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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Fourteenth in the Otherworld / Sisters of the Moon urban fantasy series revolving around a family of supernaturals based in Seattle. This particular story is from Delilah's point-of-view.
My Take
It starts so well, and then Galenorn lets me down with her usual ignoring of the obvious. Information that leaps out at you, that I never understand how the character can not make the connection... Nope, it must be set aside and saved for later. I wish she'd offer up a reason for avoiding this. It's like Galenorn has a rule: slap you in the face with the big, HUGE possibility, now set it aside to simmer on low until x way through the story when...oh, suddenly, the character makes the connection. *Eyes rolling fast and furious*
Seems some things are universal amongst sentient beings: lying and manipulating…sigh… Seems all of Y'Elestrial has hidden the truth about gargoyles.
Oooh, a huge chunk about their mother's family background comes out! Don't get too excited though as this only seems to be an introduction of them to the storyline.
Not much sex in here. It's more of an afterthought, which does make sense as there is just so much going on. It's a huge disruption of the series' storyline with a sneak attack and much death and destruction. Well, you can tell by the character list how much is going on. And it's wild with how many people are affected, how many have died. It's fascinating, it's horrifying. And Galenorn leaves us hanging!!
The Story
Delilah is specifically requested to guide this latest forfeit to his doom, and for some reason she just doesn't make the connection. Not for pages. Meanwhile, Mennolly has her own drama: someone is making threatening phone calls.
Women are going missing in Seattle while the progeny of Jenny Greenteeth and Dark Dugald are romping, chomping, and eating their way through Seattle. Daemonic activity has been discovered in a different part of Seattle, and it has Grandmother Coyote worried.
Worse, the girls, their mates, and Chase and Shara have been summoned to Y'Elestrial.
The Characters
Finally growing up, our Delilah is a living Death Maiden, a two-faced Were (she shifts into a tabby cat due to her own powers while her panther form is a gift from the Autumn Lord), and she and her sisters are half-Fae and half-human. She's accepted a proposal from Shade, a half-dragon, who is the Autumn Lord's proxy and in love with Delilah. Lash is his sister and plans on visiting. To see if Delilah is good enough. Arial is Delilah's deceased twin who lives at Haseofon.
Camille is her oldest sister, a priestess of the Moon Mother, and a witch who is married to three men (lucky girl): Smoky, a dragonshifter; Trillian, her Svartan fae alpha husband; and, Morio, a fox demon, a youkai-kitsune, and one of Grandmother Coyote's grandsons with whom Camille works Death Magic. Grandmother makes a reference to Rodney, the bone golem she gifted to Camille. While Camille owns the Indigo Court Bookshop, she hasn't been in for months.
Mennolly is the youngest sister, a vampire married to Nerissa who is a panther shifter. She's also Consort to Roman, a vampire lord and son of Blood Wyne, the vampire queen. Mennolly runs The Wayfarer, a bar and inn for supernaturals. Derrick Means is a were-badger and The Wayfarer's chief bartender. Digger is another bartender, a vampire sent by Roman. Chrysandra has been with The Wayfarer from the beginning.
Sephreh ob Tanu is their father, a Fae member of the Guard Des'Estar. Marie D'Artigo was their human mother who died. Tansy is their unexpected aunt who was in the Seattle area. Hester Lou Fredericks (Sue Ann is her life partner) and Daniel George Fredericks (I'm not trusting him) are sister and brother: Tansy's children. And D'Artigo cousins. An unexpeced gift of information from an unexpected middleman.
The rest of the household consists of a very pregnant Iris (she's a Finnish house sprite, a Talon-haltija, and priestess of Undutar; being a mother is a high honor) and Bruce O'Shea, her leprechaun husband, who is officially Lord Bruce Golden Eagle O'Shea; Vanzir is a reformed demon hooked on Xbox; Maggie is their baby woodland gargoyle; and, Rozurial is an incubus enjoying a friends-with-benefits relationship with Hanna, a Northman who had been held captive by Hyto in Courting Darkness, 10.
Duchess O'Shea is Bruce's mother and quite intent on being properly addressed.
Meals at the D'Artigo house are a traffic jam.
The Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigation (FH-CSI) unit is led by Chase Johnson who is learning more and more about his new powers and living with a pregnant Sharah, niece to Queen Asteria of Elqaneve. Mallen is an elfin medic. Bran, the son of Raven Mother and the Black Unicorn, has been instructing Camille in the use of some of her magic at the Court of the Three Queens. Kendris leads the guards Queen Aeval sends to protect the D'Artigo household.
Trenyth is an adviser to Queen Asteria. Darynal is Trillian's blood-oath brother out on a secret spy mission who hasn't been heard from in weeks. The Knights of Keraastar who hold the spirit seals include: Venus the Moon Child of the Rainier Puma Pride; Benjamin Welter; Luke and his sister Amber; and, Tom Lane, a.k.a., Tam Lin. Queen Tanaquar leads the Fae.
Greta is Delilah's mentor, the leader of the Death Maidens of the Autumn Lord, a.k.a., Hi'ran, one of the Harvestmen. When not performing her duties or mentoring Delilah, she resides in Haseofon, the temple of the Death Maidens. Derisa is High Priestess of the Moon Mother's witches who follow the Bright Moon; Camille is being trained to be the High Priestess of the Moon Mother's sorceresses who follow the Dark Moon.
Grandmother Coyote is one of the Hags of Fate. Ignore her at your peril. Prince Mithra and Astralis are granticular gargoyles freed by Grandmother. King Virgil is their father. Ivana Krask, the Maiden of Karask, has a thing for bright meat, and she's one of the Elder Fae with great powers who assuredly knows how to deal with dreglins. Be very, very careful how you speak with her.
Tad and Albert are vampires who work at Microsoft...hmmmm...and they have concerns. Violet is their friend and fellow employee. Tanne Baum is Violet's German Fae boyfriend from the Black Forest. Wade Stevens is the director of Vampires Anonymous, a self-help support group for vamps. Carter is a half-demon, half-Titan demigod who keeps an eye on the magical scene in Seattle and is friends with the girls. He's also dating a dragon named Shimmer.
Marion is a shapeshifter who owns the Supe-Urban Café. Tim Winthrop is another friend and a female impersonator who finally got his computer science degree. He runs a lingerie shop, Erin Matthews' Scarlet Harlot, and is married to Jason, the mechanic who's working on Delilah's Jeep.
Gerald Hanson is/was a lawyer and a werewolf, but it's not his profession but his bloodline and actions that concern us now. Michael Farantino is his ancestor whose legacy Hanson had inherited. Lowestar Radcliffe is the current heir with a sketchy background. Suvika is an ancient demigod of vice and debauchery. Seems demons are different from daemons.
Telazhar is a necromancer who's been training demons for Shadow Wing, a demon lord with plans to invade and conquer Earth before he continues on to Otherworld.
Jenny Greenteeth and Dark Dugald are both flesheaters whose children are the dreglins. She's similar to a kelpie but more dangerous while he's the leader of the barguests [sic], the Black Angus dogs.
The OIA is the Otherworld Intelligence Agency.
The Cover
The cover is shades of orange with the focus on Delilah in black jeans and jean jacket where she's perched, rather cat-like on a chimney in the middle of towering office buildings glowing in the night. A magic circle frames her panther self, snarling in the center.
The title could go two ways: a world about to die or Autumn Whispers as the Autumn Lord begins to make his presence felt more frequently in so many ways.
My Take
It starts so well, and then Galenorn lets me down with her usual ignoring of the obvious. Information that leaps out at you, that I never understand how the character can not make the connection... Nope, it must be set aside and saved for later. I wish she'd offer up a reason for avoiding this. It's like Galenorn has a rule: slap you in the face with the big, HUGE possibility, now set it aside to simmer on low until x way through the story when...oh, suddenly, the character makes the connection. *Eyes rolling fast and furious*
Seems some things are universal amongst sentient beings: lying and manipulating…sigh… Seems all of Y'Elestrial has hidden the truth about gargoyles.
Oooh, a huge chunk about their mother's family background comes out! Don't get too excited though as this only seems to be an introduction of them to the storyline.
Not much sex in here. It's more of an afterthought, which does make sense as there is just so much going on. It's a huge disruption of the series' storyline with a sneak attack and much death and destruction. Well, you can tell by the character list how much is going on. And it's wild with how many people are affected, how many have died. It's fascinating, it's horrifying. And Galenorn leaves us hanging!!
The Story
Delilah is specifically requested to guide this latest forfeit to his doom, and for some reason she just doesn't make the connection. Not for pages. Meanwhile, Mennolly has her own drama: someone is making threatening phone calls.
Women are going missing in Seattle while the progeny of Jenny Greenteeth and Dark Dugald are romping, chomping, and eating their way through Seattle. Daemonic activity has been discovered in a different part of Seattle, and it has Grandmother Coyote worried.
Worse, the girls, their mates, and Chase and Shara have been summoned to Y'Elestrial.
The Characters
Finally growing up, our Delilah is a living Death Maiden, a two-faced Were (she shifts into a tabby cat due to her own powers while her panther form is a gift from the Autumn Lord), and she and her sisters are half-Fae and half-human. She's accepted a proposal from Shade, a half-dragon, who is the Autumn Lord's proxy and in love with Delilah. Lash is his sister and plans on visiting. To see if Delilah is good enough. Arial is Delilah's deceased twin who lives at Haseofon.
Camille is her oldest sister, a priestess of the Moon Mother, and a witch who is married to three men (lucky girl): Smoky, a dragonshifter; Trillian, her Svartan fae alpha husband; and, Morio, a fox demon, a youkai-kitsune, and one of Grandmother Coyote's grandsons with whom Camille works Death Magic. Grandmother makes a reference to Rodney, the bone golem she gifted to Camille. While Camille owns the Indigo Court Bookshop, she hasn't been in for months.
Mennolly is the youngest sister, a vampire married to Nerissa who is a panther shifter. She's also Consort to Roman, a vampire lord and son of Blood Wyne, the vampire queen. Mennolly runs The Wayfarer, a bar and inn for supernaturals. Derrick Means is a were-badger and The Wayfarer's chief bartender. Digger is another bartender, a vampire sent by Roman. Chrysandra has been with The Wayfarer from the beginning.
Sephreh ob Tanu is their father, a Fae member of the Guard Des'Estar. Marie D'Artigo was their human mother who died. Tansy is their unexpected aunt who was in the Seattle area. Hester Lou Fredericks (Sue Ann is her life partner) and Daniel George Fredericks (I'm not trusting him) are sister and brother: Tansy's children. And D'Artigo cousins. An unexpeced gift of information from an unexpected middleman.
The rest of the household consists of a very pregnant Iris (she's a Finnish house sprite, a Talon-haltija, and priestess of Undutar; being a mother is a high honor) and Bruce O'Shea, her leprechaun husband, who is officially Lord Bruce Golden Eagle O'Shea; Vanzir is a reformed demon hooked on Xbox; Maggie is their baby woodland gargoyle; and, Rozurial is an incubus enjoying a friends-with-benefits relationship with Hanna, a Northman who had been held captive by Hyto in Courting Darkness, 10.
Duchess O'Shea is Bruce's mother and quite intent on being properly addressed.
Meals at the D'Artigo house are a traffic jam.
The Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigation (FH-CSI) unit is led by Chase Johnson who is learning more and more about his new powers and living with a pregnant Sharah, niece to Queen Asteria of Elqaneve. Mallen is an elfin medic. Bran, the son of Raven Mother and the Black Unicorn, has been instructing Camille in the use of some of her magic at the Court of the Three Queens. Kendris leads the guards Queen Aeval sends to protect the D'Artigo household.
Trenyth is an adviser to Queen Asteria. Darynal is Trillian's blood-oath brother out on a secret spy mission who hasn't been heard from in weeks. The Knights of Keraastar who hold the spirit seals include: Venus the Moon Child of the Rainier Puma Pride; Benjamin Welter; Luke and his sister Amber; and, Tom Lane, a.k.a., Tam Lin. Queen Tanaquar leads the Fae.
Greta is Delilah's mentor, the leader of the Death Maidens of the Autumn Lord, a.k.a., Hi'ran, one of the Harvestmen. When not performing her duties or mentoring Delilah, she resides in Haseofon, the temple of the Death Maidens. Derisa is High Priestess of the Moon Mother's witches who follow the Bright Moon; Camille is being trained to be the High Priestess of the Moon Mother's sorceresses who follow the Dark Moon.
Grandmother Coyote is one of the Hags of Fate. Ignore her at your peril. Prince Mithra and Astralis are granticular gargoyles freed by Grandmother. King Virgil is their father. Ivana Krask, the Maiden of Karask, has a thing for bright meat, and she's one of the Elder Fae with great powers who assuredly knows how to deal with dreglins. Be very, very careful how you speak with her.
Tad and Albert are vampires who work at Microsoft...hmmmm...and they have concerns. Violet is their friend and fellow employee. Tanne Baum is Violet's German Fae boyfriend from the Black Forest. Wade Stevens is the director of Vampires Anonymous, a self-help support group for vamps. Carter is a half-demon, half-Titan demigod who keeps an eye on the magical scene in Seattle and is friends with the girls. He's also dating a dragon named Shimmer.
Marion is a shapeshifter who owns the Supe-Urban Café. Tim Winthrop is another friend and a female impersonator who finally got his computer science degree. He runs a lingerie shop, Erin Matthews' Scarlet Harlot, and is married to Jason, the mechanic who's working on Delilah's Jeep.
Gerald Hanson is/was a lawyer and a werewolf, but it's not his profession but his bloodline and actions that concern us now. Michael Farantino is his ancestor whose legacy Hanson had inherited. Lowestar Radcliffe is the current heir with a sketchy background. Suvika is an ancient demigod of vice and debauchery. Seems demons are different from daemons.
Telazhar is a necromancer who's been training demons for Shadow Wing, a demon lord with plans to invade and conquer Earth before he continues on to Otherworld.
Jenny Greenteeth and Dark Dugald are both flesheaters whose children are the dreglins. She's similar to a kelpie but more dangerous while he's the leader of the barguests [sic], the Black Angus dogs.
The OIA is the Otherworld Intelligence Agency.
The Cover
The cover is shades of orange with the focus on Delilah in black jeans and jean jacket where she's perched, rather cat-like on a chimney in the middle of towering office buildings glowing in the night. A magic circle frames her panther self, snarling in the center.
The title could go two ways: a world about to die or Autumn Whispers as the Autumn Lord begins to make his presence felt more frequently in so many ways.
romancejunkie1025's review against another edition
4.0
a very good read with lots of action, plot twists, love and sorrow and the monumental changes that can only occur during a war and to the warriors that step up to fight that war. I can't wait to find out what will happen next and learn more about the changes the girls have gone through.
kate_and_books's review against another edition
3.0
I love this series and have read every single book to date. The series shows the POV of all the sisters Camille, Delilah and Menolly which makes each book unique but in saying that this book fell flat for me and I am actually really disappointed and I love Delilah's POV
I felt as this is filler and the ending was really anti-climatic. I don't know where Ms. Galenorn went wrong. The book was very repetitive repeating what has been going on in the previous 13 books. I mean come on it's not like someone is going to start at book 14 they will start at # 1. I still enjoy the series and am really hoping that in the next book it will pick up.
I felt as this is filler and the ending was really anti-climatic. I don't know where Ms. Galenorn went wrong. The book was very repetitive repeating what has been going on in the previous 13 books. I mean come on it's not like someone is going to start at book 14 they will start at # 1. I still enjoy the series and am really hoping that in the next book it will pick up.
auroara's review against another edition
5.0
(full german review under the cut!)
Autumn Whispers was the best book of the series since a long, long time! Besided a darker atmosphere and events, that advance the main story, the book contains many developments for different characters. Menolly and Camille also get a little bit more space, which I enjoyed reading (It always annoys me when the other sisters don't get as much attention as the "protagonist sister"). I also liked that I got some insights in Delilahs duty as a Death Maiden. But what dissapointed me was the end, because it was totally predictable.
-------------------------
Der 14. Band der Schwestern des Mondes Reihe beschäftigt sich zum ersten Mal mehr mit der dunklen Seite des (bevorstehenden) Krieges und dem Leben, das die drei Schwestern führen. Obwohl man das Buch wieder aus der Sicht von Delilah liest, werden die anderen Schwestern vermehrt miteinbezogen. So handelt Delilah meist mit Camille oder Shade zusammen und steht nicht hundertprozentig im Mittelpunkt. Mit haben die vielen Interaktionen zwischen den Schwestern sehr gut gefallen, denn bei den vorherigen Bänden hatte ich oft das Gefühl, dass sie ausgeblendet wurden und nur die Schwester, aus dessen Sicht das Buch geschrieben war, gehandelt und Entscheidungen getroffen hat.
Wie von Yasmine Galenorn gewohnt überschlagen sich am Anfang die Ereignisse. Zuerst erhält man Einblicke in Delilahs Aufgaben als Todesmaid, worauf ich schon sehnsüchtig gewartet habe. Auch wenn es ruhig noch mehr Todesmaidhandlungen hätte geben können, will ich mich nicht beklagen.
Der Mann, dessen Seele Delilah erntet, führt auch gleich zum zweiten Vorfall: Großmutter Kojote höchstpersönlich bittet die drei Schwestern darum, dass Gleichgewicht wieder in Ordnung zu bringen, denn im Farantine Building lauern mächtige daimonische Energien. Bei den Ermittlungen helfen wieder alte Bekannte, wie Carter, Vanzir oder Ivana Krask, die ich als Nebencharaktere in mein Herz geschlossen habe.
Außerdem liegt der Schwerpunkt auch auf der Anderwelt, in der kurzerhand der Krieg ausgebrochen ist - ein Ereigniss, dass ich so schnell nicht erwartet hätte und mich in seinen Bann gezogen hat. Es führt auf jeden Fall zu erhöhter Spannung und hält den ein oder anderen überraschenden Moment bereit.
Einen Minuspunkt bekommt das Buch allerdings von mir: die Aufklärung des Falls, an dem Delilah und Camille arbeiten war viel zu vorhersehbar. Ich für meinen Teil habe das alles zumindest schon gleich am Anfang verknüpfen können. Auch wurde die Sache mit dem Farantine Building nicht vollständig abgeschlossen, was den Leser mit einen kleinen Cliffhanger zurücklässt. Damit kann ich allerdings leben.
FAZIT
Mit der Originalhandlung ging es endlich ein Stückchen weiter vorran. Ich mochte die Atmosphäre, die düsterer war als sonst. Spannung war so gut wie immer vorhanden und es gibt viele Entwicklungen bei den Nebencharakteren. Vieles, was ich in den Vorgängerbänden bemängelte, wurde in Katzenherz besser umgesetzt. Zum ersten Mal wurde ein Handlungsstrang nicht vollständig abgeschlossen und zieht sich über den nächsten Band - finde auf jeden Fall interessant, was mich in Band 15 erwartet!
Autumn Whispers was the best book of the series since a long, long time! Besided a darker atmosphere and events, that advance the main story, the book contains many developments for different characters. Menolly and Camille also get a little bit more space, which I enjoyed reading (It always annoys me when the other sisters don't get as much attention as the "protagonist sister"). I also liked that I got some insights in Delilahs duty as a Death Maiden. But what dissapointed me was the end, because it was totally predictable.
-------------------------
Der 14. Band der Schwestern des Mondes Reihe beschäftigt sich zum ersten Mal mehr mit der dunklen Seite des (bevorstehenden) Krieges und dem Leben, das die drei Schwestern führen. Obwohl man das Buch wieder aus der Sicht von Delilah liest, werden die anderen Schwestern vermehrt miteinbezogen. So handelt Delilah meist mit Camille oder Shade zusammen und steht nicht hundertprozentig im Mittelpunkt. Mit haben die vielen Interaktionen zwischen den Schwestern sehr gut gefallen, denn bei den vorherigen Bänden hatte ich oft das Gefühl, dass sie ausgeblendet wurden und nur die Schwester, aus dessen Sicht das Buch geschrieben war, gehandelt und Entscheidungen getroffen hat.
Wie von Yasmine Galenorn gewohnt überschlagen sich am Anfang die Ereignisse. Zuerst erhält man Einblicke in Delilahs Aufgaben als Todesmaid, worauf ich schon sehnsüchtig gewartet habe. Auch wenn es ruhig noch mehr Todesmaidhandlungen hätte geben können, will ich mich nicht beklagen.
Der Mann, dessen Seele Delilah erntet, führt auch gleich zum zweiten Vorfall: Großmutter Kojote höchstpersönlich bittet die drei Schwestern darum, dass Gleichgewicht wieder in Ordnung zu bringen, denn im Farantine Building lauern mächtige daimonische Energien. Bei den Ermittlungen helfen wieder alte Bekannte, wie Carter, Vanzir oder Ivana Krask, die ich als Nebencharaktere in mein Herz geschlossen habe.
Außerdem liegt der Schwerpunkt auch auf der Anderwelt, in der kurzerhand der Krieg ausgebrochen ist - ein Ereigniss, dass ich so schnell nicht erwartet hätte und mich in seinen Bann gezogen hat. Es führt auf jeden Fall zu erhöhter Spannung und hält den ein oder anderen überraschenden Moment bereit.
Einen Minuspunkt bekommt das Buch allerdings von mir: die Aufklärung des Falls, an dem Delilah und Camille arbeiten war viel zu vorhersehbar. Ich für meinen Teil habe das alles zumindest schon gleich am Anfang verknüpfen können. Auch wurde die Sache mit dem Farantine Building nicht vollständig abgeschlossen, was den Leser mit einen kleinen Cliffhanger zurücklässt. Damit kann ich allerdings leben.
FAZIT
Mit der Originalhandlung ging es endlich ein Stückchen weiter vorran. Ich mochte die Atmosphäre, die düsterer war als sonst. Spannung war so gut wie immer vorhanden und es gibt viele Entwicklungen bei den Nebencharakteren. Vieles, was ich in den Vorgängerbänden bemängelte, wurde in Katzenherz besser umgesetzt. Zum ersten Mal wurde ein Handlungsstrang nicht vollständig abgeschlossen und zieht sich über den nächsten Band - finde auf jeden Fall interessant, was mich in Band 15 erwartet!
nerdydreamer107's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jarichan's review against another edition
3.0
Diesen Teil der Reihe fand ich leider irgendwie schwächer als die restlichen und das, obwohl ziemlich viel passiert. Oder vielleicht gerade deshalb. Es geschehen grosse Dinge, aber irgendwie kommen die gar nicht wirklich so stark zum Ausdruck. Auch fehlte mir hier etwas die Weitererentwicklung Delilahs.
roselingintheweeds's review against another edition
5.0
Having read the rest of the series, and seeing how the sisters, Delilah in this case, have grown, this book was hard. It was very emotional, and a big turning point in their lives, and the war they're fighting. I enjoyed reading this one and I'm ready to move on to see how they deal with these new challenges.
vampar's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely not my favorite in the series. Little progress forward and a lot of reused descriptions and territory.
spiritedreviewexc's review against another edition
3.0
i don't know why this is supposed to be the last installment the way she ended it, or am i just assuming it's the end of the searies? I shouldn't even give it a three, but i did like the way she wrote, other then the fact that there was little to no ending what so ever....
first time reader i don't think i'm going to read anymore of her books
first time reader i don't think i'm going to read anymore of her books
booknerd0_0's review against another edition
1.0
Nope. Nope.. I tried with this series, I really did, but I am so BORED!