Showing posts with label Jean Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jean Johnson. Show all posts
September 10, 2008
5:23 PM |
Edit Post
Edit Post
Back Cover:
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day—they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. The sixthborn son must find a way to trust his Destined bride…
First, his most heavily guarded refuge is breached. And now, the worst of all crimes against Rydan of Nightfall: Rora, a pesky, privacy-invading foreigner, likes him and won’t leave him alone! Rydan knows he’s as appealing as a rosebush stripped of its blooms, so why does she persist? Any normal maiden should be seeking less thorny company than his.
But Rora isn’t normal. She alone sees the secret of what torments Rydan. And only she can persuade him to put it right before it destroys him. But Rora has her own secret as well—one of such vast power that other mages have killed in order to possess it. It once drove Rora and her sisters into exile, and, in the wrong hands, its power could annihilate their world. In the right hands, it could change her and Rydan’s fate forever.
Rydan is the brother who has been keeping to himself ever since they arrived on Nightfall. He secludes himself from the rest for reasons only he knows and they are finally explained in his book. The self-imposed isolation is not of his free will. He has to because he can't be around others too long without their emotions causing him excruciating pain. That is why he lives at night and sleeps during the day. That way he's least likely to come into contact with others.
After Rora and Amara end up on Nightfall Rora discovers Rydan's "lair”, where he isolates himself from the others and sets events into action that will determine her and Rydan's future. They both have their secrets to keep and their reasons for not trusting each other with said secrets and while Rydan fights his Destiny, Rora embraces it with both hands, just as she does everything else in life.
Little by little Rora starts to grow on Rydan and together they have to overcome many obstacles before they can both enjoy the pleasures of their entwined Destinies.
Rora is Amara's twin sister. She is the reason Amara had to leave her life behind, for Rora is a living Fountain and mages covet her powers. Though she looks plain and uncomplicated on the outside Rora is anything but that. She is a sweet and open woman and pleasant to be around. She's the absolute opposite of dark, reclusive and brooding Rydan and still they are more alike than you would think. They both have this link with other people’s feelings even if Rydan's is a bit more negative than Rora's.
Rora "sees emotions displayed in colors and Rydan feels emotions through what he calls "the beast". Rora literally sees Rydan suffering and stands up for him against the others. She protects him and enjoys being the one protecting and helping instead of being the one needing protection.
Rydan tries to push Rora away, knowing she could be his downfall if she is his Prophesied Bride, but he can't resist her for long.
I loved the roles the secondary characters had in this book. Serina and Dominor were prominently present which was logical considering the Fountain storyline. But Morganen also provided some intriguing contributions to both current and future storylines. I enjoyed the interactions between the brothers, their wives and how they are all making an effort to fulfill their destinies and help those who aren't paired up yet. There is teasing and bantering but you can feel the harmony between all the people on Nightfall.
Rydan and Rora's story takes place in roughly the same time as Trevan and Amara's and that's the only similarity both stories have. As different as both twins are physically and emotionally, so were their stories.
With THE STORM I found the romance and sensuality I missed in THE CAT. And next to the romance there was still this fantastic magical world building Jean Johnson has displayed in the other books. I got to know more about the Fountains/Fonts, their origin and how they work.
Rydan's character turned out very different from the image I had of him reading the previous books. And this was in a very positive way. Normally reality doesn't meet the expectations but with Rydan reality rose high above my expectations. Yes he was dark and brooding and isolated himself, but he had good reason to and he had some really endearing moments that melted my heart.
If you like emotional stories, as I do, THE STORM meets your needs. It's an emotional read in many ways, from beginning to end. It has a main couple that approaches emotions in their own way and only when they combine their efforts, will they find solutions for their problems, relief for their suffering and love.
Next to this fabulous love story Jean Johnson still takes everyday things, like stone carving and house building, and wraps them in a magical veil using her phenomenal writing talent.
In the fantasy genre she has become one of my favourites. With THE STORM she has truly consolidated that position, giving me a well-balanced combination of plot and romance and a nice mix of emotion and action. I enjoyed this book immensely and am waiting with eager anticipation for the last set of twins in this series.
Quotes:
Rora and Dominor about Rydan:
"I know what I See...and I will do something about it. In my own time, and in my own way. You're not the one Prophesied to court him."
"And for it, I thank the Gods every single day," Dominor retorted.
One of Rydan's thoughts:
Just because Fate weaves the overall tapestry doesn't mean we cannot embroider our own Destinies over whatever was originally designed for us.
September 9, 2008
3:54 PM |
Edit Post
Edit Post
Back Cover:
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day—they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. For the fifthborn son, it is getting his Destined bride to trust him…
Amara of the Shifterai has good reason to be wary of mages, when mages were responsible for chasing her and her sister out of their homeland. Being on the run for so long hasn’t put her in a trusting mood, yet there is something about Trevan of Nightfall—mage or not—that Amara finds difficult to resist. But can he be trusted with her most fiercely guarded secret?
Courting such a pretty yet prickly outlander won’t be easy, but Trevan is determined to try. She may be fierce, proud, and from a different culture, but he is the Cat, and none but the most fascinating and challenging of women could satisfy him. Of course, it would help if she stood still long enough for him to court her properly…
Trevan is the charming women-expert of the Sons Of Destiny and he's is getting frustrated with his forced abstinence, certainly now that four of his brothers have found and married their Destined Brides. He and Koranen have tried to come up with a solution for their celibacy but are failing at it. When their brothers offer no support Trevan starts feeling more and more resentment at their happiness.
But when his Destiny finally arrives Nightfall he discovers that the frustration over his abstinence is not solved with her arrival.
Amara is a Shifterai shape-shifter with a huge chip on her shoulder. She is on the run with her sister from mages who covet what she protects. What she's given up her future for to protect. She doesn't trust mages as far as she can throw them so earning her trust is hard work for Trevan. Besides that, her people’s way of courting is very different from Trevan’s.
Though they seem very different at first glance, they do have a lot in common and that is what brings them together. They both want to protect the ones they care about and they both want to be loved for who they are, not for what they can do.
Trevan is the one who never had any problems with women and charming them, but now he has to deal with a prickly, resentful, stubborn woman who will not make it easy for him to embrace his Destiny. But he has enough determination to make it work.
Amara is a practical, apprehensive and no nonsense kind of woman, she is cautious and protective, especially of the ones dear to her.
Her bitterness comes from not being able to fulfill the purpose she was supposed to. The purpose she spent her whole life preparing for. This inability comes from forces outside her power and that frustrates her to a point where she chafes at everything and everyone. When she finds a new purpose on Nightfall she softens a bit and her better traits come to the surface. Even if she isn't very likable in the first half of the book I did understand where her animosity came from and the love for her sister always seeped through the annoyance and resentment she often felt.
With THE CAT I embarked on the third set of twins in this series and I enjoyed going back to Nightfall and getting reacquainted with Saber, Wolfer, Dominor, Evanor and their wives.
I learned about the ways and habits of Amara's people and loved seeing Kelly meet her match in Amara when it comes to willpower. Neither of them gives an inch and tries to establish their own supremacy. There was only thing I could think of when reading their scenes: "catfight"
Like in the previous books I was taken deep into this magical world where ordinary and known concepts like central heating and house building are cleverly imbedded into an imaginary world. Jean Johnson makes normal and practical things seem magical and does this in a very fascinating way.
Her world building and characters are great and she knows how to make a magical fantasy world come to life with her writing skills. She also manages to keep secondary characters interesting without taking the focus away from the main characters. The supporting characters have important and crucial roles in the plots but never take the attention of the couple at hand.
Both Amara and Trevan were characters I enjoyed reading but the rest of the book was a bit too descriptive for me. Too many scenes on how to plan cities, how to build houses, how to set up central heating and not enough sparkling sensuality between Trevan and Mara. Their love story got lost in the building of the new Kingdom of Nightfall and that was something that had its influence on my opinion of the book. The development of Nightfall as a new Kingdom and with it, the problems that arise takes up a big chunk of the plot, leaving little room for an intensive courtship between Trevan and Amara.
My hopes were high because knowing Trevan was the womanizing twin I expected lots of romance. But unfortunately these expectations weren't met entirely. Only the second half of the book came close to what I expected Trevan's story would be like. For me the second half was also much better because that's when Amara became more aware of her ill behavior towards the people on Nightfall and Trevan in particular. That's when the real courting began and that's where I started getting what I wanted in the first place.
But even if my expectations weren't met all the way, I still enjoyed this fifth installment in the series and without it this series wouldn't be complete.
All Sons of Destiny will always have a place on my keeper-shelf, representing the fantasy genre.
Quote:
She had to admit her twin had been right all along, though; this was the right place for them to be and not just for her twin's sake. One glance at Trevan was enough to reassure Amara of that. He made her cheeks heat and her heart race. He challenged her mind to think and her heart to feel.
February 22, 2008
3:43 PM |
Edit Post
Edit Post
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day—they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to Nightfall Island, where women are forbidden. This presents a challenge for the brother whose magic has been destroyed…
Evanor, fourth-born of the Sons of Destiny, lost his voice—and with it, his powers—in the violent battle that freed his family from their greatest enemy. Thankfully, with the safe return of his twin, Evanor now knows precisely who can bring his songs back to life.
She is the enchanting widow Mariel, a Healer brought to Nightfall to help the brothers in their hour of need. For Mariel and her young son, that means leaving their beloved homeland for the unfamiliar island of Nightfall and its still-forbidden shores…and with it, risking the passion she stirs in her intriguing patient’s heart.
But a new danger looms when the Council of Katan learn there might be women on the Isle…
Finally...Evanor's story has arrived. From the first book his character intrigued me. The musical twin who was happy to take care of the household.
And I can say his story was beyond my expectations. Jean Johnson has the knack for surprising her readers. Just when I thought that I had an idea of where she was taking us in the previous book, she came, saw and conquered with unexpected and very original turns in the plot and the romance between Evanor and Mariel.
The Song brings us the story of Evanor, where we return to the Isle of Nightfall, the problems with Katan and the Curse.
Evanor has a hard time dealing with the loss of his voice and his magic, drawing more and more towards depression. But his salvation comes in the form of Mariel. The Healer who brings him hope and is destined to be his Prophesied bride.
I adored both Evanor and Mariel. Evanor is capable and romantic. He melted my heart with both his sweetness and his determination. I liked him in the other books but I loved him in his own. Mariel is very much like Evanor. A gifted healer, lovely and outspoken.
They are both down to earth and realistic despite their magic abilities, wanting to have simple things in life, the things all people want: happiness and love. I closed them in my heart easily and throughout the book I wished for their happiness, knowing they both deserve it.
Mariel's son Mikor was endearing. A true nine-year-old boy. Blunt, direct and with an inquiring mind. He put a smile on my face several times.
The brothers and their wives were as magnificent as before. Bit by bit we get to know them all, especially the ones who haven't found their destined brides yet. I'm anxiously anticipating their stories.
This time we also get more information on the mysterious Council of Mages from Katan. The veil was lifted from the people who exiled the brother to Nightfall. It's very nice how in every book more and more of this magical world is unveiled, how the plot thickens and how it takes new and unexpected turns. I really look forward to what the stories of the remaining brothers will bring.
The world building Jean Johnson does is detailed and exquisite. Both in the magical and mundane things. The way the Isle of Nightfall is evolving into an independent and self-sufficient kingdom is described in an intriguing and amazing way. But also the way Jean Johnson describes how the Nightfallers take 21st century concepts like the concept of cell phones and turn them into magical artifacts, or the way the concept of religion is explained. I was really amazed by the way this was blended with the love story. This is only possible because of Ms Johnson's extraordinary writing talents.
This talent also stretches to the love scenes. They were absolutely spine tingling. The sensual tension between Evanor and Mariel is built up gradually in a formidable way. I was just as wooed by Evanor as Mariel was.
With The Song Jean Johnson has only made me more eager for the following installment so I can explore this magical fantasy world she has created with it's delicious twins, their wonderful women and the never-seize-to-amaze-me plots.
Quote:
Eyes shut, body melting, Mariel tried not to let herself drool too much. The man had the hands of a god, and he was using them to do utterly delicious things to her body.
February 17, 2008
5:08 PM |
Edit Post
Edit Post
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day-they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to the Isle of Nightfall, where women are forbidden. But when the abducted third-born brother is taken by a powerful and beautiful mage, he wonders if she is his own Prophesied Disaster, his foretold wife-to-be
Kidnapped from the Isle of Nightfall, taken captive by slavers, Dominor is sold to a lovely mage, who promises freedom. But Lady Serina has plans for him; she needs another powerful mage to re-enact a mating ritual, to help reverse a Tantric spell cast centuries ago. Agreeing to help her, Dominor doesn’t suspect the secret she holds back from him: there is more to this magical mating than the Arithmancer has revealed.
Once the ritual is complete, he will be returned to Nightfall. But when that secret finally shatters, baring the truth behind the misunderstandings now separating them, Dominor is determined to retake possession of the woman who is his Destiny.
The third book in the series and a fresh set of twins, starting with Dominor whose destiny will unfold first.
The story of his kidnapping by the Mandarites continues in his own book. Picking up where we left of in the Sword, Dominor suffers being bound and shackled, being captured as a war prize and being sold off on a slave-market. Luckily for him he's bought by Lady Serina, his Prophesied bride. With the purchase of Dominor starts a lovely story of trust and love, sprinkled with magic and passion.
Dominor is proud, competitive, self-assured and a just that bit arrogant he pulls it of without being annoying. He appreciates the finer things in life and he knows what he has to offer, whether it's to his family or to his destined bride.
Serina is intelligent, bossy, logical, practical and headstrong. She tends to lose herself in her calculations and projects creating a wonderful absentminded contrast to her intelligence. It also makes her very endearing.
I truly enjoyed myself reading their story. They are perfect for each other, complementing the other one and at the same time challenging each other, both in intelligence and in passion. Dominor shows Serina there is much more in life than mathemagics and arithmancy and Serina shows Dominor he has more to offer than competition and dominance.
I liked that the story was mainly focused on Dominor and Serina with their relationship and their part in the whole puzzle but of course I was happy to get reacquainted with the eight gorgeous brothers and to new meet new secondary characters such as Mariel and her son Mikor.
Jean Johnson knows how to write compelling characters, both primary and secondary. Each one has its big or small part in the recurring plot. They are only waiting to be placed in the right spot at the right time. Little by little she reveals more of the ongoing and intriguing plot of the curse, surprising me with twists and turns I really didn't see coming. I admire the way she can spread it out over such an amount of books and still keep it fresh and surprising. Small hints are given to where Evanor's (Dominor's twin) story is heading to but they are so subtle it's intriguing and enticing without disturbing the focus on Dominor and Serina.
I also thought it was nice to see the story taken to other scenery besides the Isle of Nightfall. I really liked reading about the people of Natallia, the nuns of Koral-Tai and the customs of The Moonlands, where Serina originally comes from. But the developments on the Isle of Nightfall are just as intriguing, seeing how they are building their own kingdom under the rule of Queen Kelly.
Jean Johnson has created a complete and fascinating magical world of fantasy mixing known and unknown concepts together. She makes unknown concepts easy to understand because of her simple and accessible writing style, but she also manages to cover everyday things such as lock picking, showers, mathematics and science in a magical blanket that makes them feel extraordinary.
With the Sons of Destiny Jean Johnson has created an enticing and intriguing world in which you effortlessly submerge because of its ease and simplicity.
You're lured into a new world full of unknown and known concepts in a different context and you easily embrace them all because of the way Johnson describes them.
A world that's complete and fascinating and seriously arouses the imagination.
Quote:
Dominor: " I find intelligence in a woman to be very arousing. Your little dissertation on your projects just now was very...stimulating. You have maybe a minute before I throw you on that desk and do my best to sexually nail you to it."
October 25, 2007
6:42 PM |
Edit Post
Edit Post
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day-they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to Nightfall Island, where women are forbidden. When a childhood friend seeks refuge among the brothers, it triggers a confrontation with their mysterious enemy.
Alys arrives desperate and afraid, but welcomed by Wolfer, the second-born brother who harbors deep feelings for Alys. But she harbors a secret: her own uncle is tormenting the exiled brothers, and seeks to kill them to secure their ancestral inheritance for himself.
Confessing her uncle's plan to the brothers puts them at even greater risk, for their resistance against the evil mage has stirred his wrath. Alys fears her uncle is determined this time to exterminate the brothers once and for all-destroying the star-crossed lovers as well.
In this second book of the series we get to know more and more about the world of Katan, the gods of Katan and the way of the mages other than the brothers. But we are also drawn further into the world of the brothers, their prophecied disasters, their characters, their secrets and the whole big picture begins to unravel and things become more clear bit by bit. But still there is so much more lingering under the surface I really can’t wait to get the complete story, which won’t be until Morganen’s book of course.
Wolfer and Alys captured my heart right from the beginning. They were such lovable and endearing characters where Saber and especially Kelly were fierce and a bit overpowering. But this fit them all and I wouldn’t want it otherwise. This is an example of Johnson’s talent in writing characters that are perfect for each other and at the same time maintaining a measure of uniqueness to each plot and book. She has a knack for writing very compatible characters and I’m curious to know what she has in store for the other brothers.
Wolfer and Alys being less fierce than Kelly and Saber also made this book less intense than the first book but this was satisfactory made up for with the utterly romantic undertone that was seeping from every page.
Again Jean Johnson ensnared me into this magical fantasy world of the Sons of Destiny. Keeping me captivated with her imaginative powers, weaving a great plot with hot sensuality and heartfelt love.
Her characters and storylines are suberbly done. Her worldbuilding is addictive, making you want to get your hands on the next book just to know how it will all continue.
This installment of the Sons of Destiny is a feast if you’re a sucker for a romantic lovestory and an imaginative plot, topped of with some magic and fantasy!
Quote:
Wolfer wanted it to go on forever, but he was made only of weak, male flesh, not fervid wishes and erotic dreams.
October 17, 2007
6:39 PM |
Edit Post
Edit Post
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day-they fulfall the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to Nightfall Isle, a land where women are strictly forbidden. But, when the youngest of the mage-brothers rescues a woman from another universe, their world is altered forever.
Kelly Doyle wasn't just having a bad day, she was having a bad decade. Threatened, attacked, and accused of dabbling in witchcraft, Kelly has just about had it with her narrow-minded neighbors in her small town. And now she has somehow landed in another, magical dimension—the only woman in a magical realm inhabited by eight men who are desperately in need of a woman's touch.
Now, with Kelly in their midst, Saber, the eldest of the eight, is forced to confront the curse that plagues them-if he falls in love, disaster is imminent. But in the aftermath of a mysterious attack, Saber and Kelly find themselves drawn to each other, despite the threat of the looming Prophecy. Their passion only grows stronger, and they soon give in to temptation. If only the fates didn't take such things so seriously...
Jean Johnson knows how to treat us to delicious males, a feisty and strong heroine and a magical fantasyworld blended into an original, unique and well-written plot, sprinkled with sensual tension and erotic love scenes.
This was a perfect combination of magic, fantasy, 21st century girlpower, a bit of history, intriguing, exiled mage-brothers of which hero Saber is the first to fullfill his dreaded and prophesied destiny, and of course love, a beautiful, profound love.
The story kept me intrigued and fascinated from the first page to the last. There were so many things I loved about it: the storylines, the intensity between Kelly and Saber, the worldbuilding and last but not least: those brothers, twins but each unique and special in their own way.
I really wouldn’t mind being swept away to this Isle of Nightfall and having eight magical brothers at my beg and call.
I adored the witty, sarcastic bantering between all the brothers and the battle of wits between Kelly and Saber.
The characters in the book, both main and secondary were all very likable and easy to relate to. I really appreciated it that Johnson had Kelly doubting her feelings for Saber not immediately falling head over heels but gradually acknowledging her feellings for him truly were feelings of love. Johnson does this in a writing style that’s really believable and admirable.
The bond and love for each other between the brothers is one of the things that I found most attracting and it matched perfectly with the way Kelly is almost immediately embraced by all the brothers despite her fiery character and the way she starts ordering them around.
My favourite scene in the book was the wedding.
The ceremony was lovely, the vows were touching, the exchange of gifts was endearing and the weddingnight was steaming.
This book was so much more than an average fantasy romance.
The story- and worldbuilding was perfectly done, taking the reader slowly but surely to an ending that only promises more to come.
With all the information on the curse, the prophecy and the brothers, given little by little, perfectly dosed, you know it’s all far from done. This book is just the beginning, the tip of the iceberg.
From the very start you know there is much more than meets the eye. This just makes the anticpation for the books to come greater because you know none of them will be able to escape his destiny. Though in my opinion destiny and prophecy receive a little magical helping hand.
In short, an intriguing, fascinating and compelling book and defenitely a series to treasure for it’s ability to swep you of your feet.
Quotes:
His lips nipped hers, his tongue flicked in a taste, and her onw opened to tangle with him in a hot, wet, oh-my-good-morning! kind of kiss.
“Excuse us, dear Brother, but we did not go to all the trouble of fixing up your bedchamber just to have you go at it like rabbits right here in the chapel.”
(Koranen to Saber after the wedding)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Nice to meet you!
- Pearl
- Netherlands
- 39, married to my real life romance hero, addicted to TV shows, reading romance novels and Twitter. I'm a chronic (e)book hoarder and my absolute favorite genres within romance fiction are contemporary romance and romantic suspense, but I don't shy away from historical, paranormal or erotic romance either. Even the occasional (urban) fantasy romance, futuristic and sci fi romance may make it to my Mount TBR. This is my corner of the world wide web where I let you know what books I'm hoarding, reading and reviewing.
Fellow Bloggers
-
BLOG HAS MOVED!3 years ago
-
Recent Read3 years ago
Grab My Button!
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
You're from...
The ROOB Posse
