Friday Mini Reviews #78: Grace Draven, J.D. Robb & Nalini Singh
Wyvern by Grace Draven
Ecopy thanks to the author
Synopsis from Goodreads
Elsbeth Weaver, a
talented fiddler, gave up the man she loved to care for her ailing
grandfather. Now, eight years later, she must risk her life to save her
grandfather from a lynching, by playing for the wyvern that has
terrorized her village throughout the summer. When she comes
face-to-face with the beast at the haunted cliffs of Maldoza, she is
both terrified and fascinated. Something about the creature reminds her
of her long-lost lover, something more than just a shared name.
Alaric has never forgotten nor stopped loving the human woman he left in a dusty village almost a decade earlier. So when he meets her again on the cliffs, wearing old dragon armor and playing her fiddle as if her heart would break, he is overjoyed.
But Elsbeth never knew the man to whom she had given herself was only an illusion for the wyvern. Alaric must convince her that the heart of the beast is no less devoted than the heart of the man, and that leaving her a second time will not last another decade.
Note: Some scenes contain graphic descriptions of physical intimacy.
Alaric has never forgotten nor stopped loving the human woman he left in a dusty village almost a decade earlier. So when he meets her again on the cliffs, wearing old dragon armor and playing her fiddle as if her heart would break, he is overjoyed.
But Elsbeth never knew the man to whom she had given herself was only an illusion for the wyvern. Alaric must convince her that the heart of the beast is no less devoted than the heart of the man, and that leaving her a second time will not last another decade.
Note: Some scenes contain graphic descriptions of physical intimacy.
Release date: Sept 5th, 2016.
8.5/10
Faultless. It was such a gorgeous novella, peeps! Reminded me of Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Very simple style of telling the tale and a very familiar fairy tale plot. I enjoyed the vibrancy of the story, the characters who despite having very little screen time, managed to shine through. Elsbeth herself, of course, Alaric, Irene and even ever so villainous Malcolm. The fiddle and the weaving themselves just added a vital part to the story. I wish it was a full blown novel, because MUSIC! and WYVERN! but as a novella this is an extremely good read. Recommended.
* * *
Совершенство. прекрасная эта была повесть, ребята! Напомнила мне о последней книге Наоми Новик по стилю. Очень простой стиль повествования, знакомая всем сказка, но вот красиво и элегантно. Очень понравились персонажи - яркие и живые, сама Элсбет конечно, Аларик, Ирен и даже злодей Малкольм. Скрипка и ткацкий станок только добавили колорита атмосфере повести. Мне очень хотелось, чтобы это был полноценный роман, так-как музыка! виверна! Однако повесть эта очень качественная, так что рекомендую.
Creation in Death by J.D Robb (In Death #25)
bought on audio
Synopsis from Goodreads
Eve has seen this crime scene before: the artfully arranged body of a young brunette, arms spread, palms up, body marked by the signs of prolonged and painful torture. Carved into her torso is the time it took her to die - in hours, minutes, and seconds. And on the third finger of her left hand has been placed a silver ring.
Eve is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier, when a man whom the media tagged “The Groom” put the city on edge with a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days. Eve and her partner Feeney, her friend and mentor, couldn’t stop him before he disappeared, only to resurface in other parts of the world to kill and kill again. But now The Groom seems to have come back to where he started.
When it turns out that The Groom’s most recent victim was employed by Eve’s billionaire husband, Roarke, she brings him onto the case. A move that proves fitting when it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made it personal. The corpse was washed in products from a store Roarke owns and laid out on a sheet his company manufactures. With the Groom’s monstrous return, Eve is determined to finish him once and for all. Familiar with his methods, she knows that he has already grabbed his next victim.
But his sights are set on the biggest challenge of his illustrious career - an abduction that will test his skills and that promises to give him satisfaction as he’s never known. Time is running out on another woman’s life…and for Eve.
8.5/10
Such an interesting serial killer! I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it was very suspenseful and full of kick ass women. Fast-paced investigation as Eve races against time to save The Groom's current victim and a powerful and very satisfying ending. One of the best books in series. Recommended.
* * *
Какой интересный серийный убийца! Мне очень понравилась эта книга, замечательная детективная история, полная сильных женских характеров, стремительное расследование, так как Ив спешит найти убийцу до того как тот прикончит свою на настоящий момент жертву, и очень удовлетворительная концовка. Рекомендую!
Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh (Psy-Changelings #6)
borrowed on audio
Synopsis from Goodreads
When a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped, DarkRiver sentinel Mercy, a cat, and SnowDancer lieutenant Riley, a wolf, must work together to track the young man-before his shadowy captors decide he's no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it'll leave them both branded by fire.
7.5/10
The narrator does a really good job with these two and their playful banter. I liked both Riley and Mercy, and I enjoyed the continuous plot development of the overall story arch. The lower rating is because of the constant emphasis on uber-femininity and uber-masculinity in any sex scenes. I don't like them, I'll be happy without them to be honest. Their description is just not my cup of tea.
* * *
Рассказчик делает хорошую работу, описывая главных героев и их игривый диалог. Мне понравились и Райли и Мерси, и я с удовольствием следила за продолжением общей сюжетной линии серии. Моя оценка книги занижена потому, что меня сильно раздражает постоянный акцент на убер-женственность и убер-мужественность в постельных сценах. Они мне не нравятся и я постоянно отключаюсь от повествования при их описании. Ну, жуткий шаблон!
