Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen were both a one sitting read for me. Both stories take place in the South, of which I am fond of, in small towns where everyone seems to know your business, and you, theirs.
Garden Spells tells the story of Claire Waverly, whose family has lived in their small town for generations. Claire is the newest resident and caretaker of a garden that is magical. An apple tree that throws apples, vines that entwine, fruits and vegetables that taste out of this world good.
The Sugar Queen is Josey Cirrini. A woman who is sure of three things in her life. A woman who is stuck in a big house catering to a mother who lived a life she didn't want, and is now a bitter and terribly demanding old woman to her daughter. One morning she awakens to find a woman in her closet. As the book progresses, the woman, who never leaves the closet, awakens Josie to life.
The stories are similar in that both main characters are women who have things in their pasts that hold them back from living life to the fullest. Who after some prodding and pushing come to the realization that life is passing them by and we can't always be held accountable about things/actions in our past. Either by us, or by others.
Both stories are funny, engaging, delightful and yes, magical. Pick up a bit of magic for yourself.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Cassandra Palmer series & Dorina Basarb series by Karen Chance
Cassandra Palmer leads a life of non stop adventure. In the first book, Touch the dark, we are introduced to this unlikely heroine and her friends and enemies. Few friends- lots of enemies. A person of the magickal persuasion, her gifts don't always work to her advantage.
Claimed by Shadow has Cassandra learning a bit more about her background. And making yet more enemies along the way. Including the Silver Circle (the supposed 'good guys') and the Black Circle. It's hell when there's a price on your head. Mircea, a vampire she met as a child, is causing her to second guess her feeling of friendship for something more. And then there's Pritikin...who is he really? The answer is most interesting.
In the third book, Embrace the night, we get more of an overview of her life within a vampire court. She was raised there after her parents deaths and find that while raised in luxury, it was nothing but a gilded cage. Cassandra met some interesting vampires while at court of whom she continues to be friends with even into adulthood. Additionally, the Pythia dies, and guess who is the new one? Can Cassies' life get any more hectic?
Curse the dawn, the fourth and newest installment, had me laughing almost all the way through. Still non stop adventure with Cassie and her friends. But there is a lot of humour in this one. The character of Cassie is more fleshed out with further insight into her parents and background. It has her questioning some of the things she does with regards to the men in her life, the ghosts in her life and her new status as Pythia.
Honestly I was meh about the 1st and 2nd books. But by the 3rd book I was hooked on this new addition to kick ass, fighting women who live in both the paranormal and normal world. Pick up this series and get started.
Midnight's Daughter, the first in the Dorina Basarab series. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Dorina is half human, half vamp. And daddy is....Mircea. Caustic, biting and tough as hell, (and this is on a good day) Dorina is a phenomenal character. Several characters from the Cassie Palmer series make an appearance, which makes for a great read.
If you are in need of some new reading material, with escapism, try either of these series.
Claimed by Shadow has Cassandra learning a bit more about her background. And making yet more enemies along the way. Including the Silver Circle (the supposed 'good guys') and the Black Circle. It's hell when there's a price on your head. Mircea, a vampire she met as a child, is causing her to second guess her feeling of friendship for something more. And then there's Pritikin...who is he really? The answer is most interesting.
In the third book, Embrace the night, we get more of an overview of her life within a vampire court. She was raised there after her parents deaths and find that while raised in luxury, it was nothing but a gilded cage. Cassandra met some interesting vampires while at court of whom she continues to be friends with even into adulthood. Additionally, the Pythia dies, and guess who is the new one? Can Cassies' life get any more hectic?
Curse the dawn, the fourth and newest installment, had me laughing almost all the way through. Still non stop adventure with Cassie and her friends. But there is a lot of humour in this one. The character of Cassie is more fleshed out with further insight into her parents and background. It has her questioning some of the things she does with regards to the men in her life, the ghosts in her life and her new status as Pythia.
Honestly I was meh about the 1st and 2nd books. But by the 3rd book I was hooked on this new addition to kick ass, fighting women who live in both the paranormal and normal world. Pick up this series and get started.
Midnight's Daughter, the first in the Dorina Basarab series. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Dorina is half human, half vamp. And daddy is....Mircea. Caustic, biting and tough as hell, (and this is on a good day) Dorina is a phenomenal character. Several characters from the Cassie Palmer series make an appearance, which makes for a great read.
If you are in need of some new reading material, with escapism, try either of these series.
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