"Urban Shaman (Walker Papers #1)" by C.E. Murphy

This is probably a book I should've cast aside, but chose to muddle through because I was already halfway through when it was clear I wasn't enjoying myself. Not exactly a good reason to keep reading, but I'd also had books that have redeemed themselves with their ending, and I was hoping that would be the case with this one.

The pacing with this book is strange. It might be different if you find dreams/weird spiritual scenes truly interesting (which I thought I did before I read this), but in my case, due to the prevalence of such scenes, the book seemed 800 pages long. I am relatively open to fictional spirituality-wanderings, but honestly, this book didn't make me curious- it made me skim the scenes because it was fairly obvious I would not find what I wanted from them.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'Seattle cop, Joanne Walker, returns from vacation to have her life turned upside down. She is pursued by a Celtic God, and forced to acknowledge an aspect of the universe she's never seen before. Even if she survives, she will forever be changed by this adventure.'

Joanne Walker is a character I could relate to, but didn't really care about due to the author fiercely defending her 'secrets'. There are things you learn about Joanne/Siobhan (yes, even her name isn't what it seems) very late in the book that explain some of her stupid secrecy, but at that point, it's too little, too late. In a way her characterization was half and half- she was friendly, joking with her cop buddies, but then none of them really knew much about her. I found Kate Daniels much more realistic in that, to keep her 'secrets', she shied away from anyone and kept up a 'hard-ass' facade. Joanne wasn't real to me like that.

I'm not sure why the paranormal/spiritual aspects made me want to grind my teeth, other than they were much more boring than I thought paranormal/spiritual things could be. Also, in a way I found them stereotypical- I don't know very much about Native American culture, but I do know it can be written in a much more enthralling way than it was presented here, while keeping true to it. I was honestly horrified when I found out how little Native mythology the author had thrown in- not only did it feel like an afterthought to me, it didn't feel the least bit authentic (perhaps due to the heroine's incessant disbelief/Spock-mindedness).

Urban Shaman had me excited when I heard about it. I am devoid of enthusiasm now. I can't think of the last book that had me really disappointed, but this one certainly fits the bill. Although there were interesting and amusing turns of phrase sprinkled throughout this book, it wasn't near enough to keep me interested. Because this book has such potential, I give it 2.5 stars, but I really can't recommend it unless it really sounds like your piece of cake.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars for an okay book that could've been simplified into a better one.

Content: Ages 16+ for gorey bits and violence.

Page Count: 410 pages

Early Critique: "The House of Four Winds (One Dozen Daughters #1)" by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

Disclaimer:
I received this e-book for free via NetGalley, but in no way did it affect my literary taste buds. This critique is my honest opinion.

To Be Released: August 3rd

Book #1 in the One Dozen Daughters Series

The Plot:
Clarice Swann is a princess of Swansgaarde out to find her destiny. On her eighteenth birthday, as planned by her parents, she is sent off to wherever she wishes to make a life for herself. A princess's dowry is a costly thing, and the King and Queen of Swansgaarde know they cannot afford twelve dowries, and therefore the princesses are taught a trade before they set out. Clarice has chosen the path of swordsmistress, but first she must go somewhere faraway to gain her fame and then settle down. To that end, she boards the Asesino, a merchant ship, hoping to pay her way to New Hesperia or thereabouts, dressed as Mr. Clarence Swann. But it soon becomes apparent she chose the wrong vessel, as the captain is merciless and the crew grows mutinous. Will she be able to make her way across the sea without shedding some blood?

I loved the plot of this book, even though crossdressing girls are quite frequently found in fantasy (and historical) books. Unfortunately, Clarice had none of the predictable trouble of crossdressing, so the thrill of that line of the plot was reduced to nothing. Not to say I don't like a book to do exactly as its predecessors had, but what was the point of her crossdressing when it didn't feel like it factored in to the grand scheme of things?

Another thing that bothered me about the book was its world. It is an odd mesh of fairytale and historical, with perhaps a tad of fantasy thrown in for the hell of it, and at one point there is mention of a story from the book of Kings (from the Bible). I mean, not to complain about Bible references (I wouldn't have a name without that book), but it felt odd to have it thrown in a world where magic (or thaumaturgy) exists, and is somehow biblically based.

The characters were simply okay. They did have moments when it felt like they might be adults, but the rest of the time it felt like they were all stuck in junior high. There was some plot with regards to the ship's crew having a hand in the Asesino politics and such, but that angle was quickly thrown aside as well.

A spoiler regarding the main plot, and my frustration over it (Highlight to view):
The sorceress who holds Dominick (Clarice's love interest) in thrall needs him because he is a virgin as well as a ship's navigator (a rarity). Clarice and Dominick know this, but not once is it even discussed that they might consummate that and therefore destroy the sorceress's chances to get what she wants. I don't think it would have been appropriate for them to do that (being Dominick has only known Clarice as a girl for a little while), but instead the authors have them break the magic by virtue of true love (or as I like to say, to blave). They don't even try to see if it works- they go into the final battle blind. Blinded by their true love that has grown from a friendship between what was thought to be a guy and another guy. If I were Clarice, I would've been leary of his confession (despite his being a virgin and all). It was just a bit too odd for me to accept that they have true love so soon.

This is a book I would've loved to read as a teen, or even as a tween. As an adult, it falls a bit short of my expectations of a good fantasy pirate yarn with a dash of romance. If you like young adult books, you may be of a different opinion, but for me, this didn't qualify as quite good enough to broach three stars.

Rating: 2.5 Stars, for a simply okay read that didn't fulfill my expectations.

Content: Mild violence. Ages 14+

Page Count: 307 pages expected in the hardcover edition.

P.S. I (Talitha) am named as one of the dozen princesses of Swansgaarde in this book. Even though this book wasn't for me, I'll definitely be reading the one that features that princess.