Saturday 13 September 2014

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

The only reason I read it is that I DO love the movies and series so much that I decided to learn more about the books – despite being fully aware that the plots are different.

As aimed for young boys, the book is written in the boyish and a bit sarcastic manner, which made me miss many of the soft and touching scenes in both movies and series. This is not to mention that Toothless is oh-so-different here! (Mind you! I’m simply into with the very-black-cat-like version in the films!!!)

Not that impressed, but still willing to dig more in other books!

Thursday 11 September 2014

Night's Honor by Thea Harrison

"A desperate human girl seeking a protection from a vampire lord?"

Hmm, it seems to be just that! The book is my far the least favourite in the series, and by that extent, the most boring one! I feel half of the book is spent on how the lead girl, Tess, adjusts to the new life under Xavier's roof, without any actions, without any events. The interactions the two leads have between each other are also repetitive and slow. And so, somewhat, instead of being a full-length book, Night's Honor should have been only a short novella - I feel that way it could have captured more of the readers' attention.

There is less moving action and less intense emotion in the book. Perhaps the most "active" scene is when Tess is fighting for Xavier's life, and yet it's rather a cliche scene to read. This is also especially trite with the decision of one minor character. I don't really feel any connection with Tess, and I also feel she doesn't deserve the love and devotion from Xavier. On the other hand, while the other books make the vampyre cold and aloof, the book gives us Xavier's personal insight and shows us a man full of goodness and greatness... to the point he becomes romantically fanciful. Or fancifully romantic? I don't know which case is right. Only that I know the man is too good a portrayal.

As Tess is a human, I can't help compare her to Grace in Oracle's Moon. And I still find Grace more interesting and likeable.

I'd rather spend time re-reading Kinked or Serpent's Kiss.

Give it C-/D+

Monday 8 September 2014

The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke

I fear I don’t really appreciate GL’s style and logic the way others seem to do. It was lovely enough in the beginning (lovely enough that I did buy the book!) before realising its flaws. So many things went wrong for me. The worst and most unforgivable one is when, despite having been trying so hard, the last stormlord gives up everything in the last minute and let the energy takes his land. One of the female lead has a great potential to be better, yet in the end, she’s worse than the most abhorrent outsider.


Not my cup of tea I must say .. although this is the best book in its series.