Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
San Francisco : Night Shade Books, c2007.
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. 'Stylish and self-assured: Raymond Chandler meets Raymond E. Feist.'. HTML: It should have been a case like any other: a missing princess, a king willing to pay in gold for her return. But before he realizes it, private investigator Eddie LaCrosse, a slightly shopworn sword jockey with a talent for discretion and detection, is swept up in a web of mystery and deceit involving a brutally murdered royal heir, a queen accused of an unspeakable crime, and the tragic past he thought he'd left behind..
User reviews
LibraryThing member The_Evil_DM
I never remember where I learn half of the stuff I find out about on the Internet, but I’m glad I was paying enough attention to make note of The Sword-Edged Blonde. It’s billed as a fantasy tale written in a style reminiscent of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.
The story’s told by Eddie
We follow LaCrosse from royal palaces to back-alley gambling dens as he uses every skill at his disposal to clear the queen. A complex pattern of flashbacks reveals the hand of fate; old acquaintances from the past become players in the intrigues of the present. Fortunately, the flashbacks don’t confuse the reader and actually showcase some of the best action sequences in the novel. Such is the case when LaCrosse first comes across Cathy Dumont, a courier beset by roadside bandits. After dealing with the robbers, LaCrosse and Cathy share the road, and a mutual respect and attraction. Cathy is delivering a package that will haunt Eddie for years to come. Bledsoe manages to merge the past and the present convincingly, as long as you accept the premise that magic works, gods walk the earth, and curses last for ages.
The Sword-Edged Blonde followed much of the style one expects from a gritty detective novel. LaCrosse is a likeable guy. He’s been around the block a few times, but is still human enough to get sucker-punched from time to time. It took me awhile to adjust to the characters referring to each other as Eddie, Phil, or Janet, mostly because I’m more familiar with the formal or invented names that are more often used in fantasy tales. But I settled in and adjusted readily enough.
I’ve seen The Sword-Edged Blonde described as both high fantasy and sword-and-sorcery. High fantasy conjures images of wizards, elves, dragons, and dark lords. Sword-and-sorcery brings to mind ancient ruins, grim barbarians, and spider haunted temples. The Sword-edged Blonde doesn’t have much of either. There is magic, and there are bloody fights worthy of the best sword-and-sorcery tale. But The Sword-Edged Blonde is more like a grim and gritty fairy tale for adults clothed skillfully in a trench coat and a fedora and seasoned with elements of sacrifice, romance, intrigue, and redemption. It was a good read.
The story’s told by Eddie
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LaCrosse, a former soldier, mercenary and general “knock around” guy running an investigating service. He’s contacted by a client to find a missing princess, which proves to be the springboard for a much more desperate tale involving murder, conspiracy, and revenge. LaCrosse enters the service of an old friend, King Philip of Arentia, to clear the name of his wife, Queen Rhiannon, who has been convicted of killing and eating her infant son in an unholy ritual sacrifice.We follow LaCrosse from royal palaces to back-alley gambling dens as he uses every skill at his disposal to clear the queen. A complex pattern of flashbacks reveals the hand of fate; old acquaintances from the past become players in the intrigues of the present. Fortunately, the flashbacks don’t confuse the reader and actually showcase some of the best action sequences in the novel. Such is the case when LaCrosse first comes across Cathy Dumont, a courier beset by roadside bandits. After dealing with the robbers, LaCrosse and Cathy share the road, and a mutual respect and attraction. Cathy is delivering a package that will haunt Eddie for years to come. Bledsoe manages to merge the past and the present convincingly, as long as you accept the premise that magic works, gods walk the earth, and curses last for ages.
The Sword-Edged Blonde followed much of the style one expects from a gritty detective novel. LaCrosse is a likeable guy. He’s been around the block a few times, but is still human enough to get sucker-punched from time to time. It took me awhile to adjust to the characters referring to each other as Eddie, Phil, or Janet, mostly because I’m more familiar with the formal or invented names that are more often used in fantasy tales. But I settled in and adjusted readily enough.
I’ve seen The Sword-Edged Blonde described as both high fantasy and sword-and-sorcery. High fantasy conjures images of wizards, elves, dragons, and dark lords. Sword-and-sorcery brings to mind ancient ruins, grim barbarians, and spider haunted temples. The Sword-edged Blonde doesn’t have much of either. There is magic, and there are bloody fights worthy of the best sword-and-sorcery tale. But The Sword-Edged Blonde is more like a grim and gritty fairy tale for adults clothed skillfully in a trench coat and a fedora and seasoned with elements of sacrifice, romance, intrigue, and redemption. It was a good read.
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LibraryThing member hedera
I wasn't sure about this at first, but as I got into it, it turned into a pretty good read. It's sword-and-sorcery fantasy with a heavy emphasis on sword; Eddie LaCrosse is a much more interesting character than he lets on at the beginning. I'm still deciding whether the 20th century tough-guy
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dialog - 20th century American tough-guy at that - improves or detracts from the medieval background and magical events. But the people come across as real and interesting even if some of the details startle. Show Less
LibraryThing member SunnySD
Eddie LaCrosse, middle-aged swordsman and jack-of-all-trades, has a new case - prove his best friend's wife didn't kill and eat their infant son. Complications? His relationship with the suspected murderess, her amnesia, and his own past.
Despite the medieval-esque setting, this has the ring of Sam
Despite the medieval-esque setting, this has the ring of Sam
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Spade or Travis McGee, and it's all the better for it. Fast and fun, if not exactly what I'd call humorous. Show Less
LibraryThing member majkia
Entertaining and fun adventure with a sword jockey. Private dick with sword. How can that go wrong!
LibraryThing member kmaziarz
Eddie LaCrosse is a self-described “sword jockey,” a private investigator for hire in a world of kings, queens, missing princesses, murder most foul, and magic of all stripes. He’s initially hired to find a missing princess, but along the way finds himself enlisted to solve the case of a
A spirited blend of sword-and-sorcery fantasy with hard-boiled-noir, The Sword-Edged Blonde is a fast-paced, one-liner-littered delight. It’s only the first in a series featuring the wise cracking sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse, so look out for Burn Me Deadly, the second Eddie adventure.
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particularly heinous murder and prove the Queen accused of the crime innocent. Unfortunately for Eddie, the King who’s hired him is Eddie’s long-lost best friend and part of a past Eddie’s been running from for most of his life. The solution to the mystery, too, lies in a part of Eddie’s past he’d rather forget. But circumstances force him to confront the tragedies he’s been hiding and come to grips with his own guilty conscience.A spirited blend of sword-and-sorcery fantasy with hard-boiled-noir, The Sword-Edged Blonde is a fast-paced, one-liner-littered delight. It’s only the first in a series featuring the wise cracking sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse, so look out for Burn Me Deadly, the second Eddie adventure.
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LibraryThing member msjessie
The Sword-Edged Blonde does something new and interesting - it merges two genres I love - fantasy and mystery - and spins them together in a highly fun and unique way. With a main character like investigator Eddie LaCrosse, who manages to inject a bit of wry, world-weary humor into a dark toned and
I'm a big fan of the way Alex Bledsoe writes about this alternate but familiar world, filled with 'sword jockeys', exiled nobility, and magic. Though I had never heard of him before Audra's wonderful review of this exact book, he steadily impressed me with his original storytelling ability and talent for crafting concrete, realistic, and flawed characters. Bledsoe also has an adept way of setting the scene - from the first sentence of the novel ("Spring came down hard that year. And I do mean hard, like the fist of some drunken pike poker with too much fury and not enough ale, whose wife just left him for some wandering minstrel and whose commanding officer absconded with his pay."), the voice of protagonist Eddie is uniquely his own and captivating, as is the imagined world he lives in. Consider me a fan of this author just after this first novel - I can only hope the rest of this semi-medieval fantasy series lives up to the standard of The Sword-Edged Blonde.
Main character Eddie is my favorite part of this slightly supernatural mix of mystery and fantasy. He's presented as a wholly flawed man with a dark and mysterious past all his own. Though the focus of the novel is more on unraveling the twisty web of political intrigue and revenge around Arentia's royal family, the tidbits that sneak out about Eddie's personal history added ever more depth to the hard-bitten and snarky man. I also loved his sense of humor from the outset. ("Okay. I'd found a clue. But it told me nothing. Actually, it took away some certainties, so it was more of an anti-clue. Eddie LaCrosse, reverse investigator." and "Always pay the insurance" - Eddie's version of the double tap.) If hardboiled, noir detective types are something you enjoy reading about, don't let the slight fantastical elements of The Sword-Edged Blonde scare you away. Lies, vendettas, secrets, twists, turns, and murder - all are part and parcel in this able and talented swordsman's daily excursions.
I vastly enjoyed the world Bledsoe has crafted. With obvious nods to the genres he melds so well, there is a bit of exposition to get through in the first hundred or so pages before the story really takes off. I'm not one to nitpick fantasy exposition as long as it's done as well as it is here. It/the flashbacks to Eddie's former life didn't choke up the storyline, but managed to actually add to the complete feel of the story/world created. I loved the infusion of Celtic and Welsh mythologies - fantasy as a genre tends to stick to mining the same ground for inspiration of gods and goddesses, and it's always refreshing to read a new take on the same old same old. The mystery element gets a bit muddled when the odd, remote character of Epona is introduced, but Bledsoe happily manages to clear it up with ease soon after.
I do have a few caveats, despite how thoroughly I got sucked into Eddie's story and world. I got a bit tired of how many women were blonde and attractive in this novel - there were so many mentioned that I lost count. There are many token women characters and none of them are characterized to the same degree as Eddie - which bothered me more and more as the trend continued throughout the novel. I also have slight issues with just who the woman appearing to Eddie at the end is, because it can come across a bit like women are replaceable versions of one another in this world. It's a minor complaint, but I wasn't happy with how that particular plotline was executed.
The Sword -Edged Blonde boasts a well-crafted mystery, a likeable if gruff and imperfect lead, a solid plot, and several truly unexpected twists and revelations. While the females of this world could do with some time and work, it is main character Eddie who commands attention and keeps the fun coming. There's tons more good than bad to be found in this first novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience with The Sword-Edged Blonde. It's a "tongue in cheek" look at sword noir, and it works well across the board; inventive, fun, if superficial. I am a fan, and upon finishing, I was eager and excited to see what this author has cooked up for the second novel in the series, Burn Me Deadly.
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murder-filled novel, there's a lot to enjoy in this first of a newish series. Both the fantasy aspects and the 'whodunit' more than hold up under the pressure of three hundred pages of revenge, fallen Goddess, and surprise revelations. Neatly and engrossingly told, this debut novel is hard to put down as the reader and Eddie race to figure out what happened to both Prince Pridiri and Epona Gray.I'm a big fan of the way Alex Bledsoe writes about this alternate but familiar world, filled with 'sword jockeys', exiled nobility, and magic. Though I had never heard of him before Audra's wonderful review of this exact book, he steadily impressed me with his original storytelling ability and talent for crafting concrete, realistic, and flawed characters. Bledsoe also has an adept way of setting the scene - from the first sentence of the novel ("Spring came down hard that year. And I do mean hard, like the fist of some drunken pike poker with too much fury and not enough ale, whose wife just left him for some wandering minstrel and whose commanding officer absconded with his pay."), the voice of protagonist Eddie is uniquely his own and captivating, as is the imagined world he lives in. Consider me a fan of this author just after this first novel - I can only hope the rest of this semi-medieval fantasy series lives up to the standard of The Sword-Edged Blonde.
Main character Eddie is my favorite part of this slightly supernatural mix of mystery and fantasy. He's presented as a wholly flawed man with a dark and mysterious past all his own. Though the focus of the novel is more on unraveling the twisty web of political intrigue and revenge around Arentia's royal family, the tidbits that sneak out about Eddie's personal history added ever more depth to the hard-bitten and snarky man. I also loved his sense of humor from the outset. ("Okay. I'd found a clue. But it told me nothing. Actually, it took away some certainties, so it was more of an anti-clue. Eddie LaCrosse, reverse investigator." and "Always pay the insurance" - Eddie's version of the double tap.) If hardboiled, noir detective types are something you enjoy reading about, don't let the slight fantastical elements of The Sword-Edged Blonde scare you away. Lies, vendettas, secrets, twists, turns, and murder - all are part and parcel in this able and talented swordsman's daily excursions.
I vastly enjoyed the world Bledsoe has crafted. With obvious nods to the genres he melds so well, there is a bit of exposition to get through in the first hundred or so pages before the story really takes off. I'm not one to nitpick fantasy exposition as long as it's done as well as it is here. It/the flashbacks to Eddie's former life didn't choke up the storyline, but managed to actually add to the complete feel of the story/world created. I loved the infusion of Celtic and Welsh mythologies - fantasy as a genre tends to stick to mining the same ground for inspiration of gods and goddesses, and it's always refreshing to read a new take on the same old same old. The mystery element gets a bit muddled when the odd, remote character of Epona is introduced, but Bledsoe happily manages to clear it up with ease soon after.
I do have a few caveats, despite how thoroughly I got sucked into Eddie's story and world. I got a bit tired of how many women were blonde and attractive in this novel - there were so many mentioned that I lost count. There are many token women characters and none of them are characterized to the same degree as Eddie - which bothered me more and more as the trend continued throughout the novel. I also have slight issues with just who the woman appearing to Eddie at the end is, because it can come across a bit like women are replaceable versions of one another in this world. It's a minor complaint, but I wasn't happy with how that particular plotline was executed.
The Sword -Edged Blonde boasts a well-crafted mystery, a likeable if gruff and imperfect lead, a solid plot, and several truly unexpected twists and revelations. While the females of this world could do with some time and work, it is main character Eddie who commands attention and keeps the fun coming. There's tons more good than bad to be found in this first novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience with The Sword-Edged Blonde. It's a "tongue in cheek" look at sword noir, and it works well across the board; inventive, fun, if superficial. I am a fan, and upon finishing, I was eager and excited to see what this author has cooked up for the second novel in the series, Burn Me Deadly.
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LibraryThing member Shirezu
I originally started reading this as something light to read in between heavy, dark, deep books. But then I found that I just couldn't put it down and had to keep going til it was over.
A brilliant blend of medieval fantasy and noir detective this book really hit the right marks for me. The witty,
Another review I read mentioned inconsistencies, like a name-tag on a waitress, but they weren't mistakes but intentional anachronisms that really gave this book a sense of the familiar mixed with fantasy. These little humourous details that shouldn't exist in the setting of the world but work perfectly. Reminds me a lot of Douglas Adams more subtle humour. The best humour is most often that which isn't pushed into the audiences face.
A great book I must now get my hands on the sequel.
A brilliant blend of medieval fantasy and noir detective this book really hit the right marks for me. The witty,
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self-deprecating, flawed and human detective/swordsman was such a great main character I easily fell behind him. The main story, while predictable, was entertaining and gripping the whole way though. Another review I read mentioned inconsistencies, like a name-tag on a waitress, but they weren't mistakes but intentional anachronisms that really gave this book a sense of the familiar mixed with fantasy. These little humourous details that shouldn't exist in the setting of the world but work perfectly. Reminds me a lot of Douglas Adams more subtle humour. The best humour is most often that which isn't pushed into the audiences face.
A great book I must now get my hands on the sequel.
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LibraryThing member marti.booker
Really enjoyed this fast tight read. Definite notes of Chandler but also reminiscent of Steven Brust's work, although Bledsoe is mining different territory with his work (demigods and not overt magic users).
LibraryThing member Schlyne
The first of the sword jockey fantasy novels. It's a combination of your "hard nosed private detective" and epic fantasy. A great combination.
LibraryThing member bookczuk
My second Eddie LaCrosse novel, Alex Bledsoe's first. Nice thing about finding a series in progress by an author you like? You don't have to wait for the next book to come out! Good plot, nice Easter Eggs, humor, adventure, mystery, and promises of more tales to come. I'll take it.
tags: 2016-read,
tags: 2016-read,
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a-favorite-author, fantasy, first-novel-or-book, fun, good-worldbuilding, part-start-of-a-series, quirky, read, thank-you-charleston-county-library, will-look-for-more-by-this-autho Show Less
LibraryThing member Sarah_Buckley
In the kingdom of Arentia the reigning Queen has just been charged with murdering her son (and royal heir) in a particularly brutal way. King Phillip doesn't want to believe that his wife is capable of such violence but is very low on options. Queen Rhiannon was found in a locked room surrounded by
What follows is a reasonably interesting locked-room mystery. Most places will describe this story as a: " hardboiled noir in a fantasy world". While that is pretty close to what it is, i felt that it wasn't as hardboiled as I was led to believe. Oh sure a lot of terrible things happen in this book and the backstory for our main character Eddie is pretty dark the horrors were really low key. Perhaps I'm just so used to everything that happens because of my reading habits. It did read very "realistic" and there was all the good things I like about Hardboiled detective fiction such as corrupt officials and detectives with very gray moralities.
That's not to say i didn't like it. Quite the opposite actually. I felt that the story set up the vaguely medieval fantasy setting well and the characters were all pretty well drawn. The mystery held my interest and had some good twists in there that surprised me. It also got pretty mystical and magical which did surprise me, as I wasn't informed ahead of time that the book contained such things. I liked it though! It's good to be surprised once in a while, there's nothing worse than being bored by a book.
The characters are all pretty well drawn. Eddie LaCrosse, our main character, is a little flat in this first book. He is hard-edged and cynical....but only mostly in his own head. He truly cares about others and works hard to protect them and fight for the truth. His angsty back story is dark but thankfully doesn't consume the whole story or make his too depressing to read about.
The women in this story.....are less well drawn. I felt they were mostly one-dimensional and mostly there to be tragic or sexy or tragically sexy. There are some exceptions, but not very many. My hope is that in future stories that this gets better.
Overall, I'd recommend these stories to read. They won't set the world on fire with a mind blowing tale, but they are really fun fast reads. The main character is interesting with an interesting backstory that doesn't drag down the plot and the mystery is interesting with some good twists.
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blood and bones after all. The king can only think of one person he trusts enough to look into this horrific crime, his old friend Eddie LaCrosse. Eddie has spent years running from a painful past and now, reluctantly, heads back to the last place he wants to be to help out his friend. What follows is a reasonably interesting locked-room mystery. Most places will describe this story as a: " hardboiled noir in a fantasy world". While that is pretty close to what it is, i felt that it wasn't as hardboiled as I was led to believe. Oh sure a lot of terrible things happen in this book and the backstory for our main character Eddie is pretty dark the horrors were really low key. Perhaps I'm just so used to everything that happens because of my reading habits. It did read very "realistic" and there was all the good things I like about Hardboiled detective fiction such as corrupt officials and detectives with very gray moralities.
That's not to say i didn't like it. Quite the opposite actually. I felt that the story set up the vaguely medieval fantasy setting well and the characters were all pretty well drawn. The mystery held my interest and had some good twists in there that surprised me. It also got pretty mystical and magical which did surprise me, as I wasn't informed ahead of time that the book contained such things. I liked it though! It's good to be surprised once in a while, there's nothing worse than being bored by a book.
The characters are all pretty well drawn. Eddie LaCrosse, our main character, is a little flat in this first book. He is hard-edged and cynical....but only mostly in his own head. He truly cares about others and works hard to protect them and fight for the truth. His angsty back story is dark but thankfully doesn't consume the whole story or make his too depressing to read about.
The women in this story.....are less well drawn. I felt they were mostly one-dimensional and mostly there to be tragic or sexy or tragically sexy. There are some exceptions, but not very many. My hope is that in future stories that this gets better.
Overall, I'd recommend these stories to read. They won't set the world on fire with a mind blowing tale, but they are really fun fast reads. The main character is interesting with an interesting backstory that doesn't drag down the plot and the mystery is interesting with some good twists.
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LibraryThing member quondame
The Noir voice in a medieval fantasy setting is jarring but the story moves and the actions are interesting enough that the shallow peripheral characters don’t jangle.
LibraryThing member snat
In the medieval kingdom of Arentia, Queen Rhiannon has been charged with a particularly horrific case of infanticide. King Philip desperately believes in his wife's innocence, despite all evidence to the contrary. His only hope? Eddie LaCrosse, the tough as nails sword-for-hire investigator and the
The Sword-Edged Blonde is the snappy title for this noir/fantasy mash-up that's light on the noir, easy on the fantasy, and not as snappy as I wanted it to be. This is a bit of fun and forgettable reading, perfect for vacation but little else. While I enjoyed the book as a light, quick read, I could have loved it if it weren't for a few peeves:
--First off, that cover. Ye gods, that cover. Even by the artistically lacking and inept standards of mass market paperback sci fi/fantasy covers, that is one fugly cover. And wtf it has to do with the novel, I have no idea. It appears as though a giant troll king will manifest somewhere in the novel, and it's difficult to tell if he will be friend or foe based upon the back-to-back stance with the protagonist. Is he being sneaky-sneaky, trying to catch our hero off-guard, or has he simply got his back, bro? You know what--doesn't matter because this character and this scene never appears in the novel, at least not in any recognizable form.
--Ditto with the title. Sure, there's a blonde, but nothing about her is particularly "sword-edged." She's basically clueless and pouty. The reality is that she's more of a butter-knife-edged blonde. Or maybe a spork blonde, kind of confused and essentially useless.
--The protagonist, Eddie LaCrosse, is a bland character. He's not hard-boiled enough. I expected a world-weary, wise-cracking antihero (maybe a character like Ash from Army of Darkness). But LaCrosse is basically just a good guy who wanders around while clues smack him in the face. The only real nod to noir is that he has a suitably tragic past, but it doesn't seem to have shaped his character in any significant way. He occasionally ruminates on his past woes, but then snaps back to the present and soldiers on.
--Ineffective use of the locked room mystery presented as the crux for the case. I won't say much regarding this since I don't want to ruin anything, but a locked room can have so much potential for an unexpected twist that The Sword-Edged Blonde never capitalizes on.
While I didn't particularly like the objectified female characters, such is the territory with a noir-esque novel and there's nothing here that suggests Alex Bledsoe harbors misogynistic tendencies; instead, he's just tipping his hat to one of the defining characteristics of the genre. Still, it bothered me a bit that so many other noir tropes were dodged, but this was the one that was adhered to.
Essentially, this book is like a cheap and ugly hooker. Pay your $10, try not to look at it too hard, and you might have a relatively good time.
(That's right, I went there even after my little speech about objectifying women--hypocrisy, thy name is Amanda.)
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
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king's childhood friend. Having spent years trying to outrun his past, LaCrosse begrudgingly returns home and is forced to confront his demons while trying to unravel the mystery of whether or not the beautiful blonde bombshell actually killed her own son.The Sword-Edged Blonde is the snappy title for this noir/fantasy mash-up that's light on the noir, easy on the fantasy, and not as snappy as I wanted it to be. This is a bit of fun and forgettable reading, perfect for vacation but little else. While I enjoyed the book as a light, quick read, I could have loved it if it weren't for a few peeves:
--First off, that cover. Ye gods, that cover. Even by the artistically lacking and inept standards of mass market paperback sci fi/fantasy covers, that is one fugly cover. And wtf it has to do with the novel, I have no idea. It appears as though a giant troll king will manifest somewhere in the novel, and it's difficult to tell if he will be friend or foe based upon the back-to-back stance with the protagonist. Is he being sneaky-sneaky, trying to catch our hero off-guard, or has he simply got his back, bro? You know what--doesn't matter because this character and this scene never appears in the novel, at least not in any recognizable form.
--Ditto with the title. Sure, there's a blonde, but nothing about her is particularly "sword-edged." She's basically clueless and pouty. The reality is that she's more of a butter-knife-edged blonde. Or maybe a spork blonde, kind of confused and essentially useless.
--The protagonist, Eddie LaCrosse, is a bland character. He's not hard-boiled enough. I expected a world-weary, wise-cracking antihero (maybe a character like Ash from Army of Darkness). But LaCrosse is basically just a good guy who wanders around while clues smack him in the face. The only real nod to noir is that he has a suitably tragic past, but it doesn't seem to have shaped his character in any significant way. He occasionally ruminates on his past woes, but then snaps back to the present and soldiers on.
--Ineffective use of the locked room mystery presented as the crux for the case. I won't say much regarding this since I don't want to ruin anything, but a locked room can have so much potential for an unexpected twist that The Sword-Edged Blonde never capitalizes on.
While I didn't particularly like the objectified female characters, such is the territory with a noir-esque novel and there's nothing here that suggests Alex Bledsoe harbors misogynistic tendencies; instead, he's just tipping his hat to one of the defining characteristics of the genre. Still, it bothered me a bit that so many other noir tropes were dodged, but this was the one that was adhered to.
Essentially, this book is like a cheap and ugly hooker. Pay your $10, try not to look at it too hard, and you might have a relatively good time.
(That's right, I went there even after my little speech about objectifying women--hypocrisy, thy name is Amanda.)
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
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LibraryThing member Eclipse777
DNF I was uncomfortable how the female characters were described in this book, the author seems obsessed with describing females by their breasts and most of the women he meets have been raped. I could have coped with this as the mystery was slightly interesting But the thing which made me put the
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book down is the hero meeting a diseased goddess and making love to he Show Less
LibraryThing member KittyCunningham
I gave it a second shot and liked it much better the second time around.
LibraryThing member spiritedstardust
I've been putting off reading this for a while and I wish I hadn't because it turned out to be a rather lovely adventure. This book is all about the storyline, it had enough interest and suspense to keep me reading and guessing. As others have mentioned it is a combo of the fantasy and mystery
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Subjects
Awards
Locus Recommended Reading (First Novel — 2007)
Language
Physical description
288 p.; 23 inches
ISBN
1597801127 / 9781597801126