Slow, Slow, Slow

Divergence by C.J. Cherryh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The twenty-first book in the Foreigner saga continues the adventures of diplomat Bren Cameron. Once again Bren is In the middle of the action. The problem - there is little action and a lot of in the head thinking and remembering. This was just a slow read - I think I said the same thing about book twenty. I waded through the story and will continue to read the series but I do hope it get more interesting.

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Not My Favorite

Resurgence by C.J. Cherryh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book twenty in the Foreigner series is only for long term fans. You would think that after 19 previous books the world building would be done but no. Much of this brings up the history of the clans and the present danger. What it does not do is solve anything. I came to the last page and could not believe that the book was done. This is a set up for the next book but not a complete story in its self. As a long term fan I will be waiting the next book and not give up on the series just because this on was so slow and tedious to read.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 337 -Alliance Rising: The Hinder Stars I by C. J. Cherryh and Jane S. Fancher, Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet

Alliance Rising: The Hinder Stars I by C.J. Cherryh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had to give this a four because it is very slow reading. You have to read a lot of backstory and world building before you really get to the characters and the meat of the story. Once there it gets really interesting with an very unexpected twist near the end. There are many different groups, each with their own agenda in the plot. That kept the action moving. The book set up the beginning of the Alliance but it ended with a lot up in the air. I was glad to see it is a series as I am quite invested in the characters and want to see where they all go next.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are several familiar tropes in Nightchaser. Tess Baily is the daughter of the ruler of the galaxy. She is thought to be dead but is in fact still alive and kicking. Shade Ganavan is a bounty hunter who is conflicted about capturing her or sleeping with her. This is the frame work the first book in the series is built on. The plot is familiar with plenty of action, tension, danger and romance. Nothing is really solved here. The action of each of the characters sets up the world building and back story for the rest of the series. A nice read just not that original.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 186 - Shadow Warrior by Michelle Diener, Emergence by C.J. Cherry

Shadow Warrior by Michelle Diener
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A very nice ending to the series. There is a lot more danger and adventure for Taya and Garek but they and their friends are up to the task. There is war coming and the enemies have made a pack with the aliens. More aliens show up but are they friends or will they be allies. I enjoyed visiting this interesting world again. Seeing all the Changes that can be called and knowing that Garek can do much more than expected kept the story moving. Taya has to be more of a warrior than she ever expected but she is very strong. Nice to leave as it seems that they will go on to have a much more peaceful life.


Emergence by C.J. Cherryh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have followed this series since the very beginning and always enjoy seeing the characters come alive again. Bren is on Mospheira and dealing with more human problems than is his usual. At the same time Tahini's son is facing problems of his own. One thing I love about the series is how the characters grow and change as time passes. This is one to start from the first book to really know and understand the world that has been built over 19 books and keep up with the back story that drives the plot. The characters are many and varied adding to the big picture. The world gets more interesting with each book.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 88 - Convergence by C.J. Cherryh, Man Overboard by J.A. Dance, A Cowboy's Strength by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Convergence by C.J. Cherryh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really hate it when a book just ends in without having a proper ending. This one does just that. Bren is wishing he was home and nothing that has been set up is solved. Book 18 is Bren letting the humans know what the atevi expect and Cajeiri, the atevi heir, learning more about what was expected of him and seeing the power he had even as a child.

Convergence does set up a whole new set of problems for all of the humans and the atevi with Bren again at the heart of the problems and the solutions. Do not start this series here. It is long running and complex. A must read for fans of the series even with the ending that is really not an ending at all. I kept trying to find the next page but there just was not one.


Man Overboard by J.A. Jance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one was not as interesting to me as previous books. There were many character shifts as Ali and friends try to find out what really happened to a friend of Stuarts. I found myself skimming the Oden and Frigg parts and reading the parts that featured Ali and friends. This book also set up a new characters and sent another one out of the picture. That part was very well done. A nice addition to the series but not my favorite.


A Cowboy's Strength by Vicki Lewis Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mandy and Zane are old friends who have not seen each other for 10 years. When they do reconnect sparks fly. I liked how Mandy thought she knew what she wanted when in reality she needed to put to rest some things from her past to have the future she deserved. Zane is a great strong character who know where he belongs and wants Mandy to be there by his side. A very nice story with some great additions to how we need to treat wild life.

There are hints about the other McGavin Brothers, all sexy cowboys who need a strong woman to get their HEA.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews #27 – Visitor by C.J. Cherryh, Shattered Spear by Jack Campbell, Class Zero by Y.A. Marks

Visitor (A Foreigner Novel) by C.J. Cherry

Science Fiction

So far there are 5 trilogies plus 2 more books in the Foreigner 

series.  Visitor looks like the second book in trilogy 6 but it reads like it could be the final volume.  All of the familiar characters are back as the kyo arrive for a visit at Alpha Station.  It is Bren’s job to learn why they came and what they want.  I admit that I had a suspicion about who the kyo were at war with and it turns out I was right.  Another interesting novel about how we are all alike and how we are all different. I do hope that there is another book to complete this trilogy.

Shattered Spear (The Lost Stars) by Jack Campbell

Science Fiction

This is the final book in the Lost Stars series.  It does end well but I will miss seeing how Iceni and Drakon.  I have enjoyed the push pull of their relationship and how it plays into the action in the books.  While many of the dangers that they have faced are removed in Shatters Spear not every thing is solved. Once again the story is full of fast packed action with a lot of tension thrown in.  A very good ending to a fun series.

Class Zero (Class Zero Series #1) by Y.A. Marks

YA Dystopian Science Fiction

I like to add in some YA books now and then.  Class Zero looked interesting so I requested and received it from Netgally.  Paeton Washington is a interesting main character and the story is told from her point of view.  All she wants to do is keep her head down and not have any trouble.  Doesn’t happen and the way it develops keeps the story moving.  There are some really great characters that along with Paeton drive the action.  There is also a very sweet love story that is developing as Paeton’s life changes.

Stacking the Shelves June 18, 2016

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books I added to my shelves this week. They may it be physical or virtual. I include books I buy in a physical store or online, books I borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.  Follow the link to see what others have on their shelves. 

Purchased from Amazon

Draw One in the Dark (Shifter Book 1) by Sarah Hoyt

Honor’s Flight (Fallen Empire, Book 2) by Lindsay Buroker

Warrior Wench (The Asariai Wars Book 1) by Marie Andreas

Starseers  (Fallen Empire Book 3) by Lindsay Buroker

From the Library:

Clawback (An Ali Reynolds Novel) by J.A. Jance

Visitor (A Foreigner Novel) by C.J. Cherryh

Shattered Spear (The Lost Stars) by Jack Campbell

From Netgalley for Review:

Into Dust by B.J.Daniels

An Untimely Frost by Penny Richards

Once Upon a Moonlit Night by Elizabeth Hoyt

What Else I Read in August 2015

Books:

Second Chance Summer (Cedar Ridge #1) by Jill Shalvis – This is an interesting mix of characters and setting in a brand new series.  Cedar Ridge, Colorado is a resort town and the Kincaid Family Resort has been there for years.  Now they have a limited time to overcome the damage done by their Father and have the money for an balloon payment fro the loan he took out that is due in just a year.  The Kincaid’s are a very interesting blended family.  It seems that Dad was not only a bad business man but also had three families.  Now the children from all three families are living and working together.  This is Aidan Kincaid and Lily Danville’s story.  Both have secrets and it takes a book for them to work them out.  Great start to the series.

The Temptation of Dr. Colton (The Coltons of Oklahoma #3) by Karen Whiddon – The Coltons are an interesting family.  This time we meeet Dr. Eric Colton and MW (Mystery Woman).  There is the usual romance and like previous books the mystery woman has someone trying to kill her.  It is a fun read with a good plot.  The solution is pretty tame but it did fit the series.   This is a series written by different authors.  Each book can stand alone but there are elements that are present in every book.  I enjoyed reading about MW and Eric.

Brown-Eyed Girl (Travis Family #4) by Lisa Kleypas – It has been almost six years since the last Travis Family book so I had forgotten a lot about the previous books.  That did not matter as this on worked well as a stand-alone.  The story follows a familiar pattern.  A successful woman who has locked up her heart and a man who is determined to unlock it.  Throw in a secondary romance and a wedding that needs to be stopped and you have a very good story.  Kleypas always delivers and Brown-Eyed Girl is no exception.Eyed Gir(Travis Family #4) by Lisa Kleypas – It has been almost six years since the last Travis Family book so I had forgotten a lot about the previous books.  That did not matter as this on worked well as a stand-alone.  The story follows a familiar pattern.  A successful woman who has locked up her heart and a man who is determined to unlock it.  Throw in a secondary romance and a wedding that needs to be stopped and you have a very good story.  Kleypas always delivers and Brown-Eyed Girl is no exception.


Tracker (Foreigner #16) by C. J. Cherryh- Tracker is a set up for the next two books in the series.  We do get to see a lot more of Cajeiri as he and his friends from the ship become more important to the story line.  The Kyo are back but just as a plot point.  There should be more about them in the next book. 

This is book 16 in the series and the books are much better read in order.

Teaser Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhyme.  
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:"
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book.

The Teaser:

"His bodyguard was near him.
But his guest were not.
He knew it just in the air, before moving.  His guests had a kind of perfume about them that was not ate, and that was gone."

Page 70 from Tracker, A Foreigner Novel by C.J. Cherryh.  This is a long running SciFi series and I have followed it from the beginning.  Not one you want to drop into.  It needs to be read from book one.

Peacemaker (Foreigner #15) by C.J. Cherryh

Science Fiction

What Goodreads says:

At last—Cajeiri has his young guests from the starship, three young folk entranced by weather and trees and creatures with minds of their own. It’s all he dreamed of...

But now safety is foremost: Cajeiri’s grandfather has been assassinated, hostile Assassins Guild invaded Great-uncle’s house, and now Bren Cameron, paidhi-aiji, who was sent to keep the aiji’s son safe, has more than the young guests on his mind. The aiji-dowager knows who’s to blame for the attacks, and they’re going after him.

The fact that the person responsible is in the heart of Assassins’ Guild Headquarters, the most closely guarded fortress on the continent, is not going to stop her.

Bren Cameron has the pieces now, of a decades-old plot that’s been threaded through Guild actions going back before his arrival on the continent, and more—he knows the person responsible is going to find out he knows, and find out within hours.

They have no choice. If they don’t move, the other side will.

And the lives of the boy, the guests, the entire ruling family are at stake.

I have followed the Foreigner series from Book #1.  I love how the characters have changed and grown.  Bren started out as a very minor member of the Court and is now a very important person with multiple duties.  This time he has to smoke out the traitor in the Assassins Guild and do it in Guild headquarters.  I loved all of the letters he wrote before going.  They were to be delivered in case he did not come back and they provided a insight into Bren and his relationship with the other major charactners in the series.

The book had a slow start, as there was a lot of back-story to be shared.   Once that was taken care of the story moved forward in a well planned and presented manner.  There is a lot going on and so much revolves around Cajeiri and his very felicitous 9^th birthday.  Remember how important numbers are to the atevi.

The book ended on a very high note with many of the problems from previous books solved.  It made me wonder if I was saying good-by to Bren and the atevi world.  I hope not but if so it is a very good ending to this long running series.

Daw published Peacemaker by C.J. Cherryh in 2013.

Stacking the Shelves, May 10, 2014

Books Stacked on My Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books I added to my shelves this week. They may it be physical or virtual. I include books I buy in a physical store or online, books I borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.  Follow the link to see what others have on their shelves.

Purchased:

Peacemaker by C. J. Cherryh

Alien Collective by Gini Koch

For Review:

Rebel by Cheryl Brooks

In The Black by Cheryl Nantus

Tabula Rasa Ruth Downie

Musing Mondays, April 28, 2014

TC is in the sun musing about the chipmunk she sees out the window.

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…Musing Mondays is sponsored by Should Be Reading.
• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! 
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

I just saw Peacemaker by C.J. Cherryh in an email from Amazon.  It is the 15th book in the Foreigner series.  I have the entire series in hardback and am facing a decision.  Do I purchase the hardback for $19.68 or the ebook for 10.99.  I am having a hard time committing either way.  

It is a sunny day here so I am of to work in my yard while I decide.

Teaser Tuesday July 24, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser this week is from Intruder by C.J. Cherryh.  Intruder book 13 in the Foreigner series.  This is not a series I would recommend anyone read out of order.  It is Science Fiction so if that is your love give this series a try but start with Foreigner, the first book in the series.  The books are set up as trilogies so there are 4 completed trilogies and if the patten continues Intruder is the first book in the 5th trilogy.  The Ateva's would love this because of the numbers. 


Here is my teaser.  It is from page 316, almost the end of the book but it gives nothing away.


"Playing poker with an ateva was calculated suicide, but he did win now and again in moments when Geigi's attention, for his own reason, lapsed off into the event bearing down on them."

 

Betrayer , A Foreigner Novel by C. J. Cherryh

Science Fiction

Betrayer is the twelfth novel in the Foreigner series.  For fans of the series this is a must read.  Bren Cameron is again in the heart of the trouble.  He is in Machigi’s home trying to prevent a new uprising.  As always there is a lot going on and Bren must work hard to stay alive.

I am not going to say much about Betrayer.  If you are a fan of the series you will want to get Betrayer.  If you are not yet a fan this is a series you want to start at the beginning.  

If you are looking for good Science Fiction you can start reading knowing that you have twelve books already written and you will not have a long wait between books like those of us who started reading when the first book came out.

DAW published Betrayer by C. J. Cherryh in 2011.

I purchased Betrayer.

Deceiver by C .J. Cherryh

Science Fiction

I always look forward to a new book by C.J. Cherryh and a new one has just come out.

Deceiver by C. J. Cherryh is the latest book in the Foreigner series. Bren Cameron is back and up to his neck in danger. Deceiver takes up where Conspirator left off. Bren is still at Najida, his country estate. Cajeiri, Tabini’s heir, and IIidide, Tabini’s grandmother, are there and caught up in the danger posed by the rebel clans. Bren must walk a careful political line while trying to bring the rebel clan’s under control.

While moving the story arc along, Deceiver has the usual action and surprises that you expect from C.J. Cherryh’s writing. So far there are 4 trilogies in the Foreigner Universe. Deceiver is the middle book in the fourth trilogy and in typical Cherryh fashion ends with a cliffhanger.

This is not a series I would recommend starting anywhere but at the first book, Foreigner. The story lines are completed, the characters complex, and the action filled with surprises. There is a great amount of growth and change between Foreigner and Deceiver. If you have never discovered this series you will have non-stop reading for a while.

DAW published Deceiver by C.J. Cherryh in 2010.

I purchased Deceiver from Amazon.

Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh

Science Fiction

Downbelow Station was published in 1981. I recommended this book for the Science Fiction Book Club. The book is the anchor for C. J. Cherryh’s science fiction universe. I remember reading the book in the 1980’s and not being able to put it down. I think we all know that we change with time. That includes reading tastes. I found the book to drag this time and I had to force myself to continue reading instead of picking up a book I had not read. Those of us in the club that are fans of Cherryh agreed that to understand the universe Cherryh created this was a must read. Those who were not Cherryh fans did not care for the book. Although there was a lot of action in the book we all felt that the book was passive when compared to today’s science fiction. Looking back I realized why I loved the book so. This book was the first time I had seen a female starship captain. I was a commercial pilot flying charter and corporate when I read the book. Female pilots were still rare and I loved having a female in charge of a starship. If you love C. J. Cherryh’s books and have not read Downbelow Station, pick it up and read it. It sets the stage for her other science fiction books.