Favorite Novels of 2008

To round out my lists of favorites this week, I present my favorite novel length reads of the year.

4th Runner Up
A Greater Art by Ainsley Davidson

Certain genres have to try harder for me to engage with it. Science fiction is one of them. So when I find a truly fabulous story, I get excited. A Greater Art has dense world-building, sympathetic leads, and a complex plot. I read this in a single sitting, much to my family's chagrin, but I absolutely couldn't put it down.

3rd Runner Up
I Bid One American by Amy Corwin

Guess what another genre is that has to try harder with me? Yep, historicals. And yet, this charmer made me laugh and smile more than any other book in my top 5 this year. The vast majority of the cast is quirky and fun, and the story rolls along at such a brisk pace that you don't even realize it's over until you've turned the last virtual page.

2nd Runner Up
Death of a Pirate King by Josh Lanyon

It's no secret I'm a fan of the Adrien English Mysteries. I reviewed all four books this year, but this is the one I think is the best of the bunch. Not only is this the one with the most complex emotional map, but it's also the one that took my sheer dislike for Jake and turned it on its ear. I have serious problems with abusive characters, and Jake's actions in the previous book had - I thought - cemented my feelings for him. Lanyon's talent is such that I was wrong. And I'll gladly be wrong again.

1st Runner Up
Highlander's Challenge by Jo Barrett

This sat on my TBR pile for far too long. When Teddypig recommended it, I should have bumped it up my list. This one thrives because of its powerful leads. Colin is one of the best alpha heroes I read all year, and Tuck epitomizes the best of what makes a good heroine. Their chemistry is through the roof, so much so that I absolutely had to order a print copy of this as soon as I finished it.

And my favorite novel of 2008 is...
Border Roads by Sarah Black

I give out few 10s when it comes to the entertainment value of my scoring system. To me, those are the best of the best, the keepers that have pushed me to react in ways other stories haven't quite done. Border Roads not only has exquisite details as it builds its world, but it also has a wealth of memorable characters, men and women who leap off the page and tug at every single heartstring I have. There is power in this story, in the raw depths of the angst, in the rich descriptions of their interactions, in the sheer number of chances that the author takes that could have backfired. I love this story to pieces. I only wish Loose Id would release it in print so that I could have a physical copy for my keeper shelf.

A Greater Art by Ainsley Davidson

TITLE: A Greater Art
AUTHOR: Ainsley Davidson
PUBLISHER: Amira Press
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 84k)
GENRE: Science fiction romance
COST: $6.00

Fearful for her three daughters’ safety and well-being, widowed Merianne flees her home planet for Vuetha, a planet where outcasts hide and try to build new lives. There, she thinks she can finally find peace, but her daughters’ friendship with a scientist where she works threatens everything she has built. Thorne looks like a Trueblood, the aristocratic race that rules her home planet, but his claims that he’s not ring true. His presence, however, provokes latent Talents in her daughters – unique sensory skills coveted amongst the Trueblood, and when Merianne’s old enemy kidnaps them, she has no choice but to join forces with Thorne to get them back…

Dense, complicated, and thoroughly absorbing, A Greater Art sucked me in and refused to let me go until I had finished it in a single sitting. What appealed to me most about it was that, though it was obvious from the first paragraphs it would be romance, the overlying plot with its extraordinary world building plays the significant role here. The romance happens as an organic offshoot of the completely separate conflict which, frankly, doesn’t happen a lot in sci-fi romantic e-books. I would have been just as satisfied if there hadn’t been a romance between Merianne and Thorne; that’s how much I enjoyed the rest of it.

But…there is a romance, and it’s wonderfully realistic. The characters don't start out in love or lust, though Thorne is attracted to Merianne. Merianne, for her part, has no inclination of anything romantic toward Thorne until well after she's past her paranoia about what he is, which lends even more credence to its authenticity. Then there are the actual characterizations. Thorne isn’t perfect. He’s a freesearcher, which means he hires out his unique research on a contractual basis, moving from one planet to another. He doesn’t have long-term relationships with anything but his work, even if he’s a good guy at heart. Merianne isn’t perfect, either. She’s slow to trust, often obsessive, and when the two are separated for a long period in the latter third of the book, becomes increasingly human by developing feelings – albeit not nearly as strong – for another man. Together, however, Merianne and Thorne bring out the best in each other. Their warmth radiates off the page, and in the end, there is nothing I want more than to see two people who obviously need each other so much, get their happy ending.

Overlying all of this is the kidnapping/rescue plot of Merianne’s children. Thorne has his own reasons for needing to be involved that are just as important as the fact that he’s grown to care for the girls and their mother, and every step they take toward leaving Vuetha in pursuit is rich in detail and mood. The only time in the story that it starts to flag for me is once they reach the other planet. There, they are separated, because Merianne is born to the serf class and the two don’t mix. The first part of their separation is written well, but there are a few chapters where quite a bit of time elapses, and the author resorts to vague summary in order to move the story forward. Granted, not a whole lot happens in that time period, but ultimately, it weakens the climax. For all the build-up and all the painstaking detail, I honestly expected more and was mildly let down by what actually happened.

Regardless of that, though, my investment in the characters and involvement in the plot compensate to make this a more than worthwhile read. Special kudos, too, to the author for creating such vivid worlds. This was a fabulous and absorbing read.

Readability	8/10 – Dense prose and sometimes awkward phrasing, but the characterization and a compelling plot compensate
Hero	8/10 – Driven and compelling
Heroine	8/10 – Warm and relatable
Entertainment value	9/10 – The only thing that mars this was the rushed through last quarter
World building	10/10 – Fully realized and believable, I was completely immersed
TOTAL:	43/50