Delving into the land of Paranormal Romance

I have read a couple books classified as fantasy, that are pretty much romance books, and a couple of romance books classified as romance but are basically fantasy...very little romance to show for itself. Sometimes the books are interchangeable. I am still confused on how people choose to classify these things...but it seems to be that if you are a female writer, who writes fantasy...you somehow end up in the romance section. They just call what you do "paranormal romance." Frankly...it reads like Fantasy to me. But not always...I mean really...what is the main difference between what Laura K Hamilton writes and say Diana Gabaldon and Karen Moning?  But this is a whole political discussion that would take several blogs. Anyway...this time I purposely pulled one off the shelf that is without a doubt a paranormal romance.

Write up:

This fantasy-romance debut features faerie king Rain Tairen Soul, a man tormented by age-old grief: a thousand years ago, the woman he loved was slain in battle, and in his rage he laid waste to half the world. Now his people are dying out and the evil mages of Eld are rising again. When Rain hears the call of his lost soul mate, Ellysetta, he journeys to the neighboring kingdom to find her; when he claims a woodcarver's daughter as his mate, he scandalizes the nobility of her country and rouses the interest of Eld's wicked wizards, who come seeking her in order to get at Rain. 


I loved the world created in this book. It is a world made up of three Kingdoms, one being The Fading Lands...home of the Fey. No mortal, unless invited by the Fey has ever went through the veil that separates the Fey homeland from the rest of the world...and none have been passed it for generations. Rain, the current Fey King and Tairen Soul is pretty much a recluse when it comes to the rest of the world. He has other worries besides the mortals and what they are up to: his race is dying as many of the women can no longer give birth, and the magical race, sister to their race, the Tairen are dying as well. Rain is the last Tairen Soul...a fey who is part Fey and part Tairen, a large, magical, flying cat-like creature.  At least this is what it sounds like from the description...and the picture on the book cover. And in all of a history a Tairen Soul has never had a Truemate: basically someone destined to be their mate... the other half of their soul...literally. A truemate is a bond that is both mental and physical and if anything happens to a Fey's truemate...that Fey can be hurt as well. But while seeking the answer to how to save his dying race...he is given a vision of a girl and he set out into the mortal world to find her.

Ellie is a plain woodcarver’s daughter. She grew up standing out, but in all the wrong ways: for being plain, for being from lowly beginnings, so being an orphan, and for strange things always happening around her. She is taken in by her parents as a baby, when they find her on the side of the road and was raised to fear magic as evil and the Fey as dangerous. But, despite this, she still develops a fascination for the Fey and most of all Rain Tairen Soul who once destroyed the world for love. So when she hears he is coming to her country after centuries of self-inflicted exile...she of course makes sure she is where she needs to get a glimpse of him. Much to her surprise and his...he recognizes her as his truemate and claims her. From then on her life becomes more dangerous: her new fortune sparks jealously in some, fear in other, and in the land of Eld...careful plotting to destroy the Fey and Rain Tairen Soul. Ellie realizes she is more than she thought she was...as do many of her friends and enemies. And in the end we find out an interesting secret about Ellie birth that could cause major issues in the next book.

I liked the Fantasy portion of the book. The world building was great and the history of the land well thought out and realized. I liked that different myths and legends were slowly revealed over time...and not plopped down on you all in one big exposition swoop. The only thing that bugged me was the names. I hate the long, overly complicated names. I know this is a new land and the point was to make it sound exotic...but really. All that was not necessary and led to confusion. I also liked the mystery surrounding Ellie and her abilities and how it was slowly built up right till the end...and still not revealed to everyone...expect the reader. This builds the drama up for the next book and it makes you, the reader, watch it unfold with more information that the characters. This approach to suspense can be satisfying as well as the one used in other books that keep the mystery even from the reader. This was revealed just like a Soap Opera...where the watcher usually knows more than everyone in the story. The only part of the book that kind of dragged for me, and I did not fully buy was the romance. I have read bonded soul mate stories before....mainly fanfiction...and have been able to really believe that despite this circumstance, these two people really do love and care for each other. I did not really feel it here. The union still had an air of two people forceed together and reacting from their bond rather than each other. Did they really like each other..or was it the bond?  I did not feel the connection between the two characters...no matter how much they claimed to feel it and went on for pages in flowery prose about it. Maybe in the next books once they are fully married/bonded and gotten to know each other more I would be rooting for them. But this book...their romance was secondary to me, compared with the other things. So it was a nice read, entertain. But not the greatest.

So overall grade: B-

Easy reading romance and mystery

Aurelia
By: Anne Osterlund

Write up:

Princess Aurelia is next in line to rule the kingdom of Tyralt, but she would rather be one of the common folk, free to learn and roam and . . . not marry the next tyrannical prince that comes courting. Naturally, the king wants Aurelia to marry for political power. Aurelia wants to marry for love. And someone in the kingdom wants her . . . dead. Assigned to investigate and protect Aurelia is Robert, the son of the king's former royal spy and one of Aurelia's oldest friends. As Aurelia and Robert slowly uncover clues as to who is threatening her, their friendship turns to romance. With everything possible on the line—her life, her kingdom, her heart—Aurelia is forced to take matters into her own hands, no matter the cost. 

 This was a nice, easy, afternoon read. 

It was basically a romance novel/fairy tale. Aurelia is a typical female character that you find in these types of tales: a strong willed, plucky young heroine that doesn't follow the rule and has her own way, that all the regular folk’s love. But with all her pluck...she is trapped in the life her birth as a princess limits her too. She can't go anywhere without a group of guards following her (though she has mastered the art of sneaking out); she can't have any romance as gossip is the only pastime most people in the palace practice, and most of all...she can't marry who she chooses because as heir her marriage must be political. She yearns for a broader life, but she is stuck being a pretty accessory that only goes to parties and does what she is told. But because she is just coasting through life...she does not notice enough around her, and misses the many intrigues.. And what she misses, also because it is being hidden from her by her father, is that someone has been making numerous attempts on her life. After Robert comes back, and after another failed attempt, Aurelia gets suspicious of his activities, and she finds out the real reason for his return to the palace and that her life is in danger. She and Robert immediately suspect her stepmother, in some attempt to make her daughter, and Aurelia's step sister, Melody Queen instead of Aurelia.  They begin to investigate and plan a trap to catch this assign.  But both of them are surprised when they finally find answers, and both experience a great loss: one a loss of a trust, and another a loss of life...both lose family.
 

The romance of this book was handled very nicely. It was not the main focus on the book, but it was a nice gentle thread that was woven in along with the rest of the story. I loved the scene when Robert finally revealed his true feelings. I found it very romantic and realistic. I also enjoyed the mystery of the killer and how it was slowly revealed...though by the time you reach the major reveal...you kind of get a good idea of who it is. So it was slightly predictable. Overall it was an ice read and entertaining, but it wasn't great. Good though.

Grade: B-

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception 

by Maggie Stiefvater

Write up:

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .

This description is kind of crap, but nevermind, that as it gets to the basics of the tale. I liked that, like the Melissa Marr series, this is a dark faerie tale that uses pretty authentic lore to tell its tale. In this story the Fae are not these fluffy and bright creatures that are good and grant wishes, or are cute and loveable like Tinkerbell. They are scary creatures, despite their beauty, or maybe because of their beauty. They have no conscience and are only out for their own entertainment...and only see humans as playthings...like little children who capture butterflies and then when they get bored...pulls their wings of just to see what would happen.  If they take notice of you, it is best to run because it can only lead to badness.  Deirdre finds this out the hard way when she finds herself in the center of their attention.

It starts when a, dangerously good looking, guy named Luke starts to basically stalk her. He shows up at her music gigs and plays with her, and she seems to show up at her house other places when she most needs him. From the start she thinks there is something odd about him, other than his stalking, she already begins to suspects that he is not quite who he says he is and not part of the world. But she is drawn to him in every way possible, and despite the warnings everywhere...she is like a fly to his honey. When he shows up, so does a lot of other strange people and creatures: she practically trips over four leaf clovers everywhere she goes, see weird and sinister white rabbits following her, and she gets attacked by strange cat creatures. She pretty much rightly guesses that it is not only Luke who is out of the ordinary. She finds that she can do things other can't and because of her power she has gotten the notice of the Faerie Queen...and not for her benefit. She is basically being hunted and she soon finds that she can't even trust Luke...and her family and friends are also in danger.

I enjoyed the romance aspect to the story. Most of us can relate to being drawn to someone even though we know we shouldn't, and that draw and appeal of that first real physical connection with someone you like. The buildup of Luke and Dede was very good. I loved the relationship between Dede and her best friend James...and loved James. He needs more appreciation, as great character. But I was a bit confused at time when it came to what was going on with the magic and some parts of the story. We learn that her family has a history with the Fae, including Dede's aunt... but I would have liked to learn more about it to give me some more insight into what was driving those characters. I thought too many loose ends remained loose. But I see that there is a sequel so perhaps that is gone into more. Though I would have liked some things picked up and explained more in this book. So overall I enjoyed the story and characters and enjoyed it a good bit...but I was not able to get into as much as some.

Overall: B

Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Book

Beautiful Creatures
By: Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl.

Write up:


There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. 


I have to say that I loved this book from the first chapter. From the beginning the writers did a great job in pulling you right into the world that they created, andthere was this atmosphere of mystery and magic and some menace that literally oozed out of the pages. The book starts with a quote:

"There were only two kinds of people in our town. 'The Stupid and the stuck,' my father affectionately classified our neighbors. 'The ones who are bound to stay or too dumb to go. everyone else find a way out.' There was no question which he was, but I never had the courage to ask why."

And this summed up the main story of the book really. Ethan lives in a small, southern town where everyone knows everyone, and no one's business is their own. His family and the families that populate the town have lived there for generations upon generations, and if they go back far enough, all of them are related in some way. Nothing ever changes. He hangs out with the same people everyday, goes to the same shops his parents went to, the same school his parents went to, and even sleeps in the same bed that generations of Wate men has slept in. The same families control everything in town, the same girls always win the beauty contests, and everyone falls into their predictable and predetermined roles. But Ethan wants out, as a reader you can feel his restlessness, frustration and claustrophobia. He is ready to leave his boring town for bigger and better things, and is counting down the days. But, at the moment we meet him...all he has are his books as means as escape...


But, despite its sameness, his town is not exactly normal, as the reader find out. The town is full of strange and quirky people, as many small towns are. One of the books many strengths is the humor and love in which it's treats these crazy cast of characters...even when they are not that likable. Ethan's family consists of his father, who never leaves his office and walks around like a ghost in his own house ever since Ethan's mom died the year before. He is basically taken care of by his family friend and town mother figure, Amma, a loud southern woman, who reads Tarot cards for the town residents, and leaves charms all over Ethan house to protect him from spirits. She is constantly threatening to take him over her lap and beat him, or stuffing full of good Southern food and pies...made from scratch as any self- respecting Southern woman would make it. He has three ancient aunts that have been married like ten times between them, who are always taking in stray rats and dogs and squirrels and each are either deaf or blind or both. And they are also the towns record keepers...they may be old...but their memory is good, so don't try to test it. The rest of the town consists of various members of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and Sisters of the Confederacy and the biggest event is the yearly Civil War battle reenactment. Or as Town people call it...the War of Northern Aggression. Then there is Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood AKA Old Man Ravenwood...the town hermit and rumored crazy serial babykiller. He has not left his house the entire time most people in town has been alive. In fact...no one can recall ever seeing him, and local legend is that Old Ravenwood Palntation is haunted so no one goes there. It is when Old Man Ravenwood's niece Lena moves in with him and joins Ethan school...that Gatlin becomes even more interesting than it has ever been.


From the start Ethan is drawn to Lena, and not only for normal teenage by reasons...though those are there. But because Ethan knows her right away. For months he had been having nightmares about a girl...who he loses and dies in his dream every night despite all that he does to save her...and Lena is that girl. Not only that...she seems to know him as well...and they can speak to each other in their minds. He is amazed and scared, but it does not stop him from trying to get to the bottom of the matter. Nothing ever happened in Gatlin, but it looked like something was happening now and he was the center of it. They are drawn to each other more and more, and that causes problems in Town. Lena is a stranger to them, and worse, she is Old Man Ravenwood's niece. She is not one of them, and outsider as far as the yare concerned. She is mercilessly tormented in school by the local popular girls who everyone follows like sheep. And it does not help that when she is cornered strange things happen.  And because Ethan hangs out with her, he becomes an outcast as well. And even Amma is telling Ethan to stay away from her and gets all mysterious about it when questioned. Rather than being discouraged, Ethan takes it upon himself to find out what is going on, and in doing so...realizes that his town is not as boring and dull as he thought. In fact, Gatlin has more secrets and mysteries to hide than he ever thought possible. The more he uncovers, the more he realizes that some of the people in his town are practically strangers to him, despite his knowing them all his life. Lena is not the only one who was strange in his town. And many in town were working to keep something from him and Lena. He soon finds himself on a quest to save Lena not only from the local high school girls and their mothers who have targeted her for destruction, but some a mysterious force/magic that has rules over his town for generations.


This book was really very good. I loved all the characters. They were full of humor and mystery, I laughed many times while reading this...even when things were getting dark..because the characters are so great. I loved Ethan for his sense of humor and his bravery. I loved Lena's determination...though her whining annoyed me at times. But she is a 15 year old girl under a lot of stress....so I cut her some slack. And most of all I loved Amma, who reminded me so much of my grandmother and aunts and every other crazy, strong females I have met in my life. That is the strength of this book: the characters and the world created. My only complaint would be that some of the magic was confusing and had me lost.


Overall grade: A-