Audiobook Review: The Sword Dancer by Jeannie Lin

Author: Jeannie Lin
Narrator: Sarah Lam
Title: The Sword Dancer
(Lovers and Rebels, #1; Tang Dynasty, #4)
Genre: Historical Romance, Fiction, Mystery
Pages: Audiobook
Published:  January 1st 2013
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)



Sword dancer Li Feng is used to living life on the edge of the law—a woman alone in the dangerous world of the Tang Dynasty has only her whirlwind reflexes to trust. She will discover the truth about her past, even if that means outwitting the most feared thief-catcher of them all...

Relentless, handsome and determined, Han sees life—and love—as black and white. Until he finally captures the spirited, courageous Li Feng, who makes him question everything he thought he knew about right and wrong. Soon he's faced with an impossible choice: betray the elusive sword dancer he is learning to love, or trust his long-disregarded heart and follow her to dangerous, tempting rebellion... 

Been meaning to start on this one! The first 3 of the series was really good. I was worried at first since it has been sooooo long, but this does well as a standalone, so I am happy. 

The story follows Li Feng who is a sword dancer. She is alone in the world and has a single mission...finding out what happened to her family. On her trail is the handsome and relentless Han. He is a notorious thief-catcher. Li Feng makes him question his black and white view of the world. The two dance around each other and stumble upon a mystery that they require them to team up. 

I really enjoyed this. The beginning was a touch slow for me character-wise. Lots of action, but it takes a while for the two to really blossom to each other and the reader. They were so 2D at first, but after a couple of chapters, we got to see them and their demons. Lots of hurt and issues they needed to get through before they could come together in love. Which worked well. 

The mystery was good and bigger than I thought it would! That huge twist left me mouth agape. Did NOT see that coming. I am happy though with it. 

I was so worried for these guys...the HEA seemed SO impossible. However, it was able to happen at the end there. It always does...but it seemed so impossible. The author didn't cheapen this by giving it a cheesy, unrealistic ending. It worked seamlessly. It was good and made sense to me. 

OOOOOOO that baddie! *shakes fist* Evil!!!!! 

Now...the narrator...I go back and forth. I feel like I've heard her before. I can't remember. But I liked her...but at times I was meh. So I guess I'll say she was okay. I feel like they could've used the 2nd voice for Han. She was okay for Li Feng though. 

Overall, I liked this a lot even with my on-the-fence feelings for the narrator. Great character development and story-telling. I'll give this a 4. 

Book 14 of 16/25

Gonna use my free space on this one!

Book Review: The Unbroken Line of the Moon by Johanne Hildebrandt

Author: Johanne Hildebrandt (Translated by: Tara F. Chace)
Title: The Unbroken Line of the Moon (Sagan om Valhalla #4)
Genre: Historical Fiction & Fantasy
Pages: ebook
First Published: October 1st 2016
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon freebie)

In this grand saga of love, war, and magic set in the tenth century, young Sigrid is destined to be the mother of the king of the Nordic lands that would become Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and England.

A devout believer in the old Nordic gods, Sigrid is visited regularly in her dreams by the goddess Freya, who whispers to her of the future. Though Sigrid is beautiful, rich, arrogant, and matchlessly clever, her uncanny ability to foresee the future and manipulate the present guides her through dangerous politics as a bloody war between Vikings and Christians rages on.

Sigrid’s father wants her to marry Erik, a local king, to secure the peace between the Goths and the Swedes. Thinking she is doing Freya’s will, she accepts the marriage offer, only to find that her destiny lies not with Erik but with Sweyn, a warrior who dreams of dethroning Harald Bluetooth, the legendary ruler of Denmark. Will Sigrid sacrifice her will for the greatest Viking kingdom of all time, or will she follow her heart at the risk of losing everything?

This was shockingly good. I didn’t expect to love this book. Why you may ask? Well…this was an Amazon freebie. It is for sure a hit or miss with anything that is free and especially Amazon book freebies. I except to either hate them or mildly enjoy them. This was one of those rare gems. I actually loved this. 

This book follows a few characters, but the main character is Sigrid who is a devout believer in the old Nordic gods. The goddess Freya gives her little hints and guides her to her intended destiny. She agrees to marry Erik to secure peace between her land and his lands. However, this was kinda an oopsie, because that was not who Freya meant. She was actually supposed to marry Sweyn whose plans are to dethrone Harald and unite all the lands as one. A huge mess of course.

At first, I didn’t really care for some of the POVs, but once all their roads finally met it all made sense and I liked them. I really loved Emma. Sure, she was an insane little thing, but she was the most interesting character in the story! The author actually did a good job with the switch between POVS, I was never confused. So huzzah on that. 

Oooooh religion…you nasty thing you. You truly know how to bring the worst out of everyone. So much blood…so much hatred. So sad. I loved how the author seemed to accurately bring this to light and wasn’t shy around the brutality of the time and of the hatred.

This is a translation from the original Swedish language and I felt the translator did an excellent job from my point of view. Like anything, I’m sure some things were lost in translation or not correct. I’m sure the original is WAY better, but since I do not speak Swedish….I do not have a point in reference. However, this flowed well and the story didn’t seem at all choppy or confusing. Yayy. 

My only complaint is that there are 3 books before this one, but they have not been translated yet, so I won’t be able to read them or anything after this book until they are. 
However, I do not feel that I missed anything, so this does well as a standalone. 

I am really wanting to read the next one! Gah!!!!! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! I know some but she is such an aloof historical figure…some historians even doubt her existence. Sighs. Women from that time are always forgotten because they were not worth writing down. So sad. :/

Anyways….this was a good book. The writing was good, the action had me on the edge of my seat, the characters were interesting, and the ending left me wanting more. I might have to learn Swedish now…GAH! Add that my list of languages I need to learn. LOL! I highly recommend this to those that like historical fiction that is a wee bit dark and has fantasy elements involved. Out of five stars, I’ll give this 5.

Book Review: My Fair Concubine

Author: Jeannie Lin

Title: My Fair Concubine (Tang Dynasty #3)
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 280

First Published: May 22nd, 2012
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

"The Nobleman Who Turned a Tea Girl Into a Princess...

Yan Ling tries hard to be servile—it's what's expected of a girl of her class. Being intelligent and strong-minded, she finds it a constant battle. 

Proud Fei Long is unimpressed by her spirit—until he realizes she's the answer to his problems. He has to deliver the emperor a "princess." In two months can he train a tea girl to pass as a noblewoman? 

Yet it's hard to teach good etiquette when all Fei Long wants to do is break it, by taking this tea girl for his own..."


This is the third book in the Tang series by Jeannie Lin. However, I feel like this could stand pretty well as a stand-alone. ^.^

Ahhhhh a 'My Fair Lady' remake of sorts. Just the plot alone made me drooling to read it. Well, the man on the cover also had something to do with it hehehe. *drools* But yes, the cover is simply lovely! My favorite cover out of all three books. 

Yan Ling is just a tea girl who is trying to hold her tongue and do her job, when Fei Long makes one grand entrance at the place she works. He has two months to find and train a replacement for his sister as a "princess" and be sent to marry a foreign chieftain. For some reason he picks the scrawny tea girl.

It was a fun and cute read just like the other two books in the Tang series.   I really loved watching these two dance around each other and try to honor the plan. It did take a while for these two to finally admit feelings for each other. When the first kiss was given I nearly jumped for joy! However, I find that the length of time seems realistic for not only these two proud characters, but for the culture and time period. 

Jeannie Lin did a wonderful job bringing Tang Dynasty China to life. She paid very close details to the etiquette and culture. Not only was Yan Ling learning the proper ways of being a noblewoman, but I felt like I learned a lot. If I ever got lost in time travel and ended up in Ancient China, I feel like I would stand more of a chance. *ponders* I wonder if I would meet a man like Fei Long. Mmmm......

Anyways.....everything seemed nicely answered at the end. There was only one thing left unanswered, but I believe there is another book coming out (or is out) that will further will it. I can not say much, because it would spoil the entire book. 

All-in-all, I really liked this book. It wasn't as good as Dragon and the Pearl, which is the second book, but I did enjoy it. It seemed a wee but slow at points, but I had a hard time putting this down.  I loved the characters, the plot, and how Jeannie Lin painted Ancient China. Not only was I entertained, but I feel like I learned a lot about this time period and culture. I would recommend this to those who love Historical Romance and for those that need a trip to a different location. I grant this 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Fei Long (*drools*), Yan Ling (a strong woman), and Dao.
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Zao (wanted to kick him), Pearl (mmmmm though her appearance was limited, but annoyed me), and Lady Min (don't know why, but she annoyed me too)

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<3CaroleRae

Book Review: Butterfly Swords

Author: Jeannie Lin

Title: Butterfly Swords (Tang Dynasty #1)
Genre:  Historical Romance, Action, Drama
Pages: 288

First Published: October 1st, 2010
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

"During China's infamous Tang Dynasty, a time awash with luxury yet littered with deadly intrigues and fallen royalty, betrayed Princess Ai Li flees before her wedding.

Miles from home, with only her delicate butterfly swords for defense, she enlists the reluctant protection of a blue-eyed warrior....

Battle-scarred, embittered Ryam has always held his own life at cheap value. Ai Li's innocent trust in him and honorable, stubborn nature make him desperate to protect her--which means "not" seducing the first woman he has ever truly wanted...."

This is the second book I've read by Jeannie Lin. I actually read the second book of the series first. Haha, oh well. 

Anyways, this was a good read. I did like it, but took me a while to get into it. I'm not sure why, but it felt slow to me at times. Perhaps I was waiting for Li Tao to make his glorious entrance. ^.^ Yes, there was a lot action and sword play and kissing and touching, but to me it felt really slow. Slow, but good. I'm not making any sense.

Reading the second book was a double-edged sword for me. On one hand it made this book more interesting to see Ai Li's side of the tale that Li Tao told. I had wondered why Ai Li fled and how she met the "barbarian", Ryam. However, it ruined some aspects for me. In my mind I kept defended Li Tao and whatnot even though he was suppose to be the baddie of this book. It ruined the mystery of him. I would recommend to read the first book before divining into the second book. 

I really liked how Jeannie Lin really focused on honor and family in this one, because those are highly Chinese morals and I'm really glad that it was so hard for Ai Li and Ryam to get together, because of Ai Li's strong sense of honor and family whilst Ryam is just a wanderer and doesn't really have morals but to his legion back west. It was really an interesting and original tale. 

Even though I really liked this book, I couldn't help but compare it with the second of the series 'The Dragon and the Pearl' which I simply adored! What really lowered my like of this book was my love for Li Tao, there was no other real reason but that. It's pretty sad. 

Overall, I liked this book but not as much as the second one. It was a fun adventure and I did like Ai Li and Ryam, but just not as much as Suyin and Li Tao. I would say to read this one first before venturing to the second book of the series. However, this book does stand well as a stand-alone book, because there is no real cliff hanger and I liked it. After reading this, I want to re-read the second book. Haha. Well, I would recommend this those that love a good historical romance, for those looking for a different read (this was set in Tang Dynasty China), and for those that like a little adventure mixed in with their romances. In the end, I grant this 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Ai Li, Ryam, Adrian, Li Tao, and Suyin.

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Emperor Shen (I liked him more at the end)

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<3CaroleRae

Book Review: The Dragon and the Pearl

Author:  Jeannie Lin
Title: The Dragon and the Pearl
Genre: Historical Romance,  Intrigue, Drama 
Pages: 288
First Published: September 20th, 2011
Where I Got It: Borrowed from Library


"THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COURTESAN OF THEM ALL...

Former Emperor’s consort Ling Suyin is renowned for her beauty; the ultimate seductress. Now she lives quietly alone—until the most ruthless warlord in the region comes and steals her away....

Li Tao lives life by the sword, and is trapped in the treacherous, lethal world of politics. The alluring Ling Suyin is at the center of the web. He must uncover her mystery without falling under her spell—yet her innocence calls out to him. How cruel if she, of all women, can entrance the man behind the legend..."


This is the first Jeannie Lin book I've read. I can pretty much guarentee that it won't be the last.


The Dragon and the Pearl was what I was hoping it be! The two "lovers" are so different, but so similar. He's a hardened warrior and assassian. She's a lovely flower, but an innocent 'she-demon' (so many characters called her this and it fits all too well). Both characters have gone through so much pain, loneliness, heart-ache, struggle, and dark times, but their love/lust is a pecan in the night for them.


I'm sorry to have gone all poetical, but hey, I really adored this couple and this story. The story had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. Even though I'm really good at figuring out what will happen next, I couldn't find my way to the ending result. I must give credit where credit is due...congrats Jeannie Lin, you made a real mystery out of this love story. I also applaud her for making the characters slowly, but surely fall out of the lust stage to the love stage. It was realistic for the characters, because both Tao and Suyin are hard and non-trusting people. When both finally declared their love for each other, I nearly cried, "finally!"


Not only did Jeannie Lin do a wonderful job with the story and the characters, but a wonderful job bringing Ancient China to life. I felt like I was really there. I could imagine the sea of Bamboo and Lio Tao's study. The balance between story-telling and describing the setting was very balanced. I would simply love t if they made this a movie! 


The only things I can nick-pick at is the POV balance. I felt most of the story was in Suyin's POV. Yes, Tao did get to have his spotlight, but...not as much as Suyin. I loved Suyin too, but sometimes I would get bored because she was just sitting around waiting, while Tao was having the adventures and preparing for the war that was coming. Tao had about 35% and Suyin 65% of the book. That is my only complaint.


Overall, I really loved this book. I also really loved the author and her writing style. Tao and Suyin were fantastic characters! As many may or may not know, I love my characters complex and original; both characters fit the built. I do wish that Tao had more chances to give his POV, but oh well. Out of five stars I grant this one 5 stars. Woot! Woot!


Favorite Character(s): Li Tao, Suyin, and Auntie
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Gao and Emperor Shen (they are both pains in the rumps)