Darkness Bound: Forever's Paranormal Blog Tour, Part 2

Stella Cameron invariably writes a gripping tale and her foray into the paranormal world is no exception.  Darkness Bound is the first in the ‘Chimney Rock’ series that centers around a group of werehounds...yes, canids, but not of the lupus variety which tend to be deadly enemies.  A group of these remarkable creatures are living in the town of Chimney Rock, located on an island and they are growing desperate as their race is destined for extinction unless they can find the few rare mates that will live through pregnancy and childbirth.  Widow Leigh Kelly returns to the island determined to make a fresh start but she is very wary of strangers even though her dog Jazzy seems to have no reservations about most of the people she is meeting, including Niles Latimer and his canine companion Blue.  Mysterious disappearances on the island lead Leigh to wonder who she should trust despite Niles’ attempts to ensure that he the one that she turns to.  A complex and convoluted power struggle is being conducted between vampires, werewolves, werehounds and the fae and somehow Leigh has ended up being a central figure in the struggle even though she has no idea that the strange color streams that she can see indicate that she is very special.  It’s up to Niles to keep her safe and convince her to become his mate but he must deal with both her insecurities and his own self-doubts as well as the external threats.  Fortunately, he has a pack that has been through the trials of military life as well as other allies if only he can discern everyone’s true motives.

I usually enjoy Stella Cameron’s tales and I was intrigued by this foray into a different genre.  She normally blends investigative techniques with suspense-laden action to craft an intriguing tale and this story demonstrates that skill but I think it had a bit too much thrown in at once.  There are so many different backstories that the action got a little frenetic as multiple new characters suddenly appeared and disappeared without one ever knowing what their purpose was or why certain allies did or did not work together.  I am sure that more will be unveiled as the next books in the series are released but there are quite a few dangling threads to resolve and I felt that the relationship between Niles and Leigh is a bit awkward and erratic.  The overall story is enjoyable but a bit uneven and I look forward to obtaining more pieces to the complicated puzzle surrounding the werehounds in future novels, starting with Sean's story in Darkness Bred.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

By A Thread

By A Thread by Jennifer Estep is one of the novels in her fantastic Elemental Assassins series.  Those of you who haven't met assassin Gin Bianco are in for a treat but you really should start with the first in the series, Spider's Bite and continue with Web of Lies, Venom, Tangled Threads, and Spider's Revenge to get up to speed.  This excellently crafted world is peopled by those who are inherently other than human and use their powers accordingly (giants as bodyguards, a vampire madam, a dwarf obssessed with mining, etc.) intermixed with those who appear human yet have powers based on elements such as fire, ice, stone, and metal.  Gin Bianco was tortured and orphaned as a child by the machinations of the evil Fire Elemental, Mab, but was adopted and trained to become an assassin and incidentally, a fantastic cook.  Her adult life has been divided between expertly fulfilling her assignments as an assassin, attending class, working at a barbeque joint and planning revenge on Mab.

***SPOILER**** beyond this point


Thread of Death is the novella that connects the first 5 stories to Gin's life after Mab.  By A Thread follows Gin's life after she has defeated Mab and is trying to go back to her version of normal.  Unfortunately, just like the gunslingers from the old West, everyone wants to challenge the victor and Gin is unable to rest on her laurels.  She finally acquiesces to her foster brother's repeated requests to go out of town for a vacation in an attempt to relax and get reacquainted with her long-lost sister, Bria, but discovers that it is not going to be a simple matter to visit the place where her sister was raised after their family was destroyed and meet the woman who has been the friend that Gin wishes she herself could have been.  Gin finds herself in the middle of yet another struggle against a villain who seeks to monopolize business in the town, no matter who he has to intimidate or kill to achieve his goals.  She could have stayed at home and needed her assassination skills less but what would have been the fun in that?

I really enjoy the creativity that goes into this series.  There is a fair amount of violence but it isn't so overt that one becomes numb or overwhelmed and the fascinating characters and scenarios keep the story moving.  The author has a facility for painting vivid word pictures that make it easy to visualize someone like the Goth dwarf who is as efficient at serving up a tasty meal as disposing of a dead body, a person receiving stories from the stone walls that have witnessed many events, or an assassin who can keep her equanimity even as she distributes countless sharp silverstone knives over her person.  My only complaint is that I am inevitably hungry after reading about the tasty dishes served up in these very entertaining tales.

My Amazon review is at this link under ELF2060.  I'd appreciate a "helpful" vote if you enjoy it.

I received an ARC of this work in return for an honest review.

Ponderings from someone else

A cousin and friend sent me this list...it made me think...

 Subject: I am in the 7% today 

 Some very good life lessons! 

 Enjoy! 

 Written by a 90 year old This is something we should all read at least 
once a week!!!!! 
       Make sure you read to the end!!!!!! 

 Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , 
Ohio . 
      "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. 

    It is the most requested column I've ever written. 
     My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more: 

        1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
 
        2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

        3. Life is too short - enjoy it.

        4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. 
           Your friends and family will. 
 
        5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
 
        6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

        7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
 
        8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
 
        9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
 
       10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
 
       11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
 
       12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

       13. Don't compare your life to others. 
           You have no idea what their journey is all about.
 
       14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
 
       15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye 
           But don't worry; God never blinks.

       16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

       17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. 
           Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
 
       18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
 
       19. It's never too late to be happy 
           But it's all up to you and no one else.

       20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, 
           don't take no for an answer.
 
       21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. 
           Don't save it for a special occasion. 
           Today is special.

       22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
 
       23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

       24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
 
       25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
 
       26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 
           'In five years, will this matter?'

       27. Always choose life.

       28. Forgive but don't forget. 

       29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 
       30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
 
       31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
 
       32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
 
       33. Believe in miracles. 

       34. God loves you because of who God is, 
           not because of anything you did or didn't do.

       35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
 
       36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

       37. Your children get only one childhood.

       38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 

       39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
 
       40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, 
           we'd grab ours back.
 
       41. Envy is a waste of time. 
           Accept what you already have, not what you need.

       42. The best is yet to come...
 
       43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

       44. Yield.
 
       45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift." 

 It's estimated 93% won't forward this. If you are one of the 7% who will,
       forward this with the title '7%'.

      I'm in the 7%. Friends are the family that we choose.