NBWM22 Fantasy Fiction Short Reviews
Given it's the Halloween month, witches, sorcerers, vampires, werewolves, oh my! I figured I do a quick summary book review of such.
I love reading Fantasy Fiction. I blame my friend, Kim, for this. She buys the book series and then lends them to me. (Now I order the books on iBook via the iPad.) The following are very short reviews:
Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer ~ Let's get this one out of the way first. Raise your hand if you haven't read the book or seen the movies? Some people can't stand it, because it's an "I want to be a vampire, I love you but can't be with you" young adult angst. This would be a correct opinion. But... the author writes it with such beautiful description that it's captivating, moves quickly and is an easy read. To give credit as well, the movies are just as ornate as the book's description. I enjoyed the series and love the movies. And in case you wanted to know, I'm on Team Edward (Greg is on Team Jacob).
Changes by Jim Butcher ~ I actually came across this series by accident, not by Kim. When I bought the iPad I didn't know how to use the iBook for purchasing and whoops, bought the book before I knew I what I was getting. It was good, but I could also tell it was part of a series and I was missing some points, not a lot, but it was noticeable. I found out later this book was the most current one, 12th in the series. The main character is Harry Dresden and he's a wizard. The book starts off with the abduction of his daughter, a daughter he didn't even know he had... The title is aptly named as the main character goes through changes in his need to protect his child and what a person will do for the safety of innocence.
Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris ~ None of the books are titled Sookie Stackhouse, but all of the titles have "Dead" in it - such as "Dead Until Dark" "Dead and Gone" "Dead in the Family" By the main word in the titles, you would think Sookie was a vampire, but she's not. She's a waitress with a skill that allows her to read people's minds. If you've read the books, you know there's something "unique" about Sookie. I'm not saying any more, because I don't like to give out spoilers. I enjoyed Charlaine's series, because Sookie is quirky, isn't affected by the vampire's gaze like most humans and there's always a mystery to solve in each book. It does get a little annoying when Sookie can't make up her mind for a number of books as to the guy she wants. Sookie needs to be protected, but she's always helping someone too. Charlaine's books are the basis for True Blood on HBO. I didn't care for the HBO take - too different from the book. Because of the content, I'm not sure if this series is appropriate for young adults. True Blood definitely isn't!
Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs ~ Again, none of the books are title Mercy Thompson - it's the name of the main character. The books are set in an alternative present day setting. Mercy is a Walker; she shapeshifts into a coyote at will. She knows what she is and she's a strong individual. Vampires are not a main focus of the story, though they do play a role. Mercy was raised by werewolves, so it feels as though it's a book about werewolves, but the series brings in all types of characters. I think the main pull to me with this series is Mercy ~ a strong female lead character, yet she's humble as well. She's not the typical weak female character who has to be protected or dominated by other creatures. The stories are fast paced and exciting. Of all the series in this genre, I'd say it's my favorite.
Lovers Series by J.R. Ward ~ "Lover" is in each title, so you can guess that romance is a definite part in the storytelling. Warning up front - this is not something you want a young adult reading. It's not erotica, but it's not nearly as tame as any of the other series. The main characters for the series is the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Each book focuses on one of the main characters in the group. Ward creates a completely different take on vampires. These vampires do not need the blood of humans to survive, in fact, human blood will not be enough for the vampires to live. The vampire males have to feed off of the vampire females and vice-versa. So, what's the excitement if it's not about the humans versus vampires? It's the vampires verses lessers - evil creatures who want to destroy vampires. Definitely an interesting world that Ward creates, great characters, lots of action, but towards the end of the series it starts to feel a little duplicated. I think she's running out of characters and time to wrap it up. That said, I'd still recommend the books!
I plan to keep up on the above series (I've read all the books of the all the series, except for Jim Butcher's work) and add a few more to the mix :) Has anyone read the books by Nalini Singh (vampires and angels)? I also am interested in Kelley Armstrong's series as well. As I read new Fantasy Fiction series, I'll add it to the list :)
I love reading Fantasy Fiction. I blame my friend, Kim, for this. She buys the book series and then lends them to me. (Now I order the books on iBook via the iPad.) The following are very short reviews:
Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer ~ Let's get this one out of the way first. Raise your hand if you haven't read the book or seen the movies? Some people can't stand it, because it's an "I want to be a vampire, I love you but can't be with you" young adult angst. This would be a correct opinion. But... the author writes it with such beautiful description that it's captivating, moves quickly and is an easy read. To give credit as well, the movies are just as ornate as the book's description. I enjoyed the series and love the movies. And in case you wanted to know, I'm on Team Edward (Greg is on Team Jacob).
Changes by Jim Butcher ~ I actually came across this series by accident, not by Kim. When I bought the iPad I didn't know how to use the iBook for purchasing and whoops, bought the book before I knew I what I was getting. It was good, but I could also tell it was part of a series and I was missing some points, not a lot, but it was noticeable. I found out later this book was the most current one, 12th in the series. The main character is Harry Dresden and he's a wizard. The book starts off with the abduction of his daughter, a daughter he didn't even know he had... The title is aptly named as the main character goes through changes in his need to protect his child and what a person will do for the safety of innocence.
Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris ~ None of the books are titled Sookie Stackhouse, but all of the titles have "Dead" in it - such as "Dead Until Dark" "Dead and Gone" "Dead in the Family" By the main word in the titles, you would think Sookie was a vampire, but she's not. She's a waitress with a skill that allows her to read people's minds. If you've read the books, you know there's something "unique" about Sookie. I'm not saying any more, because I don't like to give out spoilers. I enjoyed Charlaine's series, because Sookie is quirky, isn't affected by the vampire's gaze like most humans and there's always a mystery to solve in each book. It does get a little annoying when Sookie can't make up her mind for a number of books as to the guy she wants. Sookie needs to be protected, but she's always helping someone too. Charlaine's books are the basis for True Blood on HBO. I didn't care for the HBO take - too different from the book. Because of the content, I'm not sure if this series is appropriate for young adults. True Blood definitely isn't!
Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs ~ Again, none of the books are title Mercy Thompson - it's the name of the main character. The books are set in an alternative present day setting. Mercy is a Walker; she shapeshifts into a coyote at will. She knows what she is and she's a strong individual. Vampires are not a main focus of the story, though they do play a role. Mercy was raised by werewolves, so it feels as though it's a book about werewolves, but the series brings in all types of characters. I think the main pull to me with this series is Mercy ~ a strong female lead character, yet she's humble as well. She's not the typical weak female character who has to be protected or dominated by other creatures. The stories are fast paced and exciting. Of all the series in this genre, I'd say it's my favorite.
Lovers Series by J.R. Ward ~ "Lover" is in each title, so you can guess that romance is a definite part in the storytelling. Warning up front - this is not something you want a young adult reading. It's not erotica, but it's not nearly as tame as any of the other series. The main characters for the series is the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Each book focuses on one of the main characters in the group. Ward creates a completely different take on vampires. These vampires do not need the blood of humans to survive, in fact, human blood will not be enough for the vampires to live. The vampire males have to feed off of the vampire females and vice-versa. So, what's the excitement if it's not about the humans versus vampires? It's the vampires verses lessers - evil creatures who want to destroy vampires. Definitely an interesting world that Ward creates, great characters, lots of action, but towards the end of the series it starts to feel a little duplicated. I think she's running out of characters and time to wrap it up. That said, I'd still recommend the books!
I plan to keep up on the above series (I've read all the books of the all the series, except for Jim Butcher's work) and add a few more to the mix :) Has anyone read the books by Nalini Singh (vampires and angels)? I also am interested in Kelley Armstrong's series as well. As I read new Fantasy Fiction series, I'll add it to the list :)
Comments
And I'm Team Jacob :P
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow
Although now fantasy isn't really my genre, you never know, I may give it a try. THanks for the reviews.
BTW... your Hawaii pictures look wonderful. Brings back lots of memories for me. I lived there for about 7 years.
ive read all of the sookie stackhouse books but the last few have left me disappointed. i think the author has been introducing too many characters and its just kind of messy.