Customer Comments

Though this was highly recommended to me, I was hesitant to read it, expecting a Lifetime movie of a book. Instead, I found Knapp compelling and hard-edged. She laid out her sometimes harrowing story in a way that was clear, strong and never once asked for pity. It was a very fast read and so well-written that despite the devastating tale it made me wish the book were longer.

I'm becoming a big fan of Marjorie M. Liu. This is the second Dirk and Steele novel I've read. The first was Soul Song, number six in the series, and I was pleased both to see that several of the secondary characters in that novel appear in this novel as well and that said secondary characters seem to grow and evolve between the two books. Liu's skilled in several areas. First, while this is part of a series, it doesn't require previous knowledge of the overarching series story to dig in and enjoy. She's good at creating an adventure that is encapsulated in one novel, while leaving open plot threads that make the reader want to find out what happens next in the series. (J.R. Ward, whose novels have rapidly become almost impossible to read without knowledge of the previous plotlines, should take notes.) Second, rather than creating a thriller that shoehorns in a poorly-suited happily-ever-after (HEA) plotline, Liu's romance grows organically out of the thriller plot. It is hard to imagine that the characters in this novel would have fallen in love without the adventures they endured, and it's hard to imagine that a different set of characters would have survived the adventures. The supernatural elements also seem natural rather than haphazardly slapped on top of a traditional HEA romance. The underlying rules she's set up for her world make sense. The reader does not necessarily know them all, nor do the characters, but she never completely breaks the rules she's set up for the world in order to move a plotline forward. (Again, Ms. Ward, whose universe's rules are more notable in the breaking than the keeping, should take note.) Liu is also great at creating characters that each have his or her own voice and unique and distinct motivation. She understands that intriguing plots come from characters whose motivations, morals or end goals are not always in sync. I found the actions of every main and secondary character to be believable. I specifically loved the spunky and sarcastic (even when out of her depth) Elena, the serious and troubled Artur, and Charles Darling, who may be the first serial killer I've sen in an HEA whose rose above stereotype and whose motivations made emotional sense, even though they were repulsive and frightening. I want to read more about the thoughtful Amiri (who, despite having supernatural abilities, did not fall into the terrible, horrible Magical Negro trap); the unpredictable, mysterious and often funny Richter; Mikhail, who I can't discuss further without giving away major plot points; and a certain mysterious organization. The Russia she described felt real to me - I've never been, but my Russian friends have told stories and this seemed to fit what they describe. The only reason I'm not giving this a 5 is that the plot was slightly confusing for roughly the first 39 pages. (Also, I find myself resistant to giving 5s to anything, as perfection is rare.) Some character background that was given a little later in the novel would have been helpful in the first few pages to inspire instant emotional engagement on the part of the reader. This is a slight and forgivable hiccup, and should in no way prevent others from reading this book.

Susan Kearney's The Dare contains two potentially great novels fighting to the death to see if one can win. Unfortunately, the two plots merely injure each other, leaving each storyline licking its wounds and the entire novel in need of medical attention. Kearney does interesting world-building in her books, and is beginning in this novel to create supporting characters that are on the verge of becoming three-dimensional. Unfortunately, the world-building never fully happens. She shortchanges some of her plot, and, especially, short-hands the description and development of many bad guys, making them generically eeeeeevil rather than providing true motivation for their bad deeds. The same issue exists with the love story. There is a certain amount of hand-waving done in order to progress the characters' relationship, which feels forced. The love story in general feels shoehorned in, as if she were really interested in a third character's secondary plot but was contractually required to deliver a romance with a happily-ever-after (HEA) ending. Will I keep reading this series? Probably. The sci-fi plot of this book was more engaging than the last, and I'm curious about the world she's evolving. The books in this series have great potential to be better than they are, and like a viewer watching a mediocre first season of a television series, I'm hoping it finds its legs with the next episode.

Looks fascinating! There's so little written about early European history (besides Clan of the Cave Bear, which isn't exactly factual); this seems like a must-read.