Day: May 26, 2015

Posted on

Immortal by Amy Lane

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6353

Immortal-AmyLaneBlurb
When Teyth was but a child, a cruel prince took over his village, building a great granite tower to rule over the folk. Greedy and capricious, the man will be the bane of Teyth’s existence as an adult, but as a boy, Teyth is too busy escaping his stepfather to worry about his ruler.

Sold into apprenticeship to the local blacksmith, Teyth finds that what was meant as a punishment is actually his salvation. Cairsten, the smith, and Diarmuid, his adopted son, are kind, and the smithy is the prosperous heart of a thriving village. As Teyth grows in the craft of metalwork, he also grows in love for Diarmuid, the gentle, clever young man who introduces him to smithing.

Their prince wants Diarmuid too. As the tyrant inflicts loss upon loss on Teyth and Diarmuid, Teyth’s passion for his craft twists into obsession. By the time Teyth resurfaces from his quest to create immortality, he’s nearly lost the love that makes being human worth the pain. Teyth was born to sculpt his emotion into metal, and Diarmuid was born to lead. Together, can they keep their village safe and sustain the love that will make them immortal?

Review

I think the easiest way to review this is to say this:

  • Amy pulled no punches with this book. Though this isn’t a tragedy, it is tragic.  Though it doesn’t end happily the ending is very up-lifting.
  • This is a dark, angsty fairy tale that makes some of Amy’s other books look positively fluffy!
  • Amy, as always, is an amazing writer and delivers again with well-developed characters, amazing creativity and a smooth, gorgeous storyline.
  • If you don’t like stories written in “accents” this may bug you as she uses a “dialect” throughout the book to give it a very authentic “feel”.
  • Amy must own stock in Kleenex. That’s the only explanation I can come up to explain her ability and desire (?) to make us bawl like babies time and again.
  • People looking for a light-hearted, easy read should run far, far away.
  • Don’t read this in public (especially at work – learn from my mistake.)
  • It reminded me of her book Hammer & Air – if you liked that you’ll like this.

This isn’t my favorite of Amy’s genres – I love her contemporary work far more. That being said this is still an amazing book – Amy doesn’t write “bad” books. I recommend this book to fans of fantasy/fairy tales and fans of the “Queen” herself

4 of 5 hearts

4

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Posted on

Crossroads in Blood (Partnership in Blood book 5) by Ariel Tachna

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2324

CrossroadsinBloodBlurb

Part of the First Time For Everything Daily Dose 2011 collection

Facing the Germans outside Amiens, Denis was prepared for the possibility he wouldn’t survive the battle. Shot and left for dead, he didn’t expect to open his eyes to a vampire offering him a chance at a different existence. Now newly turned, the hunger for blood grows insistent, but an instinct Denis doesn’t understand presses him to make the right choice for feeding, not the most expedient one. Which will Noël prove to be: a temporary succor or the companion of a lifetime?

Review

This is a very short – almost prequel – to the series, introducing the concept and characters we will see in other books.

Denis is “killed” in the battle then offered life after death. Since he’s only 19 he takes the offer and Noel must show him the ropes and more?

As always Tachna is a wonderful writer, if the story is a bit too short to really delve into.

(The cover has nothing to do with the story.)

3 of 5 hearts

3

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n