I like fantasy a lot, and I like this series, but I have to be in the mood for it, because Augusta Li kind of asks a lot from reaedrs. Their is a lot I like fantasy a lot, and I like this series, but I have to be in the mood for it, because Augusta Li kind of asks a lot from reaedrs. Their is a lot going on with plots and subplots weaving together and the foreign and fantasy races and cultures, alot of which have their own language. It isn't confusing and its presented in such a way that it isn't hard to follow, it just isn't light or straightforward because a lot of the foreshadowing and characterization is kinda subtle. A lot of time you have to guess at character's thoughts and motives through their actions and dialogue instead of being told what they're thinking, well, with the exception of Yarrow whose brain is still all jumbled up and full of...stuff.
Its hard to talk about the plot without a ton of spoilers, but like the last book, its very fast paced and actiony but more focused then in the first book, like the characters are deliberately pursuing things rather then stuff happening to them. The political intrigue is well done but frustrating and I found myself sympathizing a lot with Sasha's "methods" even while I felt sorry for Duncan and the trouble it caused for him, He;s a good guy, but I have to admit I liked it when he finally reached his breaking point with Sasha. Sasha is hot, and I'm glad he didn't do a 360 moral turn around though he does evolve.
You get to learn more about the Emiri race and its very interesting. I really liked the sailing scenes, and Sai, a secondary character from the first book, took on a more important role. He's great and constantly surprising with what he says and does, sort of a pirate and lazy and always pursuing his own pleasure but noble in the end, and a little tragic. The whole culture is very unique.
The sex scenes are curtailed from the first book, there are a few and they're hot, but they're shorter and less frequent. More of the characterization happens between what the characters say to each other, and what they don't. Yarrow especially still keeps a lot of secrets but after you find out what happened to him his decisions kind of make sense.
It's bloody and if you don't like violence and long battles sequences you might want to avoid this. Some of the battles are blow by blow and really graphic. Some of the injuries to the characters are nasty. And Sasha is a real assassin and you get to see it on page in all its nasty glory. Yarrow's magic is explained farther, and that part I found really interesting, along with the revelations about the world's mythology.
Overall, complex and well done if a little taxing to read, stressful and uncomfortable at times. Yarrow and to an extent even Sasha are very flawed characters and don't always do the morally right things. Not for the squeamish for sure! (Because of the violence, not the sex, even though its a menage relationship the sex is pretty vanilla) A lot of questions from the first book are answered but a lot more are raised. Based on the end, I'm curious to read the next book. Hopefully it won't take forever....more
4.5. I don't know how Adrienne Wilder has done it, but she's managed to make my thoroughly enjoy stuff I usually hate. It's no secret that I am no fan4.5. I don't know how Adrienne Wilder has done it, but she's managed to make my thoroughly enjoy stuff I usually hate. It's no secret that I am no fan of shifters. I find most of the shifter stuff flooding the market cliche and sometimes outright silly. It's a testament to Ms. Wilder's skill as an author that I am completely engrossed in the world she's created and fascinated by her Kin and Lesser Bred. This world and its inhabitants are so unique and well-realized I can't help but invest myself in them. Another shifter trope I usually hate is that tired excuse for repeated sex scenes, that the character shifting "has" to bone all the time because of pheromones, mating fever, or some other garbage. In the Gray Zone books, though, it totally works. I don't know why. Maybe because her take on it, with the metaphysics, leaking glow, etc, is so different, or maybe because she takes the time to explain it in depth and not just expect the reader to accept it, but either way, in these books it seems totally plausible and reasonable, where in most other books I've read similar devices seem like a cheap excuse for a bunch of sex scenes.
One thing Adrienne Wilder does really well is to give the reader at least one character who doesn't exactly understand the world of the Lesser Bred and Kin, somebody a new reader can relate to and learn along side of. In Skin Deep its Tay, Taylor Simmons. He's really just a regular guy with an average job and agreat boyfriend, Joey, who he adores. They plan to spend the rest of their lives together, until Joey starts to change. The emotion in this is so genuine and visceral it feels like a punch to the gut at times. Really. I had a physical reaction to some of this stuff and my stomach would knot up. Tay is completely devoted to Joey and will stay by his side no matter what, but his confusion and mixed feelings about the strange new world they find themselves in is profound. I respect Tay and his commitment to his partner, and sympathize with his conflicts about the blood feeding and group sex that are partof the culture of the Kin and Lesser Bred. He fights through his "human" prejudices though because he loves Joe so much. He is even in deep denial for a while when things start to go wrong, as anybody in his situation would be, I think. His tenacity is admirable, but I could see as reader before Tay knew, it would not be enough.
Gabriel as a secondary character was a fun surprise. He starts out as a smug dick, but when he needs to he shows he compassionate and supportive side. The way he and Joey and Pavel are described is so hot, I wish I could see them in real life. And WOW, the sex scenes are hot. Before I read this, I can't remember the last time I read a full novel and didn't skim the sex scenes. However if you are after (sexual) monogamy and commitment, or are squeamish about blood, you may not agree. I was a little traumatized when I read my first Gray Zone, but I'm used to it now and can see the reasoning behind the extreme acts.
The story, as it warns in the blog, has a hell of a sad ending. I hope this won't make people shy away. The ending is inevitable. The whole, tragic story is inevitable in this universe. When a human shifts into a Lesser Bred, it is always a hard thing, painful and confusing. Up until now, though, it has always turned out okay. We are told it can go horribly wrong, and well, it does. Personally I am glad to see this (though I felt for the characters) because as reader I hate few things more than being told how horrible something can be and only ever seeing it end up happy and fine. Ms. Wilder is standing behind the uncertain, violent world she's built with this story. I really respect that. Because of this book, I have no doubt the Gray Zone is dangerous and that shifting into a Lesser Bred can be awful, because I have seen it, felt it along with these characters, and not just been told. Life is not fair and bad things to happen to good people, and those who care about them can't always stop it, not matter how much they love them. This is even more true in the Gray Zone world.
Wow, I ranted, didn't I? This book affected me, and stayed with me long after it ended. To wrap up, the book was almost perfect, but I did subtract half a star for quite a few typos, sometimes distracting ones. They annoyed me because they pulled me out of such a great story. The situation with Tay's 401k strained my belief a bit as well, but that's a minor detail.
I can't wait for the next Gray Zone novel. I love the Kin and Lesser Bred, and I hope to one day learn more about the wizards and fairies that are sometimes mentioned.
Loading...
