The Mammoth Book Anthologies Review

Hi readers,

I have always liked Woolly Mammoths. I guess there's just something about the way they look that I like. I've been interested in dinosaur and ancient animals since I can remember. I still have a few toy dinosaurs knocking around and I've a number of Woolly Mammoth soft toys. I wonder if they do mange to bring Mammoths back-as science has been looking into-what they'll actually be like and if they are just elephants with fur and longer tusks? Of course, they actually have nothing to do with this post, because the use of Mammoth in this content means huge. So, let's get to it.

I am reviewing The Mammoth Book Of .... series.   Now, because there is a LOT of these books covering fiction, non-fiction, photos (as I recently found out) and puzzles. across all genres and mostly in the format of short stories, extracts and novellas, I decided to just write about them as a whole and touch upon the ones I own. In trying to do some research about this series, I found that there wasn't much out there. I was hoping for a complete list of books or a history about where, why and how the series came to be, but I've been unable to find out the information I wanted. (if you can help, please comment below). Of course there is a list of currently available books that does differ in each or most of the Mammoth Books. Also an up to date one appears on the publishers website, which I've included at the end.

The books themselves are amongst the best anthologies I've read. No matter which one I pick up, they have a good range of stories in them, due to the variety of authors old and new from around the world and eras. The books also cover all genres and some like the Best New Horror and Best New SF  are published yearly with the latest stories of the year before appearing. That's what actually got me thinking about writing this post. I brought the Best New Horror 22 (2011) off Amazon last week and realized that I'd not wrote about a Mammoth Book before. I am not sure what my first Mammoth Book was, but its possible that I saw it in a library or someone brought me one. The chances are that it was one of the vampire or horror ones. Since then I've got a lot of them, though my collection contents only the books on vampires, supernaturals, horror, fantasy and romance. I also buy the SF ones for my dad as he really likes them, (though I don't really read them as I'm not into SF).

I'd love to actually go and find out which ones I had. Most of them are together on my shelf due to the fact I order my books more on genre then anything else. Anyway, the other reason why I like MB is because I can dip in and out of them and just read the stories in any order. They make a good break from a long novel or else if I know I'm going on a trip or holiday or weekend away and fear that I might need something to read. I'm a bit strange with my reading away from home as I don't like to read during traveling and whilst away I prefer to be doing other things. I guess I sort of take a break from reading at these times because I do so much of it at home. The size of the book doesn't make it difficult to pack either. They are all paperbacks and are about the same length of a normal book. They do have 500-600 pages, which does make them a little bulky, but that's normally no problem. Also, I have always found them to be cheap. Normally they sell for £7.99, which is about the same price as a normal novel and you always seem to pay a bit more for anthologies. However, if you spend a bit of time online or in a book store and you don't mind buying second hand, you can get them for a lot cheaper. Horror 22 cost me a 1p plus £2.60 P&P.

One slightly negative thing I would say about them is that sometimes the covers of certain titles can differ. As I found due to a reprint of a title that has been out of print for a few years. Or, they update the title by adding and removing stories, but they decided not to make a new anthology overall. Sometimes it also has to do with country it was published in. Really, though it's such a small thing, but I'm only bring it up because it caught me out with The Giant book of Vampires (1992) and The Mammoth Book Of Vampires (2006). The editor, Stephen Jones explains on his website (below) that the publishers wanted to reprint the first book but change some of the stories. I have to say though that both these books are on my favorite list of vampire stories and I've read them a lot. I am sure I've got all MB relenting to vampires. There is those two and then, Vampire stories by Women, Dracula, Vampire Romances 1 and 2. 

From Jones' website I was able to find out that that first Best New Horror anthology was published in 1990. There's has been a new one every year since then. I've actually just gone and brought this book on Amazon and had a look at some of the others. They are all available on Kindle, which is great because some are expensive second hand. So I might do a post about that in the future. It'll be nice to have them all actually, there is 24 all together. And I own only numbers 18 and 22, I believe. I have got some others like the ghost story ones, but yeah it would be nice to have some more of these. I just brought 1, 4, 5, 11 and 15 though! Yeah, I need to stop digressing and get on with the review.

Having a quick look through the titles, it seems that MB have published collection on everything and anything. There are some interesting titles and I would like to have Dark Magic and Celtic myths now. So MB really caterer to everyone's taste and fantasies! These books would make great presents and they would be useful for writers of that genre and also students/researches. In the book of Horror 22, there is a list of useful address for readers and writers to use, it contents publishers and magazines. (not sure if all MB do this though). There is also a Necrology chapter listing the deaths of writers, artists etc. The introduction is also packed with lots of information about the horror genre and the latest books to be published. So really, MB could be just the beginning for many readers and writers!

Overall, I would recommend Mammoth Book anthologies to everyone. There is a genre/topic to suit everyone. The books are cheap and great value. They take up just a bit more space then a normal book does on a shelf or in a bag/suitcase. They are good for dipping in and out of and great if you don't have a lot of time to spare. They are useful to writers as they can keep in touch with what's popular and find inspiration. There is an introduction to new writers and subjects. The covers are also well done and look very interesting. I would differently say I was addicted to reading and buying them!

Images:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/evolution/10301194/Climate-change-killed-the-woolly-mammoth-researchers-claim.html
http://stephenbacon.co.uk/2011/06/15/a-nod-to-the-editors/
http://www.stephenjoneseditor.com/article-sj-undead01.htm

Web Links:
http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?19097
http://www.stephenjoneseditor.com/book-01.htm
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_nr_n_0?rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3Athe+mammoth+book+of&keywords=the+mammoth+book+of&ie=UTF8&qid=1392572692&rnid=1642204031
http://www.constablerobinson.com/?section=books&series=mammoth_books&home_page_feature=4

Social Writing - Writers on the Internet.

Hi readers, thought I'd write something a bit different today. So this is going to be a sort of informal essay style post discussing how the internet has made writers more sociable and the positives and negatives of this.

I want to look at this subject more closely due to my recent activity on a site called Readwave. This website allows people to put/publish their writings, though there is an 800 word limit. The one thing that really attracted me to Readwave was their weekly challenges, which they have been improving. Every week there is a different subject (now four) which is often connected with a theme. Writing can be fiction, non-fiction and biographically. You can add images, tag lines and summaries. Also, as far as I know there's no limit to the stories you can put up, but you can only enter a challenge once. You get your own page for your stories and can have a bio. There is share buttons for social websites. The best bit about Readwave is that people can comment on your stories and can share them. My page can be sen here;
http://www.readwave.com/hayley.hardman.7/

I think that's the key to most writing websites. The internet is allowing writers to interact in a new way which was not possible before. Writers know that they need isolation time and space in which to work, but afterwards, social interaction is needed. The writer wants and often needs a readers opinion and other minds to spot things that they have missed. Also new writers seek reassurance about they work. Thus the sites are very useful. The other side of this is that they allow readers to experience new genres and writers.

There are downsides to this though. A writer shouldn't let other people's opinions influence their on own every occasion. The writer needs to remain in control and do what they think is right. Over-posting needs to be avoided. The writer doesn't want to flood their page or their readers with too much at once by continuously putting up new or redrafted pieces. The writer also shouldn't think that just because they are gaining a large readership that they must post up more pieces to keep all the readers. Normally, posting once a week or month, the same as doing a blog, is a good strategy to have. Readers can become easily bored with the same or similar pieces.

 Lastly, don't let negative comments or lack of readers get to you. People always have opinions on things they don't like. Remember not to take it to heart and perhaps if they make suggestions you could see these as changes to bare in mind during redrafting. The internet is massive and there are so many other websites and stories that grab peoples' attentions. It can take a while to get a readership, the same with a blog and the way to do that is to keep publishing different stories and doing a bit of self-promotion.

There are all different kinds of websites for publishing too. Doing research into this could be beneficial for some writers, as if you have a piece on a certain topic or containing certain themes, which you wish to share with a connecting audience which some sites are tailored too. Fan fiction is a good example of this as some sites only accept fan related pieces and others sometimes don't.




For me, publishing on these websites does need to be taken seriously. That's because it is increasingly becoming the in between of officially unpublished and published writers. There are writers now who are earning a living through self-publishing online/kindle without an agent or a publishing company. Writers are also being picked up by agents and publishers after their work has been seen online. It can also be used as examples of writing for job applications or agents.

I publish though because doing the challenges means I have to write once a week and it's helped me get over my writers' block. It also allows for story subjects that are new or need a different take on them to happen. This is a good way to practice more and share your thoughts with others. I have also enjoyed reading and commenting on other peoples' works. That is something that really needs to be done, you need to give back as well as receive. Becoming an active member of a site can also attract more readers and help other writers to develop.

So there are a lot of good reasons why a writer should be getting themselves out there on the internet. That saying of you take out what you put in is very true and I believe that every writer will find publishing on writing websites beneficial in some way. It is a great chance to share your work, get a peoples' opinions and read the works of others. That idea of writers being anti-social is a fantasy, because we are a very supportive and respectful network.

That's it for this post then and next week I'm going to be writing a book review. It's going to be slightly different though. I hope this post has been helpful and the discussion can be carried on in the comments below. I've also included a list of websites for people to check out that relate to this post.

Images from:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Stipula_fountain_pen.jpg
http://www.openculture.com/2013/11/the-100-best-novels-1898.html
http://blog.moveguides.com/skilled-freelance-writers-wanted/


Websites:

http://www.readwave.com/
http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/
https://kdp.amazon.com/
http://www.lulu.com/
https://www.createspace.com/
http://www.writeandshare.co.uk/
http://www.writing.com/
https://www.fanfiction.net/

Lolita Review

Hi readers,

I'm not really sure when and why Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov was added to my reading list, but I got it for Christmas and was eager to start reading it. However, I've yet to finish it because I've been so busy making things and writing. Unlike my last book, City of Bone, I didn't have a problem getting into the novel or sticking with it and the subject matter doesn't get to me either. So, why have I not finished it yet?

Well, Lolita was written in the 1950's and the vocabulary reflects that, but it's also is very philosophical and shows the education of the main character and narrator Humbert Humbert. He is an unreliable narrator though and not just because of his bias point of view, but that he can't remember everything. Grant not many people can do! Though his lack of giving a complete picture doesn't actually effect the novel and it does make Humbert more human.

I've not read any classic literature recently, so this adds to the reason why I'm taking it slow with this book. It might only be just over 300 pages long, but there is a lot going on and time is needed to fully understand it. One of the reasons why I was drawn to Lolita was because of the controversy that still surrounds it. That's understandable as it tells the story of a pedophile, Humbert, in his own words and his relationship with a twelve year old girl, Dolores Haze, who he gives the name Lolita to.

When it was first published, Lolita was banned in the UK, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa. Canada followed a few years later. In other countries it was restricted in sales and not published in its' full form. This was because it was viewed as having obscene content and subject matter. Now though, like a few other past banned books it's actually studied in schools and colleges.

So, far I've enjoyed reading it and its' interesting to see into the mindset of a character like Humbert. He does do a lot of bad things in the novel, such as marrying Lolita's mother and plotting to kill her, so that he can be closer to Lolita. He runs away with Lolita too and grooms her by buying her things and letting her indulge. It's also interesting to see how Humbert somewhat blames young girls for his attractiveness to them. He calls girls aged 9-14 Nymphets, meaning that they are sexually precocious. Also that they are like the Greek Nymphs, they are minor female- often young maidens- nature deities, who are know to attract men and led them astray. Humbert also suggests that the reason is the death of his childhood sweetheart.  Of course, that's no excuse.

I have also enjoyed how Humbert describes America. He was born in France and got some of his education in London. He goes to America due to the death of an uncle who left him an income if he went to run the business. This though he has little interest in and spends the time writing and translating. This actually reflects Nabokov's move from his Russian home to London and then America.

This novel is pretty interesting though and it would be good to study. I guess I should go and finish it!


Image from:

 http://www.looksandbooks.com/2011/06/23/fashion-book-lolita/

Other information used:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita#Publication_and_reception
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymph

The Tribe- TV Series Review

Hi readers,

As I've still not finished the next book I want to review, I thought I'd write about something different, but still give it a review. For the last few months, I've been addicted and having nostalgic moments to The Tribe TV series. As a teenager I watched this as it was shown on Channel five on Saturday/Sunday mornings. Though for some reason I remember seeing the first few episodes in a Saturday evening time slot. I didn't take to it, however, it started to grow on me and I become addicted to the series 3,4 and 5. 

The Tribe is about the aftermath of a virus which has wiped out all the adults, leaving everyone under 18/19 still alive. They now have to survive and rebuild the world. It's set in a near-future styled New Zealand city, though it looks very late nineteens (the time it was made and filmed) The focus was on one Tribe in particular; The Mall Rats. The stories of individual characters were told as well as showing how the youngsters were trying to work together to improve many things. Though there were subplots that look at the other Tribes/characters the Mall Rats were conflicting against or working with.    

In the first series, the characters start off in a world similar to that of a post-apocalyptic one. There is no law, rules, money, protection, guides, power, mains water or fresh food etc. In some aspects it is what most teenagers wish for! However, to go alongside these there is also danger, fear, sadness, loss, confusion and anarchy. Suddenly, having total freedom goes to the young peoples' heads -as it would do- and some go crazy with power lust. This is actually a theme throughout the series. Because of this and to do with the loss of their families and friends, the young people start to band together in tribes. Within the first few episodes, the Mall Rats come together as a tribe. They learn to be a family and overcome the difficulties; clean water, food, power, morality, for their new world. 

They also have to deal with typical teenage themes throughout all the series like friendships, betrayal, ambitions, love, loyalty, education, trust, dealing with fears, growing up, responsibilities, addiction, babies and finding their own ways. If that wasn't enough to deal with, they also have a third lot of things to overcome! These are trying to make and sustain peace, bring back laws and rules, overcome other tribe leaders who are seeking full control of the city, bring back education and hospitals and have things sort of the way they were before the virus. 

Across the other series, the characters do get chances to sort these issues and a lot more out. Progress is made on a lot of things and it can seen that the young people know they must start again from scratch to fix things. However, the city doesn't much change even though other tribes have tried to improve things, but when they leave things seem to go backwards again. Also Mall Rats come and go -especially in series 3 and 4. Thankfully the main ones do stay or else you know they will soon reappear. 

       

The main audience was teenagers, but it also attracted children and young adults. The Tribe had five full seasons before it was cancelled. I keep reading that a movie is due out this year, which rounds things off. Hopefully, it's true as I'd just love to see that! 

The next thing, I wanted to look at was the acting and the actual sets, but I'm aware of how much I've already writing, so I'm just going to touch on a few things. The acting does seem bad and clumsy at times. Being younger it didn't distracted me as much as it does now -maybe that's also because I have a film critic boyfriend- Of course I realize that they are all young people, most acting for the first time and that the Tribe probably had a low budget. There are one or two characters during the first and second series that really bug me, but later on you get to see that their acting has improved somewhat. 

There are also some plot lines and ends that are a bit silly or else don't make much sense. I've noticed that if a character goes 'missing' and the others don't look or seem to be looking for them that they aren't going to come back. Whilst if an effort is put in to find them, then you know that they'll be appearing soon. Also characters spend a lot of time 'looking' for each other. Okay, I get that there is no means of communication now and there is a lot of danger around, but it sometimes seems that these characters have nothing better to do then play hide and seek! Some of the teenage issues do begin to grate on you, but a number which are looked at, such as pregnancy, babies, bulimic and depressing are handled really good.

Being low budget meant that some of the cut scene which show parts of the set are constantly reused or rehashed. There's nothing much wrong with this because normally its only on screen for a few moments and just used to show a change in place and/or time. What bugs me though is when they use the older images for these cuts and you wonder why the editor couldn't get it right. Like for example; there is a graffiti wall in the Mall Rats home which during some cut scenes has different graffiti on it which dates back from different times. That bugged me for awhile. 

Lastly, the soundtrack. The same opening is used for all the episodes and that song 'Keeping The Dream Alive' gets stuck in you head, but it's not bad. Then there are two different end songs, both of which are good. (though you should beware that they reveal main plot points in the end credits) In series 1-3 the soundtracks mostly stay the same and are very limited. In the next ones, a new soundtrack was added and this gives a fresher tone to things and also there is a lot more variation. One thing I hate though is the low, defeated trumpet/trombone noise that gets played when a humorous or comedy relief moment happens. It's not need at all and sometimes you have to wonder why they put it in at the point because it doesn't make sense. 

Overall, if you've not seen The Tribe or you've done when you were younger, I'd say watch it. The pros of it do out way the cons and yes, not everyone is going to like it, but the plots and the themes it deals with are good and you can relate to them. Most of the actor and characters are good to watch and there are some cute ones. Though sometimes the costumes and make up choices leave you puzzled or else laughing your head off.         

Websites;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tribe_(TV_series)
http://thetribe.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Images from;
http://www.ebay.com.au/bhp/the-tribe
http://thetribe.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Series_1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Series.5.main.cast.jpg

City Of Bones Review

Hi readers, 

This is technically my first book review of the year, but I've to admit that I've not actually finished reading it. There are a few reasons behind this and yes, I do feel a bit bad for writing this review not having got to the end. However, I'm not sure when I'll return to reading this, but I don't think it'll be any time soon. My decision hasn't actually got anything to do with the book and it's all to do with my personal reading choices. 

I was aware when I picked this book to read it that it is for a teenage audience. That means that all the adult content that I'm now use to reading isn't present or has been put down, to make it suitable for the age group. There's nothing wrong with that and I've been know to read and enjoy young people's books before. I just didn't get into City of Bones that well. Having a lack of adult content did slightly effect me putting it down, I will admit to that and the normal teenage problems that were present added to my decision.

The other issue I've had is that every since I read the Twilight Saga, I've started to see it in other novels. The bad writing, the dull plots, the two dimension characters, the bending of the known characteristics of fantasy/monster creatures into different ones, which doesn't work and comes across as being silly. Also it seems that every since Twilight, the search has been on for the next Twilight and the wanting to keep people's attention on that kind of thing. Twilight and Bones do have a few things in common, but this review isn't about comparing them. I just wanted to show how sometimes a series of books can then influence your judgement on others because of the memories it leaves in your mind. 

I was actually surprised in the first chapter of Bones because it's written quite well. It does flow and there is use of some adult words. It doesn't feel that repetitive and the characters' dialogue feels realistic. However, I soon become slightly confused about what was happening and of course because this is a new fiction world, a lot of explaining was needed. So, our main character, Clary Fray is also experiencing this world for the first time and by having everything told to her, the reader is told. Okay so nothing wrong with that, only the exposition of all this information gets a bit lost -well at least on me, but maybe I just didn't get it- and it feels like it goes on to long. 

I didn't take to Clary. I really didn't like her name, she felt like a typical sixteen year old girl in some aspects and sometimes her actions or dialogue felt out of her character style. She did come across as being a stronger female character then some others I can think of and she's capable of surviving alone. The other male characters seemed not to be trying to be stereotypical, but the more I read about them the more they started to become in my head. Clary's best friend Simon, seemed to be trying to fill a number of roles and I didn't really get the idea behind him being a typical geek and playing in a heavy metal band. He's also in love with her, but can't tell her properly.

The other main characters are part of a group called the Shadowhunter, who are demon fighters. Clary ends up getting involved with them and it then turns out that she is one. Jace is the one she becomes close to and he, though he shouldn't really be given his background, seems like a cocky teenage boy, who knows everything already. His friends, who are brother and sister aren't much better. There some small appearances from adults, but as usual in young peoples' books, it's the teenagers who have the most control and have to fix things.

The plot of the novel isn't nothing new and it can easily be predicted in some places. It's set in New York and Clary's mother gets kidnapped and her home destroyed by demons, who are working for a higher power. Having already witnessed the Shadowhunters in action and drawing attention to herself, Clary is saved/picked up by them and taken to their hidden world. There she learns a great deal about the Shadowhunters, contacting groups, demons and magic use. She also learns about her parents past lives. With help from Jace and Simon, Clary gathers more information and sets out to find her mother and the Mortal Cup. 

Having glanced at some other reviews and from what I know already, it does seem that most people did enjoy reading City of Bones and the other books in the series. For me though it wasn't my thing and clearly I've really moved on in my reading taste now. Hopefully, this review won't have put others off giving it a try though.        

Image from: http://fuckyeahclaryfray.tumblr.com/post/2963288280

The Art Of Practicing

Hey readers,

As you might have noticed this post isn't a book review, but it does having reading and writing connections. It was inspired by yesterday and my sprocket pillow project, which went a bit wrong and reminded me why practice is important. I then realized that actually we need practice in most aspects of our lives, even if we don't think about it.

I thought that I was getting the hang of all this sewing and making, but since taking a break at Christmas, it seems I've lost some interested and also the patience. I guess before it was because I was making things for people and my creativity had more of a purpose. Now, I'm back to making things for myself, and whilst this is still fun, I don't really want to keep the stuff as I want other people to get joy out of it. The problem with that is that I need more practice if I want to sell my handmade things or else I need more friends to give stuff away to!

It can be difficult though and making the cushion yesterday proved that I'd yet to have enough practice. I've still not got the technique of using the sewing machine, even though I try and believe that I've done. I jammed it up and mum had to take it apart to un-jam it. Then she didn't want to let me back on to it just in case, so she ended up sewing the cushion together. As it was going to be one of those days though, when she was done it turned out I'd not cut the shapes all the same size and it meant that they didn't meet right in the middle. Lucky, a large button can cover that and its' not that noticeable really. I so wanted to give up, even before I'd probably started sewing it. However, mum wouldn't let me and she also reminded me about not giving up when things get tough!

So, it's clear I need more time to learn the art of sewing and that though I don't fully believe that practice can make perfect, it does show through time. Understanding this, got me reflecting on my writing. It took me awhile to learn how to craft a novel and there's still areas which I'm learning about. I think that's true of anything though, because even though we might have mastered something, there can always been something else to learn. My writing was self taught in the beginning and I learned by studying novels and then trying to write my own. I learned how to edit too and that only came through practicing.

I think sometimes that even published writers cane find themselves in the practicing stage when they try and write in a different style or subject. It can be a bit hidden or else not really thought about and it's nice to practice without really knowing it because then you're not thinking about everything else that's associated with it. Like failure or success or having to try again or it not turning out as you imagined.... Now, practicing with knowing is better because at least you can see that you are learning and that the finished project was just that and you can try again and make it better or else as you actual want it.

Not giving up ties in with this and though I might not have been able to make my cushion yesterday without help, I still achieved something out of it. Like this blog post and my cushion. That's always going to be an important part of practicing, because no matter what happens, you'll have learnt something from it. I really like the quote below actually, because it fits in well with all of this.
   

So, finally here is my cushion. It did turn out alright and it's comfy enough. I've got some other patterns for a square and apple core patchwork cushions. That's a project for later though, as I plan to have a go at using some old jeans to make a scotty dog key ring. Denim also looks good as cushions, so I'll add that to my list.

You can find the pattern here;
http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2011/03/tutorial-sprocket-pillows.html

PS. If you've not given Night Vale a listen yet then do so!

http://commonplacebooks.com/welcome-to-night-vale/


Images:
http://www.drmichellemazur.com/2012/03/practice-presentation-speech.html
http://www.quotesforthemind.com/
Author's own

Lover At Last Review

Hey readers, 

I thought I'd do a final book review of the year and what better book to pick then the one I've just finished reading and waited for much of the year to get my hands on. J. R. Ward's eleventh book in her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover At Last. At came out in March, but I had to wait for October for the paper back version and then I had to find the time to read it. LAL totals in at 199,807 words, 696 pages, 84 chapters and about 14 different story lines to follow. 

I've been a massive fan of Ward since I picked up the first BDB book, Dark Lover. She, like Anne Rice are my favorite vampire writers. They both have captured all sides of the vampire and have created fantastic and ever changing worlds for them to live in. Whilst, Rice has always drawn me with the exploits of Lestat and his companions, Ward draws me with her characters' quests for true love. However, whilst reading LAL the question of 'when does a series start to loss it?' came to mind. So, I thought whilst I wrote this I'd try and answer that question based on my review.

Just in case you didn't know the BDB series is about a group of warrior vampires living in New York. They're job is to protect the vampire king and the vampire population from their enemies the Lessers. Each book tells the story of a different BDB vampire with the main focus being on them finding their eternal lovers. The subplots include that vampire having to overcome their past and the ongoing war with the Lessers. In some of the other books there are other subplots to do with other characters which then continue to appear.   

The main plot of LAL involves the series' gay lovers; Quinn and Blay finally getting together and announcing their love for each other. For fans it has been a long awaited event as this love story has appeared as a subplot in a few of the other books. So, even though the end result is clear, it's how it comes about that's meant to be the part worth reading. I won't spoil it, but I will say that this love story follows the same pattern as the others. Both lovers have to come to terms with their past and let go of that so they can be together.

However, if you are or were expecting the focus to be just on Quinn and Blay, with a little bit of Lesser war and some other vampire having problems, then it's tough luck. There are so many other subplots and characters that appear, that just distracted from the lovers too much. I, like many other fans wanted Quinn and Blay to get more page time. Yes, we already knew a lot about them from the other books and maybe there wasn't much more that could be told about their past, but I just didn't get into their love story as much as I wanted too. Maybe it was because I was getting involved in a more exciting love story unfolding?

Here's a list of the subplots I found. I might be missing one or two though as there was so many!

Quinn and Layla. 

Quinn and Luchas  

Layla and Xcor 

Xcor and Elan 

Assail and Sola 

Assail and his cousins

Assail and the lessers 

Assail and the band of bastards  

Trez and iAm

Trez and his past

Trez and Selena 

The Lessers 

The Band of Bastards

And it would be so easy for me to sit here and write about them all but I won't because it'd take too long and be boring. I will talk about Layla and Xcor though, because it was the one subplot that got me really interested. I want to know what's going to happened between them now. Ward made it clear they were in love and wanted to be together - Xcor more though- but with Layla having Quinn's baby and Xcor being her sworn enemy and also of the Brotherhood, are they actually going to be able to be together in the next book?

It took me awhile to get back into the language used in this novel. I do love the way Ward has captured all the different accents though. The BDB are all very American whilst Xcor and the Chosen have old English sounding voices. There is also the vampire language making an appearance again, though it's got an English translation, but you can still hear how it should sound in the words she's used. I like also how the character's dialogue is transferred into there actions and that the language doesn't just go back to being in a normal descriptive one.

There are so many themes in this novel, but the main ones are love, loyalty, family, friendship and death. These all intertwine with the different plots and characters. It is very easy to syntheses with these themes and the characters as they are common in all readers' lives. The themes also keep the plots going and help to create the conflicts that are needed.

So, all that has brought us back around to the question I raised at the beginning. When does a series start to loss it? Well, for me it feels like Ward is losing it with LAL. There's just too much packed in and I felt that it wasn't all needed. She could easily have written a spin off book about some of the other things going on. In fact her other series about angels does that in someways. (I've yet to read it.) I get that she needed this book to be different from the others in the series as its clear there is some winding down of things, but with all these other characters' developing, I'm not so sure that the next book will be the last one. A series of course can go on for however long the writer, publishers and the demand for it wants and is present. That doesn't mean that every book is actually going to be good. Sometimes it can be important to stop early on or else when there comes a natural stopping moment. Though of course you leave the reader knowing that the characters and the world continue in someway.

I guess it didn't help that I thought this was the last book when I started reading it. Ward's writing is still very good, but due to the amount of plots and characters, it sometimes feels like this novel is all over the place. I will admit that at points I did get confused with Assail and Xcor and their plots. Maybe in a way this novel is just trying too hard and there was no need for Ward to that. Of course my question is difficult to answer because everyone will have their own opinions. I hope that the next book, The King, turns out better.

Image from:

http://areadersreviewblog.com/2013/07/

Websites used: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/

http://www.goodreads.com/

http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.com/2013/03/28/review-lover-at-last-by-j-r-ward/