Review of Terrier

Terrier
Tamora Pierce
Amazon
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Rating: 10/10

Tamora Pierce begins a new Tortall trilogy introducing Beka Cooper, an amazing young woman who lived 200 years before Pierce's popular Alanna character. For the first time, Pierce employs first-person narration in a novel, bringing readers even closer to a character that they will love for her unusual talents and tough personality.

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, and she's been assigned to the Lower City. It's a tough beat that's about to get tougher, as Beka's limited ability to communicate with the dead clues her in to an underworld conspiracy. Someone close to Beka is using dark magic to profit from the Lower City's criminal enterprises--and the result is a crime wave the likes of which the Provost's Guard has never seen before.

Terrier is the first book in the Beka Cooper series, and boy what a first. The story takes a step back in time, and follows the ancestor of George Cooper of the Lioness Quartet. Beka is in training to be a hound, or police officer/guard in the capital city of Corus. Beka has an odd bit of magic that allows her to talk to the dead and the dust spinners on the streets. People are disappearing from the Lower City, and no one but Beka cares about their lives. Children are being kidnapped, and returned dead, and Beka knows she must find the ones who did this and stop them. Along with her training Dogs/guards Goodwin an Tunstall, Beka turns the slums of Corus upside-down and reveals a plot that had just been waiting to explode.

Romance
We get a kind of hint of romance between Beka and Rosto, a man with ambitions of being the Rogue or King of the thieves, but it's just a whisper. An anticipation almost. Which is fine because Beka is way too busy kicking butt to worry about men.

Plot
YASSS. I love this book in that around every corner a new link appears in the chain of the crimes she is investigating. Pierce does not disappoint her readers, and seems to go all out with this new character.

Research
Pierce does an amazing job of mixing fantasy and reality, keeping the weapons and tools medieval while adding a little magic to make life easier. She also keeps this book in line with her others in that things that aren't possible there remain so here, and discoveries made in the future books aren't available in this book set in the past.

Voice
Readers will love Beka's no-nonsense voice. She is humble, but in a way that seems like she knows exactly who she is and what she is capable of. She doesn't play around, and takes her friends and family very seriously. She grew up in a horrible area, and was only saved by luck and her own skills. She keeps herself grounded with that fact at all times.

Review of The Ghost

The Ghost
Monica McCarty
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Rating: 9/10

The Ghost is a Scottish romance novel. Unlike others of this brood, the main characters are in the thick of the fight between the English and the Scots. Really though, that makes up a major portion of the plot. The female protagonist, Joan, is a spy for the Bruce. She hates the English for what they did to her mother, and will do anything to bring them down. The main man, Alex, is the quintessential knight in shining armor. He used to be with the Scots, but switched sides to try to stop the fighting. They fall in love, but Alex doesn't know about her being the spy for the majority of the book. Things move pretty quickly once he does find out, and of course mush-worthy romance scenes ensue.

Romance
Pretty hot. Lots of sexy time, and a lot of steam between the characters that the author lets build so it's almost a breath of relief when they finally do get together. Their relationship is believable, and more importantly, worth rooting for.

Research
The author does an incomparable amount of research for this book. Everything is factual except for bits and pieces she uses for the book. Very well done in incorporating it into the writing.

Plot
Well thought out an executed. This author knows what she is doing, even if you just want to scream sometimes for Joan to tell Alex the truth, or for Alex to go back to the Scots. The English are not portrayed prettily in this book, but since it's a Scottish romance, that makes sense.

Voice
The characters are intelligent, and their voices keep with the character profile created for them. Alex is honorable to a fault, and Joan will do what she has to in order to help the Scots. Even if that means sacrificing her life and love.

My Wild Irish Dragon
Ashlyn Chase
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Rating: 7/10

Chloe Arish is a thousand-year-old dragon shifter who wants to work in Boston as a firefighter. She and her family have moved to the states from Ireland after leaving/being kicked out of their home in Ireland. Ryan Fierro is a phoenix shifter that is part of a long line of Boston firefighting phoenixes. There is only one job open in the area for both shifters, and now they have to fight for it. Neither knows the other is anything but human, which leads to some awkward situations involving an apartment full of magical creatures and mother nature. Sparks fly between the two, and not all of them are from the fire.

Romance
Steamy. Sexy. Hot. Did you really expect anything less from a romance about fire shifters? Cheesy as hell, yes, but hot as hell too. The romance takes a bit to build between the two, which makes it more believable for me, but when it does finally work, man does it work!

Plot
Typical romance novel plot, but I'm not disappointed with the execution. It was romantic, and it was a bit cheesy. A little bit too much of that cheese got it a 7/10 score, but I liked it nontheless. You do almost want to pull your hair out and just tell the characters they are both shifters. That is a big problem for a good chunk of the book. The author throws in problems that really don't need to be there, but by-and-large they get resolved.

Voice
Sassy, smart, and tough is the voice of Chloe. A little different from your classic romance protagonist, but not by much. Still very lovable, despite her very annoying stubborn nature. Ryan is understanding, kind, and a little cocky. Also slightly different from your typical male protagonist in a romance, but again not by much. You want to hate his family after a bit though. You can't because he doesn't, which is a bummer.

Review of The Bear and the Nightingale

The Bear and the Nightingale
Katherine Arden
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Rating: 9/10

The Bear and the Nightingale is a fantasy set in old Russia, during the time of Khan's and Tsar's. The main character, Vasilisa, was born when her mother died. She grew up listening to the fairy tales of the woods, and can see the magical creatures no one else seems to notice. When Vasilisa gains a new stepmother, and a new priest comes into the community, the people of the villiage are frightened into abandoning the old ways. They couldn't do this at a worse time. The bear is breaking free, and unless Vasilisa and the Winter King stop him, he will cloak the world in chaos.

While reading this book, I couldn't help but be drawn in by the magic and beauty of the writing and stories. I would describe this book as a Russian Cinderella. It effectively captures the beauty of the Russian culture and the wilderness of its northern woods.

Romance
Not a lot here. Vasilisa is constantly described as a wild thing. More fairy than human. She doesn't recognize romantic love, not really, but you can see her love for her family and her people.

Plot
Though it takes a while to build, the plot and climax end fairly quickly. That was the only reason this book did not receive a 10/10. The whole time, we know that Vasya (as she is called by some in the book) is promised to the Winter King. We know she has power, but don't get to see too much of it. Even when the Winter King takes her, we don't get to learn much of her power or what she can do. I will say that this book is hard to put down. It is a great read that I would recommend to anyone with a love for fantasy.

Details
Oh my goodness for details. The author really put in a lot of time and effort researching every little bit of the culture and the time period. She even puts detail in the nicknames and mannerisms. The author does take a few artistic liberties with the myths and name spellings, but nothing that would detract from the book unless you are Russian and don't like the variations.

Voice
Vasya has an amazing voice. Strong, without being overpowering, bold, brave, and very innocent. Until the end, when she has to take responsibility for keeping the town safe, she sounds like a child and is described as such. She does what she wants, when she wants, and doesn't think before acting. But she is kind, and has a mischievous streak that will have you laughing at some of her actions. No matter what part of the book you are on, you are always firmly in Vasilisa's corner.

Review of How to Hang a Witch

How to Hang a Witch
Adriana Mather
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Rating: 9/10

How to Hang a Witch is a outside-the-norm teen fantasy/fiction that takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. The main character, Samantha Mathers, moves to the town with her mother after inheriting a family home. Turns out, Samantha is a descendent of Cotton Mathers, a key player in the Salem Witch Trials. After an encounter with a ghost, and some equally spooky local teens, Samantha finds herself in more trouble than she thought she could ever find in this sleepy little town.

I picked up this book expecting it to be a little bit creepy, and more of a defeat-the-bad-guy scenario. I was very wrong. The bad guy is a curse, the people you thing are bad guys are actually good guys, and magic is still a very large part of the town.

Romance
There was a hint of romance, but for a teen book it was surprisingly low on the romance scale. This female protagonist doesn't need a guy to help her save the day, and she lets you know it. That being said, you have to root for Sam and her guy at the end. There is a bit of a love triangle with a ghost, but unlike a lot of teen romances it is clear that it isn't going to happen. Thankfully.

Fantasy
For the most part, until the very end, the fantasy element is low-end. The author brings in a lot of Wicca ceremonies and such, but magic really starts pumping up midway through. Except for the ghost of course.

Voice
Sam's voice is unique and refreshing. In a world of super sappy teens, super tough teens, and super type-A teens, she is a pleasant mix of witty and realistic. She's pissed about moving, she just wants to fit in, but not too much, and she is just awkward enough to be a real person and not an awkward, twitching troll. She solves her own problems, and can take care of herself, but she does know when to ask for help.

Research
The author put in a ton of research for this book and it shows. Despite the fantasy, you could almost be in Salem, and want to go there to see for yourself all of the places the author points out. She researches the town, the history, and even the ritual elements of magic that the character's use. A+ on research. There is a very powerful message about modern-day bullying in the book, that a reader can't help but see and pause to think about their own lives and experiences. It calls for awareness of bullying, and for the age group the book is geared to, it is a really good insert on the part of the author.