Marjorie M. Liu

The eighth collected volume of the dark fantasy comic Monstress.

I always have the same problem with this series. It's all so fantastically complicated -- in terms of plot, worldbuilding, character, and pretty much everything else -- that I manage to mostly lose track of it all in the wait between volumes. (I know, I know. A smart person would deal with this issue with a refresher re-read, or by saving the whole series up to read at once. What can I say? I am not always that smart.) The thing is, though, even when I know there are a lot of things I'm missing because I've forgotten important details, even when I'm honestly not entirely sure what's going on... Even then, it's still weirdly compelling, in its own strange, messed-up, darkly beautiful kind of way. And this volume -- which was probably even weirder than usual -- was no exception.… (mais)

“Dark Dream” by Christine Feehan

In book 6.5 of the Dark/Carpathian series, Sara Marten lives her life on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of the vampire who killed her family. Her psychic gift allows her to sense the history of an object when touching it, so she knows the fifteen-hundred-year-old diary she found as a teenager was written specifically for her. By touching the book, she can see the author’s face and translating his words over the years has kept her sane. She’s now living in Romania, trying to help a small group of psychic homeless children when the vampire once again finds her.
Falcon left his homeland a thousand years ago to protect the humans from vampires and to safeguard the Carpathian race from afar. By leaving his home, he never expected to find his lifemate, so he left behind his diary, knowing the woman he was destined for was out there somewhere. After so many years alone, he decides to end his life, but finally finds Sara as she attempts to save his life from a gang of human thieves.
I absolutely loved this book. Sara and Falcon fit perfectly together. He respects Sara and her ability to fight, knowing she can handle herself. He’s protective, of course, but not controlling like most of the other heroes are in this series.
It was great to see the series return to Europe and to see Mikhail, Raven, Jacques, and Shea again. The pacing was fast and tight. Even though this book is a novella, it told a full story with a strong, solid plot.
5 Stars

“A Dream of Stone and Shadow” by Marjorie M. Liu

In this Dirk and Steele novella, Agatha Durand works as an agent for a private paranormal detective agency and is tracking down people involved in a child porn ring. Though she finds the bad guys and saves a child, she and her partner feel as though they aren’t doing enough to help people.
Charlie is the prisoner of a witch and only finds solace after she kills him. As his body regenerates and heals, he can travel in spirit-form all around the world and eventually connects with Emma, a little girl held captive by child molesters. Desperate to help Emma, he seeks out someone tough enough to take on the girl’s captors, and he finds Aggie. As they work together to save Emma, their unlikely partnership quickly evolves into something more.
Aggie and Charlie are wonderful characters. She is a strong, kickass woman. He is just as strong and willing to sacrifice himself for others. They have instant chemistry and often bantered and joked with one another, which served to ease the tension and darkness of the overall plot.
I really liked the secondary characters. Roland (the boss), Quinn (Aggie’s partner), and Amiri (a fellow agent) were great. There’s definitely a strong sense of friendship, respect, and unity between them.
The story is realistic about child abuse, but also tastefully written. I love Ms. Liu’s crisp, flowing writing style. This story kept my attention, and I’m interested in reading more books in the series.
5 Stars

Book Overall – 5 Stars… (mais)