A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Josie
One Thousand Kisses is an unusually long (I'm guessing 150,000 words or so) complex story full of faeries, gnomes, cats, and magical globes. It's the second in a series, although it stands alone. Ember Fiertag, an elected official, is fighting for political survival. He'd have a better chance if he weren't obsessed with fighting corruption and trying to bring those who'd wronged him to justice. His fights have exhausted him, he's worn down, and using globe magic (the equivalent of human drugs) to keep him going. On top of all this, he pines for his foretold bondmate, Anisette "Ani" Serendipity. Ani is a healer and a kind faery who has no idea Ember harbors a flame for her or that they are intended for one another. Her attitude toward Ember is part reverence, part dislike. Besides that, she has a pursuer who intends to bond with her. When it becomes clear she is not interested in the other faery, his clan tries to force a bond between them. Ember finds her after the debauched attempt. Between Ani's troubles and his quest, the pair find themselves thrown together and escape to human space where magic often goes awry. Ember is hot on the trail of the faeries he's determined to bring down. While he wants to protect Ani, he's too worn down and finds she is the one helping him. Meanwhile Ember still hasn't told her they are bondmates, and because he hasn't he's put off sex with Ani because it would bring about a transformation Ani can't change. His behavior sends mixed messages, and their romance stays on hold. But they do have bigger problems like the threats to both the human world and the faery realm. As Ember fights to save both, Ani fights to keep him alive. Then when it seems they have succeeded, all hell breaks loose. As I stated earlier, One Thousand Kisses is a complicated story. Trying to summarize it, with all its subplot, is difficult. The author does a fantastic job of world building, though she has so much of it to do, the story sometimes reads like a textbook. One Thousand Kisses varied from typical stories because Ember was often compromised and it was Ani who came to his rescue. By the end Ember redeems himself and the story is a satisfying read. I am impressed with the quality of writing and how the author wrestles this behemoth into something that made sense. I'm guessing some people will love the complexity and faery world while others would rather not keep track of so many characters, worlds, and subplots. Overall, it's an ambitious, noteworthy piece of work.
Jun 17, 2011 | 978-1-60928-357-5
5 - Rare Top Pick | 4.5 - Top Pick | 4 - I Liked It | 3.5 - Enjoyable | 3 - OK | 2.5 - It just didn't click
Book Blurb for One Thousand Kisses
When one path closes, another opens—if they survive the journey.
Embor Fiertag, Primary of the Court, has overcome no tougher challenge than the three facing him right now: get reelected, capture the rogue agents who tried to murder him, and improve his love life. The third one should be easy—except he hasn’t exactly told Court trainee Anisette Serendipity she’s his foretold bondmate. Plus, she’s dating his chief political rival and doesn’t seem to like Embor. At. All.
Ani has good reason to avoid the stern, serious Embor. Her wayward sister almost got him killed once, and now he monitors Ani like he expects her to do worse. But Ani’s not the adventurous type. She can’t even break up with Warran Torval, a man she knows she doesn’t want, a man who spends half his time plotting Embor’s downfall.
When Torval attempts to force a bond with Ani, Embor senses her fear and steps in…directly into an unsavory political strategy gone all too right. Forced to flee together to humanspace with a manipulative magical cat, Embor and Ani must find the courage to reveal—and heal—their vulnerabilities before the fabric between the Fey Realm and humanspace is ripped to shreds.
Product Warnings
This title contains sex, fairy drugs, rampant gnomes, bloodshed, and cats ruling the world. As they should.
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