The House of Crimson & Clover Box Set Volumes I-IV –by Sara M. Cradit

Fiction / Modern Gothic

840 pages / 3501 KB

5 Stars

The trouble with getting a box set for my kindle is I never stopped reading between books. I actually read the whole set in two days. Pulling my nose out of the kindle came only when I got to the end of Vol IV!

I don't normally read modern gothic, or gothic at all, but I thought I'd give this series a try, and I was not disappointed. I've already bought Volumes 5 & 6!

The first book, The Illusions of Eventide almost lost me at the beginning. It starts off with a primo #1 jerk about to off himself. Obviously, he didn't, as he was telling the story, but still.... Because I was settled on the sofa, with a fresh cup of coffee and a snuggly cat, I decided to keep reading, and was introduced to a cast of characters that were and are some of the most interesting folk around. By the time I finished Book 1, I could hardly wait to get into Book II to find out what happened. Alas, Book II went in a different, though connected direction. I'm hoping Books 5 & 6 bring us full circle and tie up the loose ends ;-)

These stories are told by the characters, each chapter is by a different character, some chapters go back in time, most are modern. I enjoy this style of story telling, and had no problem keeping up as Ms. Cradit did a great job of telling us who was speaking, chapter-by-chapter. The world of gothic New Orleans is expertly crafted as the families Deschanel and Sullivan work to solve, and end, the Curse their ancestress, Brigitte placed upon them shortly after the War Between the States.

It has been many years since I've read Anne Rice, and I'm not sure how accurate my memory of her books are, and these books take place primarily in New Orleans and surrounding area, but I am reminded of Ms. Rice's books – in a positive way. Make no mistake, Ms. Cradit tells her own story, and she does it well. But, if you are a fan of Anne Rice, I truly think you will enjoy these books.

Volumes 5 & 6 await in my Kindle, so please forgive me for not writing more here, I have important words to read, curses to end, friends who are calling for my attention.

Myri's Hands --by Jane Roop

Fiction / Paranormal Fantasy

143 pages / 2688 KB

4 stars

Myri's mother died when Myri was three, her father, a trucker, died a year before the story takes place. He left her the home, the land, and an old pickup truck he told her was worth its weight in gold. He left her no money, and she worked two jobs just to make ends meet.

But, Myri is different. Her hands often burn for no reason, and whatever she reaches for flies to them. She sees Ruby, a spirit who shows up when people die, to help them make the transition from life to death. She sees the life force of people, and she sees it go from colorful to black when they die.

She wants to go to culinary school but due to weather and other happenings arrives too late to be allowed to take the test. She really needs to find a way to support herself besides working in the hardware store part time, or at the winery part time. At the winery, she finds herself helping in a very odd and strange wedding, and then is given a week-end at the ocean, where even more strangeness happens.

Myri, like her writer, lives in Kennewick, Washington. The places Ms. Roop writes about are real, whether in Kennewick, Walla Walla, or the ocean.

Myri's Hands is a great read. My biggest complaint is it's too short. I want more of Myri, her hands, her life. I think this is a delightful book, and the first, I hope, of a series.