Rebel by Zoe Archer



Rebel

By: Zoe Archer



Mass Market Paperback, 398 pages

Published November 1st 2010 by Zebra

ISBN13: 9781420106817

Series: The Blades of the Rose #3.

3 Stars, 3 Flames

                This book is the third in the Blades of the Rose series. I feel like this book and the others in the series can be read out of order or as a stand-alone. The reader would not be confused in any way. This books heroine Astrid is mentioned in previous books, but not enough that it requires reading the previous book. Astrid is a Blade living in Canada alone in a self-imposed exile. She lost her husband to the Heirs of Albion and cut all ties to the world. She was living the solitary life quite happily until a naked and wounded Native comes stumbling through the forest near her home. He has brought trouble with him in the form of the Heirs.

                Nathan is not your typical Native. He is an educated, raised in the white mans world, attorney. The Heirs have spotted him and wish to use him to get their hold on all the worlds magic. Having woken naked in the woods with only a vague recollection of the previous evening’s events he allows Astrid to take him back to her home to attend his wounds and warm him up. Nathan and Astrid journey across Canada in hopes to protect the unknown Source from the Heirs. Nathan quickly learns that he is surrounded in a reality that he never imagined possible, even his own being is quite different than he ever knew. He is drawn into this magical world by a woman he cannot stop desiring. Nathan and Astrid have a great chemistry. The way they are brought together and the course their relationship takes is fantastic. Also a scorching hot bathing sex scene!             

                Three times is not a charm for me. I have not been wowed by this series. I did find this book to be the best of the three. The readers are finally given a bit of paranormal in the form of shape-shifters and zombies. For a book that has as much action as this one does I am still shocked that it moves so slowly. I have noticed this with the series as a whole. I will also not continue reading the series. I know there is only the one book left, but I am not intrigued enough to continue. I think the only reason that I have made it this far into the series is due to the fact that this book is my book reading clubs February read.

Scoundrel By: Zoe Archer

Scoundrel

By: Zoe Archer



Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages

Published October 1st 2010 by Zebra

IBN13: 9781420106800

Series: The Blades of the Rose #2.

3 Stars

3 Flames (several hot sex scenes, use of the p-word brought the steaminess down for me)

                This is book number two in Zoe Archers Blades of the Rose series. A friend of mine told me that these books were written so they could be read in any order or as a stand-alone. After having read two of the books I feel that that is certainly true. I did like this book better than Warrior. I cannot however say that I liked the book or that I would recommend it. I think it is something with me and me alone. I do not care for the authors writing style. The books seem overly descriptive to me. Another slight annoyance was the over use of the word scoundrel in this book. It is not only the title of the book, but it is also the main trait of the main male character. He is referred to as this countless times. I have to stress that before you make a decision NOT to read this series, go read other reviews. EVERYONE loves this series. I am the anomaly.

                I liked London. She was a great lead female character. She did quite a bit of evolving as a character. She started out with some ill-gotten notions about her father’s work. This was no fault of her own. Her father had given her very misleading information. Once she is told about her father’s bad business dealings she becomes more observant and takes notice of what is truly going on around her. I hate it when a character will always believe the lies of the parent even though they have wronged the child over and over. She was a strong, independent character who made her own decisions.

                Bennett is our hero. He is a slightly flawed hero. He is a self-proclaimed libertine/scoundrel/coinsurer of women. As a reader you cannot help but like Bennett. He knows exactly who he is and he does not present himself in any other light to London. He lets her no from the beginning that he wants her in his bed. The relationship development between London and Bennett is great. There are all the key factors that I love to read in a romance, the initial meeting, the flirtations, the pursuit, the sexual tension, the sex, the happily ever after.

                This book also has plenty of action and adventure. The Blades of the Rose are seeking to protect a Source from the Heirs of Albion. London’s father is one of the leaders of the Heirs. He is using her to acquire a Source. There are more magical aspects in this book. Two of the characters are a witch (Blade) and a sorcerer (Heir). Most of this story takes place in the Aegean Sea on numerous different islands. The Blades ship captain Kallas and Athena (Blade witch) have an incredible sexual tension between them. They also have a very heated argumentative banter going the majority of the book.     

                 

Warrior by: Zoe Archer

Warrior

By: Zoe Archer



Paperback, 354 pages

Published September 1st 2010 by Zebra

ISBN13: 9781420106794

Series: The Blades of the Rose #1.

2 Stars

4 Flames

                There are so many positive reviews about this book, and the series as a whole. I truly hate that I did not enjoy this book more. I am going to stress the point that if you are considering reading this book to please view other reviews on it. Do not not buy this book because of this one review. I do plan on continuing to read the series. There are too many positive reviews about this series for me not to. I must also point out that I do not feel that this is a Paranormal Romance. In my opinion one of the key factors with Paranormal is a non-human character. Gabriel and Thalia are both very mortal humans. This book has magical aspects in a historical setting. My own personal genre labeling would place it as Historical Adventure Fantasy Romance, which is a genre that does not exist but accurately describes the book.

                My problems with the book: I did not like Thalia as a character until over halfway through the book. She annoyed me. I found the book was OVERLY descriptive. This caused the book to move forward at a very slow pace. I found myself becoming sleepy and easily distracted while reading it. There was a pleasant side effect from the overly descriptive. As a reader you will feel connected to Mongolia. The author had an incredible feel for the time and place.

                Gabriel decides from the initial meeting he wants in on this quest. Thalia wants to keep Gabriel as far from the quest as possible. This is what annoyed me about her. She has a handsome, capable man following her through Mongolia. He is assisting her, protecting her and saving her life, yet she wants him to stop, turn around and go home. I realize the Blades of the Rose are a secret society that must protect the Sources. The whole I am a capable tough female who does not need any help got old after a couple hundred pages. Eventually they give up and give in to their attraction and steam up the pages. The romance in this book is hot and very sexy.