The Books I Read in November

Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs A+
Most everything thinks Ward of Hurog is a simple-minded fool-and that’s just fine by him. But few people know that his foolishness is (very convincingly) feigned. And that it’s all that’s saved him from death at the hands of his abusive father, who’s always seen Ward as a bitter rival for power.
When his father dies, Ward becomes the new lord of Hurog... until a nobleman declares that he is too dim-witted to rule. Ward knows he cannot play the fool any longer. To regain his kingdom, he must prove himself worthy- and quickly.
Riding into a war that’s heating up on the border, Ward is sure he’s on the fast track to glory. But soon his mission takes a deadly serious turn. For he has seen a pile of magical dragon bones hidden deep beneath Hurog Keep. The bones can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and Ward is certain his enemies will stop at nothing to possess them...
Loved this one! One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Wonderful characters, delightful magic, interesting & believable world. An all around good book.

The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey A+
Loved this. Takes the Russian fairy tale and reinvents it from the Godmother perspective. Magic, polar bears, a light touch of romance... A fun light escape with some serious touches about responsibility and character.

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix A
A historical look at the Cinderella story. Enjoyed this very much. Looks at the basic aspects of life during that time and how much more restrictive life would have been for young women moved from poverty to royalty. No fairy godmother, so Ella must save herself.

The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey A
Excellent. Takes the swan fairy tale (a bunch of women transformed by an evil spell- swans by day, human by night) and turns the tale on it’s ear. Fairy tale, fun magic, despicable evil, a touch of romance- what more could a girl want? ;-)

Seeing Redd, Book 2 in The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor A
Better than the first! No slow entry into the world- Starts right off and keeps going. Interesting and compelling fantastical world. Freaky and delightful characters. Sidenote: I just found out that he’s been writing a graphic novel series called Hatter M about the backstory of the wars- I’m looking forward to ILL-ing from the library.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs A-
Urban fantasy. I like this author- a little more sensuality and moon eyes than I’d prefer, but an interesting story... Mercy is a were-coyote living in a world of were-wolves, and suddenly murder and mayhem show up in her day to day life.

Howl at the Moon by Christine Warren B
Urban fantasy + spies. Interesting combo and idea. Follows Samantha & Noah. Samantha is the personal assistant to the Alpha of the Silverback clan. Noah is the spy who loves her, and has been given the task of stealing her clans’ secrets. Oh, the woe and tragedy! Too much sex, passion and trauma for me, but honestly, it’s a good story.

Sight Unseen by Samantha Graves C
Man, this one could have been good, and it was just lousy... An art thief who steals things back from the bad guys, a cop trying to avenge his partner’s death... A despicable bad guy... Too bad the book was so lousy. I read it 'cuz the art thief has a touch of psychic powers which allow her to determine whether the art is real or faked, but it didn't make up for the convoluted story line...

Harvest Of Changelings by Warren Rochelle Yuck
Didn’t finish this- Worked very hard on it but couldn’t get through it. The evil was too real for me, the characters too chilling & unsympathetic, the fantasy was too cold & detailed... Felt like a horror novel, and not a good one.