Tehanu

Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goha, who was once Tenar of Atuan takes in a badly burned girl who had been abused by her family. The girl does not give a name so Tenar calls her Therru. Not long after Ogion sends for her. Ogion recognizes "power" in the girl and instructs Tenar to train her but not to send her to Roke.

The Lord of Re Albi is using a soccer (Aspen) to steal life from his grandson and keep himself alive.

Tenar buries Ogion and follows his instructions to wait. Eventually Kalessin arrives with Ged on his back. Kalessin gives Tenar his name, before he leaves. Tenar cares for Ged and he eventually regains his physical strength but the magic is all gone. Not ready to face the outside world when the King sends envoys to seek Ged on Gont he flees to Tenar's home.

Aspen places a curse on Tenar she manages to flee with Therru, who is being pursued by one of the men who burned her. They stumble on to the King's ship. The King recognizing Goha as Tenar provides her with aid and takes Tenar and Therru to Tenar's Farm.

Ged has been sent with the goats to mountain pasture when she reaches home. At the beginning of winter Therru's attackers come to the farm to take her but Ged follows them there and injuries one and sends the others running. Ged and Tenar become lovers, and Therru's parents. Tenar's son returns to the farm and lays claim to it. Tenar, Ged and Therru head back to Gont when word reaches them that Auntie Moss (the witch of Gont) is ill. On the way there Aspen puts Ged and Tenar under a spell, Therru manages to hide from him, and he does not realize that she had been with them. Therru calls Kalessin. The next day Aspen takes Ged and Tenar to the cliff where he plans to throw them off but Kalessin arrives and kills Aspen and those with him. Kalessin gives Therru her true name Tehanu and reveals he had been searching for her. He ask if she wants to go with him and she does but she wishes Ged and Tenar to go too and Kalessin says they can not. Tehanu decides to stay with Ged and Tenar for the time being as they have a lot to learn and Kalessin says one day he will return for her.

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When the Eagle Hunts

When the Eagle Hunts by Simon Scarrow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is unbelievable and I am totally disgusted by the number of horses/mules killed.

General Plautius' wife and children are shipwrecked behind enemy lines and taken prisoner by a fanatical set of Druids of the Dark Moon. The Druids have issued an ultimatum free the Druid prisoners captured by the Romans are the General's family will be sacrificed to Cruach at the First Budding. Cato and Macro are sent behind enemy lines with Iceni guides Prasutagus and Boudica to rescue them.

After barely escaping from an ambush, the group finally get on the trail of the Druids and their hostages. They arrive at the sacred grove not long after the Druids left to discover Diomedes (Greek trader trying to avenge his family) impaled on a stake through the anus. Before he dies he tells them the General's family is being taken to Mai Dun - The Great Fortress.

Desperate to reach them before they reach The Great Fortress and a rescue becomes impossible they push on and barely get there in time. When the wagon carrying the prisoners is temporarily separated from it's warrior escort they make their move. Macro is grievously injured in the rescue attempt, unable to free the General's wife who is chained they leave with the two children but the young boy escapes from them and runs back to his Mother. Boudica takes the unconscious Macro and the General's daughter back to Vespasian, while Cato and Prasutagus try to find a way to rescue the General's wife and son. The Druid's angered by the rescue attempt send the boy's finger to Vespasian with the threat that if another rescue attempt is make the prisoners will be sacrificed early. Cato sneaks into The Great Fortress, but is unable to free the hostages.

Vespasian leads an attack on The Great Fortress and Cato with a small band of men sneak in and rescue the General's wife and son. Cato is seriously wounded during the escape and winds up in the same hospital room as Macro. The General's gratitude extends to making Cato a Centurion. Boudica and Prasutagus return to their tribe and are married.

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Give Yourself a Raise

Give Yourself a Raise -- How to Have: More Money, Less Stress, Financial Freedom by Gordon Bennett
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Easy to understand, mostly common sense.

Really wasn't very useful to me as I already do most of the stuff he advised. I do disagree with him about using cash to make purchases. There are several advantages to using credit cards.
1. If your purse/wallet is lost or stolen you can report the credit card lost/stolen and have it canceled. You aren't responsible for any fraudulent charges. Whereas the cash is just gone.
2. It saves time. I really hate it when I am in a hurry and I get behind someone who is scrounging around in their purse for the exact change or they are writing out a check. Much faster to swipe a credit card.
3. You don't have to worry about the cashier not giving you the correct change.
4. If there is a problem with your purchase, most credit cards offer some sort of help in reaching a satisfactory resolution with the seller.
You should however pay your credit card balance off in full and on time. And you should make sure you card has no annual fees or hidden cost associated with it.

I also disagree with him about debt. I don't think going into debt to buy a house or car is unreasonable. And I disagree about having to have a 20% down payment on a house. Like cars you should be able to finance houses for 100% of their purchase price. That said you should carefully consider how much you can afford to spend on a house note, get a fixed rate loan and factor in that property taxes or house insurance will go up over the life of your mortgage.

He totally ignores student loan debt, which is a huge drain on our economy.

Like his emphasis on having plans and goals.

I wouldn't waste my money on the book but if you have trouble managing your money you might want to consider it. Tip see if your library has it and save the purchase price.

Reviewed for the Cadence Group.

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New York to Dallas ~ An In Death Novel

New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When "The Collector" (Isac McQueen) escapes from prison he is obsessed with getting even with the Rookie (Eve Dallas) who was responsible for putting him in a cage.

With Roarke's help Eve will follow him to Dallas and back into the nightmare of her childhood. Working against the clock to discover McQueen's whereabouts in time to rescue his hostages, she must confront the woman who gave her birth and left her with a monster.

But the big question isn't IF Eve will capture McQueen, but if she will find the strength to let him live.

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Inferno

Inferno by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Surprising ending looking forward to #5.

Adarian isn't the bad guy everyone believes him to be. He honestly does love Nick's Mother and will sacrifice his life to save her.

Caleb founds out who Kody really is and swears fealty to her, even though Nick is now his master, because Adarian bound Caleb to his powers not his life. Nick also has control of Zavid (an Aamon) because he saved his life. Seems like whenever the Malachai spares the life of a daemon the daemon is enslaved by the Malachai. To Nick's credit he was clueless when he saved Zavid's life and was only paying Zavid back for freeing him from Helheim.

Grim tells Nick that Kody was sent to kill him and they break up. Zavid's sister (Zarelda) is working with Grim in order to free her brother, under Grim's orders she posses Casey (head cheer leader). Casey/Zarelda makes a play for Nick, and starts to feed his ego. When they are attacked by Nick's former friends Alan and Tyree (the two boys that beat and shot Nick when Kyrian saved his life), Casey/Zarelda urges Nick to kill Alan. Which will pretty much damn Nick and the entire human race. Simi shows up and kisses him to prevent his killing Alan. Then Ash shows up and intervenes when the police go to arrest him.

Bubba Burdette ask Nick for permission to date Nick's Mother.

(Mount Olympus) Artemis is working with Order to stop the Malachai, after Ambrose changes.

When Adarian gives Nick his powers Kody gives Nick a binding potion that will bind his powers and shield him from his enemies. But the binding potion may have had some side effects Kody didn't count on. Nick's wish to have a normal average life may actually come true.

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If She Only Knew

If She Only Knew by Lisa Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Kylie awakes after being in a horrible accident she can't remember who she is, although everyone insist that she is Marla Cahill. The only one who has doubts is her brother in law Nick, and their fatal attraction may cost them both their lives.

Will Kylie be able to remember  the twisted motivation that lead to her posing as Marla and giving up her son, before the killer succeeds in killing her. And will Nick be able to forgive her for her deceptions.

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Ever Fall

EverFall by Joe Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Plagued by anxiety whenever there are storms self medicating with alcohol helps him get through. But slowly alcohol is taking over his life. During a particularly hellish storm he is drinking while he family huddles in the hall. A malevolent evil snatches them from this world and into Ever Fall.

Just as he is beginning to give up hope of seeing Jane (his wife) and his children (Sara & Jack), two mysterious strangers (Ellius and Fellow) show up and promise to lead him to them. Thus he willing goes to Ever Fall. Ellius arranges for Kotis to aid in the search as Ellius can not leave the forest.

Kotis and Fellow prove to be true friends, the evil is defeated and he is reunited with his family, but sadly they discover there is no way out of Ever Fall for him. His family returns home without him and he slowly resigns himself to life in Ever Fall.

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