Friday, March 7, 2008

Spymaster update and More about Lust Bites


The Update

THE SPYMASTER'S LADY is so enchanting and exciting, I can no longer read it before bed, because as soon as I turn the light out I just think about it excitedly, replaying all the delicious scenes in my head when I should be sleeping. Marveling, replaying, churning.

I am losing serious sleep, Ms. Joanna Bourne, and it is ALL YOUR FAULT! You have made your book too enthralling.

I am quite new to historicals. Is it possible they are all this good? This is such a good life to have one excellent book to read after another. I feel so lucky.

More about Lust Bites
I never considered myself an anthology reader, but I have certainly gotten a ton of pleasure out of this one. Maybe I have been transformed into an anthology reader now. We’ll see! Maybe I’ll wake up soon with glowing red eyes, craving another anthology, running madly through the streets to Barnes and Noble, frightening the clerks with my strangely elongated reading glasses.

I finished it a bit ago, but I never got to talk about the Kristina Lloyd story. Tumperkin, who generously gave me this book as a prize, enjoyed the exquisite writing in this story, and I’d have to agree. Both this and the Portia Da Costa story are startlingly well written.

Ah, a bloggerly pleasure
Tumperkin excerpted one of her favorite passages, and it was really fun coming back across that passage in context. That happened with a passage that lisabea excerpted from Demon Night, too. It is a unique pleasure to revisit passages that my online friends have pointed out.

Anyway...
What I found remarkable in this story was the collision of worlds, or more, of thought processes. You have Arctic trekker Esther, who is an intelligent, likeable and highly reasonable heroine trekking along with her wholesome, sophisticated, outdoorsy Arctic group.

Esther’s scenes alternate with scenes featuring these debauched and sex-crazed vampires, two men and a woman, and their equally crazed vampire cat, cavorting in their freaky arctic outpost, making weird decisions about things. Their mad ways are exactly what you’d expect from isolated vampires in the arctic tundra. Wonderfully written. Delightfully dirty!

And you have the hero, vampire Billy, their leader sort of, struggling to raise up out of his chaotic mad ways and do the right thing for once, regarding Esther, who he was in love with centuries ago. It’s absolutely wonderful. This story is crazy and wonderful.

8 comments:

Sarai said...

Okay that's it Spymaster has offically moved up on the must buy right now at amazon.
Now back to the question. Historicals are a funny thing with me. Sometimes they are a total *sigh* moment where I remember what made me fall in love with romance or they are a throw the book agains the wall roll your eyes Gawd what is wrong with these people.
Really it's hit or miss but from what I've heard about Bourne you might have a harder time finding ones up to her standard. Private Arrangement is suppose to be right up there. Yeah buying that one as well after all if it is over $25 shipping is free ;)

lisabea said...

What a selection. The amazing historical spy lady vs. the arctic trekking vampire extravaganza. Why does the latter sound so much more up my alley?

It's official. Anthologies don't always suck.

Joanna Chambers said...

Yay for anthologies!

I really must try Joanna Bourne. Someone else was recently majorly rating her.

Christine said...

I agree Sarai.... I'm buying The SpyMaster's Lady tomorrow. Which is unusual for me... I'm usually the paranormal/fantasy/sci fi kind of romance reader. But I've heard so many readers rave about this one, that I've got to read it, too!

Carolyn Crane said...

Hey, all of you, I can't believe you haven't read this book yet. I can't wait for you to read it! Oh, Sarai, Private Arrangements isn't out until late March. Order something else to round out your shipment.

Of course, I am getting an ADVANCE copy! I won it. I have been winning lots of books lately. Maybe I'll run a contest soon.

Actually, I think I will! Tomorrow, I will run a contest for the Spymaster's lady to be rushed to somebody's home. I just decided. How exciting!

Marg said...

I own it....just haven't read it yet!

lisabea said...

T~That was Sula. She Lurrrvved it.

Portia Da Costa said...

Wow, thanks!

I'm so glad you enjoyed Buddies Don't Bite. :)

It was fun to write.

All the best

Portia