DNF @41%

 

Book source ~ Kindle Unlimited

 

Nate Temple is a secret wizard. And a billionaire. Who goes cow-tipping with the Minotaur in his sights. When his parents are murdered and he’s attacked by dragons in his own bookstore he decides to go on the offensive. And that’s a bad thing. Because he’s uber-rich and all-powerful. Which are two of the reasons I gave up on this book. The other is choppy writing and this story is trying super hard to be the love child of Harry Dresden and Oliver Queen. Or Batman. But Batman’s parents died when he was a kid and Oliver’s died when he was an adult. Plus, Oliver owns his own business (a bar), much like Nate does with his bookstore.  So, yeah, Oliver it is. In any case, this writing does nothing but set my teeth on edge. The premise is tremendously interesting and the world has potential, but the execution is very meh. I only set out to find this book because of another fictional series I started called Montague & Strong. The author tossed out the wizard in Chicago (obviously my beloved Dresden) and the wizard in St. Louis. I had no idea who that was, so I searched, and here I am. Disappointed. Oh, well. Moving on.

I suspect there's a good story here but I'm only going to find out what it is if someone makes a TV series.

 

I can't cope with the text. It doesn't work and every time it fails. I'm pulled away from the story.

 

What finally made me give in was a chapter in which our heroine goes to a fancy auction to make a bid on an important artefact. The words used to describe the people in the crowd and our heroine's reaction to them left me baffled.

 

It started with describing a man in the crowd by saying:

 

"He looked deceptively strong."

 

What does that mean? If he looks strong then where's the deception? If he's stronger than he looks how can you tell you're being deceived only by looking at him?

 

Then I got the reaction of the crowd to a dominant male described as:

 

"Those around him gave him a discreet, but wide berth. Several paces around him remained empty." 

 

What part of giving someone a wide berth is discrete? How do you do that?

 

Then I got this description of the route down into the auction hall:

 

"The stairs were half that of the ones we had entered,"

 

I think the author means to say there were half as many stairs but WHY NOT SAY THAT.

 

A paragraph later, as the crowd starts to move to the auction hall, I got:

 

"I made no move as I turned back to the man who had mistaken me."

How do you do that? How do you simultaneously make no move and turn back?

 

What finally broke my will to read were two encounters within a few pages, with the word "Belaying":

 

"Faint creases marred the corners of his eyes, belying that he was no stranger to laughter."

 

and

 

"No one stood near the book now, belying that they had recorded the video prior to auction."

 

This made me want to give the author my impersonation of Mandy Patinkin in "The Princess Bride" and say:

 

 

 

I want to read a book to enjoy it, not to have it keep summoning my inner-snark, so I'm going to let *Unchained* remain unfinished.

 

So, this is sliding along nicely. Blood has been spilt, secrets sown and backstory partly shared. It's light but fun.

 

Meanwhile, the cranky old guy I'm trying not to listen to insists on pointing out inconsistencies in the narrator's tone (he uses that kind of language). "How," he askes with a gleam that he will not admit is spiteful pleasure in his eye, "can this twenty-something American narrator use this archaic form of words :

 

'Fearing he would harm himself further if he woke to find himself surrounded by strangers, we had decided to keep him here until he woke up.'

 

and a little later start sounding like a teen when talking about her best friend: 

 

'Claire had the biggest heart I had ever seen. Simply put, she was the bestest.'

I mean, 'bestest'? Seriously? It's not even teen, it's faux teen."

 

 

I tell him to let it go, relax and enjoy the show.

 

He mutters something about standards being important and that the show he's enjoying is just not the same as the ojne I'm enjoying.

 

Then we both settle down and read some more.

 

 

 

'

You know when you open a. graphic novel painted by an artist you like, one with a familiar style and a favourite palette and although the novel is about a new character, you immediately feel you’ve read it before? « Unchained » is like that.

 

The opening is violence in the rain, a young women haunted by violence in her past, magical weapons, beasts attacking with fangs and claws and an old (at least to the young woman) male mentor playing distant, disciplinarian but loving, father figure. I’ve been here.

 

Except I’ve not had the old guy work for the Vatican before. Or have a woman, apparently in her twenties, sound so much like a teenager.

 

It’s formulaic but slick. The images a clear. The pacing is fine. The characterization either hasn’t happened yet or is going to be of the « you could be this young girl » type, which would work better if I wasn’t a man in my sixties.

 

 I’m going to let it entertain me and try to switch off the annoying old guy sitting in my head going, « Ha! You expect ME to believe THAT?´. He sometimes forgets how to have fun.

Fire Kissed - Shayne Silvers,C.N. Crawfo... Book Reviewed: Fire Kissed: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Collection
Authors: C.N. Crawford, Aimee Easterling, Julia Mills, Carina Wilder, Domino Finn, Gena D. Lutz, Emma L. Adams, Simone Pond, McKenzie Hunter, Katerina Martinez, Val St. Crowe, Tricia Owens, Shayne Silvers
Publication Date: 8/1/2017
Reviewed by: Tammy Payne- Book Nook Nuts
My Rating: 5 Stars


REVIEW
Although I am sure all of the stories are fantastic I am currently leaving my review for one story. I hope to add more reviews in time.

Dragon Down by Julia Mills
Anyone who has followed the Dragon Guard has already met Callum. The young dragon who has a big chip on his shoulder after his best friend found his mate and moved away from the lair. This Dragon has a special power that can be deadly if he loses control and it finds him in a whole lotta trouble in this story with the likes of Mad Maddox.

Entering his dreams is none other than a dark haired witch who is in need of his help.
Can he get to her on time? Will his brethren be behind him after all the trouble he has caused?

Sexy, Action packed and down right hilarious in some parts. Perfect reading.

"I got this box set via Kindle Unlimited"

[b:Fire Kissed: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Collection|35892245|Fire Kissed A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Collection|Shayne Silvers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501583625s/35892245.jpg|57410822]