Review: A book that's both gritty and fun
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 3, 2013
I discovered this author when I read "Death's Hand", the first book in her Descent series.  It was a solid book that I enjoyed, but I put the series on the back shelf, thinking I'd get back to it again.  Someday.When the author offered me a review copy of her latest - "Oaths of Blood" from her Ascent series - I couldn't resist.  And when I began reading, I couldn't put the book down!  I hadn't realized that the story is a continuation from the previous books.  I was stunned by the changes!  Not just of the characters, but by the quality of the writing.  "Death's Hand" had been good, but "Oaths of Blood" is fantastic!  The way the author pairs her uber-dark, anti-heroine, Elise, with lighthearted, goodhearted characters makes the book both grim and fun.  How does the author do that??  Her characters are complicated, interesting, and - best of all - very real.  I had a close connection with all of them (which made the ending so much more...never mind.  I won't spoil it.)Although I had missed many books in-between "Death's Hand" and "Oaths of Blood", I was never confused or lost.  It was easy to read this as a stand alone book.  HOWEVER, I'm now desperate to go back and read what I've been missing.  I won't make the same mistake as before and put these books on the back shelf.  Clearly, they belong right up front.This was one of my favorite reads of 2013.