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Spaz Reviews: Shadow Heir – Richelle Mead

January 3, 2012 in Reviews

  • Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
  • Price: $7.99
  • Publisher: Zebra; Original edition (December 27, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1420111809
  • ISBN-13: 978-1420111804
  • Richelle Mead’s website

To purchase Shadow Heir (Dark Swan #4):

 

#1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead returns to the Otherworld, a mystic land inextricably linked to our own–and balanced precariously on one woman’s desperate courage…

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land’s prophecy-haunted queen, there’s no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born-children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld…

The spell-driven source of the blight isn’t the only challenge to Eugenie’s instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can’t trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can’t–or won’t–reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon–and risk the ultimate sacrifice…

Blurrrg. What. the. hell? That was my initial reaction upon completing Shadow Heir. As the last book in Richelle Mead’s Dark Swan series, I will tell you right now I expected more. Way more. Especially after the great steps back Eugenie made as a character and Queen in the previous book, Iron Crowned. But I hung on, I thought maybe this would just be a case of us needing to remember we can all take a few steps back, but still detour back on course. Sadly, my suspicions that this entire story was pulled out of WTF-ville by the seat of someone’s pants became stronger and stronger as I progressed through the pages. It’s not the writing that is bad, Richelle Mead has to-date been one of my top favorite authors with her Georgina Kincaid series. I just feel that Eugenie, Dorian, and hell even Kiyo (yes I am saying that) deserved more than wrapping the series up this way. Maybe my expectations were too high as a Eugenie fan to see her go away this way, and were unrealistic. Regardless, I am disappointed as a fan.

In this fourth and final Dark Swan installment, Eugenie officially evolves in to one of my least favorite heroines, ever. She was dipping in to this category with Iron Crowned, and this just carried over. She makes one selfishly wreckless step after another, and it just becomes unbearable for me to witness. I ended up finishing this series thoroughly annoyed with the heroine and really caring less what happens to her, outside of how it would affect Dorian. I will always love me some Dorian I wanted an HEA for HIM the most, screw Eugenie. There is that final proverbial nail in the coffin that happens to seal the deal, and I was left saying WHATEVER! This is to be the great legacy of Eugenie Markham? I need my characters to evolve in strength of character, not completely devolve. Whaaaattheeefuuuuudge.

To summarize: big pile of sad faces right here. I’ll probably still check out any future adult Richelle Mead series that may release. Overall I’ve still enjoyed her writing, when I feel her heart is in it. Ms. Mead can tap in to some supremely intense emotions and shake you around a bit. It’s a really awesome ride when the passion is there. The Mead Effect just fell apart somewhere half through Eugenie’s story. I still recommend the first two books of the series! It’s okay, Richelle, I ain’t mad at ya. :)

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

September 6, 2011 in Contests, Young Adult Reviews

  • Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  • List Price: $18.99
  • Hardcover: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Razorbill (August 23, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1595143173
  • ISBN-13: 978-1595143174

Buy Bloodlines at:

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive – this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

By now, we’ve all read Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy. You also have to know that Bloodlines is the spin off of VA, this time staring Sydney, Jill & Adrian. Have I mentioned that Adrian is my all time favorite YA character? No? Now you know.

Sydney is still in the dog house with her fellow Alchemists for helping Rose in the previous series. One night the Alchemist come calling, but they don’t want Sydney they want her sister. Sydney will do everything in her power to protect her sister, even if it means her sister hates her. Finally the Alchemists agree to let Sydney take her sisters place & protect Jill, a Moroi Princess.

The job is to keep Jill safe by embedding themselves in a boarding school in California, because who would look for her in the sunniest place in the USA? Jill & Sydney pose as sisters and pretty much expect that nothing is going to happen. Could they be more wrong? Nothing is ever that simple & it’s up to Sydney to keep Jill alive & to prove herself to the Alchemists.

I was actually surprised at how much I loved Bloodlines. While I liked the VA Series, I found Bloodlines to be more grown up, faster past & actually a bit more entertaining of a read. Maybe it’s because there is more Adrian, or because Sydney is a bit more mature then Rose is.

I loved that Adrian’s feelings for Rose, all this time later, we’re ignored. He’s still in pain and Richelle Mead capture’s it, where others would have left it out of the storyline entirely. And he is still just as protective of Jill (Jailbait) as he always was in VA. On top of that storyline, the growth of someone independent & willing to fight for what she believes in, is what made Sydney such a likable character. She’s not like Rose at all, okay maybe a little bit. But what I loved the most about her, is she didn’t drop her beliefs that the Moroi are “people to fear”, she is still wary of them.

I enjoyed Bloodlines more then the entire VA series, Richelle Mead has made this series a bit more realistic in terms of emotions. That suits me just fine!

Next stops on the Bloodlines Canadian Blog Tour:

Sept 7 Hands and Home (Bonnie) http://www.handsandhome.ca/
Sept 8 Snowdrop Dreams of Books (Chrystal) http://snowdropdreams.blogspot.com/
Sept 9 Just Another Story (Sara)  http://unautrehistoire.blogspot.com/
Sept 12 Bibliomama (Allison)  http://bibliomama2.blogspot.com/
Sept 13 Esther’s Ever After (Brenna)  http://everafteresther.blogspot.com/
Sept 14 Simply Stacie  http://www.simplystacie.net/
Sept 15 Krystal’s Stellar Book Blog  http://stellarbookblog.blogspot.com/
Sept 16 Today’s Adventure (Vanessa) http://www.todays-adventure.com/
Sept 19 Lost for Words (Corrine) http://lostforwords-corrine.blogspot.com/

Penguin Canada is giving ONE lucky Canadian the chance to win Bloodlines. To Enter, tell me who your favorite YA character is (in the comments). Contest Ends September 13th, 2011.

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Spaz Reviews: Succubus Revealed – Richelle Mead

August 29, 2011 in Reviews

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • List Price: $7.99
  • Publisher: Kensington (August 30, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0758232012
  • ISBN-13: 978-0758232014
  • Richelle Mead’s website

To purchase Succubus Revealed:

Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina’s boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can’t just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she’s being forced to transfer operations…to Las Vegas.The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina’s allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle – and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell’s most valuable assets, but if there’s any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it – no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won’t include the one man she’s risking everything for…

This is a spoiler-free review but assumes familiarity with the Georgina Kincaid series.

And here we are… The End. Succubus Revealed is the last book in Richelle Mead’s Georgina Kincaid series and I cannot begin to tell you how bittersweet reading this book felt. I wanted to hurry up and read it, yet slow down and savor the story. Ultimately I settled on “screw it, full speed ahead!” and read it in one seating.

We find Georgina working as a Santa’s elf at a high-end Mall, far away from her former ideal job at her beloved bookstore, which she had to leave after what happened with Seth and Maddie. Ugh Maddie. Blech, do. not. like! But that’s another rant for another time. Georgie’s been ordered by Hell to transfer her succubus services to Las Vegas, but when she goes out there to scope out the scene, things seem a little too intentionally perfect. With Seth Mortenson’s sister-in-law still ill with cancer in Seattle, this transfer is yet one more hurdle in their attempt to be with each other. Sweet cheesus will Georgie and Seth ever be able to be together?! You’ll have your answer by the end of Succubus Revealed and I get sentimentally teary-eyed all over again just remembering it.

I did find some parts somewhat predictable, which made the beginning a little slow for me. The first half of the book was slow-moving, but by the middle, things start Happening with a capital H. Some readers probably have figured out several revelations that are hinted at in the last book, Succubus Shadows, but it is the raw emotions Ms. Mead is able to evoke that make this book so fantastic. I think Seth and Roman fans alike will be pleased with the outcome and with how things play out. The plot twists involving Jerome, Carter, and Roman separately are quite powerful. While I would have liked to have seen a few more things addressed, maybe a little more things flipped upside down in true Richelle Mead fashion, I was pleased with the way this ultimate love conquers all series was drawn to an end. The Georgina series will continue to be one of my favorites and I highly recommend it. They are very very sexy, highly emotional books, and I am glad Ms. Mead had this end in mind for Succubus Revealed. The Georgina Kincaid Series reading order:

  1. Succubus Blues
  2. Succubus on Top
  3. Succubus Dreams
  4. Succubus Heat
  5. Succubus Shadows
  6. Succubus Revealed (The End!)

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Richelle Mead Storm Born 5 Page Preview‏

April 27, 2011 in Graphic Novels

Click picture to expand size. Thanks to Sea Lion Books for the preview!

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Spaz Reviews: Iron Crowned – Richelle Mead

March 22, 2011 in Reviews

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Zebra; 1 edition (March 1, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1420111795
  • ISBN-13: 978-1420111798

Buy Iron Crowned at:

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land’s queen, she’s fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear. . .

Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown’s ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation–one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril. . .

Iron Crowned is the much anticipated third book in Richelle Mead’s Dark Swan series. The series follows Eugenie Markham, newly made Queen of the Thorn Land and daughter to the epically feared Storm King. She must maintain her responsibilities in the Otherworld as Queen while also paying her bills and keeping her house as a part-time shaman in the real world. War is raging between her land and the land of Rowan. Her only hope of winning this War and minimizing deaths is to seek the Iron Crown…

I’m just going to jump right in and say that I grew quite frustrated with Eugenie’s childish stubborness. At this point in a series we expect a character to really grow, but in Iron Crowned she does several things that truly had me disappointed in her. She turns her back on newly acquired responsibilities, taking full steps backwards instead of forwards. She starts off in the novel as this kickass Queen, and then halfway through the book she ends up an Anita Blake cliche. Nevertheless, this is her story and it was told in true *smokin hot* Richelle Mead style. There is definitely drama, and most of it was predictable, but there is one *GASP!*-style betrayal that definitely threw me for a loop. Dorian continues to be the strongest and most enjoyable character to follow. He is what he is. He has never pretended to be otherwise nor has he tricked her in to believing he is something else, like some other characters have {coughcoughKIYO}. Although he does manipulate Eugenie at times in to doing something, he makes it clear (to me!) that he sincerely does have her best interest at heart. Even if it just happens to directly effects his best interest as well ;) . The few heart-touching moments in this one completely revolve around Dorian. At this point, HE makes the series for me. I want him to prevail, and to be happy!

The bottom line with Iron Crowned is that you might not like what you are reading with how things are playing out, but you definitely won’t be able to put it down. Without giving away too much, when you reach the last page, you will want to throw the book as it ends quite abruptly. I enjoy this series, but I really don’t feel like it holds a candle to her Georgina Kincaid series. Maybe it’s not fair to compare the two, but there you go. I still have faith that with the events in this one that Eugenie will truly rise to her potential and be the Queen the Otherworld needs her to be!

Dark Swan is set to be a 4 book series, so the next book will be the end. And we only have… 10 months to find out what happens next. *bites nails*

  1. Storm Born
  2. Thorn Queen
  3. Iron Crowned
  4. Title TBA – January 2012

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