Please note: I read this book in November, 2011 from an e-galley I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I will be posting a blog tour review of the omnibus December 18, 2013, but first will be posting the individual reviews of the books. Enjoy!
Book Info: Genre: Weird Western/Supernatural Horror/Steampunk Reading Level: Adult Recommended for: Fans of Weird West, horror, those interested in Meso-American religious practices Trigger Warnings for Book 1: Murder, violence, fairly graphic M/M sex, drug abuse, suicide, rape (m/m; f/m with woman as instigator), human sacrifice
My Synopsis: “Reverend” Ash Rook and Chess Pargeter run one of the most notorious gangs in the weird west, using Rev’s hexes in order to rob and murder their way across the country. They are also lovers, as in love as two apparently soulless outlaws can be. However, hexes don’t mix, and that is a serious disadvantage to the Rev’s future plans – so he sets out to make it possible for hexes to work together. In doing so, he will raise a pantheon of lost gods back from their own hell and set them loose upon the world. Agent Ed Morrow of the Pinkerton Agency has infiltrated their gang in order to try to establish parameters that it is hoped will help the US find hexes before they come into their power and nurture them, in order to have them work for the government. However, Ed is found out by Rook and ends up a part of Rook’s plans, all unwitting. Will Rook end up sacrificing everything he ever loved in his quest for power? Will Ed survive the whole experience? And will the world survive the cataclysms that may arise along with the ancient Meso-american gods?
My Thoughts and Recommendations: This was a … very strange book. I liked it – a lot! It was unique and I definitely enjoyed all the Aztec/Mayan legends and lore that were worked into the story. Rook and Chess’ love affair was so beautifully dysfunctional, and the supporting cast of characters were all developed in such a way to give them depth and interest. I particularly liked Hosteen. If you enjoy steampunk, “weird West,” and adventure, and are not bothered by m/m interactions, you should find something to enjoy in this delightfully strange and different story.
Synopsis: Two years after the Civil War, Pinkerton agent Ed Morrow has gone undercover with one of the weird West's most dangerous outlaw gangs—the troop led by "Reverend" Asher Rook, ex-Confederate chaplain turned "hexslinger," and his notorious lieutenant (and lover) Chess Pargeter. Morrow's task: get close enough to map the extent of Rook's power, then bring that knowledge back to help Professor Joachim Asbury unlock the secrets of magic itself.
Magicians, cursed by their gift to a solitary and painful existence, have never been more than a footnote in history. But Rook, driven by desperation, has a plan to shatter the natural law that prevents hexes from cooperation, and change the face of the world—a plan sealed by an unholy marriage-oath with the goddess Ixchel, mother of all hanged men. To accomplish this, he must raise her bloodthirsty pantheon from its collective grave through sacrifice, destruction, and apotheosis.
Caught between a passel of dead gods and monsters, hexes galore, Rook's witchery, and the ruthless calculations of his own masters, Morrow's only real hope of survival lies with the man without whom Rook cannot succeed: Chess Pargeter himself. But Morrow and Chess will have to literally ride through Hell before the truth of Chess's fate comes clear—the doom written for him, and the entire world.
Check the bottom of the post for the trailer for The Infernal Detective, and ways you can stalk the author!
Now, without further ado...
The Magic of Salt
In The Infernal Detective, my metaphysical detective, Riga Hayworth creates a sea salt bath blend to break a dark magic attachment. And in The Shamanic Detective, she uses table salt to ward off some irritating fairies. For centuries, salt has been believed to have protective and purifying qualities, and the ability to absorb psychic energies. On a witch’s altar, it can represent the earth element. It’s a base element in alchemy.
Though Riga is a bit of a salt snob when it comes to magic spells, for everyday magic and protection, table salt is a great option. Specialty salts can get expensive – who can afford to create magical barriers along doors and window sills with pricey Dead Sea salt? Though it lacks the glamour of the more exotic salts, plain table salt generally works just fine. Contrary to popular belief, Kosher table salt is not blessed by a Rabbi, and therefore has no “extra” magical properties. In that sense, it’s no better or worse than “regular” table salt.
Sea salt is perceived as a step up from table salt, because it’s more “natural” and has undergone less processing.
But for protection, the “ultimate” salt is black salt – not the volcanic stuff found in the Hawaiian islands, but salt mixed with ash from a sacred fire or ritual. Riga is a suspicious type, and doesn’t trust the stuff sold in the local metaphysical shop. She makes her own.
Himalayan salt is pink due to its higher iron content. And magically, iron represents the earth and the universe. Therefore, it may be used in rituals involving protection during out of body experiences and shamanic journeying to other realms.
Like pink Himalayan salt, Alaea Hawaiian sea salt is enriched with red clay which contains iron oxide, and therefore has similar properties to Himalayan salt. Traditionally Hawaiians have used Alaea salt in healing rituals and ceremonies to purify, cleanse and bless their tools and canoes.
Black Lava salt (also from Hawaii) is sea salt mixed with activated volcanic charcoal. Activated charcoal is an absorber, excellent at removing toxins – psychic and physical. As such, it works particularly well in purification rituals.
Dead Sea salt – because of its connection to the Holy Land and because of its healing properties – is popular in purification and protection spells. Dense with minerals that have bubbled up from deep within the earth, it also feels really nice in a bath, aiding relaxation. So it can be a good choice for rituals involving submersion.
About the Author
Kirsten Weiss is the author of the Riga Hayworth series of urban fantasy/paranormal mystery novels.
When Riga Hayworth finds a dead body in the bedroom, it’s par for the course. When the corpse drives off with her fiancée… That’s a problem.
Riga knows dead. More intimately than she’d like. So when a murdered photographer walks away from her pre-wedding party, she believes there’s necromancy afoot. And when she discovers that several of her wedding guests are under the influence of dark magic, she’s certain. But how can she catch a killer and stop a necromancer when even her nearest and dearest are lying to her?
Marrying romance, mystery, and the metaphysical, The Infernal Detective is a fast-paced urban fantasy, where nothing is quite as it seems, and magic lies just beyond the veil.
“A high-voltage, cleverly-spun mystery that I couldn't put down. Riga Hayworth is addictive.”
-Diana Orgain, Best-selling author of The Maternal Instincts Mysteries
Today I welcome Lynne Cantwell to Now is Gone. Lynne recently released the fifth and final book in The Pipe Woman Chronicles, a series full of magic and mythology. I have not yet read these books, but have heard really wonderful things about them, and they are in my queue to read and review. Today I have a bunch of great stuff! I have a guest post from Lynne, I have a GIVEAWAY (we all love those!), and I'll be providing you information about the series and each book. So, without further ado... let's hear from Lynne!
How Indian Culture Got Into the Pipe Woman Chronicles
By Lynne Cantwell
A lot of people, when you scratch the surface, have some kind of quirk – some habit or interest they’re passionate about that rarely sees the light of day. I’m not talking about racy stuff, necessarily – just things that are hard to work into most day-to-day conversations.
Take, for example, me. For the past couple of decades, I’ve been a casual student of Native American culture and spirituality. My interest is partly personal; I’m a teeny bit Native American, but I don’t know which tribe – only that it’s one of the three that lived in Michigan. On the census forms from the early 1900s that I have seen, all of my ancestors claim to be white – which made sense to a cousin when I remarked about it to her. “It was bad enough that we were Irish!” she told me.
And too, I’m old enough to remember when the American Indian Movement took over Wounded Knee in South Dakota in the mid-1970s. It has always both saddened and angered me that whites treated the Indians so badly as they pushed westward, robbing them of both their land and a lot of their culture in the process.
Somewhere along the line, I began reading books by Native Americans: The Sacred Pipe by Joseph Epes Brown, Fools Crow by James Welch, God is Red by Vine Deloria Jr., and others. I found myself drawn to the story of White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman, who taught the Lakota their seven sacred ceremonies. And when I began planning the series that eventually became the Pipe Woman Chronicles, I knew I had to use that story in some way. But I wanted to Naomi Witherspoon to live in Denver, because I had lived there myself, and the Lakota never lived in Colorado. So I studied up on the Utes, who did. I found a terrific book called Ute Indian Arts and Culture that was produced as a companion volume to an exhibit at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center in 2000, and that gave me a lot of insights. That’s how Joseph Curtis and his grandfather became Ute.
But I also had to know specifics about the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, because I knew Naomi would have to go there to find her father. I hit the jackpot the day I ran across Oglala Religion by William K. Powers in a used bookstore. It had details not just about Lakota spirituality, but about living conditions and political friction on the reservation. The information was somewhat dated, but some time on the Internet filled in the blanks for me.
My discovery of the Blackfeet mediation technique that Naomi uses was another case of serendipity. I was looking through my local library’s catalog for books on mediation, and Akak’stiman by Reg Crowshoe and Sybille Manneschmidt jumped out at me. The authors’ model emphasizes that every participant in the mediation circle is on the same level – one person’s position is no more important than anyone else’s, and all input is valued and welcomed. I decided that was perfect for the big meeting between White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman and Jehovah.
I know that I’ve been walking a fine line with this series, dealing with a lot of cultures that I’m not part of – and not just the Native American ones. Another character, Jack Rivers, is Chicano; and in Annealed, an African woman and an Aboriginal woman figure in a couple of scenes. I’ve tried very hard not to insult or offend anyone, and to emphasize, most of all, that we are all human.
About the Author: Lynne
Cantwell
Lynne Cantwell has been
writing fiction since the second grade, when the kid who sat in front of her
showed her a book he had written, and she thought, "I could do that."
The result was Susie and the Talking Doll, a picture book, illustrated by
the author, about a girl who owned a doll that not only could talk, but could
carry on conversations. The book had dialogue but no paragraph breaks. Today,
after a twenty-year career in broadcast journalism and a master's degree in
fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University (or perhaps despite the master's
degree), Lynne is still writing fantasy. In addition, she is a contributing
author at Indies Unlimited and writes a monthly post for The Indie Exchange.
Thanks, Lynne! Now I'm going to put in a brief synopsis of each book, to give you a better idea of what each is about. For your convenience, I have linked to Amazon from the title of each book, so you can just click on over to pick it up.
The winter solstice 2012 won't be the end of the world. It will be the beginning of the end....
Naomi has a pretty sweet life. Respected as a skilled mediator, she has an almost uncanny knack for getting people on both sides of a dispute to agree. And her handsome boyfriend Brock has just proposed to her. But a white buffalo calf is bowing to her in her dreams. And who is the Native American man who has been following her around?
Naomi doesn’t know it, but things are about to change.
Naomi’s having a bad week. She’s already overwhelmed by setting up her solo mediation practice and second-guessing her relationship with Joseph. An old acquaintance seems to be setting up shop down the road from their friend Charlie’s ranch. And Charlie has a new pal: a filmmaker who might be the Investigator – except that he doesn’t exactly believe in teamwork.
Naomi’s caught some kind of bug, and she hasn’t seen Joseph in weeks. But she lets Shannon drag her on vacation: a road trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to find Naomi’s father. There, they find more than they bargained for: a dream wolf, a mysterious walled compound that might or might not belong to Loki, and a lot of snow.
Shannon certainly knows how to show a friend a good time.
Naomi Witherspoon, back home in Denver after her “vacation” in South Dakota, has amassed a catalog of things she doesn’t want to think about. Her due date is just around the corner, but she has yet to buy a single diaper – let alone look for a bigger place for her, her boyfriend Joseph, and the baby. Speaking of housing problems, Joseph’s grandfather is in failing health and needs to move out of his wickiup, but the old man won’t budge. Naomi and Joseph may have found a replacement for their woo-woo teammate/nemesis Jack in TV reporter Antonia Greco – but Antonia comes with her own set of problems, not least of which is that she’s dating Naomi’s ex-fiance, Brock. Meanwhile, Jack has escaped from the Mexican drug lord who owns him, and the thugs sent to find him aren’t above roughing people up.
Best of all, Naomi hasn’t shared any of this with her mother, who wants to sell her house in Indiana and move to Colorado.
Naomi has just two weeks to find a new home for Joseph's grandfather. The old Ute shaman is fighting for his life against a mysterious injection of toxin he received at the hands of the Norse Trickster god Loki. If Naomi is to defeat Loki once and for all, she must learn what it is he seeks under the old man's wickiup.
She has just one week before she must mediate between the Earth's pagan gods and goddesses and the Christian God. If her efforts fail, all of humankind will suffer the consequences.
And her baby is due any day.
In this, the fifth and final book of the Pipe Woman Chronicles, Naomi is in a race against the clock to balance the demands of her body, her family, and her friends – and she must do it while the whole world is watching.
I hope you have enjoyed learning more about this series. As a reward for all your time, here's a great giveaway you can sign up for, and have a chance of winning the whole series!
Thanks for reading, and watch in the future for my reviews of these books. Here's the giveaway!
Shattered Souls review Author: Delilah Devlin
3 out of 5 stars
Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy/Romantic Paranormal Thriller Reading Level: Adult (lots of explicit sex and sexual language) Recommended for: Fans of Paranormal Romance, paranormal romantic thrillers, urban fantasy Trigger Warnings: alcohol abuse, murder, sex between 17-year-old girl and adult man
My Thoughts: I hadn't realized when I selected this book that it would be considered romance, since it was under thrillers, but reading the synopsis made me realize my assumptions were incomplete; so I was, needless to say, a bit uncertain when I started reading it.
Truth to tell, I enjoyed the story, but had to skip huge swathes of nothing but sex. I'm not a prude, but it felt really gratuitous to me. I would have enjoyed the mystery and thriller aspects of the story more if the sex parts had been more fade-to-black in nature, rather than explicit. I was also annoyed by Cait's constant thoughts of sex: “oh, he's bruising my arm, that gets me hot; oh, he's growling at me and looking angry, that gets me hot; oh, he's being gentlemanly, that gets me hot.” Yuck. So that's why it's rated the way it is. If you like sexy paranormal thrillers, urban fantasy with lots of sex, romantic paranormal thrillers, then you'll really like this book, which is the first in a proposed series. Me? Nah, I won't be continuing.
Disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: When her mentor is brutally murdered by a supernatural force, an alcoholic former cop turns to her past lovers—her ex-partner and a powerful sorcerer—to help her hunt down a demon terrorizing Memphis.
Caitlyn O’Connell had it all: a career with the Memphis PD, a passionate marriage, and the satisfaction that her work made a difference in the world. But she also had a secret, a supernatural “gift” that cost her everything. Now she scrapes by as a private investigator, taking cases the cops won’t touch and counting down the minutes until happy hour. But when Sam Pierce, her former partner and estranged ex-husband, comes to her for help with a bizarre murder case, Cait can’t say no. And not just because Sam is still as irresistibly sexy as he was on the day they met. Something sinister—and demonic—is terrorizing Memphis, leaving a bloody trail of bodies and clues only Cait can read. Together she and Sam will venture into a dark world of magic and unholy terror, hunting a killer who will lead them to the brink of reality as they know it—and back into the thrall of their stormy past.
Remember my post with the cover reveal for Saga of the New Gods? If not, that link will take you there. Anyway, I provided some incorrect information there. The book cover is for Vol 1 of the Saga of the New Gods called Be Careful What you Wish For, but what I did not realize was that Daniel Black had actually combined the original version of this book with the original second book in the series, The Horror of Magic, to create a much longer book! And that book is once again available for download on Smashwords, just follow that link or the one above on the book's name. It's quite a long book--almost 150k words--and only $2.49, which is a great deal!
Also, sometime in the next month or so, I'll hold another giveaway for the updated edition, so watch my blog!
Book Info: Genre: Fantasy Reading Level: MG to YA (10 to 13 and up with that caveat that parental guidance should be provided for those under 15) Recommended for: Anyone who can read it, with the caveat that more sensitive readers should be guided Trigger Warnings: Torture, murder, child abuse, slavery
Disclosure: I received an e-book ARC from the author (a member of my LinkedIn network) in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The synopsis, directly quoted from the blurb for the book that is commonly available, contains spoilers if you have not read the previous books in this series. I will put these under spoiler tags on Goodreads, which is the only site to allow this, but if you are reading this on any site other than Goodreads, you have been warned.
Synopsis: Ameca and Fraya, the legendary Flame and the Flower, Heirs of Menindus on the magical world of Mythrania, have achieved the impossible: (view spoiler)[they have rescued their mother from the vile Bellatrix, High Priest of the evil entity known as the Scelestus and brought their father back from the dead (hide spoiler)]. Surely now, their adventures on this alien world are over and they can now return with their parents to their own world…? But things are never that simple. When their father begins acting strangely, is accused of murder and goes missing, the two girls and their mother are forced to embark on a dangerous mission to redeem him before they face the final battle with the enemy
Series information: “Ameca J and the Legacy of Menindus”:–Part I of the Ameca J Chronicles—released October 9, 2012
“Ameca J and the Revenge of Lex-Ultar”:–Part II of the Ameca J Chronicles—released December 13, 2012
“Ameca J and the Demon God of Mythrania”:–Part III of the Ameca J Chronicles—released January 16, 2013
“Ameca J and the Rise of the Serpii”:–Part IV of the Ameca J Chronicles, release date unknown
My Background with the series: This is the third book in the Ameca J Chronicles, following Ameca J and the Legacy of Menindus (review linked here where formatting allowed) and Ameca J and the Revenge of Rex-Ultar (review linked here where formatting allowed) (if you are not on one of those sites, go to my blog, Now is Gone, which is linked to in my profile, and read the review there to see the links and formatting). An additional book is planned called Ameca J and the Rise of the Serpii. I had hoped to have this read and review prior to the publication date (January 16, 2013, but unfortunately I just was not able to fit it in any sooner, so my apologies to the author for the delay.
My Thoughts: This one picks up right where book two left off, so if you can, I recommend reading all these books right in a row for maximum entertainment. It is fast-paced; since most of the character development was done in the earlier books it can stick to the action. I was happy to see the reappearance (however brief) of Squire Fluffy, who did not feature nearly enough in previous books. More Squire Fluffy!
I think this has been my favorite of the series so far. The girls have grown so much, and are very mature now, making difficult decisions and standing up for themselves as needed. It ends the first trilogy, but the author is obviously continuing the story. And I ended the book with a smile on my face, which is always the sign of time well-spent. For fans of MG to YA fantasy adventures, you really can’t go wrong with these books. While there is some content that might prove disturbing to more sensitive readers, with parental guidance I think these books would be perfectly appropriate for any reader. I really do recommend these wonderfully fun stories to anyone.
I’m capping off the review some some random comments and reactions, but they’re really not important, and this has been pretty long already. The important stuff is over; what is left is fun. Read it or not, as your inclination leads you.
Random Comments: I know it is standard British usage, and I know it is not incorrect, but it still jars me every time the ground is referred to as the “floor.” Am I the only one who just cannot move past that? One would think, as many BritComs as I’ve watched, and as many British authors as I’ve read and edited, I’d be accustomed to it, but I... just can’t do it. The “floor” is inside in my brain, and a field in front of a forest is no place for a floor... Sorry!!
At one point, toward the end, I literally stopped reading, put my hand on my head, and said, “Oh, no!” I was so dismayed. How into it was I? Let’s just say, I had to read for another 20 minutes before I could even stop and make this comment... Excellent!
I was so incredibly amused by the Scelestus’ cape fixation. Such an evil villain thing to do. Also, this quote make me laugh like crazy: “Ameca freaked out when she heard the Scelestus do the evil genius laugh...”
Lovecraftian monster? FTW!
Random Rant Inspired by this Book: What on earth is up with evil dudes destroying everything? They kill everybody, wreak havoc on the ecosystem, turn everything into a barren wasteland... why? What point is it to rule a barren world devoid of life? For starters, there is nothing to eat! Even evil dudes have to eat, don’t they? And why take over entire universes? It would be exhausting to keep everyone in line, especially the iron-fist rule that most of these evil dudes undertake. They would constantly be having to shuttle from system to system, putting down rebellions, enforcing their mind-control...
And that's probably how you feel after slogging through all of that. But congratulations! Here's a cookie for a reward...
Wicked Embers review
Author: Candace Bowen Early
4 out of 5 stars
Book Info: Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense Reading Level: Adult Book Available: Rhemalda Publishing is releasing this book in both eBook and paperback format on 9/1/2012.
Disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC from Rhemalda Publishing (the author’s publisher) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: It’s been one year since Bronwyn Chase left the modern world behind, and an ancient evil is stirring in Cornwall ….
Bree Peltier is a skeptic. She doesn’t believe in mystics or witches. Between keeping up with her university studies and falling in love with her archaeology professor, her life is complicated enough. When a vengeful spirit possesses her childhood friend and goes on a killing spree, she is forced to re-examine her beliefs. The spirit is out to destroy the descendants of Bronwyn, and Bree is the only one who can stop it. If she believes.
Bree is a mystic. If she doesn’t embrace her birthright, she could lose everyone she has ever loved. If she does embrace it, she could lose her soul mate
My Thoughts: As those who know me already know, I am generally not a fan of romance. However, I read the previous book featuring this character, Spur of the Moment, and really enjoyed it. (Sites that accept formatting should show a link on the title above so you can go see that review.) Be warned: this review will contain some spoilers; I will try to keep them vague, but they are necessary to tell you what I thought about the story.
Like the first book, this one was very good – engaging, entertaining, and not your everyday romance. I think it is technically considered a time-travel romance, since the first one was, but to me it seemed more along the lines of romantic suspense, so that is how I have classified it. It was a very fast read – I went through it in a bit over five hours. It didn’t completely blow my socks off like the first one, but I really did enjoy it. The scene in the nether with Bronwyn and Euric was especially touching – it literally brought tears to my eyes.
There were a few things that bothered me, including the fact that Bree did not warn her friends when they showed up. While I understood that she didn’t want them to think she was insane, to me it seemed really irresponsible for her to not at least come up with a story so that they knew how much danger they were in. I was also bothered by the situation with Finn toward the end – he should have been much more incapacitated by what happened to him, and not able to get around and help as he was doing. The literal deux ex machina at the ending might bother some, but to me it was a relief; otherwise there wouldn’t have been the HEA that romance readers crave.
That said, romance readers should really enjoy this book, and those who enjoyed Ms. Bowen Early’s earlier book will definitely want to read this. Most fans of paranormal suspense should enjoy this as well. While I didn’t love it as much as the first book (thus the rating), I did enjoy it quite a lot. Check it out.
Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy Reading Level: Young Adult
Disclosure: I received a free Kindle version of this eBook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Prepare, Simon. This is no school exercise. It is a fight for your life.
Attacked in New York City by vicious members of the Nazi magicians' cabal Gott im Himmel, Simon and Goldberry are drawn into a deadly war that could destroy them both. As they travel across Europe with their mentor Dr. Solomon Archer, the young wizards must survive vicious foe after vicious foe. There is no time for love… but how can Simon resist the tempestuous beauty Ana Vorkina, daughter of the all-powerful Arch-Mage of Prague? And even if he can win her heart, will the ferocious threats they face drive them apart?
Background information: The author has written a very interesting FAQ about this book available here. I would suggest you take the time to read it; he does a fairly good job at leaving out spoilers, but if you want to play it safe, wait until after you’ve read the book. This is the 3rd book in the School of the Ages series; I read and reviewed the first two books – The Ghost in the Crystal and Level Three’s Dream – in late April, 2012. You can see the reviews by clicking on the links on the names. Or you can search my blog for late in the month of April – there is also a Q&A with Matt Posner to be found here, in May.
My Thoughts: I’ve mentioned in the review of the first book in the series that this is a much darker series than many YA fantasies – I would put it on par with the Lord of the Rings trilogy for darkness, in many ways. There are moments of lightheartedness, but overall this is a grim situation in which Simon finds himself, starting right at the beginning. Posner has mentioned that there are only a very few people whom he guarantees will survive to see the end of the series, if that gives you an idea as to how dark these books are.
Posner does some serious experimentation with this book, including a chapter that reads like a screenplay, and additional chapters told from other points of view. There is more background information given about Simon’s family, we again meet his grandmother (who is awesome by the way), and there are new friends and enemies to be had. Delphine is just adorable, and the Jonathan twins are evil incarnate; I also quite like Miss Chatterjee. We get more information about the enigmatic Corby Crow, about whom I’ve been wondering since the beginning. Again the issue with the pillars comes up – again they are numbered at six when in the first book they are numbered as seven, and seven attributes are named. I’m not sure why there is this ongoing confusion about the pillars, but there you have it.
My favorite part of the book, without question, was the reaction to Corby’s grandmothers’ herbal mixture that he provided to Goldberry. The comments of the chemistry students, the reactions of those who had to drink it – it was absolutely priceless and I laughed so hard I chased off my cat. I possibly have a bit more of an idea as to what Russian medicine is like, as my husband has told me horror stories about the nastiness of the herbal medicines (which is how to tell if they work – the nastier they smell and taste, the more efficacious) and so forth, so I had that little extra bit of personal amusement to add to the mix.
Book four is to be called Simon Myth. I am not sure when Mr. Posner hopes to have it released, other than sometime in 2013. I will definitely be eagerly awaiting it; I absolutely love these books and can’t recommend them strongly enough. Go check them out!
The second book in Scott Rhine's epic Temple of the Traveler series, Dreams of the Fallen, will be free on Amazon 7/20-22-2012. I edited this book and it was just a wonderful continuation of the series, which begins with Doors to Eternity (which I also edited), currently running at just $2.99.
If you enjoy epic fantasy, with a liberal dose of humor, you'll love these books - go and grab 'em while you can get a great deal on the 2nd book!
