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A review by kblincoln
Tarnished by Rhiannon Held
5.0
Tortured were Silver and her ex-enforcer mate Andrew Dare are back in this sequel to Silver.
And this one's just as good-- if not better-- than the first in the series.
Again, Mercy Thompson series lovers will probably like this one, although there's a difference in the taste of the writing that I can't quite pin down. Mercy gets maybe a bit more wild and spicy and Tarnished continues that very straight-forward, no-frills, "this person does that, that person does this, this person may react this way" kind of writing that almost is too quiet and staid sometimes.
However, even if some passages got a little bland, the entire effect of the story is a powerful punch of what it means to have responsibility for others; as a leader, as a parent, and as a lover.
What makes this series stand out for me in the 5 star category is how the author leads each character up their worst anxiety and fearful scenario-- and then pushes them through it in unexpected ways. Each time, the character stays true to their innate goodness and sense of fairness despite being tempted to revenge or retribution.
When we last left Dare and Silver, they had taken care of Silver's torturer, and in doing so had defied Dare's pack alpha-- the Roanoke. Now Dare has to decide if he'll leave such an incompetent man in charge of people he loves, and Silver has to decide if she'll come out of the cloak of submission and weakness she wove around herself in order to be Dare's mate.
When the torturer's father tries to get revenge and involves pack friends as well as Dare's estranged daughter, things get very political intrigue-y and manipulative and puts them all in painful twists.
This Book's Snack Rating: Smoked almonds and gouda for the smoky, bitter flavor of the emotional depths plumbed by these characters and the cheesy satisfaction of were politics.
And this one's just as good-- if not better-- than the first in the series.
Again, Mercy Thompson series lovers will probably like this one, although there's a difference in the taste of the writing that I can't quite pin down. Mercy gets maybe a bit more wild and spicy and Tarnished continues that very straight-forward, no-frills, "this person does that, that person does this, this person may react this way" kind of writing that almost is too quiet and staid sometimes.
However, even if some passages got a little bland, the entire effect of the story is a powerful punch of what it means to have responsibility for others; as a leader, as a parent, and as a lover.
What makes this series stand out for me in the 5 star category is how the author leads each character up their worst anxiety and fearful scenario-- and then pushes them through it in unexpected ways. Each time, the character stays true to their innate goodness and sense of fairness despite being tempted to revenge or retribution.
When we last left Dare and Silver, they had taken care of Silver's torturer, and in doing so had defied Dare's pack alpha-- the Roanoke. Now Dare has to decide if he'll leave such an incompetent man in charge of people he loves, and Silver has to decide if she'll come out of the cloak of submission and weakness she wove around herself in order to be Dare's mate.
When the torturer's father tries to get revenge and involves pack friends as well as Dare's estranged daughter, things get very political intrigue-y and manipulative and puts them all in painful twists.
This Book's Snack Rating: Smoked almonds and gouda for the smoky, bitter flavor of the emotional depths plumbed by these characters and the cheesy satisfaction of were politics.