Category: Fantasy
Feyland: The Bright Court by Anthea Sharp
(Cover picture courtesy of Kobo Books.)
INSIDE THE GAME…
Jennet Carter escaped the dark faeries of Feyland once. Now, fey magic is seeping out of the prototype game, beguiling the unwary and threatening everyone she cares about.
MAGIC…
Tam Linn may be a hero in-game, but his real life is severely complicated. Still, he’ll do whatever it takes to stop the creatures of Feyland, even if it means pushing Jennet toward the new guy in school–the one with an inside connection to sim-gaming… and the uncanny ability to charm everyone he meets.
ALWAYS WINS…
Despite the danger, Jennet and Tam must return to Feyland to face the magic of the Bright Court–and a powerful new enemy who won’t stop until the human world is at the mercy of the Realm of Faerie.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this book from Anthea Sharp in exchange for an honest review.]
Since Feyland: The Dark Realm was almost a futuristic retelling of the ballad of Tam Linn, I really had no idea where Anthea Sharp would go from there. Would book 2 in the Feyland trilogy just drag on and on pointlessly and focus on the romance between Tam and Jennet? Or would she completely change the fairytale underpinnings of the story and go for a pure technological thriller?
Thankfully, Anthea Sharp did neither of those. She manages to get Jennet and Tam back in Feyland without making it seem forced and creates a believable explanation for the Roy Lassiter’s (the new guy in school) charm. What the explanation is I can’t reveal without spoiling some major plot points, but you’ll definitely be surprised at what he did to obtain his seemingly magical charm. Okay, maybe you won’t be that surprised considering we’re dealing with the world of the fae, but there are definitely a few plot twists you won’t see coming because of Roy’s actions.
What I liked about the plot is not that it was unpredictable (which it generally was) but that it was such a departure from the first book yet stayed true to it all the same. It’s hard to explain without spoiling things, but I like how it didn’t follow a fairytale storyline like the Tam Linn story in the first book and yet still retained those fairytale elements. So it ended up being different from the first book, but just as good!
My favourite part is the character development when it comes to Jennet and Tam’s characters. I love how the two have grown closer since their adventure in the last book but how they still have to learn how to trust one another throughout The Bright Court. There’s more than just friendship between the two and I like how Anthea Sharp manages to create that romantic tension without being in your face about it all the time. It’s definitely a skill more authors need to learn.
In short, if you loved Feyland: The Dark Realm you’ll love the sequel, The Bright Court. And if you haven’t started the Feyland trilogy yet, you should. It’s the perfect mix of technology and fantasy.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
(Cover picture courtesy of Stephanie Dray’s website.)
With her parents both dead, the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is left at the mercy of her Roman captors. Heir to one empire and prisoner of another, it falls to Princess Selene to save her brothers and reclaim what’s rightfully hers.
In the aftermath of Alexandria’s tragic fall, Princess Selene is taken from Egypt, the only home she’s ever known. Along with her two surviving brothers, she’s put on display as a war trophy in Rome. Selene’s captors mock her royalty and drag her through the streets in chains, but on the brink of death, the children are spared as a favor to the emperor’s sister, who takes them to live as hostages in the so-called lamentable embassy of royal orphans…
Now trapped in a Roman court of intrigue that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, Selene can’t hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her flesh. Nor can she stop the emperor from using her for his own political ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined honor her mother’s lost legacy. The magic of Egypt and Isis remain within her. But can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win or die?
I’ve read many, many takes on Cleopatra Selene. The historically accurate one from Michelle Moran, the more character based one of Vicky Alvear Shecter as well as a couple combinations of the two approaches. But this magic infused take of Stephanie Dray’s is definitely unique.
Cleopatra Selene is a fascinating character. She’s a princess, but she’s wise beyond her years as her mother likely would have raised her. Her twin brother, Alexander Helios is a proud young man raised in the mold of his father, Mark Antony. Selene is sort of the one that takes care of her two brothers, not allowing her pride to get in the way of their survival. She has to make such hard choices and her brothers shun her for them, but they’re always made with the best intentions: to help the family survive.
Even in Rome with the dangerously ruthless Octavian and the always-scheming Livia, Selene manages to survive and even thrive. For someone who goes through so much at a young age, Selene isn’t very trusting and when the schemes of the cult of Isis start to interfere with the careful walls she’s built around her surviving family she does everything she can to protect them. Even if it means losing their only chance to escape.
I like how Stephanie Dray focused not only on making these historical figures into relatable characters, but also on the magical aspect of her novel. We really feel Selene’s panic as the words of Isis are written into her skin and the reactions of the characters around her are varied and realistic. Octavian’s reaction to a particular message near the end of the book seems quite in character, knowing what I know about the real Octavian. Stephanie Dray doesn’t go too far into the magical aspect, but she gives us enough of a taste so we know Selene is in for big things in the sequel, Song of the Nile.
Some may find the plot a little slow and, well, fair enough. I, however, enjoyed the slower pace as Selene adjusted to life in Rome and tried to make a new home for herself and her brothers there. It really allowed Stephanie Dray to focus in on the characters as well as throw in some plot twists near the end. As for the historical accuracy, many of the details have been carefully researched but as she says in her author’s note, Stephanie Dray did take liberties with history.
In short, if you’re looking for a refreshing take on Cleopatra Selene with some fantastical elements, you’ll love Lily of the Nile.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
You Are Mine by Janeal Falor
(Cover picture courtesy of Crash Boom Bang.)
Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.
Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.
[Full disclosure: You Are Mine caught my eye on a blog a while back so I requested a review copy from Janeal Falor in exchange for an honest review.]
I thought this was going to be a wishy-washy romance with some good fantastic elements when I requested You Are Mine. I was willing to ignore the romance in exchange for a well-developed world, but Janeal Falor completely blew away my expectations. Trust me, the romantic elements don’t pan out like you expect them to.
Serena is one of those characters that you’re not sure how you feel about her in the beginning, but you learn to love her after the first few chapters or so. What I like is that she rebels against a male-dominated society in her own ways and yet doesn’t go into stereotypical girl power mode that would be completely unbelievable considering her upbringing. When you’ve been tortured by your own father for minor infractions like she has, you’re not exactly going to be ecstatic about marrying some wretched barbarian who killed your admittedly horrible intended. Understandably, she’s more than a little terrified of Zade especially when he doesn’t punish/torture her like her father does even though he technically owns her and that kind of behaviour is expected of him as a warlock.
The plot of You Are Mine is not fast-paced, but that’s really not the point of the whole story. I’d say this is more character-driven and that makes it a much better book than it would have been if it were plot-driven. We get to intimately know the world of Chardonia through Serena’s eyes and get a little outsider perspective from Zade, the ‘barbarian’ foreigner. I love how Zade really isn’t all that he appears to be and that his real character is revealed by the end of the novel. It’s plot twists like that rather than crazy pacing that made me like You Are Mine.
Where do I start with the world-building? The warlocks completely dominating women by making them less than human, the tarnished outcasts, the magic? In short, Janeal Falor has created a patriarchal society that is both believable because of the power warlocks have and is terrifying because of how women are treated like property. And of course warlocks are allowed to destroy their property any time they see fit, which leads to women being tarnished (aka hexed into being bald, tattooed and barren). It’s a horrible society and you can definitely see why Serena acts the way she does around Zade even when it’s obvious to the reader that Zade isn’t like Serena’s sadistic father.
I thought that the plot dragged a little too much in some places (even if it was primarily character-driven), but that’s my only real complaint. Other than that, Janeal Falor has written an amazing debut novel and I can’t wait to see more of her work in the future. Especially with that huge cliffhanger ending!
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
(Cover picture courtesy of The Streetlight Reader.)
To reach greatness you must step on bodies, and many brothers lie trodden in my wake. I’ve walked from pawn to player and I’ll win this game of ours, though the cost of it may drown the world in blood…
The land burns with the fires of a hundred battles as lords and petty kings fight for the Broken Empire. The long road to avenge the slaughter of his mother and brother has shown Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath the hidden hands behind this endless war. He saw the game and vowed to sweep the board. First though he must gather his own pieces, learn the rules of play, and discover how to break them.
A six nation army, twenty thousand strong, marches toward Jorg’s gates, led by a champion beloved of the people. Every decent man prays this shining hero will unite the empire and heal its wounds. Every omen says he will. Every good king knows to bend the knee in the face of overwhelming odds, if only to save their people and their lands. But King Jorg is not a good king.
Faced by an enemy many times his strength Jorg knows that he cannot win a fair fight. But playing fair was never part of Jorg’s game plan.
I believe I said this before, but it bears repeating: Jorg is like Genghis Khan if he’d gotten started on the whole conquering business in his teen years. Trust me, King of Thorns and the whole of The Broken Empire trilogy is brutal in terms of blood, guts and gore. It’s not for the faint of heart.
With that said, I still love Jorg as a character. Mark Lawrence has managed to create a character that is far from sympathetic, but is more empathetic. Readers get an in-depth understanding of who Jorg is and why he is the way he is, but it’s hard to feel sorry for him very often. Rather, he’s an interesting character so you can’t help but keep on reading to find out what happens to him. Although the narrative was a little more disjointed, you can certainly tell how Jorg has changed from the first book now that he’s eighteen years old. Is he any less ruthless? No. But he does feel at least a little sympathy for some human beings by this point.
My only complaint about King of Thorns is the disjointed narrative. We get treated to excerpts from Katherine’s diary, Jorg’s point of view four years ago immediately after the events of Prince of Thorns and the current wedding day/battle. During each of these points in the narrative there are flashbacks within the flashbacks, so I admit it did get a little confusing. Could Mark Lawrence have written this in a better way? Probably. Does it still work out? Yes. The plot is tied up nicely by the final battle and even though Jorg has changed, his last main action at the end of the novel is so completely in character you can’t help but laugh. Then again, maybe you won’t because I personally have a morbid sense of humour.
What I really liked about this second book in the trilogy is that Jorg is an even better character than before, but also that we got to see more of his world. This post-apocalyptic quasi-Medieval world is absolutely fascinating! You can tell Mark Lawrence really put effort into world-building because we get all kinds of subtle hints at the events that brought along the apocalypse as well as how it changed the world. I don’t want to give things away, but from the sounds of the Builders and the political strife that occurred after their fall it’s no wonder Jorg is the way he is. It’s a brutal, cruel world and seemingly good men like the Prince of Arrow are swallowed up by it.
Overall, I absolutely loved King of Thorns. It was fast-paced if a little disjointed at times, the characters acquired more depth and the world-building was expanded upon. If you like dark fantasy/post-apocalyptic fiction you’ll love The Broken Empire trilogy.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
The Devil Incarnate by Jill Braden
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
There’s no rest for the wicked… especially the Devil.
While QuiTai recovers from her last adventure, Levapur is turning into a police state. The Ponongese are pushed to the brink of rebellion against their colonial masters, the Thampurians – but who is behind it, and why? As the new Devil, QuiTai must wield her power and use her brilliant mind to outsmart her mysterious nemesis before a bloody uprising erupts.
[Full disclosure: After seeing that I loved The Devil’s Concubine so much after reviewing it for NetGalley, Jill Braden’s editor contacted me and sent me a free paperback copy of this second book in exchange for an honest review.]
After The Devil’s Concubine was so good, could The Devil Incarnate live up to my expectations? Or would it suffer from the dreaded Book 2 Syndrome?
Once again, Jill Braden blew away my expectations. I won’t say that the second book in the series was any better or worse than the first book, but it was certainly different. Different in a good way. In this second book, there was a much bigger focus on the world of QuiTai in regards to the geography as well as the history. We get to learn so much more about how Ponong was conquered by the Thampurians as well as QuiTai’s life before becoming the Devil’s concubine as we met her in the first book. The thing with this backstory is that it’s spread all throughout the book so I didn’t feel overwhelmed at any point in time.
Of course we have our old favourite character QuiTai and Kyam, who spend most of their time apart in this book. Consequently, we’re introduced to a lot of interesting new characters both directly and indirectly like Grandfather Zul (Kyam’s grandfather), Ma’am Thun and Lizzriat. Each of these new characters have very different personalities, motivations and backgrounds so they add to the overall plot rather than just existing so the main characters have someone to talk to.
The thing that constantly impresses me about The Devil of Ponong series is the beautiful imagery Jill Braden uses. When QuiTai roams the streets of Levapur, I feel like I’m there. I can feel the hot, humid air as she strolls among her people and Thampurians; I can taste the rice and see QuiTai stumbling along in her Thampurian disguise on her way to The Dragon Pearl. Since Jill Braden chose to write a fantasy set in a non-Eurocentric world, she really did need to convey the completely different atmosphere of tropical climates and cultures. She most definitely succeeded in that regard.
As always with her writing, I never saw her plot twists coming. Especially the huge one regarding poor Kyam at the end and QuiTai’s secret victory over her new nemesis. The plot was a little slower in this book than in the first one, but there’s no point where it really drags, even in the middle. Instead, Jill Braden chose to slowly ratchet up the tension and wrote from a few different points of view to give us a glimpse at the larger politics taking place on Ponong. It kept me up reading into the early morning hours, at any rate.
I’m constantly impressed with Jill Braden’s writing and still can’t believe that this is her first published series. Her third book, Tempt the Devil isn’t out yet but I can’t wait to see her writing improve even more. If you’re looking for non-traditional fantasy, this is definitely the series for you and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
I give this book 5/5 stars.