(Not Pictured: Chronicles of Steele: Raven) |
Raging Heat (Nikki Heat #6) Richard Castle
Favorite part of the Richard Castle Novels? Imagining Nathan Fillion reading them.
This
is the latest novel in the Nikki Heat series, and (for fans of the
show) a nice recap of Season 6. Complete with unidentified bodies
falling from the sky, evidence pointing to a prominent political figure
as the perpetrator of the crime, and so much more. It was a lovely time,
and an excellent adventure, and I look forward to the next one!
Rocking Chairs and Wrinkles, Rose Withering
I found this particular novel to be a dramatic and enthralling tale completely missed because the author did not take the time to craft the story.
Two
people, completely unrelated, have several chance encounters, and
discover a connection over personal tragedies with similar details. That
much was certain. Both had lost their spouses, and the guy knew that
his mother had undergone the loss of her family—so when a woman surfaces
with details from her past that match his, the lines start falling into
place. Secrets come out, and a mystery is solved, and reconciliation
happens.
The trouble I had with this book was the prodigious
amount of rote dialogue. As with Thornburg's Daughter, I was forced to
work my imagination overtime to try and follow the events of the scene
before they faded to a "blank screen with audio", as scenes with
dialogue alone are wont to do. Small shifts are all right in the course
of a conversation, for variety's sake; I understand the aversion to
using "he said"/"she said" all the time. But when a scene begins with
just dialogue and does not include any kind of character movement (not
even the normal posture shifts that occur when someone is speaking) till
a character is ready to leave the scene, it's a problem. What made it
especially difficult was the fact that Rose Withering puts such heart
and soul into her dialogue, and this story is definitely one that needs
to be told—but a heart and soul without a body is just a wandering
ghost.
Chronicles of Steele: Raven, Pauline Creeden
Wonderful story from
start to finish! I will admit that I technically only read half this
book, having already burned through the first two "episodes" of the four
and thirsted for more. Creeden did not disappoint! The action just
keeps right on going, and these mysteries that seemed so much like
subplots at first abruptly take on an identity most sinister and dire as
the connections are revealed. Still throughout, Creeden treats her
characters carefully, keeping them distinct and colorful so that every
situation has the proper response and the very mention of their names
brings them to life as vividly as real people, or even actors in a film.
For anyone looking for an excellent steampunk adventure, check this one
out for sure!
Beauty Sleep, Cameron Dokey
Gorgeous and magical.
Have I said enough how much I enjoy the retellings of Cameron Dokey? Because I love them, every part of them.
This
one was Sleeping Beauty—and after reading Suzanne Weyn's "Water Song"
which left much to be desired, and watching the movie "Maleficent" which
left me confused, I was understandably apprehensive.
I should not have worried.
First,
Cameron starts with a world where magic is acknowledged and exists, but
is feared and relegated to isolated areas where "nobody goes." Then she
fashions the Princess Aurore as a headstrong girl cooped up inside the
castle (instead of sent far away) under the watchful eye of her father
(instead of shunned by him) who only wants to be outside and free.
Clever Cameron deftly weaves a tale that at first seems "all wrong," but
then she manages to pull in the details we know so well at just the
right moment to turn her thrilling story into the fairy tale it was
always meant to be. I loved the characters and I loved the way this
story worked!
Once (Before Midnight, Golden, Wild Orchid) Cameron Dokey
So this happened to be the "Month of Cameron Dokey." Which I did not mind in the least!
"Once" is a compilation of three of Dokey's novels, retelling the stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Mulan.
Before
Midnight: Obviously this is Cinderella—but get this: her nickname,
"Cendrillon", is not bestowed disparagingly, but lovingly. Moreover, the
stepmother is actually relatively kind to her; she and her two
daughters treat Cendrillon like one of the staff only because they don't
know that her father had a daughter. And she makes friends with an
orphan boy whom she has grown up with, and a soldier from an enemy Royal
court who ends up helping Cendrillon reunite with her father and bring
about several other things that give the ball vastly more importance
than just "love at first sight." It was a gorgeous tale, not unlike the
film "Ever After" but simply more sweet and family-oriented.
Golden:
Rapunzel's tale—but again, Dokey turns the "traditions" on their head.
In this story, Rapunzel is cursed to be bald as an egg, because her
mother was so obsessed with her own golden hair. She lives with the
"sorceress" on a small farm in the country; it is the sorceress' own
daughter, Rue, who is the golden-haired Princess locked in an enchanted
tower as a punishment meted by a self-righteous wizard. The same story,
but not quite, and vastly more entertaining when told from another
perspective!
Wild Orchid: Mulan did not interest me at first;
I didn't much care for the rebel Disney princess who masqueraded as a
boy to gain acceptance and hated wearing dresses until she was
recognized as a hero at the end, at which point it was totally okay and
nobody minded that she lied and nobody even knew the farce till the very
end.
Dokey's version completely redeemed the tale for me. She
gave her a father to focus her need for acceptance; she gave her a
stepmother who again cared for her (I love the consistency of Dokey's
loving stepmothers, defying the whole "evil" stereotype!) and friends
who give her wise council and immediately recognize her when she shows
up for the war draft! She even gives the Prince brothers, balancing his
character and all but removing the "true love and social advancement
package" that usually comes in a fairy tale.
This writer's
skill remains unmatched, and this reader would dearly love to get her
hands on absolutely every book in this "Once Upon A Time Tales" series!
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