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Leyland
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Posts: 1042
Joined: August 2008
Location: Travelers Rest SC

Post by Leyland » Wed April 8th, 2009, 4:27 pm

Getting my urban fantasy fix today from Amazon:

Magic Strikes (Kate #3) - Ilona Andrews
Bone Crossed (Mercy #3) - Patricia Briggs
Hands of Flame (Negotiator #3) - CE Murphy
We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams ~ Arthur O'Shaughnessy, Ode

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cw gortner
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Post by cw gortner » Wed April 8th, 2009, 4:49 pm

[quote=""Ariadne""]The review in Romantic Times is the place where I read the "vampire" mention. My copy (for HNR) arrived yesterday also, and I've glanced through and believe RT was correct. Sometimes their reviews give away plot points they feel it's important for readers to know in advance before buying, and that may have been the case here. (So apologies if this was a spoiler, but I had no way of knowing!) I agree the packaging is strange. It seems to be a paranormal romance made to appear as a mainstream historical. Either way, the book's not for me... I've read the first few chapters and the prose is very old-school romancey, plus I'm not sure what Renee de Valois was doing romping around England when she was eight years old in 1518. It seems rather a "Braveheart" thing to do.[/quote]

Well, I've gotten a little further in, and, yes, Renee is acting very unlike her historical self. I let that go as dramatic license, though I know Renee was much younger and crippled, and not at all the fetching vixen-spy she's portrayed as here. While I liked the first chapter, the book has now started to veer into "colliding turquoise gazes" and various "searing" body parts, so I'm not sure how long I'll be able to persist. And the vampire stuff - not a spoiler for me, Ariadne - while mostly hidden for the moment, has started to show: Our Nordic stud lead has been drinking a potion all the time to keep his thirst at bay and scared off herds of small animals during a royal hunt (though he did "smell" a hart that had eluded Henry VIII, so the king is rather intrigued). A review on Goodreads says "a vampiric killer is on the loose" at the court, so yes, there are evil vampires here. I'm not sure why our stud appears to be exhibiting paranormal powers, however; perhaps it accounts for why his smile can "transform his face from handsome to gorgeous"?

I tend to like to give a book space for it to grow on me; and since I haven't read a lot of historical romances, old school or otherwise, at first I thought the author was just aiming for a deliberately lush feel to her prose. However, if it continues in its present vein, I'll let the publicist know it was not for me. I'm such a putz sometimes, I always feel bad if I don't really give a book my best try. Sadly, I'm not one to wall bang :)

A shame, as this appeared as if it might be fun. And I agree, EC: it does look like the photographer pulled out the Halloween Let's-Get-Medieval kit for the cover shoot!
Last edited by cw gortner on Wed April 8th, 2009, 5:50 pm, edited 3 times in total.
THE QUEEN'S VOW available on June 12, 2012!
THE TUDOR SECRET, Book I in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles
THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI
THE LAST QUEEN


www.cwgortner.com

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Divia
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Location: Always Cloudy, Central New York

Post by Divia » Wed April 8th, 2009, 8:49 pm

For my bday my bro got me the uncollected stories of Louisa may Alcott. Good boy! :)
News, views, and reviews on books and graphic novels for young adult.
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diamondlil
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Post by diamondlil » Wed April 8th, 2009, 8:58 pm

When is/was your birthday Divia?
My Blog - Reading Adventures

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There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

Edith Wharton

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Wed April 8th, 2009, 9:09 pm

[quote=""diamondlil""]When is/was your birthday Divia?[/quote]

April 4th.
News, views, and reviews on books and graphic novels for young adult.
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SonjaMarie
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Post by SonjaMarie » Wed April 8th, 2009, 9:45 pm

[quote=""Divia""]For my bday my bro got me the uncollected stories of Louisa may Alcott. Good boy! :) [/quote]

Happy belated Birthday Divia, hope you had a great day!

SM
The Lady Jane Grey Internet Museum
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Original Join Date: Mar 2006
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Books Read In 2014: 109 - June: 17 (May: 17)
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Kasthu
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Post by Kasthu » Wed April 8th, 2009, 10:12 pm

Amazon was having a 3 for 4 sale, so I bought four more books in the Morland Dynasty series:

The Long Shadow (#6)
The Chevalier (#7)
The Flood-Tide (#9)
The Tangled Thread (#10)

And I also got: The Journal of Dora Domage, by Brenda Starling.

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Tanzanite
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Post by Tanzanite » Thu April 9th, 2009, 3:15 am

From Book Depository:

Henry, Virtuous Prince - David Starkey
A Place Beyond Courage - Elizabeth Chadwick
The King's Mistress - Emma Campion

And I won a copy of Jan Westcott's The Queen's Grace (about Katherine Parr) on ebay today for the royal sum of $2.26!! This book is usually hard to find and expensive.

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Thu April 9th, 2009, 3:19 am

[quote=""SonjaMarie""]Happy belated Birthday Divia, hope you had a great day!

SM[/quote]

Thanks. :) It was nice.
News, views, and reviews on books and graphic novels for young adult.
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MLE (Emily Cotton)
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Posts: 3566
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Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
Favourite HF book: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger
Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
Location: California Bay Area

Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Thu April 9th, 2009, 4:04 am

[quote=""Tanzanite""]From Book Depository:

And I won a copy of Jan Westcott's The Queen's Grace (about Katherine Parr) on ebay today for the royal sum of $2.26!! This book is usually hard to find and expensive.[/quote]
Good score! When I found out how much that usually sells for, I cringed at the thought that I simply threw my copy out because of a dog-chewed corner...

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