Apparently, Alan Ball, et al., have decided Eric is lacking family values and have further decided to give him a sister. This a sister that Charlaine Harris must not know about. Does Eric knows about her. Remember, we learned in Season Three his entire family was killed by Russell Edginton, and said slaughter was the reason Eric sought revenge on Edgington by murdering his lover Talbot.
There was a baby at the breast of Eric's father's wife (too young, I think, to have been Eric's mother as well) when the slaughter occurred and possibly that infant survived or a sister was away and was turned. To be Eric's sister she would have been alive before the slaughter, right?
According to Michael Ausiello, founder and Editor-in-Chief of TV Line, Eric's sister, Nora, will be played by 25 year old Lucy Griffiths (formerly of the TV Series Robin Hood where she played Marian in BBC's Robin Hood). They also say Nora, who shares Godric as her maker, is an undercover agent for the vampire authority who loves her brother but is also dedicated to her work. As a undead secret agent she has to be a good liar and a good under pressure. Loves her brother, dedicated to her work, visiting Bon Temps?? Is Eric in more trouble?
So, the show and the novels veer farther apart. They are becoming even more distant cousins. Will she get together with Bill, who is supposed to be hooking up with Eric. Family Values, Indeed!
Even WOWER.
I was doing some research on the Something Old and Something Blue Trailer, immediately below, I found three more I had not seen. Maybe I am the only one who hasn't,...
Received time delimited e-galley via NetGalley.com.
No remuneration was exchanged and all ideas and opinions unless otherwise noted are my own.
Synopsis I gasped, or tried to. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t draw breath. His lips, pearly wet, parted and he blew into my mouth. My lungs expanded beneath his weight. When I exhaled he sucked my breath in and his weight turned from cold marble into warm living flesh.
Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of her having written the bestselling book The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she’s found herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.
But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: Her incubus is not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the demon, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this supernatural lover from her heart. Random House
This is a pretty easy review. Let me get the detractions out of the way. I went into the book expecting not to like it; I am bored and worse with young women in formal wear on book covers for no reason. The main character, Callie went to some faculty affairs but not a prom in a blue silk strapless gown. The cover had nothing to do with the story. Enough said. Cover out. Thumbs Down.
One other thing annoyed me was that Callie is a professor of folklore—specifically demon lovers but seems woefully ignorant of most things paranormal. It's as if she floated through life and grad school on her teenaged girl's dream of a fairytale prince who visited her. It seems she only really starts living as she starts her job at Fairwick College.
In a sense that is true. on my page 92 there is a bit of internal monologue which then glued me to the rest of the book (in part):
It struck me suddenly as odd that although I'd written about supernatural creatures—vampires, fairies, incubi—I'd never once stopped to think they might be real. Or that the creature who had been making love to me every night was real. He was a fairy tale, just like the fairy tales my parents had read me at bedtime, a more sophisticated kind of "bedtime" story.
❦
I think it is possible that I am a sucker for this type of epiphany. That what one believed or, hasn't believed, is not the whole truth or it is just not true.
But Callie, and her companions are complex, fun, sad, sweet and scary all at the same time. There are difficulties, heart breaking decisions, dramatic moments. Of course, as a romance there is some predictabiity as well. But not all predictions, just like magic and real life, do not come true. There are plenty of surprises in the gamut of emotion and plot points. The title is a bit of an homage to writers who have gone before, Victoria Holt and several others have penned books with the same title.
I found myself really enjoying Juliet's comfortable writing style: not easy, not florid, not too many descriptions of what she is wearing or of each piece of furniture, well written love making. I enjoyed her voice. This appears to be her first and possibly only published work. In any case it is a good book and I highly recommend it to lovers of paranormal romance. I must say I can't remember enjoying a book as much as enjoyed The Demon Lover in a while. A Big Thumbs Up!
Please use the highlighted phrase at the top to purchase this book through Amazon in Paperback or Kindle format. If you do I will receive a small commission.
The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?
Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends. Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.
Amazon Availability
Reading level:(OLDER) Young Adult Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher:Clarion Books; None edition (November 22, 2011) Language: English Kindle Edition: 11 KB Publisher:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (November 22, 2011) Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
I loved Tyger, Tyger. The world and the characters were wonderful. I don't know why but I am fond of a teen character who can handle all kinds of stuff and still be a nice kid. Nancy Drew syndrome? But, it's always scary to get a sequel. Will it be as good? ForIn the Forests of the Night my response is Yes!Even better!
This series is dark, or about coming to grips with the dark side of yourself. That is why I think it is for older YA. The part that would protect your family, even with violence. The title comes, of course from the second line of the poem by William Blake, The first book was titled Tyger, Tyger. THE TYGER (from Songs Of Experience)
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare sieze the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art.
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~keith/poems/tyger.html
I believe that the author made a conscious decision with the title, and I'm not much into poetry but it seems to me that here Blake is addressing the entire scope of the universe, the lamb and the tiger were created, if one believes in a creator being, by the same hand. So, how can one be bad and one be good? It is the same question that Teagan faces as she learns she is part Goblin and that a savage part of herself will come up when needed to protect her loved ones from evil. But it is the same feeling driving both her caring and enjoying her family that drives the protective savage: love.
This novel is darker and more dangerous
than Tyger, Tyger. The safety of everyone she knows is at stake.
Teagan(heroine) and Finn(hero) are older and see the world differently
now, they know what awaits in the other world with its twists and turns,
claws and big teeth.
I think Blake even hints that it took guts and daring to make the Tiger. And it takes guts and daring to face that dark side of ourselves and let it do what it must.
As far as the characters, it's as if Kerstyn sat down to write the sequel and the characters had come so much more to life they leap off the page and danced around her house writing themselves up (I am sure Kerstyn wishes that were the case).
The friends Aidan, Teagan and Finn brought back from Mag Mell are all living at the Wyllston's. Tea's bff, Abigail is too (I can't recall why). Abby is a bit stereotyped as a artsy scatterbrain, Italian "mob-family" teen, but she is fiercely protective of Tea. And, Teagan needs protecting.
Intention and Commitment are strong thematic elements. Doing things as if you mean them. There is a lot of Finn and his intentions and when and where he is a saint or not—very romantic. I do admire that with the romance aspect Tea is firm about her plans for college, and even though her Dad is recovering from a stint with bad-guy, Fear Doirich, he is still an involved parent (thank you).
I would have loved a bit more back-story because it has been a year and I've read a lot of books with fae, good and bad, so they get a mixed up in my noggin. I also wish I knew how to pronounce the Celtic. But that is minor and something I could correct. I found the legends being told that give Teagan's family its history a bit confusing.
Available for Pre-order. Perfect for a read over Thanksgiving vacation! Best read in sequence.
It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But all is not as it seems...
Em is thrilled that the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend. And on the other side of town, Chase’s social life is unraveling and the stress of his home life is starting to take its toll. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel....And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.
About twenty years ago my husband and I belonged to a Western Tradition Buddhist group. The subject of Karma came up a lot and like most concepts in Buddhist teachings, it was both complex and simple. I came to understand it a not so much of an eye for an eye or life for a life as the creation of our own existence and the influence our own attitudes and behavior have on that future. A great guy, and sadly, late friendwas quoted at his memorial as having said, "The future is not something that just happens to you." Those simple and profound word have stuck with me in the four and a half years since he passed.
The truth of this is staggering in its simplicity and problematic. Much of our future gets planned before the part of our brain that understands consequences, the frontal lob, is fully capable of doing its job.
Until then it is merely raging hormones that make young women fertile when they are young and hale, and make young men whatever they are: macho? horny?
In her recent release,Fury, Elizabeth Miles gets the teen voice down, seriously much better than Meyers or others. But the bad decisions made are indiscriminately punished, and harshly. The prose is solid, but the plot was a bit angst heavy (like teenagers, I guess) and the plotted solutions were a bit pat.
Characters.
Emily: HS Junior, smart, loves poetry. has crush on BFF's boyfriend after his flirtation.
Gabby, Emily's BFF
Zach, Gabby's boyfriuend and all around asshat.
Chase: The poor kid/popular boy football star.
JD: Emily's next door neighbor who is very fond of her.
Ripped from the Headlines
The plot mirrors some of the cyber bullying cases recently in the news. What did not ring true was the antagonist not even remembering the bullying until too late.
The female's crimes are lesser, misdemeanors versus felonies. She was taken advantage of and yet, the Furies torment her. Apparently they are remorseless and a bit random.
My boundaries of suspension of disbelief were pushed to the limit. I would say that people, even teens don;t behave this way. But, then I realized that my first Boyfriend was the former boyfriend of a friend. We went out before they broke up, and don't remember ever worrying whether she would be hurt. I was a bitch, I guess.
Chase seemed to have forgotten his transgression. He may not even seen it as such. But, his price is pretty steep. The young woman Chase pays for having hurt was no angel herself and had also hurt him.
Emma
In some respects there is a bit of a Jane Austen thing here. It is the Emily realizing that her true love is JD, the boy next door and that her fling is a jerk much like Frank Churchill.
Sexuality
Elizabeth recognizes that teens are perpetually horny creatures with little or no judgment. Penises and Vaginas do not ever enter the equation, and while breasts are bared no nipples harden or pebble.
Angst and Unfairness
If anything is wrong it is that the book is a bit indulgent of the teens's angst fest and that I was left with a feeling of unfairness. But, who ever said life was fair? The angst indulgence slows the plot.
Location:
Great research. By making the town fictional toying with locales was fine. Since it occurs in Maine, where I live, bad location research bugs me!
Recommend for older teens and adults.
Trailer 1 and 2. They are pretty similar visually.
So many questions have arisen in my mind over these trailers. The first has been WHY is Charlie Crying. I am not crazy about the makeup. Do the wolves attack in the book? In this screen lift from Trailer 2 Breaking Dawn Part One Charlie is breaking down. He is wearing that brown suit. And has a sad clown face. Is it pre-wedding, post-wedding or what happened to Bella?
I have a great prize with some Twilight stuff coming up in my next contest on my companion blog, Winged Effigy. A Jacob makeup/pencil/whatever case, some Duwop venom, (unopened unexpired) and other red stuff.
The next contest will also have books, current, hot books. Nov. 8 to 11.
It will have a link through here.
1) Take the book you are reading now and post the third sentence
2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)
3) Post a link to your sentence here (in the comments) and/or at Sniffly's or if you do not have a blog post the third sentence and it's review at Sniffly's in the comments.
This week I am reading two books and am in a bit of a reading rut, brought on, I believe, by my impending 51st birthday. Yeah, it is better than being dead but I am not sure how much better. (wry smile)
I am opting to give you the sentence from The Demon Lover versus the YA book I am reading Fury by Elizabeth Miles.
When I have a prologue and a first chapter I am never sure which is the third sentence. In this case I chose the former.
From the Prolougue:
It seemed a strange warning in a house as isolated as Lion's Keep where our only neighbors were sea and heath.
Well this could be about any kind of warning and danger! But, obviously wherever Lion's Keep is, it's remote and with the sea having been mentioned as so
mething to negate the mysterious danger, it wouldn't be, "Watch out for the sea!" We know it is a strange warning because of the sea and lack of neighbors. Nor, is it likely to involve heath. We don't know what the warning or the danger is from this sentence!
Image via WikipediaAre there lions? It is Lion's Keep, after all? Probably not, Lions are in Africa, at a zoo or circus, not seaside Heaths which may be solely limited to the UK or romance novels. If there were lions though a warning wouldn't be strange and it would have been something like don't taunt the lions, or don't wander around wearing big slabs of raw meat.
Nor does it seem that the remoteness of Lion's Keep is the problem, after all, there are many things one should be careful of in remote places like running down slippery stairs, or with scissors. Doing both at the same time would be a catastrophe!
The answer will lie in the first, second and subsequent sentences.
Having read the preceding two sentences I can say the warning was to be sure to lock her door when she went to bed. The reason then that the warning is strange with no neighbors nearby is that one would think those in the residence were trustworthy so why do I need to lock my door? In a place like a city this would be normal. But, in the desolate heath it would mean that the residence was not necessarily a safe place to put one's head down at night.
Great. Just what I would need on my first day at a new place. Maybe someone could have said to our diarist, "Looking forward to having you come, but beware, The master/butler/footman/mistress/guy down the hall is a somnambulist/sex offender/murderer/robber." It would have been helpful to know this going in but in that case there would be no book to wrote about mysterious warnings and danger!
So, friends, would you be upset about this? And if so, is it the Bromance itself that upsets you (tolerance and civility please: this is a hate-free zone) or the complete deviation this would be from the books?
Recommendation: Eh. A way to pass time. I am pretty neutral. But, I appear to be the only person in the world who is not mad for this book.
Reading Level: Adult but if the kids sneak it off the bookshelf they will have horribly unrealistic expectations of sex.
Major players
Marcus Cross: Terrorist-Fighting, Vampire-Patriot, Male Love Interest
Angela Giacometti/Jax Cassidy: Ex-Cop, Betrayed and thus convicted felon, Super secret operative. Female Love Interest.
Godfather: Her boss
Gage, Dante and Shane: agents working with Jax
Lazarus: Master Vampire
Aeilia: Vampire King Rurik's consort
Rowland: A California Senator up for reelection
Sophia: His wife
Grace: his daughter
As is often the case, this Vampire tale is one of redemption through the love of a good woman. It is a common trope in all sub-genres of the romance master-genre (not the vampire part in all sub-genres). Here we start with a hopeless criminal conviction a la The Fugitive, with an eerily similar escape but with out the endless search for the one-armed man or the pursuit by the feds. Like a combination of Alias, 24 and the bad guys in Moonlight.
Since it is a romance we end up in a bedroom, of course. Then a balcony, shower, table,... And then danger for several characters. With a few exceptions it is almost always obvious what the next point in the plot will be, at least to me.
Points
Not realistic, with slick glossing over of small details. Yes, is is Urban Fantasy/Romance, but there is a point at which the willing suspension of disbelief becomes a guffaw. I could believe Marcus beating up a bunch of guys, he is a vampire but at the guffaw point Jax is human with a couple of drops of vampire in her.
Silly Discontinuity: Marcus, says he wants to have intercourse with Jax while he drinks from her femoral artery. Of course, later he almost manages, with an other body part, to accomplish what, even for a vampire would have been impossible.
Two-Dimensional Characters: I am afraid that non of the characters including Marcus and Jax had been developed. Sex, Fighting, Anger, Power are what drive the characters. There are some attempts to pain the characters more fully, but this is about action and sex with a side order of betrayal and honor. Lots of conflicting emotions: Please. Don't. Stop.
Draft stage: I think the book could have benefited from another pass through the editorial desk, or a much deeper earlier pass. Then it could have lost the glib gloss and extraneous events. For example, Marcus remembers a child torn from her dead mother who had been raped by American soldiers. But that is all we hear about it. Seeing something like that and remaining a patriot would be hard. I wanted to know how he reacted to the scene then. He just let it happen?
Loose Ends: The writer does tie up some loose ends, for example why wouldn't Lazarus just become President himself?
Nookie: The love scenes were okay but could have been more interesting. There is the minimum of anything more than intercourse.
I agree with others than she writes women with as much facility as she writes men. And at least her men in dialogue sound intelligent and she gives Lazarus a visibly evil sneer with words.
Rules: The created world rules and structure are back there, in files on the authors desk or laptop, but they are not obvious or disclosed fully.
Karin Harlow's Website Blurb:
Book one in the L.O.S.T. series.
It’s Jax Cassidy’s first mission for L.O.S.T.—one that will give the former cop who went rogue a chance to prove herself. Her assignment: gain the trust of assassin Marcus Cross . . . eliminate him . . . then take down Marcus’s mentor, Joseph Lazarus, a man with a bold eye on the White House. But the woman who’s known by her team for being a femme fatale succumbs to passion, only to discover Cross’s deadly secret. He’s a vampire, and Joseph Lazarus is his creator. Left for dead by his platoon in the violent hills of Afghanistan, special ops sniper Marcus Cross was given a second chance at life. His newly heightened skills make him the perfect killing machine, and as Lazarus's right hand man, he’s quickly rising to the top of his dark empire, purging enemies with speed and precision. Only when dangerous beauty Jax Cassidy is sent to bring him in does he begin to question Lazarus’s motives and his own actions. But when Jax’s life is threatened by the one thing that can destroy them both, Marcus must make a bitter choice—her death or his. http://karinharlow.com/books.html
Alan Ball/Image via Wikipedia
