Review: The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

Book Title/Author: The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
Publisher/Year Published: October 2010 by Berkley Trade
Where I got it: Borders Blowout
Rating: 4/5 stars
Challenges: Reading Romances May Challenge: SciFi; TBR Pile Challenge
Summary:

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power-and fear-of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

I've been hearing rumblings about The Iron Duke around the internet for quite a while, especially when talking about steampunk books. I don't know what put me off reading it. Maybe there were a bit of mixed messages, but forever reason I didn't read it. I ended up reading it now because I randomly picked it up at one of Border's going out of business sales because I vaguely remembered good things. Well now I have an option. And overall that one is good.

The Story:
I don't even know how to start explaining the story. There is just so much intricacy built in with the way Brook constructed the book. The world-building was excellent. It really felt like the past mixed in with the alternate reality future. At first I was a little put off and confused by the terminology but she doesn't deluge you with facts and slowly awakens your knowledge of the world she has created. I was soon up on the lingo and the world.

The basic plot is there an inspector, Mina, who get's called out on a case at the Iron Duke's house. He is sort of a celebrity in London due to him freeing them from their former occupiers, the Horde. As the investigation grows into something bigger either thought, they are pushed together more often than not and drawn to each other.

I don't want to give too much away, but this story is WAY more than just a who done it. It turns into some crazy shiz. And yes, that is the technical term.

The plot was no too hard to follow, but some scenes I thought were a bit rushed or non-existent. Like one in particular time, she built us up for a sea battle and we saw very little of it. Boo. The ending was okay I guess. I can't put my finger on why it felt off for me (and I mean like the VERY ending).

The Characters:
This was by far my favorite part of this book. The leads were wicked dimentional. The secondaries were as well and I really hope to see more of them again with their own book.

Mina, the inspector, has some interesting issue to deal with and I thought they were handled well. I didn;t think they were too glossed over and instead took a bit to be worked out. Rhys, the Duke, though could be a hit or miss for people. Early on he seems like the biggest alphole to ever walk the pages of my brain, but slowly you see him grow and change. His growth and change however does not make him lose his alpha characteristics. That's why he could be hit or miss. Within the context of this book and because of this character growth, he was a hit for me. Well, I warmed up to him.

It's gotta be mentioned. Scarsdale made me laugh out loud at least once a time he was on the page. Between him and Lady Corsair they were probably the most well rounded secondary characters I have seen in a romance novel for a while.

The Romance:
This is a paranormal romance novel and thus there are a number of romantic-centric scenes. But I hesitate to say that is how I would define it. It is very much a well done interweaving of romance and paranormal. It's easy to get lost in either side.

There are some difficult romantic elements in this book dealing with the way sexuality was expressed during the Horde rule. They are not comfortable scenes. Were they necessary in the context of the book? I think so. I really do. It made the world more real to me.

Also, the sexy times are frequent, hot and like I mentioned sometimes tied to some heavy emotional moments that could be triggers for some of us, so if you are not into that, this may not be for you.

The Execution:
Overall I enjoyed it but my biggest qualm lay here. Some of the scenes, especially ones with lots of action seemed unbelievably confusing to me. I literally read a page 3 times very slowly to try and get what just happened and I still had trouble. The times I had to do this were not overwhelmingly high, but enough to bother me.

What did bother me though is there are two admirals each with a B name and one is a good guy and one is a not-so good guy (?) and I still get them confused. We didn't see them enough for me to remember the name and who was what. I wish that one of the other letters of the alphabet were used so I wasn't like "Wait, isn't he dead?"

The Overview:
Overall, I sure as hell enjoyed it enough to survive this hectic work week with only on average 5 hrs of sleep. That may even be a max of five hours each night. All because I wanted to go back into this world and be with these people. I am really excited to continue this series.

Review: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Book Title/Author:I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Publisher/Year Published: July 1999 by St. Martin's Press (first published 1948)
Where I got it: Boarders Blowout last year
Rating: 4/5 stars
Challenges: March Entry from TBR Pile Challenge

Summary:via Goodreads

I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle"--and the heart of the reader--in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.

I have had I Capture the Castle on my to-read list for years. In fact Goodreads said I added it to my shelves in August of 2009! So almost three years later, I got around to reading it. And it was quite a good book.

Cassandra is our narrator of this story and she chronicles the going on of her family, who are destitute and living in a ramshackle castle, through a series of journals. You can see her writing become better as the story progresses. Cassie is the middle child of a famous ex-writer. She lives with her older sister, Rose, a beauty who's only hope for bringing the family income is marriage; her younger brother Thomas, still in school; her step-mom Topaz, a former model for famous painters; her father the ex-writer who does nothing all day much to the dismay of the family; and Stephen, a son of a former maid who grew up with the family and is the only one providing any income for them to live and is in love with Cassie.

The cast of characters in this novel are remarkably well rounded. I loved the interactions between them all, and those interactions really drove the plot. The first few chapters are getting to know them and their situation, but the plot really begins when two men stumble into the castle one day. These two men are the new owner of the castle they rent, Simon, and his brother Neil.

Shenanigans ensue.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and toward the end it was hard to put down. The narrator was sometimes a pain to deal with because she had teenager like tendencies and thus would ramble out love and miss the obvious. But that's expected. It was an artistic choice that sometimes didn't work for me, but sometimes did. I know this sounds really wishy washy. Let's see if I can give an example. Cassandra falls in love in this book. It's her first love so much of her journal is about him. Expected of a 17 year old? Absolutely. Good reading material? Not really.

By the end of the book, I had wished the outcome different with her and one of the guys (trying to stay vague here), but it was still a satisfying conclusion.

I would recommend this to people who like historical fiction and a fun set of love stories. It really is just a picture of these peoples lives, a really interesting picture too.

I am glad I finally read it, and I am glad I own it because I will probably be reading this one again.

Review: The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long

Book Title/Author: The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long
Publisher/Year Published: January 2008 by Avon Books
Where I got it: an eBook from the library
Rating: 3/5 stars
Challenges: February entry in my To Be Read Pile Challenge

Summary:via Goodreads

Scandal has rocked the city of London. Colin Eversea, a handsome, reckless unapologetic rogue is sentenced to hang for murder and, inconveniently for him, the only witness to the crime disappears. Then again, throughout history, the Everseas have always managed to cheat fate in style: Colin is snatched from the gallows by a beautiful, clever mercenary.

Cool-headed, daring Madeleine Greenway is immune to Colin's vaunted charm. Her mission is not to rescue Colin but to kidnap him, and to be paid handsomely for it. But when it becomes clear that whoever wants Colin alive wants Madeline dead, the two become uneasy allies in a deadly race for truth. Together, they'll face great danger--and a passion neither can resist.

Historically, the thing about me and historical romances* is that I find an author I love and read the crap out of all the books I can find by them until I can find no more. More recently though, meaning the past few years, though I read the new books put out by my favorite authors, I find my self branching out and trying different things.

I've been wanting to read Julie Anne Long for a while. I don't know why I didn't; it just never panned out. I think the catalysis was buying one of her books from the Border's sales, but it was the 5th in the series.

One thing to know about me. I cannot stand being "spoiled" for a book (or movie or TV show). If it is a series, I must read it in order.

So now that I had this book with the inciting cover and rave reviews in my possession, I couldn't do anything with it until I read the 4 previous books.

This is where we start our review.

The Perils of Pleasure is the first book in Long's Pennyroyal Green series. The series definitely starts off on a high note with Colin, the literally almost hung innocent murderer, and Madeline, the woman hired to save him.

I can't say that I have ever read a historical romance novel where the hero and heroine are pretty much on the run the entire novel. Yay! Unique plots! After the explosive beginning with the almost-hanging, they spend the rest of the novel trying to uncover what actually did happen, while of course falling for each other.

I loved Colin and Madeline. Unique, true to character throughout, growth and change. Love it! The scenes between the two of them were well crafted as well. The one sex scene was wonderfully sensual and fit well with these two.

I think why I didn't give this more stars was while I liked the story, sometimes it was a little jarringly written. We mostly followed Madeline and Colin, but then would be abruptly transported for a paragraph or so to some side character from Colin's large family's mind. Or Colin's large family's enemies large family.

I can see why this is a series.

I dont know if the feeling of being bounced around a bit was just me, but it pulled me out of the main story between Colin and Madeline. I see why some of it was necessary because of how the plot progressed, but still. The ending gave me the same, strange feeling too.

Despite all of this it was a satisfying story, I completely enjoyed the uniqueness of the plot though it failed a bit on the execution, and I will continue on with the series.

*Ha! A pun! I love puns!

Review: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Book Title/Author:Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Publisher/Year Published:May 2001 by Ace (first published in January 2001)
Where I got it: The library
Rating: 3/5 stars

Challenges:The January entry for the TBR Pile Challenge

Summary:

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome -- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the kind of guy she's been waiting for all her life.

But Bill has a disability of his own: he's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs out with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of -- big surprise -- murder. And when one of Sookie's co-workers is killed, she fears she's next.

I am going to start this review off by getting this out of the way. I have never seen True Blood, a TV series on I don't even know what channel that I hear is 'loosely' based on this book series. I don't even know what the characters look like, or if I did I am not sure who is suppose to be who or if I am even mixing up vampire television shows.

The point with leading off with this is that I was able to experience Dead Until Dark unscathed and not judging based on seeing a different medium.

I knew that this was set in the South and had vampires in it. Well we find out soon that vampires are not just in this world but are accepted into society (with some prejudices to overcome of course). Quite an interesting concept which isnt the normal twist that you see in vampire lore.

The story itself was pretty interesting in that it played off of this concept quite heavily. We see vampires trying to integrate themselves and others trying to stay as separate as possible. A main point of the novel is our main vampire, Bill, which by the way is an awesome vampire name, trying to live with the humans. It is actually quite interesting and something I almost wanted to see more than the romance. Because, yes that is there too.

So outside of that the plot is rather interesting. There is a mystery murderer running around. It's a pretty decent story. I extremely loved all of the references to the early 2000s. I don't know if it was a detriment, per say, but it does date the story. For instance, there were times before I checked the publication date where I thought, why isn't he just calling her on her cell. Well, silly, those were not that popular yet. Hard to believe.

The characters were alright, decently well rounded, and overall enjoyable. I did feel like Sookie was a little annoying at times and that clothing was mentioned overmuch. But Bill and Sookie and the host of secondary characters were fleshed out (ha pun) and ... well enjoyable.

I keep using that word, because that is what it was for me. Enjoyable. I didnt overly love it and I didn't overly hate it. The story was good, the characters were good, the setting was good; I am not sure if there is much more to say.

Will I read more of the series? Maybe. I am definitely not going to rule it out. Will I be making a mad dash to Netflix to watch True Blood? Eh. Probably not.

It's worth a read if you are interested in vampires and a time so close to our own, yet without cell phones :)

2012 To Be Read (TBR) Pile Challenge

So last year I attempted the TBR challenge hosted over at Roof Beam Reader. I did pretty pitifully at the reviewing bit. I read 5/12 and reviewed two. Ouch.

Oh well!! 2012 is a new year and I am IN again! I just made it under the wire too! Phew!

Julia's 2012 TBR Challenge:

1. The Devil Wears Plaid by Teresa Mederios

2. Stardust by Neil Gaiman

3. 1984 by George Orwell

4. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

5. Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1) by Charlaine Harris

6. The Iron Duke (Iron Seas #1) by Meljean Brook

7. The Perils of Pleasure (Pennyroyal Green #1) by Julie Anne Long

8. The Master and the Muses by Amanda McIntyre

9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

10. Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons In Life, Love, And Language by Deborah Fallows

11. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

12. By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kapla


Alternates:

1. That Perfect Someone (Malory Family #10) by Johanna Lindsey

2. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Reviews will either be posted here or over at The Broke and the Bookish, but all will be written and read by me :) I am going to do it this year. I have a good feeling about this. Some hold overs from last year, some are my buys from the many Borders trips I made before it closed.

In any case. Good luck to all who take up the challenge!

Review: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Book Title/Author:
Publisher/Year Published: 2005 by RH Audio
Where I got it: The library
Rating: 4/5 stars
Challenges:A to Z Male Name: Z, A to Z Female Name: T, A to Z Book Title: H, A to Z Authors: D, 2011 TBR Challenge

Summary:via Goodreads
Don't leave Earth without this hilarious international bestseller about the end of the world and the happy-go-lucky days that follow. Join the gruesome twsome of Arthur Dent and his friend, Ford Perfect, in their now-famous intergalactic journey through time and space.

Thoughts:
I can't believe it took me this long to read this, well listen to it anyway. Back in 2004 I took a novels class where we were allowed to chose our own books. My one friend read this trilogy and told me I would love it. Well 6ish years later and I finally got around to it!

I think I really liked this book hearing it read to me by the lovely Stephen Fry. Would I have liked it just reading it myself? Sure. But I really think that his voices and twists on some of the dialogue really brought it to life for me during the snow-filled trecks home from work.

The most interesting part for me was stumbling across a word or phrase that I'd heard thrown around before and realizing that it originated in this book! And it was so nice to finally hear the story behind the answer to the life, universe and everything!

It's hard for me to describe this book in review form. I read a review on Goodreads that mentioned that however you feel about Monty Python is how you will feel about this book, and I think that is true. It's out there comedy; sometimes it's extremely random. But overall, it's super entertaining! So if you like fantastical fantasy and random insanity, I think that you would enjoy reading or listening to this book!

I plan to continue my listening journey with the other 4 audiobooks and also the radio plays!

2011 To Be Read (TBR) Challenge

The Goal:
To finally read 12 books from your "to be read" pile, within 12 months.

Specifics: Can be found at the original post

My List:
1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
2. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
3. 1984 by George Orwell
4. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley
5. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
6. Divine By Mistake by P.C. Cast
7. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
8.I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
9. Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke
10. Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
11. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
12. Paradise Lost by John Milton

Two Alternates:
1. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

Good luck to anyone taking this on!