Book Review: Winter of Ice and Iron

Winter of Ice and Iron

By:  Rachel Neumeier

Publish Date:  November 21, 2017

Format:  576 pgs

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  Stand-alone

First Impression:  Where the land has power, and works with it's people. Most of the time.

Synopsis:
In this gorgeous, dark fantasy in the spirit of Jacqueline Carey, a princess and a duke must protect the people of their nations when a terrible threat leaves everyone in danger.

With the Mad King of Emmer in the north and the vicious King of Pohorir in the east, Kehara Raehema knows her country is in a vulnerable position. She never expected to give up everything she loves to save her people, but when the Mad King’s fury leaves her land in danger, she has no choice but to try any stratagem that might buy time for her people to prepare for war—no matter the personal cost.

Hundreds of miles away, the pitiless Wolf Duke of Pohorir, Innisth Eanete, dreams of breaking his people and his province free of the king he despises. But he has no way to make that happen—until chance unexpectedly leaves Kehara on his doorstep and at his mercy.

Yet in a land where immanent spirits inhabit the earth, political disaster is not the greatest peril one can face. Now, as the year rushes toward the dangerous midwinter, Kehera and Innisth find themselves unwilling allies, and their joined strength is all that stands between the peoples of the Four Kingdoms and utter catastrophe.

First Sentence:
Jeneil ine Suon was a beautiful girl.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository 

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I read this book for my own enjoyment.

We get the story from Innisth and Kehera along with Tiro. These story lines venture to different lands and are very important characters in the lands. And also becoming even more valuable to the survival of the land as they know it. We see how things are in these places, and what draws them together. Or apart. The lives of the characters cross in unexpected ways.

This is a fantasy, and written as such. We get great details that describe the world. The Immanent Powers of the earth are connected to the ruler in specific areas. The connection and power is very interesting. And when one is corrupted... Oh how things get complicated and ugly.

The books beginning felt slower as we meet the characters, but I found I was drawn to Innisth Eanete from first meeting. He can be harsh and even cruel, but he doesn't want to be this way all the time. He wants his kingdom to live and thrive. To do that, he does need to be harsh but there is more to ruling than cruelty. Innisth seems to know this. Before long, Innisth becomes my favorite character in the book. He sees a difference in his Immanent Power when Kehera is around, and how the two powers work together. Kehera lives through hard times, and knows the truth in the way things go. She's not a dumb character. No. She's smart and knows how things work and will work. She acts as a rulers daughter should and I appreciate her for this. Kehera grows through the book, becoming a strong female character.

There is a character that's not a main character, but he's one that helps. When I first meet him I thought he was interesting. The second time I saw him on the page, I was drawn to him. I felt he knew more that what he was saying. In the third extensive meeting, we learn he does have a tie to something and knows more than we thought. He almost feels like a premonition type.

This book has a magic to it that is different. There are Immanent Powers that are born of the land and tie bonds with rulers and the family of. The person tied has to master the power to keep it in balance, but there are times when the power grows beyond the ruling person. This is dangerous when it happens. The story that goes with the Immanent Powers also leads to Fortunate and Unfortunate Gods. There is a different tie used in the book as well. One to make a sorcerer.

When all come together and we see Kehera and Innisth interact, I'm drawn into them. They balance each other well and give each other a spark that I enjoyed. I like that Kehera is NOT afraid to stand up to Innisth, and I think Innisth likes this as well. Their story together vastly grows and moves the book along. The troubles they cross and what they fight for. Even how they grow founder of each other. This is what I enjoyed seeing.

I love the growth of their relationship and how they are there for each other. This is how I like my love interests and relationships to go, naturally from the characters and events around them drawing them together.

Rachel takes characters and gracefully glides them into positions they are perfect for, but don't want or think they are right for. There are hard moments they live through that brings out their inner selves, and these are the people they truly are and where they should be.



****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon. Thank you!

Interview with Rachel Neumeier

I'm thrilled to have fantasy/urban fantasy author Rachel Neumeier visiting the blog. Today we are talking about her newest release from Strange Chemistry (an Angry Robots imprint), BLACK DOG. You can also check out my review on the blog as well.

Please welcome Rachel to the blog!


M:  Hi Rachel. It's an honor to have you by the blog. Can you share describe your newest release for those that are new to the story?

RN:  Thank you, Melissa, for inviting me over to Words and Pages. It’s always so exciting to have a new book hit the shelves! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and delighted to be here.

Black dog is in the UF/Paranormal family, though it’s almost entirely set in rural Vermont and follows only the beginning of a romance. It’s set in a world filled with secret history that has recently been revealed, a world where demonic influence has shaped life in much of the world for thousands of years. A war between wholly demonic vampires and half-demonic black dogs has resulted in the destruction of all vampires, but has also destroyed the secrecy that has always hidden the supernatural from ordinary people. This is a good thing for the world, but produces serious complications for the black dogs who survived the war – and for Natividad, Alejandro, and their brother Miguel.


M:  Black Dog is classified as Young Adult. What age group do you feel Black Dog is geared toward?

RN:  I seem to naturally fall into writing at the boundary between YA and adult. I’d say that BLACK DOG is suited for anyone reading at the high end of YA on up. Having said that . . . I remember reading absolutely everything when I was a young teenager, and probably you do as well. Readers who enjoyed my other books might feel this one is a little darker, but it’s certainly in the same spectrum.

M:  It's hard to classify an age group, everyone reads at a different level as YA. I think this will be eaten up by many young eyes.

M:  The Black Dogs seem to be a blend of werewolf and much more. What myth did you pull on for the history of the Black Dog?

RN:  In creating the modern social structure of black dogs, I was influenced far more by modern UF/Paranormal writers than by any historical ideas or myths about werewolves.

But I did create my vampires in accordance with the old idea of vampires as purely evil demon-possessed corpses. That’s where I got the idea of also handing my “werewolves” demonic shadows, which of course gives every black dog character an extra layer of conflict to deal with.

It was also the decision to bring in demonic influence that then gave me a push toward creating Pure magic as the antithesis of demonic magic.

M:  The culture you've drawn on here is very interesting. There is a Mexican culture with the kids blending with the North. You occasionally use Spanish words with your characters. How did you find blending it together?

RN:  In practice, this was fun to do, but difficult, because I don’t speak any Spanish. I appealed to friends to correct my online-translator Spanish into correct colloquial Mexican Spanish – and it’s quite true, that disclaimer about any mistakes being my fault. I tried hard not to change anything that might affect the Spanish once it was corrected, but it would be hard for me to notice a mistake in that area.

I enjoyed using Mexican protagonists, though. Not only did that let me set up certain plot elements for the future, it also let me use the distinctions between black dogs, the Pure, and ordinary humans as a kind of metaphor for race and at the same time as a way to reduce the importance of actual racial distinctions. My black dogs may sometimes be snobs about your bloodlines, but they really don’t care about your race.

M:  I really liked that about your black dogs. Very nicely brought across in the read.

M:  You've created a world where lines are a little different. There are elements we have but Vampires were real and Black Dogs exist along with Magic of the Pure. Will be learn more of the Pure influence? There seems as there could be more books in this world. Do you have an idea how many, yet?

RN:  Yes, we will find out a lot more about exactly how vampires and black dogs used to exploit and prey on ordinary people back before the war destroyed the vampire magic that used to hide the supernatural. And the second book will showcase the Pure a bit, though just how much it will explain, well, I think I still know quite a bit more about the Pure and their magic than has yet made its way into a manuscript.

I have ideas and whole scenes set up for at least a third book, and a fairly clear idea of a broad overall story arc that might go farther. Whether those books will actually get written and when, well, that depends on a lot of practical factors, so it’s hard to say.

M:  Well, here's hoping you get to write those books. I'm curious to see more of these characters and what comes to pass.


M:  Okay, fun questions now. These are questions I ask my first time visiting authors.
One question I ask all visitors their first time by…If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

RN:  India! I have wanted to visit India for a while now. All that history! The stunning architecture! The great food! Maybe in a few years. The subcontinent is so big, I would probably have to decide on just one corner to visit, and I have no idea how I would narrow it down. But it would be hard for me to leave my dogs for that long, plus I would have to find a time when I’m not expecting or raising puppies.

M:  Tea or Coffee?

RN:  Hot chocolate, made with whole milk, 70% dark chocolate, and enough sugar to take the edge off. How people can stand to drink coffee, I’ll never know.

M:  LOL, you are not the only person I have heard say that of coffee. And Hot Chocolate is the best made with milk. :)

M:  Favorite Color?

RN:  Blue. All the blues. I’m a sucker for blue flowers in the garden, and I have a lot of blue in my house.

M:  Favorite Childhood Fictional Creature?

RN:  I loved unicorns before the unicorn craze even started.

M:  Now, as an adult, what’s your Favorite Fictional Creature?

RN:  Griffins, naturally. Not just mine, either: I loved the griffin in Nick O’Donohoe’s THE MAGIC AND THE HEALING and probably that’s why I put griffins into my own trilogy. Though, granted, mine came out very differently from his.

Well, okay, and dragons. Pretty much all dragons, especially the dragons in Patricia McKillip’s THE CYGNET AND THE FIREBIRD.

M:  Favorite word? (any word at all)

RN:  Hah, you shouldn’t ask someone with a bio background that! “Ovoviviparous.” I’ve always loved that word. How many words do YOU know that have three “v’s” in them? I will admit, this is a hard one to work into casual conversation.

M:  Haha, that is wild seeing all those "v's" in one word. Nice pick!


Thank you, Rachel, for stopping by for the interview. Here’s wishing you all the best in Words and Pages.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you take a moment to check out Black Dog. It's available for purchase at all your book selling sites as of February 4, 2014
Amazon:


Barnes & Nobles
Book Depository


Author Bio:
Rachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student and needed a hobby unrelated to her research. Prior to selling her first fantasy novel, she had published only a few articles in venues such as The American Journal of Botany. However, finding that her interests did not lie in research, Rachel left academia and began to let her hobbies take over her life instead.

She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.


Find Rachel:
Site & Blog:  Rachel Neumeier
Twitter:  @RachelNeumeier

Book Review: Black Dog

Black Dog

By:  Rachel Neumeier

Publish Date:  February 6, 2014

Publisher:  Strange Chemistry

Format:  Print, 442pgs

Genre:  Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Series:  1st book in Black Dog series

Recommendation:  Nice read to kick back and submerge into the dark world of Black Dogs.

Synopsis:
Natividad is Pure, one of the rare girls born able to wield magic. Pure magic can protect humans against the supernatural evils they only half-acknowledge – the blood kin or the black dogs. In rare cases – like for Natividad’s father and older brother – Pure magic can help black dogs find the strength to control their dark powers.

But before Natividad’s mother can finish teaching her magic their enemies find them. Their entire village in the remote hills of Mexico is slaughtered by black dogs. Their parents die protecting them. Natividad and her brothers must flee across a strange country to the only possible shelter: the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc, who have sworn to protect the Pure.

In the snowy forests of Vermont they are discovered by Ezekiel Korte, despite his youth the strongest black dog at Dimilioc and the appointed pack executioner. Intrigued by Natividad he takes them to Dimilioc instead of killing them.

Now they must pass the tests of the Dimilioc Master. Alejandro must prove he can learn loyalty and control even without his sister’s Pure magic. Natividad’s twin Miguel must prove that an ordinary human can be more than a burden to be protected. And even at Dimilioc a Pure girl like Natividad cannot remain unclaimed to cause fighting and distraction. If she is to stay she must choose a black dog mate.

But, first, they must all survive the looming battle.

First Sentence:
With one fingertip, Natividad drew a pentagram on the window of the bus.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

**I accepted a copy of this book for an honest review.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Natividad and her two brothers, Miguel and Alejandro, are on the run. They are trying to find their way to the Dimilioc territory from Mexico. The Black Dog family that, if accepted in, could protect them. Their fathers past might be something they need to work past, but they are willing to do what it takes. They hope their enemy isn't following, that they lost them on the trek here. In trying to be accepted into the 'family' of Dimilioc, Natividad, Miguel, and Alejandro might be putting many more in danger. Their enemy is up to far more worse then they could have ever imagined, and the siblings hold a secret they don't even know of. They work to keep their selves safe, learn more of what they are - Pure and Black Dog - and keep everyone around them safe as they try to pass the tests to become part of the Dimilioc family.

This was an interesting creation with the werewolf myth, into the black dog. I like the black dog idea, very much. It's different and had me thinking on it. The Pure are humans with a touch of magic that eases the black dog in others. I'm curious on the Pure. Natividad is a Pure and I look forward to more of her powers coming to surface as the series goes.

We get the point of views from Natividad first, then also from Alejandro - the black dog of the family. This book is more of a focus on the black dogs, the major point of the need for the Pure. It is interesting to see from a Pure aspect, who influences the black dogs, and from a young black dog. We learn the rules of the species as we go, and are reminded of the importance of them.

Oh, we have the Dimilioc family. Wow. I love this 'pack'. There is a level of command, which seems hard for black dogs to do, but they do it. The black dogs in the family aren't as cruel as you think they will be. But the leader, Grayson Lanning, is new as apposed to the leader when the kids father was involved. Things have changed a bit. And this is a group, even though dangerous, I would love to meet. I fell for all the characters in the pack as we got to know them. Yes, all of them.

In the start of the book I definitely felt a strong young adult influence to the story telling. I thought anyone one from 10 up could read it. In the end, I still have that feel. The writing feels easy to understand. There is a dark feel to the black dogs and the end, but in this day and age I think it would be a very good Urban Fantasy read. But there is a feel that the story will grow with its readers and characters, things will become a bit older with them both. I think this would be a quick read for adults who would enjoy the creation of the Black Dog.

There is more happening here than we see. I want to see what comes of Natividad, Miguel, and Alejandro as they become part of the Dimilioc family in the future. They are young, but so much potential between them all.

Mythical Monday (25)

It seems there are many books based on or influenced by Myths and Mythological Beings.

There are so many different Mythology and Mythological Beings recorded. Some are very popular and well known, others not so much. There are many similar beings, yet different depending on the culture it’s based in.  The definition of Myth covers about anything in the Urban Fantasy/Fantasy realm to me.

I’ve invited authors to share briefly the Mythological being or Myth that influenced their character(s) or story, or what their character(s) are based on influencing their books.  Hosting here, one author and being or myth per week.

This week we have:

Fantasy author Rachel Neumeier

Talking of Dragons.

"Dragon Family" in Varna, Belgaria

Why are dragons everybody’s favorite mythological creature?

Maybe the enduring popularity of dragons arises – at least in part – from the many different kinds of dragons that have been pictured by many different cultures.  True, historically, European dragons, as well as those of the Near East, were pictured as the embodiment of chaos and the enemy of civilized order.  It was a dragon, Nidhoggr, who lay beneath the World Tree and gnawed its roots.  Before the Babylonian god Marduk could impose order on the world, he had to slay the chaotic dragon Tiamat.  Persian soldiers carried huge figures of dragons into battle, and the Romans painted red dragons on their battle standards, which were called dracones.

We certainly encounter this kind of dragon in fantasy:  think of Tolkien’s Smaug, whom Gandalf was determined to destroy before the great battles with Sauron could really get underway, lest the dark lord should use him as a terrible weapon against the armies of the west.  There is a great example of the dragon as it was originally pictured:  a force for chaos that must be destroyed so that the world of men can thrive.

But of course, not all cultures associated chaos and death with dragons.  The celestial dragons of China protected the heavens, but even lesser Chinese dragons, though powerful and capricious, were far from evil.  Instead, Chinese dragons governed the weather, ruled the rivers, and guarded the treasures of the earth – including the pearl of wisdom.

Naturally, none of this was specifically in my mind when I created my own dragons.  In fact, the direct inspiration for the sky dragons in The Floating Islands was the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl, and he was a god, not a dragon.  But I loved the idea of a feathered dragon, so very different from the way dragon are usually pictured.  The plumed serpent was the image I had in mind when I described the dragons whose  magic keeps the Floating Islands aloft.

Of course, my feathered dragons don’t look a great deal like Quetzalcoatl, even in the god’s serpent form.  In fact, most of my Islanders can barely see the transparent sky dragons.  But those who have been touched by dragon magic can see them clearly, and hear them, too:  great heads as fine boned and delicate as a bird’s, chatoyant eyes glimmering with pale opalescent colors, feathers of spun glass, barbs of crystal dusted with powdered pearl, voices like the ringing of chimes – the wind dragons of The Floating Islands are not well understood even by the Islanders who depend upon them, but they are appreciated and admired.

And you can hardly think of Quetzalcoatl without thinking of quetzals, which may be the most beautiful birds ever to inhabit the jungles of the real world.  I set quetzals flying among the Floating Islands as the highly valued Quei, which symbolize the Islands and are thought to bring good luck.  It’s just a perk that in our world, quetzals symbolize the desire for flight.  That could hardly be more appropriate for the protagonist of The Floating Islands if I’d made it up myself.

But the sky dragons that inhabit the Floating Islands aren’t the only kind of dragons that have appeared in my books.  There’s a dragon in House of Shadows as well.  That one is an entirely different sort of dragon!  Nor can I easily describe that dragon, without giving away elements of the plot.  I will say, though, that the dragon in House of Shadows was inspired by all my favorite dragons in fantasy:  Morkeleb the Black in Barbara Hambly’s Dragon’sbane, for example. 

I’ve always loved the ambiguity of this dragon.  Is he going to eat that woman, or is he protecting her?  The ambiguity in this image is true to the story, too, because Morkeleb really is dangerous and unpredictable and powerful, but certainly not evil.  And how about the dragon – if he is a dragon? – in RA MacAvoy’s Tea With the Black Dragon.  There’s a Chinese dragon no fan of SFF should miss!

But probably my favorite dragon of all time is the one that appears in Patricia McKillip’s The Cygnet and the Firebird.  That right there should tell you that I like my dragons ancient and powerful, dangerous and wise, and that’s what I had in mind when I created the dragon in House of Shadows.

Author Biography

Rachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student and needed a hobby unrelated to her research. Prior to selling her first fantasy novel, she had published only a few articles in venues such as The American Journal of Botany. However, finding that her interests did not lie in research, Rachel left academia and began to let her hobbies take over her life instead.

She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.


Find Rachel Neumeier:
Blog:   Rachel Neumeier
Twitter:  @RachelNeumeier

Mythical Monday (12)

It seems there are many books based on or influenced by Myths and Mythological Beings.

There are so many different Mythology and Mythological Beings recorded. Some are very popular and well known, others not so much. There are many similar beings, yet different depending on the culture it’s based in.  The definition of Myth covers about anything in the Urban Fantasy/Fantasy realm to me.

I’ve invited authors to share briefly the Mythological being or Myth that influenced their character(s) or story, or what their character(s) are based on influencing their books.  Hosting here, one author and being or myth per week.

This week we have:

Fantasy author Rachel Neumeier

Talking of the Griffins.

Zoological Museum, Copenhagen

So, why griffins?

Griffins were actually an obvious choice for me.  I’m not saying griffins are my favorite mythological creature.  I sure don’t have anything against dragons, for example.  In fact, dragons appear in two of my own books (The Floating Islands and House of Shadows), though the dragons in each book are certainly very different.

But I’ve always had a soft spot for griffins. 

Not because of any particular symbolism associated with griffins, though.  I mean, I know that griffins have had all kinds of associations, in all kinds of cultures.  Take, for example, the Pisa Griffin.  (It’s the same Pisa as the one with the Leaning Tower.)  This huge bronze statue may be in Pisa, but it was made by an Islamic sculptor in the 11^th Century.  Around its chest and body, there’s an Arabic inscription saying:  “Perfect benediction, complete wellbeing, perfect joy, eternal peace and perfect health, and happiness and good fortune for the owner."  That’s quite a load for one statue to carry, even if it is the largest bronze statue known from that era.

The Pisa Griffin

And in European heraldry, griffins are supposed to symbolize strength and valor and nobility.  This makes sense, because after all a griffin combines in one creature both the “king of beasts” and the “king of the air.”  In his book System of Heraldry (1722), Alexander Nisbet described griffins thus:  "The griffin represents wisdom joined to fortitude, but wisdom should lead, and fortitude follow."   And – here’s an interesting tidbit – the griffins shown in heraldry are almost all female!  Because in European heraldry, only female griffins have wings.  Male griffins are instead shown with bursts of spikes, which are supposed to represent the rays of the sun.

But did I know any of this when I wrote The Griffin Mage trilogy?  Actually, no.  I learned most of it just now, when looking up stuff about mythological creatures for this very post.

When I decided to include griffins in a story of my own, I actually wasn’t of thinking of griffins from a historical or symbolic or heraldic perspective.  I was thinking of the griffins I have loved in other people’s stories.  The griffins in Diana Wynne Jones’ Year of the Griffin, for example.  I love Kit and Callette and Elda and the other griffins in that story!

Or how about O’Donohoe’s wonderful griffin, Asturiel, from The Magic and the Healing trilogy?  Has anybody else read this excellent trilogy?  If you haven’t, you’re missing out.  Asturiel isn’t the main character, but he’s certainly memorable.  He’s a bit rigid and more than a little ruthless – in fact, he reminds me more than a little of Inspector Javert from Les Miserables.  But then, I always did sympathize with Inspector Javert.  I actually had O’Donohoe’s griffin in mind when I first thought of including griffins in a book of my own, which only goes to show, because of course my griffins are absolutely nothing like Asturiel.

What happened was, I wrote the first couple of paragraphs of Lord of the Changing Winds, and those paragraphs came out more or less this way:

                The griffins came to Feierabiand with the early summer warmth, riding the wind out of the heights down to the tender pastures of the foothills.  The wind they brought with them was a hard hot wind, with nothing of the gentle Feierabiand summer about it.  It tasted of red dust and hot brass.
                Kes . . . saw them come:  great bronze wings shining in the sun, tawny pelts like molten gold, sunlight striking harshly off beaks and talons.  One was a hard shining white, one red as the coals at the heart of a fire.  The griffins rode their wind like soaring eagles, wings outstretched and still.  The sky took on a fierce metallic tone as they passed.  They turned around the shoulder of the mountain and disappeared, one and then another and another, until they had all passed out of sight.  Behind them, the sky softened slowly to its accustomed gentle blue.

And this was completely unexpected.  I’m serious.  I honestly had no idea I was going to make griffins into creatures of fire until, check it out, there they are bringing a desert with them into the ordinary countryside.  Who knew?

But I liked the idea at once.  I didn’t just keep it, I ran with it.  Right away it was obvious that if griffins were going to be creatures of fire, this could set them up as different from ordinary human people, who I immediately decided were creatures of earth.  And if griffins were going to be different from humans, I decided I’d make them different – different not only physically and in the magic they use, but also psychologically.  Though I hope readers will enjoy my griffins, and sympathize with them, and more or less kind of understand them, my griffins aren’t human – and from that difference arises the underlying conflict that drives the whole griffin trilogy.

Could I have used dragons instead of griffins?  Of course .  But everybody who reads fantasy has already got a favorite dragon, isn’t that right?  Or at the very least a clear picture of what a proper dragon ought to be like, whether a dangerous monster, or basically a regular person, or a wonderful plot device.  We already know plenty about dragons.  But griffins don’t come with such firmly attached images or associations.  I had fun taking a less well-known mythological creature off in a direction even I couldn’t predict.  And I hope my readers have fun with that, too!

You can find Rachel Neumeier:
Blog:  Rachel Neumeier
Twitter:  @RachelNeumeier


You can now find the complete The Griffin Mage Trilogy in one neat book:

Or you can purchase each book separately:

Looking Forward To... (26)

There are so many amazing books already on the shelves and new ones coming out.

For a list of books yet to be released I'm looking to get, you can also look on my right Sidebar at the ever growing list titled Desired Reads - just scroll down.  Of course there are tones of other new books to come out that are amazing as well, but these ones are part of series I have already started or for one reason or another caught my eye (and haven't seen much on other blogs yet). But I will highlight one here each week.

(mentioned in order of Release Date then Alphabetical if there are more than one book coming out on the same date.)

The Next Book Is..

Law of the Broken Earth

By:  Rachel Neumeier

Due Out:  December 1, 2010

I have read the first two books in this trilogy and enjoyed reading them as they have a classic fantasy feel with a new twist of Griffins.  The first two books could possibly be read individually as they kind of struck me as individual stories fore they where in two different areas of the same world.  So, I am curious to get to the last book in the trilogy.  And since I started the trilogy, I just have to finish it.  And the griffins are determined to not be stopped or mistreated by mankind in any way.  I have to see what happens with the griffins and mankind.  Will the work out an agreement or not...  Will they all survive or destroy each other?

Good Reads Synopsis:
In Feierabiand, in the wide green Delta, far from the burning heat of the griffin's desert, Mienthe's peaceful life has been shaken. Tan - clever, cynical, and an experienced spy - has brought a deadly secret out of the neighboring country of Linularinum.

Now, as three countries and two species rush toward destruction, Mienthe fears that even her powerful cousin Bertaud may be neither able nor even willing to find a safe path between the secret Linularinum would kill to preserve and the desperate ferocity of the griffins. But can Mienthe?

And, in the end, will Tan help her . . . or do everything in his power to stand in her way? 

Book Review: Land of the Burning Sands

Land of the Burning Sands
The Griffin Mage: Book Two

By:  Rachel Neumeier

Publisher:  Orbit Books

Publish Date:  June 2010

Genre:  Fantasy

Format:  Paperback, 441 pgs - pocket sized

Series:  2nds Book in The Griffin Mage Trilogy, Review of Book 1 Lord of the Changing Winds ~ HERE

Recommendation:  If you enjoy straight forward journey fantasy reads, with some strategy of fighting with out warring and a new element of Griffins.  This is definitely a book for you.

Book Synopsis:
Gereint Enseichen of Casmantium knows little and cares less about the recent war in which his king tried to use griffins and fire to wrest territory from the neighboring country of Feierabiand.  Now, his kingdom's unexpected defeat offers him a chance to escape from his own servitude.

But now that the griffins find themselves in a position of strength, they are not inclined to forgive and the entire kingdom finds itself in deadly peril.  Willing or not, Gereint is caught up in a desperate struggle between the griffins and the last remaining mage...

First Sentence:
Gereint Enseichen sat on a narrow pallet in the lowest cellar of the Anteirden townhouse, waiting.

My Review and Summary:
For a day, a night, and a day slave Gereint hide in the two story deep basement while the desert claimed the newly abandoned city of Melentser, hoping to lose the geas connection he felt to his master.  On the second night Gereint sat in the broken sandy city and watched the sun set.  As he did, he saw the bright griffins fly over him.  Feeling no pull on his geas, Gereint heads North East, opposite of the other refugees and his master.  Only to fall under geas to another man and see more griffins fly by.

We start off with a whole new story.  We follow Gereint through his journey after the destruction of Melentser.  We learn more of his life, how he fell into the trap of slavery of the geas.  But most of all, we learn of the person Gereint is.  I started to understand more of the country Calmantium.  If you read the first book, you will remember this is the country where the Griffins first resided, and now have come home.

Through the book you get the feel for how the people and Cold Mage are apposed to the griffins.  In more than just dislike.  Their is a deeper feeling that these two different magics don't mix very well, and this is shown to you through the acts and feelings of the characters.  I learned more of the Cold Mage and of the Makers that are from Calmantium.

This book struck me as it could be read on its own, not having to have read the first book in the trilogy since we are placed in Calmantium instead of Feierabiand and the story doesn't revolve majorly on the happenings of the first book.  I felt this book was a story of its own.  We do start to touch on the happenings in Lord of Changing Winds around page 72, but remember the people of Calmantium really don't know what happened in Feierabiand, and what you need to know for this story is given to you.

I didn't interact much with the griffins in this read.  They are a constant and are visual through the book.  But not much interaction between the characters and griffins until close to the end of the book.  In this way there is some suspense built to wonder what they are doing and what will happen.

Along with the griffins there is a few characters who come back in this one.  The one main character, which I enjoyed in Lord of the Changing Winds, was Lord Bertaud.  And we have many new characters.  I came to enjoy these new characters very much by the end of the book.

In all I enjoyed this read and will look for the third book of this trilogy.  A wonderful classic fantasy style with a new element...griffins.



I purchased this book for my reading enjoyment

This book qualifies for my Speculated Fiction Challenge hosted by Book Chick City.

Book Review: Lord of the Changing Winds

Lord of the Changing Winds
The Griffin Mage: Book One

By:  Rachel Neumeier

Publisher:  Orbit Books

Publish Date:  May 2010

Genre:  Fantasy

Format:  Paperback, 367 pages

Series:  First book of The Griffin Mage Series

Recommendation:  If you would like to read a straight forward fantasy style read, with magic, and the amazing creatures of griffins.

Book Synopsis:
Little ever happens in the quiet villages of peaceful Feierabiand.  For Kes, the course of her life seems set: she'll grow up to be an herb-woman and healer, never quite fitting in but always more or less accepted.  And she's content with that path - or she thinks she is.  Until the day the griffins come down from the mountains, bringing with them the fiery wind of their desert and a desperate need for a healer.  But what the griffins need is a healer who is not quite human...or a healer who can be made into something not quite human.

First Sentence:
The griffins came to Feierabiand with the early summer warmth, riding the wind out of the heights down to the tender green pastures of the foothills.

My Review and Summary:
Kes is a quiet shy (almost backwards) young girl who lives with her sister Tesme on their horse breeding farm, along with Jos the quiet man who has been with them for six years helping around the farm.  Kes is up in the woods collecting herbs for her stock when she spys the Griffins flying in the distance, and is distracted by their beauty.  After Kes returns home, she goes into the small village with her sister to celebrate the birth of magnificant horse of Tesme's.  While there a man comes looking for Kes, asking for her help.  Kes realizes something different about this man, that he must have a connection to the griffins by what she sees and feels. Kes willingly goes with this man and learns she can heal griffins, without her herbs.

The countries have divided themselves by the people and their abilities.  The setup of these abilities, or different magics, is started in this book as you learn a little about all of them and more of a few special ones.  The abilities are categorized as; Makers, Legists, and Animal Affinity.  These abilities are separated between three countries.  Makers, build things and are the best at their craft - to make the strongest and best walls, bridges, roads and such.  Legists, are amazing with words - making contracts that can not be broke or even with poetry.  Animal Affinity, have a connection with a specific type of animal and will possess control over it.  The Animal Affinity is the ability Kes's country folk possess, for example Tesme has an affinity for horses and Kes has accepted that she will not have an affinity and is talented with her herbs.  But Kes is about to learn a wonderous secret of herself...

Then there are Mages present as well; earth, cool, and fire.  And they all have a strange affect on each other.

I have not read many books of griffins.  So, I couldn't wait to get this book for just that reason.  There are no mysterious turns to the story, this story is a solid fantasy style read. 

I enjoyed reading the beauty drawn through words of the griffins and learning of them as the story went on.  In the first 100 pages I only felt for Bertaud and of his friendship with the King.  I wanted to connect with Kes and the griffins, yet they seemed... standoffish.  But, somewhere between 125 and 200 pages something happened, and I feel for Kes and the griffins and started to understand more of their personalities.  I think part of the connection I didn't feel was because I didn't trust the Griffin Mage.  I didn't like him in the first half of the story, but I came to understand him in the second half, and even start to like him in the end.  I think the author wants you to not trust Kairaithin along with finding it harder to connect with him and the griffins.  I started to realize it may be part of their nature since they are creatures of fire.  But in the end I accepted them for who they are and liked them.

The only thing about the read I had a hard time with were the names of the griffins.  It was hard for me to keep them separate at first as the names were rather long and similar to each other, example: Eskainiane Escaile Sehaikiu.  What did help was the author did usually give a description of the griffin by color with the names to help differentiate them, and after giving them nicknames I started to do well with them.

After reading this book, I am curious to see where the rest of the trilogy goes.  In the end of the story I felt I started to understand what makes all the characters work and would like to read the next book to see where they all go and what falls upon them.


I will be posting a contest tomorrow for the second book I have.  So, stay tuned and stop back around.

This review qualifies for the Speculative Fiction Challenge @ Book Chick City.
I received a copy of this book from the author for review, after stressing my desire to read it.  Thank you.

Looking Forward To...

I just read an eye catching post over at Orbit Books, on a new Fantasy series starting with the first book in May.  It appears from this post the three books will be out this year; May, June, and December.

What is it about you ask?  Griffins!

Would you like to read the post that caught my eye?  Here is the link.  I hope you enjoy it.

This is Book 1, out May 2010.

Book 2, out June 2010.

 Book 3, out December 2010

I THINK I NEED THESE BOOKS!!!