Catching up on some book comments - Jan 07

I set up a new blog the other day - Lists and Such - where I am planning to leave some static reference pages like my TBR pile/mountain, books I've read in each month, that kind of thing. While starting the list of books read for Jan 07, I found that I have some short comments on some of those books posted on Library Thing, so I'm going to pop them in here, mostly so that I can link to this post on the one over there.

The Marriage Spell - Mary Jo Putney (DNF)
I actually really enjoyed what I read of this. It's just that around half way, I got distracted and skimmed ahead to find out what happened. After that, I didn't feel interested enough to read properly through to the end of the book. So don't let this review or rating put you off. This was a nice book in a nice setting that I think I would have really enjoyed and possibly recommened at a different time.

Demon Angel - Meljean Brook (8/10)
In a very ambitious first novel, Brook pulls off most of the things I suspect she set out to achieve. She has created a fascinating, complicated world and peopled it with equally fascinating characters.

Readers briefly met Lilith and Hugh in Brook's entry in the "Hot Spell" anthology. Here, their history is fleshed out in a series of short pieces that bring us up to the current day, where the main story begins.

Lilith is a demon bound to tempt humans to their own destruction; Hugh is a Guardian, bound to protect those same humans from the likes of Lilith. For all that, there is something between them from the first time they met when Hugh is still human, a naive 17 year old in the reign of King John with an innocence Lilith is sent to destroy. He in turn becomes determined to save her soul.

Eight hundred years later, Hugh is no longer a Guardian and Lilith is bound to kill him. None of this makes an easy beginning for a love story, but Brook crafts a lovely one here.

There are first time author problems in this book, mostly in pacing and clarity. Sometimes I struggled to be sure just what was going on - especially with all the bargains and wagers and complicated motivations floating around - and I remain unsure if that was my lack of understanding or the auhtor's lack of clarity. I expect the truth lies somewhere in between.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and I know I'll be buying more of Brook's work in future.

Crossing the Line - Trista Ann Michaels (8/10)
I like this series. Nice world building (although as a sf/f reader I would love more detail about it and its history), very engaging characters, hot sex and the hint of lots more tales to tell. I'm going back to read book one now.

Bound to Trust - Jaci Burton (7/10)
I chose this one to fit the mood in and because it looked like it might be fun. It was. Amusing but without any major depth, although the characters were appealing.

Star Crossed - Trista Ann Michaels (8/10)
I read book 2 of this series first, mostly for something to try and found I liked it. I went back to book one and I liked this one even more. To quote my comments on "Crossing the Line": I like this series. Nice world building (although as a sf/f reader I would love more detail about it and its history), very engaging characters, hot sex and the hint of lots more tales to tell.