Jayne Ann Krentz
Fired
Up
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: Arcane Society
ISBN: 978-0399155963
Genre: Contemporary
Paranormal
Publisher: Putnam Adult
5 Hearts
Just finished both of Jayne
Ann Krentz (aka Amanda Quick)'s new editions to her Arcane Society series. This
series is unique because the author is writing books in both her contemporary
persona, Krentz, and her historical persona, Quick. The series is about a
special society that deals with the paranormal psychic population of the world
in both time eras. Since the government doesn't choose to acknowledge the
psychics of the world a group known as the Arcane Society was established
during the Victorian Era and works to keep all the psychics in line. The group
still exists today working to keep the evil psychic from hurting the rest of
the world with their psychic ability.
In every book in the series
there is a different hero and heroine, with the common consistancy the J&J
Agency. Fired Up and Burning Lamp are not only books 7 & 8 of the Arcane Series
but they are also the first two books in the Dreamlight Trilogy.
I was surprised by those who
reviewed these two books and said that they saw little of Jayne Ann Krentz's
usual style and characters, when I saw her using very much the same characters as
she has used in the previous books in the series. I thought both books were
well written, it not a little too descriptive. Fired Up seemed to relate a lot
of the history of the first Winters' experiments, as does the Burning Lamp, so
it seemed a little repetitive when you read them close together. I didn't mind
though.
In Fired Up readers get to
spend more time with the modern day Jones from the J&J Agency—Fallon.
Fallon's character is more defined in Fired Up and he seems more disorganized
than he has in previous books. I'm hoping we'll see a book for him soon.
It seem the books a little
backwards where Fired Up, book 7, is the modern day version. Readers meet Jack
Winter a decedent of the Nicholas Winter who created the Burning Lamp. A devise
that the first Winter would hope would amp up his psychic powers, but
ultimately made him go mad. Suddenly strange things are happening to Jack
Winter and he is worried his is cursed as his ancestor was believed to be. So
he goes to Chloe Harper, a Dream Psychic whom, Jack believes can save him
before he goes insane.
Chloe is a private
investigator. She is worried that Jack isn't going to get the helps he thinks
from her, but she is the one Harper who isn't exploitive like the rest of her
con-artist family and can't help but want to do what ever she can for Jack.
Together they work against the clock to save Jack and also keep one step ahead
to the evil group who wants to used both Jack and Chloe for their own gain.
Description:
More than three centuries
ago, Nicholas Winters irrevocably altered his genetic makeup in an obsession
fueled competition with alchemist and Arcane Society founder Sylvester Jones.
Driven to control their psychic abilities, each man's decision has reverberated
throughout the family line, rewarding some with powers beyond their wildest
dreams, and cursing others to a life filled with madness and hallucinations.
Jack Winters, descendant of
Nicholas, has been experiencing nightmares and blackouts—just the
beginning, he believes—of the manifestation of the Winters family curse.
The legend says that he must find the Burning Lamp or risk turning into a
monster. But he can't do it alone; he needs the help of a woman with the gift
to read the lamp's dreamlight.
Jack is convinced that
private investigator Chloe Harper is that woman. Her talents for finding
objects and accessing dream energy are what will save him, but their sudden and
powerful sexual pull threatens to overwhelm them both. Danger surrounds them,
and it doesn't take long for Chloe to pick up the trail of the missing lamp.
And as they draw closer to the lamp, the raw power that dwells within it
threatens to sweep them into a hurricane of psychic force.
Burning
Lamp
Author: Amanda Quick
Series Connection: Arcane
Society
ISBN: 978-0399156465
Genre: Historical Paranormal
Publisher: Putnam Adult
4 Hearts
The Burning Lamp, takes
readers back a century in time where they meet Griffin Winters and Adelaide
Pyne. Griffin is the only other Winters who has need to use the lamp. He knows
the legend of Nicholas Winters and how the lamp is suppose to help him from
going insane. He also knows he needs the help of a Dream Psychic to make the
lamp work.
Adelaide is a social
reformer and someone that Griffin would not normal associate himself with, but Adelaide
is in possession of the lamp and he soon realizes that she is the only one who
can help him before it is too late.
As with modern time, there
are forces that don't want Griffin and Adelaide to come together on this
project. They too need to race against time to safe not only Griffin but once
Adelaide is enlisted to help she is no in danger as well.
Description:
The Arcane Society was born
in turmoil when the friendship of its two founders evolved into a fierce
rivalry. Sylvester Jones and Nicholas Winters each sought to enhance their
individual psychic talents. Winters' efforts led to the creation of a device of
unknown powers called the Burning Lamp. Each generation the Winters man who
inherits it is destined to develop multiple talents—and the curse of
madness.
Plagued by hallucinations
and nightmares, notorious crime lord Griffin Winters is convinced he has been
struck with the Winters Curse. And the instincts that have helped him survive
the streets and rise to power are now drawing him toward Adelaide Pyne, the
bothersome social reformer. But even as he arranges a meeting with the
mysterious woman, he has no idea how closely their fates are bound, for
Adelaide holds the Burning Lamp in her possession.
A dreamlight reader,
Adelaide should be able to manipulate the Lamp's light to save both Griffin's
sanity and his life. But their dangerous psychical experiment makes them the
target of forces both inside and outside of the Arcane Society. And though
desire strengthens their power their different lives will keep them
apart—if death doesn't take them together.
Below are a list of books
in the series.
SECOND SIGHT
By Amanda Quick
SETTING: Late Victorian
England
WHITE LIES
By Jayne Ann Krentz
SETTING: Stone Canyon,
Arizona, 21st. Century
SIZZLE AND BURN
By Jayne Ann Krentz
SETTING: Oriana, Washington,
21st Century
THE THIRD CIRCLE
By Amanda Quick
SETTING: Late Victorian
England
RUNNING HOT
By Jayne Ann Krentz
SETTING: Hawaii, 21st
Century
THE PERFECT POISON
By Amanda Quick
SETTING: Late Victorian
England
FIRED UP
By Jayne Ann Krentz
SETTING: Seattle and Las
Vegas, 21st Century
BURNING LAMP
By Amanda Quick
SETTING: Late Victorian
England
Uneasy
Alliance
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Harlequin; ISBN: 10:
0373200056
ISBN-13: 978-0373200054
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reissue: Originally
published in Harlequin Temptation #11 in 1984.
3 Hearts
Not one of my favorite Jayne
Ann Krentz novels, Uneasy Alliance is just not written as well as her other
earlier novels. Many people don't like reissues from so long ago because the
genre has changed considerably over the last couple of decades. Back when this
book was first written having an alpha male who was possessive and a little bit
of a chauvinist wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Today some readers look at the
characters in this book and say. . ."Ew. That guy is just plan
terrible."
I, however, have always been
a constant fan of Jayne Ann Krentz's and have collected all of her books, even
the earlier days of her work. I absolutely love her male alpha characters, who
back then were all very much a like. This story, however, was just not one of
her best. The hero in the story, which is much like her other male chauvinist
characters, is just not as well developed as the others. The female character
is just not a well written either. She is just too wisy-washy. The "go
away" and then "stay" is just over the top in this book. You
just want to shake her and say, "make up your mind already. You know what
kind of guy he is, take him or leave him."
That being said, if you like
Jayne, you probably want to check this book out. If you are like me, you
probably will tolerate the story line just to say you have read every one of
Jayne's books.
Description:
After ending a relationship
gone terribly and unexpectedly wrong, Abby Lyndon is left wary and determined
to control her own life. Two years later, she meets a man who doesn't frighten
her. When a nightmare from her past resurfaces, Abby has little choice to
accept Torr Latimer's help, but his determination to protect her may be a
little too close for comfort.
Running
Hot
Author:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: An
Arcane Society Novel
ISBN:
978-0-399-25521-5
5
Hearts
Book
Description:
Ex-cop
Luther Malone, lifelong member of the secretive paranormal organization known
as the Arcane Society, is waiting to meet Grace Renquist. Hired as an
aura-reading consultant in the quest for a murder suspect, she's got zero field
experience. She's from tiny Eclipse Bay, Oregon. She's a librarian, for
heaven's sake.
As for
Grace, she's not expecting much either from Malone, who walks with a cane and
isn't so good with a gun. Nice resume for a bodyguard. . .
But even
before they reach their hotel in Maui—where they'll be posing as
honeymooners—Grace and Luther feel the electric charge between them.
Problem is, they need to remain vigilant day and night, because it soon becomes
clear there's more going on here. Rogue sensitives—operatives from the
underground group Nightshade—are pouring into the luxury resort like
there's a convention. Grace recognizes those dark spikes in their auras. She
saw the same pattern in someone else in another life—a life she hasn't
revealed to Luther or anyone else. And she understands how dangerous these
people can be. . .especially with those para-hunters at their sides.
While the
pair's employers at Jones and Jones scramble to get them backup, Luther and
Grace have to think on their feet. The criminals in their midst aren't just
high-level sensitives: They've enhanced their talents with a potent—and
unpredictable—drug. And as grace knows all too well, if you don't control
your powers, your powers will control you.
My View:
I'll admit
I'm a Jayne Ann Krentz fan from way back. Over the years I've collected just
about everything that Jayne has written under this name and her pseudonyms
Jayne Castle and Stephanie James. I've read a few of the Amanda Quick series,
but I'm not a real fan of historical romances, so I haven't been as diligent to
read those. That said, when the new book came out I had to rush out to the bookstore
and pick up my copy of her newest Arcane series and I wasn't disappointed.
To be
honest I was a little worried about this one because I read the last Jayne
Castle book Dark Light and it took me a little to get into it. Although, once I
got past the repetitive first few chapters, it turned out to be a pretty good
book. I didn't have the same problem with Running Hot. It was a fast read and
action packed all the way through. I loved the characters and felt they worked
well together.
Although
Jayne pretty much explains the whole Arcane Society theme in Running Hot, I
would recommend that those who haven't read the previous books in the series
try them. It would be good to become familiar with the plot of the stories and
some of the characters mentioned in this book. For example, Zack Jones is
talked about several times in this book. He had his own story in the previous
Arcane book Sizzle and Burn.
One other
note: For those who are Jayne fans and read her Eclipse Bay series you might
remember not all together there character Arizona Snow. Jayne reintroduces
readers to Arizona Snow in Running Hot giving readers a completely new
explanation on why Arizona acts the way she does. Bringing Arizona in was just
a fun side note to this book. It's all just part of the charm that can be found
in Jayne's books.
I recommend
this book to anyone who likes a good love story with sweet love scenes. The
paranormal angle takes the reader away from any sort of reality, but the ideas
are original and the story line is clever.
It'll be
interesting to see if Fallon Jones get the next Arcane Society book. The more
we see Fallon in the series the more interesting his character becomes.