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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
Dream Eyes feels tighter and more cohesive than the first Dark Legacy book, last January’s Copper Beach, despite its two loosely-connected plots. Plot A, which bookends the main story, deals with Judson Coppersmith’s discovery of a body and his harrowing escape from an underwater cave. This experience has left him with frequent and disturbing nightmares. Plot B, the main part of the book, focuses on the mystery surrounding the death of Gwen Frazier’s mentor, which may be related to a series of paranormal murders which ended three years earlier… or did they?
If you’ve read Copper Beach, you’ll recognize Judson and Gwen; Judson is CB hero Sam’s brother, while Gwen is heroine Abby’s close friend and “sister.” At Abby’s request, Judson is sent to protect Gwen and help her solve the mystery of Evelyn’s death. Tying the two plots together, Gwen’s psychic abilities allow her to help Judson deal with his nightmares.
One of the things that irked me about Copper Beach was that it ignored the whole paranormal framework Krentz had built up through the Arcane Society series, yet the psychic or paranormal elements were surprisingly similar. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that there are hints in Dream Eyes that the Dark Legacy series may be more closely related to the Arcane Society books than I had thought. That shed a little retrospective light on some of the things that bothered me in Copper Beach, and made Dream Eyes feel a bit more grounded.
I like Krentz’s fast pace and tight suspense, and both are evident in Dream Eyes. The romance follows her usual formula: alpha-male hero and feisty heroine, irresistibly drawn together by danger. It may be formulaic, but it usually works, and this book is no exception, though the focus is a little more on the suspense and a tad less on the romance than usual. I liked also secondary character Nick Sawyer, gifted cat burglar and wisecracking “brother” to both Abby and Gwen. (Alas, Nick is unlikely to get his own book, since he’s gay and Krentz’s main characters are always strongly heterosexual. But he makes a great side character.)
All in all, I give Dream Eyes a qualified thumbs-up. It’s a quick and absorbing read, an enjoyable escape from everyday life.
FCC disclosure: I borrowed this from the public library.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
Dream Eyes feels tighter and more cohesive than the first Dark Legacy book, last January’s Copper Beach, despite its two loosely-connected plots. Plot A, which bookends the main story, deals with Judson Coppersmith’s discovery of a body and his harrowing escape from an underwater cave. This experience has left him with frequent and disturbing nightmares. Plot B, the main part of the book, focuses on the mystery surrounding the death of Gwen Frazier’s mentor, which may be related to a series of paranormal murders which ended three years earlier… or did they?
If you’ve read Copper Beach, you’ll recognize Judson and Gwen; Judson is CB hero Sam’s brother, while Gwen is heroine Abby’s close friend and “sister.” At Abby’s request, Judson is sent to protect Gwen and help her solve the mystery of Evelyn’s death. Tying the two plots together, Gwen’s psychic abilities allow her to help Judson deal with his nightmares.
One of the things that irked me about Copper Beach was that it ignored the whole paranormal framework Krentz had built up through the Arcane Society series, yet the psychic or paranormal elements were surprisingly similar. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that there are hints in Dream Eyes that the Dark Legacy series may be more closely related to the Arcane Society books than I had thought. That shed a little retrospective light on some of the things that bothered me in Copper Beach, and made Dream Eyes feel a bit more grounded.
I like Krentz’s fast pace and tight suspense, and both are evident in Dream Eyes. The romance follows her usual formula: alpha-male hero and feisty heroine, irresistibly drawn together by danger. It may be formulaic, but it usually works, and this book is no exception, though the focus is a little more on the suspense and a tad less on the romance than usual. I liked also secondary character Nick Sawyer, gifted cat burglar and wisecracking “brother” to both Abby and Gwen. (Alas, Nick is unlikely to get his own book, since he’s gay and Krentz’s main characters are always strongly heterosexual. But he makes a great side character.)
All in all, I give Dream Eyes a qualified thumbs-up. It’s a quick and absorbing read, an enjoyable escape from everyday life.
FCC disclosure: I borrowed this from the public library.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
A good solid 3.5. Not quite upto 4* as I didn't enjoy as much as book 1
Again, delivers elements expected - mystery, paranormal, bit of romance, good unusual supporting characters - in this new story series. great writing style, easy to read despite all the para bits to get my head around (or maybe just read too many of her books!)
I think I still prefer the Jones and Jones/Arcane stories, in particular the historicals.
Again, delivers elements expected - mystery, paranormal, bit of romance, good unusual supporting characters - in this new story series. great writing style, easy to read despite all the para bits to get my head around (or maybe just read too many of her books!)
I think I still prefer the Jones and Jones/Arcane stories, in particular the historicals.
Dark Legacy 2 Arcane Society 15
Gwen Frazier finds herself in the middle of a nightmare when she's called back to Wilby, Oregon, by an old friend. She finds the woman dead, a victim of psychic murder. Two years earlier there had been similar deaths, but the killer had supposedly died as well, so who is behind this death? She calls in Judson Coppersmith to help find the murderer. Judson, brother of Sam from the last book, is dealing with his own nightmares after barely escaping alive from an underwater cave. The situation becomes more complicated when the sparks fly between Gwen and Judson, especially as the deaths continue and another dangerous crystal from the Phoenix mine appears.
Before I get into my review, may I say how much I love Nick Sawyer, the protective childhood friend ob both Abby and Gwen? He deserves his own book and happily ever after partner, but as he is gay, I wonder if we'll ever see that? Maybe a novella?
I liked this story quite a bit even if the coincidence alert meter was going off the charts in regards to all the people involved converging on one small town. Gwen and Judson are nice characters, well developed even if Judson doesn't have that extreme dangerous edge to him like many of JAK's alpha heroes lately. The storylines are beginning to converge here with the Arcane Society war with Nightshade and their power enhancing drugs. I have to give this one 3.5 out of 5.
Gwen Frazier finds herself in the middle of a nightmare when she's called back to Wilby, Oregon, by an old friend. She finds the woman dead, a victim of psychic murder. Two years earlier there had been similar deaths, but the killer had supposedly died as well, so who is behind this death? She calls in Judson Coppersmith to help find the murderer. Judson, brother of Sam from the last book, is dealing with his own nightmares after barely escaping alive from an underwater cave. The situation becomes more complicated when the sparks fly between Gwen and Judson, especially as the deaths continue and another dangerous crystal from the Phoenix mine appears.
Before I get into my review, may I say how much I love Nick Sawyer, the protective childhood friend ob both Abby and Gwen? He deserves his own book and happily ever after partner, but as he is gay, I wonder if we'll ever see that? Maybe a novella?
I liked this story quite a bit even if the coincidence alert meter was going off the charts in regards to all the people involved converging on one small town. Gwen and Judson are nice characters, well developed even if Judson doesn't have that extreme dangerous edge to him like many of JAK's alpha heroes lately. The storylines are beginning to converge here with the Arcane Society war with Nightshade and their power enhancing drugs. I have to give this one 3.5 out of 5.
3.5 stars
I am very torn on this book. It was back to form, in a way, for Ms. Krentz -- not the plodding, terribly written mess that the Ladies of Lantern Street has become. However, I was initially annoyed that this is starting to so clearly retread the Arcane themes -- "Founder's Formula" and all -- that I was annoyed by the awkwardness of it. It's slightly redeemed by confirming that this series exists in the same universe as the Arcane series, so she isn't setting up, effectively, a second Arcane Series minus the Arcane.
Although I will say this is at least the second, if not the third or fourth, book where the woman is like, "Yeah, I'm going to go into direct competition with the dude I'm sleeping with and set up an independent psychic investigation practice without discussing it with anyone or contemplating the notion that we might just partner up," which is idiotic on every level and really makes me dislike the female leads.
Also, why do they keep repeating the "professional psychic investigator" line? And the seven million variants of "investigate" that awkwardly litter the dialogue -- is anyone so precise and repetitive when they speak? Once it's been established that a) these people investigate things for a living b) they are psychic and c) they are currently investigating a murder you can stop reminding me of those three things on EVERY PAGE.
The book took a real blow in my estimation when, in the final scene at Gabby & Sam's wedding, she refers to Gwen, as a bridesmaid, looking at something from under the "brim of her lace and bow hat." A LACE AND BOW HAT???? WITH A BRIM????? That's appalling and demonstrates a terrible lack of taste and judgment from writer to editor to allow that to stand.
I am very torn on this book. It was back to form, in a way, for Ms. Krentz -- not the plodding, terribly written mess that the Ladies of Lantern Street has become. However, I was initially annoyed that this is starting to so clearly retread the Arcane themes -- "Founder's Formula" and all -- that I was annoyed by the awkwardness of it. It's slightly redeemed by confirming that this series exists in the same universe as the Arcane series, so she isn't setting up, effectively, a second Arcane Series minus the Arcane.
Although I will say this is at least the second, if not the third or fourth, book where the woman is like, "Yeah, I'm going to go into direct competition with the dude I'm sleeping with and set up an independent psychic investigation practice without discussing it with anyone or contemplating the notion that we might just partner up," which is idiotic on every level and really makes me dislike the female leads.
Also, why do they keep repeating the "professional psychic investigator" line? And the seven million variants of "investigate" that awkwardly litter the dialogue -- is anyone so precise and repetitive when they speak? Once it's been established that a) these people investigate things for a living b) they are psychic and c) they are currently investigating a murder you can stop reminding me of those three things on EVERY PAGE.
The book took a real blow in my estimation when, in the final scene at Gabby & Sam's wedding, she refers to Gwen, as a bridesmaid, looking at something from under the "brim of her lace and bow hat." A LACE AND BOW HAT???? WITH A BRIM????? That's appalling and demonstrates a terrible lack of taste and judgment from writer to editor to allow that to stand.
In the first book of the series, Judson Coppersmith's (biological) brother fell in love with Gwen Frazier's (found family) sister. When Gwen's mentor dies leaving a ghost alleging murder behind, Gwen knows who to call for help. Her sister. And of course her soon-to-be brother-in-law asks his own brother for help.
Judson just experienced a burn out and isn't sure that he's really healed. But he really liked Gwen and figures, why not. He can at least provide some muscle for the woman who intrigued him until she started viewing him as one of her psychic counseling clients. But maybe that was a misunderstanding and he's going to have some time to figure that out.
It is quite swift that the two fall into bed and then love but Krentz is a good author. This may not be her best book but very few of her books aren't worth reading at all.
Judson just experienced a burn out and isn't sure that he's really healed. But he really liked Gwen and figures, why not. He can at least provide some muscle for the woman who intrigued him until she started viewing him as one of her psychic counseling clients. But maybe that was a misunderstanding and he's going to have some time to figure that out.
It is quite swift that the two fall into bed and then love but Krentz is a good author. This may not be her best book but very few of her books aren't worth reading at all.
I've been a longtime reader of JAK's work and am both familiar and comfortable with her writing tendencies -- the "sleek" heroine, the hero in half-boots, the repeated descriptions of things being amber or gray, how she's so skilled at portraying dynamic characters who interact in (usually) delightful ways, how she's not so skilled at the mystery element (though saying that, I'm not a fan of the cozy mystery genre). In that sense, this book hits every note I expected. It doesn't really go beyond that, though.
2.5. So, this was a book club book. I don’t normally read romance (though this is not strict romance) and I definitely do not read anything related to paranormal, psi driven topics - so a novel about a killer with a paranormal murder weapon, a psychic therapist who can help you with your dreams scapes and talking to ghosts who has a romance with another psychic investigator was way out there for me. It was an interesting story and I like the characters but it just wasn’t my cup of tea . I can understand the draw, but it is not a series I will continue with, only because of my personal tastes.
I very much enjoyed this book over the previous one in this series. I had felt like she was recycling. Using old themes and plots with no connection to the worlds she had created. Well those worlds meet in this one and it very much worked for me.
I'm a sucker for all of Jayne's books. Sometimes I get so excited about them that I'm a little disappointed when I sit down to read them because my expectation level is so darned high.
This is the second dark legacy book I've read, and this isn't my favorite series she's done by any means, but nothing is wrong with it. It's just different. There seems to be a lot more talking and a lot less action. Again, nothing wrong with that kind of book.
And it was a bit odd to read something that had a paranormal element and wasn't connected to her Arcane Society books - until she brought Fallon Jones in near the end of the story. I have a feeling she's world building again, folks. Who knows where we will go next!
For all my rambling, I enjoyed this book. And as a writer, one of the most fun things for me is to go back and deconstruct her books to find out how she did it. That's usually when I get sucked into the story again and realize I'll have to read it yet again.
And I paid a ton of money for this book thinking I would save it for holiday travels. Not so. I had to read it right away...
This is the second dark legacy book I've read, and this isn't my favorite series she's done by any means, but nothing is wrong with it. It's just different. There seems to be a lot more talking and a lot less action. Again, nothing wrong with that kind of book.
And it was a bit odd to read something that had a paranormal element and wasn't connected to her Arcane Society books - until she brought Fallon Jones in near the end of the story. I have a feeling she's world building again, folks. Who knows where we will go next!
For all my rambling, I enjoyed this book. And as a writer, one of the most fun things for me is to go back and deconstruct her books to find out how she did it. That's usually when I get sucked into the story again and realize I'll have to read it yet again.
And I paid a ton of money for this book thinking I would save it for holiday travels. Not so. I had to read it right away...
No-nonsense heroine, broody I-am-a-strong-man-and-show-no-weakness hero. I think the best point of the book was that hero finally (with some help) copped on that letting heroine to help with his issues does not make him weak and actually lays solid foundation of trust for the relationship.
Story flows quickly, a lot happens, no major stalling points.
Oh, and there's serial killers. Several. You're welcome.
Story flows quickly, a lot happens, no major stalling points.
Oh, and there's serial killers. Several. You're welcome.