Book Review: The Dragonslayer's Sword by Resa Nelson

Author: Resa Nelson
Series: The Dragonslayer #1
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: review copy provided by the author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

For Astrid, a blacksmith who makes swords for dragonslayers, the emergence of a strange gemstone from her body sets in motion a chain of events that threaten to destroy her life. Her happiness is shattered when her lover-the dragonslayer-disappears without a trace, and the life that she knows and loves implodes without warning. Astrid lives in a world of shapeshifters whose thoughts have the power to change not only themselves but others. Everything Astrid knows to be true is called into question when she learns the truth about her past and the mysterious family from which she was separated as a child. Reality turns inside out as Astrid gradually learns the truth about the people she loves as well as those she disdains. With the fate of dragons, ghosts, and slaves in foreign lands resting on her shoulders, Astrid faces the challenge of deciding who she is and how she will stand up inside her own skin. Will she withdraw and hide from the world that has disappointed her so much...or will she rise to lead others to freedom and peace?

I just finished reading The Dragonslayer's Sword and I have to say I'm very tempted to go back and read it again.

I'm going to be honest here. I was completely out of my comfort zone with this book. First of all, I don't think I've read a lot of books with medieval themes. So I didn't really knew what to expect. Also, I know nothing about blacksmiths. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Ms. Nelson managed to combine the fantasy details with the historical details. Another thing I loved was how the author described the process of sword making and how she made it sound somewhat easy. Of course, I know it's not easy, but it didn't sound like something  impossible to learn.

I also loved the new take on shapeshifters and dragons. It was refreshing, because it's so unlike any other fantasy novel I've read, it's different and new. I liked that a lot, because I didn't feel like I knew what the dragons or shapeshifters would be like.

In this book we watch the heroine, Astrid, grow up and become an amazing woman. Despite her childhood, she manages to move on with the help of DiStephan, the dragonslayer, and her best friend, Mauri. Most of the book is told from her perspective, but at the end, we get to see some of the scenes told from the perspectives of other characters and I liked that.

I have to say, one of the things I loved most about this book was the balance in it. The descriptions weren't too big or too short for me, the action scenes were great and the dialogues were well written and they had the perfect length. The book also fast-paced and I loved that. There wasn't a moment when I felt that the story was in one scene or place more than it should.

The only thing I was hoping was to be inside other character's perspective a little more. There is one scene with Astrid and some other blacksmiths when Astrid realized how she was truly seen by those men and it makes her more confident in herself and in who she is, so I think it would've helped her more to see things from another angle.

I think this was a great start for a series and I'm very curious what happens next, in The Iron Maiden

My Rating:

Day 04 – Favorite book of your favorite series

Yesterday I mentioned a few of my favorite series. Here are my favorite books of those series. For some series, the choice is tricky, because I like all books equally, but I'll try to choose just one :)

• It's a tie between Acheron and Dance With The Devil - Dark Hunters/Dream Hunters/Were Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon  
• Dead To The World. While I love bad-ass Eric, he was so sweet when he lost his memory - The Southern Vampires by Charlaine Harris 
• Queen of the Damned - Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
• Lothaire - Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole
• Passion Unleashed. Wraith, 'nuff said - Demonica by Larissa Ione 
• Club Shadowlands. Although I love all the books in this series, there's something about Master Z that makes me love him more. Might be his profession *blush* - Masters of the Shadowlands by Cherise Sinclair 
• All Jacked Up. I love it when the wild girl of the family finds her match - Rough Riders by Lorelei James 
• It's a tie between Lover Awakened and Lover Unbound. While Zsadist has a story that makes me cry every time I read it, Vishous is the bad boy of the group, so it really is very hard for me to choose. Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward 
• Riding Temptation - Wild Riders by Jaci Burton 
• Elizabeth's Wolf - Breeds by Lora Leigh 
• Hot Finish - Fast Track by Erin McCarthy

What are your favorite books of your favorite series?

Follow Friday (9)

Welcome to Follow Friday hosted this week by Parajunkee and Alison!
The main idea behind FF is just to go see a bunch of new blogs you may never have seen before, and follow the ones you like (and they’ll follow you back!) It’s a total win/win, so take a peek around and follow me!

This week’s question is: 

Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

I avoid all books with aliens. Here's the thing. When I was a kid I loved Star Trek: The Next Generation. You know, the one with Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I was obsessed with that show. After that, I compare all science fiction shows and books with Star Trek. It's not something I want to do, I mean, I'd wish I didn't. But I feel that there really isn't an alien show/book out there better than that one. So I avoid books with aliens.


What genres do you avoid and why?

Day 03 – Your favorite series

Oh my. I love so many series, I don't know where to start. I'm going to list them below, but keep in mind there's no correct order for me.

• Dark Hunters/Dream Hunters/Were Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon - vampires, ancient gods, were-creatures, demons...this series is full of so many interesting creatures and I love that about it;
• The Southern Vampires by Charlaine Harris - this series holds a special place in my heart, because it was the first series I read about vampires that could have sex. 
• Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice - my first vampires, my first horror stories;
• Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole
• Demonica by Larissa Ione 
• Masters of the Shadowlands by Cherise Sinclair - hot, sexy, alpha males who are also Doms *sigh* What can be better?
• Rough Riders by Lorelei James - Cowboys, sexy cowboys!
• Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward 
• Wild Riders by Jaci Burton - hot guys on Harleys
• Breeds by Lora Leigh - my first paranormal series without vampires
• Fast Track by Erin McCarthy - My first race car drivers books 

These are just a few (a small, small part) of the series I love. Like I said, there are other series I love and cherish.

What are your favorite series?

Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times

You all know how much I love the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I've read the second part of Acheron more times than I can count *blush* The first part though... those are some tough pages to read. And I'm usually a tough cookie. 

Acheron's history, the years before he became the warrior and the god we know him to be in "present" time, is hard for me to read, so I've read it only once. But it was enough to stick in my memory like I just read it a few seconds ago. 

What I loved about Acheron as a character is his strength, his kindness and wisdom, all of this combined perfectly with a big dose of bad ass. Because he is a bad-ass, but a sexy one. I also loved Tori, his heroine. She makes him believe that he deserves love, respect and everything that he never had when he was growing up. 

Also, this book is funny, once you get past the sad, "I'm-going-to-cry-for-ages" part. There are so many funny moments and the best part about them is that no matter how many times I read the book, they still surprise me (in a good way) and I always laugh at them, because for me, they never get old. I love that about this book, as well as many, many other parts that I won't specify, for fear of giving too many spoilers. 

I think this is one of the "Must Reads" for everyone enjoying urban fantasy, paranormal, romance and a lot more other genres. 

Book Review: Casual by Oksana Robski

  

Author: Oksana Robski
Original Title: Casual
Country: Russia
Rating: 3 cups

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Based on the author's own experiences, Casual tells the story of a wealthy young woman whose husband is mysteriously gunned down outside their Moscow apartment. Determined to avenge his murder while maintaining her lavish lifestyle, she must navigate through a treacherous labyrinth of high society and low company.
From running her own business to negotiating with hit men, the resilient widow becomes intimately involved in the corrupt and dangerous underbelly of the Russian business world. At once an entrepreneur and socialite, she and her equally rich and beautiful friends attend Moscow's wildest parties, spend thousands on plastic surgery, and stop at nothing to snag rich husbands.
A sensational bestseller in its native Russia, Casual exposes the secret lives of the country's new elite. In a world of double-crossinggangsters, torrid affairs, and truly desperate housewives, startling excess is often accompanied by violence, heartbreak, and betrayal.

I bought this book about three years ago, during a wonderful, big book fair. I loved the cover (not the one above, though, that one seems cold and impersonal for a chick lit). This is the cover my edition has:

Pretty, right? Anyway, I wanted to try something new, since every chick lit book I've read until then was either set in the UK or written by a British/English author. So the idea of a Russian chick lit appealed to me, big time.  

This book reminded me of Desperate Housewives, only in Russia. You have funny moments, tragic moments, some tears, plots and schemes and money. Lots and lots of money. The heroine of this book is very witty, sarcastic, sometimes almost snarky. Her and her friends are rich and they aren't afraid of showing that. The author takes you from spas to exclusive restaurants and clubs, where the rich people in Moscow have fun, drink, gossip and flirt. 

I liked the feel of reality this book had. It truly made me believe that about half of the things that happened in the book might happen in real life, which is really rare in a book. And the little intrigues, the every day life experiences, like running into an ex, or your lover and his wife and realizing he's not going to leave her for you,  or finding out your late husband's mistress is pregnant, being threatened by the mob, all those subplots made this a very interesting read. 

At times though, some of the characters blended together, probably because some of them had very similar names.

All in all, this was an interesting book. If you're a fan of chick lit, then you should give this book a try.

My Rating: