Book Blurb: Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and Ryu - Jane's bloodsucking boyfriend - can't let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane's life is thrown off course. Ryu's well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane's surprise.
My Thoughts: OMG, I loved this book. It was awesome. Do not, however, read this book if you are having trouble breathing. I was recovering from an asthma flare while reading it and laughed so hard that I could barely breathe. But there's more to the story than humor. Peeler mixes humor, romance, bawdiness, action, mystery, and mythology into the perfect confection. I enjoyed the first book, but Peeler took it up several notches with this story.
This one takes place several months after the first book, right around Valentine's Day. Jane has been training, learning how to use her magic and developing defensive skills. Ryu surprises Jane with a trip to his home in Boston for the holiday. The trip is an eye-opener in many ways. Jane and Ryu learn more about each other, for better and for worse. We still get to peek into Jane's mind and see her often hilarious, breathtaking (in my case), thoughts. Jane is snarky, hilarious, observant, and willing to fight for what matters to her. On a side note, I follow Ms. Peeler on Twitter, and Jane comes by her bawdiness, her snark, and her humor quite naturally.
The trip however is not all fun and games. Ryu's job as an investigator interrupts their time together. A halfling is on the loose and committing gruesome murders. As they learn more about him, Jane finds herself torn. Even as she's appalled by the murders, the more she learns about him, the more sympathetic she is to him. Their investigation is complicated by the presence of an investigative team sent by a rival at the fae court. During the course of the book, Jane comes to understand that this new life of hers has it's downside and that magic is not a cure-all for everything or a guarantee that her life will be better.
I like that we see Jane changing and growing. In only two books, there's been more character development than some authors manage in an entire series. I like Jane, she feels like she could be a neighbor or co-worker. Ryu is more exotic, and also arrogant and condescending. While that was apparent in the first book, we really get to see it up close and personal in this book, and so does Jane.
We see many of the people from the first book, including Anyan, who is still yummy, and Caleb, of the ginormous penis. We also meet the members of Ryu's investigative team. One of the things that I like about the Jane True series is Peeler's use of mythological characters. We have not only the standby races of elves but less commonly used races such as selkies, gnomes, satyrs, and ifrits. She does a nice job of taking mythology, tweaking it to her purposes, and putting it into a contemorary story and setting.
I loved this book and I am looking forward to the next one, "Tempest's Legacy", due out in January 2011.
Publisher: Orbit Books
Release date: June 16th, 2010
This book was borrowed from my local library.
My Thoughts: OMG, I loved this book. It was awesome. Do not, however, read this book if you are having trouble breathing. I was recovering from an asthma flare while reading it and laughed so hard that I could barely breathe. But there's more to the story than humor. Peeler mixes humor, romance, bawdiness, action, mystery, and mythology into the perfect confection. I enjoyed the first book, but Peeler took it up several notches with this story.
This one takes place several months after the first book, right around Valentine's Day. Jane has been training, learning how to use her magic and developing defensive skills. Ryu surprises Jane with a trip to his home in Boston for the holiday. The trip is an eye-opener in many ways. Jane and Ryu learn more about each other, for better and for worse. We still get to peek into Jane's mind and see her often hilarious, breathtaking (in my case), thoughts. Jane is snarky, hilarious, observant, and willing to fight for what matters to her. On a side note, I follow Ms. Peeler on Twitter, and Jane comes by her bawdiness, her snark, and her humor quite naturally.
The trip however is not all fun and games. Ryu's job as an investigator interrupts their time together. A halfling is on the loose and committing gruesome murders. As they learn more about him, Jane finds herself torn. Even as she's appalled by the murders, the more she learns about him, the more sympathetic she is to him. Their investigation is complicated by the presence of an investigative team sent by a rival at the fae court. During the course of the book, Jane comes to understand that this new life of hers has it's downside and that magic is not a cure-all for everything or a guarantee that her life will be better.
I like that we see Jane changing and growing. In only two books, there's been more character development than some authors manage in an entire series. I like Jane, she feels like she could be a neighbor or co-worker. Ryu is more exotic, and also arrogant and condescending. While that was apparent in the first book, we really get to see it up close and personal in this book, and so does Jane.
We see many of the people from the first book, including Anyan, who is still yummy, and Caleb, of the ginormous penis. We also meet the members of Ryu's investigative team. One of the things that I like about the Jane True series is Peeler's use of mythological characters. We have not only the standby races of elves but less commonly used races such as selkies, gnomes, satyrs, and ifrits. She does a nice job of taking mythology, tweaking it to her purposes, and putting it into a contemorary story and setting.
I loved this book and I am looking forward to the next one, "Tempest's Legacy", due out in January 2011.
Publisher: Orbit Books
Release date: June 16th, 2010
This book was borrowed from my local library.
I LOVED this book too. The ending was really sad. The psychological pain after being tortured. It broke my heart. Anyan's character is amazing. He surprises you and reveals a bit more w/ each book. I think he could be good for Jane True. I see a love triangle forming for book 3.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about a love triangle, I can see Jane and Ryu breaking up. It will interesting to see what Nicole does.
ReplyDeleteAs for the torture, I can barely imagine. It's hard enough to read. The series is a bit like cake - sweet light frosting on top, with a rich, dense treat underneath. :)