Dark Books - Page 16

Deerskin

Robin McKinley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 167 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Are you sure McKinley wrote this? 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I adore McKinley but I wasn't overly fond of Deerskin. If you have read other McKinley books, tread softly here... her writing style is completely different in this book.

There are WAY too many loose ends and not enough substance in the story. I had to keep re-reading paragraphs because they didn't make sense. This book is not "dark" as a lot of reviewers claim. In fact, I found it rather dull and lacking.

I read all the reviews prior to ordering the book... I wish I would have paid closer attention to the negative reviews.

Easily my favorite of all Robin McKinley's books 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book exhausted me. I bought it and stayed up all night to read it, and it left me feeling emotionally drained. It's very rare that I get so invested in a story, and in a character, but Lissar was both very real and very human, and I really CARED about what she went through and what happened to her. Having known several people who have been sexually abused, I found her reactions completely believable. I also really really liked the fact that it didn't have the stereotypical fairy-tale ending--McKinley acknowledges that there are some things that can't be easily banished, even by love.

I've always liked McKinley's prose, and this book did not let me down. It's richer, and more adult, and the way she handles Lissar's narrative conveys the poor girl's quasi-madness wonderfully. And, as someone else said, she handles the incestuous bits themselves as tastefully as is possible--there's nothing graphic about it, nothing unnecessarily gratuitous.

I'll reiterate what several other people have already said: this is not a children's book. I'd say it's fine for teenagers, but definitely do not hand this one to an elementary-school child. It would be a good one to discuss with teenagers, since it deals with things that are almost taboo to talk about, and does so in a very moving, convincing way, despite the fairy-tale setting. I would have loved to see more of what happened to the king after he received his justly-deserved retribution; the book so successfully made me hate the man that I wanted details of his punishment. If anyone deserved to dance the night away in red-hot shoes, it was that guy.

Editorial Review:

When her growing beauty begins to resemble her mother's too closely, Princess Lissar must flee her father's wrath, and, in doing so, she unlocks a door into a world of magic. Reprint.

Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy, Book 1)

C. S. Friedman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 149 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Bloated Mess, Thy Name is Black Sun Rising 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I read this in high school. As I recall, I really liked it. Not only did I remember the cover, I remembered big pieces of the plot and much about the characters. It's quite uncommon for a book to stick with me like that, so when I saw this sucker being sold for a bargain, I grabbed it. Now I'm mentally beating my younger self with a stick.

Have you ever read a novel that was so bloated, so full of useless, contradictory information, that you have taken to reading it at night to put yourself to sleep? I have. I honest-to-goodness used Black Sun Rising to help me get past a few difficult nights.

Friedman writes the most convoluted prose you'll ever see. Either she's hoping you'll become so lost that you won't realize that how derivative and simple the story is, or she is terrified that if she drops your hand for a second you won't be able to think on your own. When she isn't introducing us to a multitude of cardboard characters or ripping off Tolkien, she's packing ten tons of explanation in for every action. 75% of this book is tiresome, detailed introspection, and whole paragraphs stand in for single-word adjectives. Here, let me put this in perspective: the plot of this book starts at the end of Chapter 10.

Yes. End of Chapter 10. For reals.

If this book cut out all the meaningless fluff, it would be 100 pages long, and the trilogy would be one book of about 400 pages at most.

None of the characters are likable or believable at all, with one notable exception -- Tarrant. Tarrant is the most grounded and has a distinct personality. He loses this realness when the group passes beneath the Canopy and he turns into an author proxy, but other than that, he's the most promising and enjoyable of the lot. You'll find this especially bizarre when you consider the fact that he's one of the bad guys.

The rest of the bunch just plain sucks. Ciani and Damien are your basic peppy, sassy fantasy heroes throwing out their peppy, sassy one-liners. You'll be tempted to think they are clones of each other, but one is beefier and they're of different genders. The emo Senzei is simply unlikable and plain. None of these characters form meaningful relationships with each other or change during the narrative; Friedman practically forces them together. For example, when Ciani gets into some awful trouble, Damien is suddenly struck with horror and begins an overdramatic internal monologue about how Ciani is the only one for him. I was utterly shocked by this revelation because I hadn't seen their attraction as anything but a momentary fling beforehand. Friedman wrote about them talking together about boring parts of history over expensive dinners. I think they touch each other's hands once or twice or something, and there's a hilarious moment when Damien suffers "a fire in his groin." For heaven's sakes, they only meet a total of about 3-4 times before Ciani's "accident," and a single "groin fire" isn't enough to make lasting romance, am I right?

It gets even better when Friedman won't let the characters just be themselves and insists on tossing titles on them they don't uphold. For example, she states that Damien is a priest, a sorcerer, and a warrior. If he's a priest, he's an utter failure; he kills, curses, and swigs ale, and it is implied that before Ciani, he was a womanizer. Now, his religion is never fully explained and its tenets remain a mystery, but it's implied that the Patriarch doesn't approve of him, which is information enough. Furthermore, if he's a sorcerer, he really sucks at using the fae... and I mean, sucks. He struggles to do basic things. We find out that he's good at Healing in the middle of the book... but that doesn't make him a sorcerer OR a priest, that just makes him a healer. Frankly, the only things he seems to do well are Heal and Kill. Now, imagine Friedman doing this with every single character -- stating that they are something distinct while their actions completely contradict what she's written. This gets frustrating very quickly.

When characters aren't fighting their own author, they are doing ridiculous, unexplainable things. My favorite moment is when an important character is "called" from miles and miles away. We see detailed logs of her journey. She calls a mount... tames the mount... crosses an inlet... gets to the place where she meets our heroes... then just stands there and lets herself get attacked by some random demons, does one lame magic trick, then leaves the country. She doesn't even stop to talk to anyone. Talk about a let-down!

All of this would be forgivable if the book wasn't so darn ambiguous and downright contradictory. For example, dark fae is supposed to be so sensitive to light that it is banished by the merest flicker of starlight... but torches, for some unexplainable reason, never affect it at all. Or how about a marvelous sentence where Friedman claims that the horses of Erna have been bred to withstand fear, bastions of equine valor... and then two small paragraphs later, a horse flees in blind, heedless panic? Or how about the fact that demons are supposed to manifest from people's fear, and thus, people must stay inside at night and guard themselves with sigils... except in whole stinking towns where there ARE no functional sigils and nothing seems to happen to anyone at all? There are never any solid rules; the author changes what she wants when she wants depending on how she wants the plot to flow. That's poor writing, ladies and gents... I don't care how big her vocabulary is, I don't care how vivid her descriptions are. She negates all that because she can't tell a simple story or set down a concrete set of world rules.

So, is there anything good about this book? Why, sure. The fae is okay. If Friedman could settle on how it works, it would have been pretty cool. There's a really fun Forest scene, and the Prologue grabs you hook, line, and sinker. Tarrant is the most grounded of the characters, so I'm willing to bet most people will enjoy reading about him alone.

Other than that, it's pretty underwhelming fare. Don't bother with this book. It's a frustrating experience and almost never rewards you for your patience.

Editorial Review:

The Coldfire trilogy tells a story of discovery and battle against evil on a planet where a force of nature exists that is capable of reshaping the world in response to psychic stimulus. This terrifying force, much like magic, has the power to prey upon the human mind, drawing forth a person's worst nightmare images or most treasured dreams and indiscriminately giving them life. This is the story of two men: one, a warrior priest ready to sacrifice anything and everything for the cause of humanity's progress; the other, a sorcerer who has survived for countless centuries by a total submission to evil. They are absolute enemies who must unite to conquer an evil greater than anything their world has ever known.

Dhampir (Noble Dead)

Barb Hendee, J.C. Hendee

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Better than the Twilight series! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is well-written, full of action, and skips the PDA but still conveys affection between characters. The exact time period and location of the story are unclear; but who wants to get caught up observing historical facts as they write a book, or read one for that matter? The authors aren't scared to build up complex characters and then kill them off. Unlike the Twilight series, which drags on a good 10 or 20 pages after you know that Jacob is a werewolf, or after you suspect Bella is pregnant, or after you know Bella is walking into a trap, etc- this book may lead you to a conclusion, which will either be immediately confirmed or it will take off in an exhilarating new direction. The book never loses momentum, and the 2 main characters change greatly as the story progresses, which makes them even more real. I was hooked at page 7, and stayed up a few nights past my normal bedtime reading by candlelight while trying to find a good place to stop! Subtle hints are sprinkled throughout the text, which made me re-read some parts after I had finished. Not all questions are answered, some conflicts remain, and that's what makes me want to read the rest of the series.

Editorial Review:

The launch of a major new vampire series-set in a classic fantasy universe...

A con-artist who poses as a vampire slayer learns that she is, in fact, a true vampire slayer-a dhampir-whose actions have attracted the unwanted attention of a trio of powerful vampires seeking her blood.

God's Demon

Wayne Barlowe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Lucifer’s War, which damned legions of angels to Hell, is an ancient and bitter memory shrouded in the smoke and ash of the Inferno. The Fallen, those banished demons who escaped the full wrath of Heaven, have established a limitless and oppressive kingdom within the fiery confines of Hell. Lucifer has not been seen since the Fall and the mantle of rulership has been passed to the horrific Prince Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies. The Demons Major, Heaven's former warriors, have become the ruling class. They are the equivalent to landed lords, each owing allegiance to the de facto ruler of Hell. They reign over their fiefdoms, tormenting the damned souls and adding to their wealth.

One Demon Major, however, who has not forgotten his former life in Heaven. The powerful Lord Sargatanas is restless. For millennia Sargatanas has ruled dutifully but unenthusiastically, building his city, Adamantinarx, into the model of an Infernal metropolis. But he has never forgotten what he lost in the Fall—proximity to God. He is sickened by what he has become. Now, with a small event—a confrontation with one of the damned souls—he makes a decision that will reverberate through every being in Hell. Sargatanas decides to attempt the impossible, to rebel, to endeavor to go Home and bring with him anyone who chooses to follow . . . be they demon or soul. He will stake everything on this chance for redemption.

Belladonna (Ephemera, Book 2)

Anne Bishop

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

HORRIBLE 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

horrible, horrible, horrible.
I am actually a little shocked that something this crappy was PUBLISHED. I feel ill-used by it, since it wasted several hours of my life. It's confusing and a million things are going on at once- but are never resolved. Anne Bishop gave no real clues "Warrior of Light?? So what?" as to what story Michael might be holding back or why we should even CARE and there was absolutely no climax to this book at all. I never really felt like I knew the characters at all... One day Michael just decides to tell the story and Glorianna and Michael, for some odd reason completely unobvious to me, they say, "It's TIME." Why the hell is it time?? The Dark thing is staying away from YOUR LANDSCAPE, what's the great urgency. No real central problem (with an urgency, anyway) that needs to be solved. someone should have shredded this book and made Anne Bishop START OVER. The ideas in it are pretty good, but Anne Bishop can't develop them into a meaningful plot.

DON'T WASTE HOURS OF YOUR LIFE!

Editorial Review:

The thrilling follow-up to Sebastian.

The Eater of the World continues to spread its dark influence across the realm of Ephemera, corrupting people's souls with doubts and fears. Only Glorianna Belladonna possesses the ability to thwart the Eater's plans. But she has been branded a rogue, and must stand alone against the encroaching entity.

But she is not alone. In dreams, a call has traveled throughout Ephemera-"Heart's hope lies within Belladonna"-and reached Michael, a man with mysterious powers of his own. It awakens a fierce hunger within him to find the dark-haired sorceress he's dreamt of-a beautiful woman named Belladonna. Together, they may be Ephemera's only hope.

The Scent of Shadows (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 1)

Vicki Pettersson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 81 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Unsettling, but Good 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Although I really liked it, I found this book a bit unsettling. This is because whenever I think of 'Superheros' in an adult story, I'm thinking it HAS TO be campy, fun and/or superficial.

But while having 'campy' elements, this had some very gritty and hardcore moments -- totally NOT what I was expecting, and I had a hard time reconciling the two. I would be laughing at a funny, light part and the next moment someone would be getting seriously tortured.

I also had a hard time understanding how they could have 'normal' jobs working amongst their enemies during the 'day' and then come out at night as superheros and fight without anyone ever noticed the resemblence between the 'day' and 'night' persona. (Except for Joanna nobody else seems to wear a mask.)

So you'd think after giving this mixed review I would also give it a low rating -- but I'm surprised to say this is not the case. Even with the areas I had problems with, it was well written, the story line unique, the heroine self-sufficient and likable and most important -- I couldn't put it down! Even while reading a part that made me scratch my head I kept on reading until I finished the book and bought the rest in the series.

Editorial Review:

When she was sixteen, Joanna Archer was brutally assaulted and left to die in the Nevada desert.

By rights, she should be dead.

Now a photographer by day, she prowls a different Las Vegas after sunset—a grim, secret Sin City where Light battles Shadow—seeking answers to whom or what she really is . . . and revenge for the horrors she was forced to endure.

But the nightmare is just beginning—for the demons are hunting Joanna, and the powerful shadows want her for their own . . .

Seraphs (Thorn St. Croix, Book 2)

Faith Hunter

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

I cannot wait for the next one in the series! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I am really impressed. A TOTALLY new idea and very entertaining. I have read all 3 of the books out so far and I cannot wait till the next one. Faith Hunter has created a complex and engaging universe, while her character development allows you to become deeply involved with the storyline. I am a huge fan of Kim Harrison, old L.K. Hamilton and Kenyon. I was skeptical because I normally do not like post-apocalypse stories, but I was really hooked by this one. I HIGHLY recommend it!

Editorial Review:

The thrilling follow-up to Bloodring from "a new, strongly unique voice in the dark fantasy genre." (Kim Harrison)

Living among humans in a post-apocalyptic ice age, neomage Thorn St. Croix has learned to count on her friends, but she's lost count of her enemies. She is a source of both fear and fascination for the people of Mineral City: Her powers can save them from the forces of evil, but also attract demon spawn and succubae. And fighting on her own turf nearly gets Thorn and those she holds dear killed.

But Thorn's ultimate test awaits deep under the snow-covered mountains beyond the village, where an imprisoned, fallen seraph desperately needs her help. There, hidden in the hellhole, the armies of Darkness assemble to ensure this subterranean rescue will be Thorn's final descent.

The House of Gaian (Tir Alainn Trilogy)

Anne Bishop

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

I like! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Bishop keeps going! This turned out to be a very fun and well written series, It isn't earth shaking in complexity or originality but .. damn its good!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MalazanWorld/

her black jewels is better... 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 7 people found this review helpful.

...but this one is great. the best in the trilogy. but why did morag have to die? for some reason, my favourite authors have a habit of killing off my faourite characters. the only cool one left is aiden. honestly!
but it was still good. and yes, i would recommend it.

Good end to a trilogy 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book closed the trilogy with great excitement. It follows the lines of the other books in the trilogy, yet at the same time is as different as the first book was from the second. I really enjoyed that Bishop could continue the story, but at the same time added changes that made all the books unique from each other. I would say that if you liked the first two, you will continue to enjoy the House of Gaian. Great for all fantasy lovers alike.

Editorial Review:

In the conclusion of the Tir Alainn Trilogy, the uneasy alliance between Fae and humans may not be enough to defeat the Inquisitors-leaving them no choice but to seek out the witches of the House of Gaian. But can they be trusted?

Transformation (Rai Kirah)

Carol Berg

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 81 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

tale of 2 books 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It was a fresh take on fantasy, especially considering the main character was a slave. There wasn't alot of your typical fantasy with magic and battles as well as heroes that never seem to die. The characterizations were done well and the dialogue between the 2 main characters as well as watching their relationship grow really kept my interest.

And then the book changed...

Nearly at the midway point the story kicks into your typical fantasy fare. I won't reveal much, but you get a very predictable plot line that follows along the fantasy guidelines to where you can pretty much predict what is upcoming.

This was disappointing. I really liked the direction the story started and got through that in just a few days, but found it hard to read the 2nd half and to maintain my interest.

Editorial Review:

Seyonne is a man waiting to die. He has been a slave for sixteen years, almost half his life, and has lost everything of meaning to him: his dignity, the people and homeland he loves, and the Warden's power he used to defend an unsuspecting world from the ravages of demons. Seyonne has made peace with his fate. With strict self-discipline he forces himself to exist only in the present moment and to avoid the pain of hope or caring about anyone. But from the moment he is sold to the arrogant, careless Prince Aleksander, the heir to the Derzhi Empire, Seyonne's uneasy peace begins to crumble. And when he discovers a demon lurking in the Derzhi court, he must find hope and strength in a most unlikely place...

Feast of Souls (The Magister Trilogy, Book 1)

C. S. Friedman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Captivating world, intricate characterization 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book caught me in a way so very few do. This is the kind of story that keeps you dreaming long after you've reached the end of the first book, and waiting none too patiently for the next one to come along. Friedman's world is complex, and her characters are true to form--they are not all good, or all bad but a varying composition of the two.
While the reader is swept into this world, one view point to the next, a great darkness is stirring, and it is this element that drives much of the plot. We, as readers, become attached to the characters so much so that the continual change of view is not unsettling, but welcomed and entertaining.
There is love enough to satisfy those who are romantic at heart. There is bitter irony of circumstance enough for those who want to feel the realism in any world be it real or fictional. Action builds slowly, and fills in the voids where most authors muddle through with tawdry background information.
Details are revealed in a woven fashion, not jarringly or without purpose.
I won't ruin it for you, but there is a scene in particular that caught my attention, and it is the first real evidence of the soul-eaters. A beautifully terrifying chapter--you'll know what I mean when you read it.
I really loved this book, and the next one cannot hit the shelves soon enough, in my opinion.

Editorial Review:

At the end of her bestselling Coldfire trilogy, C.S. Friedman challenged readers to imagine what a world would be like if sorcery required the ultimate sacrifice-that of life itself. Now, in Feast of Souls, she introduces us to a terrifying world in which the cost of magic is just that...in which the fuel for sorcery is the very fire of the human spirit, and those who hunger for magical power must pay for it with their lives. In this epic tale of nightmarish shadows and desperate hope, the greatest threat of all may not be that of ancient enemies returned, or ancient wars resumed, but of the darkness that lies within the hearts of men.