Customer Reviews

The Wild Road (Dirk & Steele, Book 8)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A woman awakens in a strange hotel room with blood and dead bodies surrounding her. She has lost all memory. Is she a murderer? The only clue is a note with the word "Run" --and run, she does right into Lannes Hannelore, a gargoyle, a member of a race that now hides in plain sight. Lannes feels drawn to her, can feel her thoughts. She wakens in him something he has never felt before. When her entire life has become a nightmare of epic proportions, the woman oddly feels comfort, understanding, and support from this strange handsome man. Lannes stands by her, trying to unravel the clues and restore her memory even though she might be the end of life as he knew it. Can these two discover her identity and find true love, a soul love, or will the unveiling of the past threaten them even more than the current dangers? When the Dirk and Steele agency gets involved, the clues become more mysterious, more dangerous.

Lannes Hannelore captures the heart from his first appearance. Gentle, kind, and so moved by the plight of this woman, he knows her even as she cannot know herself. He knows her heart and protects her intuitively. When every clue should make him run, she wakens in him something altogether unfamiliar, a part of him that has been locked away and never before experienced love or this kind of empathy. She does not even know her own name but something about this woman makes him feel known. Can his caring and growing love for her bring her to a space where she herself feels known as he does? Will the shocking truth, once found, separate them? Can love enter into the midst of the ultimate darkness?

In THE WILD ROAD, Marjorie M. Liu creates a suspenseful and dangerous journey to truth as the two try to unlock her memory, a blank memory yet something within her that attracts violence. Death and cruelty surround this woman as her mind is possessed by some unknown force. As Dirk and Steele become involved, the discovered dark past raises the level of suspense to the ultimate limit as Hannelore and the woman must race to unlock her past and protect others from an injustice long silenced. They must locate a danger that is both nowhere and everywhere, internal and external. Just as darkness and evil threaten to overtake all, from the violence and cruelty emerges a powerfully moving story of love and sacrifice, of giving to another that moves the heart with a profound depth. The romance between Hannelore and the woman feels almost legendary like the stories of Greek gods and goddesses and their tales of love but in a paranormal, dark suspenseful setting. THE WILD ROAD is an awesome romance about the transformation of souls through love.

This is my first time reading Marjorie M. Liu. For other readers, like myself, new to the Dirk and Steele series, this book works perfectly as a stand alone and a place to begin the Marjorie Liu journey. Of course, having read this one I quickly ordered previous books in the series, but I did not feel anything lacking coming to this series fresh. Marjorie M. Liu's THE WILD ROAD goes beyond strict genre delineations, with its suspense and look into violence and the human heart at its most elemental level ---- as a reader, I love it all the more for its unparalleled, intriguing vision. This book left me somewhat speechless. While the suspenseful elements glued me to the pages, I was so mesmerized by her language that I slowed my reading speed down just to savor the pure poetry and beauty of her language. THE WILD ROAD quite simply has no equal. Exquisite in each and every detail!

This is a beautiful romance. Two damaged souls slowly build a relationship based on trust and acceptance. A woman on the run from herself needs help. A Gargoyle hiding from who he is needs a reason to live in the world. Marjorie Liu brings the two together in a plot filled with revenge, magic and murder. I won't list all the plot details. I think it is best to come to this book not knowing where the next page will take the mismatched lovers. Also the first excellent review is a good source for those potential readers who want a synopsis.

A deep dark secret, a wrong never righted and a thing that only takes wait at the end of the Wild Road. The author carries the readers along from one trial to another. Her words weave a spell. Emotions so real that at times I was breathless. She earned my tears.

This is my first Dirk and Steel novel but I intend to order the others.

Nice Addition to the Dirk & Steele Series. Good continuation and good all on its own. Not so much going that it makes it too complicated, nice romance, nice mystery. Nice surprise to here the story of the rest of the Gargoyle brothers from a great short story in the anthology Dark Dreamers (you should get that book if you enjoyed this story!!!).

Marjorie Liu's books seem to be a bit hit or miss. I loved 'A Taste of Crimson' by her, couldn't get on with 'The Red Heart Of Jade' at all, and found some of her other books in the Dirk & Steele series rather forgettable. However 'The Wild Road' is a real return to form, a fast-paced and gripping story with some of her familiar themes (romance between humans and otherworldly creatures, the Dirk & Steele agency) but feeling very fresh.

Lannes Hannelore is a gargoyle, a winged creature who has lived for seventy years but tends to keep to himself because of a troubled past. Lannes' closest friend, Frederick, is getting very old now and Lannes can see a time in the future where he has no-one for him apart from his brothers. Lannes knows that he needs to get out more so he is able to magic a certain amount of glamour which hides his wings and makes his appearance that of a normal human, albeit a very tall one. The glamour doesn't work against touch though so Lannes has to ensure that no-one touches his back or they will feel his wings.

When Lannes' claustrophobia causes him to leave a bar in a hurry he's surprised to discover a woman trying to steal his car - a woman who is covered in blood and has lost her memory. He feels it's important to help her and tries to gain her trust. But the woman is afraid, she knows she must run but doesn't know what from or where to. As Lannes tries to help her they begin to discover that the fact that she's lost her memory isn't her main problem, and as people start dying they begin to uncover a long-ago secret which is having significant repercussions today. Can the woman and Lannes make something of their differences and can they keep each other safe?

Once again Liu has written an unusual lead character in Lannes. He comes across as rather a gentle giant whose emotions are very close to the surface and whose loneliness has influenced much of his behaviour. The woman lead is also interesting in that she knows nothing about herself and has to learn about who she is, knowing that her and others' lives may depend on what she can uncover. The book was exciting, the characters were believable and engaging and the smallish list of side-characters, some of whom have appeared in previous Dirk & Steele books, were also well-drawn. This is a really enjoyable read and an excellent return to form for Marjorie Liu.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

The hotel is on fire when she awakens. She is horrified more than scared when she sees three corpses near her and blood all over her. There is also a one word message: "Run." She quickly realizes she has no idea how she got there, who the dead are, who wrote her the warning note and even who she is.

Heeding the note, she goes to steal a car to start her run to she is not sure where. Gargoyle Lannes Hannelore sees the woman splattered with blood stealing his vehicle. He comes over to stop her, but though he must stay in the shadows and avoid involvement in her mess, he offers his help. Desperate she accepts even as he wonders if the set up was to use this woman in peril to lure him into activity by something not human.

The latest Dirk and Steele paranormal romantic suspense thriller grips the audience with its eerie opening sequence as readers, Jane Doe and the gargoyle wonder what is going on. Set aside time as you are hooked into a fast-paced one sitting tale. Although it helps a bit to have read the previous entries in the saga as there are previous happenings retold with more insight, THE WILD ROAD is a fabulous story starring two fascinating protagonists that can stand alone.

Harriet Klausner

I have a weak spot for Marjorie M. Liu's writing...and an even weaker spot for her "Dirk & Steele" novels. If there is one thing I regret about reading these books it's that I wish I could have known how much I would enjoy them so I could have read them in the correct order, back to back to back.

But you all know how it is (or some of you do anyway). You (I) read so much between books in a series that if you don't have them laid out in order you kind of loose a sense of the previous characters and their stories, therefore the "impact" of the series is lost a little.

The characters were great, the rim was packed with action and the story was all it should have been. The chemistry between Lethe and Lannes sizzled...but she should have given us more of them together... Most of the time when authors rush the "moment" it leaves something to be desired; timing wasn't right, etc. But that would not have happened in this one, this great author lined everything up perfectly, but never gave in until the end, so minus 1 Star from me for that.

This really is a great series, but learn from my mistake and read them in order

Does anyone else feel that they're sort of losing the storyline behind Liu's series? Up through The Last Twilight, the story made sense and was good in its simplicity. After reading The Wild Road and The Fire King, I feel that the story has gotten way too complicated for me to truly enjoy it. I feel that I'm constantly missing what the author is trying to say. Her writing, as always, is exquisite and her characters are well-drawn and perfectly flawed, but it seems that Liu is getting off-track with her plots. A good read, as is The Fire King, but not particularly like her light-hearted earlier books, like Tiger Eye. Borrow it from the library before buying.

STORY BRIEF:
Lethe awakes in a hotel room with three dead men on the floor. She has no memory of anything that happened in her life up until that moment, not even her name. She sees a note pinned to her clothes saying "run." She does. She is barefoot and covered in blood and trying to steal a car. Lannes sees her and helps her. He travels with her to help solve her mystery. Lannes is a gargoyle who uses magic to give him a human appearance.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
Ok but I wouldn't recommend buying it. The first half was pretty good, but I was losing interest during the last half. The characters and plot were interesting. I was intrigued with the mystery around Lethe, which gets solved in the end. But I didn't like the way people left clues for Lethe to travel somewhere, when they could have just given her some answers. A second problem was the way all the different characters were connected or related in the end, too contrived for me. And last, there not enough emotional pull. I didn't feel anything. Mystery fans and urban fantasy fans will like this more than I did. I prefer feeling something rather than satisfying my curiosity over the mystery.

DATA:
Story length: 306 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: one, 4 pages long. Setting: current day Chicago, Illinois, various towns in Indiana, Kentucky and Maine. Copyright: 2008. Genre: urban fantasy, mystery, paranormal romantic suspense.

This is the first book I have read in this series. I loved it. It isn't the kind of paranormal romance I am used to reading nor is it the kind I would prefer to read but I really,really loved it. It is just written so well! Marjorie Liu really knows how to tell a story and she does an excellent job of making everything so real. The romance was sweet and the plot page turning. I am going to try some more of her books now...

Lannes hides in plain sight behind a beautiful mask of illusion never allowing anyone close enough to touch in order to preserve his secret - Lannes is a Gargoyle, a `monster' despite his gentle soul. A woman wakes and remembers nothing, not even her own name, amid blood, death and smoke she only knows that she must flee. Fate brings the woman to Lannes, his sense of self preservation demands that he turn away from her. Yet the woman's vulnerablity awakens a kinship and protectiveness within him, one that will cause Lannes to his overcome his fear and caution to risk himself to help her. For with her life torn from her, the woman he names 'Lethe' is every bit as trapped in her own prison of solitude and loss. And as Lethe is drawn into a struggle between two paranormal entities, one who possesses her ravaged mind to enact its vengeance, the other seeks who seeks her death, Lannes' kindness will win her trust and Lethe's indomitable spirit and willingness to see beyond his mask will win his heart as they search to free her from the entity that lurks within the abyss of her lost memories and discover the reason behind its quest for retribution.

I really liked Wild Road, Liu's lovely evocative language when telling the story of two broken souls who are not quite human is very poetic. I loved the way Lui portrayed Lannes', tormented by memories of his imprisonment by a witch, he is free now yet still caught by the terrible loneliness of the isolation that he uses to keep himself safe. When he meets Lethe his longing and desire are so well drawn that they are tangible. That vulnerability, along with the care and gentleness with which he treats Lethe, makes him a very appealing romantic hero despite his inhumaness. I also liked the way that Liu allows Lethe to grow from her broken beginning to become a strong character as she "chooses the course of her new life". And I especially liked the way Lui used the mental connection and Lannes' and Lethe's ability to `feel' each other to develop their relationship and to grow it slowly and until the physical differences between them no longer mattered.

If you are a fan of the Lui's Dirk & Steele series you will recognize tie-ins to other books: Lannes' brother Charlie and his wife Agatha star in Dark Dreamers, the farm at the end of the wild road and William's mother appear in My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, and the mysterious Rictor and crow-shifter Koni are reappearing characters several of the other books (Shadow Touch (Dirk & Steele, Book 2) & The Last Twilight (Dirk & Steele) among others). If you are new to Lui's Dirk & Steele books, Wild Road still works perfectly well as a stand alone read and if you like this story check out the rest of Liu's back list, I love this paranormal mystery/suspense series and all of its the psychics, shapeshifters and magic users.