Review: A rousing tale, laugh-out-loud funny, pure Poppet
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 10, 2014
The legends, the mythos, the shockingly real imagining of a world where Frost Giants exist, just at the edges of consciousness, continues full throttle in book two of Addictive Shade Series.Addictive Gloamshade takes place over the same time/space as Addictive Nightshade, filling in what's only hinted at in book one. Take everything I said about that book and multiply it by two.The fledging Eagle is Deliah, lost to 'the system' as a child, abandoned, abused, tortured, she seeks refuge in the Highlands, she and her adorable cat, Arabella. She has no clue who or what she is until Ewan, head of the Eagle clan (and oh so much more), finds her and restores her to her family.As with book one, this is a tale of beginnings, of self-discovery; however, unlike Emma, this heroine does have a clue even though what she needs to learn--and learn quickly--is tempered by threats of war--facing down former allies while the real threat spins betrayal, manipulation and deceit. It is also a tale of romance, of fate and choices, of denial and selfless acquiescence to the common good, including acceding to a fate that impacts Ewan's best friend's happiness at his own expense.The Norse legends, the skillful intertwining of that ancient language and mythos, are intermixed with a modernity that under a less adept hand might seem out-of-place, but under Poppet's fine command weaves a story that is compelling and ... quite frankly, cinematic in its treatment.It is also laugh-out-loud, fall out of your chair funny, with lines that I shall return to savor over and over (and I probably will never be able to think about how cowboys walk without a smirk ever again). The repartee between Ewan and Deliah is seductive, naughty, bawdy and so filled with double-entredres, I guarantee you will be rolling on the floor. Then there's the boys-will-be-boys locker room vibe as the male clan members wave testosterone and bonhomie with elan.Quite simply: the dialogue is delish.As the two books merge, as Raven and Eagle begin to explore common ground and to divine the true threat, Loki ups the ante, leaving Ewan to take a daring chance ... and leaving the reader with an uh-oh cliff-hanger.I read this in one go, breathless, gobbling up the exquisite language, the humor, the danger, the unfolding of the myth and legends. You don't necessarily need to read book one first (but it would flesh it out a little and enhance your enjoyment of the over-arching epic nature to this series).As always, for a tale well-written, a legend brought to life, for pulse-pounding sensuality and flat out pure enjoyment: FIVE STARS!