Bright of the Sky by Kay Kenyon Prometheus Books (2008) - ISBN 1591026016

The first book of the Entire and the Rose series and the first book I read on a kindle....and it was free!
Here's the amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Book-Entire-Rose-ebook/dp/B003N7MYQK/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1300649688&sr=1-1

Titus Quinn , his wife Johanna and 9 year old daughter Sydney are stranded in a parallel universe.  That is where the similarities to other books I have read end.

The Setting:   The new universe, called the "Entire"is described in vivid detail.  The book flips back and forth between a future day earth and the parallel universe.  The Entire is described in vivid detail and it allowed my imagination to take over and form a three dimensional planet as I read.

I found some of the more "scientific" explanations beyond my grasp, but it did not distract me too much from the actual story.  Some will find these explanations interesting and supportive details necessary to the book.   I'm just not one of them.

The Characters:  Titus Quinn is a wonderfully flawed hero.  His character and many of the others seemed to walk right off the page.  The reader get incite into all aspects of his personality and his character as it changes throughout the book.

The other characters are just as engaging.  The different species and variety of sentient beings   that walk in and out of the storyline are odd and interesting in ways that are sometimes surprising.  They add to the texture of the Entire, giving it life.

What I liked:  Obviously, the characters and the world of the Entire.  There are many under lying themes within this book.  It would be an interesting book club selection.  The topic of discussion range from religion to ethics.  For those of you that prefer not to look to deeply and just want to be entertained, this book will satisfy!


The writing flowed well, with the exception of one part in the middle of the book.  The fact that it is meant to be a series and the book left several plots unfinished.  I love that I can look forward to reading more about this intriguing new universe and these interesting characters!

What I did not like:  As I mentioned the more detailed technical explanations seemed to distract me from the plot.  The writer was very cognizant of this fact and kindly repeated many of the details so I didn't have to back track to remember what a certain term meant.  As I said, many will find that this adds to the story.  Don't let this scare you away from this book...it is a journey worth taking!

Carousel Tides by Sharon Lee

Urban Fantasy…

Hummm, This is the first book of this genre that I have read.

Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

“Carousel Tides pulls you into the chill foggy reality of peeling-paint sand-grit coastal Maine outside of tourist season and then hands you something else — the hidden world lurking in shadows or under the land’s surface or just offshore, where Black Dogs hunt the night and selkies toss unpleasant truths over their shoulders before diving into the next wave.  In the center of this, Kate Archer tends and guards one of the spookiest carousels this side of Ray Bradbury and wonders what has happened to her grandmother.  The old woman sent her a letter, left papers deeding over the carousel and old house and the Land (meaning much more than property), and vanished, telling the spirits of the land and sea that she expected to be back before the turning of the year.

“Now March has come and gone and Kate must return from self-exile to take up powers and responsibilities she has renounced, or dying will be the least of her problems . . .

“Sharon Lee weaves fantasy into reality so deftly that you scarcely notice when you slip across the edge.  And once you’re there, the story’s own magic won’t let you turn back from the strong characters, deep mysteries, and even deeper danger.”

—James A. Hetley, author of Dragon’s Eye, Dragon’s Teeth, and Dragon’s Bones.

As the book begins you find that Kate is ill or dying and she has left home for some unknown reason.  Her Grandmother is missing.  She is responsible for a carousel in an amusement park and also some land, that is more than land…

A great beginning with tons of mystery.  It captured my imagination, especially the carousel.  Borgan a new man in Kate’s hometown is an interesting character and I would have liked to know more about him. (Maybe in a sequel??)

There is some sexual chemistry between Kate and Borgan and I would have liked to have seen that explored more.  As the story progresses you find that Kate has been the victim of sexual abuse.  The abuse is described in a subtle manner and I felt it was handled quite tastefully (if that is possible).  I had difficulty with Kate accepting Borgan’s advances without considering her history of abuse.  Her character didn’t appear to be affected by the abuse.  Other reviews have criticized the character development of Kate and I have to agree.  She just didn’t have much dimension.  I wanted to care about her more than I did.

I did love the idea and fantasy of the carousel characters, especially the Batwing horse!   The descriptions of Maine made me want to visit the area.

The plot was interesting and overall I liked this book.  I would give it to a friend to read.  I think I will continue to investigate the “urban fantasy” books in the future.

My other complaint, which I find happens all to often with books I have read recently, is that the climax and ending seemed to rush to the conclusion.  I wanted more.  More Borgan, more about her Mother and Grandmother and Mr. Ignat.

Maybe that is a call for a sequel!?

Virgin Blogger

This blog is a place to record my thought about the books I read
To recommend books to my friends and family
and to try out a new avenue for communication....

I like many types of books
I have books stacked on my beside table
in my car
in my office
and on my phone

I want an e-reader some day

I can spend half a day in a book store
I hate to get rid of books, unless I am passing them on to another passionate reader

I love recommending books to my friends' children
I think reading is the best way to escape

I have stayed up all night reading

When I started reading I thought that books should be read from right to left
I sometimes still read the ending of a book first

I used to climb a tree and read to escape my siblings

I read when I should be doing other things
I usually  don't like the movie based on a book...my imagination is always better

I am proud that both of my children are "readers"

Of all  my senses, I would hate to lose my vision...I hope it's the last thing to go