Reviewing Heartstrings by Eressë

Heartstrings (Chronicles of Ylandre #4) by Eressë 5*
BLURB: When all else comes to naught, a steadfast heart is the only thing that stands between hope and despair.
Scions of the most powerful House in Ylandre, Ashrian Mithani and Eiren Sarvan were more than just cousins. Lovers of long standing, theirs was a bond that would have been the envy of all were it not for one glaring flaw — Ashrian’s inability to commit himself wholeheartedly to Eiren. Despite the dismay of some and the derision of others, Eiren bore his inconstancy, displaying a loyalty Ashrian seemed incapable of returning. That is, until Ashrian crossed a line and the transgression proved one Eiren could not forgive.
In the wake of grief and remorse, Ashrian seeks to make amends and win Eiren back. But something stands in his way. Or rather someone. And the irony of it all is that Ashrian can neither hate nor help befriending the Deir who is his rival for the heart of Ylandre’s most beloved physician.
My Review: If you haven't noticed yet I am working my way through the Chronicles OF Ylandre by Eressë. Oh boy are they good, she has me feeling everything her MCs do and it is getting heart wrenching. In this latest book I was so angry with Ashrian for being such a fool and yet I also felt so sorry for him as he made so many avoidable mistakes. His growth throughout the story was wonderfully portrayed. Yet again this was a story with a parallel timeline to previous ones and it was lovely seeing the events of them as they occurred in this one. It gives the reader a chance to catch up on former MCs in such away so as not to distract from the main story.

Finished my WIP and another audio book :D

I've not had any orders for my Character dolls so I decided to make myself a remnants shawl (using up oddments of wool) and today I finished it and it doesn't look too bad :D


Front and back view of shawl.

The audiobook was Until Forever Comes by Cardeno C. Narrated by Charlie David Narration 5 Story 5

Working my way through The Ylandre Chronicles

By Chance Met (Chronicles of Ylandre #3) by Eressë 5*
BLURB: A chance meeting heralds the convergence of two heretofore wildly divergent fates.
From the moment he laid eyes on the handsome Lord of Ilmaren, Naeth Orosse fell head over heels in infatuation with him. And after that first meeting in the middle of a tavern brawl in the dual-gendered realm of Ylandre, Reijir Arthanna did not forget the orphaned youth who came to his aid unasked. When fate brings them together anew, Reijir becomes Naeth’s guardian, which proves both blessing and bane when their mutual attraction is guilelessly nursed by one and distrustfully downplayed by the other.
Between attempting to ignore Naeth’s artless overtures and suppressing feelings he had long disavowed, Reijir has his hands full. But more than a title and duty were forced on this enigmatic cousin of Ylandre’s king. A less than benevolent past has left its imprint on Reijir who is as known for his cynical outlook on life as he is for his exotic features and proficiency between the sheets. Convincing him to risk his heart in love is a battle more experienced Deira than Naeth have waged and invariably lost.
Contains hermaphrodism and explicit homoerotic sexual encounters.
My Review: I am so immersed in the men of Ylandre that I can't wait to pick up the next book. This one had me grinning and crying and generally torn up by the hardships the relationship went through. I really felt for the MCs and was impressed by Eressë's ability to make them so different and interesting. One thing I really liked was how, just like in book two, the storyline ran parallel to book one, you also get to meet old characters from the previous books as they interact with the MCs of this one.

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold & Hallowed Bonds by Eresse

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga #15) by Lois McMaster Bujold 5*
BLURB: Book fifteen in the best-selling Vorkosigan series. This time the story moves away from Miles Vorkosigan, the protagonist of the earlier books, to his cousin, Captain Ivan Vorpatril.
Captain Vorpatril is happy with his relatively uneventful bachelor’s life as a staff officer to a Barrayaran admiral, assigned to the planet Komarr, far from the Byzantine court politics of his home system.
This content existence is shattered when an old friend in Barrayaran intelligence asks Ivan to protect an attractive young woman, who may be on the hit list of a criminal syndicate. Ivan’s chivalrous nature takes over, and it seems danger and adventure have once more found Captain Vorpatril.
Tej Arqua and her half-sister and servant Rish are fleeing the violent overthrow of their clan on the free-for-all planet of Jackson’s Whole. Now it seems Tej may possess a hidden secret of which even she may not be aware. It’s a secret that could corrupt the heart of a highly regarded Barayarran family and provide the final advantage to the thugs who seek to overthrow Tej’s homeworld. But none of Tej’s formidable adversaries have counted on Ivan Vorpatril. For behind Ivan’s facade of wry and self-effacing humor lies a true and cunning protector who will never leave a distressed lady in the lurch–up to and including making the ultimate sacrifice to keep her from harm.
My Review: I have loved reading about the Vorkosigans ever since I discovered Lois Bujold's stories about them but, I was still a little apprehensive that this one wouldn't be as good as it was about a cousin not a Vorkosigan. I am glad to say I needn't have been. Not only was it as good as all her other Vorkosigans stories, it was Space Opera with great big dashes of humour and action added to the pot. I loved every word of it and it was lovely to read about Ivan without him being overshadowed by the larger than life Miles Vorkosigan.


Hallowed Bond (Chronicles of Ylandre #2) by Eressë 5*
BLURB: Time and circumstances may force true lovers apart but the tie that binds them can never be fully severed.
When Dylen Teris and Riodan Leyhar meet one harsh winter in the dual-gendered realm of Ylandre, neither expects the encounter to lead to a fast friendship and abiding love. For a chasm of vastly dissimilar social stations lies between them, and not all Deira could imagine, let alone accept, such a relationship.
Circumstances eventually separate them for what seems forever only to conspire to bring them together once more in the most unlikely of places—at the court of Rohyr Essendri, Ylandre’s powerful monarch. Complicating their situation is the attraction that still lingers between them, waiting to flare once more into love. But when one is unwilling to venture his heart again or wholly forgive its breaker, it may take a king’s interference to reunite these star-crossed lovers for good.
My Review: This is the second book in a series but it can (with a little bit of a push) be considered a stand alone. Most of the background needed to understand the world is there and as it runs parallel to the first one there is a lot of overlap in timeline story. However for the best understanding it should be read after Sacred Fate anyway. A lot of people mentioned betrayal and stuff but I ignored that and am glad I did. Without giving spoilers, I can understand where they were coming from about Rio but I understood him and his reasons. Plus the story would have lost half its emotional content without it. Personally I say if you enjoyed reading book one then read it with an open mind and enjoy this one too.

More audio books

Since the last update on my audio book addiction I have listened to two more books by Elizabeth Moon, namely:

Command Decision: Vatta's War, Book 4 by Elizabeth Moon Narrated by Cynthia Holloway Story 5 Narration 5
and
Victory Conditions: Vatta's War, Book 5 by Elizabeth Moon Narrated by Cynthia Holloway Story 5 Narration 5

I have also reread Sacred Fate by Eressë in preparation for reading the rest of the series that I have finally bought. Here is my original review:


Sacred Fate (Chronicles of Ylandre #1) by Eressë 5*
BLURB: In the dual-gendered realm of Ylandre, the great divide between the high-born True Bloods and the lower-ranked Half Bloods is deemed impassable by most. Rohyr Essendri dared to cross it when he took young Lassen Idana from his provincial town and made him his paramour. Lassen perforce learned how to navigate the intricate byways of life at court. What he never expected, however, was to fall in love with Rohyr, a most inadvisable and impractical thing to do when one’s lover is sovereign ruler of the land. But anything worth having is worth fighting for, both figuratively and, as Lassen discovers, literally speaking. Contains hermaphroditism and explicit homoerotic sexual encounters.
My Review: I really loved this story. It was sufficiently different than other fantasy stuff that it had me hooked from the start. I fell for both heroes and really lived the story with them. As I have mentioned many times before I love a book that is so well written it can move me to tears and this one did that more than once. I just want to say that anyone who loves a well written story with a depth of emotion and a clarity of world building needs to read this!

n.b. My opinion hasn't changed and I am currently feeling similarly about book 2 which I am half way through.

Another Megan Derr book to add to my list

My list of great stories that I hope to read more of that is.


Of Last Resort (Princes of the Blood #1) by Megan Derr 5*
BLURB: In a kingdom ravaged by the beasts and terrors of an ancient war, the only hope against them is the army of mixed-blood beings known as the King's Legion: dragoons, shadowmarch, sorcerers, titans … and the Princes of the Blood, nigh-invincible warriors of fearsome magic and strength, their only weakness a need for pure human blood.
When his brother runs away, Raffé agrees to undergo the Blooding, but he is a pale imitation of his strong, capable brother. No one expects him to survive and become a Prince, merely to die to save the rest of his family and preserve honor.
But runaways and weaklings are the least of the kingdom’s concerns when an ancient evil returns with new tricks, and their only hope lies with knowledge long lost and a fierce bond forged in darkness …
My Review: I should have known that a book by Megan Derr would be both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. This one was certainly both. I was dragged into a world that was so dangerous but so intriguing that I was most reluctant to put the book down long enough to eat or sleep (I did both though). I loved Raffé and really felt for him and the sacrifices he made and, without giving spoilers, I can only say read the book to find out how he deals with them. If you love a book with depth of character, excellent world building and all kinds of heaven and hell scenarios then read this one, and then do like I intend, and get the following stories about the Princes Of The Blood. If they are as well written as this one it will be money well spent.

Since my last update

I have read a few shorts (rated on Goodreads) and listened to another audible book as well as read a few online stories and one very interesting Science Fiction book.

Audible book: Command Decisions by Elizabeth Moon Narrated by Cynthia Holloway Narration 5 Story 5

The Science Fiction book:


Bone Rider by J. Fally 5
BLURB: Riley Cooper is on the run. Misha Tokarev, the love of his life, turned out to be an assassin for the Russian mob, and when it comes to character flaws, Riley draws the line at premeditated murder. Alien armor system McClane is also on the run, for reasons that include accidentally crashing a space ship into Earth and evading U.S. military custody. A failed prototype, McClane was scheduled for destruction. Sabotaging the ship put an end to that, but McClane is dubbed a bone rider for good reason—he can’t live without a host body. That’s why he first stows away in Riley's truck and then in Riley himself. Their reluctant partnership soon evolves into something much more powerful—and personal—than either of them could have imagined.
Together, they embark on a road trip from hell, made all the more exciting by the government troops and mob enforcers hot on their trail. Misha is determined to win Riley back and willing to do whatever it takes to keep him safe. When hitman and alien join forces, they discover their impressive combined potential for death and destruction. It will take everything Riley has to steer them through the mess they create.
My Review: As I stated before this was a very interesting Science Fiction story. It was an unusual take on the normal kind of aliens have landed on earth storyline. I want to gush and squee like a fangirl at a pop concert but will refrain in the interests of being to mature for such nonsense. Oh to hell with it - this book is AWESOME!! It has aliens and russian mobsters as well as a laid back Texan and over reacting soldiers. What's not to get excited about? If you like an action packed Science Fiction story with a love triangle and bags of humour you need to get this book NOW!!

I have noticed a rather large omission on my reviews

Namely that I have not reviewed the audible books I have listened to since that first one and there have been so many of them.

See I listen to the books whilst doing the crochet for my shop BespokeCrochet4U and I have not been treating them as books to review. Instead I have been enjoying listening to them as entertaining stories much as I used to listen to radio shows 30+ years ago on Forces Radio in Germany.

I would try to do better and review them but I doubt that it will happen as I know I am too lazy to analyse them the way I do a book I have read.

What I can do here is list them with a rating for story and narration and try to do the same for future audible books.


Talker by Amy Lane Narrated by David Kaplan, Story 5 Narration 5

Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs Narrated by Holter Graham, Story 5 Narration 5

The Artifact by X. Aratare Narrated by Chris Patton, Story 4 Narration 4

Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov Narrated by Scott Brick Story 4 Narration 4

Star Surgeon by Alan E. Nourse Narrated by Knighton Bliss Story 4 Narration 4

The Pride of Chanur: Chanur, Book 1 by C. J. Cherryh Narrated by Dina Pearlman Story 5 Narration 5

Sackett by Louis L'Amour Narrated by David Strathairn Story 4 Narration 5

Designs of Desire by Tempeste O'Riley Narrated by Max Lehnan Story 5 Narration 5

Talker's Graduation by Amy Lane Narrated by David Kaplan Story 5 Narration 5

Talker's Redemption by Amy Lane Narrated by David Kaplan Story 5 Narration 5

Jubal Sackett by Louis L'Amour Narrated by John Curless Story 4 Narration 4

The Tomorrow Log by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller Narrated by Kevin T Collins Story 4 Narration 4

Dragon Bones: The Hurog Duology, Book 1 by Patricia Briggs Narrated by Joe Manganiello Story 4 Narration 4

Dragon Blood: The Hurog Duology, Book 2 by Patricia Briggs Narrated by Joe Manganiello Story 4 Narration 4

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi Narrated by Wil Wheaton Story 5 Narration 5

The Vortex Blaster by E. E. Doc Smith Narrated by Reed McColm Story 3 Narration 3

A Solid Core of Alpha by Amy Lane Narrated by Paul Morey Story 5 Narration 5

Brook Street: Thief by Ava March Narrated by Charlie Belmont Story 3 Narration 3

Cuckoo's Egg by C. J. Cherryh Narrated by Peter Ganim Story 5 Narration 5

Sassinak: The Planet Pirates, Book 1 by Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Moon Narrated by Ax Norman Story 5 Narration 4

The Guardian by Mary Calmes Narrated by Sean Crisden Story 4 Narration 4

Trading Danger: Vatta's War , Book 1 by Elizabeth Moon Narrated by Cynthia Holloway Story 5 Narration 5

Marque and Reprisal: Vatta's War , Book 2 by Elizabeth Moon Narrated by Cynthia Holloway Story 5 Narration 5

Engaging The Enemy: : Vatta's War , Book 3 by Elizabeth Moon Narrated by Cynthia Holloway Story 5 Narration 5

Review of Kidnapped by Megan Derr

Kidnapped (The Infinitum Government #1) by Megan Derr 4*
BLURB: Infinitum Government Code 3.18.21.512: Genetic Experimentation Shall Be Strictly Forbidden
No job is more arduous than that of Rehab Guard—those appointed to guard the many and varied prisoners within the Infinitum Government, the ruling power of a vast interplanetary alliance. To be a Rehab Guard requires very specific qualifications and years of specialized training. It is brutal, dangerous, and often thankless job—and there is nowhere else Sean would rather be. It keeps him safe, his deadly secret safely buried, and gives him a life as close to normal as he will ever come.
Until the day new prisoner arrives, a genetically-engineered Draconis with the ability to ‘match’ to a suitable magics-capable individual and boost his power. Convicted of murder, he is sentenced to Rehab for life, and no one has ever escaped from Rehab. But no one counted on the prisoner matching with Sean, who as a human should not be capable of magics…
My Review: I have begun to realise that with Megan Derr you cannot predict where the story will take you but you can guarantee it will be interesting. She writes such wonderfully good stories, with plenty of world building in even her shortest ones. In this case the world building was on par with many well known authors with hefty tomes to place the world building into. As is also usual with Megan, her characters are fully integrated within the world they inhabit with no jarring to throw you out of their story and they keep the reader glued to the page to find out what happens next. I noticed that this was billed as #1 in a series so as soon as funds allow I will be buying the rest as I can't wait to read more about The Infinitum Government.