So check her out. She’s a demon. Pretty hot, huh? Though demons aren’t actually demons in this book. I mean, they’re demons,but not in the Biblical-twisted-and-deformed-to-externally-show-their-internal-sin sense. Consider it a race name. It makes it easier to follow the shift in mythology. Possibly if you never attended a Catholic school, this may not matter so much to you, but I did for a brief time, and it’s had a lasting impression, so that’s the way I get around it.

Also, that’s not necessarily the most helpful way to start a review. It’s more of a peek into the chaotic-but-somehow-sense-making workings of my internal mind. Let’s start again, shall we?

So Kylie Griffin is great. I know. I’ve met her a number of times. What is also great is her book. Which is doubly great, because it really sucks when you know great people and their books just…aren’t. Highly awkward situation, people. Highly awkward.

Luckily, that’s not the case here. There are some spots where the work behind the writing is evident, and some areas where the author over-exerts herself to make sure the reader gets the point, but they’re issues of maturity, and I’m confident that the deeper this series goes, the smoother the writing will become, and the easier it will be to melt completely into the story with no navigation of rough bits required.

And, readers? It’s a fantasy romance. There are just not enough fantasy romances out there. Hear that, publishers?! Send me fantasy romances!

Want to hear about this one? Sure you do.

So Annika is half-demon, half-human, all outcast. She’s basically kept around as a nose-rub to the humans and a whipping post for the demons. She’s managed to hold on to her sanity, and even develop some grace and strength, through her own will and the help of a human servant who treats her with the only kindness that she’s ever known, teaches her a useful skill - and introduces her to the solace that is the Lady.

Here’s the thing that’s really great about this series: the religion. Stop backing away. This isn’t a scary-religious-fanatic fantasy romance. But it is a fantasy romance where religion plays an enormous part in the world, and therefore in the story. And, if you want it to, it can work as a pretty powerful message about the role religion plays in this world too. But it’s never a ‘hey look at me and my allegory! Aren’t I clever with all this allegory I’m doing here?!’ narrative. 

What I’m saying is Annika worships the Lady, and draws her strength from Her, which goes a long way to explaining the serenity she attains even in the face of constant torture and humiliation. It also provides a link between her and the human captive she helps rescue, who later becomes her travelling partner and guide to the human land.

Said Human captive is Kalan, a Light Blade warrior - a human to whom the Lady has gifted certain powers. He was captured during a battle, and subjected to torture under the Demons. He’s certainly not at all interested in trusting one, but it’s his only way home, and he figures he can sort it out when he’s on the outside.

This racism also represents a pretty big theme throughout the novel, and it’s here that you’ll likely see the writing through the story, and the emphasis on the message. It’s exacerbated by the fact that this novel only introduces the two races to each other, and doesn’t have the scope to start the peace process. I’m hoping these issues will be cleared in subsequent novels.

There’s a journey. And, you know, barriers are breached, secrets are told, perceptions are altered. The arrival at the Human city doesn’t solve all problems - in fact, it creates many more. But there’s hope. And some evil people using religion in twisted ways. And maybe more hope. With some potholes along the way, and a good set-up for sequels.

But mostly, there’s the deft handling of spirituality in a way that I haven’t seen in recent times, an acknowledgement that a belief system is a powerful force, even if we try not to recognise it, and that for all the strife it can cause, it can be an enormous force for good as well.

Bottom line: Vengeance Born is a thought-provoker, but you might not necessarily notice, wrapped up as it is in the trappings of an entertaining fantasy novel, with a little road trip romance in the middle.

This is the third book of Nicole Murphy’s Gadda trilogy (but, let’s be honest about paranormal series - they have a perennial quality to them that defies labels).

The Gadda are a group of magic-doing people who live in secrecy in Ireland, but keep a protective eye on their human neighbours. Their biggest fear is exposure, but there is a small, but powerful contigent who believe that exposure is the only way to take their place as the rightful overlords of the Earth (maybe not in so many words, but that’s the general idea). This contingent’s threat has threaded through the whole of the trilogy and comes to a head (and conclusion) in this book.

The other thread is the guardians, those Gadda tasked with protecting all the others. It is within their ranks that the love stories lie, and Rogue Gadda follows Lucas, the most powerful of the Gadda to his happy ending. Lucas’s father also held his exalted post, and Lucas watched how his father’s job destroyed his relationship, and Lucas swears that he will never put a woman through that, vowing to remain single and focus only on the job. Of course, this is not going to work in the context of a romance novel, so enter Charlotte, alost Gadda, a Gadda living outside the influence of the greater community and considered a danger to the rest. Charlotte has been raised to hate and fear the Gadda establishment, and trust only in her step-father who can protect her.

Needless to say, certain preconceived notions are overthrown, the bad guys get punished, the good guys endure some hardships but are ultimately triumphant, and Charlotte and Lucas find a way to make things work. Because, otherwise, I’d be complaining about what actually makes a romance novel. Never fear, this is a romance novel.

It’s also incredibly detailed, much more so than you might find in other paranormal series. In fact, I’d go ahead and claim this as more fantasy than paranormal. The worldbuilding is intricate and involved, with a lot of introduced terms and titles that are more consistent with fantasy novels than their paranormal counterparts. Therefore, the plot feels a lot deeper and intense. While there is violence and action scenes, Murphy doesn’t rely on these to move the action forward. Indeed most of the plot is taken up with discussions and character interaction, introspection and examination. THis makes it a slower read than many will be used to, but once readers get over their impatience, it makes for a welcome change of pace to sink into the story.

Readers should probably not start with this one if they’re interested - confusion around the  politics and intricacies of the Gadda hierarchy would diminish enjoyment of the novel, but I had only read book 1 when I picked this up, and I muddled through just fine.

Bottom line: a fantasy romance for the reader looking for a slow burn rather than a flash in the pan. Intricate world building and a happy ending.

Ilove fantasy romance, and this is fantasy romance at its best.

Walker is the last of his tribe and he carries the twin burdens of guilt and history on his shoulders. He runs a … well, I suppose the closest example is a dojo - a training school for warriors with a fair dose of meditation and mysticism thrown in. Mehcredi has never known kindness from anyone, and bears deep psychological scars from her difficult and damaging childhood. A rash decision lands her as Walker’s captive as she atones for a terrible crime.

Interestingly, this book recently won Favourite Erotic Romance at the Australian Romance Readers Awards but I’d argue it’s one of Rossetti’s least erotic books -  and with good reason. Walker and Mehcredi are two of the most closed off characters you’ll ever read.

Wonderfully closed off.

Deliciously closed off.

Perfectly closed off - which makes their burgeoning connection beautiful to read. Sex - connection of any kind would have been unbelievable in this context so instead Rossetti builds in her signature eroticism through long glances, Mehcredi’s growing awareness of lust, and Walker’s determined dismissal of his body’s demands. When they do give in to their attraction, it is like a birth for both of them, and it is far more stirring than any quick hop in the sack could be.

There’s also a rollicking adventure story, a road trip, a stomach-turning villain, and characters from Rossetti’s previous books in her Four-Sided Pentacle series. But what is most striking about this novel is the subtly pervasive character development that takes two hollow people from impenetrable internal barriers to a completely believable, honest relationship.

Also, be warned: Mehcredi will probably make you cry. Possibly more than once. Possibly on a fairly frequent basis. In a good way.

• The School for Brides - Cheryl Ann Smith. Loved the premise, and all the stuff with the ex-courtesans. The main romance was a bit generic.
• Dragon Bound - Thea Harrison. First 1/4: what the heck is everyone going on about. Last 3/4: OH MY GOD THIS BOOK IS AWESOME!!! The End: Thank God the sequel is out already!!
• Shadow Kin - MJ Scott. It’s always tricky when you know the author in real life, and think she’s pretty groovy, and then you have to read her book and you’re all ‘what if I hate it?’ but pretty much this is the absolute opposite, and I’m all, ‘I have to tone down my love because otherwise she’ll think I’m blowing smoke up her ass’ because it’s that awesome. 
• Heartless - Gail Carriger. Don’t read this one without reading the other three. First, because they’re awesome, and you’d be missing out. Second, because you’ll miss all the awesome nuances. But mostly because this one sort of goes back to everything you loved about the first one, and you won’t get that wonderful sigh of contentment as you settle in to read.

This fantasy novel is kicking my ass. I’m enjoying it, really, when I’m reading it, but when I put it down, things keep creeping up.

Like why my romance novels are called porn when thus far this fantasy novel has featured:

• gang bangs
• threesomes
• mystical rape
• a dog & girl show
• gay sex
• straight (& also kinda boring) sex

So, uh, hot, not boring sex in the context of a relationship is going to pervert my malleable mind, but this is all okay?

Tell me, cause this is something I’ve come across more than once in my dabbling in the fantasy genre, are there any fantasy heroines who are pushing forty, overweight, and balding?

So I’ve made a new friend. He thinks I’m cool, I think he’s cool, but we haven’t really hit that comfort zone yet, you know? We enjoy doing things together, but it could easily go either way: besties for life, or fade away.

We’ve just reached the loaning each other books phase. I gave him Slaughterhouse Five, he gave me The Great and Secret Show.

Now normally I’m the worst person in the world to lend books too, because:

1. I have other reading commitments, and it can be literally months before I have a spare reading moment
2. Generally in my spare reading moment, there are books I’d rather be reading than the one you gave me, because if I wanted to read the one you gave me, I’d have already read it

But, to show good faith in this budding friendship of ours, I’m putting aside my Year of Living Contemporary for a moment to enjoy an unexpected detour to Fantasy Island.

Don’t worry, you’ll still get to hear my every witty thought, pithy or otherwise.

Then back to SEP!