Devine Misdemeanors - Reveiwers Duel
JASMINE: A crime to print! This book needs work - an editor who is willing to edit - and some direction. Where did this book take us in the Merry Gentry series? NOWHERE! I look to the series for palace espionage, not rushed contrived murder mysteries.
DONI: There are some redeeming qualities Jasmine. We saw a lot more of the players in the story. There of course is Barinthus Merry's father's right hand man.
JAS: I found nothing intriguing in this novel and I am a fan, or perhaps I should say former fan of the Merry series.
DONI: Well there was intrigue, Barinthus's temper, they thought one of their inside court was a threat, it turned out that they were wrong, but the entirety of the demi fey were at risk having a psychotic demi fey that want to kill you and rip the unborn children from your belly is pretty intriguing For a while they thought that Barinthus had turned on them.
JAS: Do I care?
DONI: I did, and the Sex was mostly awesome.
JAS: All the previous books talked about Adonis and the Court as the big bad. One crazy demi fey does not compare. No villain, no threat, no care. Bored.
DONI: Crazy demi fey, crazy human who wanted to have sex with the demi fey, a 7 ft fairy with a bad temper who thinks Merry made a mistake not taking the crown and whom some of her men think might have turned on her, plus the really hot sex, I say print. I was not bored, I was entertained. All the murdered fey when you are one is very bad juju.
Jas: Fine then why make it so jumpy within the larger narrative? I want Merry in court. The books where she is not tend to be a bunch of sex and little else.
DONI: perhaps it is the authors intentions was to get away from the "Court" and the psycho aunt for a while. Come on Jasmine there has to be something that you liked?
JAS: Nothing comes to mind. You could loose almost all of the first 120 pages. Chapters 22, 23, 34,35, there might even be a few more in there that can go forever. Chop chop, don't need those.
DONI: Perhaps the author is setting it up so that there is a new Court and new Palace in LA with a different set of villains and assassins, and whats wrong with Rhys and sex sanctioned by the goddess for a specific purpose. Now there was some intrigue, they almost drowned in the ocean.
JAS: Fine, but if we are setting up a new "World" for Merry and the men it was poorly done. I was at no point engaged with the elements surrounding Merry's new life. Though I think Fairy Godmother could be a fun new opponent, but she too was poorly used in this story. There was no impact as she insults Merry and Merry takes it, never addressing how it undermines her power in LA.
DONI: Perhaps this was just the start as you said yourself, the time line did not progress very far in the world of Merry Gentry in this book. Rhys has new "digs" so to speak perhaps this is just the beginning. I Love Merry's men, to me they are engaging. Perhaps this is just the set up for the big bad fairy godmother of LA to attack. The passion in the story is palpable I think that they are just being cautious due to the pregnancy, take away the men take away the demi fey, take away all the elements that make Merry and what do you have? Merry staring into a blank page.
JAS: You don't think Merry is interesting enough to fill the blank pages?
DONI: By herself no. With her court of men that have always been a part of the story, yes. Don't get me wrong, there are things that I would change as well. Merry as a Private Faerie Detective I would buy without the men, but then the faerie realm and a lot of other things from the first book on would have to change. Merry as Queen of the faerie world would not unless she was as ruthless as Andais. I don't buy it. It is the combination of the men in her life as well as her circumstances that make up the Merry Gentry series that we know of.
JAS: Fine, I get it. Flesh, blood, love, and sex. They are all there in the story. Just thought they could all have been worked in better.
DONI: Right, but like I said it is not perfect. There are things that I would like to have seen done a bit differently, but... I am not the author, or the editor, or the publisher. I am just the reader, who read the book from the library, and probably will not buy this book like I have the others because of the things that I would have done differently. I think that so often these days that the quality of many books has declined in favor of speed and volume. All right I am off my soap box now LOL.
TERRY KATE: So in conclusion Ladies, what do you say?
JAS: This book is not worth the cash. About 40 pages of it works towards the Merry plot line I have spent books following.
DONI: Read it, get it from the library, buy it used, or borrow it. Even I am not sure whether I would buy it and I am a collector of Laurell K Hamilton. Enjoy it and the hot sexy men. So what do you think Terry?
TERRY KATE: Oh me, well I just want to hear what other readers have to say. Anybody love the book?
Labels: book review by Doni, Book reviews, book reviews by Jasmine, devine misdomeaners, devine misdomeaners by laurell k hamilton, laurell k hamilton, reviewers duel, ritbs reviewers duel
posted by Terry Kate at
5:59 PM
5 Comments:
I am with Doni on this one. Jas seems like she just did not want to like the story. Remember the first 2 books there was no court, it was all a build up to the court scenes. I think this was MUCH more about the character development, setting Barinthius and Mistral up for future intrigue also reminding the reader that they (Merry's COURT) has problems of its own. This was the first mention of ANOTHER possible court, Merry's Court, and the mention of the fey FLEEING Anadis' court as well as the Seelie court. This story was Much more about the set up for future conflict and about political strategy at the micro level, Merry and her Men. I loved it because i can appreciate it for what it is. We needed this book as much as we did the action of the last one. If it wasn't here people would complain about a lack of common sense in merry's judgement and in her relationships.
If it was so very important the point was sadly less then useful in drawing me in. Why did Mistral take the meeting/call with the demi Fey Queen? Why get the info on the Goblin Court from Kito? I would have liked Merry to have some Queenly interactions.
look forward to hearing more from you Alix, and everyone else,
Jasmine
Wow. I have this book on my wishlist since I love Laurell K. Hamilton and her Merry Gentry series is one of my favorites. So I think I might actually wait until it comes out in mass market paperback for $7.99 and read it then. It will make my collection look a bit funny but I don't have the money to get a hardcover book for one that might not be all that good until after I actually read it.
Saving THe twenty will make your wallet happier but I liked the story just not enough to buy the book
I loved the first few books, they had good plot development and some creative sex scenes. Unfortunately, her books are becoming less plot and more sex. Now, this is good up until a point, but I think that point has been reached.
I, also, felt like nothing happened in this book. The murder mystery angle could have been a good one but it just wasn't developed...at all. I think Hamilton should focus just a little less on the awesome sex and a little more on the story.
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