MaryJanice Davidson - Fish Out of Water

Ahh... it is time to bid adiós to Fred as Fish Out of Water is the final book of the Fred the mermaid trilogy. A true shame really, as I feel I am just warming up to the brash green-haired Fredrika. I am an absolute sucker for happy endings and I can't complain about this one. I had hoped Fred would pick Thomas (the human one) eventually, and even though it only finally came about in the last book, at least I got the ending I wanted. I also like how MJD extracted Artur from the love triangle; sure, it was convenient but at least it wasn't messy and I don't feel heartbroken for Artur. Somehow, I think he'll survive. Throw in a bare-bones mystery about missing merfolk and a finale appearance by a deranged mer-father and we have a story cooking. While not the greatest novel that I've read (even by MJD standards), I must say that I have enjoyed the mermaid trilogy and Fred and the gang will be missed. Who knows? They may appear again one day; I don't think this series is on its last leg - or tail! - yet.

MaryJanice Davidson - Undead and Unwelcome

I am an MJD fan and will continue to be, just like I will continue to follow the Undead series, even though it seems to be on a downward spiral. So, yes, Undead and Unwelcome is Book 8; surely, by now, I should be used to how Betsy books turn out. I have no issues with MJD's style of writing; the haphazard crazy way of writing is fun and suits Betsy's personality. Wafer-thin plots, I have more of an issue with, but even that I can overlook - I mean, we all know Betsy books aren't exactly literature. I think a measure of a good author is the ability to evolve its character, especially since MJD herself had called out that it was a new beginning for this series from the previous book. The character shouldn't be changed beyond recognition, but certainly in a way where readers can grow with the character as the series progresses. After all, major events would have happened; a person does not stay exactly the same. I love reading Betsy's frank outbursts; the way she speaks her mind with a devil-may-care attitude regardless of who's around is one of her endearing traits. What I can't stand is her inability to focus for more than 2 seconds, which seems to be much worse in this book than I can remember in all previous installments. Yes, we all know that she is not exactly enamoured about her position as Queen of the Undead but with all the recent events and new responsibilities, you would think she would be able to concentrate for at least the length of a conversation. I'm not sure how long more MJD can drag out this series for as things seem to be coming to a head. I can only hope that she will give the Undead series a fitting end, as Betsy so rightly deserves.

MaryJanice Davidson - Undead and Unworthy

It's been a few months since I've blogged about my reading! I kept up with the reading (although not as much as I would have liked) but with so many major events that have happened over the last few months, I just did not have the time to update my book blog. Well, as the saying goes, better late than never, so here are all my updates!

Let's start with the latest addition to MJD's Undead series, Undead and Unworthy. I borrowed this from the library (did I ever mention that I love my local library?!) and it was another quick read that I polished off in a day. That said, I don't think it's a great addition to the series, especially when I thought MJD had only just brought back a bit of sparkle to the Undead series in Book 6.

Firstly, I HATE the new cover (at least the UK version is still semi-decent). It looks absolutely horrid and I don't know what possessed the publisher to make the change and what came over MJD to give the tick of approval. Sure, I get the whole new start thing and looking for that something to rejuvenate the series, but this just doesn't work. The old covers were quirky and fun, capturing the quintessential essence of Betsy; the new cover just doesn't feel right and doesn't convey the 'Betsy-ness' of the Undead series. Of course, it clashes terribly with the rest of the collection that I don't even know if I will want to purchase Book 7 because it will stand out like a sore thumb! (I need matching covers in a set!)

MJD also attempts to breathe new life into the series by creating a new story arc for Betsy and her sidekicks. Well, I'm not sure if it's working all that well based on Book 7. I think it was rather drastic to kill off Antonia and Garrett, especially after giving them happy endings just in the previous book. MJD seems to be using that TV trick where major characters are killed off to 'shake things up' but I don't think it achieved the desired effect. I am still a fan of the Undead series and I will perservere with it and wait for the release of Book 8, but MJD has been producing more misses than hits - let's hope that she can recover some of the Betsy magic for the next book.

C.J. Adams & Cathy Clamp - Hunter's Moon

Hmmm... I felt really ambivalent about this one. I was after a fluff read so I picked this one off my bookshelf. Some parts were interesting, but otherwise, I found most of the book rather tedious -- especially when the authors went on and on about the various scents. I know it's supposed to be a characteristic for Tony, the werewolf in the story, but talk about overkill. Gimme a break! The other protagonist also wasn't all that interesting. Usually when the heroine isn't depicted as drop-dead gorgeous, she will have other quirky and charming qualities that endears her to the reader. Not so much in this case. Sue was portrayed as a plain Jane and a complete pushover -- she just wasn't that likeable. While I did feel a little sorry for her because of her horrid family, I never really found myself cheering for her. (And it was a bit of a stretch to want to off yourself just because of that -- grow a backbone and kick them OUT!) If I chance upon the other books in the series, I will probably give them a go, but only because I'm interested to know more about the Sazi and how they function in the real world. It was a shame that the book didn't turn out as well as I had hoped as I thought it could have been a real gem. Hopefully the later books in the series will be better!

MaryJanice Davidson - Undead and Uneasy

Ahhh... the latest in the Undead series by MJD. I had been disappointed by the recent offerings in this series -- they lacked the sparkle from earlier books, which were insane and silly, but with coherent plots at least. Well, fairly coherent anyway. In Books 4 and 5, they were disjointed and felt like a bunch of nonsense strung together -- whimsical, okay; nonsensical, not so much. I am pleased to say that with Book 6, MJD has gotten her -- as Betsy would put it -- "mojo" back and has delivered a highly enjoyable read. It is a little convenient to use a cursed ring to explain some of the nonsense (for example, the zombie) from previous books, but at least this time, the plot felt like a whole thought-out story. It's not without its flaws, but at least back to being fairly coherent. The blow-up with Laura and an appearance of the devil did smack a little of MJD trying to fill up pages, but not so jarring that they can't be overlooked. As usual, Betsy saves the day with another new-found incredible vampire queen ability and all that was wrong is right again -- Jessica is cured; Antonia can now change; Garrett is super-smart now; and Betsy and Eric get married, with Sinclair himself acquiring a new ability. All very convenient and too easy, but as a sucker for happy endings, I have no objection. Hurrah to MJD for a great addition to the Undead series! I hope Book 7 will be just as good!