Review: Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

Troubled Waters
Author: Sharon Shinn
Publication: Ace Hardcover (October 5, 2010)


Description: Zoe Ardelay receives astonishing and unwelcome news: she has been chosen to become the king's fifth wife. Forced to go to the royal city, she manages to slip away and hide on the shores of the mighty river. 

It's there that Zoe realizes she is a coru prime ruled by the elemental sign of water. She must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king, but a woman with power in her own right. But as Zoe unlocks more of the mysteries of her blood-and the secrets of the royal family-she must decide how to use her great power to rise above the deceptions and intrigue of the royal court.


My Thoughts: This was a wonderfully written and rich fantasy in a new world. People are controlled by one of  five elements. When they are born, their parents collect blessings for them that indicate their futures. Zoe Ardelay is a coru (blood/water) woman. Her father drew beauty, love and power for her when she was born. She is also a descendant of one of the five most powerful families in the kingdom even though she and her father have been in exile for some years. Immediately after her father's death, a court official named Darien Serlast comes to find her and bring her to the capital to be the king's fifth wife. She leaves him in the city and goes to the river to live. There she meets friends and has time to decide for herself what she wants for her life.


Zoe learns that her mother's family has been searching for her because she is the heir to her dead grandmother. She is also the head of the family and has power over water. Her new position forces her to go to court and get involved in politics. She manages to make great changes there. She and Darien Serlast form a relationship but he is is a hunti man (wood/bone). At first, their personalities don't seem to be compatible. She isn't sure she can trust him because she knows he has lied to her in the past. I liked the quiet romance that develops between the two of them.


I very much enjoyed learning about this world. I will admit that I looked back at the descriptions of the five elements and the traits that were associated with them frequently as I read the book. The world was rich and well-developed. I highly recommend it to fantasy lovers for its rich language, interesting characters, and strong world-building.


Favorite Quote:

Stepping out of the elaymotive had been an act of sheer impulse; she had no plan. Should she go to her aunt's house and ask for succor? Seek out her father's brother and hope for rescue? Continue on to the palace and fling herself at Darien Serlast's feet, begging for mercy? Stop at a temple and pray for guidance?


The last time she had stepped into a temple, all the guidance she had received was the word surprise. She supposed, after all, that the blessing must be read as true. This time, she had even surprised herself.

Review: Intrigues by Mercedes Lackey

Intrigues: Book Two of the Collegium Chronicles (A Valdemar Novel)

Author: Mercedes Lackey

Publication: DAW Hardcover (October 5, 2010)

Description: Magpie is a thirteen-year-old orphan chosen by one of the magical Companion horses of Valdemar and taken to the capital city, Haven, to be trained as a Herald. Like all Heralds, Magpie learns that he has a hidden Gift-the Gift of telepathy. 

But life at the court is not without obstacles. When Mags is "recognized" by foreign secret operatives whose purpose is unknown, Mags himself comes under suspicion. Who are Magpie's parents-who is he, really? Can Mags solve the riddle of his parentage and his connection with the mysterious spies-and prove his loyalty-before the king and court banish him as a traitor?


My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this second book about Mags. He is trying to find his place at the Herald's college in Haven. It is hard for him because of his past as an orphan slave-boy who was forced to work in the mines. He is gradually getting used to having enough to eat and a warm, dry place to sleep. He is even making friends for the first time in his life. Lena is a young trainee at the Bard's college and Bear is a young trainee at the Healer's college. He even has his first crush on Amily who is the daughter of the King's Herold. The King's Herold is also training him to be a spy and he goes on some missions in this story too.


The problem in this one comes as a result of the foreseers seeing the king covered with blood and Mags there too. Because Mags has learned his parents were foreigners, suspicion builds around him. He is enough of an empath that what other people think and feel about him affects him greatly. He also gets into conflicts with his two best friends. Both are having family problems and Mags doesn't know how to help them.


While this book is not marketed to YAs, I do feel that it would be a great series for young adults and even middle graders. Mags is a wonderful character. He is smart, tough, resilient, and honorable. Also the world, with Companions (talking horses) would fascinate animal lovers. This one even introduces a war game called Kirball that reminds me in some ways of the game played in the Harry Potter books* (the name of it is totally gone from my memory as I am writing this.)


I highly recommend this fantasy series. I do recommend beginning with Foundation: Book One of the Collegium Chronicles. You can get a good deal on that one at Amazon.


Favorite Quote:

Gennie turned to Mags. "It's pretty simple, I was supposed to present a cup of wine to the King when I was a First Year, at a thing where he was supposed to be giving out prizes for students with poor parents that had been sponsored up here by people like Councilor Soren. I got all tongue-tied, then my feet followed my tongue. I tripped and spilled it all over his Whites. Red wine, of course."


Pip smothered a laugh. She reached out without looking and thumped him again.


"Gor, that musta' bin--" Mags shook his head. He could just imagine it. "I'd'a gotten sick on 'is boots to cap it off."


"I nearly did. And that is why the King never drinks anything but water and white wine in public, even though he loathes white wine," she said ruefully.


"And now, here you are, captain of the Team South Kirball players!" said Halleck.


Well yes." she shrugged. "You muddle through somehow--"

*Quidditch

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (Oct. 11, 2010)

It's Monday, What are you reading is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Well, last week I mentioned that I wasn't feeling well, so a visit to the doctor told me that I had bronchitis. So I have been taking pills all week. I am finally starting to feel better. I did manage to get a lot of reading done despite the coughing and sniffling.

I finished Matched by Ally Condie. This was an interesting young adult dystopia. I found the world building to be more compelling than the romance triangle though.

Undertow: Building Sanctuary, Book 2 by Moira Rogers got me to haul out my Kindle again. This novella length story was the romance between werewolves Victor and Simone. It was all right and added to the bigger story but wasn't very memorable.

Styx's Storm by Lora Leigh was one of the weakest entries in the Breeds series that I have read. Usually, I like this series but this one had such an unsympathetic heroine that I just couldn't get into the story.

Continuing my trend of unsatisfying books, I went back to my Kindle and read The Red Church and Burial to Follow by Scott Nicholson. He make my blog a stop on his 90 day book tour. I felt that I had to read his books. I thought they were slow moving. I also am not a big fan of horror.

Next I chose a complete change of pace and picked up a middle grade book that had been sent to me for review. Selling Hope by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb was historical fiction that took place in 1910 amid the confusion that accompanied the return of Halley's Comet. This was a nice story of a young girl who learned what home really was.

The best book I read this week was Intrigues: Book Two in the Collegium Chronicles by Mercedes Lackey. This refreshing fantasy had likable characters in an interesting setting. I recommend this one. I'll be posting the review on Tuesday.

Since I had good luck with the fantasy, I chose Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn for my next book. 

After that, I really don't know. My TBR stack is as high as an elephant's eye. I'm sure something good will pop out.

What did you read? What's up next for you?

In My Mailbox (Oct. 10, 2010)

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.

I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the cool books everyone gets. You will discover lots of wonderful blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.

I am so ashamed. I went absolutely crazy this week and got more books than I can read in a good month. There were so many good books this week and I just couldn't pass up any of them. 

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook appeared on my radar after a read a short story in the world recently. I am starting to really like the steampunk genre and look forward to reading this one.

Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn is the first book in a new fantasy world for Shinn. I have enjoyed almost all of her work and this one sounds interesting.

Intrigues: Book Two of the Collegium Chronicles by Mercedes Lackey returns us to the early days of Valdemar. I really loved these books when I was younger and am eager to revisit the world. 

Venom by Jennifer Estep is third in the Elemental Assassins series. I have read book 1 and have book 2 on my Kindle. I would have bought the Kindle edition of this one too but it was the same price as the print edition. So I chose the print edition.

Styx's Storm by Lora Leigh is the latest in her Breeds series. I read this one already and didn't love it. The female main character had a very irritating personality. My review is here. 

I decided to add a couple of romances to my TBR stack this week after reading good reviews.

The Spy Who Saved Christmas by Dana Marton is the first series romance that I have read in quite a while.

Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis sounded interesting too (and I didn't manage to win a copy even though I entered a lot of contests).

Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo is a thriller. I read and enjoyed Sworn to Silence and decided to read this one too even though one review calls it "overwrought."

I enjoyed Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything and was interested when I saw that he had written At Home: A Short History of Private Life. This is the sort of book that I read a little bit each day because they are filled with so many interesting details. 

I also added some books to my Kindle this week.

I was a stop on Scott Nicholson's blog tour recently and decided to read a couple of his books. I chose The Red Church and Burial to Follow. I am neither Southern nor a fan of horror but I enjoyed Burial to Follow and am currently reading The Red Church (which is sort of creepy).

I also bought Undertow: Building Sanctuary Book 2 by Moira Rogers. This novella adds to the history of the world Rogers has created and had some interesting but conflicted characters.

Double Cross by Carolyn Crane is the second in the Disillusionists Trilogy. I thought Mind Games was good and want to know what happens next.

I also chose some free books for the Kindle. Who knows, I might run out of reading materials and want these someday.

Elvis and the Dearly Departed by Peggy Webb is a humorous mystery.

Enchanting the Lady by Kathryne Kennedy is a pre-release title. It is set in a magic-touched Victorian world and sounded good. 

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is a book that is somewhere on my TBR stack. The Kindle edition has some bonus material. Reading this one will be more convenient than finding the print book in my TBR stack.

See what I mean? I went crazy this week. What found its way to your mailbox? Just in case you want to add to your mailbox, don't forget to enter my ARC giveaway. It ends on Oct. 31.

Reviews: The Red Church and Burial to Follow by Scott Nicholson

The Red Church
Author: Scott Nicholson
Publication: Haunted Computer Books (December 30, 2009)


Description: For 13-year-old Ronnie Day, life is full of problems: Mom and Dad have separated, his brother Tim is a constant pest, Melanie Ward either loves him or hates him, and Jesus Christ won't stay in his heart. Plus he has to walk past the red church every day, where the Bell Monster hides with its wings and claws and livers for eyes. But the biggest problem is that Archer McFall is the new preacher at the church, and Mom wants Ronnie to attend midnight services with her.

Sheriff Frank Littlefield hates the red church for a different reason. His little brother died in a freak accident at the church twenty years ago, and now Frank is starting to see his brother's ghost. And the ghost keeps demanding, "Free me." People are dying in Whispering Pines, and the murders coincide with McFall's return.

The Days, the Littlefields, and the McFalls are descendants of the original families that settled the rural Appalachian community. Those old families share a secret of betrayal and guilt, and McFall wants his congregation to prove its faith. Because he believes he is the Second Son of God, and that the cleansing of sin must be done in blood.

"Sacrifice is the currency of God," McFall preaches, and unless Frank and Ronnie stop him, everybody pays.

Burial to Follow
Author: Scott Nicholson
Publication: Haunted Computer Books (December 22, 2009)


Description: When Jacob Ridgehorn dies, it's up to Roby Snow to make sure his soul goes on to the eternal reward. The only way Roby can do that is convince the Ridgehorn family to eat a special pie. Lurking in the shadows is a mysterious figure named Johnny Divine, monitoring the crossroads between the living and the dead. Southern Appalachian funeral customs get crossed when Roby has to perform miracles...or else.


My Thoughts: These are two books by an author who made my blog one of the stops on his current blog tour. I read almost no horror and hadn't tried his books before. These were purchased for my Kindle.


Burial to Follow was an interesting story. It was filled with Southern funeral detail and vivid descriptions. For example, "Harold stuck close to her, like a dog following a bucket of chicken guts." From the mundane, the story segued into a horror story. While I didn't completely understand what was going on, apparently Roby made a deal with the devil in return for his life and now has to make sure that all the mourners at a death eat some of a special pie which was made by a woman who had made her own deal with the devil. 


The Red Church was longer and didn't really manage to engage my attention or interest. I'll admit I skimmed the last quarter of the book. It was told from the viewpoint of a sheriff and of a 13-year-old boy. It dealt with ancient curses and a weird religious cult that included cannibalism. This preacher has returned from the dead to preach his new religion which involves sacrifice of the old families who were involved in the hanging of another preacher. 


Both of these were OK if you like horror and ghost stories. I preferred Burial to Follow. They both had some creepy moments interspersed with a lot of detail about the way of life in isolated areas of the Appalachians. I would recommend them only to lovers of horror who like their books to have a slow pace.   

It's Time to Hop!

Friday is Hop Day. Join in the fun at Crazy-for-Books and visit some wonderful blogs. There is always a question of the week. This week's question is:


What's your favorite beverage while reading or blogging, if any? Is it tea, coffee, water, a glass of wine, or something else?


My favorite beverage at all times is Diet Pepsi. I almost always have a can by my side at home, at work, wherever I happen to be. I have backed off on my caffeine intake though. If I'm home or at work, I only have one can a day with caffeine and the rest of the day I'm caffeine-free. However, if I'm away from home, I drink the "hard stuff" all day long. (Thank heaven for Culver's -- they have caffeine-free Diet Pepsi as one of their fountain drinks.) 


You can bet that I'll have a can by my side while I'm hopping around the blogs today.

ARC Giveaway

The ARCs are starting to pile up at my house. I have read and reviewed these books. I thought I'd see if anyone would like to have them.

Here are the ARC that I have available.

The Valcourt Heiress by Catherine Coulter

Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

Spooky Little Girl by Laurie Notaro

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

Here are the rules:

1. This contest is only open to followers of Inside of a Dog or Ms. Martin Teaches Media.
2. Followers must live in the US or Canada.
3. Multiple entries will be discarded.
4. The contest will end at noon CDT on Oct. 31, 2010
5. Fill out the form below.

Here is the form. Comments are nice but the only entries that count will be those on the form.