So, we left off with our Dream team rather desperately listing Good things, because everything seems to be going WEIRD. Nicky’s Parents have brought the Bimbo from hell to be the replacement for Cory and Cory is trying to stop EVERYONE from killing her! They finally figure out who is the cause of the WTF and boy is it a shock. It’s a child of chaos and man. Unfortunately that means that hes a chaos magnet…but now they can manage it. Cory finds the Vampire in charge to have been a good man put in a bad position-but that quickly changes when the people he asks to take care of the pedophile decide it would be easier to just get rid of Green! Let’s just put that in the bad idea category, shall we? And Cory finds herself facing the kind of grief that swamped her after Adrians death and that just ain’t gonna happen. Green survives, although it scares the hell out of everyone. Green is also dealing with a slimy reporter who thinks hes found the story of the century with the existence of the fae. And it all goes downhill from there. You will have to read it to find out what happens from there…
Rampant, Volume 2
Little Goddess
Amy Lane
Paranormal Romance
DSP Publications; 2 edition
e book
305
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M1C29R3/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
Little Goddess: Book Four
Vol. 2
Lady Cory has carved out a life for herself not just as a wife to three husbands but also as one of the rulers of the supernatural communities of Northern California—and a college student in search of that elusive degree. When a supernatural threat comes crashing into the hard-forged peace of Green's Hill, she and Green determine that they're the ones in charge of stopping the abomination that created it. To protect the people they love, Cory, Bracken, and Nicky travel to Redding to confront a tight-knit family of vampires guarding a terrible secret. It also leads them to a conflict of loyalties, as Nicky's parents threaten to tear Nicky away from the family he's come to love more than his own life.
Cory has to work hard to hold on to her temper and her life as she tries to prove that she and Green are not only leaders who will bind people to their hearts, but also protectors who will keep danger from running rampant.
“It’s the knitters. They’ve declared war. And the crocheters are geared up for the siege.” Pause. “What now?” “The knitters. You know. The K.I.N.K.s and C.O.C.K.s.” Jean barked out a laugh and set off into a howling giggle fit. “Uhng…huh?” was the only thing I had to offer. Ryder coughed, and then laughed, a deep, warm sound that made me want to press myself closer to him so I could wallow in the joy there. Even Shoe and Hatter chuckled. Roy, just shook his head. “You’re all children.” Bathin wasn’t laughing, but he intently took in our reactions. He almost looked pleased. Which, okay, I hadn’t known him for even a day yet, but I would have expected him to be sort of into pain and suffering, not a bunch of people laughing over a couple acronyms. “Delaney,” Bertie scolded. “This is serious.” “Right. Yes. Serious. Okay. So the knitters, that’s the K.I.N.K.s?” Bertie nodded. “The K.I.N.K.s have threatened the C.O.C.Ks?” “Woulda’ thought they’d be into that,” Hatter delivered deadpan. “Did they forget their safeword?” Shoe asked. Jean’s howl turned into a hissy wheeze. Both men grinned at her reaction. She waved at them, trying to make them stop. Bertie arched her eyebrows. “Perhaps we should head to the engagement before the members get out of hand and things take a turn for the worseNope. She’d started this. And Hatter wasn’t going to miss a chance to make Jean choke on her tongue. “If you’re hard up, Shoe and I can whip those C.O.C.Ks into shape. Shoe’s got lots of practice. He can whip C.O.C.K. with one hand tied behind his back. I hear he likes it that way.” Shoe nodded, his serious expression unyielding. “Hatter has a lot of experience with K.I.N.K. He’s a master at dominating those kinds of situations.” Jean wrapped her good arm across her ribs and whispered. “Hurts. Stop. Oh, gods.”
Keep your gods close and your monsters closer... Police Chief Delaney Reed thinks she knows all of Ordinary, Oregon’s secrets. Gods on vacation, lovelorn ghosts, friendly neighborhood monsters? Check. But some secrets run deeper than even she knows. To take down an ancient vampire hell-bent on revenge, she will have to make the hardest decision of her life: give up the book of dark magic that can destroy them all, or surrender her mortal soul. As she weighs her options, Delaney discovers she can no longer tell the difference between allies keeping secrets and enemies telling the truth. Questioning loyalties and running out of time, Delaney must choose sides before a kidnapping turns into murder, before rival crochet and knit gangs start a war, and before the full moon rises to signal the beginning of Ordinary’s end.
The second you stop questioning yourself is the second that you become the monster.
― Laurell K. Hamilton, A Kiss of Shadows
A Kiss of Shadows
Laurell K. Hamilton
Fiction
Random House Digital, Inc.
2002
480
Meredith, a runaway Elven princess posing as a human private detective with a specialty in supernatural crime, is confronted by a dangerous new adversary, Doyle, the chief bodyguard and assassin of Meredith's aunt, the Queen of Air and Darkness, as Meredith becomes caught up in one of her dreaded aunt's evil schemes. By the author of Obsidian Butterfly. Reprint.
When I first started the book, I was confused. It started out very similarly to some of the
other books and was so close that I actually checked that I had the right e-book. But, it quickly moves on to original content
and boy, is it a revelation-almost as big as when Eira was shown to be a member
of the Circle. For those of you who have
not gotten that far in the series, please stop reading here! Snared is a great addition to the Elemental
Assassin series. It has all the great
writing that I have come to expect from Jennifer Estep and moves the story
along. I love this series, and I love
that Estep’s writing always exceeds my expectations. There is never any editorial missteps or any
plot sinkholes. In fact, I expect so
much from Estep’s writing that I keep expecting to be disappointed-but I never
am. This deserves accolades and awards
as there are few authors who can live up to my insane expectations.
Snared has the usual intricate plot that seamlessly integrates
the stand-alone story with the overall story arc. We discover that Eira’s relationship to the
circle was closer then previously thought.
We have a deepening understanding of Hugh Tucker and we get to see Gin
in her element, helping friends and kicking butt! In the process, Gin cements more alliances
and as her circle of friends, allies and family continues to grow so does she. My personal opinion is that Gin’s world is
growing grayer. Not all villains are 100%
bad and Gin herself recognizes that she is the villain of some criminal’s
tales.
It is a great read and a wonderful addition to the
series. A true five stars for this great
book!
Watching this (and fearing broken ankles with each loop) I can’t helping thinking about that old quote Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels.
But no, if you watch closely you’ll see she doesn’t even step on the last chair. That means she had to trust that fucker to lift her gently to the ground while he was spinning down onto that chair. That takes major guts. I’d be pissing myself and fearing a broken neck if I were in her place. Kudos to her.
Okay so this is true, but a tiny part of a wider truth.
Ginger Rogers was a FUCKING BADASS. Ignore for a sec the rampant sexism in Hollywood (they once bleached her hair blonde in wardrobe without telling her beforehand), the fact that she fought her whole career against typecasting and stereotyping from fellow actors (Katharine Hepburn famously said of the Astaire/Rogers partnership “she gave him sex. He gave her class” ) for starting out in musicals, and went on to have a career lasting over fifty years, winning a Best Actress Oscar (Kitty Foyle, 1940). But… JUST focusing on the Astaire movies…
Not only did she dance “backwards” in high heels, the dances were a task in themselves. Astaire was an absolute perfectionist and choreographed for himself, so as a younger, less experienced dancer Rogers came in at a disadvantage and worked her ass off to match him.
Then there’s the filming complications… these numbers were filmed in ONE TAKE. So one thing goes wrong and you have to start over. Maybe you make a mistake or maybe your dress flies up because…
Ginger had to contend with her wardrobe. Dancing in heels is the norm at this time, but dancing in a dress designed for cinema cameras… not so much. They were heavy, embellished, uncomfortable, restrictive and cumbersome and essentially a third member of the dance, strapped to the body of one partner.Not only did she have to dance and look good, she had to control the dress too!
Take this routine from Swing Time… (it gets going proper at 1:30ish)
This dress has weights, YES WEIGHTS, sewn in to the hem to make it fly out and create a visual effect. So it’s heavy, it hurts if it hits you, and your partner gets mad if it hits him. So you gotta control it.
Well it turns out all these factors on this set, this particular day aren’t going so well. So you’re doing take after take, here’s no labour laws, so at 4am after 18 hours you’re still going, even though part of the routine requires you to spin up those curved stairs with no rail at high speed….
Okay so now back to those high heels. In Ginger’s autobiography she vividly remembers this night as the night she bled though her shoes. They did so many takes, her feet blistered, bled, and the white satin high heels she was wearing finished he night pink because they were literally full of blood. And still they keep shooting. She keeps dancing.
The take they use in the film is the last. Early hours. Bloody feet. And she spins, acts and bosses out until that last second. Because she was that professional, talented and bloody minded. This is the last set of spins…
So I say once again. Ginger Rogers was a badass.
She did everything Fred Astaire did backwards, in high heels, wearing a 20 pound dress, exhausted, injured and standing in a pool of her own blood. And watching her perform, you would never know.
Women Rule,
Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Dancing,high heels, dancing backwards, exhausted, weighted dress, badass, dancing backwards, sexism, jealousy, tap dance, perfectionism, mean, angry, one take
I made the mistake of thinking I could savor this book – that I could treat myself to one or two chapters a night. I was so wrong. I had to DEVOUR it.
It went by so fast and it pulled me in every direction. I feel like that’s hard to do with a book series that’s basically a sci-fi/ fantasy Lord of the Rings, but the style of writing makes it impossible for me to stop wanting more. Plus, hey I don’t know if it was intentional, but “Get off the road!”
It felt like a massive shake-up for the series re: the war, the characters, the alliances, etc. I had to take a break at one point and refuel on ch.1-2 of Reap the Wind. Side note/spoiler kinda: Caedmon makes another appearance and I am just such a fan of this guy. In the future, I want more and more of his cat-and-mouse play/badassery (for that is his true element)!
The book seemed the darkest one yet. For instance, one part has me I’m-seriously-listening-to-Susan-Boyle’s-cover-of-“Wild-Horses”-on-repeat sad. On the other hand I’m also super happy because I get to read about Pritkin again!
The darker tone could be for any number of reasons, but it’s most likely just because the war is higher stakes, it’s grander, and things just couldn’t stay the way they were. Not like there isn’t humor because there’s definitely still that (Glob!Rosier’s da real MVP), but like I said, gut punching in other respects. And unexpected (at least, I wasn’t expecting things to happen the way they happened). Where do we go from here? As a reader I’m being kept on my toes. I love it.
And I am already desperate for more.
—4.88 stars (that .12 is the broken part of my heart, which the other parts of my heart are mocking. Poor .12). Will be posting to Goodreads as soon as I make an account and figure it out.
Great review! I think you’re right, the tone is definitely darker – I think there were just less of those sidesplitting comic sequences usually peppered throughout the series (think Dory on the run with a headless mostly naked Ray). And that ‘fucking Merlin’ tag = ACCURATE lol.
another arc review!!!
Ride the Storm
Cassandra Palmer
Karen Chance
Signet
August 1, 2017
432
The New York Times bestselling author of Reap the Wind returns to the “fascinating world”* of Cassie Palmer. Ever since being stuck with the job of pythia, the chief seer of the supernatural world, Cassie Palmer has been playing catch up. Catch up to the lifetime's worth of training she missed being raised by a psychotic vampire instead of at the fabled pythian court. Catch up to the powerful, and sometimes seductive, forces trying to mold her to their will. It's been a trial by fire that has left her more than a little burned. But now she realizes that all that was the just the warm up for the real race. Ancient forces that once terrorized the world are trying to return, and Cassie is the only one who can stop them...
– chapter 27 – As a general rule, I don’t like the ‘he couldn’t help himself’ trope when it comes to sex, but I think Pritkin losing control like that is understandable. I mean how long has it been since he’s fed that much? We’ve seen in some of the Pritkin shorts how the yearning to feed is still tormenting him very frequently, so while it’s freaky, I get why he was overwhelmed for a moment. The important part for me though, is that he did stop, before Cassie even had to tell him – it’s no wonder she trusts him not to hurt her in HtM. I love how this really intense sequence between Cassie and Pritkin is then balanced by the lighter scene where Dee and Cassie talk Pritkin into disguising himself in drag to escape. IMO one of KC’s greatest talents is the way she blends genres – in the space of two chapters we get drama, romance, comedy and action, it just never gets boring. Although how could we possibly get bored when we have Pritkin RUNNING UP FIVE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS WHILE CARRYING CASSIE. Once again, weirdly hot. Does this qualify as fan service?
– chapter 28 – Sal, oh Sal 🙁 I really liked her you know? Not just because she was introduced as something of a bimbo and then turned out to have hidden depths (love seeing that trope subverted) but also because poor Cassie, she doesn’t get that many female friends. I mean, that’s definitely being remedied, with the introduction of her court and Rhea and Tammy being more involved, but in the beginning at any rate, Cassie’s girl time was pretty limited. That’s why for me, Sal’s betrayal and death is a particularly hard blow. At least Cassie still has Françoise, whom I love.
I think it’s appropriate that Apollo’s ultimate end is fairly ignominious. As Cassie says later, they did the metaphysical equivalent of flushing him down a toilet, and they did it pretty quickly. But this is something that happens a lot in the Cassie books – you’ve got a grand standing, melodramatic villain and in the end, they’re beaten in some almost anti-climactic way, by someone who seems way weak than them (see also – Olga killing Dracula). It’s the classic David and Goliath, Frodo and Sauron story. In these books, power is no guarantee of victory.
Last thing: the Mircass conversation right at the end. So, I’ve made it pretty clear that I do not like the way Mircea and Cassie interact in this book, but this scene isn’t too bad. I like seeing Cassie laying down some ground rules, trying to tackle the communication problems at the heart of their relationship. On the other hand, if you read closely, Mircea doesn’t actually agree to anything. He asks Cassie if she wants him to ‘court’ her, but doesn’t say that he will. He asks her if she can get to know him in their current kind of relationship and she says, tellingly, “Not and keep a clear head.” Whether deliberate or not, the constant sexy times between the two of them does seem to be preventing Cassie from getting to know him. But he still doesn’t actually agree?? I mean, I know he’s a vampire and it’s not in his nature to be direct but for crying out loud, would it kill him to say, ‘yes, we’ll slow down, if it makes you more comfortable’? If he really cares for her, why can’t he just give her that, it’s not that big a request. When Cassie does imply that she finds their relationship too sexual for the time being, he deflects, and suggests that Cassie’s insecurities about their relationship are somehow Pritkin’s fault. Uh, wtf? You know what, I take it back. I do have a problem with this scene. Anyway. I love the ending – “You shaved my legs?” Iconic.
Ok, so here we go again. All bad comments are my own. Please know that I am not trying to tear anyone’s opinion apart. I am just trying to keep a dialog going…
AS for Pritkin-here is my take. At the start of the series he is a complete and total jackass. I don’t know whether this is just his mad at the world vibe, or if his death wish hadn’t calmed down. It’s pretty clear to me that he’s had a rough time of it. I think that’s why so many people are so adamant in their love of Pritkin. He’s just so damaged, and sigh worthy. and his relationship with Cassie is something that pushes his boundaries and makes him look at his own growing feelings, but that is another day. This is one of the first times he tries to sacrifice his life in service to Cassie. Sometimes, I think that is Pritkin’s go to response. Feel attracted to Cassie? Find a way to get her to leave him behind. Find yourself taking cold showers after practicing swordwork? Make a trip to Fairie and get nearly gutted…but I digress. Here he tricks her, saying he can heal himself to get her to reswap bodies. And then uses the mistaken belief from the mages to his advantage in the duel with Saunders.
I love the triple D’s. From their first introduction, I adore them. And boy do they come through! And I love the fact that THOSE shoes are fitting, if they have to break her toes!
Sal, oh man. Sal. Just when we think Cassie is finding her feet, the rug is pulled out from under her. Shouldn’t there be a limit to heartbreak? Only so much before the bank is full…
I think that Cassie does excellent with dealing with the men of her life. She may be married to Mircea, but damn it they are going to date! She may need John all the time, because she know very little magic, but damned if shes going to let him control all of her life. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, and despite the fact that they are several hundred years older. Of course, Mircea’s going to have the upper hand in any discussion. Despite that, I think she gives Mircea a challenge. And here is this 20 something ball of fire who treats Mircea as a man when he is so very used to being the authority figure…
We were grabbing a bite of lunch at a small cafe, in a mall, right across from a booth that sold jewelry and where ears could be pierced for a fee. A mother approaches with a little girl of six or seven years old. The little girl is clearly stating that she doesn’t want her ears pierced, that’s she’s afraid of how much it will hurt, that she doesn’t like earrings much in the first place. Her protests, her clear ‘no’ is simply not heard. The mother and two other women, who work the booth, begin chatting and trying to engage the little girl in picking out a pair of earrings. She has to wear a particular kind when the piercing is first done but she could pick out a fun pair for later.
“I don’t want my ears pierced.”
“I don’t want any earrings.”
The three adults glance at each other conspiratorially and now the pressure really begins. She will look so nice, all the other girls she knows wear earrings, the pain isn’t bad.
She, the child, sees what’s coming and starts crying. As the adults up the volume so does she, she’s crying and emitting a low wail at the same time. “I DON’T WANT MY EARS PIERCED.”
Her mother leans down and speaks to her, quietly but strongly, the only words we could hear were ‘… embarrassing me.’
We heard, then, two small screams, when the ears were pierced.
Little children learn early and often that ‘no doesn’t mean no.’
Little children learn early that no one will stand with them, even the two old men looking horrified at the events from the cafeteria.
Little girls learn early and often that their will is not their own.
No means no, yeah, right.
Most often, for kids and others without power, ”no means force.”
This is important. It doesn’t just apply to little girls and other children, though it often begins there.
For the marginalized, our “no’s” are discounted as frivolous protests, rebelliousness, or anger issues, or we don’t know what we’re talking about, or we don’t understand what’s happening.
We are going to entertain you with a fiction,” He continued, “A faerie tale, a story, something dreamt of dozens of tens of years ago. Imagine my surprise when it turned into…” "A memory.” Cory stepped forward at his right and carried the narrative thread, just as they had rehearsed. “A memorial, a lament, a dirge, a paean…” "An exultation.” Bracken stepped forward carefully avoiding another touch with Cory, but at her other shoulder, “A cleansing, a triumph, a celebration.” "Yes.” Green took up his part now. “All of this and more, because this is a love song for our friend,” "Our lover,” said Cory and Andres. "Our brother,“ Said Bracken. "Our son,” Said Arturo and Grace. “Our leader,” Said Renny and the vampires as they stepped forward together in a group. “Our beloved,” they all intoned together, and the echoes of their true love for their lost dear one lingered in the room for more than a few heartbeats. “We’re singing for Adrian,” Cory said then, alone, clearly, the heartbreak throbbing in her voice and in her intense, thin face. Her shoulders were bare, and she bore his mark on her back, and it was all Green could do to keep his throat clear for singing. "We will always sing for Adrian,” Cory added bravely, “Even though we hadn’t known he’d missed, and struck the opening chords of an old, old melody that now lay forgotten except in the minds of the fey who had grown up in the old countries and woods of Northern England, Ireland, and Wales. Singing in parts and counterpoint, Green, Bracken and Cory poured their heart into a song he’d written long before he’d left his home, met Adrian, or dreamt of Cory. Corinna and Allen and Graeme, Over the hills they ran A bonny bright girl with a ribbon, O, two boys as thick as kin. They toddled under the lime tree, O, they toddled under the rose They toddled ‘till sun set, behind the Oak, they toddled from when the sun rose. Corinna why are you crying, O, Over a shirt stained red, Rain will fall and trees will grow And you will find lovers again. O We’re young; there is no time to waste. Corinna and Allen were lovers in fall, Over by yonder rose tree, Graeme came looking for his beloveds And wept at what he did see. Corinna why are you crying O, Over a shirt stained red, Rain will fall and trees will grow And you will find lovers again. Graeme ran like a man possessed He ran like he was followed by hell, He snapped his strong leg in painful two When into a gully he fell. So Graeme sat, with bounded leg When the militia came to town desert We aim to hunt them down. “ Corinna why are you crying O, Over a shirt stained red, Rain will fall and trees will grow And you will find lovers again. Allen came calling in darkest night And begged, "My brother, forgive me. I fed my love and broke your heart And we all can no longer be. But I run away to fight the day That our young men must wear red. I leave Corinna to your care, my friend. “ And with these words he fled. Corinna why are you crying O, Over a shirt stained red, Rain will fall and trees will grow And you will find lovers again. fight. No letter came, no friendly word Til field and moor turned green A spent young man came bearing a burden In which a bloody shirt could be seen. "Corinna, this is from Allen, know Your lover now lies dead. “ "Oh, Graeme, our friend, my life has ended I’ll never love again.” Summer passed and winter too, Corinna sat and wept. Graeme’s leg healed, but not his heart Until his promise then he kept. "Corinna, come stop your crying, O No. Not while the Spring is here. Corinna you must leave your weeping, O Please, beloved, please come. My arms are aching to hold you, know My heart can be your home. “ Corinna and Graeme were married, O As the summer died to fall. Their hearts still ache for Allen, though They love each other as all. And Rain will fall and trees will grow And you will have lovers again… Rain will fall and trees will grow And we will be lovers again. The end of the song was a repeat of the chorus, broken up and sung in passionate roundels. Cory’s voice soared over the chanted refrain of rain will fall, trees will grow, aching with the promise of hope and the heartbreak of loss as Green and Bracken called Corinna back to the land of the living. The fey in the harmony, intertwining, echoing, repeating the pain and the joy of love lost and found. The roundel built, and rose, and the emotion in the room crested, a giant wave of anguish, grief, and rebirth, and as their skin prickled with passion, their power—fed by anger and love and sex and emotion—burgeoned, grew, lifted, moved, heaved the pitch of the room to breathlessness, and everyone on stage raised their wounded wrists and released their bindings, and everyone off stage with a similar wound did the same, and Bracken finally, finally, answered the call of all that freely offered blood.
Ride the Storm Book Review: I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) from Karen Chance in exchange for writing a spoiler free review and that’s going to be difficult let me tell you because this book is 608 pages of non-stop action, plot twists and fantastic dialog! When this book comes out on August 1st don’t buy one copy, BUY TWO; you’ll need them because this book is so good you wont be able to put it down even for a minute! Your children will run amok, you’ll burn dinner two nights in a row, the dog will stare forlornly at you from next to his leash and your husband will wonder if you’ve finally lost your mind because you will bump into walls walking with the book in front of your face; you’ll trip over shoes and toys and forget to eat because you cant stop! You have to find out what happens on the next page!! And that second copy? you need it for when you inevitably take the book to the bath tub after the children are in bed and you drop the first one because NO! THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN!! 😀 Karen Chance is a Master wordsmith and proves it once again with book 8 in the Cassandra Palmer series. Her writing just gets better and better. If there were a Senate of Authors, Chance would be the Consul. Her words are that powerful; the action scenes so intense you’ll find yourself leaping up from the couch or pacing frantically around the room as you devour them because you can feel them right down to your bones. You just know if you don’t move, leap right along with them, do SOMETHING they might not make it! Like one of Cassie’s visions you are sucked in and jerked along for a 600 page tornado ride that sucks everything from the first 8 books up in its maw and spins them wildly, throwing everything you thought you knew in a whole new light and nothing will ever be the same, and you’ll love every minute of it!!!! The only thing I can say is Bring on Book 9!!!! After riding this Storm I can’t wait for MORE!!!!!
Rampant, Volume 2
Gods and Ends (Ordinary Magic) (Volume 3)
