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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed Bayou Moon, although not quite as much as On The Edge. William, who was in the first book, is endearing in this book due to the life he has led up to this point--plus he is a shifter which is pretty entertaining. There was more action and fighting situations in this book, with more creepy creatures--not really the aspect which draws me in the most which made it not quite as good as the first book. I also felt the ending of the book was a bit rushed whereas other parts of the book could have been handled that way instead. Overall, well written and entertaining and I look forward to book 3.
Lord William is a changeling wolf, given to the State by his mother, at birth, to be turned into a killing machine for Adriananglia. He was adopted by Lord Caslon to prevent his death after he was court-martial end for disobeying orders. Now he lives in the Broken, working construction, denying his magic. The Mirror, the spy service of Adriananglia, seeks him out to go into the Mire to find a band of assassins from the kingdom of Louisiana. Louisiana wants to start a war with Adriananglia and they are seeking a journal that contains a dark secret. Cerise Mar is part of the crew heading into the Mire and William and Cerise team up to find the band of assassins and protect Cerise's family. Great world-building and character development as Cerise and William fight their attraction and then succumb to it. Love really can conquer all. Great set of secondary characters as the reader meets Cerise's eccentric family. Very enjoyable read.
I was a little disappointed by this second novel in The Edge series. I had read so many reviews that it was better than the first. Don't get me wrong. I liked it, but not as much as the first one. Maybe it's because I liked Declan and Rose better. Maybe it's because I was in the mood for PNR and the first was PNR the way I'd imagine Ilona Andrews to do. But this one was definitely UF. It was also a little long. I think they got a little lost toward the end. After the big battle when William makes his deal with the Mirror, it just happens. Off stage. It was weird. It was like they realized the novel was already getting too long and just decided to cut that scene out for the sake for keeping the book shorter.
That all being said, I'll read the next one. This time I'll go with the attitude that it's just like Kate Daniels - UF with a little romance.
That all being said, I'll read the next one. This time I'll go with the attitude that it's just like Kate Daniels - UF with a little romance.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ilona Andrews books are the work of a solid writing team, and though I tend to avoid most paranormal romance, I thought it was time to give their Edge series a try. [b:On the Edge|6329547|On the Edge (The Edge, #1)|Ilona Andrews|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1307445575s/6329547.jpg|6515186] went well, though it seemed a bit Kate Daniels Lite--milk chocolate version. Bayou Moon, on the other hand, is Kate Daniels Special Dark--dark chocolate version.
It begins with William, the wolf-shape changer from On the Edge. It's a couple years later and he's hanging in the Broken, working flooring jobs and drinking beer. A noble from the Weird comes to see him and enlist him in the cause to bring down the lead spymaster for the opposing team. William's unable to resist the offer, as he's been on William's personal to-kill list for years. At the same time, Cerise is working to keep her family's fiances together when her parents disappear. They live in a multi-generation household in The Mire, an Edge area known for extensive swamps and a very insular lifestyle. Apparently the family's arch-enemies have decided to re-open the feud by laying claim to her grandparent's old house. She needs to journey to the Broken to retrieve some documents. Her return trip and William's entry into the Mire coincide. They work together to navigate the Mire, and on their respective missions, dancing around their attraction for each other.
Narrative flows fairly smoothly, largely with alternating viewpoints between William and Cerise, with occasional intrusions by the Spymaster. Plot moves fairly fast and is generally straightforward, with heavy emphasis on action scenes. There is a significant amount of physical fighting in this book with particular techniques described.
The setting is clearly modeled on the marshy, changeable waterways of deep swamps and is always atmospheric. Both William and Cerise have a connection to the natural world, although for different reasons, and their likes and dislikes of the area help bring it alive. The world-building is generally solid with more focus on the weird creatures than on personal magic or spells. However, there's some mutation-type magic employed by the Spymaster and his country that adds a fearsome, freaky angle to the story. There's some mildly confusing Weird politics between the two countries and their spy agencies, the Hand and the Mirror, that play into the reasons for hunting the Spymaster. It's awkwardly integrated largely because William and Cerise are generally apolitical and insular, although for different reasons.
As always with Andrews, characterization and characters stand out. William's dual nature is given a realistic feel as he continually works to understand human cues and maintain 'normal' responses (much like many introverted people, I might add). Cerise's extended family is very idiosyncratic with enough development to make the reader unsure of allegiance, and even those with brief appearances provide interest. Unlike the Kate Daniels series, body count of both friend and foe is high--these are life-and-death matters, so there's an appropriate cost. It might be a shock to those fans of Daniels who rarely encounter a death of characters on the side of 'good.'
For me, it was a solid diversion. I wanted an immersive read in an interesting world without intellectual or emotional commitment. For fans of romance, I'm not entirely sure it would satisfy; because both Cerise and William are who they are, it takes a long time for them to acknowledge their mutual attraction. On the other hand, as a non-romance reader, I appreciated the relatively uncomplicated romance structure. It also has almost equal emphasis on action/fighting. Overall, enjoyable and slightly more intriguing than On the Edge.
Three and a half dark chocolate kisses.
It begins with William, the wolf-shape changer from On the Edge. It's a couple years later and he's hanging in the Broken, working flooring jobs and drinking beer. A noble from the Weird comes to see him and enlist him in the cause to bring down the lead spymaster for the opposing team. William's unable to resist the offer, as he's been on William's personal to-kill list for years. At the same time, Cerise is working to keep her family's fiances together when her parents disappear. They live in a multi-generation household in The Mire, an Edge area known for extensive swamps and a very insular lifestyle. Apparently the family's arch-enemies have decided to re-open the feud by laying claim to her grandparent's old house. She needs to journey to the Broken to retrieve some documents. Her return trip and William's entry into the Mire coincide. They work together to navigate the Mire, and on their respective missions, dancing around their attraction for each other.
Narrative flows fairly smoothly, largely with alternating viewpoints between William and Cerise, with occasional intrusions by the Spymaster. Plot moves fairly fast and is generally straightforward, with heavy emphasis on action scenes. There is a significant amount of physical fighting in this book with particular techniques described.
The setting is clearly modeled on the marshy, changeable waterways of deep swamps and is always atmospheric. Both William and Cerise have a connection to the natural world, although for different reasons, and their likes and dislikes of the area help bring it alive. The world-building is generally solid with more focus on the weird creatures than on personal magic or spells. However, there's some mutation-type magic employed by the Spymaster and his country that adds a fearsome, freaky angle to the story. There's some mildly confusing Weird politics between the two countries and their spy agencies, the Hand and the Mirror, that play into the reasons for hunting the Spymaster. It's awkwardly integrated largely because William and Cerise are generally apolitical and insular, although for different reasons.
As always with Andrews, characterization and characters stand out. William's dual nature is given a realistic feel as he continually works to understand human cues and maintain 'normal' responses (much like many introverted people, I might add). Cerise's extended family is very idiosyncratic with enough development to make the reader unsure of allegiance, and even those with brief appearances provide interest. Unlike the Kate Daniels series, body count of both friend and foe is high--these are life-and-death matters, so there's an appropriate cost. It might be a shock to those fans of Daniels who rarely encounter a death of characters on the side of 'good.'
For me, it was a solid diversion. I wanted an immersive read in an interesting world without intellectual or emotional commitment. For fans of romance, I'm not entirely sure it would satisfy; because both Cerise and William are who they are, it takes a long time for them to acknowledge their mutual attraction. On the other hand, as a non-romance reader, I appreciated the relatively uncomplicated romance structure. It also has almost equal emphasis on action/fighting. Overall, enjoyable and slightly more intriguing than On the Edge.
Three and a half dark chocolate kisses.
I loved this! The audio was well done. Last time I wasn't thrilled with the way the narrator did the hero's voice, but liked her voice for William. I felt the romance was much stronger than in book 1. Again, this is not filled with sex scenes, but the tension between these two was palpable. I thought they were were a perfect match.
This is a very complex and long story with a large cast of supporting characters. Not a light listen/read. You need to be in the mood to pay attention. There were several climactic points. I was on the edge of my seat from the time they arrived back in the Mire. Definitely a story I don't want to spoil for anyone.
The characterizations were very well done. Humor and good banter are balanced well with the desperate situation and characters who were complex and often flawed. The villains were just plain CREEPY. The writing really gave me a feel for how they looked and acted. There was definitely a strong horror element here. I thought it was interesting that the book began with William and his comic book superhero figures, because he ends up going into battle against freaky villains worthy of any comic/graphic novel.
This is a very complex and long story with a large cast of supporting characters. Not a light listen/read. You need to be in the mood to pay attention. There were several climactic points. I was on the edge of my seat from the time they arrived back in the Mire. Definitely a story I don't want to spoil for anyone.
The characterizations were very well done. Humor and good banter are balanced well with the desperate situation and characters who were complex and often flawed. The villains were just plain CREEPY. The writing really gave me a feel for how they looked and acted. There was definitely a strong horror element here. I thought it was interesting that the book began with William and his comic book superhero figures, because he ends up going into battle against freaky villains worthy of any comic/graphic novel.
I was a bit disappointed to see the main characters from the other book go (although they do pop up briefly at the end.) On the other hand, changing main characters does make for a more interesting, and more self-contained storyline in each book. Fascinating hero and great clan/family.
This book took me three months to slog through. Admittedly I did have to return it to the library and wait for someone else to finish it during that time and I also left it at home during a half-week vacation, but STILL.
The Edge novels have been a struggle for me because they've got this low income rural feel to them that I struggle to relate to personally. Bayou Moon was so much worse because it centers on this stupid feud between two families, and I didn't care about anyone at all in the rather large cast. It dragged until the last quarter or so when the actual battle finally went down as well as the explanation of what everyone was looking for.
Bayou Moon definitely isn't a bad book, but this series doesn't really work for me personally with it's bayous and gun-toting rival families.
The Edge novels have been a struggle for me because they've got this low income rural feel to them that I struggle to relate to personally. Bayou Moon was so much worse because it centers on this stupid feud between two families, and I didn't care about anyone at all in the rather large cast. It dragged until the last quarter or so when the actual battle finally went down as well as the explanation of what everyone was looking for.
Bayou Moon definitely isn't a bad book, but this series doesn't really work for me personally with it's bayous and gun-toting rival families.
I am enjoying this series very much. I do not have much to say except that the writing and story are top notched and original. I would count this as one of my favorite UF/PNR series.