Blood Harvest by James Axler

Title:  Blood Harvest
Author:  James Axler
Format:  PB
Pages:  315
Genre:  Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher:  Gold Eagle, 2010
ISBN-13:  978-0373626014
Series:  Deathlands, Book 92

Favorite Quote:  "And smote the Philistine in his forehead," Doc continued.  "And he fell upon his face to the earth."  Sylvano stumbled two more steps forward and collapsed.  The reflected red light of the sunset left Sylvano's great sword like a snuffed candle as it fell to the sand.  "Samuel, Book 1, Chapter 17, Verses 48 and 49," Doc concluded.

Synopsis (Amazon):  Washed ashore in the North Atlantic, Ryan Cawdor and Doc Tanner discover two islands still pristinely intact after Skydark, but whose inhabitants suffer a darker, more horrifying punishment. A hideous strain of mutation manifests, turning some into half-monstrous giants with an unquenchable thirst for blood. The Nightwalkers unleash a hellish feast of horror when the sun goes down. Now Ryan and Doc struggle to survive this enclave of unimaginable terror, trapped in a baronial conflict between the rulers of night and day, with only one way out--internecine war in a world of the damned....

Review:  I'll freely admit it.  The Deathlands series is my secret weakness.  I love them.  They are full of guns, killing, sex, violence, mutants and horrors.  They are not by any stretch of the imagination great literature.  I still love them.  Every so often, I need a break from reading books that are supposedly great and meaningful and this series never lets me down.

I love the characters:  Doc Tanner, Jak, Ryan, J.B., Mildred and Krysty.  My favorite is either Doc or Jak, depending upon when you ask me.  I love the post-apocalyptic world of the Deathlands.

The best thing about this series is that I can read one or two of these books and stop, then read a few more months later and still not be lost since each is a story unto itself (with a couple of exceptions), although they do have a chronological order which I have followed.

Over the course of several years, I have read 92 of these books and, really, I'm not tired of them yet.  This story, like all the rest in this series, is unapologetically violent, with Ryan and his gang being forced to fight for their lives against evil.  They always survive and this time they won.  The story is original even if it does follow a very similar formula to the other novels.  For the serial pulp fiction that it is, this was a great story and a fast, fun read.

Rating:  8 / 10

Southshore by Sheri S. Tepper

Title:  Southshore
Author:  Sherri S. Tepper
Format:  PB
Pages:  246
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Tor, 1988
ISBN-13:  978-0812556193
Series:  Awakeners, Book 2

Favorite Quote:  "So, you have a world inside you, child of my heart, which I can see a little.  And the one you love, this Thrasne, he has a world as well, and it is utterly strange to me, to all the Noor.  You ask me to love him for your sake.  And I have not even a little map drawn with a burned stick to find my way to that."

Synopsis (Amazon):  Pamra Don has learned much on the River and has become the visionary leader of a great pilgrimage, carrying the discontent of Northshore to lay at the feet of the Protector of Man. But the native Thraish have at last taken note of Pamra Don and her crusade--and their vengeance will be swift.

Review:  This novel was better than the first one from this series.  There are still many things about the world of the River that I do not understand, but the overwhelming number of oddities seem more easily comprehended in this story.

There were many things that were not explained thoroughly.  I wonder what happened to the child Lila, whether she is to be the link between the alien race that lives in the river and mankind.  I wonder what will happen to the humans that have been returned to life with the blight by the Strangeys.  I wish there had been an epilogue telling me whether the Noor created a better life on Southshore or if that dream turns to a nightmare, like so many of the other people's dreams did.

The religion of Northshore fell in a few long days.  But it looks as if it will be replaced by another, far worse one.  I get the feeling that this author has no use for organized religion, painting even the best-intentioned beliefs as doomed to failure.  The secondary point being made is that mankind fights, against itself and against any other creature which defies it, often to total destruction.  Only the Noor and their queen seem to be above these petty beliefs and warlike tendencies.

These books were both odd, in many ways.  While SF is expected to be full of imagination and strangeness, it seemed at times almost like a parody.  At other times, it seemed that the author just wrote the most confusing, detailed books imaginable as a platform for her personal views.  While I did like this book better than its companion, I still can't say I loved it.

Rating:  5 / 10

Northshore by Sheri S. Tepper

Title:  Northshore
Author:  Sherri S. Tepper
Format:  PB
Pages:  245
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Tor, 1988
ISBN-13:  978-0812556179
Series:  Awakeners, Book 1

Favorite Quote:  And Northshore's River edge, where lean forms of stalking Laughers, tight-helmed in black, announce their approach with cries of scornful laughter, ha-ha, ha-ha, making the heretics run for cover.

Synopsis (Amazon):  Come to the world of the River.

Come to a world distant in time and space, a world where the pace of life is counted by tides of the great River, but where, as in the river itself, there are swift dark currents flowing under a placid surface.

Meet Pamra Don--a young woman scarred by her mother's death, lured to a priest-hood where the truth must be hidden from the faithful. And meet Thrasne, a young boatman who trades from town to town, free from the iron control of the towers of the Awakeners, and the priests of the world of the River--free, that is, as long as he never speaks his mind. These two, by design and accident both, are about to discover many truths. And on the Northshore of the River, the truth can kill you.

Review:  I love good descriptions and strange locales.  This is another planet, with wild, strange creatures and dangerous lifeforms.  I should love this book.  But, instead, I am left dazed and confused.

At its core, this novel is about the religion of the planet and how it is based upon lies.  After death, the people are brought back to life using Tears, a fungus, to feed the Thraish who were the original inhabitants of this planet.  This was begun as a way to ensure the survival of both the human and Thraish species.  In exchange for harvesting their own kind, the leaders of the so-called religion are given Thraish blood to extend their lives and make them very nearly immortal.  All of this evil is obscured using deception, ceremonies, and festivals.  There are even darker, more awful secrets, known only to the topmost leaders of both species.  If it sounds dark and terrible, that's because it really is.     

I sense a bit of male-bashing going on, along with various axes to grind against political and religious leaders and religion in particular.  It isn't offensively obvious, but there nonetheless.

The characters are believable.  A group of people discovering that their entire belief system is a sham, not to mention cruel in the extreme, seems like a sound story-line.  And, it is, especially since some of the human religious leaders seem to be involved in trying to bring down the religion they serve.  However, it should not take me 2 days to read 250 pages, but each sentence must be read and re-read and often I found myself returning to earlier sections to try to make sense of what was happening.  The problem is that there is too much going on; too many castes, classes, species, cities, and etc, to the point where the story is almost lost.

Since I'm curious to know whether good will prevail, I am going to make an effort to read the final book in this duology.  Maybe now that I've gotten through the initial information-overload, the second book will be better.

Rating:  4 / 10

Once Upon a Winter's Night by Dennis L. McKiernan

Title:  Once Upon a Winter's Night
Author:  Dennis L. McKiernan
Format:  PB
Pages:  412
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Roc, 2002
ISBN-13:  978-0451458544
Series:  Faery Series, Book 1

Favorite Quote:  "I was just wondering whose silver tongue or golden pen is telling the tale we find ourselves in."

Synopsis (Back Cover):  Once upon a winter's night, a poor crofter trades his daughter Camille to wed Prince Alain of the Summerwood in exchange for a lifetime of riches.  Though love blossoms between Camille and the prince, he is haunted by sadness and will not allow her to see his unmasked face.  Believing she can lift whatever curse has been bestowed upon him, Camille acts on her own -- with devastating results, as all she loves is swept away.

Now, to regain what she has lost, she must embark on a desperate quest through the hinterlands of Faery, seeking a mysterious place lying somewhere east of the sun and west of the moon...

Review:  This story is based upon the old fairy tale, 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon'.  I have never read the original tale, but it is a very short story.  This version has been lengthened considerably, with great details, richness and adventure.  The characters are so well written as to be almost alive.  The vistas seem so real.  The way this story is told reminds me again why I do adore this author.

This novel has high adventure, plenty of wondrous fey creatures, and humor.  But, at the core, this is a love story.  And, what a fabulous love story it is.  Even though I usually steer clear of romances of any kind, this one is so well done that I could not help but be drawn in.

There are four more books in this series, each one generally following a different fairy tale.  While I believe the characters remain the same and that the basic storyline will continue, I do not feel the dire need to complete them back to back.  There was no cliffhanger here, with the exception of a future battle against evil foretold by the Fates, which Camille, Alain and his family will eventually have to face.

While I enjoyed this story thoroughly, I know my limits on reading anything in the romance genre.  For now, I will move on to something a little less 'romance-y'.  I will certainly read the rest of this series, of that I have no doubt.

Rating:  8 / 10

The High Lord by Trudi Canavan

Title:  The High Lord
Author:  Trudi Canavan
Format:  PB
Pages:  525
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Harper Voyager, 2004
ISBN-13:  978-0060575304
Series:  Black Magician Trilogy, Book 3

Favorite Quote:  "Then let it be known throughout the Allied Lands that Akkarin of family Delvon, House of Velan, formerly High Lord of the Magicians' Guild, and Sonea, formerly the High Lord's novice, have been exiled for the crimes of learning, practicing and killing with black magic."

Synopsis (Amazon):  "You want to know the truth."

Sonea has learned much since she was but a penniless urchin possessing an awesome untapped ability. She has earned the grudging respect of her fellow novices and a place in the Magicians' Guild. But there is much she wishes she had never learned—what she witnessed, for example, in the underground chamber of the mysterious High Lord Akkarin . . . and the knowledge that the Guild is being observed closely by an ancient fearsome enemy.

Still, she dares not ignore the terrifying truths the High Lord would share with her, even though she fears it may be base trickery, a scheme to use her astonishing powers to accomplish his dark aims. For Sonea knows her future is in his hands—and that only in the shadows will she achieve true greatness . . . if she survives.

Review:  As I suspected, this was a thrilling end to what is a very good trilogy.  Since I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, I hesitate to write too much about the plot, but I will say it was exciting and sad and full of great characters.  Unfortunately, a few of my favorites did fall to the fight against the Ichani.

I still love Sonea, although towards the very end of the trilogy she has changed a bit and lost some of her independent nature.  Since many terrible things happened to her and were done by her, it is understandable that she would change.  And, she is still strong.  Perhaps not as sure of herself as she once was, but still a strong young woman.

I was correct in my earlier guess that Black Magic is not intrinsically evil.  It all depends upon who is wielding it and their intentions.

While all three of the novels of this trilogy were very good, I think this one was the best of them.  I love how the story ended on a bittersweet and hopeful note.  It was just the right ending.

Rating:  8.5 / 10

Reminder to Self

Next year, I will join more of the blog challenges.  I've enjoyed reading the reviews and added a number of books to my list of books to get when I have fewer on hand.  I'll be both more and less choosy about the challenges.

I'd forgotten how much I actually do read and could have done with another couple of challenges to spread the wealth.  But, hopefully I won't join any that are left unattended like one of the ones I've joined this year.  It's been quite a disappointment.

I'll be trying to find more blogs to follow in the coming months, so I can see which challenges others are joining.  That seems the best way:  choose ones that others who have similar interests and who I've come to 'know' choose.

The Novice by Trudi Canavan

Title:  The Novice

Author:  Trudi Canavan
Format:  PB
Pages:  460
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Harper Voyager, 2004
ISBN-13:  978-0060575298
Series:  Black Magician Trilogy, Book 2

Favorite Quote:  "Because the object of this was not for Sonea to win," Yikmo said quietly.  "But for Regin to lose."

Synopsis (Amazon):  "Even if a magician's powers surface of their own accord, he will soon be dead if he does not gain the knowledge of how to control them."

Alone among all the novices in the Magicians' Guild, only Sonea comes from lowly beginnings. Yet she has won powerful allies—including Lord Dannyl, newly promoted to Guild Ambassador. But Dannyl must now depart for the Elyne court, leaving Sonea at the mercy of the lies and malicious rumors her enemies are busy spreading . . . until the High Lord Akkarin steps in. The price of Akkarin's support is dear, however, because Sonea, in turn, must protect his mysteries—and a secret that could lead a young novice mage deep into the darkness.

Meanwhile, Dannyl's first order to resume High Lord Akkarin's long-abandoned research into ancient magical knowledge is setting him on an extraordinary journey fraught with unanticipated peril—as he moves ever-closer to a future both wondrous . . . and terrible.

Review:  As with the previous novel in this series, I loved this story.  There is action a-plenty and a few close calls for some of the main characters, all told in a believable fashion.  The world of Kyralia is further described, in great and glorious detail.  And, while I'm speaking of that, the three maps at the beginning of these books are amongst some of the clearest, best drawn maps I've seen in novels of this type.

The novice, Sonea, continues to be a entertaining and strong female protagonist.  Most of her contemporaries and teachers look down on her because she comes from a low-class upbringing.  This makes her strength of character all the sweeter.  While she has found a possible love interest in Dorrien, her ex-mentor Rothen's son, it has not addled her mind or made her incapable of taking care of herself.  In my experience, this is unusual in Fantasy fiction and I am so thrilled to find an exception to that rule.    

The High Lord of the Magician's Guild, Akkarin, is revealed as a Black Magician, but I am left wondering if he is evil in truth or if Black Magic is, like many things, only evil if the intentions are.  The true antagonist of this novel is Regin, a novice in Sorea's class.  He is spiteful, cruel and vicious.  I despised him and was cheering to myself when Sorea finally got justice.  

I am left curious and anticipate a grand finale in the next book.

Rating:  8 / 10

The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan

Title:  The Magicians' Guild
Author:  Trudi Canavan
Format:  PB
Pages:  364
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Harper Voyager, 2004
ISBN-13:  978-0060575281
Series:  Black Magician Trilogy, Book 1

Favorite Quote:  Rothen laughed, "I like your friend.  I don't approve of him, but I like him."

Synopsis (Amazon):  "We should expect this young woman to be more powerful than our average novice, possibly even more powerful than the average magician."

This year, like every other, the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city of undesirables. Cloaked in the protection of their sorcery, they move with no fear of the vagrants and miscreants who despise them and their work—until one enraged girl, barely more than a child, hurls a stone at the hated invaders . . . and effortlessly penetrates their magical shield.

What the Magicians' Guild has long dreaded has finally come to pass. There is someone outside their ranks who possesses a raw power beyond imagining, an untrained mage who must be found and schooled before she destroys herself and her city with a force she cannot yet control.

Review:  This was a gem of a book.  I really wasn't expecting much, having never heard of or read this author before, but this is a good story.  All the characters are completely believable.  There are no unlikely terrors or immortal evils surfacing.  It's just a good story about a girl, Sonea.  She is a poor girl from the slums, who suddenly finds that she has magical powers.  She must learn to trust the magicians, particularly her mentor, Rothen, in order to begin to learn to control her powers.

Sorea's best friend, Cery, a thief in the making, is both amusing and endearing.  Sorea herself is suspicious and cautious, worldly and innocent, and she trusts very few people and relies upon herself.  She is all together a fairly strong female lead character.  It is so rare to find a female character of any strength in fantasy fiction that I'm always thrilled to actually find one.  There are several strong female characters in secondary roles as well.  It's quite refreshing.

The book concluded the current problems, but made it clear there were more to come.  The selfish and cruel Fergun is found out and his machinations are put to a stop.  However, there is a foreshadowing of the Black Magician who Sorea and her friends will have to combat.

I'm pleased to have found this author.  If the rest of the trilogy is this pleasant to read, I'll surely be seeking out novels by Ms. Canavan in the future.

Rating:  8 / 10

The Bright Forever by Lee Martin

Title:  The Bright Forever
Author:  Lee Martin
Format:  HC
Pages:  268
Genre:  Fiction
Publisher:  Shaye Areheart Books, 2005
ISBN-13:  978-1400097913
Series:  Stand Alone

Favorite Quote:    Maybe you've made up your mind about who's good and who's evil, and if you have -- if you're one of those -- God help you.  Ask anyone who was living in the middle of it all and they'll tell you:  it didn't have anything to do with good and evil; it was all about love.

Synopsis (Amazon):  On an evening like any other, nine-year-old Katie Mackey, daughter of the most affluent family in a small town on the plains of Indiana, sets out on her bicycle to return some library books.

This simple act is at the heart of The Bright Forever, a suspenseful, deeply affecting novel about the choices people make that change their lives forever. Keeping fact, speculation, and contradiction playing off one another as the details unfold, author Lee Martin creates a fast-paced story that is as gripping as it is richly human. His beautiful, clear-eyed prose builds to an extremely nuanced portrayal of the complicated give and take among people struggling to maintain their humanity in the shadow of a loss.

Review:  I started out the month of May with heartbreak.  This novel is sad and terrible, full of guilt, remorse and innocence lost.  I was hoping to find another novel as good as The Lovely Bones, which is one of my all-time favorite novels, when I picked this book out.  It's not quite that good.  It is, however, a story that I won't forget soon.

The story is told in turns, each of the main characters getting to tell a part of the whole story.  Each person brings their own perspective and feelings to the story they tell.  Only one man knows the entire story, though, and he only tells the last of it at the very end of the book.  I wanted to cry for poor nine-year old Katie, but I felt most sorry for her older brother, Gilley.  He is just a young man, still in high school, and he lost the remainder of his childhood and blamed himself endlessly for doing the one thing that started the whole horrible tragedy.  Of course, he couldn't have known that tattling on his sister would have such dire repercussions, but that didn't alleviate his guilt.

All the characters are human and flawed, with sparks of beauty and gentleness, just like most people.  The characters were well-written and the story well-told.  It was sometimes hard to keep up with whose point of view I was reading, but that's only because I tore through the chapters so quickly that sometimes I lost track.

This was a great way to enter a new month.  I really enjoyed this book.

Rating:  9 / 10