Review: Alliance in Blood by Ariel Tachna

30/3/12 11:56
slyprentice: (Default)
I've been sitting on this review for a while now because I've been conflicted about what to say about this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed what it had to offer and the premise for the entire series  was really intriguing. On the other hand, I really felt like the author missed the chance to create something spectacular with the plot and the characters. But first, a blurb for those of you who haven't read this book:
Can a desperate wizard and a bitter, disillusioned vampire find a way to build the partnership that could save their world?

In a world rocked by magical war, vampires are seen by many as less than human, as the stereotypical creatures of the night who prey on others. But as the war intensifies, the wizards know they need an advantage to turn the tide in their favor: the strength and edge the vampires can give them in the battle against the dark wizards who seek to destroy life as they know it.

In a dangerous move and show of good will, the wizards ask the leader of the vampires to meet with them, so that they might plead their cause. One desperate man, Alain Magnier, and one bitter, disillusioned vampire, Orlando St. Clair, meet in Paris, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance of their decision: Will the vampires join the cause and form a partnership with the wizards to win the war?
--Alliance in Blood by Ariel Tachna, Book 1 the Partnership in Blood series, Dreamspinner Press


It sounds full of potential, right? I thought so. I also thought it sounded right up my alley: vampires and light wizards forging an alliance to fight back against the dark wizards they're currently in a war with? That sounds awesome!

And it was. Kind of. A little bit. 

All right, it wasn't awesome. It was more in the 'this is good' category of reading rather than awesome, but in all fairness to the author (who does have a knack for writing a good story), it was the first book in a series and sometimes that can be the weakest one. Especially with the amount of set-up involved in establishing the who, what, where, when, and why of a series. Which the author did and didn't do here.

For example: we know right from the start of this book that light and dark wizards are waging war against each other; we know that in desperation the light wizards are trying to forge an alliance with the vampires to try to turn the tide in the war; we know that Alain, one of the main characters and a light wizard, is willing to do whatever it takes to make it work. What we don't know and never learn is why they're having the war in the first place!

And that drove me absolutely crazy. I wanted to know why the dark and light wizards were fighting, even if it was for a generic reason like the dark wizards wanted more power and control over Paris (or the world). I wanted to know why this alliance was going to be so important but we never really found out because its importance was kind of swept under the rug so the main characters could fall in love or lust or whatever it was they were doing. 

Speaking of the main characters: Alain and Orlando (the vampire) were both an equal mix of good character potential and wasted character potential. A few quick examples of this:

Alain, we learn, lost his wife and young son in one of the first attacks of the war. This, far from hardening his heart, has turned him into a calm and competent wizard who will do whatever it takes to win. But, for whatever reason, the loss was (again) swept under the rug and regulated to being a small and short aside to Alain's character, and I have to ask...why? That's the kind of stuff that defines a character and is not tossed aside like it's just ancient history (it's not). 

Orlando, too, had the same issue: we learn relatively quickly in the story that the vampire who changed Orlando was a brutal and sadistic maker, who physically and emotionally tormented Orlando for his own sick pleasure. But, apparently, Orlando's distrust of others (which could have been a very lovely and angst-ridden plot point between the two characters) just wasn't what I thought it would be. Instead of him being a tough nut to crack, he was easily hurt (I could buy that, I guess) and a little bit -- whiny isn't the right word but I have no other one to give you in context to him. He was just too soft a character for me in relation to his past and while that's not a failing, it still felt like wasted potential. 

All of that said, I don't want it to seem like I didn't enjoy the book. I did quite a bit once I dropped my expectations (which I admit I should have done right from the start) and just let it be what it was: a straightforward wizard meets vampire and they have a magical bond (in blood) together. Which, really, could be the plot of any number of fan fictions out there these days but who says that's a bad things?

Length: 236 pages.
*My Rating: B-
Book Challenge 2012: #3
Next Book: Wes and Toren by J.M.C. 

*I've changed my rating system so I can have more flexibility when rating because this one was so darn hard to "grade" and I thought it would be more straightforward if I just labeled it this way. 

Tags:

Review: Alliance in Blood by Ariel Tachna

30/3/12 11:56
slyprentice: (Default)
I've been sitting on this review for a while now because I've been conflicted about what to say about this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed what it had to offer and the premise for the entire series  was really intriguing. On the other hand, I really felt like the author missed the chance to create something spectacular with the plot and the characters. But first, a blurb for those of you who haven't read this book:
Can a desperate wizard and a bitter, disillusioned vampire find a way to build the partnership that could save their world?

In a world rocked by magical war, vampires are seen by many as less than human, as the stereotypical creatures of the night who prey on others. But as the war intensifies, the wizards know they need an advantage to turn the tide in their favor: the strength and edge the vampires can give them in the battle against the dark wizards who seek to destroy life as they know it.

In a dangerous move and show of good will, the wizards ask the leader of the vampires to meet with them, so that they might plead their cause. One desperate man, Alain Magnier, and one bitter, disillusioned vampire, Orlando St. Clair, meet in Paris, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance of their decision: Will the vampires join the cause and form a partnership with the wizards to win the war?
--Alliance in Blood by Ariel Tachna, Book 1 the Partnership in Blood series, Dreamspinner Press


It sounds full of potential, right? I thought so. I also thought it sounded right up my alley: vampires and light wizards forging an alliance to fight back against the dark wizards they're currently in a war with? That sounds awesome!

And it was. Kind of. A little bit. 

All right, it wasn't awesome. It was more in the 'this is good' category of reading rather than awesome, but in all fairness to the author (who does have a knack for writing a good story), it was the first book in a series and sometimes that can be the weakest one. Especially with the amount of set-up involved in establishing the who, what, where, when, and why of a series. Which the author did and didn't do here.

For example: we know right from the start of this book that light and dark wizards are waging war against each other; we know that in desperation the light wizards are trying to forge an alliance with the vampires to try to turn the tide in the war; we know that Alain, one of the main characters and a light wizard, is willing to do whatever it takes to make it work. What we don't know and never learn is why they're having the war in the first place!

And that drove me absolutely crazy. I wanted to know why the dark and light wizards were fighting, even if it was for a generic reason like the dark wizards wanted more power and control over Paris (or the world). I wanted to know why this alliance was going to be so important but we never really found out because its importance was kind of swept under the rug so the main characters could fall in love or lust or whatever it was they were doing. 

Speaking of the main characters: Alain and Orlando (the vampire) were both an equal mix of good character potential and wasted character potential. A few quick examples of this:

Alain, we learn, lost his wife and young son in one of the first attacks of the war. This, far from hardening his heart, has turned him into a calm and competent wizard who will do whatever it takes to win. But, for whatever reason, the loss was (again) swept under the rug and regulated to being a small and short aside to Alain's character, and I have to ask...why? That's the kind of stuff that defines a character and is not tossed aside like it's just ancient history (it's not). 

Orlando, too, had the same issue: we learn relatively quickly in the story that the vampire who changed Orlando was a brutal and sadistic maker, who physically and emotionally tormented Orlando for his own sick pleasure. But, apparently, Orlando's distrust of others (which could have been a very lovely and angst-ridden plot point between the two characters) just wasn't what I thought it would be. Instead of him being a tough nut to crack, he was easily hurt (I could buy that, I guess) and a little bit -- whiny isn't the right word but I have no other one to give you in context to him. He was just too soft a character for me in relation to his past and while that's not a failing, it still felt like wasted potential. 

All of that said, I don't want it to seem like I didn't enjoy the book. I did quite a bit once I dropped my expectations (which I admit I should have done right from the start) and just let it be what it was: a straightforward wizard meets vampire and they have a magical bond (in blood) together. Which, really, could be the plot of any number of fan fictions out there these days but who says that's a bad things?

Length: 236 pages.
*My Rating: B-
Book Challenge 2012: #3
Next Book: Wes and Toren by J.M.C. 

*I've changed my rating system so I can have more flexibility when rating because this one was so darn hard to "grade" and I thought it would be more straightforward if I just labeled it this way. 

Tags: