Quick Review of my Shelf... (3)

Lamentation

By: Ken Scholes

Publisher: Tor

Published Date: February 2009

Recommendation: Yes! Yes! Yes! To follow a story from different characters view point and try to figure out the bigger picture.

First Sentence:

Windwir is a city of paper and robes and stone.

Book Synopsis:

An ancient weapon has completely destroyed the Androfrancine city of Windwir. From many miles away, Rudolfo, Lord of the Ninefold Forest Houses, sees the horrifying column of smoke rising. He knows that war is coming to the Named Lands.

Nearer to the Desolation, a young apprentice is the only survivor of the city - Nebios sat witing for his father outside the walls and was transformed as he watched everyone he knew die in an instant.

To the south, Petronus, the Hidden Pope of the Androfrancine Order, also sees the column of devastation. He knows that he cannot turn away from his Order an longer.

And within sight of Windwir sits Sethbert, the Overseer of the Entrolusian City States, gloating over what he believes is the triumph of his plan to dominate the Named Lands. At his side, though, is Lady Jin Li Tam - her father's pawn in the game f statecraft, but destined to become her own Queen on the board.

Soon all the Kingdoms of the Named Lands will be at one another's throats, as alliances are challenged or collapse, and the hidden plots of many powers are revealed.

My Thoughts:

Okay, I am going to try and make this short and sweet. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the second book in this series to come out, it will be in stores October 13, 2009 ~ very, very soon ~ and I am reviewing my notes and thoughts on the book to be ready to dive right into the next book.

This story to me is like the Whymer Mazes used as a meditation device by the Androfrancines. The maze circle that seems to never end and always turns back on to itself. I loved this story, there's always a mystery to figure out. Who and why did they destroy the city of Windwir, the home to the Androfrancines who protected the rest of the people in the world from the technology and dark pieces that could be used to destroy the world and only trickling out the small pieces of information they feel the people of the world can handle.

There is talk of an ancient Wizard whom created the Seven Cacophonic Deaths, which no one is to know what the words are inorder to protect everyone and anyone from causing distruction.

However, the book starts right off with the distruction of Windwir and only one metal man from the city, being fully functional, seems to have somewhere in his memory some idea yet no idea as to what happened on that tragic day. Isaak is the name given to this metal man.

There are many creative secrets in this book, such as the letters with secret messages intertwined within, the tapping out of messages while talking to another person on their skin, and the wonderous magic of running so fast and not being seen either running or standing still. Then you have Isaak the metal man, who is powered by a constant steam source.

I loved the writing style of a view from each characters point of view. When I first say this was the writing style I was nervous that information would be lost in the translation. After I read through this book so far, I did start taking notes so I didn't forget all the wonderous details to help with the mystery, but found that I really liked the way the author wrote this with the point of views. I actually got more details from seeing and knowing what each character did.

Did the right man pay the price for the distruction of the city? Could he have weaved the web that you see in this book? The further you go in the book the more intricate the web becomes. The more I thought on the book after reading and trying to piece together information from through out the whole book I have a very my idea of what is going on. I am curious to read what really happens. I had a wonderful time piecing the pieces together and making the story go the way I think it may.

***Also, Krista over at Life_or_Something_Like_It... is having a contest for 4 different books. This book is one of those great books. If you would like to take a chance to win Lamentation stop by and enter. Contest ends October 31.***

Quick Review of my Shelf (2)...

The series I have which I am waiting on the second book for is:

Street Magic

By: Caitlin Kittredge

Book Synopsis:
Her name is Pete Caldecott. She was just sixteen when she met Jack Winter, a gorgeous, larger-than-life mage who thrilled her with his witchcraft. Then a spirit Jack summoned killed him before Pite's eyes-or so she thought. Now a detective, Pete is investigating the kidnapping of a young girl from the streets of London...a case that brings her face to face with Jack.

Strung out on heroin, Jack is a shadow of his former self. But he's able to tell Pete exactly where Bridget's kidnappers are hiding: in the supernatural shadow-world of the fey. Pete follows Jack into the fey underworld, where she hopes to discover the truth about what happened to Bridget-and what happened to Jack on that dark day so long ago...

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book, so much so I was not able to put it down until I was through the whole thing. I really enjoyed the banter between the two main characters, Pete & Jack. They really have one heck of a love/hate relationship. The British slang was a great touch as well. It took me a little bit to get what they ment, but when I caught on to the meanings I absolutely loved it. I got such a kick out of the slang even when it was in anger.

There where a few moments I got slightly confused with the flashes to the dreams that Pete was having then to reality. It took me a moment to catch on to what was going on, then to switch my thinking. But, it didn't take me long as I went through the book to catch on and know what to look for, and in learning the authors writting style it became easier for me to pick the dreams out.

I really liked Jack's character more from the beginning. To me there seemed to be more layers to him than appeared to the others in the story. To me I thought he out shined Pete through most of the book, but by the end of the book Pete had taken her place right up there by/with Jack. In the end of the book I realized how much Pete had grown as a character through the book, and loved her for it. Jack's character grew as well but not by the leaps and bounds that Pete did.

I know there is a short story of Jack in the book Huntress, which hold a few short stories by four different authors. I have this book on my shelf in my to be read pile. But, the second book in the Black London Novel series is Demon Bound. Based on the preview at the back of the book, Street Magic, it looks as it is to be released December 2009. I will be watching the shelves for this on in December. Or maybe a nice Christmas gift... If I can wait that long.

Quick Review of my Shelf...

I have just a few books I have been watching for the second one to come out. So I thought I would mention them here over the next few days. There is not many but since I have been thinking of them and they were before I started blogging I thought I would share them.



Unclean Spirits

By: M.L.N. Hanover

Synopsis on the cover:

Jayne Heller thinks of herself as a realist, until she discovers reality isn't quite what she thought it was. When her uncle Eric is murdered, Jayne travels to Denver to settle his estate, only to learn that it's all hers-and vaster than she ever imagined. And along with properties across the world and an inexhaustible fortune, Eric left her a legacy of a different kind: his unfinished business with a cabal of wizards known as the Invisible College.

Led by the ruthless Randolph Coin, the Invisible College harnesses demon spirits for their own ends of power and domination. Jayne finds it difficult to believe magic and demons can even exist, let alone be responsible for the death of her uncle. But Coin sees Eric's heir as a threat to be eliminated by any means-magical or mundane-so Jayne had better start believing in something to save her own life.

Aided in her mission by a group of unlikely companions-Aubrey, Eric's devastatingly attractive assistant; Ex, a former Jesuit with a lethal agenda; Midian, a two-hundred-year-old man who claims to be under a curse of Randolph Coin himself; and Chogyi Jake, a self-styled Buddhist with mystical abilities-Jayne finds that her new reality is not only unexpected, but often unexplainable. And if she hopes to survive, she'll have to learn the new rules fast-or break them completely...

My thoughts:

Jayne is a 22 year old college student who finds out her uncle has passed away. Jayne is not all that close to her family, and there was something between her father and uncle-so they didn't talk. Jayne is surprised to learn her uncle, who helped her out a time or two, has left everything to her in his passing. She goes to check out some of his properties and is attacked. To her astonishment she can really kick some butt.

Jayne is clueless as to what her uncle even did for a living. Eventually, she finds his comrades, whom he worked with, and learns there is a demon out there that needs to be stopped. Unaware of what her uncle had planned, besides some notes with rifles and specially made bullets in a storage unit, she needs to decide to take action or leave and let the others tend to it.

I do have to say the scenery descriptions were a little short. All the details are found in the actions and planning of the actions. This book is placed in our world so there is no great new world setup needed here. The character development was a great start to a first book in a series. I love how the characters are real, in they are not perfect in their choices and make mistakes. They are not a Superman who is always doing the right thing at the right time.

I am waiting for the second book to come out. Which should be out in a few days.