Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Minis: Garcia Marquez, Kresley Cole, Rick Riordan

Today, I have three of my ini-mini, short first impressions for you. These are books that I've read, or attempted to read, but didn't share with you at the time.

In a Latin American port city during colonial times, a young girl named Sierva Maria de Todos los Angeles the only child of the ineffectual Marquis de Casalduero is bitten by a rabid dog. Her father, who has shown no interest in the child, begins a crusade to save her life, eventually committing her to the Convent of Santa Clara when the bishop persuades him that his daughter is possessed by demons. In fact, Sierva Maria has shown no signs of being infected by rabies or by demons; she is simply being punished for being different. Having been raised by the family's slaves, she knows their languages and wears their Santeria necklaces; she is perceived by the effete European Americans around her as "not of this world." Only the priest who has reluctantly accepted the job as her exorcist believes she is neither sick nor possessed but terrified after being inexplicably "interred alive" among the superstitious nuns.
A couple of months back I picked up Del Amor y Otros Demonios by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Of Love and Other Demons) again, Marquez' last work of fiction written in 1996. I've attempted reading this short work twice before and haven't been able to get past the 30th page. This has nothing to do with the quality of the writing, instead I'm affected negatively by the content because of personal baggage. This time I got as far as half-way through the book before going to bed and had nightmares. I didn't have the heart to pick it up again the next day. Maybe later on I'll see if I can finish it, get rid of that baggage, just give it a push, have one more nightmare and see how it all ends. LOL!

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A DANGEROUS DEMON SHE CAN’T RESIST . . .
Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he’s pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A MADDENING WITCH HE ACHES TO CLAIM . . .
Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

TRAPPED TOGETHER IN A SAVAGE PRISON . . .
In order for Malkom and Carrow to survive, he must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When Malkom becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?
Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole was an interesting mix for me. I loved the hero, Malkom, in that book. He was just so darn sweet! I don't even know how to say it, but he's hot and sweet at the same time. There he was, a Vemon and considered an abomination (even in his own mind), and after all that time alone considering himself a monster, Malkom's heart and goodness were pretty much intact. I hurt for him and for a while I couldn't stand the heroine -- Carrow -- because she knowingly used him and was going to hurt him. He didn't deserve it. Malkom's character made this story enjoyable for me. The plot was interesting and it did move the overall storyarc forward slightly, so I'll definitely read Regin and Aidan/Chase's story, Dreams of a Dark Warrior. I can't wait to read how Cole redeems Aidan. :)

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Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.
One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.
Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan is another book I read a while back. A buddy review with Nath is on the works for Breezing Through. This is definitely a fast paced adventure and quite exciting. A story about a brother and sister of mixed ethnic background who lose their father and suddenly find themselves in the center of a battle between worlds and gods. There's magic, Egyptian-based mythology, gods, and enough creepy crawlies to make this a really fun read. The premise is similar to the Percy and the Olympians series, but that's about it. The rest is quite original and I didn't feel as if I were reading the same books. The kids are great and different. The situations and villains are dangerous and the action and pace make this 516 page book seem short.

6 comments:

  1. Hils, I'm so sorry about the buddy review ^_^; Sigh. I'm just stuck, sigh... Maybe next year? LOL.

    Hmmm, Kresley Cole's books are hit and miss. I mean, some are really much better than others and some are also more attractive than others... and Demon from the Dark, I have to say, falls in the less attractive :( Result? I still haven't picked it up... now, I still have the mental image from CindyS and you're telling me you didn't like the heroine... by the way, what kind of name is Carrow?

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  2. LOL Nath, that's all right! I got my little mini up there for Orannia's Challenge in time. We can put up the review whenever. *g*

    RE: This series by Kresley Cole. I agree with you in that some books are better than others. Demon from the Dark is not a favorite with me, although as you can see I did like the unusual hero in this story. Carrow is an "all right" protagonist as well, she had reasons for her actions... I guess I'm tiring a bit of that superior Valkyrie attitude at this point.

    You should check out Jill's review of this book, she liked it a lot! And, LOL on CindyS' mental image of Malkom! I can't get that one out of my mind. :D

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  3. Did it affect your reading of the book, the mental image from Cindy's? Cos hey, if you fell in love with Malkom despite that, maybe it's worth a try LOL.

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  4. Nath, by the time I read Cindy's review I had already read the book, so that mental image did not affect my love of Malkom. It was quite funny and I loved her perspective, but it didn't change my mind (how I felt) about him. :)

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  5. Hils ~ I admire your courage but I'm also tempted to tell you to let that Marquez book go. I'm not sure if nightmares are worth it but only you can say if they are. Either way, good luck!

    The Cole series has stalled out for me. I had a hard time getting through the Demon King book and then that hardcover with Gena Showalter didn't do anything for me. I'll probably pick the series back up, later. :)

    Good for you for completing Orannia's challenge!

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  6. Leslie, I know what you mean about the Garcia Marquez book. I would have given up with any other book already. But has become a personal thing with me and I'm determined to get over it and just finish this book. LOL!

    RE: Cole series. That just tends to happen with long series, right? I have hopes for Nix's book!

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