A Bookish Compulsion

This was one of those I need to kill an evening kind of books and for that purpose it did just fine. As an overall read I would lean more toward the “eh, okay” mark but as I did finish reading it, it couldn’t have been all bad.

I found the plot of Kiss in the Dark to be a stretch, the characters to be iffy and the writing itself to be lackluster. The one different thing it had going for it, a blind protagonist, was offset by refusing to face that challenge in anything but a superficial way. All-in-all this one was a bit of a bust for me.

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Touched by an Alien was a thrill-ride of a read right from the start. Unapologetically snarky and full of fun I loved Katherine “Kitty” Katt as a heroine. While following some of her antics through the plot took a heaping teaspoon of suspension of disbelief, I loved reading it and could easily forgive the wallpapered plot points for the sheer fun of reading this high-octane fast-paced joy-ride of a book. And then there was Jeff, Christopher, the parents, the Dazzlers and just for fun a monster or two.

I have to say I kinda gave this book a pass for a while because the cover looks basically as close to a bodice-ripper as you can get in a modern-day sci-fi; I only gave it a shot because I found it at Bookmans, my local used book store, and it had turned up on a number of my recommendation list. Boy am I glad I did. This was a fun book that made me think about everything from security to politics to religion and did it in such a way not once did I feel a heavy hand or feel that it was contrived. While I will admit that the plot had a lot of just-go-with-it moments, it pulled together in the end in such a way that not only am I happy, but satisfied. The passion is explosive, the action enjoyable, the characterization a pure delight and the world building will make you look at everyday things and wonder.

All around I would highly recommend anyone give Touched by an Alien a try and am happy to give it four dazzling stars.★★★★

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Kismet was a cute and heartwarming tearjerker of a novella about second chances with the one who got away. I really appreciated the realistic nature of both the problems and people in this book. It allowed that people make mistakes, some of which can be life changing, and still be good. It also broke down the myth that happily-ever-after is a gift and made it clear that the happy ending can be a goal but it is one that takes a lot of work and honest communication…this book did not have a happy ending, it had a happy new beginning which, to me, was even sweeter.

I give Kismet a tears-of-joy four stars

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Dragos Takes a Holiday was a charming novella that provided a glimpse into the lives and relationship of Dragos, Pia and Liam during some much-needed downtime. Of course with this bunch, even downtimes come with adventure…

I enjoyed Dragos Takes a Holiday the sweet moments of family, the still hot passion between Dragos and Pia and watching Liam change and grow. That is one truly awesome peanut! That said I felt that the editing was far looser for content than in any of Ms. Harrison’s previous works and while this did give a higher page count it left some of the transitions a bit clunky. This added to a plot devise that drives me a little crazy somewhat muffled my reading experience. However, even with these missteps I was still utterly enchanted by the story and the glimpse we get of three beloved characters.

I give Dragos Takes a Holiday three and a half charming stars

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I always enjoy Ms. Dawson’s Blud novellas and The Damsel and the Daggerman was no exception. Returning to Sang and the wonderful caravan of Criminy Stain, this short vignette features two new characters, Marco the “Deadly Daggerman” and Jacinda a fearless journalist. Watching the interplay between these two while also getting some background on the familiar cast at the caravan and a look at the culture at large was the best of both worlds. While I don’t know how well this story would play to those unfamiliar with the Sang universe, for those of us who love this world The Damsel and the Daggerman was an excellent installment brimming with fun, thrilling excitement and steam.

I Give The Damsel and the Daggerman a happy four stars. ★★★★