UPDATE! Ilona Andrews: KATE DANIELS SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Ilona Andrews with Magic Rises, the seventh novel in the KATE DANIELS SERIES.

Click on the pink-link series title above to go directly to the updated review. 

Yangsze Choo: "The Ghost Bride"

Author:  Yangsze Choo
Title:  The Ghost Bride   
Plot Type:  A mix of romance, historical fiction, and fantasy
Ratings:  V3; S2; H3  
Publisher:  William Morrow/HarperCollins (8/2013)

             WORLD-BUILDING AND STRUCTURE             

     The novel is set in late-nineteenth century Malacca, a British colony in  Malaya (now Malaysia). Malacca's wealthy citizens are a mix of British and Dutch colonials and Malay merchants, and the poor are an even more diverse mix of native and foreign cultures. 

     At the heart of the novel are ancient Chinese religious traditions relating to death and the Afterworld, which is an otherworldly place with a bureaucratic hierarchy similar to that of real-life Malaya, and just as corrupt. At the end of the book, the author includes a Notes section (p. 355) with brief discussions of ghost marriages, Chinese notions of the afterlife, Malay, Chinese migrants to SE Asia, and Chinese names and dialects. I highly recommend reading that section before you read the novel (I wish I had). 

     Here are a few pertinent details about this world that are critical to understanding the story: In this world, when a person dies, his or her relatives burn paper and wood items, including cardboard or wooden people and animals, pictures of clothing, and Hell dollars (funeral money printed specifically for the dead). As these items are burned, they reappear in the dead person's possession in the Afterworld, so the more items that are burned, the wealthier that person will be and the more influence he or she will have with the Afterworld bureaucracy.

     In this book, the author has put a twist on the usual folklore: When a person dies, he or she goes first to the Plains of the Dead for a short time, but then must appear in the Courts of Hell before the Nine Judges of Hell, who review the person's mortal ethical and moral record and decide where he/she will go next on the path to eventual reincarnation. That next stop could be very good...or very bad, depending solely on the ruling of the Judges (who are just as corrupt and open to bribes as judges on mortal earth). Here, one of the characters explains: "The authorities can be bribed to extend all sorts of privileges. Don't you know that this part of the afterlife is ruled by the judges of hell? Before entering the courts for judgment and reincarnation, there's a place called the Plains of the Dead, where you're allowed to enjoy the funeral offerings that your family burned for you. It's only for human ghosts, though; you can't stay forever." (p. 120)

     The book is divided into four parts: Part 1 could be mistaken for a straightforward historical novel, and this part of the story (the first third of the book) sometimes moves at a glacial pace. But keep reading; I promise that when Li Lan enters the Afterworld in Part 2, the action picks up and becomes quite fantastical. Part 3 takes Li Lan to the Plains of the Dead, which one character describes as "merely the very tail end of living." (p. 126), Part 4 follows her back to Malacca in the mortal world for the book's final scenes of resolution.      

            THE STORY             

     As the only daughter of a genteel but increasingly impoverished family, Li Lan is approaching her eighteenth birthday with no marriage prospects and facing a future of barren spinsterhood. Li Lan's father, once a wealthy man, became addicted to opium and solitude after his wife died from smallpox when Li Lan was just a child. The novel's first sentence sets up the story: "One evening, my father asked me whether I would like to become a ghost bride." The ghost is Lim Tian Ching, the spoiled and arrogant son of a wealthy family who recently died, apparently from a fever. Lim Tian Ching's father has approached Li Lan's father about a possible marriage, but Li Lan is so horrified by the prospect that her father does not pursue it. Almost immediately, Lim Tian Ching begins to haunt Li Lan's dreams, possessively and angrily vowing that she will marry him—that she is owed to him after he completes a mysterious task (which he refuses to explain). Each night the nightmares get worse, until Amah, Li Lan's elderly nanny, finally takes her to a medium, who gives her a powerful medicine to keep Lim Tian Ching out of her dreams. 

     In the meantime, Li Lan learns to her surprise that she has been promised in marriage to Lim Tian Ching's cousin, Tian Bai, ever since she was a child. When she is invited by Lim Tian Ching's mother to visit their palatial mansion, she meets Tian Bai and is immediately attracted to him. Li Lan eagerly awaits word that their marriage agreement is still in effect, but her hopes are dashed when she learns that since Tian Bai is now the heir, he cannot marry a penniless girl like herself. That's when she overdoses on the medium's medicine and falls into a coma that allows her spirit body to break free of her physical body and roam the Afterworld, eventually gaining access to the Plains of the Dead.

    Another major character enters the story at this point: Er Lang, a mysterious man who always wears a huge hat that hides his face. Li Lan doesn't know exactly who (or what) he is, but he is obviously very powerful and not completely human. Er Lang promises to help Li Lan if she will assist him in spying on Lim Tian Ching, who is suspected of being involved in some illegal and treasonous actions in the Afterworld.

     The rest of the story follows Li Lan as she and a former concubine named Fan (now a ghost) enter the Plains of the Dead, where Li Lan learns all sorts of information about Lim Tian Ching's activities and about her own family's deepest secrets. Although she finds herself in danger several times, she is usually able to outwit her enemies.   

     Li Lan is a feisty, intelligent, courageous, and passionate heroine who tells her story in an articulate and amusing first-person voice. When she begins her ghostly journey, her goals are to stop Lim Tian Ching from interfering with her life, to marry Tian Bai, and to lead a happy and fruitful life with him. Those goals change, however, as Li Lan finds herself irrevocably altered by events that occur during her time in the Afterworld. One of the key elements in the story is time. For example, Tian Bai's love of clocks is the reason for their first meeting, and he gifts Li Lan with a pocket watch that forms a critical connection between the two of them. Bearing out that theme, the author has constructed her plot with clockwork precision, synthesizing story threads neatly and concisely and keeping the plot ticking along at a steady pace. As the plot advances, it maneuvers through a series of complex twists and turns that challenge the reader's imagination. Every time you think you know what's going to happen next...you're wrong, and each twist in the plot is even better than the one you anticipated. This is a terrific book, with engaging characters, compelling action, well-drawn world-building, and graceful language (e.g., "He slipped through the gate like a drop of spilled ink..." p. 232) Li Lan's story is ultimately a coming-of-age tale that mixes ghostly mystery and romance with gothic elements (i.e., virginal heroine; mysterious, handsome hero; malevolent, self-destructive villain; gloomy setting; an atmosphere of horror and dread; a world of deterioration and decay). The cultural elements of Chinese folklore and, to a lesser extent, British colonialism, add an exotic touch.

     If you are looking for an inventive well-plotted book with a different take on fantasy fiction, this book might just fill the bill, particularly if you enjoyed Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter and Lisa See's Peony in Love.

UPDATE! Carrie Vaughn: KITTY NORVILLE SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Carrie Vaughn with a review of Kitty in the Underworld, the 12th novel in her KITTY NORVILLE SERIES.  

Click on either the pink-link series title above to go directly to the updated review.

Anthology: "Enthralled"

Author:  Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook, Lucy Monroe

Title:  Enthralled (Anthology)
Plot Type: SMR    
Publisher and Titles:  Berkley Sensation (7/2013)

            INTRODUCTION            

     Each novella is a soul-mate romance that is part of an on-going series, so if you are not familiar with the series, you may have trouble understanding some of the references to various characters and situations.

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Lora Leigh: "The Devil's Due" (from THE BREEDS SERIES) 

Ratings:  Violence-3; Sensuality-4; Humor-2
Devil's description of Katie at 16, the first time he saw her: "She was all wild Irish red hair, big emerald eyes and soft peaches-and-cream skin....She was tough as hell, but she looked as delicate as a red rose."  

     This is the mating story of Devil Black (Wolf Breed) and 23-year-old Mary Kathleen (Katie) O'Sullivan, who is a rare, lab-produced composite of Human, Wolf, and Coyote. Katie has been living as a human in Ireland, but now her Breed genetics have kicked in, and the European authorities want to drag her in for testing. In order to prevent this from happening, all of the big-wig American Breeds' leaders come to Ireland and manage to smuggle her out of the country to Lobo Reever's compound on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.  

    Devil is the hard-hearted, fierce Breed enforcer whose job is to be an executioner--to go after Breeds marked to die. He has always believed that he would never find his mate, but when he first saw Katie back when she was sixteen, he never forgot her. Now, the two fall immediately into mating heat, and you know what happens next.

     Additionally, there are appearances by Rule Breaker, who is masquerading as Graeme, the security expert on Lobo's compound. Cassie and Dash Sinclair also turn up in supporting roles.    

     This is a typical BREEDS romance, with plenty of sex and a side order of dramatic action, although the action part of the plot is rather light. If you're not familiar with the series, you might be confused by some of the references. Click HERE to read my overview of the series mythology along with reviews of some of the BREEDS novels. Click HERE to view Leigh's "Breed Chronology" page on her web site. Click HERE to view a list of Leigh's BREEDS novels in reading order.

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Alyssa Day: "The Curse of the Black Swan" (from LEAGUE OF THE BLACK SWAN SERIES)
Ratings:  Violence-3; Sensuality-4; Humor-3
First line: "Sean O'Malley ran into the burning building, dodging and weaving around the rest of his colleagues who were running and limping out of the inferno before it exploded or completely collapsed, either of which was due to happen any minute."

     This romance is set in Bordertown: "Built on the frontier between three realms—the Fae kingdoms of Summerlands and Winter's Edge, the demon realm known as Demon Rift, and the human world—Borderland was the place where the riffraff came to play, scheme, and eke out a sketchy kind of existence." (p. 136) The hero is Sean O'Malley, a fire demon who finds true love with Brynn Carroll, a woman who is cursed to turn into a black swan every third night. Sean is a Borderlands fireman who keeps his demon heritage a secret from his fellow firefighters, who believe that all fire demons are mad arsonists. Brynn lives under her swan curse because a long-ago female ancestor was rescued from death by the moon, who decreed that she, or each generation's eldest daughter, would "become a black swan and sing to me every third night for the rest of your life." The curse would be lifted only when each swan daughter met her true love and gave birth to her own daughter, who would then take up the swan duties. (The circumstances of the black-swan curse are explained in the prologue.)

     The action plot concerns a serial arsonist who has been indiscriminately burning down buildings in Borderlands. That action plays out against the love affair, and both story lines come together when the arsonist puts both Sean and Brynn in grave danger. The resolution to the arsonist story line and the swan curse are both rushed, and the swan curse resolution is never really explained. Also, the arsonist's motivations are somewhat murky and not fully explored. This novella could have used about 10 more pages to fill in the plot gaps.

     You could read this as a stand-alone even if you haven't read the first full-length book of the series, The Cursed (Berkley, 5/2013). Click HERE to read an excerpt from this novella. Click HERE to read an overview of the series mythology and my review of the series so far.

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Meljean Brook: "Salvage" (from IRON SEAS SERIES)
Ratings:  Violence-4; Sensuality-4; Humor-2
First Line: "When Georgiana came across her good-for nothing cheating bastard of a husband washed up on the beach with a bullet in his side, she considered leaving him for dead." (This is by far the best opening sentence I've read in a long time.)

     Georgiana is the daughter of a sea captain who settled in the coastal village of Skagan, in Denmark. She watched her lonely mother spend her life waiting for her husband to return from his travels and vows not to let that happen to her. When she marries Thom, her father's second in command, she finds, to her dismay, that he leaves her alone even more than her father did. Georgiana takes the money Thom sends her and builds a shipping business, but when Thom comes home this time, she plans to divorce him. 

     Thom was a victim of the Horde (a key element of the series mythology), who replaced his hands and arms with steel, mechanical limbs to increase his strength. I have not read this series yet, so I was a bit lost by the frequent references to the Horde and their villainous history, but even with that handicap, I found myself engaged by the story and by its pair of courageous lead characters. Click HERE to go to a page on Brooks' web site that provides background information on the IRON SEAS mythology.

   What happens when Thom comes home is not at all what Georgiana expected. After Thom recovers from his wounds, the two are kidnapped and imprisoned on the airship of a greedy nobleman and his band of hard-hearted mercenaries, floating above a sea filled with sharks that make the one from Jaws look like a harmless minnow. The story is action-filled and full of passion as Georgiana and Thom finally get to know and love one another, despite their dangerous surroundings. Click HERE to read an excerpt from this novella.

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Lucy Monroe: "Ecstasy Under the Moon" (from CHILDREN OF THE MOON SERIES, with the action occurring in the years between Moon Burning and Drago's Moon)
Ratings:  Violence-2; Sensuality-4; Humor-3
First line: "Una stood in shock, terror coursing through her like fire in her veins, burning away reason, destroying the façade of peace she had worked so hard to foster for the past five years."

     The novella begins with a prologue that explains the mythology. To summarize: The Chrecdhte are a race of shape shifters: the Faol (wolves); the Éan (birds); and the Paindeal (cats). The Faol joined the human Celtic clans long ago, but the birds and the wolves hid themselves away from human and Faol contact, mostly for their own protection. Now, the Faol want the Éan to come out of hiding and ally with the wolves and humans. To that end, a few Faol warriors have been invited to live among the Éan to prove to the birds that they can all get along together. Most of the Éan are skeptical, however, because they have suffered brutal attacks by the Faol over the centuries.

    The hero of the novella is Bryant, one of the Faol warriors, and his (at first, unwilling) soul mate is Una, an Éan eagle who was taken and brutally abused by some Faol warriors five years ago. That attack broke Una's spirit, and she has lived almost like a recluse ever since. The first line of the novella (quoted above) is Una's initial reaction to being told that the Faol warriors are coming to live in her village. Needless to say, when Bryant comes to the village and they begin to meet in dreamland, everything changes.

     The novella provides enough background information on the series mythology that it can be read as a stand-alone. In fact, the world-building is so interesting that I plan to start reading the series right away. Click HERE to read an excerpt from this novella.

UPDATE! Gena Showalter's LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Gena Showalter with a review of The Darkest Craving, the tenth novel in her LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD SERIES.

Click on the pink-link series title above to go directly to the updated review.

UPDATE! Terry Spear's HEART OF THE JAGUAR SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Terry Spear with a review of Jaguar Fever, the second book in her HEART OF THE JAGUAR SERIES. 

Click on the pink-link series title above to go directly to the updated review.

UPDATE! Kate Cross: CLOCKWORK AGENTS SERIES

UPDATE!

I have just updated a previous post for Kate Cross' CLOCKWORK AGENTS SERIES with a review of Breath of Iron, the third book in that series.

Click on the pink-link series title above to go directly to the updated review.