'Shift' Werecats #5 by Rachel VINCENT

** SPOILERS **

From the BLURB:

Being the first female werecat enforcer isn't easy. Scars accumulate, but I'm stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It's complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother's death and my father's impeachment, it's all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of our old foe.

With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option…

‘Shift’ is the fifth book in Rachel Vincent’s ‘Werecats’ series.

Book #4, ‘Prey’, left fans with one hell of a cliff hanger. Psychotic Werecat councilman, Calvin Malone, murdered Faythe Sander’s youngest brother, Ethan, and the entire South Central Pride was on the precipice of Civil War.

Not only that, but Faythe and fellow enforcer Jace Malone caved into their feelings for one another and had sex after drowning their sorrows in tequila.

At the end of ‘Prey’ the Werecats were going to Civil War, and Faythe was grappling with her newfound romantic feelings for Jace, while heartsick at having to confess her adultery to her Werecat mate, Marc.

This is where ‘Shift’ picks up. Faythe’s father and Werecat leader, Greg Sanders, is preparing his troops for an attack on Calvin Malone. Marc’s previous banishment is void in the face of civil outbreak, and he is back living on the Sanders property, which makes things awkward for Faythe when she’s trying to quell Jace’s heated stares and insistence that they confess their indiscretion to Marc.

Right in the middle of all this chaos the littlest Werecat, Kaci, is nearly abducted by a flight of thunderbirds. Thunderbirds are Werebirds. Falcons, eagles and vultures – the last Werecat sighting of a thunderbird was nearly a decade ago, and their reappearance and attempted kidnapping spells doom for the Werecats.

This is a real helter-skelter plot. Right from the first page the storyline is intense and the pressure only increases. The Civil War looms, thunderbirds are picking off Werecats one by one for no apparent reason, and Faythe may have to choose between the two men she loves… WOAH!

First off, the thunderbirds plot is amazing. Rachel Vincent is absolutely in her writing element with the action scenes involving the swooping, clawing thunderbirds. I had goose bumps when reading all those combat scenes - absolutely enthralling and hair-raising. I especially liked the thunderbirds plot because Vincent did such an amazing job of describing and detailing this new ‘Were’ society.

I rolled my eyes. “We’re not going to kill you.”

“Right. You’re going to fix me up and toss me out the window with a Popsicle stick taped to one wing.” He shrugged awkwardly with the shoulder of his good arm, leaning against the cinder-block wall for support. “I’ve seen this episode. This is the one where Sylvester eats Tweety.”

Secondly, the Civil War plot is shaping up to be a doozy for the 6th (and final) Werecat book. In ‘Shift’, Vincent adds layer upon layer of political intrigue and power plays – it is a beautiful set-up for the 6th book and a fantastic cliff hanger at the end of ‘Shift’.

Lastly, the emotional stakes are higher than ever for Faythe Sanders. I’m still not much of a Faythe fan, because it still sticks in my craw that before she became an enforcer and accepted her role as Alpha-in-training, she was a spoilt little brat. Books 1 to 3 had me gritting my teeth at all of Faythe’s selfish and stupid actions. But I started to warm to her in ‘Prey’ and even more so in ‘Shift’.

Faythe’s made a *LOT* of stupid mistakes. Not least of which is cheating on Marc by sleeping with Jace in ‘Prey’. Unfortunately for Faythe, she attracts orphan men who find their lives revolving around her and her love. Jace is estranged from his family, since his step-dad is Calvin Malone. Marc is a stray whose family were brutally murdered, after which he was adopted by Faythe’s family. In ‘Shift’ it becomes brutally apparent that in choosing one of these men, Faythe will be banishing the other. Jace and Marc are both Alpha males, and they will not be able to live together in harmony if one of them is Faythe’s mate. Unfortunately neither man has any family beyond the Sanders, and Faythe’s choice will weigh heavy on their futures.

I know Faythe has cooked up quite a mess for herself, and these two men. But where I once would have been very harsh in my judgement of her, in ‘Shift’ I found myself just sad for her and her future decisions. She is in such a predicament, and no choice is going to be easy or without consequence. Faythe’s emotional turmoil is so gut-wrenching that I had to put aside my previous prejudice and just sympathize with her.

Vincent does a good job of gaining reader’s empathy for Faythe by making her love triangle a real conundrum. Jace and Marc are both great guys. It’s not a clear-cut case of HEA, because I could easily see Faythe choosing either guy. I would be happy for Faythe to end up with either of them, but I am leaning a little towards Marc - mostly because Faythe has put him through the ringer in the past. First, she left him at the altar and vanished for 5 years with no communication. Then in ‘Prey’ when Marc is banished and kidnapped, Faythe cheats on him. And to top it all off, if Faythe chooses Jace over Marc, Marc (being a stray) will have the hardest time finding a new Pride and may even have to rejoin other strays. I think Faythe has put him through enough, choosing Jace would be just too much heartache for one guy.

But on the other hand, Jace is a viable love interest in ‘Shift’. Where he was previously cocky and flirtatious towards Faythe, in ‘Shift’ he shows his serious side and reveals just how much Faythe means to him;

“Hell, Faythe, I’m pretty sure that never touching you again would hurt worse than the nastiest death Calvin could think up for me.”

I just don’t know!

I, like everyone else, will be chewing my nails in the lead-up to October 1st and the release of 6th and final book, ‘Alpha’. I don’t want the series to end, but at the same time I *need* to know what happens!

5/5

Where are they now?... Author updates

The other day I got to thinking about all the amazing 2010 book releases we've been graced with. I've been lusting after so many books for so long and I am excited that their releases have already come and gone, or are mere months away... But then I got to thinking about authors who don't have book releases this year, or whose upcoming books are uncertain. So I did some fishing and came up with some answers...

Molly Harper:

She was only contracted for 3 books in her beloved ‘Jane Jameson’ series.

She is releasing a new book called ‘And one last thing’, due for release July 27th 2010. She talks about it on her blog post. The book will be released by Pocket Books and seems to be a contemporary romance. Really looking forward to this one. Molly Harper is an instant-buy for me after the brilliance that is ‘Jane Jameson’. She writes funny like it’s nobodies business – and she knows her way around a smutty scene – what’s not to love?

‘And one last thing’ is available for pre-order.

Karen Chance:

‘Death’s Mistress’ (the 2nd Dorina Basarab) book was released in January this year. But some people are wondering why there’s no news of a 5th ‘Cassandra Palmer’ book….

Well, according to her website, Ms. Chance was experiencing some health problems in 2009 that pushed back her upcoming releases to summer 2011.

Ms. Chance is contracted for a ‘Cassie Palmer’ #5 and Dorina Basarab #3. But in the interim, Chance is kindly writing and posting free stories based in the “Cassie Palmer” universe, but told from different character’s POV’s. Pritkin’s is available March 31st, and Kit Marlowe’s on June 30th. There will be other stories, but those are the only two I really care about :)

SJ Day:

For a little while Ms. Day was releasing books like there was no tomorrow. The first book in her Urban Fantasy ‘Marked’ series was ‘Eve of Darkness’ – released April 2009. ‘Eve of Destruction’ and ‘Eve of Chaos’ were released June 2009. And since then no one’s heard ‘boo’ from Ms. Day. Her website is all very high-tech and shiny, but doesn’t seem to be well moderated (or updated).

Asked about a possible 4th ‘Marked’ book, Ms. Day has said she and her editor have talked about it, but she doesn’t seem sure if there will be more Eve adventures.

Sorry guys, but it looks as though we’ll never know if Eve chooses Cain or Abel (or what was to come of that ‘Eve of Chaos’ cliff hanger when Lillith turned up?)

The only upcoming release on SJ Day’s schedule is a short-story (not sure if it’s set in the “Marked” universe) due for release October 5th 2010. The anthology is ‘The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2".

Lisa Kleypas:

San Juan Island. Setting of the 'Friday Harbor' series.

It’s a case of good news / bad news for fans of Lisa Kleypas’s contemporary romance.

Kelypas’s first foray into the world of modern love was highly successful and ranked on the New York Times bestsellers list. Unfortunately, the ‘Travis’ books are a trilogy, and it seems that Kleypas has no plans to write beyond ‘Smooth Talking Stranger’ - which means that youngest Travis sibling, Joe, will never get his story told.

But the good news is that Kleypas will be writing a new contemporary romance series. Once she puts the ‘Hathaway’ series to bed, Ms. Kleypas will start writing the ‘Friday Harbor’ series – set in San Juan Island, off the Wasington coast.

‘Married by Morning’ comes out May 25th 2010, and ‘Love in the Afternoon’ has a June 29th 2010 release. And Amazon and fantasticfiction both list the new ‘Friday Harbour’ series as having a November 2010 release. Amazon actually has the audiobook (‘Christmas Eve in Friday Harbour’) down as a November 1st release and it’s available for pre-order. So we might get lucky and have 3 Kleypas books out this year!

Diana Gabaldon:

The much-anticipated 7th ‘Outlander’ novel, ‘An Echo in the Bone’, came out September last year. Bad news is there will be another LONG wait for the 8th instalment… Ms. Gabaldon writes big. Her novels are normally 800+ pages and all her background research is done simultaneously with her manuscript writing. The ‘Outlander’ series is currently set during America’s War of Independence – so that means there is a whole heap of research being done. Fans had a four-year wait between novels #6 and #7, and it looks as though we will have to wait another four years for #8. Ms. Gabaldon disucsses the long wait in this blog post.

But on the upside, Diana Gabaldon is releasing an Outlander Graphic Novel this year (September 28th)! And by ‘graphic novel’ I mean ‘comic book’, so don’t get your hopes up thinking this is an interim novella. It is called ‘The Exile’ will be set during the timeline of the first Outlander book. A good chunk of the story will be told from the perspective of Murtagh (Jamie’s loyal sidekick) but Jamie and Claire will feature heavily. The graphic novel is being illustaretd by the fantastic Hoang Nguyen and Gabaldon has 4 excerpts up on her website. The novel is available for pre-order from Amazon.

Ms. Gabaldon is also working on more ‘Lord John’ books (a spin-off ‘Outlander’ series) and she is releasing a short-story called ‘A Leaf in the Wind’ to appear in the anthology ‘Star Crossed Lovers’. The short story is all about Roger Wakefield’s parents (there have been hints in the ‘Outlander’ series that Roger’s father was also a time-traveller). Ms. Gabaldon discusses the anthology in this post.

Ms. Gabaldon is also writing a second 'Companion' novel to the 'Outlander' series (a sort of lexicon). She asked fans for suggestions on what to discuss in the Companion: here. Gabaldon is currently working on the Companion novel, but there will be a LOT to fit in there. Presumably it will be released before book #8 - but who knows?

And as to an ‘Outlander’ movie adaptation… nothing seems to be happening. The rights have been sold to ‘Essential Pictures’ and Ms. Gabaldon confirmed that Randall Wallace (the same guy who wrote ‘Braveheart’) was adapting the screenplay… but despite rumours of a Keira Knightley/James McAvoy casting, it looks like things are stagnate. Though there is a (slim) chance it will still hit cinemas in 2011.

Richelle Mead:

2010 is another big year for Ms. Mead. The 5th 'Georgina Kincaid' book is being released March 30th, and the 5th 'Vampire Academy' May 18th.

But 2010 will see no new 'Dark Swan' book. Ms. Mead explained on her blog that because both a 'VA' and 'Georgina' book are being released this year, her publishers thought it would be best to push 'Iron Crowned' (the 3rd 'Dark Swan' book) back to 2011 so that she would have an opportunity to do a book tour. It's very sad and frustrating, especially because fans know that 'Iron Crowned' is finished and ready to go and the only thing holding it back are the PR department.

But it could be a good thing. 'Vampire Academy' is by far Mead's most popular series, but 'Georgina' also has a loyal following. 'Iron Crowned' probably would have turned into Mead's ugly yokel cousin in comparison to those two book releases. At least with a 2011 release date Mead can do proper PR for 'Iron Crowned' and maybe generate some needed publicity for 'Dark Swan'... the series deserves the same status that 'VA' and 'Georgina' have found, because it is just as brilliant.

And on a happier note - Mead was initially only contracted for 3 'Dark Swan' books, but a fourth title has been added to her booklist! Yay!

Patricia Briggs:

I think I can speak for *everyone* when I say the 5th 'Mercy Thompson' book is much anticipated. If you're like me, you just about pee your pants every time you realize how very close we are to 'Silver Borne's' March 30th release date. *squee!*

Unfortunately for Briggs fans, 'Silver Borne' will have to tide us over for quite some time... Originally 2010 was also supposed to see the release of the 3rd 'Alpha and Omega' book - continuing Charles & Anna's story in the 'Mercy' universe. That release has been pushed back to 2011 because Ms. Briggs has been given the opportunity to re-release one of the books in her backlist.

'Masques' was originally published in 1993 and by all accounts it wasn't a success, and has since been out of print. Patricia Briggs didn't really find fame until 2006 with her first Mercy book 'Moon Called'. But now that Briggs has established a name (and fan-following) for herself, she has the luxury of being able to go back and make some edits to her first publication. I imagine 'Masques' is being re-released because the book does have elements that will appeal to 'Mercy' fans. The story has 'Mage' ('Magi'), shapechangers and a companion Wolf. All are plot-points that Mercy fans will no doubt be intrigued by... The re-released 'Masques' will be coming out Winter 2010 and a previously unpublished sequel 'Wolfsbane' will also be released.

The third 'Alpha and Omega' will now be coming out in 2011, the same year as the sixth 'Mercy' book... which also has a name. 'River Marked'. So, enjoy 'Silver Borne' while it lasts.

'Shiver' by Maggie STIEFVATER

From the BLURB:

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

‘Shiver’ is the first book in a romance trilogy called ‘Wolves of Mercy Falls’. This book is breathtaking. I absolutely adored it - so much in fact that it has become one of my all-time favourite YA books.

Stiefvater has twisted the werewolf myth in a most intriguing way. In her world lycanthropes do not come and go with the moon – rather they remain wolves through winter, and become human during summer. But as they grow older and remain wolves for longer, eventually the change stops and they remain wolf. This slight twist in the myth creates a real dilemma, and for Stiefvater’s characters lycanthropy is a true curse. It is a real hardship especially for our protagonists, Sam and Grace.

Sam met Grace when they were eleven and she was being attacked by his pack. Sam saved her, and for six years he has been forced to watch Grace from afar. Grace has always thought of Sam as her wolf – he watches her from the woods that border her house, his yellow eyes always in the distance.

In ‘Shiver’ Grace and Sam are finally able to meet when Sam gains two-legs. But they are still divided by the curse because Sam is sure this will be his ‘last time’ turning human. Grace and Sam try to fend-off the cold, postpone winter and prolong their romance.

“You’re beautiful and sad,” I said finally, not looking at him when I did. “Just like your eyes. You’re like a song that I heard when I was a little kid but forgot I knew until I heard it again.”

For a long moment there was only the whirring sound of the tires on the road, and then Sam said softly, “Thank you.”

Sam and Grace are wonderful leading characters. Grace is witty, independent and pragmatic; a protagonist that the YA audiences can admire and emulate.

Where many YA books lack authenticity for the simple fact that protagonist’s parents are non-existent, Steifvater turns absentee parents into a side storyline. Grace’s mother is a flighty artist, her father a self-important real estate agent. Grace is an afterthought to them, and her family unit is a contrast to Sam’s pack. Through flashbacks and Sam’s own storytelling, Stiefvater reveals the wolves to be loyal kin.

Sam is likewise a fascinating character. He observes that his most violent memories come from when he was human. It creates an interesting predicament – Sam misses himself when he turns wolf, but he is scared of himself when he’s human. Stiefvater has brilliantly created a war within Sam, and it is enthralling to read.

Sam and Grace are a very romantic couple. Most of their romance stems from the fact that their ‘fairytale’ is ultimately, tragic. Because Stiefvater has masterfully crafted ‘Shiver’ to read like a fairytale – complete with beauty, beast and a curse. Stiefvater imbues the entire book with a sense of doom and foreboding – leaving readers with the sense that an anvil is being held above their heads. Sam and Grace are incredibly sweet and there is plenty of sexual tension – but they love on borrowed time, and readers know it. It makes for a more intense relationship, a sharpened romance.

Stiefvater has sold the movie rights to ‘Shiver’ and it is heading for a 2011 release. It’s quite unfortunate that everyone keeps comparing ‘Shiver’ to the ‘Twilight’ franchise; it will always come down to “if you liked Twilight…” Which is a real shame, because ‘Shiver’ could stand on its own two feet as a beautiful and unique young adult fantasy.

Unfortunately there’s little doubt that ‘Shiver’ (like so many recent YA books) would never have been as popular, wouldn’t be turned into a movie and possibly would not even have been published had it not been for the ‘Twilight’ craze. What is truly ironic though, is that ‘Shiver’ is better than ‘Twilight’. Stiefvater is a far superior writer to Stephenie Meyer – her characters are vivid and charismatic, the plot is intricate and fulfilling and her writing is lyrical and spellbinding.

But, alas, ‘Twilight’ came first and dominated, and no matter how much you try to explain to its loyal tween audience that Ms. Meyer isn’t actually that talented a writer - they will not budge.

Slightly older audiences who are aware of the nuances in the ‘Urban Fantasy’ genre will recognize and appreciate ‘Shiver’ as the superior YA novel. And if ‘Shiver’ draws any comparison, it should be to the 1997 Annette Curtis-Klause novel ‘Blood and Chocolate’. Both are novels about teenage werewolves and their human lovers, both novels have a heated sexual relationship between their protagonists and both Klause and Stiefvater permeate their novels with a sense of doom.

I absolutely loved ‘Shiver’, and after reading it I went straight to ‘Amazon’ and pre-ordered the second novel in the series. ‘Linger’ is coming out July 20th this year, and ‘Forever’ July 2011.

5/5

'Beauty and the Black Sheep' by Jessica BIRD (J.R. WARD)

From the BLURB:

The force of those eyes hit Frankie Moorehouse like a gust of wind.

But she quickly reminded herself that she had dinner to get ready, the staff of White Caps B&B (such as it was) to motivate. She didn't have the luxury of staring into a stranger's face.

Although, jeez, what a face it was.

And wasn't it just her luck that the owner of that face, Nate Walker - with his rebel attitude and distaste for authority - was the chef her restaurant desperately needed, and he was staying for the summer...

And...it was a bit too tempting to let this breath of fresh air sweep her off her feet. Because all work and no play had been Frankie's motto for much too long!

This is Jessica Bird’s (aka J.R. Ward’s) first book in the Mills & Boon ‘Moorehouse Legacy’ series (four books in total). The Moorehouse Legacy refers to a family estate in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. In its hey-day the Moorehouse Mansion was the pinnacle of the Moorehouse families success. But decades have past and the mansion, now the Moorehouse B&B, belongs to siblings Frankie, Joy and Alex. They inherited the house after their parents died in a sailing accident. Alex, the eldest son vanished soon after his parent’s death to pursue professional sailing. Frankie, second eldest, gave up a dream of studying business and moving to New York in order to run the B&B and support her youngest sister, Joy and their senile grandmother Grand-Em. The house is falling apart and Frankie’s behind on her mortgage payments and her chef has just quit.

Enter Nathaniel Walker. In a twist of fate Nate’s car breaks down not far from the B&B and he knocks on the back door and enters into a scene of complete chaos. After saving Frankie’s bacon, Nate offers to work at the Moorehouse B&B for six weeks.

If the whole premise sounds a little cheesy, that’s because it is. As the plot set up I was rolling my eyes a little bit at all the coincidences and happy circumstances – but it’s really only in the beginning that Bird asks you to suspend belief. Otherwise this is actually a pretty good Mills & Boon romance because the characters have real problems (monetary, unrequited love, death etc). The plot takes a few hard-nosed twists and turns that you wouldn’t expect to be so realistic in a Mills & Boon romance.

J.R. Ward (Jessica Bird) published this book the same year that ‘Dark Lover’ was released. There’s no sense of familiarity in ‘Beauty and the Black Sheep’, it is very different from J.R. Ward’s other books. The only consistency is in the male protagonist – she likes writing hero’s with shady pasts, some sort of trauma or ‘incident’ that affected them a great deal.

The sex scenes are the tamest of Ward’s I have ever read. There’s very little description and they only last a few paragraphs. This is about as graphic as it gets:

His body was taut over hers as he came back to her. She reached for his hips to pull him down, but he resisted, resting his forehead on hers. His breath was ragged.

“Frankie, look at me. I want to see your eyes.”

And then he sank into her body, filling her, stretching her. He was slow at first but then his thrusts gained power until she was climaxing again. As her body grabbed onto his, he went rigid, her name torn out of his throat.

Perhaps for that reason I didn’t really feel much spark between Frankie and Nate. Sure, they’re very sweet and clearly hot for each other – but it didn’t translate so much for me. In ‘Beauty and the Black Sheep’ other romances for future books are glimpsed – and I felt more excited (and sensed more sizzle) in those than I did in Frankie and Nate’s.

I didn’t love this book, but I really loved the set-up for future books. The previews of relationships for books #2, #3, and #4 had me very intrigued and eager to read more.

2.5/5

'Alice I have been' by Melanie BENJAMIN

Received from the publisher

Melanie Benjamin’s novel has had a release to coincide with Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’. But whereas Burton’s movie spectacular is a retelling of Lewis Carroll’s infamous story, Benjamin’s book is a reimagining of the author, and his littlest muse.

There is something called “The Carroll myth” which has been discussed and dissected by scholars for many years now. The ‘myth’ goes something like this…

Charles Dodgson (pseudonym ‘Lewis Carroll’) was an Oxford mathematician when he met Alice Liddell. Alice’s father, Henry Liddell, was the Dean of Oxford and when Charles met her he was 23 to Alice’s 3. Charles befriended Henry Liddell and became close with the Liddell family. Charles frequently went on picnics with the Liddell children (Alice was the 4th of 10) and would often go rowing with Alice and her older sister, Ina. Charles was known to entertain the children with fantastical stories of mad-hatters and tea parties.

In 1862, when Alice was 10 and Charles 30, she asked him to write down one of his stories – the one about a girl called Alice who fell down a rabbit hole. He did – and in 1865 the story went on to be published as ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’.

The controversy and crux of the ‘myth’ stems from the interim – June 1863 – when Dodgson had a falling out with the Liddell’s…

Little is known of what caused the rift, and people can only speculate. It is believed that an ‘incident’ occurred sometime between June 27-29, because these are the days that are missing from Dodgson’s diary – they were cut out. Likewise, the Liddell’s never openly spoke of the estrangement – but it is believed (and debated) that Mrs. Liddell thought Charles to be an unfit companion for her 11-year-old daughter. This, of course, leads to rumours of paedophilia – and Dodgson’s innocence is not helped by a collection of photos he took in 1858 featuring a number of young girls. One of those girls is Alice, age 6 at the time – she is staring haughtily at the camera, bare-shouldered and dressed in rags.

It should be noted that Dodgson did reacquaint with the family 6 months later – but their former friendship soon deteriorated and academics are left to speculate as to whether the discord was caused by those mysterious events of June, or Oxford politics at the time…

It is in the ‘between’ that Ms. Benjamin sets ‘Alice I have been’, and with creative license she tells Alice Liddell’s story…

Benjamin has given Alice such a wonderful voice. She is a precocious and proud child, but utterly charming. Dodgson’s photo of 6-year-old Alice Liddell captured a girl with wise eyes and lifted chin – and Benjamin has likewise done a spectacular job of voicing that childish arrogance, mixed with frightening naiveté.

This is not a comfortable story. But it is so intriguing and evokes such a ‘what if’ that you can’t help but read and wonder at how close Benjamin’s imagination comes to the truth of Charles and Alice’s connection. The rumours surrounding Charles Dodgson and his ‘friendships’ with young girls are disturbing and unsettling, but Benjamin refrains from writing in black and white. In Benjamin’s book Charles Dodgson is not a predatory villain – he is a complex mystery, a stuttering mathematician who lives in his head and creates whimsy out of his lonely little life. Likewise, Alice Liddell is not a victimized maiden - she is a precocious child who turns into a wise young woman. Benjamin’s characters are not one-dimensional; she does not confine them to being either ‘good’ or ‘bad’, she simply lets their actions speak for themselves and allows readers to draw their own conclusions.

The relationship between Alice and Charles is as much a mystery to our narrator, Alice Liddell herself, as it has become to scholars and researchers. The story is not about any particular ‘incident’ that tarnishes the story of Wonderland; rather it is about Alice Liddell trying to reconcile her past – and try to make sense of what she remembers, the gossip of the time and what really happened.

Surprisingly enough, it is not the relationship between Charles and Alice that is the most captivating thing in ‘Alice I have been’. Instead it is what came after ‘Wonderland’ … her romance with Prince Leopold of England and marriage to Reginald Hargreaves, the death of her son’s during WWI and her widowhood. And throughout all of this, the duel between the woman she grew up to be, and the girl that was immortalized.

Still, what was truly tiresome – what is always truly tiresome- was the disappointment, brief and politely suppressed, evident in all the faces. The disappointment of looking for a little girl, a bright little girl in a starched white pinafore, and finding an old lady instead.

I understand. I myself suffer it each time I consult a looking-glass, only to wonder how the glass can be so cracked and muddled – and then realize, with a pang of despair, that it is not the glass that is deficient, after all.

Ms. Benjamin admits that she wrote ‘Alice I have been’ sticking close to Liddell’s actual timeline – but the woman was a true enigma. There was so much speculation and rumour surrounding her – from her possibly indecent relationship with ‘Lewis Carroll’ to her whispered romance with Prince Leopold. The players are all dead and dust, and what is left behind are rumours and creative license – which Benjamin uses with a flourish.

I could not put this book down, I was suckered right in and had to keep reminding myself that what I was reading was an imagined retelling, a heavy creative license and not complete truth. But Benjamin writes the characters so close to heart, she captures the time so beautifully and spins the rumour so masterfully that I didn’t care if it was fact or fiction – I just had to keep reading and follow her down that rabbit hole….

5/5

'Tigers and Devils' by Sean KENNEDY

From the BLURB:

Football, friends, and film are the most important parts of Simon Murray's life, likely in that order. Despite being lonely, Simon is cautious about looking for more, and his best friends despair of him ever finding that special someone to share his life. Against his will, they drag him to a party, where Simon barges into a football conversation and ends up defending the honour of star forward Declan Tyler -- unaware that the athlete is present and listening.

Like his entire family, Simon revels in living in Melbourne, Victoria, the home of Australian Rules football and Mecca for serious fans. There, players are deemed gods and treated as such - until they do something to cause them to fall out of public favour. Declan is suffering a horrendous year of injuries, and the public is taking him to task for it, so Simon's support is a bright spot in his struggles. In that first awkward meeting, neither man has any idea they will change each other's lives forever.

As Simon and Declan fumble toward building a relationship together, there is yet another obstacle in their way: keeping Declan's homosexuality a secret amidst the intrusion of well-meaning friends and an increasingly suspicious media. They realise that nothing remains hidden forever... and they know the situation will only become more complicated when Declan's private life is revealed. Declan will be forced to make some tough choices that may result in losing either the career he loves or the man he wants. And Simon has never been known to make things easy - for himself or for others.

I absolutely adored this book. Not only is it a fantastic M/M romance, but it’s also set in my hometown of Melbourne (Australia).

Mandi (Ms. Smexy) recommended this book to me because she knows I need to feed my newfound M/M addiction. ‘Tigers and Devils’ doesn’t have any smut – absolutely no explicit sex scenes – but it is thoroughly romantic. Simon and Declan are a very sweet pairing, especially because they are total opposites. Simon is an ‘arty wanker’ who organizes Melbourne’s local independent film festival. Declan is AFL’s star football player and deep in the closet. This is such a great case of ‘opposites attract’ – Simon and Declan could not be more different, but they work because they revel in each other’s differences.

It becomes pretty clear early on in the story that the possible ‘climax’ in Declan and Simon’s relationship will come if Declan brings Simon to AFL’s coveted awards ceremony, the ‘Brownlow’. The Brownlow is AFL’s version of ‘The Oscar’s’ – the actual ceremony is very boring (basically counting scores) but the red carpet is scrutinized by the Australian media and is a very big deal in the AFL community. It’s all about who the players bring and what their WAG’s (‘wives and girlfriends’) wear (or don’t wear).

“It should be you,” Declan whispered, reading my mind.

“I don’t think I could outrun a whole auditorium of footy players if I went as your date,” I said. “You would have to leave me behind in order to save yourself.”

He shook his head. “You’re so noble.”

“You’re lucky I am. Because you look so fucking good tonight that I want to tackle you and tear you right out of that tux.”

He groaned. “Don’t start. I don’t need another reason not to go.”

I love the fact that ‘Tigers and Devils’ surprised me with regards to plot – Sean Kennedy took the story further than I predicted. After the ‘happy ending’ Kennedy examines Declan and Simon’s adjustment period and fall-out from Declan’s ‘coming out’. The second-half of the story was brilliant and made for a far more in-depth romance. And I think 'Tigers and Devils' is also a very honest story of what it's like to be homosexual in Australia. Kennedy explores family dynamics when a relative comes out of the closet - Simon's parents are only just (after 6 years) starting to feel comfortable discussing his love life with him. I also think Sean Kennedy's 'what if' scenario of a gay AFL player hits very, very close to home.

All of these 'real' issues that are discussed make 'Tigers and Devils' into a very compelling read, and elevate it above 'just another romance'.

I loved the romance, but I also loved the fact that the ‘Tigers and Devils’ is set in Melbourne. Sean Kennedy is quite clearly a Melbourne boy – he knows the city and his love is there in the details. His protagonist, Simon Murray, lives in the ‘hip’ (but not ‘yuppie’) suburb of Brunswick and there is great affection in Kennedy’s describing Melbourne’s ‘four-seasons-in-one-day’ weather. I read this while on the train, passing by all the landmarks Kennedy mentions throughout – my cityloop train terminates at the famous Flinders Street station and passes by the MCG. I don’t read enough books set in my hometown, so I got a lot of enjoyment out of ‘Tigers and Devils’ purely for the fact that I had ‘insider’ knowledge and absolutely got all of Kennedy’s local jokes and found his descriptions and musings to be spot-on.

For example, this gem of a joke;

Roger scratched at the end of his nose. “What kind of guy turns down a blowjob?” he asked, just as the barman returned with our drinks.

Not realising it was a rhetorical question, the barman answered, “No guy would.”

“You got to have standards, though. You wouldn’t just take one from anyone, right?” Roger asked him, completely forgetting he was discussing sex with a total stranger.

“Dude, I would take a blowjob from Mr. Squiggle, if it was going free.”

I shook my head. ‘That’s just sick.”

“Calling it as I see it.”

For the record, this is the children’s program character, Mr. Squiggle;

I love, love, loved ‘Tigers and Devils’. I will definitely be reading more of Sean Kennedy’s stuff, and probably re-reading ‘Tigers and Devils’ just because I love it so much.

Sean Kennedy also wrote a free online short story called 'Chicken Soup for the Soul, and all that Crap' - which is set in the 'Tigers and Devils' timeline and is very funny and sweet.

5/5

Background info:

I thought I’d contextualize a few plot points of ‘Tigers and Devils’. Just for those of you who won’t be so familiar with the ‘in’ references (Sean Kennedy is quite reference-heavy)… but also because the whole story of a gay AFL player is very intriguing (and exciting) to me, and I think it’s worth exploring.

There are 640 players in the AFL, and statistically speaking some of them must be gay or at least bisexual. But no one talks about it and there are no openly ‘out’ AFL players. But there is the occasional speculation (mostly started on chat-boards rather than the media) when a player attends the “Brownlow” awards date-less.

Back in 1995 an NRL (rugby) player by the name of Ian Roberts spoke out about his homosexuality – but no more closeted players followed suit and to this day people are left to speculate about the possibility of homosexual AFL players.

It is a very macho sport. All you have to do is log onto Australia’s two biggest newspaper websites (‘The Age’ and ‘The Herald Sun’) and you will undoubtedly find articles about player antics causing scandal for the sport. This week alone a player called Michael Hurley has appeared in court over physical assault charges – over the weekend he was drunk and attacked a taxi driver. Also this week, Brendan Fevola, a player with a history of drunken antics is in hot water over leaked topless photos of his ex-girlfriend, Lara Bingle. Bingle is Australia’s version of Paris Hilton (but *more* useless) and in 2006 she had an affair with a married Fevola. Apparently some photos Fevola took of Bingle in the shower have been passed out amongst AFL players and have now made their way to the media – and Bingle is seeking a breach of privacy lawsuit.

It is a very macho sport (despite the uniform of short-shorts and knee-high socks) that creates typical badly behaved jock stereotypes of its players. The corporate AFL is trying to clean up player images and eliminate stereotypes, particularly concerning violence against women and anti drinking/drugs. I think having a gay player would definitely aid the AFL’s PR campaign – just to prove to the media and fans that (contrary to popular belief) not all footy players are made from the same mould.

The “Brownlow Medal” is the AFL’s version of ‘The Oscars’. Men watch it to see their favourite players win ‘best and fairest’, but men *and* women watch it to see what the players dates look like and wear. It is always a big deal and the Australian media, without fail, do a big report on ‘who wore what’. If this sounds pretty pathetic and un-newsworthy, you’d be right. But it’s actually pretty funny because all the WAG’s (‘wives and girlfriends’) try to one-up each other and grab the spotlight. Here are some examples;

At last year’s ‘Brownlow’ a WAG by the name of Brynne Gordon turned up to the awards in this get-up. She is on the arm of one Dr Geoffrey Edelsten, who used to own one of the AFL teams. She is 26 to his 67...

In 2004 Rebecca Twigley attended the event in this little number;

Her boyfriend actually won the Brownlow medal that night, but media covergae of Chris Judd was nothing compared to the attention Ms. Twigley and *that* dress received. As a result Rebecca Twigley was offered a modelling contract and is currently the weather girl for a major Australian news network.

So, the 'Brownlow' is a big deal - players and their WAG's are scrutinized, idolized and epitomized. Hopefully that will give some people an idea of what a big deal Declan/Simon would have been turning up to the award hand-in-hand.

'Hallowed Circle' Persephone Alcmedi #2 by Linda ROBERTSON

From the BLURB:

Persephone Alcmedi has been persuaded to compete for the position of High Priestess of the Cleveland, Ohio, coven -- now that the former priestess, Vivian Diamond, has strangely gone missing. Unfortunately, there are a few small problems with the idea. Not only does Seph know rather more about Vivian's disappearance than the other witches realize, but the epic struggle she's just survived has left her with some highly unusual powers -- ones that could be dangerous to reveal. Despite her reluctance, she agrees to participate, if only to prevent snooty Hunter Hopewell, an obnoxious but talented witch, from ending up in the winner's circle. Can Seph hide her secrets -- including her connection to the master vampire-wizard Menessos -- from the terrifyingly wise judges? Plus, there's her rock 'n' roll werewolf boyfriend, Johnny, and some angry fairies to deal with....

Once the competition begins, a finalist turns up dead. It looks as if one of the contestants is willing to do anything -- including murder -- to win. Suddenly Seph has even more on her plate than she thought: from solving a murder to working out what her new powers really are...and exactly why they're creating so much havoc in her love life.

This is the second book in Linda Robertson’s ‘Persephone Alcmedi’ series.

I liked the first book ‘Vicious Circle’, but felt Robertson put too much emphasis on past relationships that weren’t established but often referenced. I think this second book works much better because those relationships are now familiar to readers.

First there’s the romance between Persephone and biker werewolf, Johnny. In ‘Vicious Circle’ Johnny was already enamored of Persephone, but she was wary of his tattooed appearance and lycanthropy. In ‘Hallowed Circle’ Johnny is still infatuated with our girl Persephone, and he turns his flirtation up a notch – preferring lewd puns over the gentle courting of book 1. Persephone is still wary of her feelings for Johnny, but she is at least willing to admit to them.

“The right thing to do would be for you to acknowledge that you feel something for me that’s remotely close to what I feel for you. I’ve asked for only a single grain of sand from you, Persephone, while I’m the whole fucking beach at your feet. You want to appreciate me but your thoughts are always turning to him!”

In ‘Hallowed Circle’ Linda Robertson dabbles in some smutty writing – and it’s good – my only complaint is there’s not enough! A lot happens regarding the Johnny/Persephone relationship – but it’s all at the very beginning of the book. Robertson hits us with several romantic developments in the first half of the book, but then she puts the romance aside and focuses on the witches plot in the second half.

The nuts and bolts of the plot is wonderful – one of my favorite things about ‘Vicious Circle’ was all the references to Wiccan culture, and it’s amped up in ‘Hallowed Circle’. There is more of those wonderful witchy chants and rhymes and a closer examination of witch politics. ‘Hallowed Circle’ almost has a ‘Harry Potter: and the Goblet of Fire’ feel to it as Persephone enters into a competition to decide the new witches coven leader.

The other major relationship development in this book is between Persephone and vampire, Menessos. I would have liked more focus on the progress of this relationship – Robertson heats things up and drops little tidbits, promising deeper examination in future books – but those hints are so delectable I wish there’d been more focus in this book.

I loved this second instalment; ‘Hallowed Circle’ is further proof that ‘Persephone Alcmedi’ is shaping up to be a very promising fantasy series. Persephone is a wonderful heroine, ballsy and upstanding, but prone to bouts of foolishness and bull-headedness. There’s a wonderful blend of Wicca, lycanthropy and vampirism that ticks all my favourite supernatural boxes. I really look forward to the third book, ‘Fatal Circle’, to be released June 29th this year.

4/5