Michelle Sagara – Cast in Ruin

The sixth book in the Chronicles of Elantra series, published September 2011.



Seven corpses are discovered in the streets of a Dragon's fief. All identical, down to their clothing.
Kaylin Neya is assigned to discover who they were, who killed them - and why. Is the evil lurking at the borders of Elantra preparing to cross over?
At least the investigation delays her meeting with the Dragon Emperor. And as the shadows grow longer over the fiefs, Kaylin must use every skill she's ever learned to save the people she's sworn to protect. Sword in hand, dragons in the sky, this time there's no retreat and no surrender.


If you have not read the previous books, you will not understand a thing that happens in this book. Or in my review. The story picks up at the end of the previous book, with little to none looking back. And even if you are a follower of this series like I am from the beginning, I find this one difficult to follow.


Kaylin is supposed to get lessons in etiquette from Dragon Lord Diarmat, so she won’t offend the Emperor when she finally meets him. Not that Kaylin is really looking forward to it. All she wants is to be a Hawk (sort of police officer) and help out in the Foundling Halls and the Midwives Guild. Kaylin is chosen, her body is filled with tattooed words, that appeared magically when she was still young. Nobody really knows what it means to be chosen, but Kaylin can do a lot of things the other beings/races in Elantra can not. She has friends and enemies in all the castes and races.
And Lord Diarmat totally hates her. He doesn’t really want to teach her. Luckily for Kaylin, Lord Sannabalis requests her help from her Sergeant, as there is trouble in the new fief of Dragon Lord Tiamaris. A fief Kaylin was substantial in, in making in the previous book.

And then lots of things are happening, and not happening. Kaylin gets send back and forth to the fief, and the Emperors Court, the Halls of Law. Shadowy and unclear things are happening, and are resolved in the end, but the how and why is still unclear to me. Perhaps I was too sleepy at the end of the book.

So, a short review, as I really don’t know what to say about this book. I liked it, because it is a good series. I disliked it, cause there was no real progress in the book. Although the premise for the next book is perhaps set up: A trip with Lord Nightshade to the West Marches of the Barrani …
I am disappointed as Kaylin did not even meet with Evantor in this book, which is always a good part, and a mysterious part in the series.

About the series though, I can tell you this: the world building is absolutely fantastic. Lots of different races, lots of castes, with a Dragon Emperor for whom the city is his hoard, but also with some fiefs, run by a kind of criminal lords, where there is no law.
And so far, each book has focused on Kaylin interacting with one of the other races: the Barrani, the Leontines, the Dragons, etc. Saving the world from one kind of disaster or the other, fighting the Outcaste and the Shadows. And I loved that. This book is just a bit different in setup.

Yes, I still look forward to the next book, and yes, I do recommend this series to all lovers of fantasy. Only a tiny little hint of possible romance so far, so don’t worry about it. A great female lead character, and awesome secondary characters. You can’t help but to love Kaylin as she is feeling her way through life and everything that comes on her path. There is magic, ofcourse, and some fighting, and evil things and persons.

And if the series is a 9 star one, this book doesn’t rate that high, but of course this is my personal opinion. 7 stars.

New addition to my addiction

Yesterday I received a book I had forgotten I had pre-ordered so long ago:

Gingerbread Cookie Murder, an anthology with stories by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier. And I have to confess, bought solely for the Joanne Fluke story. It's been a while since my last Hannah Swensen book, looking forward to catching up with her.

L.J. McDonald – Queen of the Sylphs

The third book in the Sylph series, published September 2011.



It was a dream come true. Solie had her own battler, a creature of almost infinite magic who could vaporize legions in the blink of an eye and would willingly suffer a thousand bloody deaths to protect her. She was his love. More simply, she was his queen.

Many others feel the same. The new-built settlement is a haven for all. Erected by sylphs of earth and fire, air and water, the Valley is Solie's dominion. But, lovers without peer or killers without mercy, the very nature of their battler protectors means peril. It is not in any sylph's nature to disobey, and while some are hers to command, others are the slaves of Solie's enemies - the jealous, the cruel. Those who guard her must not fail. Their peasant-born ruler is not yet safe as - Queen of the Sylphs.


This book takes place right where the second one, The Shattered Sylph, ended. (So the anthology in A Midwinter Fantasy doesn’t really fit in between).
We are back in the Valley of the Sylphs, and Leon, Lizzy and Ril have just returned home. And so has a friend of Gabralina. Gabralina is happy in her new life, helping the widow Blackwell taking care of the orphans, and having Wat as her lover, her friend, her everything. So she has written to her only friend back home, and now Sala has come. She wants what Gabralina has, only she wants more, much more, and she won’t hesitate to take what ever she wants. And Sala wants it all. Starting with a battler of her own… someone she can control … who will have no choice but to obey her every command …
Meanwhile, Queen Solie is sad, because as much as she loves Heyou, he can’t give her children, and she really wants to be a mother. And Heyou is sad that he can’t give Solie what she wants most, until his other master tells him a solution. So Heyou threatens a human male and impregnates Solie. Without her knowledge, but she is so happy with the result.
The other battlers also see this as a solution to be able to father children on their lovers/masters. They don’t care who start the baby, as long as they can be a father to it.


A lot happens in this book, and I don’t want to spoil too much. It is a fast paced book, and it was good to visit there again. L.J. McDonald has a very vivid writing style, and I really wish I could live there, have a Sylph of my own. Help build a nation.
Solie has really grown in her role as the Queen, and she is good at it. Compassionate, deeply in love with her Battle Sylph. She has Leon, Mace and Galway as her advisers, and now Ril and Lizzy are working for her too.
Ril and Lizzy are getting used to their own life together, and it would be fine except for Justin, who cannot get over his hate for Ril, whom has stolen Lizzie and everything he would have had from him. At least, in his own mind. He cannot inherit his father’s Sylph now he is bound to Ril, and he hates that. But the Sylph is glad. She doesn’t like Justin, who is a very selfish spoiled boy.
Sala is really evil, soulless. She feels nothing for anyone but for herself, she just wants and what she wants, she will get. She is not pretty like Gabralina, but she uses people. And she doesn’t feel anything, the battlers don’t react to her, like they do to people with ill intent.

A good book, I really loved it. Fast paced, lots of action, lots of beloved characters to catch up on. This is a keeper and autobuy series for me. If you like fantasy romance, you really should try this series. I heartily recommend it.

9,5 stars.

Jennifer Estep – Spider’s Revenge

The fifth book in the Elemental Assassin series, published September 2011.



Old habits die hard for assassins.
And I plan on murdering someone before the night is through.
Killing used to be my regular gig, after all. Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, assassin-for-hire. And I was very, very good at it. Now, I'm ready to make the one hit that truly matters: Mab Monroe, the dangerous Fire elemental who murdered my family when I was thirteen. Oh, I don't think the mission will be easy, but turns out it's a bit more problematic than expected. The bitch knows I'm coming for her. So now I'm up against the army of lethal bounty hunters Mab hired to track me down. She also put a price on my baby sister's head. Keeping Bria safe is my first priority. Taking Mab out is a close second. Good thing I've got my powerful Ice and Stone magic - and my irresistible lover, Owen Grayson - to watch my back. This battle has been years in the making, and there's a good chance I won't survive. But if I'm going down, then Mab's coming with me . . . no matter what I have to do to make that happen.


I’ve read a lot of reviews of this book lately, so I guess you all have, and I don’t have to write a long review of it. Which is good, as my bed is calling me. It could have been the perfect book to end the series with, but I am happy to know there will be more. And the things I am curious about, is about Gin’s private life, how things will go between her and Owen, and between Finn and Bria.
I finally found out what happened with Sophia all those years ago, and how JoJo and Sophia met Fletcher and became friends. A good story, and I am so sorry for Sophia.

When Mab finally learns the Spider’s real identity, all her friends are in danger, and they have to flee to a safe house. And there, they stick together, and won’t let Gin face Mab alone, they will have her back. They will help her get her sister back.
It was not easy for Gin to kill Mab, she tried and lost twice, and the third time is the charm, but at a huge price for herself. But crime in Ashland never stops, every crime boss is trying to put himself in Mab’s place, and the streets are red with blood. Whoever will follow in her footsteps, will not necessarily be better than Mab was, perhaps only less insane. So, the Spider’s job will not be over, yet.


I liked this book a lot, it is fast paced from the start. The one thing that keeps bugging me, is the constant repeating of little details. Yes, I know she has 5 knives, and her spider runes are burned into her hands. That her mothers rune is a snowflake, and her other sister Ivy. You don’t have to tell me that multiple times each book, again and again. For the most part, I can read over it, but other times, it irritates me.
But still, Gin is a great character and all her friends and the evil ones are great secondary characters. The one bounty hunter and her student were a nice surprise, especially in the end. Some humanity throughout the evil.

8 stars.

New addition to my addiction

Today I received anthology The Unquiet, with JD Robb, Mary Blaney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan and Mary Kay McComas. Not sure if I will read the other 4 stories, at least not at this moment.

J.D. Robb – Chaos in Death

In Death 34, published in the anthology The Unquiet, September 2011.



Well, this sure is a bizarre case. Three young people brutally murdered in their flop, all three recovering drug addicts, and on the right way to get their life back on track. Strong connections to the Whitwood Center for rehabilitation. So Eve and Peabody are going to interview the staff there, a few Doctors and interns. Dr. Rosenthal is working on a serum to combat addictions, and his fiancée, Dr. Arianna Whitwood, is a therapist, again specializing in addictions. And then there is Dr. Eton Billingsly, a hypnotherapist, and a really obnoxious guy. Eve sure likes him for the murderer.
Strange thing is, there is a witness who saw the murderer get away, happy laughing and dancing, and looking like a monster from a Halloween movie! Did the killer wear a mask, or make-up? Or is he really as evil outside as on the inside?


Wow, this one really qualifies as a Halloween read, it was a bit spooky. Eve and Roarke are just back from Dallas, as Eve’s arm is still healing. Roarke has been a bit overprotective of her lately, even hovering, but that is ok. They both need it.
Nadine Furst makes an appearance again, one of my favourite secondary characters, and also Mavis and Trina are contacted for their expert opinions.
As it is a short story, it is not really a difficult investigation, it all goes well and fast. My first impression for the bad guy was wrong, but in the end, not really a big surprise. It was just the plot itself that is surprising, and scary if you think too much about it.

8 stars.

New books to look forward to for October 2011

Here are the new books I am looking forward to for this month. My favourite author list is getting longer and longer, the more books I read, and the more new book I have to read :)

Stephanie Laurens – In pursuit of miss Eliza Cynster
Suzanne Enoch – A beginner’s guide to rakes
Sherrilyn Kenyon – Born of Shadows – League 5
Laura Childs – Skeleton Letters – Scrapbooking Mysteries 9 HC
Laura Childs – Fiber and brimstone – Scrapbooking series 8 PB
Joanne Fluke – Gingerbread cookie murder
Bertrice Small – Bond of Passion – Border Chronicles 6
Nalini Singh – Angels of Darkness – anth.
Alexis Morgan – anth. A vampire for Christmas
Karen Hawkins – A most dangerous profession – Hurst Amulet 3
Thea Harrison – Serpent’s Kiss – The Elder Races 3

Last month, I have read 23 books and 1 novella, which is a great score. Ofcourse, didn't have to go to work for two weeks, which helped a lot. Only 4 books of my September list though, and as usual, most have not arrived home yet.

So, which books are on your list for this month, and do you recommend?