really is a Martian. I swear, this author started doing drugs while writing this. The dude sits there and starts watching his son closely and comes to the conclusion that his son is an alien that was implanted into a human's womb. The whole Martian thing was a cute subplot about Dennis trying to find himself and explain why he doesn't fit in. It got way out of hand when David started believing that his son really was a Martian.

I still recommend this book. It's a cute story about a man who wants to adopt a son. It shows the feelings that both man and son are going through. Most books will focus on the impact of one or the other, but this novel gives us both sides of the story.

Win a free book!

Everybody loves a free book! (Okay, maybe not everyone, but I sure do!)
Lynne's Letters is currently having a giveaway! You can enter at her blog to win a copy of either The Help or The Weight of Silence! Head on over to her blog today and enter for a chance to win one of these awesome books. =) http://www.lynnesletters.com/2009/09/book-giveaway-910-917.html

Trickster's Choice

Title: Trickster's Choice
Author: Tamora Pierce
Series: Daughter of the Lioness
Rating: 5/5 stars
Review:

What do you do when you’re the daughter of two extraordinary people? Alainne of Pirates Swoop is the daughter of George Cooper, the former King of Thieves and now second in command of Tortall's spy network, and Alanna the Lioness, the King's Champion to Jonathan of Conte. Her older brother Thom has followed after his name sake and left to study magic and her twin brother has followed their mother and has set off to become a Knight of Tortall, so where does that leave Alainne? Alainne wishes to follow in her fathers footsteps and become a spy, but he has forbidden it. Eager to prove herself, she sets off on her own only to be kidnapped and forced into slavery. Not long into her slavery a god appear - Kyrpioth the Trickster god and he offers here a wager. If she can keep two girls alive through the summer, he will send her home.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the theme of a confused teen trying to find their way. It's always hard on a person to try and live up to someone else's reputation - whether it's a parent or an older sibling. Tamora Pierce did an excellent job with this novel, just like all of her other ones. The characters are deep, and interesting and her plot is well thought out.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has liked Pierce's earlier novels. Even if you haven't read her novels before, but you enjoy fantasy, you should read this book.

Luck in the Shadows

Title: Luck in the Shadows
Author: Lynn Flewelling
Series: Nightrunner
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

The novel opens with Alec of Kerry locked in a dungeon and being tortured for information. Though Alec is innocent of being a spy, his captors will not believe him. After a couple days of torture, a young bard is captured and thrown into the dungeon with him.

The young bard turns out to be Seregil, a spy and thief of sorts who helps Alec escape from the dungeon. Freed from captivity, the two steal a horse and try and get as far away as possible. While on their journey, Seregil offers Alec and opportunity - become his apprentice.

The novel was excellently written. The characters were both well rounded and deep. The plot kept me interested and had a few surprise twists in it.

It's a long novel, and I found myself wondering if it would ever end. Yet when I reached the end, I wanted more. Flewelling really grips you with her writing and leaves you wanting more.

Filled with secrets, thieves and treachery, this is a book I'd recommend to any fantasy fans. The novel isn't really YA, nor is it adult fiction, so it can work for both age groups.

The Warrior Heir

Title: The Warrior Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Series: The Heir Trilogy
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review:

Cinda Williams Chima's The Warrior Heir follows the adventures of Jack Swift after he discovers his role in the guilds - magical armies warring for control. There are five races; warriors, wizards, enchanters, sorcerers and soothsayers. Each race is powerful in its own way, but wizards are thought to be the strongest. For years wizards have ruled over the other races. Two rival clans, The White Rose and The Red Rose constantly fight for control in a Gladiator style tournament known as The Game - instead of losing "precious" wizards in wars; they control warriors and have them fight to the death. As a result of The Game, the warrior race has all but died out. Then Jack Swift comes along - a wizard born without a stone. Desperate to save his life, his family calls on Jessamine Longbranch. Longbranch becomes a Frankenstein like character, experimenting on Jack - instead of giving him a wizard's stone, she implants a warrior's stone.

Published in 2006, The Warrior Heir was Chima's first novel. The novel later evolved into The Heir Series, with The Wizard Heir published in 2007 and The Dragon Heir published in 2008. The Warrior heir has won numerous awards including Voya's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2006-2007 and has appeared on American Library Association's popular paperback list for 2008.

The Warrior Heir is filled with twists and turns at every corner - the writing is engaging and keeps the reader interested. Though the book is better written and more engaging than other fantasy book such at Harry Potter and Twilight, it has received much less attention. Not only does the book present an interesting read, it also speaks out against class systems and encourages equality. There are many morals within the story and teaches a lesson while keeping the reader entertained.

Chima created a fictitious world that is both realistic and engaging. Her characters are original and her magic system is exquisite. I absolutely loved this novel and I've gone back and read it about four times now. I highly recommend this novel for those who love fantasy and YA novels.

Stormbreaker

Title: Stormbreaker
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Series: Alex Rider
Rating: 1/5 stars
Review:

What if James Bond had been a fourteen-year-old kid? Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz answers that question with its main character, Alex Rider. Alex is a normal boy, living with his uncle in London, England. But one day, his uncle is killed in a car crash, and the facts just don't add up. Alex begins asking questions and sneaking around, trying to get to the bottom of what really happened. When meeting with his uncle's boss at Royal and Crown, he finds out the truth. His uncle wasn't a bank manager, he was an MI6 agent, and he wasn't killed in a car crash, he was killed while on assignment. Eager to complete Ian Rider's mission, they send his nephew out into the field.

Released in September of 2000, Stormbreaker is the first novel in a series of spy novels featuring fourteen-year-old, Alex Rider. The novel and all sequels are published by Walker Books. Stormbreaker appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, topping off at #1 for children's series. On July 21, 2006, a film adaption was released, staring Alex Pettyfer at Alex Rider.

As a whole, the novel isn't well written. The author prefers "telling" over showing. Instead of using detail and the senses to give the reader information, he uses what are referred to as "info dumps." Which are basically blocks of information that are vital to the storyline, but the author couldn't think of a way to give you that information so they just tell it all to you. Instead of letting you feel the actions, and make it realistic, Horowitz just says "Alex rider did this. The bad guy did that." It's very boring and unentertaining.

The novel isn't realistic either - the idea of a government agency sending an untrained child on itself if unbelievable. Even in the most desperate of situations, sending in someone untrained is suicide, sending in an untrained child is suicide plus a public riot. Not to mention the "gadgets" Alex receives. Some of them are plausible, such as the yo-yo or even the "zit cream". But the fake GameBoy is just pathetic. Having a computer appear as a GameBoy to transmit images is believable, but having that same computer turn into an x-ray machine just by switching out cartridges is not.

The plot is also predictable. Everyone can easily see what's coming next - it's a straight forward novel with no real twists and turns in it. It's a classic happy, nothing can happen to the main character, ending. It's important for a novel to keep the reader engaged with plot twists, but this novel is one of those books you pick up and know the ending after reading two chapters.

Though not well written, this novel paved the way for similar books. The Young James Bond series, written by Charlie Higson, came out in March of 2005. Fledgling Jason Steed, written by Mark A. Cooper, came out in September of 2008. The novel also spawned several sequel all featuring Alex Rider.

Overall, the book is good for a young child who wouldn't question anything. For an older child or an adult, the novel is very poor quality. Between being poorly written, and not being very realistic, this is definitely not an "all ages" novel. It would be best for someone eight-years-old and under, maybe even younger.

The King of Torts

Title: The King of Torts
Author: John Grisham
Rating: 3/5 stars
Review:
It really took me a while to get into this book. It started out pretty slow, but it was interesting. I kept reading, and I'm pretty disappointed with the novel.

The novel follows a man named Clay Carter - a lawyer working for the Office of the Public Defender. His job is going no where, his girlfriend and her parents are after him to "make something of himself" which translates into "make our daughter rich." It seems like his life is going no where.

Then he meets Max Pace. The guy pops up out of no where and offers him a case that can make him $15 million. How can Clay say no? And thus, Clay Carter enters the world of Mass Torts.

The main character really didn't appeal to me. He was a guy who had a fortune handed to him, blew it all on stupid shit, made stupid decisions, and basically screwed himself, and yet still comes out unscathed.

Through out the novel, I kept finding myself wanting to smack Clay for the stupid things he does. I would've liked the novel more if it had focussed more on Tequila rather than a greedy man blowing money left and right.

Welcome to the Dancing Dove!

Welcome everybody, to the Dancing Dove! The Dancing Dove is a bar in Tamora Pierce's novels where the Court of the Rouge is housed. I figured I'd swipe the name to use for my book reviewing blog.

Every so often I'll be posting a review of a book I've read on here. I read all sorts of novel - Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, YA, Horror, etc. So you can find all sorts of books reviewed.