The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

This book had a lot of potential, but it just didn't quite achieve it. The story is based around an American Colonial history PhD student who discovers a primary source that could potentially change the way the Salem witch trials are discussed. The idea being that if people believed in witches back then, then practicing witches must leave some documentation behind, not just fear mongering propaganda created by witch hunters. So Connie Goodwin goes on a hunt for this Physick Book, which she first gets hints about among her grandmother's things. She meets a boy, falls in love. The bad guy is her PhD supervisor who wants to use the book to prove that magic actually exists in the world, and create a real Philosopher's Stone. And of course, she can actually do magic once she gets her hands on some real spells.

When I first read the summary for the book, I immediately thought "Possession" by A.S Byatt. That was such a good book, with so much depth of character, and the reader becomes so involved with the story- and the story the characters discover. But this one, just doesn't compare. There is so much potential for this to be a great book, but you can tell right off that this is Howe's first book. There isn't much subtlety to the writing, and the main character feels flat. My biggest beef with Howe is that she doesn't quite grasp the technique of "show, not tell" with character development. The first chapter is her explaining how Connie is anal and uptight without really showing it. She tries, but doesn't quite succeed. She does a better job with Connie's mother, Grace, who is a minor character but has much impact on Connie's life. Most of Connie's character development comes from comparing herself with Grace... The main plot of the story is fairly obvious, and the interludes that jump back in time to show bits of Deliverance Dane's life is kind of weird. Where Howe chooses to add these interludes don't always make sense. And she doesn't stick with one character, she writes these interludes through several points of view. I think Howe should have kept with Mercy Lawson's (Deliverance Dane's daughter) character for all the interludes, because she is the most well written character in the whole book but she doesn't have any distinct ties with the present day plot of the story. Mercy Lawson is referred to once or twice in Connie Goodwin's story arc, but the focus is still on Deliverance Dane. If they'd switched the focus to Mercy Lawson, it would have been a better story. In my opinion anyways.

Not sure I like how Connie spontaneously does magic. It adds a nice twist to the story, but it doesn't need to be there. The story was interesting on its own without the magic. The magic would have been more interesting if Howe did more with it, or incorporated it in earlier in the story rather than make half assed cracks against new aged theology.

The story's Ok, but not sure I would ever read it again.

Men of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

Yes... I admit, I have an addictive personality. But this is the last Kelley Armstrong book for the next little while, because I won't have access to her next book for at least another two months.

I picked up this book because I was under the impression that I would get to read about how Clay and Elena first met. I was wrong. I misread the intro, the Clay and Elena story is published Stories of the Otherworld instead. Men of the Otherworld is primarily about Clay and Jeremy when they were growing up and a bit about Malcolm, Jeremy's abusive father. You get to read stories from Clay's point of view, so his eccentricities are shown from his POV - where they make sense. You also get to learn more about how Jeremy turned out to be so different from his father, and how he might be a supernatural mix of some kind. The secret of the runes Jeremy draws is revealed - sort of.

Good book, but not as interesting as the other ones I've read by her... although that could be just because I was expecting something else.

Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell K. Hamilton

I feel like I sort of have an abusive relationship with Laurell K Hamilton. The first book I read of hers was Obsidian Butterfly, and it was perfect. A great balance of suspense, eroticism, and supernatural characters. Then I read her other books... Some of her more recent books have been more supernatural porn than anything with a plot. I stopped reading her books at one point because I couldn't handle one chapter of plot and four chapters of pointless sex - some of which is extremely graphic. But I keep going back because I keep hoping her books will reach that perfection again.

Before I started this blog, I picked up her most recent Anita Blake book, Skin Trade, which was supposed to be only about Anita and Jason. I thought "Wow, only one male character, there might actually be plot rather than 8-somes." And it was good. There was plot again, not as much sex, and more insight into one of the more interesting characters. So when the newest Merry Gentry book, I decided to give it a go thinking the trend would translate to her other series. I was wrong.

Despite the fact that Merry is now pregnant, and is no longer on a sex-spree trying to make babies, Divine Misdemeanors still disappoints in that it has a very vague cursory plot. There is a serial killer on the rampage killing fey in L.A, and Merry is the lead consultant on the case but that doesn't stop her from having sex with a different man in every other chapter. I feel like one of those guys who read Playboy exclusively for the articles. Of course they catch the killers, with no real effort exerted by the main characters, except worrying a lot.

And in the Merry Gentry books, LKH has this thing she does where she tries to be subtle but is afraid her readers are too stupid to catch on, so she repeats a piece of information several times until it ceases to be subtle and becomes annoying. She does this several times in this book, but the instance that stands out most in my memory is whenever Merry refers to Queen Andais in the first couple books in the series:

1. She points out that Merry must remind the Queen that they are kin so she isn't killed.


2. Merry says "Aunt Andais...."


3. The Queen points out "Merry, you're clever for reminding me of our relationship. Are you afraid I will kill you?".

I hate that. Hopefully, by writing all this about LKH, I'll remember not to read her next book, despite my hopes for her eventual improvement.