"Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman

Torrie is not keen on being the Neverwhere cover model.

Sometimes I feel like I'm reading the same novel of Mr. Gaiman's over and over again. To date, I've read three of his books, including this one, American Gods, and Stardust, and increasingly I'm finding the same characters... only all the books I just mentioned aren't supposed to crossover. Sure, there's a couple characters that are different (and even diverse, which is great), but... I have yet to be convinced I'm reading something new, something I've been looking for in a Gaiman novel, some kind of connection with the characters, something to make me feel sad that the novel has ended, and there isn't a second volume for me to pick up.

This book I was excited about because I like the idea of portals to other realms, and this book's covers suggest the plot would center around that idea. In fact, I was so excited to read this book (and convinced it would be my favorite Gaiman yet) that I bought a mass market paperback copy to read in addition to my digital edition.

The Plot:
Richard Mayhew stops to assist a damsel in distress, only to be erased from his own world and dumped in a world he never knew existed before. The damsel, Door, is being hunted by mercenaries, but will she be able to find who's behind the deaths of her family members before she herself is found?

Richard Mayhew may not be a lookalike of Shadow (American Gods) and Tristran (Stardust), but I can't help but feeling they all have the same soul. I admit disliking characters who don't know what exactly they're after, but usually I find something about them endearing, and in Richard's case, it was his love of troll dolls. Beyond that, I was a bit bored with him because of his soul/personality similarities to Tristran and Shadow, and Mr. Gaiman's consistent use of making them into heroes via the story of the book. I'm a bit over the everyman-becomes-"the-man" plotline: I saw it coming here, but hoped I was mistaken that the author would roll it out again. Not a spoiler, but he did.

While I did like the world it was set in, and some of the side characters (Hunter was particularly exceptional), I was hoping for a little more surprise in the ending. With Stardust, even when I'd seen the movie (and thus the basic plot), Mr. Gaiman surprised me with a different ending than I'd anticipated. With Neverwhere, you pretty much know how it will end, and so when it ends, you kind of wonder why you bought that mass market paperback, even though it was less than a quarter the cost of a good potting soil.

Neverwhere was underwhelming for me. Although I love quests, sometimes I'd like more than a few twists tossed in for good measure, in addition to main characters who are more interesting than the side ones, and probably some villains who don't remind one of Charlie Chaplin and Ozzie Osbourne's love children (who went on a few too many bad trips, became assassins, and somehow became the best at torture and general mayhem). If you love Mr. Gaiman, Neverwhere will probably only add to your love of Mr. Gaiman, but if you're lukewarm about some of his main characters, like me, you might find Richard Mayhew a little too familiar.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars for a good story that I was hoping would be different.

Content: Ages 16+ for graphic violence and occasional swearing.

Page Count: 370 pages in my mass market paperback edition

"Turtle Moon" by Alice Hoffman

I generally dislike anything contemporary, but in the case of Alice Hoffman novels, I love it. She's well-known for her use of magical realism, taking fantastic elements and weaving them into the plot of something set in our world, without the 'start-from-scratch' world building of urban fantasy.

In the case of this novel, most of the magical realism elements are set around the human connection to animals, and the chaos around month of May that takes over the small town of Verity, Florida every year. Verity is newly inundated with single mothers, due to the low cost of living and the scenery. Even though it seems a relatively placid place to live, the month of May brings about drastic changes in the town.

The Plot:
When the meanest boy in Verity, Florida, Keith, runs away with an orphaned baby girl whose mother has been murdered, his mother Lucy refuses to believe he's guilty of the crime, even when evidence suggests otherwise. Julian Cash, who is a specialist with Verity's canine police unit, uses his dogs to dig up clues to Keith's whereabouts, but will the murderer be found in time?

Animals always seem to crop up in Alice Hoffman's books, whether it's the doves of The Dovekeepers, the horses of The Foretelling, or the wolves of Second Nature. In this book, the main theme is dogs, although a gator does pop up in the course of the story. Julian has two dogs he uses to track suspects: Loretta, a relatively well-behaved shepherd, and Arrow, a semi-feral "air dog" whose nose can track anything rotten, even long-dead things. Arrow forms a special connection with one of the characters late in the book, proving although he won't let anyone else touch him, he isn't as rabid as he seems.

We also get to see the other side of a relative ne'er-do-well, Keith, and his grown-up equivalent, Julian. Keith seems to get into more trouble when he moves to Verity, pining for New York, where his father lives, instead of the smothering heat of Florida. Julian is a man of few words when the book begins, but subtle changes take place in his life throughout the book. He has many things he's done wrong in life and realizes that, but sticks relatively to the straight and narrow path as this book plays out.

My favorite quote:

"But doing the right thing doesn't mean you can sleep at night. It doesn't mean you won't regret it for the rest of your life."

      ~Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman, page 238

Turtle Moon has every element I love about Alice Hoffman's novels: animals, a small town setting, and genuine human beings as characters. Although I would have liked to see a little more about a certain angel that haunts a tree in town, it really couldn't have been a much better read for me. If you like contemporary, but aren't afraid of mixing it up with a little suspense and fantastical elements, you should consider giving Turtle Moon a try.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars for an exceptional portrait of a town called Verity!

Content: Ages 16+ for non-graphic sex scenes, violence, Diet Dr. Pepper-addicted divorcees, and one loyal dog.

Page Count: 255 pages in my hardcover edition.

Release Day Review: "The Secret (Irin Chronicles #3)" by Elizabeth Hunter

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest take on it.

This review features a book that is the third in the Irin Chronicles series, and has spoilers for those who have not read The Scribe and The Singer. My review of the first book can be found here.

The main difficulty I had with this book came from the knowledge this would be the last Ava and Malachi hurrah. I kept putting it off, trying to savor it, but when the publication date changed, I decided to break out the super-reader within and go for it. I have to say, sometimes with characters in series, you aren't left wanting when the series (or the character's parts) end. With this book however...

As the title forbodes, this book does indeed revolve around 'the secret'. But as it turns out, there's a lot more to the secret than you'd expect- it's more like 'the secrets'. As you could imagine, this series gives you a lot to wonder about with the first two books, and with the third, almost everything I've wondered about is revealed.

The Plot: (As Seen on Goodreads)
'Only when the darkness falls can you see the light of the stars.
'For thousands of years, the scribes and singers of the Irin race have existed to protect humanity and guard the gifts of the Forgiven. They have lived in the shadows. They have kept their secrets.
'But the Irin aren’t the only race with secrets.
'Ava and Malachi have found each other, but wounds as deep as theirs don’t heal overnight. While the Irin world struggles to correct the power imbalance left by the Rending of the Irina, Malachi and Ava struggle to connect their past with their present.
'The Fallen may scheme, but Ava has found her power and refuses to be an angel’s pawn. And while Malachi may have forgotten his history, the scribe’s relentless search for answers leads both him and his mate to the heart of the Irin power structure in Vienna, where knowledge is guarded more closely than gold and those with power will do anything to keep it.
'Malachi and Ava have survived the darkness, but will they ever discover its secrets? A powerful cabal of the Fallen may hold the answers, but to surrender them, it wants the Irin race to finally face their enemies. Both those coming from the outside, and those raging within.
'THE SECRET is the third book in the contemporary fantasy series, the Irin Chronicles, and the conclusion of Ava and Malachi’s journey.'

Ava really comes into her own in this book. With the previous volumes, she has had to deal with feeling like she was completely insane or completely alone, none of which came to be true. In this book, although she has doubts about her abilities and what they might be, she knows she has Malachi and the Irina at her side, raising her confidence.

One thing I love to love about Ava and Malachi's relationship is that Ava is just as strong as Malachi. Often in some romance, I'm subject to making faces every time the heroine bows down to the hero's will without a fight. Ava and Malachi fight- like normal people (who aren't so normal), and Ava's reactions to Malachi's poor choices of words are completely priceless, because, again, with some romance, the hero domineers the heroine and the heroine just goes with it. And I lose all respect I had for that cowed heroine in a matter of seconds.

One of my favorite parts of this book is we get to see different sides of the Fallen. My new favorite, Vasu, reminds me of the Norse god Loki because of his mischievous ways: he isn't completely what he appears to be. Jaron, who has been a mainstay of the series, is more fleshed out in this book than any preceding it- we learn his cryptic motivations and reasons for protecting (and yet not protecting) Ava.

The Secret is another exceptional addition to the Irin Chronicles. Although I'm sad this is the end to Ava and Malachi's tale, I'm excited to know Elizabeth Hunter will not be closing the book on the Irin Chronicles world. I recommend The Secret to anyone as enthralled with this series and these characters as I am.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars for an exceptional end to Ava and Malachi's story!

Content: Ages 18+ for rockstar cursing, sex scenes, and angelic violence that looks like child's play.

Page Count: 373 pages

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/mm6uycp
iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/lkf3vdf
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/n4bgcwk
Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/mcbz57b

(I do not derive a monetary benefit from these links- they are here for your expediency).

Early Critique: "Unseen (Unborn #2)" by Amber Lynn Natusch

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

This review features a book that is the second in the Unborn series, and may have minor spoilers for those who have not read Unborn. My review of the first book can be found here.

To Be Published: February 17th, 2015

As I had suspected, the worldbuilding of this series made more sense once the second book came into play. When we were introduced to Khara in the first book, she almost never mentioned her time down in the Underworld (Hell, essentially), and her past had large gaps where we weren't exactly sure what had happened with her (or she was very vague about it). In particular, her problems with Deimos, which had begun in the Underworld, were never fully explored, leaving the reader to wonder how exactly he tormented her.

Beyond that, we get to see a part of Khara as she was when she was 'princess' of Hell, unprotected by the constant presence of her brothers and cursed by Deimos's presence. The only hitch in this is Oz, now a Dark One, is with her, and appears to do his best to stymie any untoward advances. Still, she seems more independent (and more human) than the incredibly stiff (and sometimes completely inexplicable) Khara we saw in the first book, which is a good thing in my view.

The Plot: (As Seen on Goodreads)
'Welcome to the Kingdom of Hades, where even its prodigal princess sleeps lightly.
'After fighting Soul Stealers in Detroit, Khara hoped to return home to find answers in her father's realm. But the land of the dead offers little information, and far too much tragedy. Now cut off from her brothers, and left only with her dark and unreliable companion Oz, Khara must navigate the centuries-old webs of deceit and betrayal, all while eluding the Underworld's most depraved inhabitant. But she soon finds an unexpected ally in her adopted sister Persephone. Together, they endeavor to right a terrible wrong. And as Khara soon discovers, there's more riding on her success than she ever thought possible.'

Oz is also undergoing a transformation of sorts. Before, he seemed like an innocuous bad boy, projecting an image of toughness while remaining as soft as goose feather inside. Now, as a Dark One, he's truly broken that impression- I was increasingly worried for Khara, because he seems like someone I wouldn't cross. As mercurial as he is now, I can't help but wonder at his motivations, which the author chooses to keep under wraps (darn it!).

I'm getting rather good at guessing endings, so this one, again, didn't come as a complete surprise, due in part to the author's foreshadowing. What did come as a surprise was the sudden influx of worldbuilding- before, I had assumed all the Greco-Roman gods would play only a side-role in the series, but it's becoming increasingly clear they are part of the main course. With the additions to the worldbuilding, I must say I'm becoming more impressed with the series than I previously was- all signs in the first book hinted it might have been a more generic urban fantasy infused with Greek mythology, but I'm now seeing some similarities to the Neil Gaiman novel, American Gods.

Unseen is just as action-packed as the first volume, and yet we are still left with unanswered questions (ironic, considering that's a factor in what made Khara go down to hell in the first place). Although some characters didn't meet my expectations of what they would do (particularly a brother whose name begins with C), I was kept in suspense of what might happen well past my bedtime. If you like series with gods among us told in the fast pace of urban fantasy, I recommend the Unborn series for you.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars for a sequel that's just as great as the first.

Content: Ages 18+ for violence, interesting sexual non-situations, and swearing.

Page Count: 288 pages

"The Singer (Irin Chronicles #2)" by Elizabeth Hunter

As I've said before, if you haven't read The Scribe, DO NOT read this review. This is the second book in the series, and therefore, there are plot spoilers for the first book.

First Impressions: 
The first book in this series, The Scribe, left us with lingering questions as to what happened to Malachi, and if he was actually dead. Now we know for sure, Malachi is back. Hallelujah! While the first book introduced Ava to the Irin, in this one she is beginning to train as an Irina, while moping about Malachi. This book, I'm certain, was much more difficult to write for our dear author, as she has to have Ava deal with Malachi's untimely demise, while we know that he isn't dead. And do it in such a way that we don't scream at the page, "He isn't dead, dammit!!!". For your information, that did happen. Alas, I have no patience for Ava in parts of this book. I understand the need for her grief, and yet, how couldn't she sense he was alive, when they had elaborate lovers' trysts in her dreams. Yes, I get that most people don't think that dreaming is a reflection of actuality, but being named after a dead girl in the Bible leads to very strange thought patterns. Also, the Irin talk about a thing called dream-walking, that you do with your husband/wife. So she should know.

Onto The Plot:
Ava is training to be an Irina, in a secluded camp in Norway. Malachi wakes up where he was born, and makes his way to find his reshon. Dark forces gather in the spirit of keeping them apart, or better yet, to kill off Malachi again- as he is without his talesm (the magic tattoos) when he arrives in the world again. Ava has a time of it trying to learn martial arts, in addition to the Irina magic, but she is said to be a seer, and therefore a valuable asset in the Irina's separate fight against the Grigori (the sons of the unforgiven fallen angels). And so, it is no surprise when she ends up fighting the same forces that killed her lover, and revealed her powers...

This book is chock full of Irin lore. Things that were left unsaid in the previous installment are unveiled in greater depth, raising even more questions about Ava. How is she Irina, when her parents have every appearance of being human? How is Malachi still kicking, when he was clearly and thoroughly terminated in the first book? Do Ava's tattoos look cool? (As shown on the cover?) How can the Irin be so human in the way they handle their government? Patriarchy, anyone?

I must say it was brave of Miss Hunter to kill off a character and then bring him back to life. This is uncommon in books, as it leads to reader frustration, and reader frustration leads to bad reviews. The author manages to do it in such a way as to make the reader appreciate the characters more and be consumed by the plot.

As I finished the end of this book, all that crossed my mind was, "How long do I have to wait for the next one?" and "Dang it, I have to wait for the next one?". Although the end didn't have a cliffhanger like the first, I am filled with ravenous want for the next one. Not many authors have managed to ensnare me with their worlds as well as Elizabeth Hunter has, and I'm quite smitten with her talents... or should I say magic?

Rating: A well deserved 4.5 stars, for lovers' reunions and beautiful magic!

Content: This book is paranormal romance, with angst, love, action, and yes, sex. Ages 18+

Page Count: 330 pages in the e-book edition.

"The Scibe (Irin Chronicles #1)" By Elizabeth Hunter

Note: The Second Book of the Irin Chronicles, The Singer, is being released today. If you haven't picked up The Scribe yet, now is the time!

I picked this up as an e-book on one of my prolific Kindle Daily Deal binges. The cover drew me, but not enough that I immediately started reading it.

When I actually started reading it, several months later, I grew concerned that I bought it by mistake (or a simple case of cover-lust). This book follows Ava as she seeks a cure for the "voices" in her head. I wasn't convinced that this would be anything other than one of those corny, really terrible romances that I accidentally buy on impulse. I mean... hearing voices? In a language you can't understand? And you can't figure out even a language that it might possibly be? Talk about cuckoo clocks.

I grudgingly continued, mentally berating the book on the improbability its plot being even viable for paranormal romance.

I was wrong. This book shattered my low expectations, while surpassing my 3.22 average rating (from GoodReads, love that feature). I presumed this book to only maybe scrape past the 3 star mark, when it, in the end, flew past my rather elusive 4.5 star degree quite easily.

The Plot:
Ava Matheson hears voices of an unidentifiable language in her head, that seem to emanate from other people. She's seen countless specialists of the mental and physical health variety, but she hasn't found relief, yet. Her newest doctor suggests a new specialist in Istanbul, and she says she may or may not visit him. (This is unrealistic- my medical specialists took as long as a year to get into). Anyhow, for the continuation of the plot, she goes. As she's a world renowned travel photographer, she's able to cough up the change and take the trip there. Our hero, Malachi spots her in Istanbul, due to his prey, the Grigori, having an obvious interest in her and trailing her every move. He decides to trail her as well, despite her obvious humanity. But is she truly what she seems?

Here's Why I Relished It:
The fallen angel trope is pervasive in romantic literature (yes, I consider romance literature, in some cases). Really, what is more dark-and-light/black-and-white than a man who is a fallen angel? They rebelled against God, choosing to join Lucifer in his bid to upend the "system". They were cast out of heaven, by a very irate God, who created them to be his messengers, his go-betweens, if you will. In this story, they're still in His relatively good graces. In the Bible, not so much. The mythology the author bestows them is fresh, enthralling, and completely different from what you'd find anyplace else. Fallen angels who use tattoos to enhance their powers? That ain't biblical. Tattoos are a major Old Testament no-no. And although I don't read too much "fallen angel" romance, I doubt that any have that.

The romance wasn't the ever popular insta-love. The hero describes Ava as "pretty" upon seeing her the first time, but only after prompted by his buddies. Not drop dead, cross my heart and hope to die gorgeous. I like this, as too often romance focuses on lust to brew feelings of "true love", and though something else is used to spark his interest in her, it feels authentic. And it is percolated slowly, over a reasonable period of time. Ava doesn't swoon upon seeing him either. Yes! This is romance I can tolerate without rolling my eyes.

There is a plot twist near the end. Do NOT read my review of The Singer if you haven't read The Scribe first. These books are indies, and deserving of your notice.

Rating: Wait for it, wait for it.... a giant surprise: 4.5 of 5 Stars for a lovely "fallen angel" romance!

Content: This is adult paranormal romance, with violence and sex scene(s). Ages 18+.

Page Count: 306 pages in the e-book