Mailbox Monday for 1/31/11

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme created by Marcia at The Printed Page and is being hosted all this month by Rose City Reader.

I received an ARC of The Survivor by Sean Slater for participating in the Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011, which is hosted by Carolyn of Book Chick City.

I received a hardcover of Afterlives of the Rich and Famous by Sylvia Browne for an upcoming TLC Book Tour.

I stopped in the Friends of the Library Book Store and bought a trade paperback of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, a trade paperback of The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, and a hardcover of Laced by Carol Higgins Clark.  They were only $1 a piece.  The best part was that they were in almost new condition.

My roommate and his mom went to the flea market and came back with two records for me, both from The Jets.  He got their first album which is self titled and a record single of "Private Number."

The Silver Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon

Synopsis:

Silverblade and Tadrith, fresh out of their training for the elite policing/military service, The Silver Gryphons, are sent out on their first mission.  The fact that the mission is to man the outpost that is furthest away from the city of White Gryphon is a boon to both of them.  They have been living under the shadow of their famous parents for too long.  Silverblade is the daughter of Amberdrake and Tadrith is one of twin sons fathered by Skandranon, the famous Black Gryphon.

Only a few days out on their mission, not even having reached the outpost, things go horribly wrong.  Something unexplainable pulls them out of the air, crashing into the dense rain forest below.  They must rely on each other, their training, and their wits if they are to survive.  Something is hunting them....

Where the first book in this trilogy is pure fantasy and the second book is more of a murder mystery, the final book is more like the classic tale of survival.  Now, this is a reread for me like the first two were, but once again I started to look at this book a little more broadly.  It is definitely a fantasy book, but it's so much more that that.  This books is the most personal of the three of them, simply because it's main focus is on two individuals throughout most the of the book.  You are able to get to know Silverblade and Tadrith on a such a personal level that it's hard not to get caught up in what's happening to them.

Mercedes Lackey has long been one of my favorite fantasy writers.  She is able to weave so much into her tales that no matter how many times I read them, I've never bored.  Her characters are always interesting and compelling.  Her plots are always interesting without being too convoluted and hard to follow.  But most of all, she is able to tell the story in such a way that a reader is almost, against their will, forced to invest themselves into the story.  By the end of a book, I'm always left feeling that I know these people.  I feel that they are my close, personal friends and that I've just gone through everything they had to face.  It's a wonderful quality in a writer, one that should be cherished when you find it.

Love Me To Death by Allison Brennan (Giveaway Included)

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Six years ago, Lucy Kincaid was attacked and nearly killed by an online predator. She survived. Her attacker did not. Now Lucy’s goal is to join the FBI and fight cyber-crime, but in the meantime, she’s volunteering with a victim’s rights group, surfing the Web undercover to lure sex offenders into the hands of the law. But when the predators she hunts start turning up as murder victims, the FBI takes a whole new interest in Lucy.

With her future and possibly even her freedom suddenly in jeopardy, Lucy discovers she’s a pawn in someone’s twisted plot to mete out vigilante justice. She joins forces with security expert and daredevil Sean Rogan, and together they track their elusive quarry from anonymous online chat rooms onto the mean streets of Washington, D.C. But someone else is shadowing them: A merciless stalker has his savage eye on Lucy. The only way for her to escape his brutality may be another fight to the death.

When I was first deciding on whether or not I wanted to read/review this book, I really payed attention to the synopsis and it had me hooked.  On that alone, I decided this was a book for me.  What I did not know at the time was that this is considered a "romantic suspense".  I'm still not sure what the hell that means, but if I had seen that in the beginning, I probably would have passed on this one.  I'm really glad that didn't happen.

The problem is that when I see the words "romance", "romantic", or even "love story" used to describe a book or the genre, I prejudge what I'm going to get.  I picture lots of either steamy or tacky sex scenes that are used to fill out a rather pointless and generic plot line.  Now I'm not saying that that picture in my head is fair, it probably isn't.  I'm sure someone will point out a well written romance to me after this, but as a guy, that's what I think of when I hear "romance" used to describe a book.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure why this book needs to be classified as such.  If that's the case, books like The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie would have to be considered "romantic suspense".  Both books have a likable, strong female lead that is capable of keeping a reader interested in what happens to her.  They both link her with a strong, attractive male that she can't help but be attracted to.  They both featuring amazingly complex plots that takes the reader through some amazing rides of thrill and emotion.  Both books draw the reader into the mystery/suspense, they both make it tactile in such a way that you can feel it coming off the page. Simply put, both books are a ton of fun to read.

Before I get yelled at by the Agatha Christie purists, I'm not saying this book is in that league.  I will still take an Agatha Christie book over this one.  What I am saying though, is that in many ways they are similar and if publishers/authors/readers feel a need to keep insisting on labeling books into very narrow genres, readers will keep miss out on some wonderful reads.  A good mystery, is a good mystery.  Why do we need to break it down into subcategories that by the nature of the "title" will turn off certain readers?  Anyway, that is the end of my soapbox, so I appreciate you reading this far.

My final thought on the book, if you couldn't tell from the above, is that I really enjoyed.  It had everything I look for in a well told mystery.  I'm now going to have to go back and read her books in order, because even though this can read like a stand alone novel, there is information and characters from her previous books.

Now for the fun part, the publisher has very graciously offered an extra copy of the book to one lucky winner.  All you have to do is leave a comment with your email address and you will be entered.  The giveaway will last until 2/11/11 at 11:59 PM, CST.  I will email the winner, who will then have 48 hours to email back or a new winner will be picked.

I would like to thank Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to review this book.  If you would like to read other thoughts on this one, please visit the tour page.  On the tour page you will also find links to the author's website, twitter page, and Facebook page.

Challenges:  M&S

The White Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon

Synopsis:

After ten long years the survivors of the magical Cataclysm have rebuilt their lives and a new city, White Gryphon.  Built on a cliff face overlooking a vast ocean, White Gryphon is a stronghold ready to protect it's citizens from any threat. 

When a fleet arrives from the realm of the Black Kings, things are looking a little murky.  The Black Kings control this area and unless the survivors can prove themselves they will once again have to fight a war for their lives.

Skandranon and Amberdrake are forced, once again to protect those they care about.  They agree, along with their families,  to be envoys to the Black Kings in order to try and forge an alliance with them.  That alliance is quickly threatened when a series of noblewomen who opposed the alliance are found slaughtered in their rooms.  All evidence points to one of the envoys and it's up to them to prove their innocence.

I have read this book countless times but for some reason I ended up taking a different approach to it this time.  In the past I've just thought of it as a good second installment in The Mage Wars trilogy, fun fantasy that is a pleasure to read.  This time though I found myself looking at it as more of a murder mystery.  Granted it's not your typical Agatha Christie book, but all the elements of a good mystery are there.  You just have to ignore the more outlandish setting and characters.

As a mystery, it's developed nicely.  One of the villains is set up fairly early but in such a way that it may come as a surprise when he shows up again.  The suspense and danger are palpable in this book and are driving forces behind most of the action.  As the story develops, so does the tension, and it never really lets you go.  It's blended in with the whole fantasy aspect of the book though so it never becomes overwhelming and has at it's core, the fun that Mercedes Lackey brings to all her work.

Challenges: M&S

Favorite Fictional Character --- Benson DuBois

I'm going to finish this month's theme of 1980s sitcom characters with the title character of the first TV show I remember watching that took place in a political setting.  Benson DuBois as played by Robert Guillaume was one of the funniest characters from the 80s, and I don't think he is as remembered as often as he deserves.

I've always had a fondness for wisecracking, sarcastic characters and Benson ranks up there as one of the best.  He always has a witty comeback and is never shy to express exactly what he's thinking about anyone or anything.  Throughout the series Benson rises from the head of household affairs for the governor's mansion, to state budget director, Lieutenant Governor, to running for Governor himself. 

What I liked most about him though was that behind the rather gruff exterior, he was a good hearted man who only wanted to what was right for those that counted on him.  For a refresher, I watched the "Big Buddy" episode and I was reminded of who Benson was as a human being.  He is a man who uses his sarcasm and wit to display his emotions towards those he cares about.  He has a big heart and will do anything he can to make things right.

The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Skandranon Rashkae is everything a gryphon should be.  With gleaming ebony feathers, majestic wingspan, keen magesight, and sharp intelligence, his is the fulfillment of all the Mage of Silence, the human sorcerer called Urtho, intended to achieve when he created these magical beings to be his champions, the defenders of his realm-a verdant plain long coveted by the evil mage Ma'ar.

And now, as Ma'ar is once again preparing to advance on Urtho's Keep, this time with a huge force spearheaded by magical constructs of his own, Skandranon is sent to spy across the enemy lines, cloaked in the protection of Urtho's powerful Spell of Silence.

As days pass and Skandranon doesn't return, all in Urtho's camp wait anxiously.  But there is one among them fro whom the possible loss of this great bird will be more than just a major military defeat.  Amberdrake - a Healer of body, mind, and spirit whose talents are essential to the army as those of any general - waits on the landing strip with anguish in his heart.  For Amberdrake has come to value the vain, cocksure, and brave Skandranon as his closet friend and comrade, and now he fears that this prince of gryphons will never return.

Once again when it comes time to review a fantasy book I'm resorting back to the publisher's synopsis.  There is just so much going on in this book (and the series) that I'm afraid this review would be so long that everyone reading this would age ten years before they were done.  The synopsis gives a pretty good idea of what happens in the book even though it doesn't even begin to tell you everything. 

The only other plot point I wanted to quickly mention was what comes at the end.  As you could probably guess, major wars between two powerful Adept Mages don't normally end well.  This book is no exception, the cataclysm that occurs at the end of this book sets up the action not only for the next two book in the trilogy but for various books that take place over 2,300 years later.

What I love about this book, and most of her other books, are the characters.  The author is adept at creating believable characters that as a reader, you are so drawn into them that you care about what happens.  Your heart starts beating a little faster when they are in danger, you breathe a sigh of relief when they come out okay, and your heart breaks when something bad happens to them or someone they love.  Skan and Drake (Skandranon and Amberdrake) are surrounded by a fantastic supporting cast.

What sets the author's ability apart though is how beautifully she creates non human characters and makes the reader forget that they don't look like us.  While you are reading about them you forget that Skan, Aubri, and Zhaneel are gryphons, you forget that Gesten is a hertasi (think child size lizard men), you don't see them as anything but human even when their physical differences are as plain as could be.  They aren't merely "talking animals" the way some fantasy authors tend to look at non human characters.  They are intelligent, emotional, and complicated individuals who just happen to not look like the human characters. 

She blends them all, human and non human alike,  into a cohesive group of people that you almost have a vested interest in.  You want them to survive the betrayals and losses that are to come.  You want them to persevere when everything seems to be against them.  But most of all, you want them to survive so you can get to know them even better.

This is a perfect example of what a true fantasy novel should be like and I would highly encourage everyone who has never read her work to start here.

Mailbox Monday for 1/24/11

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme created by Marcia at The Printed Page and is being hosted all this month by Rose City Reader.

I can't talk about it but I ended up returning two books that I got for Christmas presents.  I won't mention what they were or who gave them to me but they were books I would never read so I returned them to Borders and got 6 books I would read.  I picked up a paperback of Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie.  I also got 4 paperbacks that are replacements for books I used to own; The Silver Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon, Bearing An Hourglass by Piers Anthony, Strangers by Dean R Koontz, and Watchers by Dean R Koontz.  I've also been missing Torchwood so I picked up a hardcover of Torchwood: Bay of the Dead by Mark Morris.

  

I received a trade paperback of The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia for an upcoming TLC Book Tour.

I got the two disc collector's edition of "National Treasure" from the Disney Movie Rewards program.