Book Review of the Day - R. M. Meluch

Well, I wouldn't want to be this author. (I mean, I would, but there have been some serious setbacks for her that she might not even be aware of.) When I went to multiple bookstores searching for the latest book in the Merrimack series, none of them had it in stock. And none of them planned to. There was only one Barnes and Noble in the entire Orlando area that was carrying the hardback, and it was far away from me. I ended up ordering it from Amazon. Hate to think what her first week's sales were like.

That said, it was a great read, as has been the rest of her series. This one, called Strength and Honor, continued the development of her wonderful characters and the ongoing battle between the Americans and the Romans, along with the ever present threat of the alien Hive. I don't usually read novels in which the protagonist is not a strong female. But I thoroughly enjoy this series. The main character, I suppose, would be Farragut. He's completely likable and believable as a hero. But I would call this more of an ensemble piece. It's full of heroes, some male, some female, all well-written.

If I had to make one complaint, it would be the constant rehashing of the old threats, the Romans, the Hive. However, Meluch does it all so well, that one barely notices and gets caught up in the characters which are her strength. I also love the number of "Ah hah!" moments that come at the end of her novels. Looking forward to the next one.

Book Review of the Day - Ann Aguirre

Finished Wanderlust today, the second book in the Sirantha Jax series. Best way to describe it is "a fun read" with lots of good action. Some very interesting new characters make their debuts, like Jael and Hit.

I guess my only frustration is the amount of suffering Ms. Aguirre puts her characters through. Which I suppose is the point. The reader is supposed to be frustrated, right along with the characters. So she must be doing her job well. But some of the personality changes (and I don't want to give away any spoilers) are disturbing, and I hope they are resolved in the next installment.

It reminds me a bit of the review I gave for S.L. Viehl's books. Viehl's primary male character suffered so much at one point that I ceased to like him for a time until he got his act together. And the same thing happened to her female protagonist who suffered memory loss and changed personalities altogether. I liked the original personality. I wasn't fond of the new one. Now the old one is returning, and I'm happier.

That's how I feel about Jax. She started as kick-a** in the first book. For most of this one, she is not capable of being that way for reasons I will not disclose. Now, Aguirre has included other characters to take up the slack. And that's great. But I was glad that by the end, there was a spark of the old Jax returning. Oops, I guess that's a spoiler. Same goes for March, though not as much. We are well-prepared for his issues as we have already seen glimpses into his dark past. So, it's not as much of a shock when he suffers. In fact, I enjoy watching him struggle through these dark times. It makes him more endearing to me. Yep, his endearing level is high on my scale of endearing and desirable male characters. I just want to see Jax kick more butt.

Well, hopefully in the next book.