Taken By The Huntsman

Title:  Taken By The Huntsman
Author:  Mistral Dawn

Imagine being abducted by the love of your life - only you don't know they're the love of your life - and taken to a land with creatures you have only read about in fairy tales.

That is exactly what happened to Cassie - the strong-willed independent protagonist in "Taken by the Huntsman."  Cassie, a lost soul who loves to help others but is having trouble finding her niche in the world, is not too happy to find out she has been abducted.  And to make matters worse, she is stolen from her abductor by a Sidhe who means to use her as a bargaining chip in his brother's case (his brother killed a fae child - big no no).  Too bad for the Sidhe that he attempts to show his power over her by raping her.  She is rescued by a Goblin King named Toiseach.  Toiseach recognizes the mark of the Erlking (Cassie's abductor) and makes plans to return her to him ASAP.

When Cassie finally comes face to face with her captor (about seven days later) she is taken aback at how good looking he is.  She sweeps that aside, however, and waits for an explanation of her uprooting.  The Erlking, also known as Cadeyrn, explains that she is his Anamchara - his soulmate - and that he took her to protect her from dangers she doesn't even know exists.  Cassie has a hard time swallowing any of this (as anyone in her situation would) and takes time to process it.  She feels caged and robbed of her freedom.  She can't see that Cadeyrn just wants to protect his love - her.

As this story progresses we learn that Cassie has issues with letting people in enough to truly love them.  This is an ongoing problem being that Cadeyrn wants nothing but to get closer to her.  There were times when I felt Cassie was being completely unreasonable.  She would push him away and then get upset and start doubting whether he was into her because… he was staying away (giving her the space she demanded).

While Cassie and Cadeyrn are dealing with their relationship issues, a plot against Cassie is being planned by the king of the Summer Court - an arrogant chauvinistic a-hole who believes women should have no say in anything and that he should be able to take and do whatever he wants.  

True to my style, I will not expose what the outcome is because... what fun would that be?

*MY OPINIONS - SPOILER ALERT*

I had many mixed emotions with this one.  

On one hand I totally understood Cassie's thoughts and reservations about Cadeyrn.  I mean she was abducted.  You just don't do that to a person then say, "Oh hey you're my soulmate.  We're gonna live a happy life and I will brand you and you will be safe.  Oh and one more thing.  I have to give you my seed in order to fully protect you with my mark."  I give her props for making the decision to "have fun" while she was being held against her will.  He has needs... she has needs... why not?  

On the other hand, however, I really got annoyed with Cassie.  She was like a Pushmi-Pullyu (Doctor Dolittle circa 1967).  She wanted Cadeyrn to be doting but also give her some space.  Cassie also wanted to go home so bad that she made a careless decision that could have cost her her life.  I mean for someone who isn't very trusting she sure did trust a stranger easily if it meant she had a chance to go home.  She also had commitment issues that stemmed from her past - never allowing herself to make meaningful connections - which made it even harder for Cadeyrn to get close to her.  Cassie was stubborn as a mule (just an expression - I personally don't know any mules).

The "love" scenes in "Taken by the Huntsman" were a first for me where dominant/submissive acts were concerned.  I am actually one of the few that did not read "Fifty Shades of Grey."  I found it ironic but believable that Cassie despised being controlled in everyday life but it turned her on like a souped up Chevy when it came to sexy time.  To each their own.

The cat.  I loved that the cat's thoughts were played out in the book.  Animals are so often ignored.  We never consider that they may have thoughts about what we do or what we say.  I loved that Mistral Dawn involved Cassie's cat in the story.  He didn't play a huge role but it was a nice touch.

The effort that Cadeyrn put in to wooing Cassie was sweet.  He watched human romance movies to learn how to court a woman.  He was mindful of what he said and how he treated Cassie.  He knew when something he was going to say was going to upset her.  That shows that he paid attention to her enough to know what would upset her.  I found that to be very endearing.

All in all I really enjoyed this book.  Cassie was a pain in the butt but was likable, Cadeyrn was a romantic who's heart and intentions were good but executed in a hasty manner - understandably, and there was a happy ending.  I love happy endings!

*EXTRAS*

I share a main character's name.  Yes.  My name is Cadeyrn.  I'm just kidding.  I share Cassie's name - I thought that was cool enough to mention...

*YOUR TURN*

Have you read Taken by the Huntsman?  What did you think about Cassie?  What did you think about Cadeyrn?  If you could write an additional chapter or a direct sequel to this book, what would it be about?  Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

Remember to be respectful.


★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Next Post:  Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
Just Finished:  Delia's Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer & Endless Knight by Kresley Cole
Currently Reading:  Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
Up Next:  Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

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Death of a Mad Hatter

Title:  Death of a Mad Hatter
Author:  Jenn McKinlay

In Death of a Mad Hatter we are introduced to Scarlet Parker and her life of normalcy working in a hat shop she runs with her cousin Vivian.  Having just gone through a scandalous and high profile break-up (her boyfriend was married and Scarlet wasn’t having any of that nonsense), she has sworn off men for a year to allow herself time to just be herself – unattached. 

Vivian is the talent behind Mim’s Whims.  She learned the trade and took over the business from her grandmother.  With her cousin and apprentice, Fiona, by her side, she can accomplish making any hat for any occasion.  Even ones that don’t quite turn out as planned.

Harrison is a long-time family friend.  He takes care of the business side of Mim's Whims.  He also makes things complicated for Scarlet in the romance department.  Will he (and his stolen kiss) be the one to break down Scarlet's wall?

While managing the shop and taking care of business, the two women take on their grandmother’s old friend (Dotty) as a client (who happens to think that Vivian (Viv) is their grandmother).  The job?  Create Alice in Wonderland themed hats for a tea party fund-raiser to name a hospital wing after the late Mr. Grisby.  The job is easy enough to accomplish.  The family, on the other hand, is a different story all together.  Geoffrey is a pompous ass, Daphne is a bitter bitch, Lily is an artsy free-spirit, and Rose is all sorts of timid - hold the back bone.  Let's not forget Mrs. Geoffrey Grisby - Tina - who is actually a decent person.  We also have the offspring of Daphne - Liam and George.

The day of the fund-raiser goes off without a hitch.  Geoffrey is canoodling with his secretary, the late Mr. Grisby's mistress makes a scene and vows to kill Geoffrey, and oh yeah!  Geoffrey is found dead by miss Scarlet Parker.

The mystery is afoot.

At first Scarlet thinks the death is caused by a heart attack.  Then she finds out that he was poisoned!  But who would want to murder a charming likable fellow such as Geoffrey?  [I am being sarcastic here - he is not a likable person at all.]

Let's look at the suspects:

• The Mistress - Threatened Geoffrey at the even he was murdered at.
• Daphne - Thinks it is unfair that Geoffrey is was the sole inheritor of their father's fortune. 
• Liam - Eldest son of Daphne.  Could have committed the crime on his mother's behalf.
• George - Youngest son of Daphne.  Could have committed the crime on his mother's behalf.
• Tina - Was treated awfully by Geoffrey and could want to inherit his newly inherited fortune.
• Rose - Quiet.  Too quiet?
• Lily - Free spirit.  Gotta be careful of the ones you least expect right?

So who was the culprit?  It wouldn't be much fun if I told you now would it?

My Opinion(s):

Death of a Mad Hatter, to say the least, was a fantastic read!  I loved how real the story was.  It wasn't too over-the-top but it wasn't boring either.  The Jenn McKinlay did an awesome job at world and character building.  I felt like Scarlet could step out of the book and be my normal neighbor with a normal life.  At least until a mystery comes along that needs meddling of course.  

While I was routing for Scarlet to bring down her shield and give Harrison a chance, I also admired her for basically saying, "Hey.  I like you and I want to see where this is going but... I made a promise to myself to stay boyfriend free for x amount of years/months.  I'm going to see that through first."  Doing something like that, especially for someone who is used to being on a guy's arm, is courageous and self respectful.  This is a book I would encourage my daughter to read when she's a bit older - to show her that it's not just all about the boys.

Now I'm not and English major or professional writer but I do believe that Death of a Mad Hatter is very well written.  The story structure was as solid as a rock and twists were done in a "Oh that makes sense." sort of way.  It wasn't too out there but it wasn't too predictable either.  It was just right.

To be honest... I don't really have much to say about this book other than I really really enjoyed it - very much.  In fact I have a book in another series by Jenn McKinlay on my reading list.  I can't wait to read it and I definitely can't wait to share it with you.  

Your Turn:

Have you read Death of a Mad Hatter?  What are your thoughts on the book?  Do you agree with my opinions?  If you didn't like the ending, how would you have ended the story?  

Remember to be respectful in your comments.



★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Just Finished:  Taken by the Huntsman by Mistral Dawn & Poison Princess by Kresley Cole Currently Reading:  Delia's Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer Up Next:  Endless Knight by Kresley Cole
Happy Reading!

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A Spear of Summer Grass

Title:  A Spear of Summer Grass
Author:  Deanna Raybourn

In A Spear of Summer Grass we are introduced to Delilah Drummond and her life of high society in the roaring 20's.  Delilah, a strong and independent woman, finds herself in the middle of a scandal and flees (or rather is sent away) to the plains of Africa until things blow over.  As soon as she arrives to her destination, it is made perfectly clear that she is not wanted there and that she needs to steer clear of trouble.  The demand sounds simple enough but Delilah seems to attract trouble wherever she goes.

Delilah travels with her cousin Dora who serves as a sort of babysitter; making sure she doesn't get into any that much trouble.  Dora finds her own place in Africa as she observes, passes judgement, and takes her leave from Delilah's life.

While in Africa, Delilah meets Ryder and Gideon.

Ryder is an entrepreneur, of sorts, with a tough exterior but a soft and kind interior.  He is unapologetic for who he is but is a true and loyal friend to those who deserve it.  Ryder, like many in this book, has a past that is kept guarded with great care.  His story gets revealed one layer at a time. Ryder takes Delilah under his wing and teaches her to respect, love, and fear Africa and her inhabitants.

Gideon is a Masai Warrior who befriends Delilah and teaches her how to communicate with the native people as well as what their customs are.  He proves to be a true friend to the end.

*MY OPINIONS - MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS (MAY NOT)*

At first, I thought Delilah was a bit cold and uncaring.  Just going through life without giving a damn about how her actions could affect others.  As the story progressed, however, I started to see why Delilah had that persona.  It was her way of coping and shielding herself from heartbreak.  By the end of the book I actually admired her for being who she was despite other people's opinions and perceptions.  She never tried to justify or excuse her actions.  Even if what people thought of her was not true.  She would just let them believe what they believed and would, at times, play into it.  Her personal business was just that - personal.

Dora got on my nerves more than once.  She was very judgmental of her cousin and made presumptions that were not true.  One part that got to me was when Delilah was summoned by a neighbor who's husband had called upon her a couple of times for some friendly chat (nothing more) and Dora was acting so smug thinking that Delilah was going to get in trouble for doing something that she never actually did.  It turned out to be some sort of kinky party - go figure.  More than once I had the urge to reach inside the book, grab Dora, and slap her around.

I didn't really know what to think of Ryder at first.  He seemed kind of full of himself but at the same time it was evident that he was a hard worker and extremely loyal - admirable traits.  Ryder knew the terrain well and was handy with a gun (as was Delilah) so he took it upon himself to teach Delilah all she needed to know to survive in Africa.  Traveling around with Ryder is Gideon.  Delilah and Gideon form a bond - a sort of mutual respect for one another.  I think Gideon filled a family void for Delilah - He was a brotherly figure - Teaching her the ways and customs of Africa and helping her negotiate with the people of the land.

To be honest, I didn't know if I would like this book at all.  It is not a book that I would have chosen to read on my own.  It was being read for the book club I participate in (part-time) and so I decided to give it a go.  I can honestly say, however, that I enjoyed this book very much.  I was trapped in the essence of the time and setting; moved by the hidden emotions of past, present, and potential future.  Deanna Raybourn did an amazing job at crafting Delilah's story and making her world come to life.

*EXTRAS*

*First - While Delilah and her cousin were on a train, shortly after their arrival in Africa, Delilah starts reading a book about Africa.  She torments Dora with the story of some man-eating lions who fed on rail workers in the night while their companions listened to the screams and bone crunching of those being fed upon.  Sound familiar?  It did to me too so I did a little poking about.

That story sounded familiar to me because I remembered it as the plot to a movie that came out in the 90's staring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas.  Any guess what that movie was?  Yup, it was The Ghost and the Darkness.  Now I have never seen the movie but I remember the movie trailers... anyway.  I looked the movie up on IMDB (kind of a go-to guide to movies for me) and read that it was based off of a true story.  So then I looked that up and low and behold I found information on the Tsavo Man-Eaters.  Over 30 workers were eaten within 9 months in 1898 by two mane-less male lions.  How terrifying is that!

*Second - So there is another part in the book towards the end where Delilah's ex-husband/solicitor (basically a lawyer) says something to the effect of, I didn't know it rained so much in Africa.  That one sentence reminded me of the song Africa by Toto and I have basically had that song in my head ever since.  The song reminds me of the book, the book reminds me of the song...  Enjoy the music video below:

Get the song here.

*Third - Casting Delilah Drummond.  I'm not usually one to cast the characters in books I read - mainly because I'm not very talented at it.  While I was looking through Pinterest, however, I came across a photo that was just spot on to what I envisioned in my mind whenever I thought of Delilah.  That photo was of actress Louise Brooks - best known for her role in Pandora's Box.  See the photo below.  And speaking of casting... I think that a movie adaptation of A Spear of Summer Grass would be fantabulous!

I took the photo from this post at Corvus Noir.

*Fourth - There is a prequel to A Spear of Summer Grass called Far in the Wilds starring none other than Ryder White!  So go forth and check it out!  (I will probably get to it next year.)

And that concludes my post on A Spear of Summer Grass.  As always, feel free to leave your comments below!


★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
In the last two posts here at EP Book Nerd, I created a couple of reading lists.  What I didn't realize is that they were both different.  I looked through both lists and compiled a new and improved list (see below)!  Yay!

Just Finished:  Death of a Mad Hatter by Jenn McKinlay
Currently Reading:  Taken by the Huntsman by Mistral Dawn
Up Next:  Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Happy Reading!

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Bronze Gods

Title:  Bronze Gods
Author:  A. A. Aguirre

Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work, as partners, with the Criminal Investigation Division (CID).  After a House scion goes missing, things change for Ritsuko and Mikani; in the most complicated way.

The missing scion case quickly turns into a murder mystery with a magically evil twist.  A murdered House scion is no small matter (no murder is a small matter really) so Mikani and Ritsuko are put under pressure to solve the murder as quickly as possible to appease House Aevar.

Let's take a step back for a bit.

In the land of Hy Breasil, ten Ferisher (a variation of Fairy) princes each took a bride from the invading strangers to bring peace after a long war (the Iron War).  They formed the ten great Houses.  Some Houses stood the test of time while others dwindled away.  The surviving Houses keep their bloodlines "pure" to keep what little fey blood they have.  The females in these Houses don't seem to have much freedom.  If they do something that happens to be "unfit" for a House member, they are essentially shunned and deprived of any House privileges until they comply or for the remainder of their lives.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Interesting information about Hy Breasil:

Hy Breasil is a mythical vanishing island believed to be off the west coast of Ireland and has been noted on maps as early as 1325.  So... if it's on a map, is it really just mythical?  Well, according to The Dictionary of Imaginary Places, (found under Brazil) the island cannot be seen by any ordinary person.  Apparently only a few chosen have been gifted a glance at the wondrous island (Manguel & Guadalupi, 2000).

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Women seem to be held to some pretty unfair standards in general.  For example, Ritsuko is often sneered at and looked down upon for being a working woman.  This is something that she deals with on a daily basis though it doesn't deter her from her duties.  She's strong because she has to be.

Okay.  Now back to the show.

Mikani and Ritsuko find out pretty quickly that magic is involved with the murder of miss Aevar.  At the same time Aurelia, the dance director at the theater that miss Aevar is linked to, meets a peculiar character whom she has a feeling is ancient (really really old).  By this point we have learned that those who have Ferisher blood have special abilities and/or can live a really long time by aging slowly.  Mikani and Aurelia are such people.

*
Mikani has a gift (or curse) that allows him to sense things that cannot be seen.  He senses feelings - fear, happiness, etc. - of people who have been in the area he is opening himself up to.  The more recent the person was there, the stronger their presence is felt.  He can also sense deception.  Aurelia is also able to sense deception.  Well, she's able to tell whether someone is telling the truth or not.  Same thing.  Right?
*

While the investigation is under way, another body is found.  This time it's a girl from the Summer Clan.  To be honest, I really don't get what or who the Summer Clan are.  They are not part of the Houses but are important because they control the roads...?  At least that is what I understood.  This is what happens when you wait a long time between finishing the book and writing your thoughts about it.  And I already returned the book to the library so - there you go.  Anyway.  The Summer Clan is pretty pissed about the death of one of their own so they put a stop to the transport of things needed by people such as food.  This, of course, causes people to get upset and places more pressure on Mikani and Ritsuko to find the killer.

While M&R are searching for the bad guy and following leads, Aurelia (same name as my maternal great-grandmother - just FYI) visits her mystery man at his home.  [Aurelia is the (former) member of a House and the daughter of the Architect (a person of importance).  She wanted to follow her passion of dance and was banished (to a certain extent) from the House.]  While walking through his garden she learns that he uses magic to create and maintain most of his organic creations.  It is at this point we are given the idea that this stranger (Theron) may or may not be a Ferisher Prince (given his magical abilities).  Hmmmm.

Will Mikani and Ritsuko find the killer and unearth his secrets?  Will Aurelia find love with her ancient stranger?   Well now - it wouldn't be much fun if I told you.  But I'm sure there will be some hints once I start giving my thoughts away.

First of all...

I want to apologize for this post being a little wishy-washy.  I checked Bronze Gods out from my local library a while ago.  A long while ago.  Like months ago.  And because I have a habit of checking 8 books out at a time... I only got to read 86 pages before I extinguished all 5 of my "renew checkouts."  {Fun math:  The Library allows you to keep a book for 3 weeks per check out.  EP Book Nerd renewed her checkout status 5 times.  How many weeks did EP Book Nerd keep her book?}  So I had to turn in the book and then request it again to start my 5 renew checkout limit all over again.  Luckily it only took me four weeks to get through it. [What can I say?  I work and have a kid.  Time is not my friend.]  Anyway.  My point?  Well, I may have forgotten little details here and there that may or may not be important to the end result.  But... it doesn't change my opinion about the book at all.  I still remember how I feel about it.

With that said...

I enjoyed Bronze Gods very much.  I won't say that I "loved" it but I did like it a lot.  To be honest, it took me a while to get into the characters of Mikani and Ritsuko.  Aurelia captured my attention more.  The case, however, was the reason I kept going back for more.  I just had to find out who was behind the murders and why.  I wasn't sure who to suspect and, to be honest, was thrown for a loop when it was revealed in the end.  I mean I had a suspicion but was successfully guided elsewhere through pages of word wizardry.  Towards the end I did get into Mikani and Ritsuko as well as their relationship potential.

I have to say that I enjoyed the fact that there was no horizontal tango in this book.  It allowed me to really enjoy the character and relationship building more.

So there you have it!  I have FINALLY released this post.  I hope the next one won't take as long to produce.  Thank you for your patience!


★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Just finished:  A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn
Currently Reading:  Death of a Mad Hatter by Jenn McKinlay
Up Next:  Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Happy Reading!

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Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Greetings fellow book nerds!  I have taken a bit of a break from EP Book Nerd.  I got a bit stuck on one of my posts and kind of got a bit discouraged for a while.  But, I have overcome that discouragement and have come back to my beloved blog.

I hope to have my long awaited post published no later than next week.  Hopefully sooner.

Thank you all for being so patient with me!

Also, EP Book Nerd has it's own Twitter account!  Follow us (me, myself, and I) at @epbooknerd.  You are also invited to support EP Book Nerd by visiting our book store powered by Amazon!

If you would like to follow along with EP Book Nerd, here is what I am currently reading followed by the next three books on my list:

Currently reading:  A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn
Next up:  Death of a Mad Hatter by Jenn McKinlay
And after that:  A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James
Last but not least:  Taken by the Huntsman by Mistral Dawn

As always, I am open to reading suggestions as well as short story submissions.  Suggest a book for me to read in the comments section or by sending me a message.  Submit an original short story by clicking here.

Happy Reading!

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Poetry Corner: To Be A Painting

I have mentioned a couple of times that I was accepting submissions for short stories and poetry to post here on EP Book Nerd.  I didn't get any.  But!  I did get inspired to write one of my own while having a conversation with my little girl.  She asked, "I wonder what it's like to be a painting."  So I told her that we should write a poem about it.

This is what we came up with.

To be a painting on a wall,
To be a painting so big so small,
To be a painting with colors so bright,
To be a painting so black and so white,
To be a painting old and new,
To be a painting just like you

Hope you enjoyed our little poem!  Just for funnsies (<--- not an actual word), write a poem of what it would be like to be a painting.  Send your submissions to submit@epbooknerd.com.  My daughter (she's seven by the way) and I will pick our top five faves and I will post them (with full credit to the author) here.  Please make sure to use the subject Poem Submission and include your name, poem, website (if you have one), and your favorite book and author in the body.

Happy Reading!

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