Sunshine by Robin McKinley

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This book was recommended to me on my annual shopping trip treat to the Bakka-Phoenix bookstore in Toronto. At least once a year, usually on or around my birthday, I head down and go on a book binge. This year was no different, but I elicited some help from one of the owners of the store in my quest for something interesting to try. She suggested (among others) that I try this one.

Good suggestion.

This is a very dreamy kind of book, almost like a mythical fairy tale but without the romanticizing that you see and read so much of these days when it comes to vampires and other creatures that haunt the night. It has similarities to Charles de Lindt's works in that the main character lives in the real world. It's just that the real world includes vampires. Who, by the way, are as a general rule Not Nice.

The main character, Sunshine, is a talented baker who lives a mundane life that revolves around the cafe in which she works. Her step-father owns it, her mother and boyfriend work there, and her younger step-brothers can usually be found underfoot. One day (it always happens that way, one day) she takes a trip to the lake and ends up a prisoner of some very Not Nice vampires. Another vampire is being imprisoned there as well. What happens as a result of this sequence of events lays the groundwork for this story.

The style has a flavour of Patricia McKillip's magical whimsy -- you can tell that McKinley has written predominantly for the Young Adult and Child markets for fantasy. Reading it is like moving through an extended dream, one of those from which you are loathe to awake because you're just so drawn into the story. It took me a few days to read it because I was savouring.

If you're looking for hard, dark, edgy urban fantasy then you probably won't have the patience for this book. But if you're in the mood to try something a little off the beaten fantasy path, give Sunshine a chance.

Even better, you could drop by Amazon.ca to buy it online. :)

Magic Bites, by Ilona Andrews

Published March 27, 2007 by Ace

My Rating: @@

Finished Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews a few days back.

As I was reading it, I was ready to slam this book. It was disjointed, the lead character – a female mercenary with understated/underplayed magical abilities – felt like a two-dimensional stereotype, and there was little passion between her and any of the male leads (or sidelines) in the story. In fact, I was cranky that I was spending time reading it at all given that I’d had the book in my “read me” pile for over a year and only cracked into it because I misplaced my newer, more highly desired reads somehow.

Then, somewhere around the 200 page mark, I finally got into the book.

The lead character, Kate Daniels, is a woman whose guardian was killed by who knows what. Something magical, something somewhat shiftery-slash-undead. Corpulent entrails and other corpseriffic carnage ensues. Supported (in theory, anyway) by a secret society of Guardians, she investigates the death and what the real story is – the one which her now-deceased guardian was investigating at the time of his violent ending.

In her quest for answers, she encounters a morgue doctor named Crest as well as important vampire political players and of course Curran, the Lord of the Beasts (a shifter).

I had a hard time getting invested in any of these characters. The story wasn’t dull to the point where I gave up on the book altogether, and it definitely wasn’t vapid, but it also wasn’t as well written as I would have expected from a book that actually not only made it to publication but also garnered enough support to spawn two more installments in the series.

Digging further into this book, I came across a note on one of the online bookseller sites which explained a lot of the stiltedness – at least up to page 200 or so. Turns out that “Ilona Andrews” is actually a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. My guess: they were working out the kinks of their writing partnership with this book.

If you feel compelled to own it for yourself, you can pick up Magic Bites on Amazon.ca.

Personally – I’d borrow it from the library or a friend instead.

Catching Up:
Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand + Kitty Raises Hell, by Carrie Vaughn
My rating: @@@

Apologies. Really should have written my wrap-up review as soon as I finished reading Kitty Raises Hell, if not Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand. So this may be a little thinner than usual ...

Here is what I can tell you. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand and Kitty Raises Hell are pretty much parts 1 and 2 of a story. I suspect this is why they were released so close together (February then March 2009). Both are quick and easy reads.

Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty" series books are not deep, but they're nowhere near the vapid fluff-level silliness of that Succubus in the City story I reviewed a few posts back. I'd call them more of an escapist light adventure for people with brains. She introduces a few new characters set against the backdrop of the surrealist Las Vegas strip. Throw in an attempted wedding, a gun show, a really old vampire and some politics and you have the storyline of these two books together.

I definitely did enjoy them. Will I remember the detail enough to be able to tell you what happened a year from now? Probably not.

But on a positive note, at least I'll be able to read them again if I'm so inclined!

Pick up Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand at Amazon.ca

Pick up Kitty Raises Hell at Amazon.ca

Book Review: White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison

My rating: @@@

White Witch, Black Curse is the latest release out in the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison.  I just finished it over the weekend. 

If you’re already into the series, you’ll want to read it – like me – to see what happens next to some of your favourite characters.  Let me save you some of the suspense.  Rachel’s actions get her into further trouble. 

Best: Kisten’s murderer is revealed and that part of Rachel’s history is wrapped up.  It’s an emotional moment.  Worst: Rachel continues to do things which isolate her from the community around her and get her involved in things she probably shouldn’t get involved with.

Kim Harrison always spins a good tale.  I wasn’t bored.  But neither was I compelled to pick up the book and read it through in one sitting.  Maybe it was the book and maybe it was my headspace last week, but I suspect it was the book more than anything else.  IMO, Ms. Harrison is starting to lose the energy of the story line – something that often happens after the third or fourth book in a series.  Ivy is less compelling.  Jenks is dealing with the worsening health of his partner Matalina.  Rachel faces some mild sibling disapproval issues and the reality of her mother finally moving on – both emotionally and physically – after many years of mourning.  Al pops up and is entertaining.  There’s a banshee sub-plot that creates some tension.  And once again, Rachel makes some weird and vague emotional decisions when it comes to her love life – such as it is.

I’m really not sure where Harrison can or will go from here with these characters.  As far as I can tell, the next book will involve Rachel getting involved with a former ghost/witch/runner (sigh) and Jenks will probably have to lay the mother of his offspring to rest.  Ivy will do what Ivy does.  Maybe there will be more fun with Trent who was relatively absent from this book.  

I’m glad I read it because I’m already invested in these characters.  And it was well written.  It just didn’t grab me the way the earlier books in this series did.  Jenks’ insights rang a little hollow, and the consistent evidence of Rachel’s bad choices when it comes to her non-business relationships just kept being reinforced in a far too obvious way.

Sure, I’ll pick up the next book.  But maybe I’ll wait a bit longer after it comes out to get it … and maybe, just maybe, I’ll wait for the paperback edition.

News flash!

It's not a book, but it is related to one of my favourite series of books: the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris.

With Allan Ball (previously of Six Feet Under fame) heading it up and Anna Paquin starring as the lead female character, Sookie Stackhouse, the first book has been turned into season one of a new HBO show called True Blood.

Here in Canada, Season 1 will start airing on The Movie Network (TMN) starting on September 7 at 9 PM. (And for those of you who don't get cable, I'm sure it will turn up online pretty quickly as well). Given that I was addicted to Six Feet Under as well as this series of books, I'm going to try to keep my expectations in check ... but will definitely be tuning in to check it out.

Curious to read the books that started it all? I can throw my support behind the first three or four of them ... the last three were much weaker. Maybe Charlaine Harris was distracted by all the tv hoopla? ;-)

If you're in the mood to do some preparatory reading in anticipation of next week's show launch, here is what you'll want to look at:

Book 1: Dead Until Dark
my rating: @@@@

Where it all started. Except for me ... I actually read Living Dead in Dallas first. Liked it ok but it didn't really grab me. Until one day I guess I was hurting for something to read and picked up this book because I recognized the author. Sucked me in right away.

In case you're wondering, I've looked at the episode lineup for Season 1 of True Blood and it looks like it's based on this book.



Book 2: Living Dead In Dallas
my rating: @@@ 1/2

Based on my own experience, clearly this is not a book to read out of order. On its own it's ok, but you'll get a lot more out of it if you read Dead Until Dark first.

In this book, Sookie moves up a bit in the vampire hierarchy (much to her chagrin and discomfort). Wackiness ensues.




Book 3: Club Dead
my rating: @@@@

This book is good, but it's a bit more disturbing than the first two. You are reminded very clearly that Bill Compton is a vampire, and not a nice guy at that. Sookie still saves the day, but you wonder whether - given the same set of circumstances - whether you would do the same in her position.






Book 4: Dead To The World
my rating: @@@@ 1/2

Granted, I was already addicted to the series by this point. But that being said, it's one of my favourites. Without spoiling the book too much, Eric loses his memory and sense of self and Sookie (against her better judgment) helps him out.

To tell you any more would ruin it. All I have to say is that this is not the book to skip.




Book 5: Definitely Dead
my rating: @@@

Yeah ok ... so this is where the series starts to lose ground. It still has the mystery, and Sookie ends up with a new love interest, but ... I've only read it once so far. Which is the marker for me of a good book.







Book 6: All Together Dead
my rating: @1/2

IMO, this is the weakest book in the series. Huge disappointment. Weakest plot line. A few moments of Eric wickedness but otherwise it just didn't do it for me.

If you're a die-hard fan, then you'll probably want to read it just to find out what happens next to your favourite characters. But if you were to borrow it from the library rather than buying it, you wouldn't feel cheated by the experience.



Book 7: From Dead To Worse
my rating: @@

Ok, not my favourite. This is the most recent addition to the series, and in typical Charlaine Harris fashion (once she has written several books in a series) the passion has waned. Better than Book 6 -- I'll give it that. But it felt more like a visit with old friends rather than a gripping installment of a great series.

Recently Read ...

For A Few Demons More, by Kim Harrison

Haven't posted in quite a while! It's not like I stopped reading ... although maybe I've been reading a bit less ...

The most recent book I read was For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison. It's the fifth book in her Rachel Morgan collection, currently one of my favourite series. I as wasn't crazy about the fourth book -- A Fistful of Charms -- but this latest work more than makes up for it.

We're talking magic, we're talking decisions, we're talking poignant. The characters are evolving. I'm a little concerned about Matalina, since clearly the author doesn't have a problem with removing key characters as needed. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan? I'm guessing "yes" on that one ... LOL ...)

The main characters in this installment are the core trio - Rachel, Ivy and Jenks. Look for appearances by Glen (Edden's son), Trent Kalamak, Kisten, Piscary, Skinner and of course Rachel's alpha and insurance agent, the werewolf David Hue. And did I mention the demons? Oops.

If you're already into the series, I think you'll find this book satisfyingly bittersweet. If you haven't started the series yet, I recommend going to the library or bookstore and picking up the first one -- Dead Witch Walking.

To check out the author's site, click here.

Every Which Way But Dead, by Kim Harrison

Review originally published on Chapters.ca here.

Favourite book in the series!
Reviewer:Bibi from Toronto
Date:06/06/2006 9:16:01 PM

I love this series. But this particular book, for some reason, is the one I pick up and re-read whenever I'm between gripping novels.

Good action, emotional layers, and it fleshes out the relationships between the characters -- in more ways than one! ;-)

It does not work as a stand-alone; you have to have read Dead Witch Walking and The Good, The Bad and The Undead to know what's going on. Frankly, every so often I go on a binge and read all three again. The main character, Rachel, kicks butt. She can take care of herself even as she allows herself to lean on those around her.

In this book, her powers expand even further and she deals with the ramifications of this. Trent becomes a more sympathetic character as we get to know him better, as does Quen ... and Kisten. If you enjoy entertainment like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series (before the last few releases), Kelley Armstrong and Charlaine Harris ... you'll want to check out this book -- and the ones that came before it.