The Trouble With Demons (Raine Benares, #3) by Lisa Shearin

Published April 28th 2009 by Ace, Paperback, 370 pages, ISBN-13: 9780441017126

My name is Raine Benares. I’m a Seeker. People hire me when they need something found. I’m not usually the one being sought. But that all changed when I found the Saghred, a sould stealing stone of unlimited power—and the bane of my existence. Now mages and madmen have me in their sights, not to mention demons…

An opened Hellgate leads to a demon infestation on the Isle of Mid, and while there’s never an ideal time to face down demon hordes, it’s hard to imagine a worse one. Already fighting the influence of the Saghred, Raine discovers she is also magically bonded to a dark mage and a white knight, two dangerous and powerful men on opposing sides—and Raine’s stuck in the middle.

But with demons pouring throught the Hellgate, Raine can’t afford to be distracted. Turns out the demons want the key to unlock the Saghred. As a seeker, Raine should be able to find it first. As the axis of light and dark powers, she’s a magical cataclysm waiting to happen…

Review: I’d have to agree with Kathleen’s review. Lisa Shearin is making a name for herself in the fantasy genre and I wouldn’t be surprised if her books started appearing on the NYT Bestseller List with the next couple of books.

This one has it all: Goblins, elves, and magic users of all kinds. Characters that you love to love and cheer for, and characters that you love to hate, right down deep to the core. There are characters that make you laugh out loud, and those that seriously give you the creeps.

She sets the scene so well, you could swear you were on the island right along with Raine and company, watching as each act unfolds. From magic users to sword fights. Characters who would fight with Raine until the end. Raine, no matter how scared spitless she is, will rush in headfirst, cause it’s the right thing to do.

Thrills, chills, mystery, action, suspense, keep you turning the page, along with just a hint of romance and promise of more. And when the book’s done, your mind is still going over everything, keeping you just as excited.

You can tell this author takes her time when she writes, getting the scene, each act, the characters, just right, just so, before moving on to the next scene.

If you haven’t read Lisa Shearin, take my word for it: Run, don’t walk, to the nearest bookstore/library or even online, and get Lisa Shearin’s books. You won’t be disappointed.

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Bewitched & Betrayed (Raine Benares, #4) by Lisa Shearin

Published April 27th 2010 by Ace, Paperback, 384 pages, ISBN-13: 9780441018727

Impending war is the least of her problems.

My name is Raine Benares. I’m a seeker. I find lost things and missing people – usually alive. Finding the specters of six evil mages who escaped the Saghred, a soul-stealing stone of unlimited power, was easy. Stopping them before they unleashed Hell on earth just may be the death of me.

Being bonded to the Saghred wasn’t my idea – neither is hunting down its escapees. Especially not when one of them is also hunting me. He’s regenerating his body by taking lives of powerful victims, along with their memories, knowledge and most important of all, their magic. The dark mage wants control of the Saghred, and if he gets it, he’ll become an eveil demigod whom no one can stop. The only thing in his way is me.

One of us doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

**Review: Completely “UNPUTDOWNABLE!” Just like the first three!**

Okay, you’ve read my reviews before. I usually give a brief detail of what happens in the book, then my thoughts on it. This review is going to be all over the place, LOL! Fair warning.

**Spoiler Alert!** If you plan on reading the novel and don’t want to know what happens, do not read past this point!

Lisa Shearin has done it again!!! This is only the fourth book she has published, and already, with her style, she resembles a veteran; an author who’s been around for years! She’s that good!

Raine’s back, with our entire favourite cast of characters.

The spectres are running rampid all over Mid, including Sarad Nukpana. Raine is now after them, to put them back where they belong. The opening line is, and I quote: “I was being chased by a pissed-off guy with a knife. A really big knife.” My first thought: And we’re off!!!

Then, not halfway down the page, I cracked up when I read: “And believe me, I got to see enough manhoods and fleeing pasty white posteriors to last me a lifetime.”

When a shriveled up body is dumped at her feet by none other than Sarad Nukpana, she’s warned that the whole situation is about to get worse. Sarad is going to “eat” as much power as he can, and will eventually find a way to control her and the Saghred (stone). And he’s going to go after everyone she cares about and everyone she loves before he gets to her.

Raine will stop at nothing to find him.

We see another side of Mychael; now we learn where he came from before he became Paladin. Their umi’atsu bond grows stronger, and both finally admit to being in love with each other.

Talon gets himself into even more trouble – on a couple of separate occasions. Piaras keeps himself out of most of it, until he goes after Talon. And when Tam learns of where his son has gone, he takes off before anyone can stop him. But of course, Tam is captured by Sarad, and Raine has to make the hardest decision she’s made so far.

The whole scenario gets more and more complicated as the book moves along, and the deeper Raine gets, the more you’re rooting for the home team. A war is averted, for the most part, although the threat is still there. A duke is thought dead, but isn’t. Imala Kalis, head of Goblin Intelligence (with the cute dimples), needs Tam’s help. Imala has a secret of her own as well.

And if I keep going, you’ll end up getting more of the story than I intend to give you. This book has great characters that you love to love and hate with a passion. This book is non-stop intrigue and action, from beginning to end. Figths (magical and non), arguments, truths and lies, conniving deceptions and set-ups, power-hungry elves, mages and goblins, and love-making that was 3 books in the making.

This book, this series, is one of the top fantasy series I recommend to anyone who asks me. Why? Because it deserves the recognition. Run, don’t walk, and get your copy today! What are you waiting for?

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 To the FTC: I shouldn’t even have to post this; I’m Canadian. But, just to keep you happy (and keep me away from a possible $11,000 charge against me *eyeroll*), I will state that I purchased this book at Coles (Chapters) for my own reading pleasure. I was in no way paid for this review.

Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin (‘Raine Benares’ series Book #1)

Format: Mass Market Paperbound - Published: May 29, 2007 - 352 Pages - ISBN: 0441015050 - Published By: Berkley

 

Magic Lost, Trouble Found

by Lisa Shearin

‘Raine Benares’ series Book #1

A girl with attitude. An all-powerful amulet.

This could only mean trouble.

My name is Raine Benares. I’m a seeker. The people who hire me are usually happy when I find things. But some things are better left unfound…

Raine is a sorceress of moderate powers, from an extended family of smugglers and thieves. With a mix of street smarts and magic spells, she can usually take care of herself. But when her friend Quentin, a hot-quite-reformed thief, steals an amulet from the home of a powerful necromancer, Raine finds herself wrapped up in more trouble than she cares for. She likes attention as much as the next girl, but having an army of militant goblins hunter her down is not her idea of a good time. The amulet they’re after holds limitless power, derived from an ancient, soul-stealing stone. And when Raine takes possession of the item, it takes possession of her.

Now her moderate powers are increasing beyond anything she could imagine – but is the resume enhancement worth her soul?

Review: I finished this novel on Sunday morning, July 8th, 2007. An excellent first novel to a new series!

I thought it was great! As a first book, you meet the characters – all of them. The ones to adore, the ones to hate… Raine is an excellent female character. Brave, strong, does what she has to despite how she feels about doing it. I can’t wait to see what she gets herself into next.

The secondary characters all tie in with her in some way, and I like the diversity of them, whether friend, family, or a really hot guy. And I can’t wait to read more about them!

I loved the setting. Shearin uses her imagination to the max, creating a whole new world with really great characters, good and bad. The good ones made you sigh, the bad ones gave you the creeps. And the surroundings are described so perfectly that you wouldn’t know this place doesn’t exist. The action is superb. The plot was beautifully orchestrated, making the novel damn near ‘unputdownable!’ Different in style, no complete romance but just a hint of, leaving you wanting more… *sigh!* 

Can’t wait for Book #2, Armed and Magical!

Rating: .5

Armed & Magical by Lisa Shearin (‘Raine Benares’ series Book #2)

 Armed & Magical by Lisa Shearin

‘Raine Benares’ series Book #2

Paperback: 304 pages - Publisher: Ace (MM) (April 29 2008 ) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0441015875 - ISBN-13: 978-0441015870

My name is Raine Benares. Until last week, I was a seeker – a finder of things lost and people missing. Now I’m psychic roommates with the Saghred, an ancient stone with cataclysmic powers. Just me, the stone, and all the soulds it’s ingested over the centuries. Crowded doesn’t even begin to describe it…

All Raine wants is her life back – which means getting rid of the stone and the power it possesses. To sort things out, she heads for the Isle of Mid, home to the most prestigious sorcery school, as well as the Conclave, the governing body for all magic users. It’s also home to power-grubbing mages who want Raine dead and goblins who see her as a thief. As if that’s not enough, Mid’s best student spellsingers are disappearing left and right, and Raine’s expected to find them.

Lives are at stake, goblins are threatening to sue, mages are getting greedier, and the stone’s power is getting stronger by the hour. This could get ugly.

Armed & Magical at Amazon.com

Armed & Magical at Chapters.ca

Armed & Magical at Amazon.ca

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22-May-08 to 24-May-08

Review: Terrific! Excellent! Can’t wait for the next book!

Shearin has a way with putting her characters right there, in your face, and good luck trying to get them out of your mind when you put the book down. Each character is different, with their own personality, and each bring something different to the story.

In the first chapter, it’s like Raine takes a big breath, a sigh in relief, believing that where she is will be a big help into getting rid of the Saghred. But before the chapter finishes, all hell breaks loose and Raine is stuck/caught right in the middle.

Right from the get-go, the plot thickens, the action never lets up, and the mystery behind it all will never truly go away. One thing leads to another, and while we understand what’s going on, there is no way to actually prove it. While we’re feeling sorry for Raine with all the crap being flung her way, we’re cheering her on with fingers crossed and fists shaking in the air.

And even while we’re breathing a big sigh of relief with her at the end, we know it’s not over, just like Raine knows.

And just to throw Raine off base, the triangle between her, Tam and Mychael thickens as well, juicing up the story even more. Very hard to put down, an excellent read.

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