Tag Archives: war

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April 19, 2018

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Amazing series by SJ Maas!

Court of wings and ruin

Action-packed masterpiece!

As war bears down on Prythian, Feyre finds herself deep in enemy lands at the Spring court. She is determined to make Tamlin pay for the betrayal that cost both her human and Fae family so dearly. To do so, she must play a deadly game of deceit and it will take every weapon in her arsenal, and more to ally the High-Lords to protect the two worlds she loves so dearly.

What a roller-coaster, magnificent masterpiece! Maas weaves a fantasy world full of adventure, beauty, treacherous betrayal and romance. She adds additional characters in this installment with rich back-stories that deserve dedicated novels of their own. I was already in love with the rich characters of the Night court but this novel continued their stories of personal growth, making me fall in love all over again. This one is action-packed and will have you in tears, in stitches and swooning!

 

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March 6, 2016

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Sea of stars

Action-packed fantasy!

Kricket Hollowell is not just in the middle of an Etharian war, she is the reason for it. As the most sought after commodity, she is hunted by all sides who believe that she will be the ultimate winning tool. But Kricket is determined that she will never belong to anyone – except the man she has given her heart to, who will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Kyon, however, has other ideas.

As time frames go, this second installment covers a very short time span following on from the first novel. But what an action packed nail-biting time that is! I absolutely loved this book! The fantasy world created by Bartol in the first book follows through beautifully from the weapons and surveillance equipment to the transport and wild-life that populate this planet amongst a sea of stars. The action is non-stop from the first sentence to the very end. It’s an emotional roller-coaster.

Character wise, there’s a lot to fall in love with. Trey and his team are loyal, funny and bad ass. The interaction between Kricket and Trey, and the development of their relationship is romantic, hot and tender at once.

But there’s one character who surprised me quite a bit in this installment. At the end of book one, I was completely convinced that Kyon was evil incarnate. Now, I’m not so sure. There’s something very wrong about the way he obsesses over owning Kricket, but his complete dedication and tenderness toward her is kind of sexy too!

I’m completely in love with this series!

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September 22, 2015

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5 of 5 stars to ‘Written in my own heart’s blood’ by Diana Gabaldon

WIMOHB

So invested

James Fraser has come back, presumably from the dead, to find that his wife has married his best friend. William has discovered that he is really the illegitimate son of General James Fraser. Oh, and did I forget to mention that they’re in the middle of the American revolution? But at least they know their only daughter is safe, back in the twentieth century…or is she?

If there was ever a cliffhanger in the Outlander series, ‘An echo in the bone’ was it. I’ve been dying to find out what happens to Jamie and Claire. The story picks up right in the thick of the action, and the blunders, misunderstandings and consequences make for entertaining reading. Once again, I found the war and camp scenes tedious at times, but that really just made it more authentic.

The storyline with Roger was fun, but I’m not sure it really added much to the story. The plot with Brianna was understated. I was a little surprised by this, as Gabaldon is not one to shy away from what could have been a seriously thrilling encounter. It was a little too vague for my liking.

I enjoyed seeing a more ‘human’ side to Claire in this installment. She’s been through so much and always appears so strong and put together. Sometimes she can come across as hard because of her efficiency, so this softer side was endearing.

I’ve never before stuck with a series for so long. Usually by book four, I find the story begins to repeat and the characters start to annoy me, but I can honestly say that I’ve never been more invested in a set of characters as I have been – and continue to be – with the Frasers. Another pearl from Gabaldon!

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August 27, 2015

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5 of 5 stars to ‘An echo in the bone’ by Diana Gabaldon

Echo in the bone

What a cliffhanger!

James Fraser knows what the outcome of the American rebellion will be, and yet his knowledge may not be enough to get him and Claire through the raw realities of daily life in a country at war. Then, there is the fact that he may end up on opposite sides of the battlefield to his illegitimate son.

Claire and Jamie have been separated from their children and grand-children across the wide expanse of time. Can they, and can Bree and Rodger start afresh in this messy time?

I’ll be honest – I’ve been seriously contemplating giving this series up, but Gabaldon keeps throwing in new reasons to keep me reading. This installment was all about new beginnings. There was a point in the novel where I began to feel that the story was lagging with its descriptions of life in the war camps of the American revolution. Yet that sense of ‘lagging’ really added to the stark reality of the depressing conditions under which the Americans fought for their independence so many years ago.

The trip back to Scotland inserted some nostalgia into the story and heightened the emotional impact. It made me realize how amazing Gabaldon’s writing is. I haven’t read many books that cover entire lifetimes of characters, and those I have read were pretty boring. Gabaldon, however, consistently adds new, daring, frightening and exciting adventures to keep the lives of her characters tumultuous and interesting.

With the cliffhanger in this one (or should I say cliffhangers) there’s no question as to whether I will continue this series. I simply MUST find out what happens to Claire and Lord John after the bomb he dropped on Jamie at the end and I NEED to know what Bree is going to do about her son.

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January 24, 2015

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5 of 5 stars to ‘Dragonfly in Amber’ by Diana Gabaldon

Dragonfly in amber

Epic tale

Claire Randall has a secret to tell her daughter. Twenty years after she mysteriously re-appeared at the stones of Craigh na dun, she returns with her grown daughter to Scotland to reveal the stunning truth behind her disappearance.

Diana Gabaldon is a firm contender for the very top spot on my favorite authors list. The tale of Claire and James Fraser has everything you could wish for in a story: honor, romance, war, death, intrigue, magic, deception, history and more.

I feel as though I have been dragged into seventeenth century Scotland, and the accuracy with which Diana describes life in these times, makes me confident that I might survive it together with Claire Fraser. The emotion and graphic scenes are so well written, it’s impossible not to rise with Claire on the wings of hope, and sink with the Scots to the depths of despair.

Diana’s use of different point of views to segregate time was particularly effective in this novel. Although I love her first person point of view for Claire, the use of the third person POV at certain points in the story definitely helped me to identify the cut in timelines, provided a breath from the intense emotional roller-coaster of Claire’s adventures and gave a deeper insight into some of the peripheral characters that I feel certain will play a larger role in books to follow.

As a history lover, I couldn’t have asked for a more down to earth, graphic depiction of the Jacobite rising. As a romantic, I don’t think I’ve ever read a more stirring account of true love that transcends not only centuries, but the day to day hardships and monotony of life and loss.

Rare is the author who can maintain pace and interest in such a thick, epic tale, but Gabaldon does it with ease. I am completely, utterly in love with this sweeping series and can’t wait to get my hands on Voyager!

James Fraser quote