This e'book bundle for Kindle is a real bargain! The first three stories of the Dark Swan series in one package and sorted in proper order from Amazon. It is the story of a young Shaman who lives on the north side of Tucson and lives by banishing monsters. Her step father is both her mentor and trainer as she grows in ability and power. She is unique in being the daughter of a human woman and a strong Gentry Ruler from the other side. Her Gentry father lent her power and ability while her human mother contributes to her humanity. The stories follow her development from being a Shaman who operates mostly in the Human World to discovery of her Gentry blood which had been kept from her by her mother and step father. As she evolves into dealings with the Gentry side of her being and participates in the Gentry world, her powers develop and she discovers her father's legacy, to give birth to a child who is claimed to be the one to lead the Gentry into concurring the Human world and taking back their place ruling both worlds. The story is convoluted and includes graphic descriptions of the Dark Swan's sexual predilections. She also has a tendency towards changing allegiances over imagined slights or suspected questionable motives but, in her defense, many of her associates have hidden agendas and no qualms about using Eugenie to further their own purposes by using deception, persuasion or coercion. The story includes many interesting characters (human, Gentry and other worldly) and their interactions are a continual lever for intellectual involvement. Unfortunately, this series ends with a cliff hanger so now I have to wait for completion of the next book (due in December) to find resolution of this part of the story. It is a fun story though so read on! ( )

Storm Born : First with Vampire Academy, then with Succubus Blues, and now with Storm Born, Richelle Mead has stolen my heart through her wonderful prose, lively characters, and intriguing ideas.

In some ways Storm Born reminds me of Jim Butcher's Storm Front (odd coincidence there). Eugenie Markham is a shaman-for-hire (kind of like Harry Dresden being a wizard-for-hire), taking on the odd job of banishing spirits and gentry who disturb the human realm. But aside from some similar traits between the main characters, that's where the similarities end.

Things get sticky when a human named Wil hires her to rescue his teenage sister, who was kidnapped by gentry intent on using her body. Of course, being compassionate, Eugenie takes the job even knowing that crossing into the Otherworld to complete this task makes facing death that much more real.

Unlike her previous novels, Mead isn't shy about jumping headlong into the sex scenes. But like her previous novels they are tasteful, passionate, and written without silly euphemisms. And, like her previous novels, the concept of sex plays a larger role than just pleasure. The creatures of the Otherworld, knowing Eugenie's heritage even before she does, are intent on using her to sire a powerful heir.

Storm Born is full of fun characters, intense action, and passion that sizzles in the form of a love triangle. Eugenie is in love with Kiyo, a kitsune, but also dangerously taken by Dorian, a gentry king. Normally love triangles make this reader iffy, but Mead is one of the few who does it so well. Both Dorian and Kiyo are possessive of Eugenie, but Eugenie doesn't simply capitulate to either man's wants or desires.

In fact, Eugenie herself is my favorite aspect of the story. She's strong, witty, and highly resourceful. She may not have all the answers, and at times he has to do things that mentally scar her, but damned if she'll just give in when she can find a way around a problem. At the same time she's wonderfully flawed and makes mistakes--and the people around her aren't afraid to point it out. She's so brilliantly fleshed out and realistic--even in first person, a format I tend to loathe, Mead has created a character I want to root for and see win.

And I may be one of the only ones, but the twist involving Jasmine did honestly surprise me. It's another wonderful thing about Mead's writing--there are so many layers to her story that you know will be revealed sooner or later (maybe not in this novel, but over the course of the eventual series), that in trying to keep track of them all she manages to sneak in quite a few foreshadowing hints that still end up surprising you as a reader.
Thorn Queen : I don't think I'm going to enjoy writing this review very much, because I'm sort of torn about how I feel about the book. I really enjoyed Storm Born and was looking forward with much anticipation to Thorn Queen but I'm left feeling a bit disappointed. I want to preface my review by explaining that I think Richelle Mead is a good author and a solid story teller (no, they aren't the same thing). I find her books to have depth in both plot and characters (she's especially gifted with secondary and ancillary characters) and of the two series I've read, this one and the Georgia Kincaid series, they are generally a nice way to spend a few dollars and a few hours.

And actually, that's sort of the problem. It's ONLY a NICE way to spend them.

Technically, Mead's good. She delivers. But where Storm Born was an exciting premiere, Thorn Queen was more similar in - well - in emotional aftertaste to the Kincaid series than I would like.

I stopped reading that series after two books because there just never seemed to be enough happening that WASN'T Georgia angsting over her life as a succubus or her relationship with her boyfriend. Solid enough stories without anything truly exciting or motivating me to continue. Every time I finished one of those books I was left feeling so ambivalent that it didn't seem worth continuing.

Storm Born was a nice change. I enjoyed Eugenie Markham (except for that god-awful name - seriously - EUGENIE?) and appreciated her dilemmas as they kept piling up. The only thing I didn't like about Storm Born was her relationship with Kiyo, and it kept it from being a five star book for me. I had hope that Mead would give us a series of excitement and anticipation.

Then I read Thorn Queen.

It's NOT a bad book. In fact, like with all the Mead books I've read, it's enjoyable while going through it. For some reason, it's when I put Mead's books down and really THINK about what I read that I start having problems. I don't know why. Similar to the Kincaid series, I was left feeling like most of this book had more to do with what was going on AROUND the central plot than it had to do with the plot itself - and the central plot itself just wasn't that interesting. It was a great premise - something's stealing gentry in the Thorn Queen's domain and while Eugenie struggles with her duality of self and emotion, she's got to figure out what and stop it while she also keeps the land alive, her people fed, and her humanity guarded.

Yeah. GREAT premise. Not so great execution.

It's not as action packed as the first. It's not as tense as the first. It's not as well-paced as the first. AND it's still got Kiyo, who I went from mildly disliking to actively detesting in this book. And Eugenie lost a lot of her charm for me too.

I'm just not sure how to sustain belief in the strength of a main character who has a smothering and overprotective lover who lacks any comprehension of her core self. A lover who keeps trying to guide her away from the inevitable. A lover who spends almost all his time with his pregnant ex - without ever giving Eugenie a reason why that relationship is history, or how ancient it is, now that I think about it - and it sure as hell wasn't THAT ancient if the fantabulous Queen Maiwenn was so early along in the pregnancy that she wasn't even showing at first. Then when she does start showing, Kiyo expects Eugenie to make nice with Maiwenn and her impending kit. After lying to Eugenie about it from the beginning. Uh. Yeah.

I'm understanding and all, but sheesh, if Eugenie bent herself any more for this guy, you could salt her and sell her at ball parks.

Not to mention that as far as whirlwind romances go, the one between Eugenie and Kiyo sucks. They couldn't be more incompatible. Unfortunately, the development of that relationship in Thorn Queen and the resolution that followed was neither interesting, healthy, nor adult. Unfortunately, it also didn't feel like that solid of a resolution because Eugenie is the QUEEN alright - but it's of emotional indecision.

That being said - I love Dorian. Love him. He's SO deliciously self serving yet devoted. So layered. You know exactly where you stand with Dorian, because he'll tell you - whether you want him to or not. He's FILLED with his own agenda, and yet...

*Small Spoiler*
...when he tells Eugenie that he wouldn't care if she rules the Otherworld or goes back to just exorcising spirits, he's never letting what happened to her happen again, I just smiled.

*End Spoiler*

Here's a guy who loves her, supports her, is interested in helping her, and regardless of her choice in the baby department, still wants to be with her. Not to mention he's an adult that understands that life is never black and white. Black and white is for children. Life is all about managing the gray areas as best you can until you die.

Um. Yeah. Run in the other direction, Eugenie, he's BAD for you!! Just...send him MY way.

*Rolls her eyes*

I'd love, though, if just once Eugenie - when facing a plethora of smothering protectors and erstwhile defenders - would just look at them and say, "Thanks guys, I appreciate it and all, but I can kick my own asses. Fight beside me. Watch my back while I watch yours. Help me all you want and I'll do the same for you, but the only PROTECTION I need is some Coppertone SPF70."

Maybe Eugenie will get there someday.

That day was not today.
Iron Crowned: I liked the first two books in this series, quite a lot.
I liked the main character, Eugenie, during those first two books, quite a lot. (Her name, on the other hand, I've never liked, but you can't have everything)

And then there was THIS.
After months of anticipation, I finally had the book, and....

------------------Spoilers Below-------------------------

At first all is well; our heroine is doing her thing, and being queen-like when she needs to be, and basically seems to be growing into her responsibilities quite well (while still enjoying herself on occasion).

Then, things go off the rails.
During the 'realization scene', where she suddenly has the horrible realization that ::GASP!!!:: Dorian has acting in a completely Dorian-like fashion, by manipulating her (in such a way as to make her more powerful, in such a way as to end the war--just as she wanted--, and in no way whatsoever as a betrayal of her)....
Well, that was the exact moment when the plot of the book drove into a massive hole in the road which jarred me completely out of the story.
Seriously, it seemed to me EXACTLY as if, while outlining this book in preparation for writing it, Richelle Mead had at one point written "And then, right about here, Eugenie has to do another 180 degree turn, and decide she hates Dorian, and wants Kiyo again. (don't worry about all of the very excellent reasons she left him; that was all the way in the last book, and my readers will have forgotten alllllll about that by the time they read this one).

The speed with which she decides to throw away her relationship with the man who has unfailingly supported her, in favor of the one who has NOT, is just dizzying. The speed with which she drops her pants and leaps into a session of nasty sex with Kiyo, as 'revenge' on Dorian, is sickening.
Yes, I completely and totally agree that it's her body, and her life, and she can do whatever she wants, but this turn of events read as SO irrational, and so bizarre, given what had happened up to that point, that it just made her look like a vile, sleezy, all-around beotch.

I lost a LOT of respect for Eugenie after that; to be perfectly honest, roughly 60% of my enthusiasm for reading the rest of the book vanished at that point.

As for the Pregnancy issue... again, I was very, very disappointed. She'd made her statements, over and over and over again, regarding what she would do if she were forced to deal with this situation. And yet, when the time came, her iron resolve vanishes in an instant.
This person only vaguely resembles the character I followed through the first two books, and I find I dislike this new version quite a lot.

Even leaving aside the problems with the main character, the 'Quest' she undertakes is frankly laughable. For something so awesomely powerful, the Iron Crown is 'guarded' by a set of obstacles that any competent adventurer could best in her sleep. Certainly it nearly put ME to sleep (failing mainly because it was over so quickly; I barely had time to close my eyes before it was over).

I seriously doubt that I'll buy the next book in this series, unless I find it in a bookstore and skim the first chapter to find some seriously impressive stuff to change my mind. ( )