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Black Swan Rising #1
Black Swan Rising
When New York City jewelry designer Garet James stumbles into a strange antiques shop in her neighborhood, her life is about to be turned upside down. John Dee, the enigmatic shopkeeper, commissions her to open a vintage silver box for a generous sum of money. Oddly, the symbol of a swan on the box exactly matches the ring given to her by her deceased mother. Garet can't believe her luck and this eerie coincidence until she opens the box and otherworldly things start happening. . . .
That evening, the precious silver box is stolen. When Garet begins to investigate, she learns that she has been pulled into a prophecy that is hundreds of years old, and opening the box has unleashed an evil force onto the streets of Manhattan and the world at large. Gradually, Garet pieces together her true identity―one that her deceased mother desperately tried to protect her from. Generations of women in Garet's family, including her beloved mother, suffered and died at the hands of this prevailing evil. Does Garet possess the power to reclaim the box and defeat this devastating force?
On her journey, she will meet the fey folk who walk unnoticed among humans and a sexy vampire who also happens to be a hedge fund manager that she can't stop thinking about. But the fairies reveal a desire to overpower mere humans and the seductive vampire has the power to steal the life from her body. Whom can Garet trust to guide her? Using her newfound powers and sharp wit, Garet will muster everything she's got to shut down the evil taking over her friends, family, New York City, and the world.
That evening, the precious silver box is stolen. When Garet begins to investigate, she learns that she has been pulled into a prophecy that is hundreds of years old, and opening the box has unleashed an evil force onto the streets of Manhattan and the world at large. Gradually, Garet pieces together her true identity―one that her deceased mother desperately tried to protect her from. Generations of women in Garet's family, including her beloved mother, suffered and died at the hands of this prevailing evil. Does Garet possess the power to reclaim the box and defeat this devastating force?
On her journey, she will meet the fey folk who walk unnoticed among humans and a sexy vampire who also happens to be a hedge fund manager that she can't stop thinking about. But the fairies reveal a desire to overpower mere humans and the seductive vampire has the power to steal the life from her body. Whom can Garet trust to guide her? Using her newfound powers and sharp wit, Garet will muster everything she's got to shut down the evil taking over her friends, family, New York City, and the world.
396 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2010
About the author
Lee Carroll
5 books87 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Lee Carroll is a pseudonym for the collaboration between Hammet Award-winning mystery novelist Carol Goodman and her poet and hedge fund manager husband, Lee Slonimsky. Goodman and Slonimsky live in Great Neck, New York.
Lee Carroll is a pseudonym for the collaboration between Hammet Award-winning mystery novelist Carol Goodman and her poet and hedge fund manager husband, Lee Slonimsky. Goodman and Slonimsky live in Great Neck, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews
March 23, 2017
DNF.
I just don't care about these people. Stuff is happening, but it's a blur of flat characters & disjointed action scenes. Bottom line: the writing is unbelievably bland. There are nice details that you don't see in other PNR, such as the heroine being a jewelry designer & her family operating an art gallery (with plenty of references to modern & classical art); I also like the ties to Elizabethan fae.
...But those tiny positives aren't enough to hold my interest.
Normal 20-something girl is thrust into paranormal world she doesn't understand & burdened with powers she doesn't know how to use! Paranormal critters exist just beneath the respectable veneer of normality! Girl has pivotal role in saving both worlds from doom & destruction! Big Bad Villain is trying to kill her! Smooth-talking millionaire vampire love interest! Missing and/or dead mother who didn't have time to explain her pivotal world-saving role! Quirky friends who want to help the girl, but they don't understand that her problems are more than what they seem! Girl meets other paranormal critters in the quest to master her newfound powers!
Maybe I've just outgrown PNR/UF as a rule. :/ There are exceptions, of course. But that list grows smaller every time I pick up something like this & fall asleep while reading.
I just don't care about these people. Stuff is happening, but it's a blur of flat characters & disjointed action scenes. Bottom line: the writing is unbelievably bland. There are nice details that you don't see in other PNR, such as the heroine being a jewelry designer & her family operating an art gallery (with plenty of references to modern & classical art); I also like the ties to Elizabethan fae.
...But those tiny positives aren't enough to hold my interest.
Normal 20-something girl is thrust into paranormal world she doesn't understand & burdened with powers she doesn't know how to use! Paranormal critters exist just beneath the respectable veneer of normality! Girl has pivotal role in saving both worlds from doom & destruction! Big Bad Villain is trying to kill her! Smooth-talking millionaire vampire love interest! Missing and/or dead mother who didn't have time to explain her pivotal world-saving role! Quirky friends who want to help the girl, but they don't understand that her problems are more than what they seem! Girl meets other paranormal critters in the quest to master her newfound powers!
Maybe I've just outgrown PNR/UF as a rule. :/ There are exceptions, of course. But that list grows smaller every time I pick up something like this & fall asleep while reading.
September 22, 2010
*3.5 Stars*
What an interesting story! It was fantastical and descriptive and just all around interesting. I loved that so much about the arts and various artists were included. The explanation for their bursts of talent and their eventual sudden loss of talent was a very fascinating take. I like that the author included so many well known things, like Van Gogh's painting, Starry Night, to illustrate exactly what she meant. I read that line and knew exactly what image she was trying to portray! It's so much better for me when fantastical details are broken down simplistically so that I can really get a feel for it. So kudos to the author, I appreciated it!
When I first started reading I had a hard time sinking into the story. Not because of the plot or the characters, it was because of the way it was written. It seemed like the narrator, Garet, was telling me her story instead of letting me experience it through her eyes. It just felt sort of distancing and is not the normal style I read. I did eventually adjust to it, so if you're having trouble in the beginning, I recommend giving yourself a while to adjust.
I loved the fact that I didn't know what was going on until Garet did. At times it was frustrating, but I also kind of liked it. We, the reader, don't know who is a bad guy or a good guy until Garet does. I found myself changing my mind about characters, especially Will, constantly. I'd make up my mind, but then the character would behave in a way that made me question him or her right along with Garet.
I liked that Garet made a lot of mistakes along the way. I didn't like how easily she trusted certain people to have her best interest at heart, and I was irritated by how often her loyalties seemed to flip depending on who she was hanging out with at the moment. I also really liked the feel the book had. Like there was a completely secret world waiting for someone to take the time to notice it. It was interesting to see people know who she was while she remained oblivious.
Even though this has a romance in it (sort of), it is very firmly not a romance. The love interest is seen frequently, but he is not the focus of the story and their relationship, or lack thereof, is not either. The focus is very firmly on Garet and her discovery of this secret world and her connection to it. The actual relationship is very thinly drawn and kind of baffling. I get what the author was trying to do with it, but because the love interest had no depth it was hard to feel any intensity or longing between them. So I remained cold to that whole star crossed lover aspect.
This is not an action filled book at all. When we finally do get to some action, it's more of a whimper than a bang. It's a slow stroll observing Garet discovering her legacy. At times it was much too slow, but it just seems like the author's style.
My biggest problem, and what knocked the grade down, is the lack of depth. Even a slow novel can rivet me if it has intensity. Unfortunately, I really felt a lack in the character development and the world building. What I did see of the world was very interesting, but I felt like I got a snapshot of it instead of a full film. I just wanted a more well-rounded look at the history of it all.
I felt that Garet was very isolated in this book. She'd stop and check in with her life and her friends and family, and she was anxious about their welfare, but she sure did forget about them quite easily. It was just a little odd for me. I also didn't like how easy it all was. It seemed like there was no real challenge for Garet in learning the things her guides wanted to pass on. There were also a lot of info dumps from the guides, but that could have also seemed exaggerated because of the style the book was written in.
This wasn't a favorite for me, but if the author comes out with a second book to pick up where the story left off I would probably pick it up.
What an interesting story! It was fantastical and descriptive and just all around interesting. I loved that so much about the arts and various artists were included. The explanation for their bursts of talent and their eventual sudden loss of talent was a very fascinating take. I like that the author included so many well known things, like Van Gogh's painting, Starry Night, to illustrate exactly what she meant. I read that line and knew exactly what image she was trying to portray! It's so much better for me when fantastical details are broken down simplistically so that I can really get a feel for it. So kudos to the author, I appreciated it!
When I first started reading I had a hard time sinking into the story. Not because of the plot or the characters, it was because of the way it was written. It seemed like the narrator, Garet, was telling me her story instead of letting me experience it through her eyes. It just felt sort of distancing and is not the normal style I read. I did eventually adjust to it, so if you're having trouble in the beginning, I recommend giving yourself a while to adjust.
I loved the fact that I didn't know what was going on until Garet did. At times it was frustrating, but I also kind of liked it. We, the reader, don't know who is a bad guy or a good guy until Garet does. I found myself changing my mind about characters, especially Will, constantly. I'd make up my mind, but then the character would behave in a way that made me question him or her right along with Garet.
I liked that Garet made a lot of mistakes along the way. I didn't like how easily she trusted certain people to have her best interest at heart, and I was irritated by how often her loyalties seemed to flip depending on who she was hanging out with at the moment. I also really liked the feel the book had. Like there was a completely secret world waiting for someone to take the time to notice it. It was interesting to see people know who she was while she remained oblivious.
Even though this has a romance in it (sort of), it is very firmly not a romance. The love interest is seen frequently, but he is not the focus of the story and their relationship, or lack thereof, is not either. The focus is very firmly on Garet and her discovery of this secret world and her connection to it. The actual relationship is very thinly drawn and kind of baffling. I get what the author was trying to do with it, but because the love interest had no depth it was hard to feel any intensity or longing between them. So I remained cold to that whole star crossed lover aspect.
This is not an action filled book at all. When we finally do get to some action, it's more of a whimper than a bang. It's a slow stroll observing Garet discovering her legacy. At times it was much too slow, but it just seems like the author's style.
My biggest problem, and what knocked the grade down, is the lack of depth. Even a slow novel can rivet me if it has intensity. Unfortunately, I really felt a lack in the character development and the world building. What I did see of the world was very interesting, but I felt like I got a snapshot of it instead of a full film. I just wanted a more well-rounded look at the history of it all.
I felt that Garet was very isolated in this book. She'd stop and check in with her life and her friends and family, and she was anxious about their welfare, but she sure did forget about them quite easily. It was just a little odd for me. I also didn't like how easy it all was. It seemed like there was no real challenge for Garet in learning the things her guides wanted to pass on. There were also a lot of info dumps from the guides, but that could have also seemed exaggerated because of the style the book was written in.
This wasn't a favorite for me, but if the author comes out with a second book to pick up where the story left off I would probably pick it up.
April 18, 2013
I was excited to get a copy of Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll – the husband and wife writing team of Carol Goodman and Lee Slonimsky. I enjoyed the Carol Goodman’s The Demon Lover and The Water Witch and as I settled down to read Black Swan Rising, I knew I was in for a treat.
Black Swan Rising is a beautifully written gothic style tale. The world is richly described, a modern day New York City layered with the magical world of the fae and an assortment of many different paranormal creatures. I loved how the authors were able to weave all sorts of fae lore with Jewish folklore and even Shakespearean references. Even the characters’ names become a play on words. Genius!
Garit James accepts an innocuous silver box. She is tasked with finding a way of opening the box to retrieve the papers from within. This sets up a series of events that change Garit’s life. The gallery where she lives and works with her father is robbed, her father is injured and hospitalized, and the gallery is losing money rapidly.
Soon we find that Garit is not an ordinary woman. She sees things and is able to access some hidden abilities. Meanwhile, the city is slipping into chaos. Monsters appear. The people around her are not human. Her father’s dread-locked nurse is Oberon, King of the Fairies.
I enjoyed this book. Everything in it was so unexpected. Each little detail had meaning and I fell in love with the characters. I loved how the story was layered with a criminal investigation in the human world and a hunt for a demon in the fae realm. The combination of the fae lore and the paranormal felt fresh and new. I can’t wait to read more books by this writing team.
Series Reading Order:
1. Black Swan Rising
2. The Watchtower
3. The Shape Stealer
Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
Black Swan Rising is a beautifully written gothic style tale. The world is richly described, a modern day New York City layered with the magical world of the fae and an assortment of many different paranormal creatures. I loved how the authors were able to weave all sorts of fae lore with Jewish folklore and even Shakespearean references. Even the characters’ names become a play on words. Genius!
Garit James accepts an innocuous silver box. She is tasked with finding a way of opening the box to retrieve the papers from within. This sets up a series of events that change Garit’s life. The gallery where she lives and works with her father is robbed, her father is injured and hospitalized, and the gallery is losing money rapidly.
Soon we find that Garit is not an ordinary woman. She sees things and is able to access some hidden abilities. Meanwhile, the city is slipping into chaos. Monsters appear. The people around her are not human. Her father’s dread-locked nurse is Oberon, King of the Fairies.
I enjoyed this book. Everything in it was so unexpected. Each little detail had meaning and I fell in love with the characters. I loved how the story was layered with a criminal investigation in the human world and a hunt for a demon in the fae realm. The combination of the fae lore and the paranormal felt fresh and new. I can’t wait to read more books by this writing team.
Series Reading Order:
1. Black Swan Rising
2. The Watchtower
3. The Shape Stealer
Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
July 23, 2022
Remember the book I raved about a lot? Incubus or The Demon Lover (according to your edition)? Carol Goodman co-wrote this book with her husband Lee Slonimsky under the name Lee Carroll, how cute is that and how talented are they?
Let me start by saying, this book is phenomenal so far, I really want to know what Garet is (I don't like her nickname but oh well...) and what is the black swan!? Garet is a jewelry artist, her father Roman has a gallery that is suffering financially, in a rainy day she gets lost walking and finds herself in front of an antique shop, the weird seller gives her a box with the same icon as on her ring and asks her to open the box for a thousand dollars, she needs the money so she agrees, when she holds the box she feels it belongs to her, that night their gallery is robbed but Garet gets introduced to her heritage and a world of monsters and myths that she belongs to.
Her actual name is Margret which is cute, it means Pearl, like my name.
Let me start by saying, this book is phenomenal so far, I really want to know what Garet is (I don't like her nickname but oh well...) and what is the black swan!? Garet is a jewelry artist, her father Roman has a gallery that is suffering financially, in a rainy day she gets lost walking and finds herself in front of an antique shop, the weird seller gives her a box with the same icon as on her ring and asks her to open the box for a thousand dollars, she needs the money so she agrees, when she holds the box she feels it belongs to her, that night their gallery is robbed but Garet gets introduced to her heritage and a world of monsters and myths that she belongs to.
Her actual name is Margret which is cute, it means Pearl, like my name.
August 23, 2010
Garet James is a down on her luck jewelry designer trying to make a living in the heart of New York City. Garet, on the edge of dispair because of her father's recent bad decisions, finds herself in the heart of what she thought was a normal antique store. Little did Garet know, walking into that store, would transform her life in more ways then she could ever imagine.
This book is about a woman's transformation from "plain jane" to a strong warrior. Garet has to figure out whom to trust, and if she should follow her heart or her brain. She makes many mistakes along the way and that is what I loved. She is definitely the imperfect warrior. She didn't want the job but she knows that she is the only one that can do it. Not only is it Garet's job to be a guardian between the mortal and otherworld but it was Garet's destiny. The job is also, what killed Garet's mother and because of her mother's death, Garet does not want to make the same mistake of running from her destiny as her mother did.
This book is slow moving but absolutely necessary. It is a telling of Garet's transformation and not an action packed adventure. There is action and there is romance, but the meat of the story is Garet learning her powers.
I really loved the book. No parts of the book bored me and I thought the author did a wonderful job of telling Garet's story.
March 19, 2013
When reading the back cover is the most excitement you pull from a book you know it's just not meant to be.
This novel is a perfect example of what to avoid when writing a story.
The characters came out so flat as to not even be there. It feels like the author added herself & husband into the roles and glossed over any character development that would breath life into this book.
From the start it was the writing style that most ruined it for me. For such imaginative elements, fae, the writing was flat. Maybe she needed a ghost writer? I couldn't say. Just didn't work at all for me.
This novel is a perfect example of what to avoid when writing a story.
The characters came out so flat as to not even be there. It feels like the author added herself & husband into the roles and glossed over any character development that would breath life into this book.
From the start it was the writing style that most ruined it for me. For such imaginative elements, fae, the writing was flat. Maybe she needed a ghost writer? I couldn't say. Just didn't work at all for me.
February 4, 2017
actual rating: 1.5
Кто же мы такие, чтобы отказываться от возможностей, предлагаемых нам судьбой?
Как только я увидела эту книгу на книжной полке, мне почему-то она сразу понравилась. Красивая обложка, замечательная аннотация. Но чем больше эта книга стояла у меня на полке, тем больше я думала, что разочаруюсь в ней. Что и произошло на самом деле.
Главная героиня книги - двадцатишестилетняя Гарет Джеймс. Не какой-нибудь подросток лет шестнадцати-семнадцати, а взрослая женщина. Но дело в том, что несмотря на ее возраст, кажеться, что героиня на самом деле сущий подросток.
В шестнадцать лет она могла видеть видеть ауры людей, но относила их к симптомам начинающегося приступа мигрени. Она не замечала, что ее лучший друг - Джей в нее влюблен. В общем, ничего удивительного.
И на следующую ночь, после того, как она заходит в антикварный магазин и ее хозяин просит помочь открыть ему запаянную серебрянную шкатулку, их галерею грабят. Она ведет расследование, чтобы узнать, кто же ограбил галерею и пытается при этом спасти своего отца. Ну и это расследование приводит ее в сказочный мир магии и существ. Она знакомится с красавцем-вампиров Уиллом,королев фейри Обероном и со многими другими обитателями этого волшебного мира. Ну, тут все закрутилось и завертелось. Не буду подробно все описывать, потому что чувствую, что это может произойти. Скажу только одно : мне очень жаль, что я потратила на эту книгу свое время и деньги. Книга очень и очень скучна. Половину книги Гарет начинает знакомится со всеми стихиями : воды, огня, воздуха и земли. При этом она ищет главного злодея - Джона Ди, который непонятно куда делся после того, как она закрыла шкатулку. Конец вообще не впечатлил, представляю, что будет происходить в следующих двух книг, но браться читать их я не собираюсь.
Кто же мы такие, чтобы отказываться от возможностей, предлагаемых нам судьбой?
Как только я увидела эту книгу на книжной полке, мне почему-то она сразу понравилась. Красивая обложка, замечательная аннотация. Но чем больше эта книга стояла у меня на полке, тем больше я думала, что разочаруюсь в ней. Что и произошло на самом деле.
Главная героиня книги - двадцатишестилетняя Гарет Джеймс. Не какой-нибудь подросток лет шестнадцати-семнадцати, а взрослая женщина. Но дело в том, что несмотря на ее возраст, кажеться, что героиня на самом деле сущий подросток.
В шестнадцать лет она могла видеть видеть ауры людей, но относила их к симптомам начинающегося приступа мигрени. Она не замечала, что ее лучший друг - Джей в нее влюблен. В общем, ничего удивительного.
И на следующую ночь, после того, как она заходит в антикварный магазин и ее хозяин просит помочь открыть ему запаянную серебрянную шкатулку, их галерею грабят. Она ведет расследование, чтобы узнать, кто же ограбил галерею и пытается при этом спасти своего отца. Ну и это расследование приводит ее в сказочный мир магии и существ. Она знакомится с красавцем-вампиров Уиллом,королев фейри Обероном и со многими другими обитателями этого волшебного мира. Ну, тут все закрутилось и завертелось. Не буду подробно все описывать, потому что чувствую, что это может произойти. Скажу только одно : мне очень жаль, что я потратила на эту книгу свое время и деньги. Книга очень и очень скучна. Половину книги Гарет начинает знакомится со всеми стихиями : воды, огня, воздуха и земли. При этом она ищет главного злодея - Джона Ди, который непонятно куда делся после того, как она закрыла шкатулку. Конец вообще не впечатлил, представляю, что будет происходить в следующих двух книг, но браться читать их я не собираюсь.
September 13, 2013
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks to Netgalley and Bantam for giving me this book to review.
After the bad day of finding out that she is neck deep in debt, jewellery designer Garet James stumbles into an unusual antiques store. The shop keeper commissions her to use her jewellery making skills to open a silver box which has the same swan symbol that is on the deceased mother’s ring. After managing to open the silver box Garet discovers that the world is full of Fey, Vampires and fairy-tale creatures and that she is a Watchtower, a person whose job it is to keep the balance between the humans and magical creatures. Now with the help of a vampire called Will and Oberon, King of the Faeries, Garet must stop the alchemist John Dee from summoning the demons of Despair and Discord, and destroying New York and the world.
Black Swan Rising is an ok urban fantasy book with faeries and vampires, but I found it really to get into, even though there seemed to be lot of elements in it that I should have liked. That pacing of this book is really slow especially the middle as it seemed not much was happening.
I could not get on with any of the characters, even Garet, and I could not really care what happened to them or what happened next. Black Swan Rising is an ok paranormal novel but I wouldn’t recommend it as it was not as good as it could have been.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bantam for giving me this book to review.
After the bad day of finding out that she is neck deep in debt, jewellery designer Garet James stumbles into an unusual antiques store. The shop keeper commissions her to use her jewellery making skills to open a silver box which has the same swan symbol that is on the deceased mother’s ring. After managing to open the silver box Garet discovers that the world is full of Fey, Vampires and fairy-tale creatures and that she is a Watchtower, a person whose job it is to keep the balance between the humans and magical creatures. Now with the help of a vampire called Will and Oberon, King of the Faeries, Garet must stop the alchemist John Dee from summoning the demons of Despair and Discord, and destroying New York and the world.
Black Swan Rising is an ok urban fantasy book with faeries and vampires, but I found it really to get into, even though there seemed to be lot of elements in it that I should have liked. That pacing of this book is really slow especially the middle as it seemed not much was happening.
I could not get on with any of the characters, even Garet, and I could not really care what happened to them or what happened next. Black Swan Rising is an ok paranormal novel but I wouldn’t recommend it as it was not as good as it could have been.
January 27, 2013
While I thoroughly enjoyed Black Swan Rising, it dragged in a couple of places and I found myself scanning. Usually, this means it was a boring book but in this one it was more of a "I got to get to what happens next" like I can get any little hints later. I loved the story, I love the characters, although a couple of them could have used a bit more development but then again this is book 1 of a trilogy so i hope for better in the future. The way I rate books is how I feel when I finish them and this one was high end stuff and I would have moved directly to book #2 but since the reviews I read indicated it might end on a bit of a cliffhanger I decided to wait about a month so that book # 3 (the final book) would be out, fortunately this book ends on a good note and you can leave it to your imagination how some things play out or go on to read the trilogy. All said, this was a 4.5 reading experience and I can't wait to get the last 2 books and read them.
February 13, 2013
3.5
Not bad, not great. Interesting characters, but the plot feels so "been there, read that already". I had hoped for more originality, but still, this wasn't bad. It just could have been so much better.
Review to come.
Not bad, not great. Interesting characters, but the plot feels so "been there, read that already". I had hoped for more originality, but still, this wasn't bad. It just could have been so much better.
Review to come.
June 14, 2015
'Black Swan Rising' is a little different to other urban fantasy novels I've read, in that it is quite a gentle read. Garet James is not the typical kick-arse chick - she's a fairly normal, down-to-earth woman struggling to make ends meet. She knows nothing of the supernatural world which surrounds her and so when she finds out that the world is not as it seems we see her trying to come to terms with the revelation that there are faeries, vampires and demons to contend with.
The beginning of the book is great and very atmospheric. I liked Garet straight away as I did her father and her two friends, Becky and Jay. Garet and her dad have lived together since her mother was killed in a car accident, but Garet's memories are tested when she finds out that her mother wasn't who she thought she was and Garet has a role to play in the newly discovered supernatural world.
One cold, foggy night Garet finds herself taking refuge in an antique shop, where she is asked by the antique dealer to use her jewelry making skills to open an ancient silver box. Garet agrees and this is when strange things begin to happen. I loved this part of the book, it was intriguing and it was fun to discover that the antique dealer was a demon called Dee who has been in and out of Garet's life for sometime without her knowledge.
Unfortunately, even with Garet and the other characters, 'Black Swan Rising' started to lose some of it's charm for me half way through when Garet is taken on a journey by the Faery King to learn magical skills from different elementals. One of these elementals is Melusine. She is a water elemental. It is from this particular moment in the book that I lost virtually all interest and struggled to finish the book, as it just didn't make any sense.
Garet and Melusine are torn apart into atoms and then form molecules to travel through water. Then they evaporate to come back down as rain. While this is happening their molecules intertwine and they can "see" each others memories and "feel" each others emotions...also, Melusine "sniffs to find Dee's presence"...really? sniffs? While they are molecules? Don't you need a nose and some lungs to sniff?
I know I should suspend my disbelief further, as this book is about vampires, demon's and other supernatural creatures, but I just couldn't and as this went on for the rest of the book, I was unfortunately lost to this part of story.
Also, for some reason the author thought it a good idea for this particular elemental to spit at people:
The honking and spitting went on for some pages and I found myself wanting to gag. This just wasn't necessary and I can't for the life of me think why this was thought to be a good personality trait.
There is a love interest for Garet too in the form of yummy vampire, Will Hughes. I liked Will very much but the romance between them is slightly tainted by the fact that you don't know whether he is falling in love with Garet or because she resembles a woman he used to love called Marguerite, who is part of Garet's lineage. I'm hoping it's the former.
VERDICT:
'Black Swan Rising' has a great first half and a poor second half. It's the first that has the potential to be a really interesting, albeit a slightly gentler, urban fantasy. Sadly there are a few additions in this instalment I could definitely have done without, but they won't stop me from picking up the next book in the series, 'The Watchtower', as I really liked the characters, especially Garet and I would like to continue her story.
The beginning of the book is great and very atmospheric. I liked Garet straight away as I did her father and her two friends, Becky and Jay. Garet and her dad have lived together since her mother was killed in a car accident, but Garet's memories are tested when she finds out that her mother wasn't who she thought she was and Garet has a role to play in the newly discovered supernatural world.
One cold, foggy night Garet finds herself taking refuge in an antique shop, where she is asked by the antique dealer to use her jewelry making skills to open an ancient silver box. Garet agrees and this is when strange things begin to happen. I loved this part of the book, it was intriguing and it was fun to discover that the antique dealer was a demon called Dee who has been in and out of Garet's life for sometime without her knowledge.
Unfortunately, even with Garet and the other characters, 'Black Swan Rising' started to lose some of it's charm for me half way through when Garet is taken on a journey by the Faery King to learn magical skills from different elementals. One of these elementals is Melusine. She is a water elemental. It is from this particular moment in the book that I lost virtually all interest and struggled to finish the book, as it just didn't make any sense.
Garet and Melusine are torn apart into atoms and then form molecules to travel through water. Then they evaporate to come back down as rain. While this is happening their molecules intertwine and they can "see" each others memories and "feel" each others emotions...also, Melusine "sniffs to find Dee's presence"...really? sniffs? While they are molecules? Don't you need a nose and some lungs to sniff?
I know I should suspend my disbelief further, as this book is about vampires, demon's and other supernatural creatures, but I just couldn't and as this went on for the rest of the book, I was unfortunately lost to this part of story.
Also, for some reason the author thought it a good idea for this particular elemental to spit at people:
As if to remind me of that greeting she [Mesuline] cleared her throat and hawked up a great gob of spit that landed six inches from the polished loafers of a lunching businessman."
The honking and spitting went on for some pages and I found myself wanting to gag. This just wasn't necessary and I can't for the life of me think why this was thought to be a good personality trait.
There is a love interest for Garet too in the form of yummy vampire, Will Hughes. I liked Will very much but the romance between them is slightly tainted by the fact that you don't know whether he is falling in love with Garet or because she resembles a woman he used to love called Marguerite, who is part of Garet's lineage. I'm hoping it's the former.
VERDICT:
'Black Swan Rising' has a great first half and a poor second half. It's the first that has the potential to be a really interesting, albeit a slightly gentler, urban fantasy. Sadly there are a few additions in this instalment I could definitely have done without, but they won't stop me from picking up the next book in the series, 'The Watchtower', as I really liked the characters, especially Garet and I would like to continue her story.
December 31, 2021
Zaskakująco przyjemna lektura. Wciągnęła mnie na tyle, że będę polował na drugi tom.
Wykreowany w niej świat magiczny był okej. Miał lepsze i gorsze aspekty.
Ocena: 3.0.
Wykreowany w niej świat magiczny był okej. Miał lepsze i gorsze aspekty.
Ocena: 3.0.
February 9, 2013
Premise: I like urban fantasies, though the black swan thing seemed a bit of a cliché.
Characters: The main character, Garet, was interesting at first (because she was a 26-year-old jeweller for one thing, rather than a sixteen-year-old misunderstood high school student) but she never really seemed to develop throughout the story. She seemed a bit wooden with weak interactions, and her sudden passion for Will wasn’t believable. All of the other characters weren’t developed enough and their relationships weren’t believable either .
Plot: The book had a promising beginning with the mysterious antique dealer and the robbery committed by ‘dybbuks’, but after that it was incredibly meandering and slow and it took me far too long to finish it because I wasn’t enthusiastic about it at all. The story had potential, with Garet discovering her history and role as the watchtower between worlds and having to learn how to use newly gifted powers by visiting magical creatures she had never known existed before to stop the demons of Despair and Discord from escaping the Pandora-style box and destroying the world. However, since none of the characters had much depth everything fell flat for me. There were some interesting ideas (such as a kind of molecule disintegration to travel through water and Garet’s ability to read auras and see how they affect other people)but they were dragged down by the ones that didn’t work for me (such as a fire fairy named Lol because she ‘started lol on the internet as a joke’, and a dragon who follows Snoop Dogg on Twitter). The fact that most of the fairies seemed to be characters from Shakespeare plays was a tad trite if I’m honest, and the rich-vampire-romance was eye-roll worthy. This might have all been forgivable if the book had a fantastic ending… but it didn’t. There was an anti-climax where things seemed to be quickly wrapped up and Garet goes back to her ordinary life.
Other comments: I perhaps would recommend this to fans of The Mortal Instruments, as long as they didn’t expect a lot from it.
Characters: The main character, Garet, was interesting at first (because she was a 26-year-old jeweller for one thing, rather than a sixteen-year-old misunderstood high school student) but she never really seemed to develop throughout the story. She seemed a bit wooden with weak interactions, and her sudden passion for Will wasn’t believable. All of the other characters weren’t developed enough and their relationships weren’t believable either .
Plot: The book had a promising beginning with the mysterious antique dealer and the robbery committed by ‘dybbuks’, but after that it was incredibly meandering and slow and it took me far too long to finish it because I wasn’t enthusiastic about it at all. The story had potential, with Garet discovering her history and role as the watchtower between worlds and having to learn how to use newly gifted powers by visiting magical creatures she had never known existed before to stop the demons of Despair and Discord from escaping the Pandora-style box and destroying the world. However, since none of the characters had much depth everything fell flat for me. There were some interesting ideas (such as a kind of molecule disintegration to travel through water and Garet’s ability to read auras and see how they affect other people)but they were dragged down by the ones that didn’t work for me (such as a fire fairy named Lol because she ‘started lol on the internet as a joke’, and a dragon who follows Snoop Dogg on Twitter). The fact that most of the fairies seemed to be characters from Shakespeare plays was a tad trite if I’m honest, and the rich-vampire-romance was eye-roll worthy. This might have all been forgivable if the book had a fantastic ending… but it didn’t. There was an anti-climax where things seemed to be quickly wrapped up and Garet goes back to her ordinary life.
Other comments: I perhaps would recommend this to fans of The Mortal Instruments, as long as they didn’t expect a lot from it.
June 16, 2011
I read this in April, but I am just getting around to reviewing it. After watching the film, Black Swan, I loved the movie so much that I looked everywhere to see if it was based on a book. Unfortunately, it wasn't. But instead, I found this book. And it was awesome!
So this book opens up with our main character, Garet James entering a strange antique store. In the antique store, Garet is persuaded into opening a silver box with a swan symbol on it by the store owner, John Dee. Strangely enough, the swan symbol on the box looks identical to the one on her ring that she wears. What Garet doesn't know is that opening the box has unleashed an evil force that will cause massive destruction.
This book does have a slow pace, but it is kind of necessary. It's not an action packed thrilling adventure filled with excitement, but it's about Garet's transformation from an ordinary woman, to a fierce evil huntress.
The characters in this book had a great balanced development. I found myself shocked whenever a new character was introduced, because some of the characters' backstories are very shocking and interesting.
Going into the writing, I was pleasantly surprised to find it detailed. Well, most parts were detailed, but some wern't. That made it very infesting to read.
Plot points in this book were very creative and captivating. There were a few refreshing twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. I found myself sometimes aggravated though with the slow pacing.
Now, the ending was really unexpected. I really wanted to find out what was going to happen to Garet and her friends. But what made me mad was Will. He was slightly acting like and idiot. I am still very excited to read the second book, though!
Elemental Breakdown:
Story: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Score: 42/50
Grade: B
Rating: 4 Stars
So this book opens up with our main character, Garet James entering a strange antique store. In the antique store, Garet is persuaded into opening a silver box with a swan symbol on it by the store owner, John Dee. Strangely enough, the swan symbol on the box looks identical to the one on her ring that she wears. What Garet doesn't know is that opening the box has unleashed an evil force that will cause massive destruction.
This book does have a slow pace, but it is kind of necessary. It's not an action packed thrilling adventure filled with excitement, but it's about Garet's transformation from an ordinary woman, to a fierce evil huntress.
The characters in this book had a great balanced development. I found myself shocked whenever a new character was introduced, because some of the characters' backstories are very shocking and interesting.
Going into the writing, I was pleasantly surprised to find it detailed. Well, most parts were detailed, but some wern't. That made it very infesting to read.
Plot points in this book were very creative and captivating. There were a few refreshing twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. I found myself sometimes aggravated though with the slow pacing.
Now, the ending was really unexpected. I really wanted to find out what was going to happen to Garet and her friends. But what made me mad was Will. He was slightly acting like and idiot. I am still very excited to read the second book, though!
Elemental Breakdown:
Story: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Score: 42/50
Grade: B
Rating: 4 Stars
August 15, 2011
This book was a very pleasant surprise for at least two reasons.
I had not realised this, but Lee Carroll is a pseudonym for Carol Goodman and her husband, Lee Slonimsky.
I have been a fan of Goodman’s books for years, ever since I read The Lake of Dead Languages in 2002 and was delighted to discover that she has (co-) written books I never knew existed.
The second surprise was that this book was more literary than most urban fantasies/vampire novels I’ve read so far. I guess that is probably because Goodman is the author she is and can’t help herself but write beautiful and well worded descriptions that somehow float off the page and become visible to me.
She has, with Black Swan Rising, written a book that has far more supernatural elements than the previous books I’ve read by her, but her characters are as real and well-rounded as I would expect from her and her story has several levels and few, if any, simple black and white contrasts.
This story is about Garet James, a fairly successful jeweller, who is worrying about the financial difficulties she and her father find themselves in when she stumbles upon an antiques store she didn’t know existed. When she enters she meets the old shopkeeper who asks her to use her soldering knowledge to open a silver box for him, which she does the same evening.
Although Garet doesn’t realise it opening that box has set in motion a chain of events that will change her life and the world around her forever. She will meet creatures she thought only existed in fairy-tales, fall in love with a creature she should fear, learns secrets about her heritage and be burdened with the task of saving New York from a horrible fate.
Garet and the reader are about to start a rollercoaster ride through emotions and action that will push both of them forward through the pages of this book.
I had not realised this, but Lee Carroll is a pseudonym for Carol Goodman and her husband, Lee Slonimsky.
I have been a fan of Goodman’s books for years, ever since I read The Lake of Dead Languages in 2002 and was delighted to discover that she has (co-) written books I never knew existed.
The second surprise was that this book was more literary than most urban fantasies/vampire novels I’ve read so far. I guess that is probably because Goodman is the author she is and can’t help herself but write beautiful and well worded descriptions that somehow float off the page and become visible to me.
She has, with Black Swan Rising, written a book that has far more supernatural elements than the previous books I’ve read by her, but her characters are as real and well-rounded as I would expect from her and her story has several levels and few, if any, simple black and white contrasts.
This story is about Garet James, a fairly successful jeweller, who is worrying about the financial difficulties she and her father find themselves in when she stumbles upon an antiques store she didn’t know existed. When she enters she meets the old shopkeeper who asks her to use her soldering knowledge to open a silver box for him, which she does the same evening.
Although Garet doesn’t realise it opening that box has set in motion a chain of events that will change her life and the world around her forever. She will meet creatures she thought only existed in fairy-tales, fall in love with a creature she should fear, learns secrets about her heritage and be burdened with the task of saving New York from a horrible fate.
Garet and the reader are about to start a rollercoaster ride through emotions and action that will push both of them forward through the pages of this book.
August 17, 2010
When I first started reading Black Swan Rising, I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did. By the middle of the book I didn’t answer my phone and I didn’t want to go out on a Saturday night. I had to finish this book!
Garet fast became one of my favorite fiction characters, she’s snarky and she keeps going when any other person would just lay down and call it quits. The ending damn near killed me but I am so happy this is a series and not a one off, it was just that good!
I can’t wait to find out what happens between Will and Garet, and what Garet’s next adventure will be. Is the bad guy gone for good? Hell with this book anyone can turn good or bad within a chapter, which totally keeps you on your toes.
If I wasn’t laughing at some of the characters comments:
"He chuckled. “Snoop Dogg’s twitters really crack me up.” He typed something using two claws and chuckled again. Then he whisked his tail across the screen and growled."
I was falling in love with some of them:
"One of my favorite Latin mottoes – which I’d found on an old signet ring I’d used to make one of my medallions – ran through my head. Dum spiro, spero – As long as I have breath, I have hope. I’d find a way out of our problems and I’d do what I could to stop…."
Black Swan Rising is full of so many awesome characters (fey, alchamists,vampires, dragons) and the story line is centred around an ancient family “curse”. It was a wonderful mix of Urban Fantasy and Fantasy, all rolled into an awesome action filled adventure.
I am not one to re-read a book, but I can tell you now I already want to re-read Black Swan Rising.
Garet fast became one of my favorite fiction characters, she’s snarky and she keeps going when any other person would just lay down and call it quits. The ending damn near killed me but I am so happy this is a series and not a one off, it was just that good!
I can’t wait to find out what happens between Will and Garet, and what Garet’s next adventure will be. Is the bad guy gone for good? Hell with this book anyone can turn good or bad within a chapter, which totally keeps you on your toes.
If I wasn’t laughing at some of the characters comments:
"He chuckled. “Snoop Dogg’s twitters really crack me up.” He typed something using two claws and chuckled again. Then he whisked his tail across the screen and growled."
I was falling in love with some of them:
"One of my favorite Latin mottoes – which I’d found on an old signet ring I’d used to make one of my medallions – ran through my head. Dum spiro, spero – As long as I have breath, I have hope. I’d find a way out of our problems and I’d do what I could to stop…."
Black Swan Rising is full of so many awesome characters (fey, alchamists,vampires, dragons) and the story line is centred around an ancient family “curse”. It was a wonderful mix of Urban Fantasy and Fantasy, all rolled into an awesome action filled adventure.
I am not one to re-read a book, but I can tell you now I already want to re-read Black Swan Rising.
January 11, 2013
Young jewelry designer, Garet James, has just gotten some really bad news. Her aging father has mortgage their home and gallery to the hilt and they might loose it all. Lost in thought, Garet walks aimlessly around NYC only to end up in front of an usual shop. She enters the shop for directions and meets the keeper, John Dee. John Dee has a box with exactly the same symbol on it as the treasured ring her mother gave her. John Dee tells Garet if she opens the box he will give her $1000. Needing the money, she accepts John Dee’s offer… but she has no idea what she is about to release on the world. She also never knew about the hidden world of magic all around her and that she was a key to keeping the contents on the box locked. Garet’s life is about to make some unbelievable changes, playing a pivotal role in saving the world from what she let loose.
Black Swan Rising is a highly descriptive story filled with magical creatures of great power. Some use their power for good, some use their power for evil and some are gray. Traversing this totally new world Garet must decide where her trust can be placed. I found this to be an interesting start to a new series with potential.
This copy of Black Swan Rising was given to me by Netgalley and Transworld in exchange for an honest review.
Black Swan Rising is a highly descriptive story filled with magical creatures of great power. Some use their power for good, some use their power for evil and some are gray. Traversing this totally new world Garet must decide where her trust can be placed. I found this to be an interesting start to a new series with potential.
This copy of Black Swan Rising was given to me by Netgalley and Transworld in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2010
I won this book on first reads. I've read a few of Carol Goodman's books and I didn't realize this was written by her under a pseudonym until I received the book. Once I started reading I was able to recognize her style. No one can weave mythology and folklore and whatnot into a story like she can. I found this book pretty interesting, although slow at times in the middle. I'm not much of a fan of fairy stories, but I enjoyed the ones featured in this book. I keep reading this is the first in a trilogy, and while I didn't love it, I would definitely read the next one.
August 31, 2017
Fairies, vampires and alchemy in modern New York City: Jewellery designer Garet James gets inadvertendly plunged into discovering her late mother's family's legacy as guardians of the human and fey worlds when she opens a silver box entrusted to her by the owner of an antiques store she wanders into. Taken under the wing of Oberon himself, she must learn her new role quickly to prevent a catastrophe, because the box she was tricked into opening and which was subsequently stolen from her home contained the demons of Despair and Discord - and now that they have been released, only days remain to retrieve the box and close it in order to contain them before they are able to manifest completely.
What a wonderfully crafted world. Imaginative and rich in descriptions, this was an intriguing and thoroughly captivating Urban Fantasy novel that pulled me in right from the start. I was rather happy that the romance between Garet and Will only made up a fairly minor part of the novel despite playing an important role for Garet herself. I was much more interested in this universe's version of Oberon, whom I adored and am hoping to see again in the sequel.
What a wonderfully crafted world. Imaginative and rich in descriptions, this was an intriguing and thoroughly captivating Urban Fantasy novel that pulled me in right from the start. I was rather happy that the romance between Garet and Will only made up a fairly minor part of the novel despite playing an important role for Garet herself. I was much more interested in this universe's version of Oberon, whom I adored and am hoping to see again in the sequel.
April 14, 2019
Taká pohodová urban fantasy knižka, kde sa to len tak hemžilo magickými tvormi. :) Keď bola reč o umení, literatúre, či mytológii, bolo to tam vcelku vysvetlené a myslím, že na základné zorientovanie to stačí.
Garet sa postupne oboznamuje s tým, že po matke zdedila istú moc a mala by dohliadať na svet medzi ľuďmi a bytosťami z Krajiny večného leta, ale nejako mi to pripadala, že sa s tým len zoznamuje. A trvalo to celú knihu. :) A teda okrem víl a škriatkov, či elementálov a nymfy, stretne aj upíra a draka a zlého čarodejníka/alchymistu a tak ako dávna Pandora aj ona vypustí zo skrinky zlo... a teraz to treba napraviť.
Vždy pri podobnom scenári (niečí neskúsený potomok má v sebe netušené sily, o ktorých nevie sa zdrazu stretne so zlom a dokáže zvrátiť nebezpečenstvo, aj keď je neškolený) si hovorím, že aha, toto tu už bolo v bledomodrom, ale ja tak som si čítanie užila. Proste oddychovka.
Garet sa postupne oboznamuje s tým, že po matke zdedila istú moc a mala by dohliadať na svet medzi ľuďmi a bytosťami z Krajiny večného leta, ale nejako mi to pripadala, že sa s tým len zoznamuje. A trvalo to celú knihu. :) A teda okrem víl a škriatkov, či elementálov a nymfy, stretne aj upíra a draka a zlého čarodejníka/alchymistu a tak ako dávna Pandora aj ona vypustí zo skrinky zlo... a teraz to treba napraviť.
Vždy pri podobnom scenári (niečí neskúsený potomok má v sebe netušené sily, o ktorých nevie sa zdrazu stretne so zlom a dokáže zvrátiť nebezpečenstvo, aj keď je neškolený) si hovorím, že aha, toto tu už bolo v bledomodrom, ale ja tak som si čítanie užila. Proste oddychovka.
August 28, 2019
Tak, co říct. Mělo to myšlenku, v některých chvílích i velmi pěkně zpracovanou v jiných zase dost odbytou a takovou dost z rychlíku. Hlavní hrdinka na mě působila dost plytce a v některých chvílích z ní autoři dělali MarySue, ačkoli za chvíli se to zase snažili vyzehlit nějakou nedokonalosti.
Spousta dobrých myšlenek, ale bohužel nerozvedenych, jenže to by kniha musela být asi poněkud obsáhlejší.
Nakonec celkově překvapivě dobře čtivé.
Spousta dobrých myšlenek, ale bohužel nerozvedenych, jenže to by kniha musela být asi poněkud obsáhlejší.
Nakonec celkově překvapivě dobře čtivé.
December 20, 2010
Garet is a jewellery designer who helps her father run an art gallery in New York. Due to some bad decisions her father has made they are in a lot of financial trouble and when there is a robbery at the gallery her father is top of the police suspect list. Garet is sure her father is innocent but the question is can she prove it? At the same time Garet is asked by the owner of an antiques store if she will open a silver box for him, thinking it is an easy way to earn some extra cash Garet agrees but little does she know that opening the box will have major consequences for her.
Black Swan Rising is the first book in a new urban fantasy trilogy that has the potential to become one of my favorites. Garet is a smart & feisty character and one I found very likable but I did find myself getting frustrated with the way she was so easy to trust people she has only just met. After doing a favour for someone and opening an antique silver box Garet discovers a whole new world that most of us have no idea exists alongside our own. The parallel world is complex and Lee Carroll has done a wonderful job of infusing old and new along with fantasy and reality. I loved the way some of the characters are ones we can recognise from history and the way the author has woven Shakespeare and famous artists into the story.
As the first book in a planned trilogy there is a lot of detailed world building going on, I loved the descriptions of both New York and the parallel fantasy world. We are introduced to a host of interesting mythological characters and it is difficult to tell who is good and who is evil which made things interesting. I found myself swinging backwards and forwards about some of the characters just as much as Garet was. You could never be quite sure who or what Garet would be introduced to next and I loved some of the side characters we got to meet.
Although there is romance between Garet and Will this wasn't the main focus of the story and to be honest it felt a little rushed in places. I liked Will but I was never sure whether he could be trusted or not and I wasn't particularly invested in their relationship. I am curious to see what happens to them both in the future though & hope we get to see the romance develop more throughout the series.
My main complaint was that I found the amount of information given could be overwhelming at times. Everything was described in great detail which was interesting and worked well most of the time but started to distract from the main storyline in places making me start to lose interest. I also felt that things came a little too easy for Garet - she had to learn a lot about her abilities and it would have been more realistic if she had found it harder to get to grips with things. In spite of that I still felt Black Swan Rising was a promising start to a new series and I'm looking forward to reading more of this world
Black Swan Rising is the first book in a new urban fantasy trilogy that has the potential to become one of my favorites. Garet is a smart & feisty character and one I found very likable but I did find myself getting frustrated with the way she was so easy to trust people she has only just met. After doing a favour for someone and opening an antique silver box Garet discovers a whole new world that most of us have no idea exists alongside our own. The parallel world is complex and Lee Carroll has done a wonderful job of infusing old and new along with fantasy and reality. I loved the way some of the characters are ones we can recognise from history and the way the author has woven Shakespeare and famous artists into the story.
As the first book in a planned trilogy there is a lot of detailed world building going on, I loved the descriptions of both New York and the parallel fantasy world. We are introduced to a host of interesting mythological characters and it is difficult to tell who is good and who is evil which made things interesting. I found myself swinging backwards and forwards about some of the characters just as much as Garet was. You could never be quite sure who or what Garet would be introduced to next and I loved some of the side characters we got to meet.
Although there is romance between Garet and Will this wasn't the main focus of the story and to be honest it felt a little rushed in places. I liked Will but I was never sure whether he could be trusted or not and I wasn't particularly invested in their relationship. I am curious to see what happens to them both in the future though & hope we get to see the romance develop more throughout the series.
My main complaint was that I found the amount of information given could be overwhelming at times. Everything was described in great detail which was interesting and worked well most of the time but started to distract from the main storyline in places making me start to lose interest. I also felt that things came a little too easy for Garet - she had to learn a lot about her abilities and it would have been more realistic if she had found it harder to get to grips with things. In spite of that I still felt Black Swan Rising was a promising start to a new series and I'm looking forward to reading more of this world
January 21, 2013
Also on http://thedailyprophecy.blogspot.com
Garet James is twenty-six and lives with her father Roman. He has some debts and she is trying hard to help him. She makes jewellery and one day, she stumbles into a strange shop. John Dee knows about her and he asks her to help him to open a silver box. He will give her a nice sum of money. Garet is intrigued by the symbol of a swan; it resembles the swan from her ring. She feels like it means something, but strange things happen when she opens the box. That evening, the box is stolen and her father is shot.
That’s how Will Hughes comes into her life and he isn’t just some person. His past is entangled with Garet’s past. He opens a whole new world for her and Garet finds out that she has an important role. Her mother was one of the Watchers and it’s Garet’s job to find John Dee. He is planning to destroy the world with the box; he is now able to call out the demons of Despair and Discord. Together with the attractive Will and famous Oberon, she is trying to track down John Dee’s hiding place before it is too late.
I liked Garet. Her life is turned upside down, but she doesn’t whine about it. She takes things as they are and she is pretty kick-ass. There is something special running through her veins and she learns some great tricks by visiting legends, like Melusine. It was fun to see how some of these mythical creatures are supposed to be entwined with our lives. I loved their background stories. The other characters play a small role and I didn’t really connect with them, but I appreciated their input in Garet’s life.
The world-building is good. We slowly unravel the situation and there was enough information to understand what is going on, without getting boring. There is a constant pace that worked very well with the story and the writing-style was fine.
The thing that bothered me is a minor spoiler so you will have to see for yourself, but it has to do with the developing feelings between Garet and Will. It went a bit too fast for my taste, despite the explanation about their special bond. Also the fact that Garet is willing to do something for him while she doesn’t know him so long, was strange in my eyes. I guess I just didn’t see the sparks between them, but I hope that it will develop in the sequel - a book I will definitely read, because I want to see how this is going to continue.
Garet James is twenty-six and lives with her father Roman. He has some debts and she is trying hard to help him. She makes jewellery and one day, she stumbles into a strange shop. John Dee knows about her and he asks her to help him to open a silver box. He will give her a nice sum of money. Garet is intrigued by the symbol of a swan; it resembles the swan from her ring. She feels like it means something, but strange things happen when she opens the box. That evening, the box is stolen and her father is shot.
That’s how Will Hughes comes into her life and he isn’t just some person. His past is entangled with Garet’s past. He opens a whole new world for her and Garet finds out that she has an important role. Her mother was one of the Watchers and it’s Garet’s job to find John Dee. He is planning to destroy the world with the box; he is now able to call out the demons of Despair and Discord. Together with the attractive Will and famous Oberon, she is trying to track down John Dee’s hiding place before it is too late.
I liked Garet. Her life is turned upside down, but she doesn’t whine about it. She takes things as they are and she is pretty kick-ass. There is something special running through her veins and she learns some great tricks by visiting legends, like Melusine. It was fun to see how some of these mythical creatures are supposed to be entwined with our lives. I loved their background stories. The other characters play a small role and I didn’t really connect with them, but I appreciated their input in Garet’s life.
The world-building is good. We slowly unravel the situation and there was enough information to understand what is going on, without getting boring. There is a constant pace that worked very well with the story and the writing-style was fine.
The thing that bothered me is a minor spoiler so you will have to see for yourself, but it has to do with the developing feelings between Garet and Will. It went a bit too fast for my taste, despite the explanation about their special bond. Also the fact that Garet is willing to do something for him while she doesn’t know him so long, was strange in my eyes. I guess I just didn’t see the sparks between them, but I hope that it will develop in the sequel - a book I will definitely read, because I want to see how this is going to continue.
October 5, 2011
I read this book as part of the Transworld book club reading challenge 2011.
I picked this title even though its not normally a genre I'd choose, as I thought it would be more of a challenge than reading 4 books I'd have chosen anyway. Hmm maybe that was a big mistake.
I guess this is what you'd call "urban fantasy" Its about a young woman who lives in New York, designs and makes jewellery for a living (I thought that might give me some common ground as I make jewellery) Her mother died when she was young and her elderly father has got them into debt with some unwise art dealing. She comes across a strange shop where the owner knows of her work and asks her to help open a jewellery box which has been sealed shut.
She later returns home to discover her father has been shot during a robbery. Then weird things begin to happen beginning with her being attacked by a Manticore and rescued by a vampire ....
It goes rapidly downhill from here stretching even my vivid imagination way too far. I found the characters 2 dimensional the dialogue wooden, the coincidences beyond belief and the supernatural element - just plain bonkers as though the authors sole intent was to cram as many mythical creatures in together without any real thought for a credible storyline.
I'm not anti fairy tales - Stardust was one of my favourite reads of all time and young adult fantasy is great when its well done, The Hunger Games and Lirael are amazing books which I adored.
But I'm afraid I fail to see any merit in this turgid, banal story with a heroine who made me want to slap her.
Sorry Transworld that I can't put a more positive spin on this book as I loved the first 2 I read for this challenge, I'm sure there are hundreds of urban fantasy fans who will relish this, its just a challenge too far for me though.
I picked this title even though its not normally a genre I'd choose, as I thought it would be more of a challenge than reading 4 books I'd have chosen anyway. Hmm maybe that was a big mistake.
I guess this is what you'd call "urban fantasy" Its about a young woman who lives in New York, designs and makes jewellery for a living (I thought that might give me some common ground as I make jewellery) Her mother died when she was young and her elderly father has got them into debt with some unwise art dealing. She comes across a strange shop where the owner knows of her work and asks her to help open a jewellery box which has been sealed shut.
She later returns home to discover her father has been shot during a robbery. Then weird things begin to happen beginning with her being attacked by a Manticore and rescued by a vampire ....
It goes rapidly downhill from here stretching even my vivid imagination way too far. I found the characters 2 dimensional the dialogue wooden, the coincidences beyond belief and the supernatural element - just plain bonkers as though the authors sole intent was to cram as many mythical creatures in together without any real thought for a credible storyline.
I'm not anti fairy tales - Stardust was one of my favourite reads of all time and young adult fantasy is great when its well done, The Hunger Games and Lirael are amazing books which I adored.
But I'm afraid I fail to see any merit in this turgid, banal story with a heroine who made me want to slap her.
Sorry Transworld that I can't put a more positive spin on this book as I loved the first 2 I read for this challenge, I'm sure there are hundreds of urban fantasy fans who will relish this, its just a challenge too far for me though.
October 1, 2015
3.5 stars
i am probably completely overrating this book but it was right up my alley. not only did i read it at the opportune time (semester has ended and thus i utter a huge sigh of relief), but there is a good mixture of fantasy (fairies, vampires, gnomes, dragons, the list goes on) along with decent characterization (not amazing), little spurts of action and betrayal, glimpses of romance, the discovery of a new world and it all takes place in the city that i've been calling home for the past 5 months (extra points obviously).
i wasn't the biggest fan of the way the book was written. it took me a while to get into the meat of things - and really, laying the groundwork at the beginning left me a little bored (i'll admit i put the book down and read something else before picking it back up). but once i was engrossed, i was in for the long haul. discovering the unseen magical world and its plethora of personalities was my favorite part of the book; i also liked learning about everything as garet did instead of being told in past tense. though garet is older (as in...an adult), i felt a sense of percy jackson in this book. we discover this fantasy world as she does and instead of percy's sarcastic wittiness, we get garet's slow absorption. i do have to say, sometimes she is quite slow but it works with the pacing and development of things.
i realize that of late, most books are becoming series rather than stand-alone, but i would have much preferred if this was stand-alone. or at least, that more things were wrapped up when the book ended. the next book obviously has to take a very specific path and i begrudgingly admit that i will most likely pick it up. i have high hopes for certain characters (one of which is jay - i'm such a bleeding heart when it comes to guys like him).
on a side note, i love the fact that oberon and puck are present along with another fairy named fen. i was slightly disappointed that titania never showed her face, but perhaps she will show up in a later book.
i am probably completely overrating this book but it was right up my alley. not only did i read it at the opportune time (semester has ended and thus i utter a huge sigh of relief), but there is a good mixture of fantasy (fairies, vampires, gnomes, dragons, the list goes on) along with decent characterization (not amazing), little spurts of action and betrayal, glimpses of romance, the discovery of a new world and it all takes place in the city that i've been calling home for the past 5 months (extra points obviously).
i wasn't the biggest fan of the way the book was written. it took me a while to get into the meat of things - and really, laying the groundwork at the beginning left me a little bored (i'll admit i put the book down and read something else before picking it back up). but once i was engrossed, i was in for the long haul. discovering the unseen magical world and its plethora of personalities was my favorite part of the book; i also liked learning about everything as garet did instead of being told in past tense. though garet is older (as in...an adult), i felt a sense of percy jackson in this book. we discover this fantasy world as she does and instead of percy's sarcastic wittiness, we get garet's slow absorption. i do have to say, sometimes she is quite slow but it works with the pacing and development of things.
i realize that of late, most books are becoming series rather than stand-alone, but i would have much preferred if this was stand-alone. or at least, that more things were wrapped up when the book ended. the next book obviously has to take a very specific path and i begrudgingly admit that i will most likely pick it up. i have high hopes for certain characters (one of which is jay - i'm such a bleeding heart when it comes to guys like him).
on a side note, i love the fact that oberon and puck are present along with another fairy named fen. i was slightly disappointed that titania never showed her face, but perhaps she will show up in a later book.
October 2, 2012
This book was not what I expected. It started out well enough but then there was a SURPRISE VAMPIRE! and a really weird relationship between the vampire and the main character. For the most part the writing was fine, but I was just not really drawn into the story and I was totally turned off by the whole weird "Oh hey, I was in love with your great-great-great grandmother, and you and all of her descendents have had a variant of her name and been special guardians of humanity, blahblahblah, let's be in loooooove."
The age disparity between mortal and ancient vampire lovers has always been a weird element of paranormal romance. I'm always left wondering how well a relationship could really work out between someone who is 25 and 1000, for instance. And I'm always bothered when the vampire falls in love with the mortal because she reminds him of his long lost True Love from his First Life, because hey, that puts some realistic expectations on her and it's probably not enough to base a relationship on, but whatever. But then when you throw in an element of hey, I dated your ancestor, that's just weird.
I think my other problem was that I felt bad for the protagonist, like she was suddenly handed the baggage of many generations of women in her family. Oh hey, not only do you have to protect mankind from evil, but also there's this vampire, and he only became a vampire because he wanted to be immortal with your immortal faerie (lots of greats) grandmother. You don't think that's going to come up every time they have a fight? I imagine the fight would go like this.
Her: You got blood on the carpet again! Were you eating in the living room?
Him: I'm only a vampire because of YOUR FAMILY!!!
-or-
Her: Geez, why haven't you taken out the trash yet?
Him: Oh sorry, I can't go out in the light of day, because I'm a vampire, all for the love of your (lots of greats) grandmother, who LEFT ME, by the way. I suppose you'll leave me now, too, just because I can't take out the trash.
As far as escapist fantasy goes, this was not the best.
The age disparity between mortal and ancient vampire lovers has always been a weird element of paranormal romance. I'm always left wondering how well a relationship could really work out between someone who is 25 and 1000, for instance. And I'm always bothered when the vampire falls in love with the mortal because she reminds him of his long lost True Love from his First Life, because hey, that puts some realistic expectations on her and it's probably not enough to base a relationship on, but whatever. But then when you throw in an element of hey, I dated your ancestor, that's just weird.
I think my other problem was that I felt bad for the protagonist, like she was suddenly handed the baggage of many generations of women in her family. Oh hey, not only do you have to protect mankind from evil, but also there's this vampire, and he only became a vampire because he wanted to be immortal with your immortal faerie (lots of greats) grandmother. You don't think that's going to come up every time they have a fight? I imagine the fight would go like this.
Her: You got blood on the carpet again! Were you eating in the living room?
Him: I'm only a vampire because of YOUR FAMILY!!!
-or-
Her: Geez, why haven't you taken out the trash yet?
Him: Oh sorry, I can't go out in the light of day, because I'm a vampire, all for the love of your (lots of greats) grandmother, who LEFT ME, by the way. I suppose you'll leave me now, too, just because I can't take out the trash.
As far as escapist fantasy goes, this was not the best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2013
3.5 hviezdičiek, hodnotím ako lepší priemer
Knižka mala mnoho zaujímavých prvkov, hlavne magických príšer ako draci, mantichory, víly, upír, sylfy, škriatkovia a iné. Posledných 100 strán bolo nabitých strachom o svet ľudí a napätím. Takisto menšia akcia na konci.
Avšak, Garet sa mi niekedy zdala ako múdra dospelá žena, ktorá sa iba snaží pomôcť aj keď nevie ako, no inokedy to bola úplná naivka a hlupaňa. Jej "vzťah" s upírom by som rozhodne nenazvala romantickým a vôbec ma nepresvedčili. Akoby to bola iba taká obyčajná "rýchlovka". Toto bol prvý prípad, kedy sa mi nepáčila postava upíra, normálne ich zbožňujem, ale tu mi veľmi pripomínal Edwarda a Stefana - "nechcem ti ublížiť, chcem byť zase človekom, drž sa odomňa ďalej" - trochu otrepané už. Na konci ma však autori knihy veľmi prekvapili jednou zradou, čo som teda rozhodne nečakala a celkovo grády, aké to na konci nabralo. Jednoznačne ale boli časti, kde som si hovorila, že no toto napísal asi manžel, toto napísala manželka (knihu písal manželský pár). Niektoré časti ma vyslovene nudili, iné boli fascinujúce. Myslím ale, že 400 strán je pre túto knihu veľa. Mohli to skrátiť aspoň o 100 strán a vynechať niektoré nedôležité veci.
Až na pár nudných miest sa mi však kniha v celku páčila. Magický svet bol nádherne spojený s ľudským a pre všetko sa našlo vysvetlenie 8D Čo mi však nesedelo boli niektoré výrazy, ktoré som vôbec nechápala. Teraz neviem, že či len ja som nevzdelaná alebo tomu ako NEumelec ani nemôžem chápať. Umenie bolo do príbehu krásne zakomponované, ale keďže sa tomuto odvetviu nevenujem, veľa pojmov mi bolo neznámych. Nezaškodilo by povymieňať niektoré slová za všeobecnejšie výrazy, aby tomu chápal aj laik.
Kniha je však dobrá a rozhodne stojí za prečítanie.
recenzia - http://readandwatchlikeme.blogspot.sk...
Knižka mala mnoho zaujímavých prvkov, hlavne magických príšer ako draci, mantichory, víly, upír, sylfy, škriatkovia a iné. Posledných 100 strán bolo nabitých strachom o svet ľudí a napätím. Takisto menšia akcia na konci.
Avšak, Garet sa mi niekedy zdala ako múdra dospelá žena, ktorá sa iba snaží pomôcť aj keď nevie ako, no inokedy to bola úplná naivka a hlupaňa. Jej "vzťah" s upírom by som rozhodne nenazvala romantickým a vôbec ma nepresvedčili. Akoby to bola iba taká obyčajná "rýchlovka". Toto bol prvý prípad, kedy sa mi nepáčila postava upíra, normálne ich zbožňujem, ale tu mi veľmi pripomínal Edwarda a Stefana - "nechcem ti ublížiť, chcem byť zase človekom, drž sa odomňa ďalej" - trochu otrepané už. Na konci ma však autori knihy veľmi prekvapili jednou zradou, čo som teda rozhodne nečakala a celkovo grády, aké to na konci nabralo. Jednoznačne ale boli časti, kde som si hovorila, že no toto napísal asi manžel, toto napísala manželka (knihu písal manželský pár). Niektoré časti ma vyslovene nudili, iné boli fascinujúce. Myslím ale, že 400 strán je pre túto knihu veľa. Mohli to skrátiť aspoň o 100 strán a vynechať niektoré nedôležité veci.
Až na pár nudných miest sa mi však kniha v celku páčila. Magický svet bol nádherne spojený s ľudským a pre všetko sa našlo vysvetlenie 8D Čo mi však nesedelo boli niektoré výrazy, ktoré som vôbec nechápala. Teraz neviem, že či len ja som nevzdelaná alebo tomu ako NEumelec ani nemôžem chápať. Umenie bolo do príbehu krásne zakomponované, ale keďže sa tomuto odvetviu nevenujem, veľa pojmov mi bolo neznámych. Nezaškodilo by povymieňať niektoré slová za všeobecnejšie výrazy, aby tomu chápal aj laik.
Kniha je však dobrá a rozhodne stojí za prečítanie.
recenzia - http://readandwatchlikeme.blogspot.sk...
October 14, 2013
When I started this book, I expected a romance-tinged modern fantasy novel, probably only passably written, probably terribly fluffy.
I am pleased and surprised to say that I was wrong, at least on those last two scores. Yes, the book isn't a Weighty Tome, but it is well written and, what's more surprising, truly imaginative. It's rare for me to come across a fantasy novel that plays with old stories and tropes in a way that feels truly new. This one did.
Some aspects - the romance, for instance - seemed a trifle forced at times, and in certain cases character development was lost in the quest for plot development, but to balance that out, there were times when I was left reeling, mentally, at an image or situation or action that it hadn't ever occurred to me to imagine, and which I had never read elsewhere. I can't write more here without spoiling the novelty of the scenes, but the visions presented in the book left me wishing that I had more imagination, to be able to come up with such things on my own. And the authors did an excellent job of mashing up history and fairytales from the Western tradition, achieving a new fairytale that settles comfortably into the continuum and already feels broken in, as though it had been around for ages.
If asked, I would generally say that, at least as far as fiction goes, I'm often dubious of the idea of author collaborations. But if books like this - a collaboration between an author and a poet - were more frequently the outcome, then my reservations would cease. I can't presume to know which aspects of story and description were attributable to which of the authors, but I'll put it this way: the book had the sweep-you-out-of-yourself imagery of the best poetry, written with the vigor and wonderful word choice of the best novels. It may not go down in the annals of Great Literature, but it's a darn good read.
I am pleased and surprised to say that I was wrong, at least on those last two scores. Yes, the book isn't a Weighty Tome, but it is well written and, what's more surprising, truly imaginative. It's rare for me to come across a fantasy novel that plays with old stories and tropes in a way that feels truly new. This one did.
Some aspects - the romance, for instance - seemed a trifle forced at times, and in certain cases character development was lost in the quest for plot development, but to balance that out, there were times when I was left reeling, mentally, at an image or situation or action that it hadn't ever occurred to me to imagine, and which I had never read elsewhere. I can't write more here without spoiling the novelty of the scenes, but the visions presented in the book left me wishing that I had more imagination, to be able to come up with such things on my own. And the authors did an excellent job of mashing up history and fairytales from the Western tradition, achieving a new fairytale that settles comfortably into the continuum and already feels broken in, as though it had been around for ages.
If asked, I would generally say that, at least as far as fiction goes, I'm often dubious of the idea of author collaborations. But if books like this - a collaboration between an author and a poet - were more frequently the outcome, then my reservations would cease. I can't presume to know which aspects of story and description were attributable to which of the authors, but I'll put it this way: the book had the sweep-you-out-of-yourself imagery of the best poetry, written with the vigor and wonderful word choice of the best novels. It may not go down in the annals of Great Literature, but it's a darn good read.
March 5, 2011
Fans of urban fantasy, if you haven't read this, you should. First and foremost, Black Swan Rising felt real. I could imagine everything that Garet was experiencing actually happening. So many urban fantasy novels are fantastical to the point of unbelievability, and it takes away from the fact that they are supposed to take place in our world, in our time. That is not the case here. Garet is an interesting character with an interesting family, friends, and hobbies. She isn't the most multidimensional character I've ever read, but I feel like this story is more plot centered than character based, so I won't complain. She handles herself well in a crisis, makes her own decisions, and learns quickly. She doesn't know martial arts and isn't ridiculously tough. The plot is excellent as well. When I think back on it now it seems really simple, but I was engrossed in this book completely and hung on every word. The writing grabbed me from the start. The description of the Fair Land was so beautiful I had to write it down, and the description of the vampire sight in the night was one of the most realistic and gripping I've read (and I've read plenty of vampire books). From there the book keeps up it's pace with Garet learning abilities and finding out more about her mother and the John Dee situation. I feel that this is what urban fantasy should be. A believable main character, in a realistic situation, with a bit of the paranormal mixed in. Black Swan Rising doesn't have a trash talking heroine that gives everyone and attitude and has every guy in town drooling over her. There is no investigative agency or mystery here, just a heartfelt standalone story. I love it.
October 19, 2010
I must admit that I haven't read a lot of grown up urban fantasy though I've covered a lot of the YA bases. I was really intrigued therefore to read this, the first installment in a new urban fantasy trilogy.
Garet is a jewellery maker living and working in New York. She stumbles across an antiques store when she's looking for shelter from the rain and is asked for help by the owner. He has a silver box with a seal that matched the ring Garet wears, an heirloom passed down from her mother. He's unable to open the box so asks Garet if she would be able to do so. Taking the box and agreeing to open it is a life changing moment, she falls into a new life realising that everything she thought she knew is wrong, or merely half a truth.
I really enjoyed this book. Garet is an intriguing character and the life she finds herself catapulted into is a fascinating one. It works really well, in the same way Harry Potter worked, having the main character know nothing about the fantasy world so that the exposition feels neither clunky or shoehorned in. I loved the way that the supported cast of characters were introduced, and how they fit into the knowledge of our world whether it be Shakespearean characters or more recent internet slang. There's a really interesting mix of supernatural beings involved in the plot, which I found refreshing.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will certainly be looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy.
Garet is a jewellery maker living and working in New York. She stumbles across an antiques store when she's looking for shelter from the rain and is asked for help by the owner. He has a silver box with a seal that matched the ring Garet wears, an heirloom passed down from her mother. He's unable to open the box so asks Garet if she would be able to do so. Taking the box and agreeing to open it is a life changing moment, she falls into a new life realising that everything she thought she knew is wrong, or merely half a truth.
I really enjoyed this book. Garet is an intriguing character and the life she finds herself catapulted into is a fascinating one. It works really well, in the same way Harry Potter worked, having the main character know nothing about the fantasy world so that the exposition feels neither clunky or shoehorned in. I loved the way that the supported cast of characters were introduced, and how they fit into the knowledge of our world whether it be Shakespearean characters or more recent internet slang. There's a really interesting mix of supernatural beings involved in the plot, which I found refreshing.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will certainly be looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy.
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