The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima(Cover picture courtesy of Cinda Williams Chima’s site.)

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family as good as killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

Betrayal, war, intrigue and sacrifice all feature heavily in The Gray Wolf Throne but the thing that struck me most about it was how well Cinda Williams Chima writes about politics.  She’s no George R. R. Martin in terms of complicated politics, but you can really appreciate that forces both inside and outside of the Fells influence all of the characters’ decisions.  Particularly Raisa’s.

I like both Raisa and Han equally in this third installment of the Seven Realms series.  Last book I favoured Han but now that Raisa is finally coming into her own I found myself connecting with her on a deeper level.  Both characters are well-rounded and three dimensional and you can really feel their emotions.  When Han discovers Rebecca is really Raisa, that betrayal cuts deeply.  But for the sake of the realm both Han and Raisa have to move past their mutual feelings of betrayal and work together to save their kingdom.

Raisa isn’t one of these annoying heroines that does whatever the heck she wants without even considering the consequences of her actions.  No, she knows that everything she does has tremendous repercussions not only for herself, but for the people she rules over.  Her kingdom is in a very precarious position what with civil wars going on all around its borders but there are also factions tearing the country apart from within.  Even if you’re not a big political junkie like I am I think most readers can appreciate just how well Cinda Williams Chima actually understands politics.

The plot was much faster paced than in the two previous novels but it definitely wasn’t at the price of character development or world-building.  It’s not the pace of your typical action/thriller novel but the plot does move along quite quickly for epic fantasy.  The main thing is that the plot of The Gray Wolf Throne is very interesting.  It’s not the fastest one ever written but it is interesting enough to keep you reading into the early morning hours.

Basically, this third book was better than the previous two and I can’t wait for book four, The Crimson Crown.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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Look What Just Arrived! (#18)

DSCN1672On Sunday and up until about 8:00pm Monday I was in the city for a business trip.  I had some time to myself so I was lucky enough to find both an Indigo store and a used book store so I didn’t entirely blow my budget.  Since I didn’t have enough time to read some and I’m exhausted there will obviously be no review today.  So let me distract you with pictures of the books I picked up!

  • Autumn: Disintegration by David Moody
  • Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
  • Wake by Lisa McMann
  • Fade by Lisa McMann
  • Vittorio the Vampire by Anne Rice
  • Switched by Amanda Hocking
  • Torn by Amanda Hocking
  • Ascend by Amanda Hocking
  • Heroes: Saviours, Traitors and Supermen by Lucy Hughes-Hallett
  • Dust & Decay by Jonathon Maberry

I already read and reviewed the Trylle trilogy by Amanda Hocking but I had to borrow it from a friend.  So when I saw the trilogy in the used bookstore I decided to pick it up.  They’re sort of a guilty pleasure type of read like Vittorio the Vampire but for a couple of bucks they’re worth it.

Dust & Decay is the sequel to Rot & Ruin, a zombie story by Jonathon Maberry that I thoroughly enjoyed almost a year ago.  I’m so glad that I finally found the sequel!  In every single bookstore I’ve looked there has only ever been the first book so when I saw the second one I snapped it up.

Most of the others were huge impulse buys because the covers either looked interesting or I’d heard some good things about them in the blogosphere.  I’m not an impulsive sort of person but it’s hard to pass up cheap books in a used bookstore when you get the chance.  I’m going to be going on a reading binge, so you can probably look forward to some reviews of these books later this month!

Have you read any of these books?  If so, how were they?  If not, do you see anything that catches your eye?

 

Along the Watchtower by David Litwack

Along the Watchtower Thumb(Cover picture courtesy of Masquerade Tours via email.)

A Tragic Warrior Lost in Two Worlds…

The war in Iraq ended for Lieutenant Freddie Williams when an IED explosion left his mind and body shattered. Once he was a skilled gamer and expert in virtual warfare. Now he’s a broken warrior, emerging from a medically induced coma to discover he’s inhabiting two separate realities. The first is his waking world of pain, family trials, and remorse—and slow rehabilitation through the tender care of Becky, his physical therapist. The second is a dark fantasy realm of quests, demons, and magic that Freddie enters when he sleeps.

In his dreams he is Frederick, Prince of Stormwind, who must make sense of his horrific visions in order to save his embattled kingdom from the monstrous Horde. His only solace awaits him in the royal gardens, where the gentle words of the beautiful gardener, Rebecca, calm the storms in his soul. While in the conscious world, the severely wounded vet faces a strangely similar and equally perilous mission—a journey along a dark road haunted by demons of guilt and memory—and letting patient, loving Becky into his damaged and shuttered heart may be his only way back from Hell.

[Full disclosure: I received a free paperback from David Litwack so I could review this book in conjunction with the blog tour.  As always, this is an honest review.]

Having previously read David Litwack’s work I was expecting a novel that was mostly high fantasy or maybe even a combination of science fiction and fantasy.  What I didn’t expect was a high fantasy story running in conjunction with a very real heart-wrenching story.

Freddie has had a crappy life.  Both of his parents and his older brother are dead and he was severely injured in Iraq by an IED.  Most of his squad died but he lived so in addition to his physical injuries there’s some pretty huge survivor guilt mixed in with PTSD.  Add to that the fact that his developmentally disabled brother went missing because of him years ago and you’ve got the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy.  You’d think a book with a plot like this would stray into opera level dramatics but it never does.  David Litwack’s writing has improved since There Comes a Prophet so he gets just the right amount of emotion without ever becoming too sappy or cheesy.

His characters are very much three dimensional.  Both Freddie and his alter ego Frederick are three dimensional characters facing (obviously) similar challenges.  In the dreamworld all of Frederick’s challenges are a metaphor for what’s going on with Freddie in real life, from his rehabilitation to his growing feelings for his physiotherapist.  Now a book like this could very easily stray into the territory of sexism because it would be easy to portray both Becky and Rebecca merely as background characters who help the hero reach his goal.  That’s very much not true.  Becky is a complicated woman with her own demons to look out for and she’s a very determined and competent physio.  You can’t ask for much more than that where a romantic relationship is concerned: two people with their own problems come together slowly and try to work those problems out while acknowledging that some scars may never fully heal.

The plot isn’t fast-paced by most people’s standards but this is definitely a character driven novel.  You’ll cheer for Freddie to succeed after going through so much and you’ll feel his pain as your own.  He’s a very vivid character and his world of rehabilitation is brought to life by David Litwack’s amazing writing.  Most people have never had physiotherapy but I have so I can tell you that the scenes between Becky and Freddie are pretty darn accurate (especially the attitudes of the medical staff).  And to top it all off, this book ends on a satisfying note.  Not all loose ends are tied up but enough are so that you’re pretty sure what happens to Freddie after the story.

Basically, this is just a good book.  I’m so glad I joined the blog tour for it!

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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The Mad Reviewer Reading Challenge Halfway Check-In

Yes, folks, it’s June already.  And you know what that means!  The Mad Reviewer Reading and Reviewing Challenge is already halfway done, which means that your book count should be about halfway by now.

I’m personally ahead of the game at around 64 books read and reviewed at this time so like last year I’m going to be a little more picky about which books I choose to count for the challenge.  That way I can up my pages read count and sound more impressive.

So, if you’re participating in the challenge how far are you along?  Do you think you’ll reach your goal?  Do you need to upgrade your goal?  Let me know in the comments section!  If you have any questions about the challenge I’ll respond to them tonight after work.

Book Blast: Paradise Coast by Renee Novelle

This isn’t your average happily ever after…
Publication Date: 4/30/2014
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Satire 


Welcome to Naples, Florida! Where the beaches are perfect and every day is a vacation. But in this small town paradise that serves as a playground for the rich and elite, not everything is as beautiful as it first appears on the surface. 

Offering an irreverent, and often sarcastic, glimpse into all the sexy scandals that go on behind closed doors, Paradise Coast, delves into the shadows of another way of life and proves that money doesn’t always buy happiness. Following five couples as they navigate their way through love, expectations and revenge, this story explores how different personalities react when faced with unsavory realizations about their current states of affairs. 

Authors Note: This is not a romance. There are no alpha heroes who swoop in to save the day, or brooding bad boys who are easily converted into marriage material. If that’s what you’re searching for, then keep looking. Inside these pages is an unparalleled drama with many happy endings, but not so many happily-ever-afters. At least, not in the traditional sense… It’s a story about quick-witted women who find creative ways of empowering themselves and rising above their conflicting situations.

Purchase Paradise Coast

Formerly a freelance journalist, Novelle has found placement of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her writing to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She has launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention.

In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love – fiction. Writing under the names Renee Novelle and R.S. Novelle, she has a publication schedule that includes Psychological Thrillers, Suspense, Paranormal Fiction, Contemporary Women’s fiction, Chick Lit, and New Adult.


Though she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Communication, summa cum laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She’s an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes “no” as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life’s problems. She believes in following dreams, and that in the end, you always end up where you’re meant to be. 

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