Misc. Monday: Vices

Hello, and Welcome to Miscellaneous Monday. Until something else exciting happens in real life, I'm going to carry on bringing up topics about the books I read. Today I want to talk about characters behaving badly, and how we, as readers, respond to that behavior.

As this is a slightly more adult topic than usual, I'm labeling this Eighteen and Over Only. Click to read at your own discretion.

On Gambling: A Review of Devil's Kiss by Zoe Archer

Zoe Archer became cemented in my mind as "author of great historical/adventure/romance" when I read her Blade of the Rose book last summer. This newer series, the Hellraisers, i more of a straight paranormal romance, in a historical setting.

The Hellraisers are a group of bored and disenchanted men who make a deal with the devil for powers that suite their individual vices. Whit, the hero of our story, is a gambler, and he gains power over the odds. Zora, a young gypsy woman, tries to stop the deal from happening. When she fails, he is bound to Whit to do with as he pleases. Whit finds that he wants to seduce Zora, but without forcing her or using his powers. Sensing that there is still good in him, Zora sets out to help Whit undo the work of the devil and reclaim his soul.

Positive Comments

You know what's a fun quality for a romance novel hero? Deep seated psychological addiction issues. No, really. I've noticed this trend, especially in paranormals, where the hero is messed up in all kinds of interesting, angsty ways that lead to bad habits and occasional substance abuse. The thing is, for reasons I can't and don't want to explain to myself, I love damaged heroes. Whit is an interesting character. His boredom with the world and his fascination with gambling give him just enough of an edge to make him a memorable hero.

I really like how Archer writes heroines. I like that they're always useful. Zora has legitimate power, she's smart, and she's not afraid to tell Whit off. She saves the day just about as often as she's saved.

So, predictably, with a likeable hero and a likeable heroine, we get an enjoyable romantic relationship. It's got tension and sex appeal and fire. Literally. There's ghost voyeurism. Great stuff all around.

Critical Comments

Let's face it, the premise is a little tired. A lot of authors have done the band of brothers thing (you can't blame them, it's an excuse to write an extended series). Plus I've seen the souls-damned-to-hell-because-of-worldy-vices plot about a hundred times. At least it isn't a seven deadly sins theme. Gluttony isn't sexy.

I miss the wide scope of mythology that we saw in the Blades of the Rose books. Maybe it's not fair to compare, since this is kind of a different genre, but I can't help it. I like the unpredictability of a magical quest in some exotic place, where zombies or clay monsters might pop out at any moment. The pattern this followed was a lot more predictable, and a lot less captivating.

Recommendation

This is still a passably good paranormal romance. If you're new to Zoe Archer, I suggest trying the Blades of the Rose books instead. Otherwise, this book has it's merits and is fairly entertaining. 3 stars

Right now this book is available on Amazon for $1.99, a really sweet deal:  Devil's Kiss

On Magic Sources: A Review of Stranger by Zoe Archer

Back in May/June, I read the first three books in the Blades of the Rose series. You can find my review of book 3, Rebel, HERE. After reading all three in a row, I decided to take a break from them, and that break went on longer than I meant it to. But here, finally, is my review of book 4, Stranger.

Catullus Graves is the primary inventor for the Blades of the Rose, a society responsible for the protection of the world's magic. While on a mission in Canada, he encounters a beautiful American reporter, Gemma. Gemma senses that Catullus and the other members of his party are up to something extraordinary and, desperate for their story, she follows them back to England. Soon she's caught up in the Blade's quest to stop the villainous Heirs of Albion from using the Primal Source of magic to enslave all of the world's magic. Along the way, Gemma and Catullus face vicious fairies, enormous monsters, and even King Arthur himself.

Positive Comments:

As usual with Zoe Archer's books, there's a ton of action and adventure. The mythology feeds the action, and is so imaginative and varied that the reader is never sure what to expect.

I loved Graves in the previous books when he was a secondary or background character. Now, as a hero, he measures up pretty well. I was surprised when he was revealed to be awkward with women, but in some ways it was charming. He's clever, original, and very sexy. I didn't connect strongly with Gemma, but I did find her likable. She's charming, smart, and readily accepting of Catullus and all of his eccentricities. They were a bit of an oddball couple for me, but I found their romance fairly enjoyable.

I really liked seeing all of the Blades, especially the couples from the previous books, come together to fight and save the day.

Critical Comments:

The conflicts in this novel are almost entirely external. There's nothing wrong with that, especially in an adventure based novel. But the effect, for whatever reason, is that I connected with the characters only on a shallow level. It's not the kind of novel where you really feel the characters' pain, or rejoice in their happy ending.

Similarly, the character development feels shallow. Catullus and Gemma have a goal, they accomplish it, and then they end up together. There's no big shift in paradigm for either character. I bring this up as a flaw because given the social positions that they occupy (Gemma as a working woman, Catullus as a black man), there could have been a lot of deep character development.

Overall, this is a good book, but it isn't fantastic. I do recommend the Blades of the Rose as an entertaining historical fantasy series. 3 stars.

Following Friday (7)

Q.If you could pick one character in a book, movie or television show to swap places with, who would it be?

 

Good question! Do I have to pick just one? Too bad, I refuse...

 

1) The first one that came to mind was London from Scoundrel by Zoe Archer (which is the second book in her very awesome Blades of the Rose quartet). The reason is that she has an adventurous, interesting life and a really sexy husband.

2) Clair from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon for similar reasons, but also because I she got to travel in time a bit. And time travel, even the accidental kind, is just plain cool.

3) Jax from Ann Aquirre's Sirantha Jax series, because she gets to travel through space using weird science and psychic powers. Very cool.

 

Those were the ones that immediately came to mind for me. There are a lot of characters who I love but would NOT want to live as. Pretty much anyone in a dystopian novel, for example.

Wolves and Hawks and Bears--Oh My!

Rebel by Zoe Archer is the third Blades of the Rose book and, having read all three in a row I’ve noticed a definite formula. Woman and man travel to exotic location and embark on adventure to find magical object and protect it from Heirs of Albion (EVIL men who would exploit that magic). Very formulaic, but evidently it’s a successful formula because I’ve been enjoying the hell out of these books.


Plot Summery! Astrid once belonged to the Blades of the Rose, a secret(ish) society of men and women who protect magical objects. But after her husband's death at the hands of the enemy (the Heirs of Albion), Astrid runs away to a remote part of Canada to grieve and lose herself. After four years, she's dragged back into Blade business when Nathan Lesperance, a Native American lawyer, shows up at her door with Heirs on his heels. Nathan is undeniably attracted to Astrid. He is also desperate for purpose, and for answers about his own nature that have long been hidden from him.

My likes: The characters are fantastic. I was uncertain initially about Astrid, because she seemed very cold and consumed by self pity, but she warms up. And when she warms up, she absolutely glows--intelligent, competent, brave, and deeply loyal. I liked Nathan right from the start. Being a Native American raised by white men, and a lawyer to on top of it, his personality is full of pride and defiance. He won’t take no for an answer on anything, very much the rebel the title advertises. Astrid and Nathan make a well balanced match. Their relationship builds slowly as they work together and fight for their lives and their mission.


I liked the Native American elements. The magic objects for this book are totems which embody the powers of certain animals in a way that I thought was quite clever.

The real brilliance of these books is the adventure elements. Astrid and Nathan brave rapids, climb mountains,  fight zombies, and end up thoroughly bruised and exhausted. To me that makes the happily ever after much more fulfilling. I noted that this book had more paranormal elements then the previous two--one of our characters is a shape-shifter.

Dislikes: The formulaic nature of these books makes certain plot points very predictable. Also, I really wish there had been more time devoted to the non-romantic relationships. Astrid’s best friend Graves confronts her after she’s in self imposed exile for four years, and the issues between the two of them are resolved rather briefly and flippantly. But overall, none of this was enough to stop me from really liking this book. 4.5 stars.

I'm really looking forward to reading the forth book in the series, Stranger, because I've grown quite fond of the waistcoat collecting inventor Catalus Graves. Archer has spent considerable effort building up to it, so I'm hoping I won't be let down.