The Path of Daggers

**Links: Prequel * Book 1 * Book 2 * Book 3 * Book 4 * Book 5 * Book 6 * Book 7**

Book 8 in Robert Jordan's epic fantasy The Wheel of Time. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Maybe because it was shorter than the last book, maybe because the story really sucked me in. I don't know. But I enjoyed reading this.

The weather has changed after Nynaeve and Elayne, along with Sea Folk Windfinders, other Aes Sedai, and a group of runaways and wilders called Kinswomen channeled into the Bowl of the Winds. Now, winter has struck across the entire world. It is a drastic change from the heat they had been suffering with.

Egwene and her army (and the rest of the rebel Aes Sedai) are traveling towards the White Tower, where they intend to bring down Elaida and gain control of the home base of the Aes Sedai.

Rand is really struggling. The entire world is against him, but he needs to live to see the end because the entire world depends on him as the Dragon Reborn. The question is, will he survive the end?

Perrin is on the tail of Masema, the Prophet of the Dragon. Masema is creating chaos wherever he goes, all in the name of the Dragon Reborn. Perrin has to handle this and bring Masema to Rand so that the killing and chaos can stop.

I'm kind of looking forward to going on and dreading the next book. Supposedly, book 9 is extremely slow, but we'll see.

Beauty's Release

**Links: Book 1 * Book 2**

I'm sort of glad that I'm finally done with this series. It just made me feel sort of uncomfortable. When so much of the book is basically just forcible rape, it's hard to be ok with what's going on.

Granted, this last book was a little easier. There was less beatings and whippings, but there was still that raping going on. Beauty and five other "slaves" were kidnapped and taken to an Arab country to become slaves to a Sultan. But they're treated, not necessarily better, but gentler in their new location. Hence, less beatings. So I was able to deal with this story a little better.

I still don't know that I'll ever read this series again. Unlike Fifty Shades (which excited me), I just couldn't handle the discomfort that this story made me feel.

A Crown of Swords

**Links: Prequel * Book 1 * Book 2 * Book 3 * Book 4 * Book 5 * Book 6**

Book seven of this epic fantasy series mostly followed two groups of characters. You follow Rand through a huge chunk of this book as he plots how to kill Sammael, one of the Forsaken. He has control over some Aes Sedai in addition to all of his followers in various countries and the Aiel.

But you also follow Elayne, Nynaeve, Mat, and various other characters in their grouping during this book. Elayne and Nynaeve have been tasked by Egwene (the Amyrlin of the rebel Aes Sedai) to find a bowl that can change the course of the weather, which, in the middle of winter, is scaldingly hot no matter where the characters are. In places where there is supposed to be snow, there is only heat.

Following the various different characters can sometimes be confusing. You have to be able to follow the different story lines, because the stories are not really the same for the different characters that you follow. But, if you are able to follow anywhere from two to half a dozen story lines, you will likely enjoy this series.

I enjoyed this one. Granted, they don't follow my favorite characters (Perrin and Faile) much, but the story was exciting, more so than some of the other books in this series.

Beauty's Punishment

**Link: Book 1**

Ok. The second book in this series is definitely better than the first book was. There's more of a story that happens, and the sexual parts are a little more fulfilling, both for the reader and the sex slave in the book.

But don't get me wrong. I still wouldn't recommend this to anyone who isn't in to that complete depravity and the complete sexual submission that is very prominent in this book.

There's more love that occurs in this book. Not necessarily full blown romantic love, but a definite tenderness. Beauty and other slaves are sent to "the village" which appears to be a much better environment for her at least. There is still the harshness of the abuse (whipping, paddling, etc), but that tenderness is apparent and kept me from feeling completely sorry for the characters that are slaves.

If you think you can handle this series, go for it. But I won't say that I whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone. It comes to personal preference.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty

I think I decided to read this series partly because of the whole Fifty Shades of Grey fascination. It's on the cover of the newest edition of this series that was published in 1983. "If you liked 50 Shades of Grey, you'll love the Sleeping Beauty trilogy".

But here's what they don't tell you. If you liked the domination/submission part of Fifty Shades, you'll love these. What I truly enjoyed about Fifty Shades is so not in this book.

The first of the trilogy, The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty is just that. It's the tale of what happens after Sleeping Beauty is awoken from her long slumber in her castle. But it's entirely about sexual submission and beatings. There are words like "love" and "passion" scattered through the emotions of this book, but what it really is in simple terms is control and abuse. More than was ever in Fifty Shades.

It was a good enough book considering it's erotica. But there's not much story to it. Beauty is a sex slave, plain and simple, and the entire 250+ pages are about the Prince gaining control and dominating her through the use of cruel means.

I wouldn't really recommend this to, well, anyone I know. It's just not that kind of book.

Little Women

I can confess that this book took me so long to read because I was reading it to my daughter at night. I wanted to read classic novels to her at bedtime, and I figured I could start with Little Women.

This is such a moving story when all is said and done. There is love and loss, but the most important aspect is the growth of the four young women - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. The way that they grow and learn is the heart and soul of this story and I so enjoyed sharing that with my two year old. She doesn't understand, but I feel great sharing it with her.

Tissues are needed for a certain chapter in this book (where the loss happens), because I know I was driven to sobs by it.

The only thing I did not completely enjoy about the book is the almost preachy nature. It has a lot of religious references, but I was able to overlook a lot of them because Louisa May Alcott managed to cover the preaching and religious stuff under some good morals that anyone can use - religious or not.

Debt of Bones

The prequel to the Sword of Truth series. Yes, another epic fantasy series that I own. This is a short and sweet book. 160 pages and you're done. It really shows you the character of Zedd before you meet him in the first book of the series. He is a good guy, but he has a pair of nicknames. He is the wind of death, but he is also the trickster.

I enjoyed this book - novella really - because it is a brief introduction to a character that will be confusing and difficult to read in the coming book.