Recommendations from Maia for March 2014.

In order to bring some more variety to my blog, I have asked some of my bookish friends to tell about the books they have in the past month, and to give us a recommendation. Today’s post is made by Maia from Holland.

Maia:

Last month I've read eight books. My reading time is still limited, because of work and a mastercourse at the university. But I've read some great books. A re-read glom of Jennifer Ashley's McKenzie series and three other books.

My top three of this month is:

1. Anne Bishop - Murder of crows



2. J.D. Robb - Concealed in Death



3. Jennifer Ashley - The madness of Lord Ian McKenzie




The one I can recommend to all Aurian's readers is:
Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop



Return to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop's "phenomenal" (Urban Fantasy Investigations) world of the Others - where supernatural entities and humans struggle to co-exist, and one woman has begun to change all the rules...
After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.
The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard - Lakeside's shape-shifting leader - wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.
As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet - and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.


I've been reading this book in two evenings. Hated to have to go to work/to sleep to stop reading. After the great first instalment of this series I was very anxious to read this book. Would it be as great?
Almost!

I loved reading more about the world Anne has created. It is different and beautiful and scary. The humans are not the top predators and a lot of people are starting to resent that. And that's very dangerous to humans living in Thaisia.
I love the relationships. Between Simon and Meg, between Meg and the Others, between the Others and the people of the Courtyard, Meg's pack.
There is less humour in this book, compared to the first. I understand why Simon kept Sam away, but I missed him! Also less Elementals and ponies.
The romantic relationship between Simon and Meg grows, but at a slow pace. Both are not yet ready to commit and a lot stands between them. I really want to see this develop more in the next book(s). Simon is so adorable when he thinks about her!
The bad guys are creepy and I love that they get what's coming to them. There isn't much action, until the end, and Meg knows what to do with a broom and a teakettle!

Concluding. It wasn't as great as the first book, but very nearly as good. I will be rereading it soon, to savour it more, in my free time.

Aurian: Thanks for the recommendation Maia! I have read all three of them, and Murder of Crows yesterday. I loved it very much, but not as much as the first one. It is still very good though, and head and shoulders above a lot of other series I have read. If you enjoyed Written in Red, you need to read this one. If you haven’t started yet, what are you waiting for? You are missing out on a great series.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian