Keri Arthur: Moon Sworn

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Dell (May 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 978-0440245711

 Shape-shifting werewolf and vampire Riley Jenson is through with death - causing it, solving it, surviving it. Her soul mate, Kye Murphy, is dead - and at Riley's own hands. Not even the seductive embrace of her vampire lover, Quinn, can fully ease her mind, for she has begun questioning everything that makes her Riley - including her job at the Directorate.
 Now the ritualistically slain bodies of ex-cons have started turning up. Reluctantly, Riley takes the case, but something even worse is waiting in the wings. A vicious enemy from her past is determined to strip Riley of everything that gives her life meaning: her lover, her brother - and even her own identity. Can Riley survive this ultimate assault? All she knows is that she must fight one last time to find answers, before everything goes dark forever.

 Ah, the end of an era. For me, anyway. I picked up Keri Arthur's first novel in the Riley Jenson series way back when, when I was first getting into the paranormal novel field. I bought up several new authors at the same time (YOLO) and she was one. I greatly enjoyed her first novel. It was original and impressive and complicated. Over the years, the writing has gotten less...well, good...but that doesn't mean that her story isn't there. As the last few books wind down, we have less and less to focus on and think about as all the other plots are tied off. Now, we're down to two - the mystery of the novel, and the questions that have been ongoing through the entire series: Riley doesn't want to be a Guardian, and, oh yes, the leader of her former pack is hell bent on ruining her life even further. By the end of the series, we will have solutions to these problems, although they are not necessarily the ones we expected. And that's not a bad thing.
 In this novel, we have some pretty gory and gruesome murders, but about a third of the way, they take a backseat to Riley's major problem - she doesn't remember who she is, and someone out there (well, we know who) is messing with her mind. While she's dealing with that, she's also solving the case, which is, quite frankly, multitasking at its finest. I have never been so proud of Riley. She has truly grown into her badassery. On the other hand, while Quinn is still pretty awesome, the fire has kind of gone out of their relationship for me. It used to be so full of angst (I like that its not anymore) but there was always something interesting going on. Now, they've settled down into that old couple mentality, which is definitely not a bad thing - I just think Arthur went a little far in de-clawing Quinn.Also, after so much build up, the final fight scene was slightly anti-climactic. It just ended a little too easily for my taste.
 All that aside, the plot was developed, our characters have reached fruition and will achieve their HEA, and we have come to the end of a series.
 Overall: A
 A pretty good wrap up overall. Not as good as some in the series, better than others. Definitely nice to see an author take care of a character's life and not completely destroy her in the end, especially after all the growing up she had to do.

Hideyuki Kikuchi: Tale of the Dead Town

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing; 1st DH Press Ed edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 978-1595820938

When vampires attack a floating city, only one man can save paradise.
The City, a tiny metropolis of a few hundred sheltered citizens floating serenely on a seemingly random course a few feet above the ground, has long been thought safe from the predation of marauding monsters. It seems like a paradise.
A paradise shattered when an invasion of apparent vampires threatens the small haven. While the Vampire Hunter known only as "D" struggles to exterminate the scourge, a former denizen of the city, the attractive Lori Knight, and the brash John M. Brasselli Pluto VIII seize control of the city, lurching it onto a new and deadly course. D's travails are just beginning.
 Well, that sounds ominous, doesn't it? And not entirely accurate, but I won't spoil it for you...
 Kikuchi has an incredibly ornate writing style, to say the least. Lots of adjectives that people rarely use. I'm not sure what he thinks the effect is, but in English I don't think it's quite the same. While slightly amusing, it doesn't detract too much from the story once you stop noticing it.
  The plot: D's at it again, saving people that aren't too terribly thankful. It's a fact of humanity: what they don't know or understand scares them, and rather than look beyond their own prejudices, they will lash out with violence, if necessary. Or unnecessary as the case may be. But D is D, so he doesn't really give a flying rat's ass about a bunch of petty, stupid humans. He's going to save them because it's his job.
 This wasn't my favorite entry in the Vampire Hunter D universe, if only because there didn't seem to be a lot going on, and it got somewhat repetitive. There were also a couple of random things that happened that didn't really have a larger connection to the story and seemed to just be there for the horror of it all. I was extremely pleased to see a mention of one of D's past adventures though - it was my personal favorite thus far, and it was nice to see that the story is over but not forgotten and that these characters do continue on (if they're alive).
 As far as characterizations go, Kikuchi did a pretty good job with this one. The only person that drove me nuts was Pluto VIII, but that had less to do with skill in writing and more to do with the fact that I just hate characters like him. Ambiguous at its best. I guess that says something positive for Kikuchi's writing.
 Overall: B-
 It had some good elements, but overall I think it was kind of a rush job.

Georgette Heyer: Death in the Stocks

• ISBN-13: 9781402217975
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Incorporated
• Publication date: 10/1/2009
• Pages: 314

 A moonlit night, a sleeping village, and an unaccountable murder....
 In the dead of night, a man in evening dress is found murdered, locked in the stocks on the village green. Unfortunately for Superintendent Hannasyde, the deceased is Arnold Vereker, a man hated by nearly everyone, especially his odd and unhelpful family members. The Verekers are as eccentric as they are corrupt, and it will take all Hannasyde's skill at detection to determine who's telling the truth, and who is pointing him in the wrong direction. The question is: who in this family is clever enough to get away with murder? 

Georgette Heyer does it again. I don't think I've run across a Heyer novel that I don't like, although some occasionally stray into TMI territory. Not TMI in a bad way, just too detailed and a little boring. But she always pulls it out. What makes her detective/mystery novels so great are not necessarily the intricacy or originality of the plotlines, but rather that which always makes Heyer stand out - her great characters. She creates characters that are humorous and sympathetic, and she does not disappoint in this entry in her canon.
 When Arnold Vereker is murdered, suspicion turns to his immediate relatives and those close to them, a development they seem in no hurry to avert. Rather, Kenneth courts suspicion and seems to take great pleasure in foiling the police and seeing how far he can push them, while discussing how he would theoretically murder his half-brother with his sister, Antonia, the other half of the suspected Vereker pair.They continue to play this cat and mouse game to the dismay of their counsel, and cousin, Giles Carrington. As the story progresses, suspicion turns from one sibling to the other, then to their respective fiancés, and they continue to speculate on how they each could have committed the murder. Not that they did, of course. 
 It's almost amusing how ineffectual Hanasyde is in this novel. Normally he's right there, solving the cases, but this time he seems to just be sort of helplessly swept along by the force of Giles' investigation and the Vereker's personalities. You sort of feel sorry for him, really. The end is a little surprising, purely because you knew that the culprit was going to be one of the cast of characters as that is how Heyer operates - she doesn't pin the murder on a random passerby that isn't introduced to the novel until the final chapters. But that is all I will say on the matter. Scouts honor.
 Overall: A-
 The mystery wasn't there as much as it has been in previous books. The investigation seemed to loose its steam several times along the way, although the reader was suitably distracted by the developing relationships, so they didn't feel the loss of a cogent plot.

Kim Harrison: Pale Demon

• ISBN-13: 9780061138072
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 11/29/2011
• Pages: 528

 Condemned for black magic, Rachel Morgan has three days to get to the annual witches' conference in San Francisco to clear her name. if not, she'll be trapped in the demonic ever-after...forever. 
 But a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy travelling 2,000 miles in one car is a recipe for disaster - not even counting the assassination teams waiting in ambush...or the demon they unleash on St. Louis.
 Now, after centuries of torment, a fearsome creature walks free, craving innocent blood and souls - especially Rachel Morgan's, who'll need to fully embrace her own demonic nature to survive. And even that may not be enough. 

 Oh, Rachel. You've done it again - managed to get yourself into a situation you can't escape without making your life substantially worse.
 We pick off a few months after we left off, with Rachel preparing to go bridesmaiding at her brother's wedding. Unfortunately, what with the events of the last novel, there is quite a bit of doubt as to whether she's actually going to make it. Then - surprise of surprises - Trent shows up asking for her help with something he needs done, but he's not going to tell her what it is. I'll pause to allow a moment of shock to sink it. Trent asking Rachel for help? Did the world end while I was sleeping? No, he just really needs her help. When Rachel (naturally) can't get through airport security because the Council is determined to make her life as difficult as possible, we have the perfect storm - for a road trip.
 Yes, you heard me. This novel is essentially a Lampoon Family Vacation in which all of the members of the family want to kill the annoying one. So basically a family vacation. Jenks, Ivy, Rachel, and Trent all bundles themselves into Rachel's mother's car and away they go, bickering all the way to the West coast. Of course, along the way they run into some nasties, including demons and mercenary elves, because whatever Trent wants, other people apparently want it, too. And when you find out what that thing is - hoo boy. I was shocked and I am so very anticipating what new developments that revelation will bring.
 Furthermore, Rachel is called on once again to use the very powers she is being crucified for. And she isn't going to get any thanks for it either. The difference is that this time, she doesn't care. Rachel is fed up with people trampling all over for something she has no control over, and I for one cheered raucously. Instead of trying to force her life into the shape she thinks it should be, she finally accepts that, for the time being at least, she is royally screwed and why waste energy trying to fight it? Accept it and make the best of it. You go, Ray-ray (oh, bad memories. Let's not call her that ever again).
 This one wasn't as action packed as the last one, and I liked it better for that. In my last review I mentioned that. Sometimes it just gets to be a little too much and you want some time to breathe between catastrophes. Harrison gave us that in this installment, and we got to remember why we liked the characters so much in the first place. Plus - road trip. Substantial time for hilarious dialogue and super-frustrating-bitch-Trent moments.
 Overall: A

Christopher Moore: Bloodsucking Fiends

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416558497

Jody never asked to become a vampire. But when she wakes up under an alley Dumpster with a badly burned arm, an aching back, superhuman strength, and a distinctly Nosferatuan thirst, she realizes the decision has been made for her.
 Making the transition from the nine-to-five grind to an eternity of nocturnal prowlings is going to take some doing, however, and that's where C. Thomas Flood fits in. A would-be Kerouac from Incontinence, Indiana, Tommy (to his friends) his biding his time night-clerking and frozen-turkey bowling in a San Francisco Safeway. But all that changes when a beautiful undead redhead walks through the door...and proceeds to rock Tommy's life - and afterlife - in ways he never thought possible. 

 I was at first reluctant to read Christopher Moore. My friend was pushing me to read Lamb, insisting that it was funny and wonderful. I was still hesitant because I wasn't sure it wasn't going to be a scathing degradation of the Christian faith. I can appreciate humor with regard to theology, but I loathe ideological attacks based on nothing but scorn and disbelief. I'm not Buddhist, but I don't knock it. And that applies to everyone and all religions. Now that I've gotten my little rant out...I wasn't sure that Moore was going to be funny but respectful. I was extremely pleasantly surprised. But that's the subject of another review.
 The point of all that is this: Moore is a good author. He's funny and irreverent but not offensively so. Sometimes you're astonished at the things that come out of his brain, but since it's usually pretty funny you can't help but laugh at things like necrophilia. In Bloodsucking Fiends we're dealing with the newly dead, or the newly undead more like. Jody is attacked and turned into a vampire in the dead of night on her way home, and must learn to deal with her new...talents. Enter Tommy Flood, pen-name C. Thomas Flood, an aspiring writer from small town middle America whose father's greatest ambition for him is that he safely join the union. Hijinks ensue as they try to not be framed for murders they did not commit. This is made a little more difficult by Tommy's often stunning naivete.
 Moore is also great at creating a supporting cast that makes you laugh almost as much as the events of the novel. From the Emperor of the city (who appears to others as a mere bum) to the large, angry, gay detective who is determined to lock Tommy up for the murders despite his cute butt, no character is too small for a humor treatment. Well done, Mr. Moore. Touche.
 Overall: A
 Moore's dialogue and writing style is fairly elementary, but he obviously does well with the low-level literary value of his work. You read these books for pure pleasure and laughs, not for any life-changing epiphanies or mind-blowing prose. His characterization is stunning though, and he is not as raunchy as he becomes in his other books. There are times when he crosses into "That's just nasty" territory, but this book has few of those moments, and I greatly appreciate it. This one definitely falls into my top three Moore novels.

Fyodor Dostoevsky: The Brothers Karamazov

• ISBN-13: 9781593080457
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Publication date: 8/1/2004
• Pages: 752

The last and greatest of Dostoevsky's novels, The Brothers Karamazov is a towering masterpiece of literature, philosophy, psychology, and religion. It tells the story of intellectual Ivan sensual Dmitri, and idealistic Alyosha Karamazov, who collide in the wake of their despicable father's brutal murder.
Into the framework of the story Dostoevsky poured all of his deepest concerns - the origin of evil, the nature of freedom, the craving for meaning and, most importantly, whether or not God exists. The novel is particularly famous for three chapters that rank among the greatest pages of Western literature: "Rebellion" and "The Grand Inquisitor" present what many have considered the strongest arguments ever formulated against the existence of God, while "The Devil" brilliantly portrays the banality of evil. Ultimately, Dostoevsky believes that christ-like love prevails. But does he prove it?
 A rich, moving exploration of critical human questions, The Brothers Karamazov challenges all readers to reevaluate the world and their place in it.
 
Whenever I review a classic, I am inevitably presented with the same problem: how does one review a classic that has stood for hundreds of years? Should I even try? Well, I like a challenge.
 The Brothers Karamazov is the story of a parricide, but that is only the culmination of events, not the driving plot of the novel. I would argue.  Rather, the story is a psychological survey of humanity centering on three brothers and their negligent father. I have a huge problem with separating fiction from reality - I just get too involved emotionally. So instead of taking a character's actions in stride, I become frustrated, or angry, or upset like I would in real life. Sometimes it gets really stressful for me and I need to take a break from whatever I'm reading. This was one of those novels.
 First of all, there's not a single character, aside from Alyosha and possibly Snegiryov and Ilusha, that you like. All of the other characters are ignorant, hateful, spiteful, willful, selfish, or rash, or a combination of any and all of those. Honestly, the ones that I wanted to throw under the proverbial bus most of the time were Mitya and Katya. Mitya because he caused all of his own problems and could have saved himself by being less incredibly stupid and rash, and Katya because she was just a hateful spiteful person.
 Dostoevsky's genius, though, lies in exactly that. As a study in humanity, the novel is brilliant. Human beings are frail and weak and often despicable. Then occasionally there are those moments of genuine compassion and the beauty of the human spirit. And the characters of Karamazov are perfectly formulated to showcase all the pathos of the human mind, in all its glory and despair. Forget the story - read it for that alone.
 The plot itself was not particularly well formulated as it was really more a vehicle for what I just talked about. The details of the murder and the characters' motivations were often convoluted at best, although the many monologues were formulated much like the speech of any person under severe duress. As a result, it was extremely difficult to explain why everything was happening. I found myself checking out mentally every so often just because they were babbling and I wasn't going to get much explanation out of their speeches. The truly excruciating speech was the prosecutor's final stand at the trial. All I can say is that the arguments he made based on the evidence they had, the evidence itself, would not hold up in a modern court of law, and so it was almost amusing how he presented his case. "He didn't have half of the money he supposedly stole on him - rather than believe that he's telling the truth and he really didn't have that sum to begin with, I believe he stashed the money somewhere in the walls of the inn. We haven't found it yet, but I'm sure it's there." I shook my head in disbelief.
 Overall: A-
 For pure readability, it wasn't great. The long passages that just seemed to be repeating the same thing over and over, the often incomprehensible dialogues and monologues, made you want to just skip to the important and interesting part. I recommend forcing your way through those particular passages, though. I think everyone should read this book at least once if you want to get a true view of the human psyche.

Oh my goodness

I briefly forgot I had this blog.

Oops.