Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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51 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Joining the ranks of the Powerful Women . . ., September 4, 2005
I loved this book. It sucked me into the NorCal universe of Corinne Carol-Anne Kirkpatrick, Adrian, and Green immediately, and I simply could not put it down. I, too, look with anticipation for the next installment of this story. That said, I found the typographical errors and poor editing jarring, and it lessened the total impact of the book. I would purchase this book again IF I could get a copy that was more polished --- I had to stop several times and try to figure out just what word the author had intended to write, and I found myself wishing for a pen in order to correct the blatant errors of punctuation and spelling. This story is just too good to stand in this sloppy edition!
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33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic (dark) fantasy novel - one of the best!, June 7, 2007
Cory lives in rural America in the middle of nowhere. She comes from a poor working class family and as a result, not only do other people consider her white trash, but her own parents also can't understand why she would want to get a good education instead of finding a cheap job and a husband asap. But since she doesn't want to be stuck in this life and place, she takes a job as a night-shift clerk at a local gas station to finance a good education. Once she has passed her finals, she will get the hell out of here! She has learned to deal with the way people treat and see her by taking on a "tough-chick" persona, including died hair, heavy make-up, lots of earrings and a tough, often unfriendly behaviour. But underneath that exterior she's actually shy and feels that she's not worth much. She's not beautiful or thin or from a good family. Because of that, she's almost painfully shy around some of the more good-looking men who come to the gas station regularly. But one night, Arturo, one of those customers, won't accept that anymore. When he touches her hand and makes her look at him and talk to him, her life changes forever. Because Arturo is not a normal man, he's one of a large group of preternatural beings living in the surrounding foothills, and his touch opens her eyes to this world. Soon she makes friends with some of the sidhe, were-creatures and vampires she now sees as what they are. And she falls in love with Adrian, a vampire who's also second in command at the fae's hill. Things get complicated and dangerous when attacks on Adrian and the were-people start. Someone from the vampire's past obviously wants to harm or even kill him. In the process, Cory discovers not only that she has powers she never knew about, but she is also confronted with the fact that human morals don't count much among the fae / were / vampire community. Because Adrian and Green, the sidhe leader of the group, have been lovers for a long time. And Cory also feels attracted to Green...
This is Amy Lane's debut novel and also the first book in the Little Goddess-series (followed by "Wounded" and "Bound" so far). She isn't with a large publisher, but has worked with iUniverse, a self-publishing company. As a result she doesn't get as much money or attention as authors with larger publishers, but when I look at her great books, I also get the impression that she has more freedom to write a gripping and unusual story instead of being forced to do what some editor thinks will sell well. What should also be mentioned is that the price for the book may seem relatively high if you just look at the article page without seeing the real book. But although the page count may not be that high, it's larger than your average trade paperback and iUniverse don't waste space by extra large print or lots of unprinted space at the edges as many large publishers do to justify their exaggerated prices for trade paperbacks. So you really get something for your money. What may also be a result of this independent way of publishing is that you get something really unusual and unbelievable beautiful and intense. Vampires, Sidhes and were-animals have become fairly common in today's (dark) fantasy market, especially mixed in with romance. But this novel is so much more than other books. For one thing, the author goes back to some of the superstition and folklore about fae, for example, and then works it into something very original. The vampires are also at once based in tradition and quite different, individuals that need blood and can't go out in the sun, but they can be as good or as bad as any human being. What you are as a person isn't determined by your race / species here! Another reason for the high quality of this book is the fact that Amy Lane does so much more than simply tell a story. She is great at using different perspectives (here the point of view alternates between three main characters, Cory, Adrian and - more neutral - Green). That never gets confusing, but provides you much more insight into them than one single point of view would. The book (both the language and what happens) is also quite simply beautiful - I don't have another word for it. And last but not least, it's also very romantic and sensual. But here I should warn sensitive readers: The relationships are mostly not monogamous. This never turns into the cold sexual marathons you get from Laurell K. Hamilton lately, but if you want your heroine to be with one man only or don't like the idea that two men might love each other, then you may not feel comfortable with this book. And the last thing to mention would be that the author had the courage to not just give you a nice supernatural romance, but has the courage to also move into painful emotions and loss. The book is very intense that way.
To sum it all up: If you like dark fantasy or fantasy in general, want more than just another average novel and are open-minded regarding alternate sexualities I can only say: Buy the book and get parts 2 and 3, too. They are worth every cent! This is one of the best books I've read in years. And you will also support an independent author who has the courage to publish unusual and high-quality literature. What more can one ask?
Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 1)Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 2)Private Demon: A Novel of the Darkyn (Signet Eclipse)Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 2)
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great First Book, April 20, 2005
This book was a great effort for this first-time published author. The book tells the story of Cory, a young woman trying to find her place in her world. In doing so, she meets various supernatural beings, and finds that her place is not necessarily where she thought it was, and home is where you make it.
I enjoyed this book greatly, and it is an extremely refreshing change of pace from the usual "vampire" book which tends to be extremely violent and dark, with some quite sadistic. This book takes a more positive approach, although there is certainly enough action to satisfy traditionalists. The characters are complex and we get a glimpse into a three-dimensional culture of the supernatural beings-not just a one-dimensional, stereotypical description. In addition to creating a complex, vital world of the supernatural, Amy Lane also vividly portrays our own human world and paints a complex picture of our human heroine, so Cory too breaks out of the stereotypical hero/heroine role.
This certainly is a book that will please fans and readers of traditional "vampire" books, and people simply looking for an enjoyable book as well. I hope we see additional books from this author.
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