Monthly Archives: November 2012

Immortal Coil

Book Review of C.I. Black’s Immortal Coil

 

I grabbed Immortal Coil off of the KDP list. (Now it’s time to return to my official review list, break is over).

Description from Goodreads:
Two souls. One Body. Sharing is not an option…

Terrible news has turned Anaea Salis’s life upside down. There’s nothing she can do to make it right and the stranger who stops to talk to her can’t help. But when that stranger, Hunter, an ancient dragon spirit, is viciously attacked and forced to transfer his spirit into her body, Anaea’s life takes a new terrifying twist.

Hunter should have known by now not to get involved with human affairs, but there was something about the woman that drew him to her and he just couldn’t help himself. Trapped in her body all he wants is to get out, except whoever is trying to kill him is now after her.

Their only hope of survival… plunge into the deadly world of dragons.

Review:

Anaea’s life is in the gutter and she sees no hope of it looking up, until an unfortunate encounter with a good-Samaritan named Hunter turns everything on its head. Both characters, Anaea and Hunter, are easy to engage with. I got a little tired of Anaea’s self-deprivation, but understood it too. Her strength of will, even in her beaten down state, was something I appreciated. Though I did think that her willingness to put herself in danger in order to establish her independence bordered on the stupid at times. I tend to want to slap such females. Luckily her who personality wasn’t based on this characteristic so it wasn’t overwhelming. Hunter was smoke’ hot, no matter his guise, but I never could figure out why he wanted so badly to protect Anaea in the beginning. It seemed out of character for him, or at least like something the man he had been wouldn’t have concerned himself with. I can’t forget good old Grey. He was a joy. I can see a sequel based on his character easily.

I really liked the feel of this book. I know that is nondescript. It probably comes down to the language choice as much as the actual events. The end result was a certain appealing tone. My favourite parts, however, were when Hunter’s dragon nature slipped through (the tendency to hoard things, the desire to woo a female with shinies and meat, etc). It tended to draw a mental ‘Aww’ out of me. It’s so appealing to see a strong man reduced to acting cute.

I’m did see the solution to Hunter’s body problem coming a mile away, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t appreciate the sad, poetic justice of it. I also wasn’t particularly surprised by the actual reveal that brought around the conclusion at the end. (I’m trying not to give anything away here.) It didn’t happen the way I thought it would though, so I still got a surprise. Over all I’m glad to have read it and will be well up for reading the second when it comes out.

Book Review of J.L.M. Visada’s Midnight Squad: The Grim

Being lendable matters to me

So, I’ve been reading the Eternal Guardians series by Elisabeth Naughton.(Doesn’t her name make you think naughty? It’s too perfect for someone writing steamy PNR). The blub from her blog describes Eternal Guardians this way: As unrest in the Underworld threatens, seven warriors descended from the greatest heroes in all of Ancient Greece may just be mankind’s last hope.”  They’re modern day Argonauts, as in Hercules (Heracles), Jason, Achilles, etc. The whole series reminds me a lot of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, which was really my introduction to the genre as a whole. So no real complaints on my part there.

I grabbed the first, Marked, off of the KDP free list and bought the second two. I reviewed them here, here, and here. but I’m trying to decide if I want to grab the fourth and fifth too. I’m tempted, but it bothers me a little that they are six bucks apiece (pretty much the max I’ll pay for an ebook) and not lendable.

This is my new thing apparently. I have hundreds of books on my Kindle, not many people ask to borrow books though. So I don’t have that many opportunities to lend them out, but I really feel like I should be able to. I’m not having any kind of go at Ms. Naughton. I respect her choice concerning her own books. I even understand the logic. Keep the first two lendable and people might introduce their friends to the series. If they want to continue and can’t borrow the rest they’ll go buy them. It makes sense, but it is affecting my decision to buy the rest of her books or not.

Plus, and yes I know this is ridiculous, I keep a list of lendable books on Goodreads. As the number of books I own has grown I use the list as a way to see all of the covers and decide what I want to read. If a book isn’t lendable it can’t go on the list and I tend to forget I own it. The end result is that I’m reluctant to spend the twelve dollars, even though I’d like to know Orpheus and Gryphon’s stories.

I imagine this is a decision many authors and publishers face when presenting a book to the ereading world. Should ebooks be as easily loanable as physical books? Those that have lending enabled are almost easier.  You don’t have to be physically present to hand it over and you know it will come back to you in the end. In my experience once a physical book leaves my shelf I hardly expect it to come back. It’s a pleasant surprise when it does.

I don’t speak for the industry, can’t even present all of the arguments, but to even my own surprise I’ve recently decided where I stand on the issue. I don’t like un-lendable ebooks. It’s decided. My current conundrum is what to do about that fact. Am I ready to boycott those that I can’t lend out and buycott [god I love that word] those that I can? I don’t know. The lending vs. not lending verdict is in, but I guess I’m still waiting on the sentencing. I’d love to hear others thoughts on the matter, have a little discussion, see where others stand. What are your thoughts?