Customer Reviews

Armed & Magical (Raine Benares, Book 2)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just finished reading Armed & Magical, the new installment in the adventures of Raine Benares and I absolutely loved this book! Not a lot of time has passed since events of the last book, and Raine is now on the island of Mid in the care of Mychael, who is a paladin to the Conclave Guardians. She is still connected to Saghred, which is being held in the shielded containment rooms, and is determined to find a way to part with the soul sucking rock without parting with her own life. Even though she left her homeland for the time being, her troubles followed her all the way to Mid, acquiring new ones on the way. As more people learn that Saghred resurfaced after nine hundred years and about Raine's link to it, more fractions are now competing for its power. The political situation on Mid is delicately balanced and any shift in the power scale can mean death and imprisonment to Raine and her friends, especially the young and talented Piaras.

That pretty much sums up the content of the book without giving much away. As I mentioned before, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but I did have a couple of issues with it. Therefore I decided to add pros and cons to my review.

Pros:
1. World building - The author created a very unique alternate universe with a few urban fantasy additions. The writing style had a perfect balance of world building and action, therefore I was rarely bored with too much narrative about the scenery. The antagonistic relationship between Elves and Goblins and their physical differences were well written, not to mention subcategories of mages and humans to add to the mix. Overall, this world was beautifully imagined and realized, which in my opinion very few fantasy writers are able to accomplish.
2. Mystery - The story was well paced and the mystery of the book well constructed. There was enough background behind every thread showing that the author didn't just pluck ideas out of thin air, but set up each separate storyline over the span of the book. Therefore plot resolutions were believable and well developed.
3. Supporting Characters - I don't think there is a single character in this book that I didn't like. The author was able to give everyone an interesting personality and I didn't feel like I was reading about the same person over and over. Female writers especially have that problem when writing tough male characters that come out too feminine (I'm sure you've seen that before). This book is different and both protagonists and antagonists of the series are defined with suitable roles. For example, Mychael is a stoic by-the-books type of guy, while Tam is a complete rogue, and their interactions with Raine were very realistic and convincing.

Cons:
1. Raine the Invincible - I loved Raine's character - she is loyal, fierce, and utterly sarcastic. Although one quality I found quite annoying was the fact that she knew everything about everyone and seemed to be almost invincible in the most difficult situations. She knew a lot of newly introduced characters from her past, and the ones she wasn't familiar with - well she met people with identical personalities in the past, therefore it was almost as if she knew them. Then she figured everything out on the fly and solved the most complex plots before anyone even had time to scratch their head. She rarely made mistakes, and even when she did, she always got out of those situations with little damage. I love strong and smart female heroines and she did have the added strength of Saghred, but I think her non-stop Super Girl level achievements took away from the story.

2. Love Triangle - I was pretty disappointed to find lack of resolution or even progress with the Tam/Mychael love triangle that has been ongoing since book one. The author definitely put a lot of work into creating steamy PG-13 encounters between Raine and her two leading men, but thoughts about choosing one (or none) of them didn't seem to even cross Raine's mind. She was content to keep right on kissing both of them in given intervals and seemed to be falling for the guy in front of her at the moment. It seemed that there was no emotional involvement on her part. I realize that the story did not rely heavily on romance, but the author made multiple attempts to place all three characters in those types of situations without examining the feelings and ramifications for those actions. Either add romance or don't, but I think it's important to follow through.

I gave this book 5 stars since satisfaction I got out of reading it greatly outweighed any small issues I might have had. Although there is enough background that Armed & Magical can stand on its own, I recommend reading the first book in the series first.

Sorceress Raine Benares excels at finding missing items and people. But after being bound to a stone that captures souls, Raine desperately wants to be free to live a normal life. The stone has amplified her powers, but she'd gladly give it up. When students begin disappearing at the school she is visiting, Raine realizes that she is the best person to find them. But Raine is a target as well.

Told from a first person narrative, Armed and Magical has a distinct feel of urban fantasy but is not set in modern times. Raine is an elf, in a land of magic where elves, humans and goblins reside. She is a fun and spirited character, with a couple love interests that never seem to go past the flirtation stage.

With a thread of mystery throughout the story, villains and suspicious characters abound. Not having read the first installment was not a problem either. It was easy to jump into the story, and the characters were well explained. A nice break from the darker high fantasy novels, Armed and Magical is an amusing tale of magic and adventure. One I thoroughly enjoyed.

He is charming, hellishly attractive and smoking. And there's the other one: tall, blond, warm and reliable. The one's a cold-blooded dark mage turned rogue. The other one the paragorn of virtue. And you're the girl in the middle, unable to decide which one to taste a little more of...

Raine is a character interestingly undecided and struggling. At the same time, she's trying to fend off a really evil dark magic that has her in its clutches, a secret goblin elite shaman troupe, nasty bureaucratic elves, elves warped into bureaucratic naivité. And she only wants to live... And protect her friends.

Although this book is about white and black and mostly the grey in the middle, it's also about a world in which magic is a threat as much as a miracle. It tastes like a young wine, with a lot of delight, color and sparkle. It's a whirlwind adventure that leaves you wanting for more. More! More!

You'd never think this was a sequel. It's fast-paced, engaging and imaginative and wondefully alive. Hopefully there's much more to come!

THis is your generic tough-gurl fantasy stuff. Raine is a likeable enough heroine, fighting all the usual baddies and trying to sort out her love-life at the same time. Her narration is snappy, if a bit out of synch with the setting (she asks for a "user's manual" for the stone she is linked with at one point, which just didn't fit the genre setting). It's a quick read, a bit boring in the middle, while the author rather belabors the point about spellsingers and political maneuvering. It's just your standard fantasy stuff--no real original elements or new directions. You don't put this book down and go "man, that was GREAT!" to yourself at the end.

Raine is back! The adventures of Raine Benares, seeker and sorceress, continue in this 2nd book in Lisa Shearin's series. Shearin doesn't waste any time getting into the action. From the first pages, Raine sets off on rollicking adventure that will carry you away. I read the entire book in one sitting because I couldn't bear to put it down. Readers of this book can look forward to engaging characters, snappy dialogue, a tantalizing bit of romance, and a wonderfully written plot. Raine is one of my all time favorite characters in all of fantasy (my genre of choice). "Armed & Magical" is an excellent read that will leave wanting more. Let the countdown to Book 3 commence!

Armed and Magical picks up almost right where Magic Lost, Trouble Found left off. It's a week later and Raine is on the Isle of Mid with her cousin, Phaelan ("He was a pirate. Excuse me, a seafaring businessman."), and the leader of the Conclave Guardians, Mychael ("an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, coated in yum"). Raine's young friend Piaras is also there as a student. He is the most powerful young spellsinger to come along in decades.

I don't know what to make of Piaras. He's way too powerful to be a sidekick. He gives Raine some serious competition power-wise, even with her Saghred-induced "resume enhancement". I like being befuddled like this. I keep wondering if before the series is over, Raine might find herself facing Piaras. It could be heart-wrenching. However, this is all idle speculation. I have no insider knowledge!

As the blurb suggests, the protective Raine finds herself hunting down some missing students. She makes a trip to the library and makes her library-use roll big-time. She finds a tiny, almost unimportant-looking volume that turns out to be a journal of sorts, and the author is mighty interesting. Naturally, getting out of the library with the book is a lot more interesting than going in. Raine really can't go anywhere without running into excitement.

Remember Sarad Nukpana, the power-mad sorcerer who tried to get his hands on the Saghred in the first book? Well, now that he's safely nestled inside the Saghred, they've become bosom buddies. And he's anything but neutralized.

In this novel, Raine is a bit darker and a bit snarkier. She's still every bit as protective over those younger and/or weaker than she, so you still gotta love her. Still, the novel reads, very subtly, as if the Saghred is affecting her personality. In fact, it is so subtle that I applaud the author. There's no overt struggle, no in-your-face "Give yourself to the dark side, Raine" (although Sarad Nukpana does get cocky a time or two).

The love triangle between Raine, Mychael and Raine's ex-boyfriend Tam continues to develop. Considering the compressed timeframe of these two novels, it's good that Shearin has not taken it too far. After all, in novel-time, only two weeks (or so) have passed. Raine is attracted to Tam and Mychael for different reasons. Tam has some fascinating developments that the reader (me) and Raine both should have seen coming, but did not. And there is some truly wicked kissing going on between them. Mychael gets his kiss in as well, and it ain't no good-boy kiss.

The hilarious situations continue and are one-upped. Raine's magic has grown so powerful that it often works much better than she expects, with sometimes-hilarious results. I don't want to give it away because it is so funny, but there is one scene where Raine disguises herself that had me rolling with laughter.

This followup does not disappoint. It continues to be as fun as the first novel, with lots of "how the heck is Raine going to get out of this" moments. It's a fast read with a lively conclusion that again points the reader to the next volume, The Trouble with Demons.

Raine Benares is a seeker, but all she ever seems to find is trouble. Her arch-enemy Sarad Nukpana has made friends with the soul-slurping rock that holds him prisoner. Her goblin friend (and perhaps more than a friend) Tam is being blackmailed. Her really hot protector Mychael wants to keep her under lock and key, and Piaras, the kid she looks on as a little brother, is being blamed for everything that goes wrong by the magic council -and in danger of being arrested for it.
Lisa Shearin is an amazing writer. Her books are fast-paced and funny. I read the first Raine Benares book from the library and ordered it from Borders as soon as I had finished. When I went to Borders to pick it up I discover that the second book, `Armed and Magical' was already on the shelves, so I brought it home too. The only problem was where I reached the climax of `Armed and Magical' just as my Speech Class was about to start, and had to resist the temptation to keep reading under the table. These books are not easy to put down.

This book I think takes the cake over all the urban fantasy I've read making it the best! Why do I say this? Mainly because most of the novels I read have lame whimpering girls for heroines but this one has the action, romance, and characters to set it apart. There is, however, as pointed out by someone else no resolution to the romance, but I imagine that's so Shearin can prolong the series (which I'm fine with). There's really nothing I would have liked to know about this book before hand. My only advice is that you start reading this book early in the day because you'll want to continue late into the night!

After reading Magic Lost, Trouble Found (first book in the series) I was anxious to read more from this author. The second book, Armed & Magical, did not disappoint me! It grabbed my attention and my imagination from the very first paragraph. I could not put this book down! I would not have thought that I could have been so interested in goblins and elves but Lisa Shearin made both very appealing and sexy. This is a GREAT read - don't hesitate to buy both of these incredible books!!

I wish that I could give this more than 5 stars. I picked up Armed & Magical by accident. Thought that it sounded good, then saw that it was book 2 in a series. Luckily the book store had #1, Magic Lost, Trouble Found. I am now anxiously awaiting book 3. If you want a great book to read, get this one, or if you haven't read Magic Lost, Trouble Found yet, get them both!!