The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time #2) by Robert Jordan

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rand stays in Fal Dara to long and is forced to meet the Amyrlin Seat, we discover that the Amyrlin Seat is working with Moiraine to bring the Dragon Reborn to power, if they are caught they will be severely punished. Darkfriends attack Far Dara and free Padan Fain from prison, they also take the The Horn of Valor and the parasitic dagger that Mat found in Shadar Logoth. Being separated from the Dagger will kill Mat, if they can't find it and reunite Mat with it until the Aes Sedai can cleanse him of it's influence.

Ingtar leads an army (including Rand, Mat and Perrin) after the Darkfriends in order to retrieve The Horn of Valor and the Dagger. Once they cross the River Erinin, Ingtar reveals to Rand that if something happens to him Rand is to be placed in charge. Ingtar also gives Rand the Dragon Banner as Moiraine instructed. Rand has been distancing himself from Mat and Perrin in order to protect them so they are snubbing him, thus at night Rand is sleeping close to Hurin (the sniffer) and Loial when they bed down next to a mysterious rock (Portal) and disappear from the camp.

With Rand, Hurin and Loial's disappearance Perrin is forced to reveal to Ingtar that he can communicate with the wolves, so they can continue to follow the Darkfriends.

Rand, Loial and Hurin find themselves in an alternate world where they meet the mysterious and beautiful Selene, she forces Rand to use the One Power to get them back to the correct World, then eggs him on to sneak into the Darkfriends camp and get the Horn of Valor and the Dagger. The Dagger has given Padan Fain power enough to kill a Fade. After Rand and Loial retrieve the chest containing the Horn of Valor and the Dagger Selene convinces Rand to take her to Cairhien. On the way there Selene sneaks out of the inn, in the middle of the night after Captain Caldevwin acts suspicious of them and question her about her identity. She instructs Rand to meet her in Cairhien. Caldevwin sends an escort with Rand, Hurin and Loial to Cairhien. Once in Cairhien to Rand's joy he finds Thom Merrilin. Thom has a girlfriend and a new life and regretfully tells Rand they should make a clean break. Unfortunately their reunion was observed and as a result Thom's girlfriend was killed and Thom has to flee Cairhein, unfortunately Rand had already left Cairhien, so Thom leaves alone.

Ingtar gets to Cairhien to late while Rand and Loial were visiting with Thom, Padan Fain knocked Hurin out, stole the Horn of Valor and the Dagger and set the inn on fire. They try to use the Ways to follow Fain, but the Black Wind is guarding the Waygates. Verin insist that Rand must open a Portal if they are to get to Toman Head in time.

Fain gives the Horn of Valor and the Dagger to the High Lord Turak leader of the Seanchan (invaders).

Liandrin Aes Sedai tells Egwene and Nynaeve that Rand needs their help. Min and Elayne insist on coming with them, but Liandrin is a Darkfriend. She takes them to Toman Head and betrays them. Egwene is captured and leashed, Min is also captured but as she isn't an Aes Sedai she has little value to the Seanchan. They keep her alive to keep Egwene in line. Nynaeve uses the One Power to open the collars they use to leash Aes Sedai and with Elayne and Min's help frees Egwene.

Rand, Mat, Perrin, Hurin, and Ingtar arrive in Falme on Toman Head and Mat feels the Dagger's presence. They break into High Lord Turak's room to retrieve the Horn of Valor and the Dagger. Turak catches them and they have to fight their way out. Ingtar reveals to Rand that he is a Darkfriend, but repents, Ingtar stays behind to die so the others can escape.

Determined to rescue Egwene, Rand insist on going back the others insist on going with him. Mat blows the Horn of Valor and with the Heroes of the Ages and rallied under the Dragon Banner, the group battles both the Seanchan and the Children of Light (who arrive to attack the Seanchan). Rand fights Ba'alzamon in the sky and wins. A badly wounded Rand is saved by Min.

Selene reveals herself as Lanfear (one of the Forsaken), and instructs Min to tend Rand (Lews Therin) well until she comes back for him, before disappearing.

Book Two ends with Mat, Egwene, Nynaeve, Elayne and Verin returning to Tar Valon. Moiraine and Lan join Perrin, Hurin, Min and Loial and stay with Rand.

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Extreme Prey (Lucas Davenport, #26)

Extreme Prey by John Sandford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lucas is remodeling his cabin when Governor Henderson ask him to look into a suspicious couple who he believes are plotting against a rival Presidential candidate. As a civilian Lucas is dependent on the help of the local cops.

As Lucas questions members of a political organization for clues to the identity of the Mother and Son Henderson is concerned about members of the group become targets of the murderous couple as well as well as another member who can't afford for her secrets to be revealed. Lucas finally learns the identity of the couple, but they are in the wind and he is unable to stop their plot to blow Bowden up, but he does get there in time to save Henderson and Bowden from the bomb. As a result Bowden offers to make Lucas an United States Marshal.

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Hide Away (Eve Duncan, #20)

Hide Away by Iris Johansen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the sequel to Shadow Play (Eve Duncan, #19), Eve takes Cara to Scotland to hide out from the various Mafia fractions that are after her. They join Caleb (who Joe sent to protect them), Jane, Jock and MacDuff in the Scottish Highlands on a quest for Cira's treasure. Jane soon starts having dreams about Cira again.

Cara develops a crush on Jock. When MacDuff is severely injured and Jock goes to seek revenge against the men that harmed him Cara follows him. Cara is taken prisoner by Salazar, Natalie Castino (her Mother) and Franco. Eve uses Cira's treasure to get the kidnappers to agree to a trade. Everything goes haywire when Natalie betrays Salazar, shoots Franco and flees with Cara in a helicopter. Now their only hope of rescuing Cara is Natalie's greed for money.

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Beauty Roundup

AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30- fair to light - It was darker than I wanted and felt gritty. I won't buy this product again.

L'Oréal Visible Lift Serum Absolute Foundation

Soft Ivory - Love this product except for one thing, after awhile I was unable to get it to come out of the pump and the bottle was still half full, my husband was able to get the top off so I could continue using it. Would love for it to come in a bottle like the night and day moisturizers. Got lots of compliments on my complexion when I started using it, the color was a perfect match for my complexion. 

Maestro (Homecoming #2; The Legend of Drizzt #29)

Maestro by R.A. Salvatore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Drizzt joins Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri to rescue Dahlia. They are all captured by Yvonnel who promises to release them all, including Dahlia if Drizzt will be her champion. He defeats Demogorgon, and Yvonnel eventually keeps her word and releases everyone.

Meanwhile Gromph is helping Catti-brie rebuild the Host Tower of the Arcane.

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Private Paris (Private, #10)

Private Paris by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jack is visiting Private's Office in Paris when an important client calls asking him to help his granddaughter who is messed up with some very dangerous people. Even though she doesn't seem to want Jack's help, he persist in tracking her down and eventually rescues her from the drug lord who is holding her captive.

Private is also asked to help the police with several serial killings of prominent French citizens. The only clue is the tag left behind AB-16. Soon it begins to look as if AB-16 is a Muslim Terrorist cell out to destroy France and it's proud heritage. But Jack soon unmask the mastermind behind the group. A soldier who plans to use the outrage over AB-16 to commit atrocities against Muslim Immigrants and drive them out of France.

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The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, #1)

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A cross between Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones without the sex.

Bel Tine brings several strangers to Two Rivers, the mysterious Moiraine (Aes Sedai-a woman who can wield the One Power, all the male Aes Sedai are believed to be dead or mad) and Lan (Warder, think Ranger like Aragorn in Lord of The Rings) Thom Merrilin (a traveling storyteller known as a gleeman) and Padan Fain (a traveling peddler) all seem interested in three young village boys; Rand, Perrin and Mat. Due to rumors of trouble Rand and his Father (Tam) leave for home early but are attacked by Trollocs while they are eating supper. To Rand's surprise Tam retrieves a sword, that he supposedly bought and holds the Trollocs off, after ordering Rand to hide in the woods. Rand finds Tam badly injured and mumbling about finding a babe on the battlefield. Rand manages to drag Tam to town, only to find the town in chaos after being attacked by another band of Trollocs. The Wisdom (Nynaeve al'Meara) is unable to help him, so Rand goes to Moiraine for help and she heals his Father. Moiraine also reveals that the Trollocs are after Rand, Perrin and Mat and insist they leave with her and Lan for Tar Valon. Rand's girlfriend Egwene insist on coming too, and Thom also insist on joining them. Nynaeve tracks them down intent on bringing the children back to Two River's but is soon convinced that Moiraine is telling the truth about the Trollocs, Fades and other agents of the Dark One being after them, but insist on staying with them.

Desperate for shelter from the Trollocs the band take refuge in Shadar Logoth, but unwisely Mat, Perrin and Rand sneak off to explore the city. They awaken Mordeth who leads them to treasure. Sensing danger they flee, but unbeknownst to Rand and Perrin, Mat pockets a parasitic dagger. Mashadar is unleashed, so when the group is forced to flee Shadar Logoth before morning both the Trollocs and Mashadar are after them, the group becomes separated fleeing the city.

Mat, Rand and Thom find passage on a boat headed to Whitebridge. Thom convinces everyone that Mat and Rand are apprentice gleemen (storytellers) and they pay for their passage to Whitebridge with the coins Moiraine gave them making it impossible for her to track them from a distance. When a Fade shows up in Whitebridge looking for them Thom instructs Mat and Rand to flee while he attacks the Fade. They believe Thom died attacking the Fade but follow his instructions to head to the Queen's Blessing in Caemlyn where they hope the others will find them if they are alive. Before they get there they are approached by the Dark One's agents and Rand is forced to use the One Power (without realizing it) to escape with Mat. Once they reach the Queen's Blessing an increasingly paranoid Mat will not leave their room. Seeking companionship Rand visits the library of the Queen's Blessing and meets Loial (a Builder aka an Ogier think Ent from Lord of the Rings). While Rand is exploring the city and hoping to get a look at the False Dragon, he accidentally falls into Queen Morgase's garden and meets the daughter heir (Elayne) and her brother. He is briefly taken prisoner before Queen Morgase decides to release him and hurries back to the Queen's Blessing where he discovers his friends have arrived but the Children of Light are after them.

Perrin and Egwene fell into the river, they are befriended by Elyas and his pack of wolves. Perrin discovers he too is a Wolf Brother. When they are attacked by the Children of Light (think Fundamentalist Christians) , Hopper dies trying to protect Perrin. Perrin and Egwene are taken prisoner. Moiraine, Lan and Nynaeve eventually catch up with them and free them.

Moiraine realizes Mat is under the influence of the parasitic dagger and does what she can to minimize it's influence, before they have to flee. After hearing the boys dreams, a story Perrin and Egwene heard when they were with the (gypsies), and a story of Loial's people Moiraine realizes there is no time to go to Tar Valon. She ask Loial to help them use "The Ways" to reach the Green Man and find the Eye of the World. The Green Man finds them and shows them the Eye of the World. Moiraine reveals that a number of Aes Sedai male and female used their power to create a source of "pure" power that a man could weld even though it cost them their lives. Two of the Forsaken find them. Balthamel is killed by the Green Man when he attacks Nynaeve but he is able to kill the Green Man as he dies. Rand wields the power from the Eye of the World and defeats Aginor he is also able to do serious damage to The Dark One.

Rand (The Dragon Reborn) plans to leave the group while the rest travel on to Tar Valon. Moiraine has the relics they found hidden in the Eye of the World; The banner of the Lord of the Morning, The Horn of Valor (Book 2) and the ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai (think the symbol for Yin and Yang) made of Heartstone.

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