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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
romance?, March 21, 2008
This review is from: Timeless Moon (Tales of the Sazi, Book 6) (Mass Market Paperback)
The Sazi world is interesting and complex, and all the characters have both these qualities as well. I liked most of the storyline (which I won't go over as other reviewers did fine jobs) - the problem I had with the book was with the main characters. They were both fleshed out well, but I didn't want them together (reasons below), and I have a hard time liking Rick. Having characters from other books involved didn't detract from the story, but it certainly shows the reader how small the Sazi world is and all of their soap-opera antics. All of the characters have flaws and are imperfect just like everyone else on the planet, and they generally redeem themselves in a way to make the reader look past their mistakes individually. But when looking at them in an overview, it is a bit too much like tv life. Or maybe real life, but I am looking for escapism here. For example, Raphael was married and mated to Amber, they had children, but he slept with her sister Fiona. Amber left, then married Charles, but is still mated to Raphael (as he is to her) although Raphael is now married to Cat. And they all know each other, and are connected to each other through either family ties or Sazi workings. Um, Days of Our Lives without the supernatural element? And Tony (the first book, which to me is the best) is the only one, I believe, to be married to and mated to the same person. But she is human! What's the point of the mating if no one mates, or can reject the mate? I suppose if you stay alive for a couple of hundred years, it may get dull, but still! The mystery is pretty good, the reader is given a couple of groups that may be involved in the attacks on the seers and Josie. But the romance wasn't to my taste. At all.
Spoilers!!!!!
Josie and Rick were married once upon a time. He wanted children, she didn't. He thought she was reckless with her gifts (she's a seer), they fought and goodbye. Then he let her believe he was dead. He shows up, she almost immediately forgives him (and sleeps with him) and worries about what he thinks of her - Is she cold-hearted? What will he think when he finds out she has a "true" mate? - even though he hasn't been around while she has had to fend for her life from assassins for a century. Who is he to judge her?! So how is he supposed to know that Raven is her "real" mate - he hasn't been in touch because he'd been pretending to be dead! Rick married twice after he left her, but didn't have children with them. When Josie asks if he has children he replies flippantly, "Well, I may have them around somewhere." Or something to that affect. What?! One of the reasons he left her was because she wouldn't have kids, so he wouldn't even want to know? Or keep tabs on his sleeping partners - just in case?! Or even to provide for the kid(s) or to help in case they may be a shifter? Argh! When Raven, Rick and Josie all met up I was hoping that either Raven would kill Rick, or Josie (what was she thinking?) would pick Raven instead and he and Josie could end up together. Instead she and Rick are together and Raven is now in pain because he lost his mate too. <sigh> Josie may have been foolish in her choice (why would she trust him to stay now?), but Rick didn't deserve her.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointingly vague, March 21, 2008
This review is from: Timeless Moon (Tales of the Sazi, Book 6) (Mass Market Paperback)
C T Adams and Cathy Clamp seem to be able to write very quickly and their Sazi series has been very popular. This is another book in that series but to this reader at least it felt rather rushed, vague and without any solid plot.
Josette Monier is one of the older Sazi, a seer who has visions of the past, present and future on a daily basis. She's been living in self-imposed exile for some time but her peace is shattered by yet another assassination attempt by some Sazi snakes. She defeats the snakes but is asked by another Sazi to help them as someone is attacking the other seers and Josie may be the only one strong enough to overcome their adversary.
Josie was previously married to Rick Cooper but he walked out on her and since died. When Josie discovers Rick is actually alive she has to decide whether to trust him, to reconnect with him and whether he can help her to uncover what's going on with the Sazi seers. Rick has to decide whether the harder, perhaps more heartless Josie is worth becoming involved with again. And Josie has a secret that Rick doesn't know - that she is mated to one of the other Sazi.
Most of this story seems to be about Josie and/or Rick being attacked by Snakes or humans, escaping, phoning some other Sazi up for help and new identities, and then onto the next attack. The reunion between Josie and Rick is actually rather low-key, considering their history, and they seem to get back together surprisingly quickly and easily. Rick was a good character with his ability to feel and enhance emotions which had caused him to live as a recluse for a century and Josie was also well written as a troubled woman with great powers and a tendency to do her own thing without planning but also with a need for care, protection and love.
The rest of the cast of characters in this book was vast and it added greatly to the complexity and didn't really work for me. The overall story felt pretty directionless most of the time, I wasn't sure by the end who the enemies actually were, many events seemed to happen for no apparent reason and the resolution of the story, such as it is, was also rather a damp squib. I have enjoyed a couple of previous books in this series but this one was a real disappointment.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sazi, book 6, July 5, 2008
This review is from: Timeless Moon (Tales of the Sazi, Book 6) (Mass Market Paperback)
Josette is one of the four living Monier children. She was introduced and mentioned in many of the previous novels. Usually with fear or loathing. She is the character that lifted the Sazi snakes and left them on the ceiling for several hours, while other Sazi took pictures. Most Sazi do not have the power to do something so dramatic...needless to say this proves just how dangerously powerful Josette is. And yet this is not the ability that she is most famous for. Josette can see (so well that she believes she is there) the future, the present, and the past. This incredible ability leaves her oftentimes confused because she doesn't know in what time frame she is living. Oftentimes, many people, as well as the Sazi, believe her to be insane because she knows so much about each of them and at times mentions things that have not yet happen because she assumes they have (not knowing what time frame she lives in). Of course this could also stem from the fact that her mother was insane before they had to kill her. Josette, her twin and her younger brother and sister were lucky to survive since their mother actually had many other children that she killed before they were grown and completely in their power. Apparently, all the Monier children are extremely powerful.
This is all information that came out in previous books and explains why Josette lives alone and why the other Sazi come to her for help when they fear that they will be destroyed by some unknown force that is cripling all the seers. Unfortunately, they fear her so much because they mostly don't understand her...again, they think she's insane. Therefore, they approach her husband (presumed dead) from a hundred years ago and ask him to approach her for help.
I thought it was good...not the best in the series, but good. Adams and Clamp introduce a new force that is trying to take out the Sazi and continues with the South American force that was introduced in the last novel.
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