I have a bone to pick with Kylie Griffin.
I am writing like a mad thing at the moment, in the lead up to the Romance Writer’s of Australia Conference in August. Much as I hate to limit myself in this way, I don’t have time just now to get sucked into the TBR pile.
Then Alliance Forged dropped into my lap, courtesy of a pre-order with the Book Depository.
I was strong. I turned the very pretty cover face down and took the book around to my friend’s place to let her read it first. Then, while she was busy doing something else, I read the first few pages. It was a mistake. I shamelessly brought the book home with me and finished it this morning. I couldn’t put the wretched thing down.
Curse you Kylie! I have things to do!
Oh, what? I should tell you something about the book? Okay then, here goes.
Alliance Forged is the second in the Light Blade series of stories. In terms of genre, I guess you would describe them as Paranormal Fantasy Romance, but I don’t love labels.
These stories are set in a fantasy world, occupied by the bloodthirsty (literally) Na’Reish demons, their enemies the humans and the half-breed Na’Chi, who are despised and slaughtered on sight by the former and in an uneasy alliance with the latter.
This backdrop provides plenty of drama and danger for the story and it continues from the one set up in the first book, Vengeance Born very satisfactorily, at least as far as I was concerned. (There was a bit towards the end where I gasped out loud but I can’t say any more for fear of spoilers.)
But what swept me away in this book was the central love story. I always think ‘Romance’ is a misleading title for so many of the stories one finds under this label. It implies hearts and flowers and lightness, when in fact they are mostly – and certainly in this case – stories about the magnificent, irresistible, transformative power of love.
The superhumanly strong but physically and emotionally scared Na’Chi leader, Varian, finds in the blind spiritual leader of the humans, Kymora, friendship, understanding and acceptance that moves him against his will. She offers him a peace that he thought was impossible, if he can only work out how to accept it and still be the leader his people need him to be in dark times, where threat comes from those they thought friends as well as from their traditional enemies.
In the interests of full disclosure, I should say that I bought the first one because I have known Kylie since I sat next to her in a RWA conference workshop and watched her hatch her five-year-plan to publication. I pre-ordered this one because I enjoyed the first one so much and it didn’t disappoint. If anything, I think I liked it better than the first one (but don’t tell Kylie).
The first book in the series is Vengeance Born and there is a third one scheduled, Allegiance Sworn. For more details on all three and where to buy them, click here, or on any of the photos.
So what about you? Read any good books lately?
Kylie Scott
I’m just sick of Kylie Griffin pulling these stunts. And you can bet she’s going to do it again! A little respect for people on deadlines please, Ms Griffin. Keep your wonderful lush fantasy stories to yourself in future.
Imelda Evans
Hehehe! Oh, you’re so right. Not to mention her swoon-worthy covers! I don’t know, some people just don’t know when to stop! Can’t wait to read your mayhem-laden chronicle!
kyliegriffin71
What can I say – I’m blessed with a wizard of a cover artist!
kyliegriffin71
Michelle de Rooy
Just wait til you get book 3, Ms. Scott! Then you’ll be *really* cranky with her!
Imelda Evans
Oh, you smug pre-reader you! The rest of us have to wait!
Valentina
Generally this is not my genre, but the cover is beautiful (who says nobody buys a book by the cover?) and you got me intrigued. It is on list.
Imelda Evans
I hope you enjoy it Valentina and I have to agree about the covers of this series. I would buy them for that alone!
Valentina
Looking forward to it.
Resa McConaghy
Last one was Marriage Made In Mayfair…. Oh do scripts count?
Imelda Evans
Well you could say reading novels was work for me, so yes, I think so! Any good ones?
Resa McConaghy
Well the last one was interesting, but tough to work on. It was about ex Colonel Russell Williams. He was Canadian Air force. He flew the Queen and Prime Ministers, etc. He stole women’s underwear, photographed himself in it, documenting everything. The he escalated to rape and then murder.
Imelda Evans
Whoa. Mental. I can see the hard work in it though. But what story material!
Resa McConaghy
It was called An Officer and a Murderer.
kyliegriffin71
You can pick all the bones you like with me that you want, roomie, won’t do you any good. It’s the voices in my head, I tell you – THEY’RE responsible for the adventures that lure you into turning all those pages in one sitting. Not me! (but I’m really chuffed you enjoyed Kymora & Varian’s story, I LOVED writing this one – a lot!).
Imelda Evans
I wonder if you can guess the bit that made me gasp? Will discuss when roomie-ing!
Mr. Wapojif
I think book covers are getting a bit stupid. Stupid wupid. Drench anything with a half naked Brad Pitt and out of the window goes “Don’t judge a book by its cover” as the slobbering masses get a good look. Even if you wrote a book called “Why I Am Insane and Dangerous” and put a picture of Justin Bieber up there smiling it would sell billions. If not trillions.
Imelda Evans
Now, now, sir, don’t be like that. It’s appropriate for these stories for the people to look brooding and serious, they spend most of the stories with people trying to kill them. And the exposed skin is necessary to show the markings on the skin which is one of the reasons people want to kill them.
At least, that is my rationalisation and I am sticking to it.
Besides, if that were true about covers, Kylie’s books would sell millions and that 50 Shades nonsense would sell five copies. It’s a mad, mad world out there. I don’t mind a bit of pretty on my books!
Oh, and btw, the bloke on the cover is both dangerous and a teeny bit mad at times, so your title is no so far off…
Mr. Wapojif
I accept your rationale here as rational and rationale. Book covers are always a bit hit-and-miss, I find. I have Albert Camus’ The Outsider (in French; “L’estranger de de”) and The Fall (in French; “Sacrebleu! C’est merde, oui? Je suis desole.”) with the worst covers ever. And I’ve not read 50 Shades of Pink. Nor have I read any Harry Potter. Or Dan Brown. I’m not really wiv da thymes, guv.