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Various thoughts on a variety of topics.

Various Thoughts

Various thoughts on a variety of topics.

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  • Tag Archives Urban Fantasy
  • Frost Burned, Touch of the Demon, & The Infernal Devices

    Posted on April 12, 2013 9:12 am by Offkorn Comment

    Frost Burned is the seventh novel in Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series. It feels phoned-in. Lifeless. Artificial. Once Mercy and Adam finally got together the series probably should have either ended or switched focus onto different characters (though the latter would be rather difficult given the series’ title). As it is, there doesn’t seem to be anything of particular interest left to explore here that can’t be done in the Alpha and Omega series.

    Diana Roland‘s Kara Gillian series has never been one of my favorites. It was always more of a last-resort time-sink than something I looked forward to reading. That said I didn’t really dislike it either… until Touch of the Demon. The first segment is perfectly fine for the most part, but following the sigil carving scene (a high point in a number of ways) the dialog and most of the character interactions go right downhill and into the gutter.

    The Infernal Devices is a steampunkish trilogy (Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, & Clockwork Princess) set in Cassandra Clare‘s Mortal Instruments universe, many years before that series takes place. There are quite a number of similarities between the two. In some cases that could be seen as a negative, but in this instance at least the similarities are welcome (the main one that isn’t is the tendency for those in power to be corrupt/treasonous). In any case, if you liked The Mortal Instruments you’ll almost certainly like this.

    Related posts:

    1. The Mortal Instruments, Hardship, & Damnation The Mortal Instruments series originally ended as a trilogy, and...
    2. Iron and Magic, The Ripper Affair, & The Chemist Iron and Magic is the first of a new trilogy...
    3. Recent Books Normally I do these three at a time… but, well…...
    4. ~A JOURNEY OF~ BLACK and RED & The Calamitous ~Bob~ Despite the ‘this was originally a web serial’ warnings in...
    5. I Surrendered My Sword for a New Life as a Mage #2 & The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! #1-7 The second Moto Saikyou no Kenshi wa Isekai Mahou ni...

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    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Cassandra Clare Diana Rowland Infernal Devices Kara Gillian Mercy Thompson Mortal Instruments Paranormal Romance Patricia Briggs Steampunk Urban Fantasy
  • Prophet of the Dead, Ever After, & Slashback

    Posted on March 16, 2013 2:16 am by Offkorn Comment

    Prophet of the Dead is the fifth and final book in Richard Lee Byers‘ Brotherhood of the Griffon series. It wraps up the Rashemen storyline while leaving Jhesri’s internal combustion issue hanging for a future series. It’s neither bad nor particularly notable.

    Ever After, by Kim Harrison, is the eleventh main entry in the Hollows universe. It has three primary features; finally giving some solid background information on the demons and revealing the exact relationship they had with the ancient elves, trimming the main cast down to manageable levels (though the way it was done in a particularly central case seemed a bit haphazard), and advancing Rachel’s relationship with Trent.

    Rob Thurman‘s most recent Cal Leandros novel, Slashback, curiously does not deal with the other Auphe hybrid at all. It instead focuses on a serial killer related to the brothers’ past. The key events in here are Cal and Niko learning that angels/demons actually do exist (which was shown in the Trickster series), Cal once again losing access to his gating ability, and the introduction of reincarnation. I’m not happy at all about those last two… particularly the reincarnation bit.

    Related posts:

    1. The Witch With No Name, The Great Ordeal, & The Unholy Consult The concluding novel in Kim Harrison‘s Hollows series makes it...
    2. Relatively Recent Books Been procrastinating with adding these because it’s a pain. May...
    3. Recent Books Normally I do these three at a time… but, well…...
    4. Dead to the World & The Portal Wars Saga Annabel Chase‘s Crossroads Queen series starts off well enough with...
    5. I Surrendered My Sword for a New Life as a Mage #2 & The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! #1-7 The second Moto Saikyou no Kenshi wa Isekai Mahou ni...

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    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Brotherhood of the Griffon Cal Leandros Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Hollows Kim Harrison Richard Lee Byers Rob Thurman Urban Fantasy
  • Daughter of Smoke & Bone & As the World Dies

    Posted on February 25, 2013 12:36 pm by Offkorn Comment

    I read the first two books in Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone series a few months ago, and put off commenting on them for this long for reasons mentioned in the second part of this post. I remember little about them now besides that the first book was very, very interesting while the second (Days of Blood & Starlight) felt like it got lost within its own mythology. The connection to the ‘real world’ was almost entirely severed and it shifts from being Urban Fantasy to almost pure Fantasy. It’s not a shift I was particularly fond of. The way it concluded though indicates that the third book might have more of a mix to it.

    The As the World Dies trilogy is a set of zombie novels by Rhiannon Frater (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege) whose first installment starts out fantastic. As things progress however and the main characters reach ‘The Fort’ it starts to fall apart. Maybe it was the strain of trying to create unique voices for so many different characters, but the end result is a collection of… well… characters. Characterizations rather than people. They feel fabricated, typecast. I ended up having to force myself through the second book and was so put-off by the dialog that I avoided reading the third for almost three months. Just read it now, finally, and… I don’t even know. Mysticism was introduced out of nowhere to completely dominate the story and end things on a… happy, I guess, note. It reminds me of how reincarnation was pulled out of thin air in Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series or of what I’ve heard regarding the ending to Lost.

    Related posts:

    1. Blood Heir & So I’m a Spider, So What? #12 I actually read Ilona Andrews‘ Blood Heir way back at...
    2. Hollow Regalia & The Strange Adventure of a Broke MERCENARY #7 The Utsuro naru Regalia series is apparently written by the...
    3. So I’m a Spider, So What? #6-11 Despite heavy misgivings, as I have a mixed history regarding...
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    5. Disillusioned Adventurers #3 & Rebuild World II The third Ningen Fushin novel unsurprisingly has a bit of...

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    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged As the World Dies Daughter of Smoke & Bone Laini Taylor Rhiannon Frater Urban Fantasy Young Adult Novel
  • Steel’s Edge, Undead to the World, & Lesser Evils

    Posted on December 19, 2012 9:33 am by Offkorn Comment

    Ilona Andrews‘ fourth Edge novel is allegedly the last centered on this particular cast of characters and it does a very good job wrapping up the loose ends from the previous two books. Namely Lark’s mental trauma and the mystery of where Rose’s father disappeared to. I think it may be my favorite out of the four, mainly because of the protagonist’s (a fallen healer) personality.

    Don DeBrandt’s Bloodhound Files series (as DD Barant) is unique among the multiple series I read in that I undoubtedly enjoy it while reading it, but somehow manage to forget nearly everything that had occurred in earlier books by the time the next installment arrives. This sixth book is no different, as despite my confusion in regards to what was going on (particularly acute as this one takes place in an alternate dimension) it ended up enjoyable anyway. The cliffhanger ending though? Not so much.

    The second of Erin M. Evans‘ Brimstone Angels novels is interesting for feeling less like a story and more like a window into its characters’ lives. The series of events has a surprisingly natural flow to it and the only part that really feels contrived is Rhand’s interest in Farideh.

    Related posts:

    1. Blood Heir & So I’m a Spider, So What? #12 I actually read Ilona Andrews‘ Blood Heir way back at...
    2. The Brilliant Healer’s New Life in the Shadows & You Were Experienced, I Was Not: OUR DATING STORY The massively titled Isshun de Chiryou shiteita noni Yakutatazu to...
    3. Frost Burned, Touch of the Demon, & The Infernal Devices Frost Burned is the seventh novel in Patricia Briggs’ Mercy...
    4. Recent Books Normally I do these three at a time… but, well…...
    5. My INSTANT DEATH ability is so OVERPOWERED: After Story & Sword Saint Adel’s Second Chance #3 Sokushi Cheat ga Saikyou sugite‘s Atoshimatsu-hen installment, oddly, starts off...

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    This entry was posted in Book Related and tagged Bloodhound Files Brimstone Angels Don DeBrandt Dungeons & Dragons Erin M. Evans Fantasy Forgotten Realms Ilona Andrews Paranormal Romance The Edge Urban Fantasy

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