Blue Moon Rising - Simon R Green

Blue Moon Rising by Simon R Green

BLURB:

In those days, there were heroes and villians, and darkness walked the earth. There were dragons to be slain, captured princesses to be saved, and mighty deeds to be accomplished by knights in shining armor. Many tales are told of that time, tales of steadfast bravery and derring-do...

This is not one of them.

Rupert didn't especially want to be a prince. And he certainly never asked to be the second son of a royal line that really didn't need a spare. After all, a kingdom suffering from crippling financial loss couldn't very well afford to have different factions fighting over who was more worthy to rule as the next king. So Rupert was sent out ot slay a dragon and prove himself - a quest straight out of legend.

But Rupert also discovered the kinds of things legends tend to leave out, as well as the usual demons and goblins, a dreaded Night Witch... and even worse terrors hidden in the shadows of Darkwood.

Rupert did find a fiery dragon-and a beautiful princess to rescue too. But the dragon turned out to be a better friend than anyone back at the castle. And with the evil of Darkwood suddenly spreading its roots... and with the blue moon rising and the Wild Magic along with it, Rupert needed all the friends he could get...

The Man With the Golden Torc - Simon R. Green

The Man With the Golden Torc by Simon R. Green
Book 1 of the Secret History series

BLURB:

The name's Bond. Shaman Bond.

Actually, that's just my cover. I'm Eddie Drood. But when your job includes a license to kick supernatural arse on a regular basis, you find your laughs where you can.

For centuries, my family has been the secret guardian of humanity, all that stands between all of you and all of the really nasty things that go bump in the night. As a Drood field agent I wore the golden torc, killed monsters, and I protected the world. I loved my job.

Right up to the point when my own family declared me rogue for no reason, and I was forced to go on the run. Now the only people who can help me prove my innocence are the people I used to consider my enemies.

I'm Shaman Bond, very secret agent. And I'm going to prove to everyone that no one does it better than me.

Wolfblade - Jennifer Fallon

Wolfblade by Jennifer Fallon
Book ONE in The Wolfblade Trilogy

BLURB:

Marla Wolfblade is young and impulsive, the sister of Hythria's debauched ruler. In a fiercely patriarchal society, her life is his to command. And, to the displeasure of the Patriot faction, who are eager to usurp the throne, she is chosen to carry on the royal line.

Marla's position places her at huge risk in circles where friends and family are enemies and socerers play insidious games. But when she chooses the dwarf Elezaar as her slave, the odds change. His guidance sees Marla become a wily diplomat and tactician - but will that be enough to save Hythria's future heir?

This must be her mantra: trust no one.


MY Version:

Marla starts out as a whiny, empty headed pretty young thing with her head in the clouds. Her brother, on the other hand, is the High Prince of the land but does a poor job of it. He leaves the task of governing the country and the numerous Warlords of the provinces to the High Arrion, which is a fancy name for the chief of sorcerers. Ironically, the chief of sorcerers has not a magical bone in his body. The High Prince is not interested in women and prefers to spend his time exploring his perverse fantasies with slaves and others of his elk. This is where Marla comes in. Essentially, whoever who marries and gets Marla with child will be the father of the heir of the land, and that would grant immense power to the man who marries Marla. Politics eludes Marla until she gets her first slave, Elezaar the dwarf. Elezaar is a damn smart guy, seemingly with all the answers. Kinda like Merlin to Arthur. He teaches Marla his Rules of Gaining and Wielding Power which are like Confucious sayings that really come in handy. I really liked this rule: Accept what you cannot change - change that which is unacceptable.
Armed with her new knowledge, Marla tries her hand at politics... And that is where the fun begins. Those who wanted to make use of a doll found Marla more than what they bargained for.

I look forward to finding Book TWO in the library. This is a good read, though hefty at 711 pages. In fact, what attracted me to the book in the first place was its size. Don't read it the wrong way, I'm just attracted to a long story because I find short ones end too abruptly. And precisely because they end so fast, the character development / feelings for the character in most short novels tend to be lacking. There's an author interview transcript at the end too, if you want to know more about the woman who wrote this great book.