Saturday, April 18, 2015

From the Archives: Mini Reviews of books by MaryJanice Davidson

I began keeping a reading journal several years before I began blogging. I find it interesting to sift through my thoughts of books that I read back then. My reviews were often brief and contained little substance, but I thought it'd be fun to document them here on my blog as well as share them with you. The first half of 2006 seemed to be my time for series reading. Here are some of my reviews from 2006:

Derik’s Bane (Wyndham Werewolf, #3) by MaryJanice Davidson 
Berkley, 2005
Fantasy; 292 pgs

Derik’s Bane is about a werewolf who must go after a powerful sorceress (who doesn't have a clue she is one) in order to save the world. The novel is paranormal chick-lit at its lightest, humor and romance aplenty. The story was cute and the characters were charming. I felt a little out of the loop with some of the history of the characters and wonder if the short stories that came before the novel would make up for that. I have yet to read those.



Dead and Loving It (Wyndham Werewolf, #5/Undead, #4.5) by MaryJanice Davidson
Berkeley, 2006
Fantasy; 305 pgs

Comprised of four cute and romantic stories with appearances by some of the popular characters from the author’s Undead series as well as her werewolf stories, Dead and Loving It was a pleasant and fluffy reading experience. A pure guilty pleasure. All of the stories were lighthearted and sexy, with a touch of humor added in. The romance formula was pretty much the same in each story: strong protective man wanting to bed and commit to sassy strong woman upon first sight. Still, there was enough variety to make each story entertaining.


Undead and Unpopular (Undead, #5) by MaryJanice Davidson 
Berkeley, 2006
Fantasy; 257 pgs

I have heard a few grumblings about the latest Undead book about Betsy, Queen of the Vampires, complaints that the book was not worth its price and that the story has suffered since Eric and Betsy got together, among other things. I actually found the story in Undead and Unpopular pleasant and fun. The book lacked some of the intensity that occasioned itself in previous books to a small extent, but I’ve never come to think of Betsy and friends as being a part of anything but a lighthearted chick-lit type of paranormal series. So, I don’t expect much when I open up one of the Undead books, except for an occasional laugh and an easy, relaxed reading experience. In Undead and Unpopular, Queen Betsy has her hands full (what else is new?) with the visiting delegation of European Vampires, the planning of her upcoming birthday and wedding, a biography of her life about to be published, a zombie in the attic, a sick friend, and a possible homicidal vampire and her boyfriend who want revenge against the man who made the woman into a vampire.


© 2015, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

10 comments:

  1. A new-to-me author! I enjoy your posts about past reading, Wendy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jenclair - Her books are pure brain candy. I enjoyed the few I read in the series, although I admit I didn't think I would given how superficial Betsy could be. I never did get into the author's werewolf series though, other than the one book mentioned here.

      Delete
  2. Older reviews, like older books, still as valuable---thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rita - They sure are! There are so many older books I still want to read . . .

      Delete
  3. I used to enjoy the undead unwed books but they started to annoy me long before she and Eric got together. I still thought they were fun light reads but they just are not my thing to hold my attention for long. I never read the spin off werewolf series even though I enjoyed their appearances in the Undead books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mandy - I reached that point as well--just later in the series than you did (although not by much). I haven't read one of the author's books in years.

      Delete
  4. Oh my goodness I remember reading one of these books, I just can't remember which one in the series it was.

    Always interesting to read what others thought of the books you have in common, thanks for sharing your thoughts on these.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tracy - I remember being surprised I enjoyed these when I read them. I don't mind light, but these were lighter than I usually gravitate towards.

      Delete
  5. I have wanted to try this series for some time now but have never gotten around to starting it. How far did you get into it (or are you caught up)? I might have to grab the first one from the library the next time that I'm there thanks to you :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Samantha - I didn't read much farther than the 5th book, if I even read past that. I got sidetracked by other books and never regained an interest in reading further in the series, I'm afraid.

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to visit Musings of a Bookish Kitty. Don't be shy! I would love to hear from you. Due to a recent increase in spam, I will be moderating all comments for the foreseeable future. Please be patient with me as it may take a few hours before I am able to approve your comment.