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Amaranth

Book Review of Amaranth (The Resistance Trilogy #1), by Rachael Wade

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I apparently downloaded Rachel Wade’s Amaranth in 2013. It was a freebie and, as it’s still free, I can only assume it’s a perma-freebie.

Description from Goodreds:
Hoodoo-influenced Southern Louisiana seems like the perfect place for Camille to escape her abusive past and dysfunctional family. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with the handsome Gavin Devereaux and plummet into the world of Amaranth, a place of exile for reformed vampires.

Wrestling to escape a deadly ex-boyfriend while giving Gavin a chance, Camille is confronted with decisions that threaten not only her life, but the lives of her inhuman friends she has come to love. Entangled in her friends’ quest for freedom, she dives into their realm and faces the threats of Amaranth’s ruler—the mother of all vampires—and her own inner demons.

Now Camille must decide whether she will derail her life and make the ultimate sacrifice for the monsters that interrupted her bumpy path back to sanity—what she still wants so desperately—or escape with Gavin before it’s too late for both of them.

Review:
This might have had a good idea in it somewhere but it’s not written well enough for me to tell. Several times I was simply lost and didn’t know what was happening. For example, the book starts in Paris, with Camille talking about leaving her abusive boyfriend in Seattle. Next chapter, she’s in Louisiana talking about leaving her abusive boyfriend, but not the same abusive boyfriend. No idea what happened to the first one or how she ended up with this second one or when she moved to Louisiana. But more to the point, it took quite a while to figure out what was going on. It was jarring.

I marked several passages in which I literally couldn’t figure out what was actually supposed to be happening. Sometimes the writing was just unclear. The pacing is odd and I was often uncertain about time frames. There are several inconsistencies and also a lot of presumed knowledge. I felt like, as a reader, I’d been left out of some essential planning meeting and everyone around me was just going on as if I knew something I didn’t. The characters were one-dimensional and the writing flat.

Gavin and Camille’s relationship is practically insta-love and we’re told how amazing it is, but never shown anything. I never felt any chemistry between them. Then there is Gabe and Audrey. They fall in love off-page and apparently she’s turned into a vampire and let in on all the vampire knowledge that Camille isn’t. Camille introduced her to the vampires and somehow she’s allowed in on all the secrets but the main character isn’t? Yeah, that’s how this book rolled and you sure to feel it.

Worst of all Camille was spineless for most of the book, despite readers being told she’s strong and then she runs off and does something amazingly too stupid to live. Seriously, unbelievably stupid!

Honestly, I just think this needed a lot more work.

Book Review of Bittersweet Magic (The Order #2), by Nina Croft

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I won a copy of Nina Croft‘s Bittersweet Magic through Fresh Fiction.

Description from Goodreads:
Five hundred years ago, to avoid being burned at the stake, Rosamund Fairfax made a deal with a demon. Thirteen tasks in exchange for her life. Now, the debt is nearly paid. Only one final task and she’s free. The mission: find a key hidden inside a convent. Roz is going undercover!

For Piers Lamont, vampire and head of the Order of the Shadow Accords, bad news comes in the form of a sexy nun, a missing key and an old mistress who wants him back. That his ex-mistress also happens to be a demon intent on taking over the world and subjugating mankind, just makes things that bit more interesting.

For five centuries, Roz has had one aim in life—her own survival. That’s about to change. She has always known there are things were living for, now she’s going to discover that there are also things worth dying for; friendship, humanity and maybe even… love.

Review:
Ok look, this review will be a bit spoilery and it is going to be ranty because I am raging inside. This book made me so angry I almost couldn’t finish it. I’ll say upfront, the plotting is a bit rushed, but the writing is fine. I have no problem with the quality of the writing or editing. What I have a problem with is the asshole, raping ‘hero’ and love based on nothing at all.

Some will argue that there was no penis/vagina penetration, so there was no rape. But the man TWICE brought her to orgasim without her consent, in a situation when she couldn’t refuse, and then thought he wiped her memory of it so she wouldn’t even know. That’s fucking sexual assault and how dare anyone, Nina Croft I’m talking to you, pass that off as the basis for fucking love!

Now, let’s talk about that love, yeah? He’s a smug, sexually harassing asshat to her from the moment they meet. Then she’s panting and all but begging him to take her while thinking about how she couldn’t control her body. Sorry, show women at least enough respect to presume we can control ourselves like adults. And what was she attracted to? What? He was not appealing. And somehow, despite his frankly revolting attitude they fall in love. I felt no chemistry, even outside of how horrid he was. The love was ridiculous and completely unbelievable. It was also morally objectionable, need I remind you of the lack of consent, but we’ll set that aside.

I was seriously angry about the H/h relations in this book. But I also have to complain about the twist at the end of the book that was beyond the pale. As if the baddy would give up all her hard earned plans for that. Again, give women a little respect and show them to have at least one ambition beyond a freakin’ godly dicking! And the too stupid to live, i’m gonna run off to the rescue with no plan and then have a miraculous deus ex machina save at the last second? Please, get outta here with that crap.

I won this book and I always appreciate a free read. But I wish I hadn’t. i wish it had gone to someone who would have liked it more…or at least been less enraged by it.

Coexistence

Book Review of Coexistence (Human Hybrids #1), by Clare Solomon

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Clare Solomon sent me a copy of her novel Coexistence for review. There is also a prequel available on her website and a second book available if you sign up for her newsletter.

Description from Goodreads:
Scientists have genetically engineered five human hybrid races known as werewolves, vampires, dragons, sensers and wendigoes. The first four races coexist with humans in relative peace. The fifth one wants to butcher the others and they are getting stronger.

Jaspal ‘Pal’ Khatri is nearly killed and forced to leave his home with a werewolf pack in Oxford, England when the local HyCO group leads a mob of anti-hybrid rioters against them. He travels to the Highlands of Scotland for a fresh start and meets Brand, a werewolf still grieving after the murder of his lover, Kye, a year ago. He and Brand find a dead vampire and Pal is suddenly in the nightmare situation of being accused of the murder. There is a link between this death and that of Kye and Brand works for another branch of HyCO so, to prove his innocence, Pal must join the organisation he loathes and try to ignore his growing feelings for Brand as they work to uncover the real killer. Can they solve the case in time or will they become the murderer’s next victims?

Review:
Umm, no, this did not work for me. It’s too long, provides the same information over and over again, is far too heavy on the tell vs. show, has a ‘love’ that is rejected for ridiculous reasons and then has a sudden and unbelievable turnaround, a mystery that is solved with far too much ease and a second that drags on eternally, a doctor that never doctors and a world with five types of humans that isn’t really explored beyond wendigos bad everyone else good.

Solomon has a good idea here and I liked the characters. The book even starts out really well. But in the end the writing, editing, pacing and plotting wore me down and I was just glad to finally finish it.