Review of Carniepunk, an anthology

Publisher: Gallery Books
Format Read: eGalley (I was about 2/3 of the way done when the pub sent a finished print copy)
Source: The publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Blurb from goodreads:

A star-studded urban fantasy anthology featuring bestselling authors Rachel Caine, Rob Thurman, Seanan McGuire, Jennifer Estep, and Kevin Hearne, whose stories explore the creepy, mysterious, and, yes, sometimes magical world of traveling carnivals.

The traveling carnival is a leftover of a bygone era, a curiosity lurking on the outskirts of town. It is a place of contradictions—the bright lights mask the peeling paint; a carnie in greasy overalls slinks away from the direction of the Barker’s seductive call. It is a place of illusion—is that woman’s beard real? How can she live locked in that watery box?

And while many are tricked by sleight of hand, there are hints of something truly magical going on. One must remain alert and learn quickly the unwritten rules of this dark show. To beat the carnival, one had better have either a whole lot of luck or a whole lot of guns—or maybe some magic of one’s own.

Featuring stories grotesque and comical, outrageous and action-packed, Carniepunk is the first anthology to channel the energy and attitude of urban fantasy into the bizarre world of creaking machinery, twisted myths, and vivid new magic.  

Bea's Thoughts: 

I'll do my usual anthology process and give a mini-review of each story. I was excited about this anthology as it has a mix of authors I love, authors I've been wanting to read and one I hadn't heard of before. All the stories involve carnivals to one degree or another, but the punk aspect is vaguer and missing completely from some of the stories. I've marked my favorites with an asterisk.

Review of A Trace of Moonlight by Allison Pang & A Giveaway

Publisher: Pocket Books
Series: Abby Sinclair #3
Format Read: paperback
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon   Barnes & Noble   The Book Depository


Book Blurb (from goodreads):

*Contains spoilers for the previous books*

Drinking from the waters of lethe and offering herself up as Faerie’s sacrificial Tithe . . . these just might be the least of Abby Sinclair’s problems.
Abby’s pact with a daemon—whether or not she remembers making it—is binding, so she’d better count herself lucky that (in the words of a daemon who knows better) there’s nearly always a loophole. But her friends’ reckless attempts to free her, well intentioned though they may be, set off a disastrous chain of events. In no time at all, Abby turns her incubus lover mortal, then gets herself killed, cursed, and married to an elven prince whose mother wants her dead. On top of everything else, she’s lost the Key to the CrossRoads to her mortal enemy, who promptly uses his restored power to wreak havoc on the OtherWorld and put its very existence in jeopardy. Only one person can make things right again, but to find her, Abby must place her trust in allies of mixed loyalties, and conquer her nightmares once and for all.

Reviewed By: Bea

Quote:

He stood up abruptly, the overcoat snapping to attention as he bowed formally, the motion almost masking the hurt in his gaze. "Of course, I will see to making the arrangements immediately." Before I could say anything else, he turned on his heel and disappeared, the door shutting quietly behind him.

 "That's not what I meant," I whispered into the nearly empty room, but I knew the words were hollow even as I said them. I did want to go home. The fairy tale was getting old and if I wasn't going to have a happily ever after, that was fine by me, but I wasn't going to sit here for the rest of my life either. What was left of it. 

*May contain spoilers for the previous books*

 

Bea's Thoughts:

I love Pang's world building, her updates to the fairy tale mythos, and her snarkiness. Her books are a mix of humor, action, romance and politics. The characters are vivid and in this book Melanie and Nobu are developed further. Unfortunately, Abby is not; from the first book to the second, she developed maturity and confidence but in this book, there's less growth. She is also very reactive; she frequently complains about wanting to go back home but does little to actually make that happen and she still has a tendency to act first and think later. She is still intensely loyal and honorable, and those characteristics, along with her impulsiveness, lead to a variety of events in the story. What growth we do has to do with her developing her abilities as a Dream Walker, with help from both Sonja and Bristion and, related, getting better control of her fears. Abby's relationships, familial and personal, are still complicated and there's still a love triangle. The love story takes twists and turns but at the end, there's only a partial resolution.

I'd have liked Phineas to have a bigger role but events early on slow him down for much of the book. Robert and Charlie make brief appearances as does Benjamin. The angelic host makes an appearance at one point and there's a wonderful violin dueling scene between Melanie and one of Satan's minions, complete with the oh so appropriate song, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".

Politics take center stage in this story and I often felt as if I needed a score card to keep straight what was happening and why. I found myself wishing I'd reread the second book before picking up this one. There are twists and turns and layer upon layer of machinations. I don't recommend reading in fits and starts but trying to do it in just a couple sittings so you're better able to keep up. I didn't love this book but I did enjoy it and it's a solid, well written story.

This is the last contracted book in the series so Pang ties up some story lines but also leaves a few loose threads in case she has to the opportunity to come back to this world. Personally, I prefer a more definitive ending but with the knowledge that she may come back to the series some day, it doesn't bother me as much as it might otherwise.

I received this paperback from the publisher for review.

Review of A Sliver of Shadow by Allison Pang

Publisher: Pocket Books
Series: Abby Sinclair #2
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Format Read: Paperback
Buying Links:  Amazon    The Book Depository    Barnes & Noble

*May contain spoilers*

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

Just when her new life as a TouchStone — a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds — seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away…let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed.

The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faerie is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding elven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves.


Reviewed By: Bea

*May contain spoilers*



Bea's Thoughts:

I loved this book! It was so good and I liked it better than the first book. This one had everything: intriguing plotting, deep characterization, mysteries, lots of action, world building, humor, romance, sex, political intrigue.

Abby has grown since the last book: developed more confidence though she's still not very confident, has more maturity, and a new-found respect for her position as KeyStone. She's learning more about the Faery from Moira and learning how to use her Dreaming powers from Sonja. Not everything is going well for her; she and Brystion are still on the outs and her friendship with Charlie is strained. She also still finds herself being used as a pawn by members of the Faery, something that Brystion objects to when he does make an appearance. Still, Abby doesn't hesitate to step in and help and shows herself loyal to her friends and willing to do what she thinks is right, no matter the cost to herself.  The ending had me going "EEEK!" and is a bit of a cliff hanger. Happily, the next book is out at the end of October, so not too long to wait.

One thing I was less than thrilled to see was the introduction of a love triangle. Brystion and Abby still have feelings for each other, even though they aren't seeing each other. Then Abby and Talivar, who was introduced at the end of A Brush of Darkness, get involved. Brystion can't resist staking his claim and he and Talivar get competitive. I like Talivar; he's quiet, fierce, loyal, insecure about his looks, kind, tender, vulnerable, and moral. Pang handled it fairly well, there's not too much angst, but I hope there will be a resolution in the next book. Love triangle tropes are among my least favorite tropes and often a sure way to turn me off.

While the story moves along at a fast pace, Pang doesn't skip on characterization, plot or world building. The Queen of Faery is bug nuts but there's a reason and Abby sets out to help her which will in turn help all of the Faery, including Moira and Talivar. Maurice is back in this book and he's as twisted and nasty as he was in book one. I loved learning more about the OtherFolk, their relationships with each other and the pecking order. There are many twists and turns and even Phineas, the wisecracking, horny mini unicorn, is not what he seems.

If you enjoy urban fantasy, the fae, werewolves, demons and angels (yes, Pang makes all these different elements work together.) then you need to read this book, but read book one first. It's a must.

I received a paperback from the publisher for review.