I finished the Silhouette Nocturne Raintree series and realized that sometimes a series can be better than the sum of it's parts. I liked this series because I enjoyed the overall story arc more than the individual stories themselves, though I liked all three of the books.Linda Howard's Raintree: Inferno is probably the weakest romance of the three, but it does a very good job setting the stage for the overall story arc. It does most of the world building, telling of the back story and ground laying for the Raintree/Ansara storyline. I know many readers had issues with the "brain rape" but it worked okay for me within the context of the story and overall Dante and Lorna worked for me, even if he's a little over the top.
I think Linda Winstead Jones' Raintree: Haunted is probably the strongest romance of the three. Gideon and Hope work well together and their attraction is immediate and works. All three stories have a "fated and mated" theme, but Haunted worked the best of the three despite this.It also has an interesting sub-plot to the overall story arc with the female assassin playing cat and mouse with them. Nicely done.
Last in the series is Beverly Barton's Raintree: Sanctuary. This was one of those books that shouldn't work, but somehow does anyway. A back story filled with a secret identity and secret baby should have sent the book against the wall, but somehow it works even though I didn't particularly like the little girl (secret baby), but ultimately she's pivotal to the story arc resolution. He's kind of an Anne Stuart type of anti-hero. He's dishonest in the past and the present, but it works within the context of the story.Raintree/Ansara story line comes to a head in the final book with a satisfying conclusion and overall worked for me.
7 comments:
I haven't read this series yet - I'm hearing mixed reactions to it, but I am loving the Nocturne line so I'll probably have to give in and buy it.
None worked for me, especially the Jones book, that started off well but tanked. Anyway, I like seeing different opinions.
Dangit! You knew the comparison to an Anne Stuart anti-hero would draw me in. I bought Howard's last weekend.
CindyS
Jaynie--These are the only Nocturne books I've read and I thought all were "Good", I guess that means I should try the rest of the line :)
Keishon--I thought the Jones book was the only one that would have stood alone (if you don't include the very end when he up and runs for the "Sanctuary")
Cindy--read the first if you don't HATE Dante then I think you'll be okay with Judah :)
I wasn't too interested in this series, but for some reason the Barton one sounded appealling. The review at AAR made it sound as though I could read it without doing the other two, and still enjoy. What do you think?
I was irritated by the lightweight contribution of Linda Howard, but I agree with your assessment of the other two books. Not great, but good. I'm right there with you on LWJ book. I think it's the best of the three.
For people who haven't read these books I think this is a pretty fair assessment of what they can expect.
Devonna, you probably could read it as a stand alone, but don't be surprised if you're interested in reading the rest of the stories too.
Rosie, when I read the Howard I had the same feelings I had after reading the first in Nora Roberts last series, too much world building not enough romance but by the time I finished the series I thought the series needed that first book to pull it all together.
Of course it could also be that I'm a Linda Howard fangirl and refuse to admit it wasn't that good--LOL
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