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15 Works 148 Members 9 Reviews

About the Author

Includes the names: Lizzy Dark, Cassandra Duffy

Works by Cassandra Duffy

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Common Knowledge

Gender
female
Nationality
USA

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Reviews

Edit: Here's another reason I am going to avoid the HELL out of this author. She's apparently one of the ones that can't handle non-positive reviews of her books. Some people need to stay away from the business side of things if they take everything so personally. While we're at it, let's add another reason: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3295579-book-bloggers


Probably going to avoid this one... http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/669648855… (more)
 
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GoldenDarter | 5 other reviews | Sep 15, 2016 |
I had previously given up on two highly-rated lesfic fantasy books after just a few chapters in so I'm a bit wary of this genre. In both cases, there were too many characters for me to keep track of and too little going on to hold my interest. Fortunately, this isn't the third one. The author wisely focuses the story and action on the two main characters first. Once we're hooked, she slowly widens the circle until, by the end of the book, you get the usual smorgasbord of characters that is typical of epic-length fantasy.

The cast of characters is amazingly drawn: Forthright and true Harper, wily Calista, catty Brandine, snarky Ezra, roughly hewn Athol and Sven, stinky sweet Ogre, etc, even all the bit characters have their place and moment in the tale. There is a lot of humor--some dark, some droll, and some downright funny, but isn't forced or overdone. All the usual elements we normally expect from fantasy are there--spells, prophecies, great battles and of course, dragons. The author eschews the usual quest and good-vs-evil plot in favor of a unique and very unpredictable storyline, where the objective is unclear, where most characters' motives are suspect, and you just never know who's gonna end up getting offed next.

Romance readers will love the development of Harper's and Calista's relationship. Calista's seduction of the virginal Harper is deliciously sexy. But how they get from lust to trust, with all the lies, secrets and a tenacious rival between them--is what makes for a great, lesfic-quality love story.

There is a lot of moral ambiguity if you go by our modern day standards. Calista is an assasin, a thief, a spin artist and big-time trouble-magnet. The tempest she stirs up and the resulting dust-up can rival any of the major LOTR sieges in terms of body count. But no epic fantasy worth its salt will be complete without this epic final battle. In the book, it stretches over the final third of the book, in all its bloody and gory detail. Fantasy fans will love it. Personally, I found it rather exhausting.

I was planning to give this a 4.4 which is 4 stars but I loved the ending so much, I'm gonna bump this up a bit. I'd love to be the fly on the wall when she finds out her reward wasn't the untold riches she was expecting but to be 'penniless and pregnant' with the Goddess child, LOL

Again, thanks to all the GR peeps who took time to review the book and helped me discover this wonderful world. Now on to Book 2.

4.5 stars
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Jemology | Dec 29, 2014 |
In this second book, the seasons have ground to a halt, stuck in a never changing autumn. Hunger and want have driven people to desperation. And they find a perfect scapegoat in the strange baby born to two women--Bianca. Harper and Calista embark on a quest to bring the baby to safety. Meanwhile the other members of their adventure company embark on their own quest to solve the riddle with the help of long dead dragons.

I love the development of Harper and Calista's relationship. Like any other newlywed couple, when the blinders of new love come off, the real person behind the idealized image can be quite jarring. In this case it is rather extreme since one of them is after all, a liar/thief/assassin. How the author works this typical marital kink and other post-pregnancy issues seamlessly into the adventure narrative makes this book so much more relatable to non-‘fantasy geeks’. At the same time, it does not lack for detail, magic and epic quests that characterize the fantasy genre.

The lighter parts of the book have a campy vibe to it, making for an interesting contrast to all the death and destruction happening all around. The same style is also evident in the author’s Raven series.

We get to meet more interesting characters. Young, idealistic Sofea is still trying to find her way in the aftermath of the pyrrhic winter war that took the lives of most of her unit. She has joined up with Harper’s company of adventurers, ostensibly for lack of better options, though I think she’s just totally infatuated with Harper. ;) Wendy, their replacement witch, is another new member. Barely out of her teens, she nevertheless carries the collective knowledge of several witches before her. Like Calista in book 1, she is the mystery character in book 2. Her uncertain loyalties and secret agenda make her an intriguing figure. And then there is River, the resident tinkerbell.

Like Frank, Wendy is also my favorite character. Her surliness and snark play off well against the earnest but oblivious and oft-confused Sofea. Her verbal tussles with Sofea are the fantasy equivalent of YA teen spats.

There is a bizarre love triangle, which totally confuses Sofea. What exactly does she want in life? Is she even in love? Do the two other ladies even want her when their quest is over? And why does she feel so hot and tingly in the company of Harper still? Typical teen lesfic stuff. Except that she needs to figure out these things and more while lugging around dragon bones on a dire bear and lopping off undead heads.

A rich and fun romp this adventure has been so far. But something big and ominous happens at the end of this book. Stuff that makes epic adventure series feel...epic. We’re all awaiting the conclusion(?) with bated breath. Ms. Duffy?

4.75 stars
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Jemology | Dec 29, 2014 |
I bought this book with high hopes. I love steampunk and the book sounded really interesting...that was before I actually started to read it.

The main problem I have with it is that the author CONSTANTLY, past the point of annoyance, force-feeds you the fact that the two main characters are lesbians. I have zero problems with people's sexual preferences, doesn't bother me one bit. BUT...the author is so insistent that you know these characters are lesbians that she destroyed a novel that could have been REALLY good. Example...the two characters meet for the first time and they get in the vehicle together and one of them immediately starts to fondle the other one...REALLY? Then the whole collar/leash thing gets old REALLY quick.

The author's writing style is pretty good and I feel this could have been a great book. As of right now, I am not sure if I will finish it...sitting at 25% on my kindle. I promise, if I EVER finish it, I will update this review with more info. As of right now - 1.5 stars.
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½
 
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Disco_grinch | 5 other reviews | Mar 14, 2014 |

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Works
15
Members
148
Popularity
#140,180
Rating
½ 2.6
Reviews
9
ISBNs
13

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