Shalador's Lady

The Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop is currently eight books long. Shalador's Lady is the eighth book in the series. For those who haven't read the Black Jewels series, this book might be confusing. The series is broken up into two main character divisions, the first three books and books 5 and 6 focus on Witch and her followers, while books 4, 7 and 8 focus on the people in the territory of Dena Nehele and Shalador.

For fans of the series, this book completes the story of the people of Dena Nehele and answers the questions of what happens to those left behind after the cleansing of the Blood. Lady Cassidy grows into a strong queen with the help of most of her first circle. I liked this book as much as, if not more than, The Shadow Queen, which introduced Lady Cassidy and the descendants of Dena Nehele. Where The Shadow Queen diverged into unnecessary side-plots involving Witch and her family, Shalador's Lady brings these characters into the story in a meaningful way.

I really enjoyed this book and the entire series. If you haven't read any of the books in the series, this book may be hard to follow. Definitely read The Shadow Queen before picking up this book. If you're a fan of the Black Jewels series, this book will be a return to the joy of the first few books.

I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. There were a few moments that were predictable, but still well worth the read.

Night Huntress

Have you ever read a book simply to see where a series is going to go? The Sisters of the Moon/Otherworld series by Yasmine Galenorn has gotten to this point for me. Night Huntress, the 5th book in the series, advances the story of the D'Artigo sisters as they try to protect Earth and Otherworld from an encroaching demon threat, but often throughout the book I found myself wondering why I was bothering to continue reading it. Delilah, around whom this book focuses, had been my favorite character, and still is, but that wasn't enough to keep me 100% interested. At one point Delilah tells readers that "each fight has its own feel", but in these books, that didn't seem to be true. There were several moments when I felt like I had read that part of the book before.

I want to give a plot synopsis, but the plot wasn't tied together very well. Delilah and Chase are having some relationship problems which leads Delilah to reconnect with Zach of the Puma pride. The demon from book 4 makes a reappearance to try and claim the 4th spirit seal. Again the plot seems too bogged down with fight scenes and other things that you lose the connection to the characters. I found myself reading the book to see where it was going to go and being disappointed by the lack of depth.

I want to be able to recommend this book, but I'm not sure I can.I give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Monthly Feature

I have decided to spotlight one book a month. A favorite from my collection, by a favorite author, or one that I have been thinking about or contemplating in new ways.

This month's feature book is by a favorite author of mine, Mercedes Lackey. One Good Knight is the second book in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series by Mercedes Lackey. The series starts with The Fairy Godmother, which is also a good book. All the books in this series take a familiar fairy tale or story and turn it inside out. One Good Knight is no exception. One Good Knight tells the story of a princess taken hostage by a fire-breathing dragon and the Knight sent to rescue her. This book partially inspired the name of this blog. I am reluctant to give away more of the story, as there are a few twists even I didn't see coming.

One Good Knight gets 4 out of 5 stars. There are some slow moving points in the story, but it is well worth the read. And although this is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone book.

Dragon Wytch

Dragon Wytch by Yasmine Galenorn is the fourth book in the Sisters of the Moon series. This book once again focuses on oldest sister, Camille. Camille is trying to juggle three lovers, a bookstore, family, and the search for the ancient relics that hold the fate of the world in the balance. Add to that unicorns, trolls, and Fae Queens and you have quite a story.

While I am still interested in the overall story here, there is so much going on that it's sometimes hard to keep track. Again the book feels shallow. There is some witty banter, some steamy romance, but it is bogged down by the fight scenes and other meandering in the story. I did like that we got into some of Camille's back-story. Camille manages to show in this book that she's not the shallow person she seems in the first book. Amidst the many different plots converging in this book is an interesting story, and I am interested to see how it all plays out, but I worry that the author is trying to put in all these different elements to keep action in the story, but all it does wear the reader out trying to keep up.

If you enjoyed the first three books, then this book is worth the read. I give this book a 2.75 out of 5.

Sisters of the Moon

Yasmine Galenorn's Sisters of the Moon series starts with the three books Witchling, Changling, and Darkling. These books begin the journey of the D'Artigo sisters Earthside. Camille, Delilah, and Menolly are half-fae, half-human operatives for the OIA, the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. Their mission on Earth is to stop demons from taking over. All of that can be gleaned from reading the back cover of any of the books in the series.

Witchling, the first book in the series, follows oldest sister, Camille, as she learns of an impending takeover from the Subterranean Realms. This book sets the major storyline for the seires. Camille, a witch whose magic shorts out at unpredictable times, sometimes seems more interested in fashion and running her bookstore than in fighting the demons. The writing to be shallow and slow-moving, but I continued to read. Perhaps the writing seemed this way because the books are told in first-person narrative from the lead character's point of view and Camille is a somewhat shallow person. Despite Camille's flaws, she loves her sisters and her lover, Trillian, and is determined to stop the demons from destroying both worlds. I give Witchling 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Changling, the second book in the series, follows middle sister, Delilah, as she tries to help a local group of Werepumas find a serial killer. Delilah is a much more interesting character than her older sister. Delilah, a werecat who shifts when stressed, is feisty and compassionate. The second book seemed to move much more quickly than the first and had some twists and turns that I didn't quite see coming. By the time the book ended, I found myself more hooked on the series and a fan of Delilah. Changling gets a 3.5 out of 5.

Darkling, the third book in the series, follows the D'Artigo's youngest sister, Menolly, who is a natural acrobat turned vampire. The first two books in the series follow the sisters as the search for relics and fight demons to prevent the lord the the Subterranean Realm, Shadow Wing, from gaining access to Earth and Otherworld. Darkling, by contrast, follows Menolly as she continues her journey to find a life in undeath. She must confront her passions, fears, and ultimately her sire in order to save her sisters, friends, and the city from becoming a bloodbath. While the story was interesting, I again noticed the shaky writing. Another con of this book is that, since Menolly is a vampire, the entire story must take place at night, which means that we don't get to see a lot of Camille and Delilah, characters that we've grown attached to. For those reasons, and some obvious grammatical errors, I give this book a 2.75 out of 5.

Overall, the first three books in the Sisters of the Moon series aren't great, but they aren't bad either. The story is interesting, the characters are people that are likable, and the romance is not the main focus. Despite my frustration with the slowness or shallowness of the writing, I find myself interested in seeing how everything is going to play out. Will Shadow Wing find a way to break through? What will happen to the sisters in their journeys? By generating interest in the future books, I give the first three books a 3 out of 5. Give these books a chance. If you're looking for a light, clever, unique story, these books might just be for you.