Category: Book Review
Short Story: Cursed by Treachery by Luciana Cavallaro
All Medousa wanted was a life of love and acceptance but one fateful night it changed. While she’s alone in the Temple of Athene tending to the sacred fire, Poseidon pays a visit. No human can stop an immortal from taking what they want.
[Full disclosure: As a thank you for reviewing her four previous short stories, Luciana Cavallaro sent me the paperback Accursed Women as a thank you. I was not expected to review Cursed by Treachery and as always this review is honest.]
The thing I like most about all of Luciana Cavallaro’s short stories is the level of detail she goes into. She doesn’t just rehash the common re-tellings of myths that we’ve all heard here in the Western hemisphere. She actually goes to different source material and tells quite a refreshing version of famous Greek myths. In this story, for example, Medousa is the daughter of Titans. That’s not a detail you find in the more common version of this myth.
All of the short stories in the Accursed Women anthology are unique in the way they’re told. In Cursed by Treachery we see things from Perseus’ viewpoint and that’s interrupted by flashes of Medousa’s life as a Gorgon and her old life as a priestess in Athena’s temple. It’s a fascinating way to tell Medousa’s tragic story and you would think it would be confusing but it isn’t. We slowly learn how Medousa came to be a priestess in Athena’s temple and the horrible events that led to Athena cursing her for something that was hardly her fault.
Was Medousa’s tale my absolute favourite story in the whole anthology? Not really. But it’s a testament to the strength of Luciana Cavallaro’s writing that I still enjoyed it while learning something new. It’s a well-written short story with interesting subject matter and a very interesting ending. What more can you ask for?
I give this short story 5/5 stars.
The Serpent and the Pearl by Kate Quinn
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Rome, 1492. The Holy City is drenched with blood and teeming with secrets. A pope lies dying and the throne of God is left vacant, a prize awarded only to the most virtuous–or the most ruthless. The Borgia family begins its legendary rise, chronicled by an innocent girl who finds herself drawn into their dangerous web…
Vivacious Giulia Farnese has floor-length golden hair and the world at her feet: beauty, wealth, and a handsome young husband. But she is stunned to discover that her glittering marriage is a sham, and she is to be given as a concubine to the ruthless, charismatic Cardinal Borgia: Spaniard, sensualist, candidate for Pope–and passionately in love with her.
Two trusted companions will follow her into the Pope’s shadowy harem: Leonello, a cynical bodyguard bent on bloody revenge against a mysterious killer, and Carmelina, a fiery cook with a past full of secrets. But as corruption thickens in the Vatican and the enemies begin to circle, Giulia and her friends will need all their wits to survive in the world of the Borgias.
This could have quite easily strayed into cliché territory the whole time. At times, it was a little cliché but nothing on the level I expected it to be. I’ll explain a little bit.
Leonello is sort of Kate Quinn’s answer to George R. R. Martin’s Tyrion. He’s quick-thinking, uses his wits to keep alive and gets quite a few women (considering the views of the time). He always seems to find himself in the centre of intrigue. For those of you that have read the series A Song of Ice and Fire you know full well this could be applied to Tyrion just the same as it could be applied to Leonello. There are a few differences between the characters but I was sort of disappointed in how similar the two were, even if they are both awesome in their own right.
The thing that I liked most about The Serpent and the Pearl is the characters. Carmelina has a fascinating backstory and makes her way into a world traditionally inhabited by men only—being the master chef to powerful men. She’s not your typical Feisty Female that seems to be the requirement in fiction these days so I actually quite enjoyed her point of view. The character that I liked most was, surprisingly, Giulia Farnese. She can be quite a vain, indolent sort of creature but there’s no denying that as the story goes on and she grows up a bit she becomes a force to be reckoned with in Rome. Unlike a lot of heroines she is capable of acting and lying but never really loses her temper with anyone. Considering how she grew up, this is far more believable than the ridiculous obvious Girl Power characters that historical fiction writers try to transform every woman into. Some women are not obviously girl power figures, but Giulia sort of becomes one in a quiet, unique kind of way that fits with her personality.
The plot dragged a little bit in a couple of places, but there weren’t any major slow downs. I did enjoy all of the little historical details Kate Quinn put into her novel, including all the recipes Carmelina used. Some historical figures were portrayed very differently than I was used to (Sancha of Aragon most notably) but others were pleasantly surprising, like Giulia and the Borgia Pope himself. I can’t speak to how historically accurate this novel is, but I definitely felt immersed in the world of Renaissance Italy and the intrigues of Rome.
If you like historical fiction that has a little bit of a different take on traditionally maligned characters, I’d have to recommend The Serpent and the Pearl. It certainly isn’t for everyone but I personally enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading The Lion and the Rose. Especially since Kate Quinn ended the book on such a horrible cliffhanger.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Short Story: Lost in the Seven Worlds by Petronela Ungureanu
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Lost in the Seven Worlds is the debut work of Petronela Ungureanu, an avante-garde Romanian writer.
When a young woman finds herself captive in another world, she makes the mistake of falling for one of the disgraced beings. In the name of love, she is confronted with a most disturbing demand and faces a crucial decision. Will she remain lost in the Seven Worlds, or will she accept the challenge of a love beyond mortality?
[Full disclosure: I was given a free ebook copy of this short story by the author in exchange for an honest review.]
Petronela Ungureanu has one of the more beautiful, unique writing styles that I’ve encountered of late. It’s wonderfully descriptive in an old-fashioned sort of way and you really feel like you’re immersed in her fantasy world. In a longer piece than Lost in the Seven Worlds it would drag down the plot, but in a short story it just enhances the world she’s created.
From what little I could gather the world-building in this story is much more complex than could be contained in a short story. I would love to learn more about the Daevas and their customs but short stories are, well, just too short. The details that were included were all relevant to the story and were interesting but there just weren’t enough to make a fully realized world.
This is a great short story, it truly is. The only problem is the story itself is far too complex for the medium. In all honesty, this would be a great novel. However, I have to judge it based on its format. And the truth is, Lost in the Seven Worlds was more than a little confusing, especially at the end. There was a huge twist at the end and although I read the story through a couple of times I still don’t understand it. It’s nice to end on a bit of a cliffhanger but readers have to also understand what’s going on.
Overall, I think this short story was decent. It’s just that the ending was a little too rushed.
I give this short story 3.5/5 stars.
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The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
(Cover picture courtesy of the author’s website.)
One day Han Alister catches three young wizard setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet away from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won’t use it against him. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.
Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna has her own battle to fight. She’s just returned to court after three years of riding and hunting with her father’s family. Raisa aspires to be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her—plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.
The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning page-turner from best-selling author Cinda Williams Chima.
I’ve had my eye on this book pretty much since it came out. It intrigued me to a point because it had potential to be a great book but I just never really got around to reading it. Then I found it in the used section of my local bookstore and decided to give it a go. Why not? It could be pretty good. The blurb certainly had potential.
First off, is this the best fantasy novel I’ve read, like ever? No, it doesn’t rank in the top 10 of all time if I’m honest but it definitely has a place in the top 20. Considering I’ve averaged 200 books read per year (and a significant amount of them being fantasy) that’s still pretty good. The Demon King won’t absolutely blow your mind, but I think most people will enjoy it.
My favourite thing about The Demon King was the world-building. Cinda Williams Chima doesn’t immediately try to tell you everything about the seven realms. No, instead she lets the characters reveal the background a little more organically. Raisa (the princess), for example, often tries to discover more about the history of the Fells so she can be a better ruler when she assumes the throne. Han Alister (Hunts Alone), on the other hand, helps us learn more about the history of the tension between wizards and the Clan who make the magical amulets after the rise of the Demon King. I like how instead of going for the traditional Medieval European castle-filled fantasy, The Demon King is more of a mixture of cultures. There are a lot of elements of Native American cultures as well as more Eastern values present in Fellsmarch, the capital. You even learn that in the southern kingdoms there are more traditionally Medieval European values when it comes to the church’s control over women.
Not everyone will like the characters, but I couldn’t help cheering for Raisa and Han. I cheered for Han because I loved the whole reformed-thief/streetlord angle as he tried to stay on the straight and narrow. Alas, fate would not really let him and it costs him dearly. Raisa is probably my favourite character in the whole novel. She doesn’t want to be this perfect princess who is stifled by her mother but at the same time she knows how to fake the social graces. So many rebellious princesses in stories can’t even do that, but Raisa knows when to fight and when to back down and play her role. Unlike a lot of YA protagonists, Raisa also knows how to act fairly well. She can lie convincingly, what a novel concept!
The plot was the weak point of The Demon King. It was pretty slow in the beginning but there were times when the pace was ridiculously fast. It sort of jumped all over the place which isn’t really what you want in a novel. I don’t mind the occasional jump, but generally speaking I like a smooth transition to the climax as the author slowly ramps up the tension. That doesn’t really happen in The Demon King.
At the end of the day I usually judge books on whether I want to read the rest of the series/trilogy or not. It just so happens that I do want to read The Exiled Queen. Badly. There was quite a cliffhanger at the end and I have a feeling that the second book is going to be even better than The Demon King, especially with that huge reveal at the end. As I said in my introduction to the novel, this is not the greatest fantasy book you’ll ever read. It probably won’t rank in the top 10. At the same time, it is a worthwhile read and I can’t wait to see where the series goes.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
(Cover picture courtesy of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s site.)
Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…
Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.
Something worse than the Arum has come to town…
The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there’s this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that’s possible. Against all common sense, I’m falling for Daemon. Hard.
But then everything changes…
I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?
No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…
I have a confession to make. This series is pretty much guilty pleasure for me. It follows the pretty typical YA formula of girl meets hot jerk at school, falls in love, finds out he’s [x] supernatural being, etc. Normally I would hate this with a passion.
And yet I don’t.
Katy may not know her mind like some of my favourite heroines, but she doesn’t take crap from anyone. Not even Daemon Black. When he at first tries to woo her she rejects him over and over because she remembered how he treated her like garbage for three months. That sort of treatment just doesn’t go away overnight, no matter how many apologies are said. Yet when Daemon actually starts to prove he’s really not a jerk you start to see Katy at war with herself as she becomes more attracted to this new Daemon while remembering how badly he treated her.
The thing that separates Onyx and the rest of the Lux series from most YA is that it’s well-written. Dare I say that I literally laughed out loud because some parts were so funny? (The people around me have now become inured to my book-laughter so I didn’t get the usual ‘crazy’ stares.) At the same time, there were some very touching, serious scenes, especially toward the end of the novel.
I haven’t read a girl loves alien book yet so the premise is actually quite refreshing despite the overall formulaic approach. Jennifer L. Armentrout’s alien race (the Lux) are truly fascinating and how the government treats them is disturbing. And realistic. I like how the full scope of Daemon’s power is revealed in slow increments rather than being thrown at us all at once. The history of the Lux is also shown in greater detail in Onyx, especially concerning the Department of Defense’s relationship with them.
Is this the most unique book ever written? Of course not. However, Onyx is well-written, fast-paced, funny and touching at the same time. The characters seem like your typical YA characters at first, but then Katy and Daemon acquire so much more depth. They really grow throughout the books and I can’t wait to see what happens in Opal.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.