Category Archives: New Release Reviews

My Big Kinky Erotica Post, Part Three

Backlist Reviews, New Release Reviews, , , , , , ,

I’ve been having so much fun writing these erotica posts that I decided to go for another round!  I’ve got some great books for you to check out, some old and some new.  I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice (1983)

The original naughty trilogy!  These infamous books were published back in the 80s, but the popularity of you-know-what has led the publisher to reprint them.  Now almost thirty years after their first run, they’re being enjoyed by a new generation of readers…and Anne Rice is getting lots more royalty checks.

Claiming is the first installment in Rice’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy.  Written under the pseudonym A.N. Roquelaure, the books put an erotic spin on the classic story of Sleeping Beauty.  Read: forget Disney.  At the beginning of the first book, the Prince awakens Beauty from her hundred-year sleep by taking her virginity.  He then tells her that she belongs to him, that she is to address him as “my Prince,” and that he intends to bring her back to his castle as his sex slave.

Beauty is then brought in bondage to the Prince’s kingdom, where she is routinely beaten, displayed nude, and otherwise abused for the pleasure of the Prince and his mother the Queen.  Upon arrival, Beauty discovers that she is only one of dozens of princes and princesses who were sent as tributes to the kingdom to be trained as sex slaves for a period of five years.  Though as first Beauty is repulsed and shamed by the way she is treated, she grows to love her captors and becomes desperate to please them.

This book is very heavy in BDSM (think more hardcore than Fifty Shades) and features both male and female dominance.  Some acts might be too disturbing for certain readers, so be warned.  Still, I enjoyed this book for its beautiful language and lush setting.  Plus fairy tales traditionally contain some pretty heavy themes, especially the Sleeping Beauty story, which has been shown to contain several erotic elements.  So, it was interesting to read a purely adult take on a story that is nowadays considered to be for children.

Overall, the story is a little slow, but not boring.  Not all of the sex acts were to my taste, and the sex was over the top at times, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.  It’s hot, it’s well written, and it’ll definitely change the way you look at fairy tales.

***

The Angel (The Original Sinners) by Tiffany Reisz (September 2012)

Nora Sutherlin is back in this follow-up to The Siren, which was released this past July.  And while I liked the first book, I enjoyed this sequel so much more!  This book throws a lot more twists and turns into the story, and fleshes out the main characters.

About a year after the events of the first book, erotica author Nora is still with longtime lover Søren.  While their D/s relationship is stronger than ever, Søren is now facing a turning point in his career which has prompted an investigation into his past.  Not wanting to risk exposing his secret life as a sexual dominant, he sends Nora away to stay with a friend for the summer.  Enter Suzanne Kanter, the tough journalist who is investigating Søren.  If she uncovers the truth, will she be able to deal with it?

As I said, The Siren is good but I loved The Angel.  Søren has a bigger part in this book, and a lot of time is put into explaining his backstory.  The more I learn about him, the more intrigued I am by him.  There is also more about Nora’s past in this story, which made me like and understand her more than I did in the first book.  I wasn’t sure I quite got her when I read The Siren, but there’s more to her than I originally thought.  Michael, who was briefly introduced in the first book, is now a main character, and I hope to see more of him in the next book.  Zach and Wesley, who were protagonists in the first book, are not featured as much.  Being as I wasn’t too crazy about them to begin with, that was ok with me.  But who knows, maybe I will be surprised by them the way I was surprised by Nora and Michael.

I’m really enjoying Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners series, and I enjoy them more than the Fifty Shades trilogy.  The sex is definitely harder, and the story is better.  Reisz has actual first-hand knowledge of the BDSM lifestyle, and these books definitely have more realism and much better writing than Fifty Shades.  It’s the most realistic and dynamic set of characters I’ve even encountered in a romance/erotica book. Plus Søren is just wicked hot, and after reading The Angel he just became hotter than Christian Grey in my opinion. Definitely going to read the next installment in the series, The Prince!

***

If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones (August 2012)

It calls itself a mix of Fifty Shades and Basic Instinct, but for me it’s Fifty Shades-lite.  The first in a new trilogy (I’m starting to see a pattern here), this romantic thriller is about a woman trying to find out what happened to a girl who disappeared.

Sara is a teacher, living a simple life with her roommate in San Francisco.  When her roommate purchases some items at a storage auction, Sara discovers a series of journals belonging to a woman named Rebecca.  Sara reads the journals, and quickly becomes enthralled in Rebecca’s life, including her dangerous, highly sexual relationship with a mysterious man.  But what happened to Rebecca, and why would she just leave her journals in a storage locker and then abandon it?

Sara begins uncovering clues about Rebecca’s life, and even lands a summer job at the prestigious art gallery where Rebecca worked before her disappearance.  She works hard to prove herself to the fastidious but seductive gallery owner Mark, while at the same time she finds herself attracted to the quirky but wealthy artist Chris Merit.

The story is decent but familiar, and the characters are okay but nothing special.  At least not yet; there are still two other books in the trilogy.  The sex is fun, but there isn’t much of it until the second half of the book.  I’d recommend this one for people looking for more story than sex.  Of course Mark is the most interesting character because we know the least about him.  I might check out the sequel and see what happens with him!

***

Lip Service by M.J. Rose (2000)

Here’s one that’s also light on the sex but with a great story!  It’s thirteen years old but is enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to the recent erotica explosion (pun intended).

Julia Sterling is fortunate enough to live a life of privilege; she lives in Manhattan with her psychiatrist husband and adoring stepson.  But for Julia, her enviable life comes with a price: her seemingly perfect marriage is devoid of passion.  Her husband treats her like a child instead of a wife, and denies her need for intimacy while trying to coax her into taking antidepressants she doesn’t think she needs.  She smiles at parties and makes nice with the right people, but inside she is lonely.

Then a friend asks her to write a book about his work; he runs a clinic specializing in sexual disorders.  Julia quickly becomes fascinated with the clinic’s most unorthodox method of treatment: phone sex.  To research the book, and to fulfill her own hidden desires, Julia becomes a phone sex operator at the clinic.

For Julia, working at the clinic is scary, thrilling, and therapeutic at the same time. It gives her the insight to see her marriage for what it really is, and the confidence to see herself as a capable and independent person. But as with many things, there’s more to Julia’s secret profession than she thought, and more secrets at the clinic than her friend lets on.

This is a great story with a touch of eroticism and well drawn-out characters. If you’re looking for a book that’s a little daring but not too sexually explicit (well, compared to these other books at least), I would recommend Lip Service.

Book Review: Panorama City

New Release Reviews

Panorama City by Antoine Wilson (pub date 9/25/12)

 

Imagine you only had a few days to live, and you found yourself alone in a hospital room with your thoughts and a tape recorder.  What message would you want to leave for when after you’re gone?  Oppen Porter knows exactly what he wants to say, but what he doesn’t yet realize is that he’s not dying.

Twenty-eight-year-old Oppen describes himself as a “slow absorber,” and indeed he is.  But while most people dismiss him as being simple-minded or mentally challenged, his outlook on life is full of more wisdom than one might think.  Panorama City is Oppen’s life story, as dictated by him for the benefit of his unborn son.  For most of his life, Oppen lived with his shut-in father and spent his days riding his bike around town and performing odd jobs.  But after his father’s death, Oppen goes to stay with his loving but stern aunt in Panorama City, where he learns a lot about life and about human nature.

From working a “respectable job” in a fast food restaurant to seeing a psychologist at his aunt’s request, to meeting a false preacher at his aunt’s church, Oppen narrates the details of his life with wit and surprising wisdom.  The everyday things about life that we all take for granted are given a new spin with Oppen’s childlike but insightful perspective.

Panorama City is sure to engage you and make you laugh.  The stream-of-consciousness style prose makes you feel like you are sitting with Oppen while he is telling you his story.  And while this writing style can sometimes be distracting, in this book it flows well and adds an extra dimension to the story. A quirky and understated book; give it a chance and it may surprise you.

Early Review: Conning Harvard

New Release Reviews, , , , , , , , ,

Conning Harvard by Julie Zauzmer (pub date 9/18/12)

“Harvard does not stand for fame, fortune, or even intelligence.  When the university proclaims its own highest value, it embraces truth.”

We all love a good con story.  Because just as much as it is fun to pass judgment on a person trying to get something for nothing, it’s equally fun to hear about just how they did it.  Conning Harvard is a play-by-play account of how a crafty young man from Delaware faked his way into the prestigious university and took thousands of dollars worth of scholarships and prizes that he didn’t earn.

Adam Wheeler was an average kid from a regular family who dreamt of something bigger.  The book describes him as a perfectionist who pressured himself to achieve flawless grades.  But rather than rely on his own talents, Wheeler built his academic career on lies and forgeries.  Even before getting into Harvard, Wheeler got accepted to Bowdoin College with fake SAT scores and plagiarized entrance essays.  After two years at Bowdoin, he decided to set his sights on the Ivy League.

With more fake test scores, falsified credentials, and transcripts from schools he never even attended, Wheeler won acceptance to the ultra-selective Harvard University, a school that receives about 30,000 applications every year.  Then while attending Harvard, Wheeler continued to plagiarize and lie his way through his coursework.  He even became so bold as to apply for the famed Rhodes scholarship, an action that would lead to his undoing.

With unbelievable attention to detail, fellow Harvard student and “Harvard Crimson” reporter Julie Zauzmer describes every step Wheeler took to get into the university.  Every fake test score, every plagiarized essay, every edited recommendation letter, is laid out in this book.  Included are quotes from several of Wheeler’s teachers and friends, as well as a few photocopies of Wheeler’s falsified transcripts.

While Conning Harvard is definitely worth reading, I have to say that the writing style is cumbersome at times.  The book often reads like a college thesis, with long sentences and too many parantheticals.  While the subject is fascinating, the writing lacks dramatic flair.  Also, there were some details that could have been excised in my opinion.  Some information, like the number of people who attended Wheeler’s high school (mentioned multiple times), as well as pages and pages of  minutiae about the Harvard application process, slowed down the flow of the book and should have been cut or whittled down.

Despite these technical issues, I would recommend Conning Harvard to anyone who enjoys a good con or heist story.  What makes Wheeler’s story so compelling is the different ways in which people perceive his actions.  Some see him as purely a cheat and a liar who got what he deserved, while others were a little happy to see the elitest university suffer public embarrassment.  Read the book and tell me what you think!

Early Review: Call the Shots

New Release Reviews, , , , , , ,

Call the Shots by Don Calame (pub date 9/11/12)

Another YA treat that I picked up from BEA!  This one is part of a series but it can be read on its own.  I haven’t read any of Calame’s previous books but Call the Shots is a self-contained story and I was able to pick up on the characters pretty quickly.

Coop, Sean, and Matt are fifteen, best friends, and always coming up with new schemes.  When wise-cracking Coop hears about an upcoming indie horror movie festival, he knows he can make a movie that’ll win the top prize.  At first his friends aren’t interested, but then Sean finds himself in a situation in which he needs cash fast, and decides to go in on the project.  With movie-buff Sean as the screenwriter, the three boys begin working on their idea for the next big horror flick: a monster movie featuring zombie/vampire/human/chimp hybrids.  All they need is start-up funds, actors…and a camera.

Soon the project becomes more complicated than they had imagined.  Between borrowing money from Sean’s stoner uncle, and using his psycho girlfriend’s camera on the condition that she star in the movie, the guys start to wonder if they’ll ever finish their masterpiece.  At the same time, Sean is dealing with an unrequited crush on a girl at school, a drama teacher with too many suggestions for his screenplay, and a twin sister who hates his guts.

I really enjoyed this cute and funny story.  It has great comedic timing, and realistic characters.  I think it’s harder to write teenage characters than some people think; they can sometimes sound too adult or too childish.  But the boys’ witty dialogue felt very natural to me.  Due to its rough language and drug references, this is definitely a book for older teens.  And if you’re an adult who enjoys YA, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this book.

My Big Kinky Erotica Post, Part Two

Backlist Reviews, New Release Reviews, , , , ,

I hope you enjoyed my previous post on erotic classics from decades past.  But if you enjoy modern erotica more than the older stuff, give these titles a look!

Bared to You by Sylvia Day (June 2012)

There’s a lot of buzz about this book, and it seems to be at the top of a lot of summer to-read lists.  Some dismiss it as just a Fifty Shades copycat, while others say it’s better and even hotter.  The first in a new erotica trilogy (of course), Bared to You is the story of a young woman’s relationship with a possessive but emotionally distant millionaire.

Okay, so it’s pretty much exactly like Fifty Shades.  Come on, even the cover art is similar!  The only major differences between the two are the settings (Bared is set in New York) and the personality of the female protagonist.  Unlike the virginal Ana in Fifty Shades, Eva is just as emotionally damaged as her lover Gideon.  She was sexually abused as a child, and this makes it difficult for her to trust men, especially men like Gideon, who is hiding secrets of his own.

The sex scenes are a lot of fun and main characters are passable, but the story doesn’t really go anywhere other than “I like him but I’m not sure he’s right for me.”  Plus it’s so hard not to keep comparing this book to Fifty Shades when it’s so similar.  However, I will give the writing credit for being a lot more adult (i.e. no “inner goddess” or “holy Moses”).  There are hints that Eva and Gideon will enter into a D/s relationship in the next book, but this book contains very few BDSM elements.

If you want hot sex scenes with gorgeous people in them, Bared to You delivers.  The writing is pretty good, I just wish there was more to the plot and the characters.  I’m optimistic that the next book will explore the main characters in more depth.  The sequel is due out this October, and I’ll probably read it and review it in a future post, because I am curious to find out what happens!

***

Please, Sir: Erotic Stories of Female Submission by Rachel Kramer Bussel (2010)

If short stories are your thing, then this collection will definitely get you all hot and bothered!  Please, Sir contains twenty-two BDSM stories involving female submissives.  This is a very diverse collection that spans across the BDSM spectrum, from spanking and light bondage to choking, punishment, heavy bondage, and multiple partners.  While there is some hard play in some of these stories, there is also an aspect of love and caring depicted as well, which makes this book rather intriguing.

This is a very well-edited collection, with a pretty wide range of topics to suit a variety of tastes.  There were only one or two stories that didn’t appeal to me (one involved “water sports”…but hey, to each her own), but I definitely enjoyed the vast majority of them.  A few of my favorites were “Anticipation,” “Long Time Gone,” and “The Negotiation.”

Aside from being engaging and arousing, what’s also appealing about these stories is how all the characters are regular people.  No gorgeous billionaires or geniuses with perfect bodies here.  The characters in Please, Sir could be your friends, coworkers, or neighbors.  Reading this book might make you look at the people around you and wonder who among them has a secret kinky side!

***

Best Erotic Romance by Kristina Wright (2011)

If you’re in the mood for steamy sex but BDSM isn’t quite your cup of tea, then pick up this collection of hot short stories.  Trust me, it’s anything but vanilla!  From Cleis Press, the same company that published Please, Sir, this book offers passionate sex in a variety of fun situations.  The writers include Bared to You author Sylvia Day.

The main theme of this collection is romantic relationships.  The men and women in this book find themselves at different points in their relationships, and for them, sex and emotion are always connected.  ”First Night” tells the story of a couple’s wedding night, while in “Memories for Sale,” a couple wonders whether to end their marriage.  The couple in “What Happened in Vegas” decide to turn their off-and-on tryst into a long-term relationship, and in “Drive Me Crazy,” a manager and her subordinate decide to become more than just coworkers.

The sex is passionate, and the stories all portray loving couples in different kinds of relationships.  This collection is a great combination of romance and erotica, and is perfect for those who prefer more upbeat stories with happier endings.

***

SM 101: A Realistic Introduction by Jay Wiseman (1998)

OK, so this one isn’t fiction, but I have a good reason for adding it in here!  I keep hearing about how the resurgence in the erotica genre has led to a huge boost in sales of ropes, cable ties, and other things that can be used to spice up one’s sex life.  And while that’s totally awesome, what some may not realize is that there are certain techniques involved in using this “equipment,” and everyone should know how to play safely.

SM 101 is written by an active member of the BDSM lifestyle, and is a great guide for newbies who are interested in experimenting with different types of play.  It covers everything, from spanking (yes, there are different ways to spank ;) ) to bondage, clamps, knots, and any kinky thing you can think of.  It also covers safe words and contracts, and I’m willing to bet that EL James used this book as a reference for the Fifty Shades trilogy.

This book is extremely useful not only because it emphasizes safety, but because it tells you how to use toys and equipment in the most pleasurable way.  It could definitely use an update so that it’s more up to date with today’s technology  (it mentions payphones as opposed to cellphones for example), but it’s still a great book to get if you’re looking for bold new things to try with your significant other.  And it’s available for Kindle so no one has to know what you’re reading :)

Early Review: The Yellow Birds

New Release Reviews, , , , , , , ,

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers (pub date 9/11/12)

“Nothing is more isolating than having a particular history.  At least that’s what I thought.  Now I know: All pain is the same.  Only the details are different.”

There have been a great number of novels written about war over the years, but I imagine that very few of them are as visceral and real as this one.  Bold and gripping, this book is about the damage battle does to the one who survive.

The Yellow Birds is written by an Iraq War veteran, and tells the story of the friendship between twenty-one-year-old Private John Bartle and eighteen-year-old Private Daniel Murphy.  Since basic training, when Bartle made an impossible promise to Murphy’s mother to protect her son, the two young men have been like brothers.  But as the war progresses and takes its toll on them and on their strict sergeant, Murphy becomes uninvolved with the world around him.  And soon Bartle finds himself seeing and doing things he never thought he would have to.

There is more to the plot but I don’t want to give too much away.  I went in not knowing much about the story and found myself surprised and moved by how emotional it is.  I think other readers should have the same experience I did.  The Yellow Birds is more about the effects of battle on the soldiers than it is about the actual war.  Author Kevin Powers wrote some incredibly deep passages where Bartle describes the many racing thoughts and emotions that consume him after he is discharged.

Even if you think you don’t like war stories (I usually don’t), I encourage you to give The Yellow Birds a try.  It reminded me of the film The Hurt Locker, so if you enjoyed that then you should definitely read this book.  It has a great protagonist, beautiful prose, and universal themes that anyone can relate to.  I liked that there was no hidden agenda in this novel; it didn’t strike me as either pro-war or anti-war.  It simply relates the sometimes devastating effects that combat has on the people who volunteer to serve their country.  Sad and thought-provoking, this is a great piece of literary fiction.

Book Review: Where’d You Go Bernadette

New Release Reviews, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple (pub date 8/14/12)

“A little social anxiety never hurt anyone, am I right?”

We all know a “Bernadette.”  She’s the one who doesn’t join in with the rest of the group, the one who chooses not to adhere to social convention, the one too smart and too interesting for the room.  She’s the one you might think is weird, but might surprise you if you got to know her.  In this novel, author Maria Semple introduces us to just such a character.

Bernadette Fox is a wealthy wife and mother living in Seattle.  Her husband is an executive at Microsoft and their teenage daughter, Bee, is a gifted student about to move across the country to an exclusive boarding school.  But just below the surface, Bernadette is a wreck.  A once-successful architect and still a legend in the field, she left her profession suddenly and moved from Los Angeles to Seattle.  This turn of events led her to become increasingly agoraphobic, anxious, and socially awkward.  She would become a nuisance for the other mothers at Bee’s private school, a worry to her husband, and a neighbor from Hell.  Then one day, shortly before she was supposed to take a family trip to Antarctica, Bernadette suddenly vanishes.

The story is told largely from Bee’s point of view, as she tries to discover the cause behind her mother’s disappearance.  The point of the story is not only finding out where Bernadette went physically, but emotionally as well.  What would cause a successful career woman and recipient of a genius grant to suddenly give up her profession?  Why would a someone who spent her life creating beautiful buildings choose to live in a dilapidated house and let it fall further into disrepair?  Why does everyone judge her so harshly?

Where’d You Go Bernadette is delightful.  I absolutely loved this book; I read the first third and the entire second half in one sitting each.  It’s an absorbing character study and a wicked satire of wealthy Seattle society and Microsoft corporate culture.  Hilarious is some parts and touching in others, it’s a book that can be enjoyed by many different audiences.  Until now, I wasn’t aware that Semple wrote for Arrested Development (and other shows), but I can definitely see the resemblance in the dialogue and writing style.  I would recommend this book to just about anyone.  Bernadette is a character you won’t be able to get out of your head for a long time!

Book Review: Dare Me

New Release Reviews, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dare Me by Megan Abbott (pub date 7/31/12

“When you have nothing inside you, you feel everything more, and you feel you can control all of it.”

Friendship, teamwork, with a little jealousy and an eating disorder or two: there’s a lot more to cheerleading than meets the eye.  For the teen characters in this novel, cheerleading is about being loyal to your “sistahs” for life.  In short, it is life.

Dare Me is a novel not just about cheerleading, but about dangerous relationships and emotions spinning out of control.  Beth and Addy are best friends and high school seniors, Beth being the self-appointed queen of the cheer squad and Addy being her faithful second-in-command.  Now there’s a new cheer coach who challenges Beth’s authority as ruler of the squad.

Within a few weeks, Coach Collette French whips the cheer team into shape, teaching them to perform dangerous stunts instead of the hip wiggling and pom-pom shaking that they had previously been doing.  And the girls quickly become enamored by Collette’s cool, confident demeanor.  Especially Addy, who becomes Collette’s friend and even her confidante.  But how close is too close?

When Collette is investigated after a suspicious death, things quickly start to unravel for both her and the squad.  Only Addy seems interested in the truth, and once she starts looking for it she gets deeper in the situation than she thought.

This is a very well written book, with a lot of plot twists and a surprising ending.  What was most interesting for me was the apparent role reversal of Addy and Coach French.  Coach seems to have everything anyone could want: great job, great body, perfect family.  At first she comes off calm and collected, but as the story progresses, her character is shown to be rather immature and impulsive.  Her relationship with her squad borders on inappropriate, and some of her actions are rather self-destructive.  And though Addy is only a teenager, she demonstrates more maturity and insight than her friends, even Beth.  Beth is also a great character, a girl you will love to hate.  Beautiful, confident, and manipulative, Beth is more dangerous that you might first suspect.

Like I said, the writing is great.  Abbott writes teenagers really well, using slang and mannerisms that feel genuine and not contrived.  It’s a pretty quick read with a good story and an air of mystery that will hold you from beginning to end, and offers a disturbing look into the mind of today’s teen girls.  So whether you were a cheerleader in high school, or you secretly envied or hated them, you’re sure to enjoy Dare Me.

Book Review: Infernal Stock Books Two and Three

Backlist Reviews, New Release Reviews, , , , , ,

Last year I reviewed the first book in Ronnie Schiller’s Infernal Stock trilogy.  Click here to read the review if you haven’t seen it already.  With the third book being released this past June, the trilogy is now complete! Book One, Dixon Breaks Loose, set the tone for this satirical story and introduced us to the character of Dixon.  In a world in which Hell has gone corporate, Dixon is a demon living on earth, working for the Corporation by tricking humans into selling their souls.  Dixon had some changing experiences in the first book, and there is plenty in store for him in Books Two and Three!  I’ll try not to give actual spoilers, but if you want to be surprised, read the books first.

Infernal Stock II: Dovetail (2011)

In Dovetail, Dixon seems to be playing both sides of the good/evil dichotomy.  He still works for the Corporation as a soul broker, and is assigned to a special task by his new boss.  His mission is to round up demons who have “gone rogue” and left the Corporation.  Meanwhile, Dixon is also serving the Council, an organization of angels, witches, and peaceful demons who work to maintain the balance between good and evil.  Dixon’s girlfriend Julia is a demon and fellow Council member, and Julia’s sister Jennifer, an angel, is also on the Council.

Dixon’s cynical facade starts to crack as he deals with new emotions and tries to save an old friend who is in danger.  Later he learns about The Apocalypse of Peter, a way through which he might find redemption.

Infernal Stock III: Deliverance (2012)

Deliverance shows a (slightly) more mature Dixon, still serving the Council but working for the Corporation as a casino floor manager.  It is, after all, the perfect place to collect lost souls.  Dixon’s world is turned upside down when he finds himself protecting a pregnant woman in his home.  Julia’s sister Jennifer is pregnant with a child that might be part demon, and this unheard of event has caught the attention of many interested parties.  Fearing that the child might be in danger, Dixon agrees to let Jennifer hide out at his apartment while the Council comes up with a plan.

Soon Dixon finds himself gathered with new allies and old friends he thought he’d never see again as he chooses to stand up for good and protect Jennifer’s unborn child.

***

Overall, I thought the Infernal Stock trilogy was interesting and original.  It brings the mythology of angels and demons into the real world and makes it tangible, but with a humorous twist.  I especially enjoyed Julia and Jennifer’s backstories that were detailed in the third book; it adds a lot of depth to their characters.  The concept of a part angel/human/demon child is especially intriguing, and I laughed out loud at the subtle reference to the graphic novel Preacher, which also has a storyline about a half angel/half demon child.

Deliverance was the strongest and best written book of the trilogy, in my opinion.  Unlike the first two books, it uses a third person narrative rather than Dixon’s first person perspective.  This lets readers get inside the other characters’ heads and see events that are going on with other characters.    I thought that the plot of Deliverance was the most compelling, although each book had an interesting storyline.

One thing I would like to have seen is some more continuity from Book Two to Book Three.  The Apocalypse of Peter is introduced toward the end of Dovetail but not mentioned in Deliverance.  The endings of both books felt rushed to me, especially in Deliverance, where an epic battle between forces is squished into one chapter.

If you like religious mythology and satire, and are looking for something different, definitely check out the Infernal Stock trilogy.  Its sense of humor is similar to Buffy, so if you enjoy that you’ll get a kick out of these books.  They seem to be rather popular in the Kindle store, and it’s nice to see indie books finding their place in the publishing world.

Early Review: Hemingway’s Girl

New Release Reviews, , , , , , , , ,

Hemingway’s Girl by Erika Robuck (pub date 9/4/12)

“She remembered when Hemingway had planted a banyan tree at his house and told her its parasitic roots were like human desire.  At the time she’d thought it romantic.  She hadn’t understood his warning.”

Ernest Hemingway was a legend.  Known for his tempestuous nature and tragic suicide, his books are still considered to be American classics.  In this debut novel, author Erika Robuck takes her love of Hemingway and builds a story around it.

Hemingway’s Girl is set in 1935, during the height of the Great Depression.  Nineteen-year-old Mariella is one of the many impoverished residents of Key West struggling to survive.  Since her father’s death, Mariella works odd jobs to support her mother and two younger sisters.  In a desperate attempt to raise funds for her family’s rent, Mariella makes a bet at a local boxing match, where she encounters none other than local celebrity Ernest Hemingway.

Mariella is later hired to be a maid in Hemingway’s home, and becomes entranced by his bold personality and charming flirtations.  She begins to wonder if her feelings for him are real, knowing she doesn’t want to become the kind of woman who would have a relationship with a married man.  At the same time, Mariella has a second love interest, a World War I veteran named Gavin who is one of the hundreds of vets working on the overseas highway project in the Florida Keys.

I picked up this book at the BEA Bloggers Conference, and I was so excited to read it.  But while I found it interesting enough, it just didn’t blow me away.  Mariella’s relationship with Hemingway is the most interesting part of the story.  He calls her “daughter;” she calls him “Papa.”  They share a special kinship that transcends mere sexual attraction.  Unfortunately, that relationship is pushed aside when Gavin is introduced, giving way to the much-abused love triangle plot device.  Even Mariella’s romance with Gavin seemed stilted to me.  There was so much talk about human desire in this book, and I didn’t feel too much of it.

As a character, I found Mariella to be a little under developed.  She embodies the “poor girl with a heart of gold” archetype, and not much else.  I expected her story to be grittier, I wanted there to be more risk involved in her actions.  Clearly, Hemingway was the most interesting character, even though it was supposed to be Mariella’s story.

The setting and time period were fascinating, and Robuck obviously made a great effort to research Hemingway’s life.  But the story didn’t do too much for me.  Still, Hemingway’s Girl is a decent effort by a debut author, and makes for a good beach read.  Read it for yourself and tell me what you think!