Mary Elizabeth C. (spikychik6) reviewed Coronets and Steel (Dobrenica, Bk 1) on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
A well-paced and well-written story, with an enjoyable heroine and enough twists and turns to keep the plot moving. A small European country full of behind-the-scenes political turmoil, mistaken identities, lost princesses, a hidden treasure--this book juggles all these and more, and manages to do so in a cohesive way.
My chief complaint was the "paranormal" aspect. This comes up briefly throughout the book, but always felt shoehorned in. It's as if the author needed to cram in as many genres as possible into the story--political thriller, romance, mystery, paranormal, etc. There's enough plot and action without the need for ghosts, vampires, and "liminal space" (I don't even understand what that means).
My other complaint is that the heroine, while being fit and athletic (she studies ballet and fencing), is not a trained stuntwoman. Yet she frequently undertakes crazy stunts--jumping out of a moving train, jumping out of a moving car and then over a bridge into a rushing river below, scaling huge stone walls--that would make Lara Croft flinch. Yet she emerges only with minor injuries. Also, no one seems surprised or alarmed that she's done these things--they just laugh or give a rueful shake of the head, as if to say, "Kids these days..." It's very improbable, and takes away from the story.
However, despite these caveats, I would still recommend the book. The heroine is fun and feisty (although her "California-speak" can be grating at times), the hero is suitably dark and mysterious, and the story is entertaining.
My chief complaint was the "paranormal" aspect. This comes up briefly throughout the book, but always felt shoehorned in. It's as if the author needed to cram in as many genres as possible into the story--political thriller, romance, mystery, paranormal, etc. There's enough plot and action without the need for ghosts, vampires, and "liminal space" (I don't even understand what that means).
My other complaint is that the heroine, while being fit and athletic (she studies ballet and fencing), is not a trained stuntwoman. Yet she frequently undertakes crazy stunts--jumping out of a moving train, jumping out of a moving car and then over a bridge into a rushing river below, scaling huge stone walls--that would make Lara Croft flinch. Yet she emerges only with minor injuries. Also, no one seems surprised or alarmed that she's done these things--they just laugh or give a rueful shake of the head, as if to say, "Kids these days..." It's very improbable, and takes away from the story.
However, despite these caveats, I would still recommend the book. The heroine is fun and feisty (although her "California-speak" can be grating at times), the hero is suitably dark and mysterious, and the story is entertaining.
