Hey Reading Friends,
So it's time for this year's first Library post. This month we'll be focused on books that feature courageous women. I always love a book that features strong female leads. January was full of books with such characters.
Tiger Burning Brightly by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey-
The city/state of Merina is fixing to be besieged by Emperor Balthasar who has been taking over the world worse he has powerful dark magic on his side. The ruling family the House of the Tiger composed of the former Queen, the Ruling Queen, and the Designated Daughter are forced to do a tactical retreat to spare the city till they come up with something else. So the three of them under disguises hid in plain site. Soon the city is under the choke hold of the dark wizards in human men. Can these women bring down this dark empire? Or will it be lost to the dark?
We already know I love stories with strong women, and this delivers. This world has a good Mythos and an interesting magic system. Men get magic early and if they remain virgins can stay powerful, but women's powers show up in menopause. Despite being written by three different women, dynamites in fantasy, the story was weaved together so well you couldn't tell three people had their hands in it. I was riveted and really interested in the story. I love a story were oppressed people try to take down a dark government. The ending was good, but a little condensed feeling. I'm going back and forth weather to keep this in my permanent library, but I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads.
Elvenblood by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey-
Shana, the prophesied Elvenbane, a half elf believed to be sent to take out the oppressive Elven Lords. Sadly her last battle ended with her and her friends escaping by the skins of their teeth. The group finds a place to build a new home outside of the Elven ruled lands, but there is some discord among the group, on top of all that Shana and a scouting party get captured by a group of people known as the Iron People who may hold the key to defeating the Elven Lords. In the Elven lands oppressed households are becoming more oppressed as the lords are now looking for any half elves in their midst to punish, feeling this strain is Lorryn an Treves who is a half elf disguised as the legitimate son of an Elven Lord. He has to stay one step ahead if he wants his secret to remain so.
This was an okay read. It was interesting enough to keep me reading, but not enough to probably encourage a reread. Norton and Lackey capture the horrors of a society where even family members are oppressed very well. I was concerned for especially Lorryn's sister, Sheyrena, that she was going to be trapped in a marriage, or else altered magically to be an obedient wife. I thought the party at the beginning had a beautiful setting as a magically created forest, sadly the company would have been off putting.
I felt some scene were dragged out, and others too quick. Book was defiantly middle ground with me and for that reason I gave this a three on Goodreads.
Afterlife by JK Ishaya and Kenneth Mader-
The first book in the Arcadia Chronicles, this follows the story of Elaine Ways, a martial artist, who loses her husband tragically. She soon begins having vivid dreams of being a hero in another world. At some point strange and seemingly mystical people kidnap her daughter. Elaine soon finds herself in an extraordinary dark world where she learns there maybe more to her dreams than meets the eye.
Now this book was recommended to me by my sister, who works with one of the authors, so I was intrigued to see it, but I didn't get to it a few months, because I had a major anxiety issue that involved death. But finally I felt ready to read it. This was a book with a good mythos. It gave an interesting look at the afterlife. The science in this was well written, I don't know if it had any basis in real science, but it sounded convincing. I also loved it was based in the city of Asheville. I was so nice to read a book and know the places their talking about, and the fact they added the fantastical to it.
This book was a little of a slow start for me. Another thing that made it a hard read was that it was so dark, there was a little humor, but I wished it'd been beefed up a little more to balance the dark, but this is my personal preference. Despite the issues I gave this a four on Goodreads.
My reading year so far has had a strong start, and I've managed to fill all prompts so far for the Year in Aledia so still going strong. I hope to start making post about my character and my journey so far. So be on the look out for that.
Well this page is finished. Hope you all I a good day, read lots, and God bless.
*Thrifty Geek* and Vampire VV Kitty
