Gate to Kandrith by Nicole Luiken

Gate to Kandrith by Nicole Luiken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gate to Kandrith is truly a gate to an imaginative world that left wanting more, much more! The story was not what I expected at all. Luiken wove a great deal of twists and a turns, with an ending so explosive I am unable to stop thinking about it. I seriously NEED the next book in this series now!

Gate to Kandrith starts off with political intrigue, and a ton of world building. Our heroine, Sara, is tasked with finding out the secret of Slave Magic. She is to journey to Slaveland, accompanied by Lance, whom is a Kandrithian. Along the way, as with any solid fantasy, there are many mishaps, and many friends and foes discovered. I was shocked to my bones on most of these revelations!!

There were times when the fantasy and lore of this land became confusing. There was certainly a lot the author had to introduce. But Luiken always managed to clear any confusion later. And I also think it added to the suspense of the plot:-)

As the blurb for this book implies, Sara is betrayed in a most gut-wrenching way. She is forced to make a series of harsh decisions based on this knowledge to save the people of both lands. And the secret of slave magic?? Worth the read!;-)

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Demon's Fall by Karalynn Lee (Carina Press, 2010)

Demon's Fall by Karalynn Lee

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


3 Stars! Angels and demons and incubus's....Oh, my!! Karalynn Lee did some very creative world building with this one!

We meet Kenan as he is strolling the Hellsgate marketplace and finds an angel caged. Jahel came to Hellsgate looking for a soul of a girl she was looking out for. Kenan immediately buys her from the merchant and takes her home. He decides to help her find the soul in hopes of getting her to bed and gaining Jahel's soul, as Kenan is an incubus.

I really had a difficult time getting into Demon's Fall. I didn't immediately connect with either of the characters. The pacing of the story was really slow for the length. It took me over a week to finish it, and it was only a novella. However, the world building and the last few chapters were able to redeem this story for me.

Lee designed an entire Hellsgate culture, along with a battle between Heaven and Earth that was really quite intense for a 26,000 words or so. And I really loved how the Kenan collected souls, very clever! I would definitely recommend this story, if only for the world building!




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Masques: Aralorn, Book 1 by Patricia Briggs (Brilliance Audio, 2010)

4 1/2 Stars!  Fantasy was my first love and this book brought me back to just why I used to love and read it all the time. I enjoyed the character development of Wolf immensely.  His elusiveness really added dimension to the storyline. And Aralorn, what to say?  She was a very strong and likable heroine.  I am looking forward to seeing more in this world. Certainly a great listen!

Copied Blurb:

After an upbringing of proper behavior and oppressive expectations, Aralorn fled her noble birthright for a life of adventure as a mercenary spy. Her latest mission involves spying on the increasingly powerful sorcerer Geoffrey ae'Magi. But in a war against an enemy armed with the powers of illusion, how do you know who the true enemy is - or where he will strike next?

My Rating: 4.5

Additional Audio Notes:

Publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2010
Narrator: Katherine Kellgren

Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep by Michael Merriam (Carina Press, 2010)

5 Stars!! I was really looking forward to this short story by Michael Merriam. For one it takes place in the state I live in, MN. And for two, loons have such a special place in my heart. And after reading the blurb for the story, I had to guess that Merriam has looked into the eyes of a loon and seen their remarkable intelligence. That said, I still seriously wondered how a futuristic story like this would turn out!

Grace Kriske is an unhappy woman in a war-torn society, and she is bound to a wheelchair. She feels dependent on those around her. Her boyfriend longs for her to leave with him, yet she is hesitant to do so. She dreams of the loons, and is soon called to make a frightening sacrifice.

Should We Drown In Feathered Sleep turned out beautifully! It was a touching story, even while Merriam did not hesitate to show mankind's unkindness, or gloss over certain subject matters. Hard for me to say more without really giving away the story, since it was short. But I do recommend it!! And I hope to see more from this very talented and insightful author!

My Rating: 5

At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost (Blackstone Audio, Inc, 2010)

5 Stars!!   This series is amazing!!!  Love, love, love the characters!!

Copied Blurb:

Some things just won’t stay buried… at grave’s end.
It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield’s life. With her undead lover, Bones, at her side, she’s successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat’s worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover’s finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.
As if that wasn’t enough, a woman from Bones’ past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat’s about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she’s learned as a special agent won’t help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.
Love in vein: listen to more novels in the Night Huntress series.

My Rating: 5

Additional Audio Notes:
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert (Awesome narrator!!)