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Senyaza #2
Infinity Key
As her best friend is pulled into the supernatural underworld, Branwyn isn’t about to sit on the sidelines. Unfortunately, Branwyn is decidedly mortal, and in the supernatural underworld, humans are weak and helpless, no better than toys, tools and prey. But she isn’t having any of that. Branwyn wants to face the world on her own terms, mortal or not.
When she strikes a bargain with an imprisoned faerie, Branwyn thinks she’s found the solution. He’ll teach her magic and she’ll use that magic on his behalf. It’s a great deal, until she discovers what the faeries really want from her: there’s a door that only she can open…
When she strikes a bargain with an imprisoned faerie, Branwyn thinks she’s found the solution. He’ll teach her magic and she’ll use that magic on his behalf. It’s a great deal, until she discovers what the faeries really want from her: there’s a door that only she can open…
- GenresFantasy
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2013
10 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Chrysoula Tzavelas
25 books104 followersI grew up as an Air Force brat, so I read a lot, mostly from libraries. I started with animal stories and moved onto magical animal stories, and ended up in fantasy. I've also gone through science fiction phases but I find fantasy more consistently entertaining.
When I was a small child I wrote an earnest letter to the creators of He-Man, suggesting they give him a twin sister named She-Woman, with a winged unicorn friend. Because I thought girls should get to save the day, too.
I've also been interested in angels and computer games for most of my life. These things influence my writing. If you decide to check it out, I hope you enjoy it!
I do review books. 3 stars means I enjoyed it. :-) 4 stars means I really liked it. 5 stars means I think it's something very special. Important factors for me in rating books include the strength of the writing, how compelling the characters are, how satisfied I was with the ending, how much fun I had reading it, how evocative the world-building is, how quickly I read it and how many times I stopped reading to say, "Wait, what?"
When I was a small child I wrote an earnest letter to the creators of He-Man, suggesting they give him a twin sister named She-Woman, with a winged unicorn friend. Because I thought girls should get to save the day, too.
I've also been interested in angels and computer games for most of my life. These things influence my writing. If you decide to check it out, I hope you enjoy it!
I do review books. 3 stars means I enjoyed it. :-) 4 stars means I really liked it. 5 stars means I think it's something very special. Important factors for me in rating books include the strength of the writing, how compelling the characters are, how satisfied I was with the ending, how much fun I had reading it, how evocative the world-building is, how quickly I read it and how many times I stopped reading to say, "Wait, what?"
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May 19, 2015Later maybe I'll post some of the experience of writing it. But not until more people have read it. :-)
October 25, 2013
Infinity Key is the second book about Branwyn and her friends. The only thing you need to know from the first book is that Penny was horribly wounded in her soul by the battle and is lying unconscious and very slowing dying. Branwyn decides that she will do something to change the situation in spite of the reality that she is human and has no magic.
She makes a deal with Tarn, the fairie Lord of Underlight to learn the work of an artificer in exchange for creating a mirror. What Tarn wants is a key to one of the doors that lock the fairie realm away from the humans. Branwyn has friends who are trying to stop her and enemies that are trying to help her. The magic costs her more than she could have imagined, but one way or another she is going to help Penny.
Infinity Key is what urban fantasy should be. It is gritty and detailed. Fairies are not just longer lived humans and there are monsters in the shadows. The politics of the different groups is also complex. Branwyn's character and that of her friends are very well drawn and their actions stay true to their characters. I would recommend this book for any lover of urban fantasy.
She makes a deal with Tarn, the fairie Lord of Underlight to learn the work of an artificer in exchange for creating a mirror. What Tarn wants is a key to one of the doors that lock the fairie realm away from the humans. Branwyn has friends who are trying to stop her and enemies that are trying to help her. The magic costs her more than she could have imagined, but one way or another she is going to help Penny.
Infinity Key is what urban fantasy should be. It is gritty and detailed. Fairies are not just longer lived humans and there are monsters in the shadows. The politics of the different groups is also complex. Branwyn's character and that of her friends are very well drawn and their actions stay true to their characters. I would recommend this book for any lover of urban fantasy.
August 31, 2018
Fabulous!
This series is fantastic! Wonderful characters that follow through out the series. Great plot twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this series.
This series is fantastic! Wonderful characters that follow through out the series. Great plot twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this series.
August 8, 2014
Earlier this year, I read Chrysoula Tzavelas‘ debut novel, Matchbox Girls, enjoying it quite a bit. You can see my thoughts on that book here, if you like.
Infinity Key is the sequel to Matchbox Girls, the second book in Tzavelas’ Senyaza series. It takes up where the first book ended, but stands alone pretty well. Tzavelas’ does a good job of catching readers up to the plot, although that aspect does feel a little stiff in spots. Infinity Key follows Branwyn Lennox in her quest to rescue her friend who has fallen into a coma thanks to an angel with ill intent consuming her soul. Branwyn is the Action Girl to Marley Claviger’s Research Girl, some of which we got to see in MG. Branwyn shines in Infinity Key, though, and I’m really glad she got to be the star of her own book.
In order to achieve her quest, Branwyn makes a deal with a lord of Faerie and has to contend with his ulterior motives, a host of adversaries, plus her own family and a worried Marley who wants to protect her, but can’t without her permission. Part of the deal is that Tarn (the lord) shows Branwyn how to affect matter magically instead of physically (“dreams and metaphysics” meshing with “iron and steel and titanium.”).
Infinity Key is a good read, and much of that is thanks to the character of Branwyn Lennox. I found her to be a ton of fun because she really does live up to her nickname of Action Girl. She’s not one to mope and fret about what to do. She just does.
Which gets her into all sorts of trouble as she has to tangle with powerful kaiju, Severin (who we met in Matchbox Girls) and the Hunter. While these are not the traditional kaiju from Japanese horror movies, they are still monsters. The scene in chapter 16 where Branwyn actually sees what lurks under the guises these two show the human world is chilling. And while the characters are quite different, the attraction between Branwyn and Severin reminds me a smidge of that between Yeine Darr and the Nightlord in N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Just something about the terror lurking underneath, although with Severin, that terror isn’t restrained by anything.
One of the things I like about Infinity Key is that Branwyn’s attractions (she and Tarn have sparks (perhaps less frightening) happening, too) aren’t the center of the story. They’re there, but this isn’t a romance novel. Branwyn’s main focus is her dying friend. Saving her is what matters.
Branwyn also has to deal with other lords of Faerie, one of whom goes after her family. Apparently, Branwyn’s badassedness is genetic; her sisters are not people to mess with, either.
As with Matchbox Girls, the prose of Infinity Key is a pleasure to read, for the most part. Tzavelas’ comes up with some wonderful imagery: “handmade paper that smelled of the ocean” and eyes “gleaming like a new-wakened predator’s,” for example. Also, interesting uses of words: “acrid light”, sparkling winds, and a “faulted coast.” I took that last to mean California. What a fun choice.
My disappointments with Infinity Key are few. Occasionally, the writing stumbles, but hey, we can’t all be Ursula Le Guin. I also missed a few of the characters from Matchbox Girls—Corbin especially—but the characters we do meet and the ones we get to know better helped make up for that.
Infinity Key is a fun, fast-paced urban fantasy tale. It’s a good successor to Matchbox Girls. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the Senyaza series, Wolf Interval.
Infinity Key is the sequel to Matchbox Girls, the second book in Tzavelas’ Senyaza series. It takes up where the first book ended, but stands alone pretty well. Tzavelas’ does a good job of catching readers up to the plot, although that aspect does feel a little stiff in spots. Infinity Key follows Branwyn Lennox in her quest to rescue her friend who has fallen into a coma thanks to an angel with ill intent consuming her soul. Branwyn is the Action Girl to Marley Claviger’s Research Girl, some of which we got to see in MG. Branwyn shines in Infinity Key, though, and I’m really glad she got to be the star of her own book.
In order to achieve her quest, Branwyn makes a deal with a lord of Faerie and has to contend with his ulterior motives, a host of adversaries, plus her own family and a worried Marley who wants to protect her, but can’t without her permission. Part of the deal is that Tarn (the lord) shows Branwyn how to affect matter magically instead of physically (“dreams and metaphysics” meshing with “iron and steel and titanium.”).
Infinity Key is a good read, and much of that is thanks to the character of Branwyn Lennox. I found her to be a ton of fun because she really does live up to her nickname of Action Girl. She’s not one to mope and fret about what to do. She just does.
Which gets her into all sorts of trouble as she has to tangle with powerful kaiju, Severin (who we met in Matchbox Girls) and the Hunter. While these are not the traditional kaiju from Japanese horror movies, they are still monsters. The scene in chapter 16 where Branwyn actually sees what lurks under the guises these two show the human world is chilling. And while the characters are quite different, the attraction between Branwyn and Severin reminds me a smidge of that between Yeine Darr and the Nightlord in N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Just something about the terror lurking underneath, although with Severin, that terror isn’t restrained by anything.
One of the things I like about Infinity Key is that Branwyn’s attractions (she and Tarn have sparks (perhaps less frightening) happening, too) aren’t the center of the story. They’re there, but this isn’t a romance novel. Branwyn’s main focus is her dying friend. Saving her is what matters.
Branwyn also has to deal with other lords of Faerie, one of whom goes after her family. Apparently, Branwyn’s badassedness is genetic; her sisters are not people to mess with, either.
As with Matchbox Girls, the prose of Infinity Key is a pleasure to read, for the most part. Tzavelas’ comes up with some wonderful imagery: “handmade paper that smelled of the ocean” and eyes “gleaming like a new-wakened predator’s,” for example. Also, interesting uses of words: “acrid light”, sparkling winds, and a “faulted coast.” I took that last to mean California. What a fun choice.
My disappointments with Infinity Key are few. Occasionally, the writing stumbles, but hey, we can’t all be Ursula Le Guin. I also missed a few of the characters from Matchbox Girls—Corbin especially—but the characters we do meet and the ones we get to know better helped make up for that.
Infinity Key is a fun, fast-paced urban fantasy tale. It’s a good successor to Matchbox Girls. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the Senyaza series, Wolf Interval.
September 27, 2014
Branwyn is human. A nice, normal human – which isn’t a great thing to be when magical shenanigans, monsters, fae and wizards are running around. There can be no greater evidence of this than her best friend, Penny, slowly dying in a hospital bed. A fate that could have been Branwyn’s if Marley hadn’t worked so hard to keep her out of the supernatural drama that had consumed her life.
Branwyn doesn’t want to be protected, she doesn’t want to be a tool, a victim or something to be sheltered and she certainly doesn’t want to sit and watch her best friend die. Against all advice and all established knowledge, she reaches out to Tarn, a fae noble, in his imprisonment in the fae world. He’s definitely using her for his own devices but he is the only one who offers even flimsy hope of saving Penny’s life – and, perhaps, of Branwyn learning some human skills that will allow her to protect herself in the magical world she has been plunged into.
When I started reading this book I was very worried I would hate Branwyn because in many ways she does exactly what I hate human characters in Urban Fantasy to do. She seeks out danger, she gets in way over her head, she doesn’t listen to warnings, she takes massive risks and she doesn’t know nearly enough to be safe. That is usually a recipe for me to be cursing a character and the magical luck that allows her to somehow exist and breathe through.
But Branwyn works. She works because she is extremely, painfully, aware of how vulnerable she is in fact the core of everything she does is because she is so vulnerable – she’s trying to reduce that vulnerability. She’s an aware human in the supernatural world – she’s inherently vulnerable. She’s tired of having to rely on the (sometimes dubious) protection of others and she can’t bring herself to pretend she isn’t aware of the supernatural around her. She needs to take these risks or spend the rest of her life being at risk or dependent on other people which is most definitely not her nor something she could endure.
It works, it fits her personality – she’s irrepressible, irreverent, fun loving, passionate and defiant – not in a constantly angry kind of way, but in her insistence that she will walk her own path and do her own thing and isn’t going to accept what others lay down as “the way things are.” This also makes her very determined and completely unwilling to accept the inevitable fatalism about Penny’s slow death, nor accept that her vulnerability or lesser status is just something she has to put up with. She’s also, unlike Marley, not willing to take the word of Senyaza for anything –neither assuming they know everything or assuming that they have her best interests in mind (especially since they’re more than a little condescending when it comes to humans anyway)
This makes her an excellent, caring, challenging character – if I had any criticism at al, it’s that her “irreverence” often comes across as brash or even outright rude with little justification for it – and seems more like showing off bravado than appropriateness of the situation. But then, when the only power you have in a situation is confidence and bluff – and making it abundantly clear to all concerned that you will NOT be playing by their rules then you have to spin it well.
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Branwyn doesn’t want to be protected, she doesn’t want to be a tool, a victim or something to be sheltered and she certainly doesn’t want to sit and watch her best friend die. Against all advice and all established knowledge, she reaches out to Tarn, a fae noble, in his imprisonment in the fae world. He’s definitely using her for his own devices but he is the only one who offers even flimsy hope of saving Penny’s life – and, perhaps, of Branwyn learning some human skills that will allow her to protect herself in the magical world she has been plunged into.
When I started reading this book I was very worried I would hate Branwyn because in many ways she does exactly what I hate human characters in Urban Fantasy to do. She seeks out danger, she gets in way over her head, she doesn’t listen to warnings, she takes massive risks and she doesn’t know nearly enough to be safe. That is usually a recipe for me to be cursing a character and the magical luck that allows her to somehow exist and breathe through.
But Branwyn works. She works because she is extremely, painfully, aware of how vulnerable she is in fact the core of everything she does is because she is so vulnerable – she’s trying to reduce that vulnerability. She’s an aware human in the supernatural world – she’s inherently vulnerable. She’s tired of having to rely on the (sometimes dubious) protection of others and she can’t bring herself to pretend she isn’t aware of the supernatural around her. She needs to take these risks or spend the rest of her life being at risk or dependent on other people which is most definitely not her nor something she could endure.
It works, it fits her personality – she’s irrepressible, irreverent, fun loving, passionate and defiant – not in a constantly angry kind of way, but in her insistence that she will walk her own path and do her own thing and isn’t going to accept what others lay down as “the way things are.” This also makes her very determined and completely unwilling to accept the inevitable fatalism about Penny’s slow death, nor accept that her vulnerability or lesser status is just something she has to put up with. She’s also, unlike Marley, not willing to take the word of Senyaza for anything –neither assuming they know everything or assuming that they have her best interests in mind (especially since they’re more than a little condescending when it comes to humans anyway)
This makes her an excellent, caring, challenging character – if I had any criticism at al, it’s that her “irreverence” often comes across as brash or even outright rude with little justification for it – and seems more like showing off bravado than appropriateness of the situation. But then, when the only power you have in a situation is confidence and bluff – and making it abundantly clear to all concerned that you will NOT be playing by their rules then you have to spin it well.
Read More
November 13, 2013
Infinity Key. Chrysoula Tzavelas.
Review from Jeannie Zelos Book Reviews
I'd not read the first book, Matchbox Girls, but after reading and loving this one I would love to just to find out how it all started. Some of the events of that book are referred to and shape incidents in this one, but never the less I was able to follow and enjoy the story regardless. Branwyn is a mortal caught up by her friends in the supernatural world. She strong, not going to back down to the supernaturals just because of a tiny thing like her being Mortal....I loved her,. Strong and loyal to her friends, trusting and always out to help any and everyone she a great girl. She met Faerie Lord Tarn in the first book, and has some kind of link which allows her to enter his world. I'm sure if I’d read book one I’d know more about that, but suffice to say she can enter a portal and does. Tarn wants something from her – I get the feeling there may have been something close between them and she's hoping for him to make next move, while he has but she hasn't got the message...but I could be wrong. Its just that to me there does seem to be – in spite of actions that may suggest otherwise – a closeness between the two that neither are quite ready to admit in case the other feels differently. A sort of treading on eggshells feeling maybe. Anyway Tarn has an art commission for her, and while explaining that they agree he will teach her magic, seems great til she learns more about what else will happen. Then she's torn because as well as the consequences of that which she worries about, she wants to help one of her friends who is in a coma with a “shredded soul” ...and she needs Tarn to help.
What seems like a simple task expands, puts her and others in danger, though Branwyn gets the bulk of it. Her family get caught up in the world of faeries and their deviousness, and Branwyn needs to do what’s right while doing least harm. She's very enterprising, and goes down avenues that would never have occurred to me. Danger- death even- to herself doesn't stop her when she thinks she can help her friends. Tarn seems to crop up just at the right moments, along with other characters, some who mean her harm, and some who help but at a steep cost. Its all a careful balance for her treading along narrow lines that divide mortals and supernaturals. The rules are always changing too – can she pull it all off and survive. And what place does Tarn have – well, its a book full of suggestions, suspicions, double dealing, spells and the most amazing magic she learns to work.
I loved this story, would love to read the first book, and look forward to what comes next. This one is priced at £3.21/$4.99 for 260 pages. Definitely one for the keeper files to be re read.
Stars: great read, full five.
Arc supplied by Netgalley.
Review from Jeannie Zelos Book Reviews
I'd not read the first book, Matchbox Girls, but after reading and loving this one I would love to just to find out how it all started. Some of the events of that book are referred to and shape incidents in this one, but never the less I was able to follow and enjoy the story regardless. Branwyn is a mortal caught up by her friends in the supernatural world. She strong, not going to back down to the supernaturals just because of a tiny thing like her being Mortal....I loved her,. Strong and loyal to her friends, trusting and always out to help any and everyone she a great girl. She met Faerie Lord Tarn in the first book, and has some kind of link which allows her to enter his world. I'm sure if I’d read book one I’d know more about that, but suffice to say she can enter a portal and does. Tarn wants something from her – I get the feeling there may have been something close between them and she's hoping for him to make next move, while he has but she hasn't got the message...but I could be wrong. Its just that to me there does seem to be – in spite of actions that may suggest otherwise – a closeness between the two that neither are quite ready to admit in case the other feels differently. A sort of treading on eggshells feeling maybe. Anyway Tarn has an art commission for her, and while explaining that they agree he will teach her magic, seems great til she learns more about what else will happen. Then she's torn because as well as the consequences of that which she worries about, she wants to help one of her friends who is in a coma with a “shredded soul” ...and she needs Tarn to help.
What seems like a simple task expands, puts her and others in danger, though Branwyn gets the bulk of it. Her family get caught up in the world of faeries and their deviousness, and Branwyn needs to do what’s right while doing least harm. She's very enterprising, and goes down avenues that would never have occurred to me. Danger- death even- to herself doesn't stop her when she thinks she can help her friends. Tarn seems to crop up just at the right moments, along with other characters, some who mean her harm, and some who help but at a steep cost. Its all a careful balance for her treading along narrow lines that divide mortals and supernaturals. The rules are always changing too – can she pull it all off and survive. And what place does Tarn have – well, its a book full of suggestions, suspicions, double dealing, spells and the most amazing magic she learns to work.
I loved this story, would love to read the first book, and look forward to what comes next. This one is priced at £3.21/$4.99 for 260 pages. Definitely one for the keeper files to be re read.
Stars: great read, full five.
Arc supplied by Netgalley.
November 13, 2013
When I decided to read Infinity Key, it was a shot in the dark. Although the story seemed interesting, the book cover made me think if the content wouldn't be a little too childish. Don't get me wrong: I did like the book cover! So I started to read it.
Infinity Key is the second volume of the Senyaza Series. It's the story of Branwyn, a mortal girl who will do everything she can to save her friend Penny, who is slowly dying with a shredded soul.
Although I did not read the first book in the series (Matchbox Girls), this second one is very easy to read. Even though at first I wouldn't understand it all, as the pages went by I was able to understand the "whys" of some actions and characters. Now I can't wait to read the first volume, since I really enjoyed Infinity Key. And, of course, I can't wait to read the third one too!
This is an excelent fantasy book, where faeries, angels, nephilims and other creatures live in a paralel universe. Slowly, they are moving to our universe, and the difference between the various beings is extremely well developped. The author managed to create a complex world, with interesting characters that quickly enchant us. The story is very simple: Bran tries all she can to save Penny, by making a deal with the Faerie Lord Tarn, and then she begins to practice the few magic she knows. Her adventures to find the three Machine pieces needed are delicious; if I had to choose only one, than my favourite would be the first one, since it was the first time I was actually introduced to the other world.
And then we have the characters. Lovely characters! There were two who I liked the most: Tarn and Severin. Tarn's enchantment and seduction are easy to explain, there's something in there that connects him to Bran, and the most romantic readers will hope that is love. Severin... well, Severin is harder to explain. It's a terrible character, but something in him attracted me. I can't wait to know when, and how, he will come back. As I didn't read the Matchbox Girls, I lack some characters' info, but I'm very curious about Simon, Zachariah and Bran's brother. And also her grandmother, since she is not physically in the book but still haunts Bran's conscience, I'd like to know why.
I really liked Infinity Key. Although Bran is a little cliché - the typical heroin girl who will risk her life to save her friend - the story is wonderful, and there's a great potential to develop the characters and their relationships. All the world that was created, so full of magic! An excelent book.
PT version: http://eu-e-o-bam.blogspot.pt/2013/11...
Infinity Key is the second volume of the Senyaza Series. It's the story of Branwyn, a mortal girl who will do everything she can to save her friend Penny, who is slowly dying with a shredded soul.
Although I did not read the first book in the series (Matchbox Girls), this second one is very easy to read. Even though at first I wouldn't understand it all, as the pages went by I was able to understand the "whys" of some actions and characters. Now I can't wait to read the first volume, since I really enjoyed Infinity Key. And, of course, I can't wait to read the third one too!
This is an excelent fantasy book, where faeries, angels, nephilims and other creatures live in a paralel universe. Slowly, they are moving to our universe, and the difference between the various beings is extremely well developped. The author managed to create a complex world, with interesting characters that quickly enchant us. The story is very simple: Bran tries all she can to save Penny, by making a deal with the Faerie Lord Tarn, and then she begins to practice the few magic she knows. Her adventures to find the three Machine pieces needed are delicious; if I had to choose only one, than my favourite would be the first one, since it was the first time I was actually introduced to the other world.
And then we have the characters. Lovely characters! There were two who I liked the most: Tarn and Severin. Tarn's enchantment and seduction are easy to explain, there's something in there that connects him to Bran, and the most romantic readers will hope that is love. Severin... well, Severin is harder to explain. It's a terrible character, but something in him attracted me. I can't wait to know when, and how, he will come back. As I didn't read the Matchbox Girls, I lack some characters' info, but I'm very curious about Simon, Zachariah and Bran's brother. And also her grandmother, since she is not physically in the book but still haunts Bran's conscience, I'd like to know why.
I really liked Infinity Key. Although Bran is a little cliché - the typical heroin girl who will risk her life to save her friend - the story is wonderful, and there's a great potential to develop the characters and their relationships. All the world that was created, so full of magic! An excelent book.
PT version: http://eu-e-o-bam.blogspot.pt/2013/11...
July 21, 2016
The second of Chrysoula's Senyaza novels stars Branwyn, a secondary character from the first one, Matchbox Girls. Branwyn was one of my favourite characters from Matchbox Girls, being fierce and loyal and snarky and very very human, and to have her back as the protagonist of this novel was awesome.
I'm trying to avoid Matchbox Girls spoilers here, but I think it's fair enough to say that at its end one of Branwyn's friends was left in a bad situation, thanks to the supernaturals they encountered. Branwyn figures that if magic caused this, magic can fix it; and since there's an important faerie interested in her, maybe she can make a bargain. It doesn't matter that she is human with no magic of her own. She'll damn well learn it if she has to.
So Infinity Key is the tale of Branwyn's quest to acquire magic for herself. To learn enough to help her friend. To not be kept in the dark anymore.
And it's a great read. Branwyn is definitely one of my favourite recent urban fantasy heroines. She's clever, resourceful, and takes no crap. And she's doing this to fight for her friend, not for some romantic notion or to better herself. She does it by driving bargains, by going on quests in the Faerie world, and by using her own metalwork and artistic skills to do something none of the faeries can. Sometimes I wanted to slap her for being blind to things that were going on and to how she was being used, but most of the time I was cheering her on. Loudly.
Although Infinity Key and Matchbox Girls have different protagonists, the plot itself is a direct continuation of Branwyn's part of the story in Matchbox Girls. And it's great to see Marley and Corbin and other characters pop up again, and to learn what's going on with them. It's a great way of continuing a series without getting trapped into repetition or having everything always piled on a single character.
If you like interesting, different urban fantasy (not the vampire-laden first-person kick-ass heroine stuff that's become rather cliché); if you want to read intelligent novels with great female friendships and plenty of ambiguity around who the bad guys are; then read Chrysoula's Senyaza novels.
[Disclaimer: Chrysoula's an online friend & writing buddy of mine. But I read and formed an opinion about Matchbox Girls before I got talking to her, so hopefully there's no extreme bias here. Apart from a determination to see her novels read by more people because they deserve it.]
I'm trying to avoid Matchbox Girls spoilers here, but I think it's fair enough to say that at its end one of Branwyn's friends was left in a bad situation, thanks to the supernaturals they encountered. Branwyn figures that if magic caused this, magic can fix it; and since there's an important faerie interested in her, maybe she can make a bargain. It doesn't matter that she is human with no magic of her own. She'll damn well learn it if she has to.
So Infinity Key is the tale of Branwyn's quest to acquire magic for herself. To learn enough to help her friend. To not be kept in the dark anymore.
And it's a great read. Branwyn is definitely one of my favourite recent urban fantasy heroines. She's clever, resourceful, and takes no crap. And she's doing this to fight for her friend, not for some romantic notion or to better herself. She does it by driving bargains, by going on quests in the Faerie world, and by using her own metalwork and artistic skills to do something none of the faeries can. Sometimes I wanted to slap her for being blind to things that were going on and to how she was being used, but most of the time I was cheering her on. Loudly.
Although Infinity Key and Matchbox Girls have different protagonists, the plot itself is a direct continuation of Branwyn's part of the story in Matchbox Girls. And it's great to see Marley and Corbin and other characters pop up again, and to learn what's going on with them. It's a great way of continuing a series without getting trapped into repetition or having everything always piled on a single character.
If you like interesting, different urban fantasy (not the vampire-laden first-person kick-ass heroine stuff that's become rather cliché); if you want to read intelligent novels with great female friendships and plenty of ambiguity around who the bad guys are; then read Chrysoula's Senyaza novels.
[Disclaimer: Chrysoula's an online friend & writing buddy of mine. But I read and formed an opinion about Matchbox Girls before I got talking to her, so hopefully there's no extreme bias here. Apart from a determination to see her novels read by more people because they deserve it.]
May 12, 2015
Tzavelas has once again failed to write an urban fantasy novel. As we know, UF is about a young girl falling truly and deeply in love with a mysterious vampire or other creature (except a zombie, ick) and overcoming obstacles to be together forever.
This is Branwyn, and she refuses to play that game. The book takes place soon after Matchbox Girls, which was Marley's book, and I like the change in point of view--even things we're familiar with get a new light cast on them. I commented on how much I liked the magic in the last book, and we get a new flavor with this book--a crafting--which isn't as complex but is still satisfyingly different. I don't think it's a spoiler to say this book is about saving Penny. (Don't worry if you haven't read the first book--context gives you all you need to know.) Time is running out for her. Action Girl is up for the job, always ready for whatever's next, and I tore through this book quickly, caught up in her wake. There's no way I could have waited until I had all three of these books to read them together, but I kind of wish I had.
This is Branwyn, and she refuses to play that game. The book takes place soon after Matchbox Girls, which was Marley's book, and I like the change in point of view--even things we're familiar with get a new light cast on them. I commented on how much I liked the magic in the last book, and we get a new flavor with this book--a crafting--which isn't as complex but is still satisfyingly different. I don't think it's a spoiler to say this book is about saving Penny. (Don't worry if you haven't read the first book--context gives you all you need to know.) Time is running out for her. Action Girl is up for the job, always ready for whatever's next, and I tore through this book quickly, caught up in her wake. There's no way I could have waited until I had all three of these books to read them together, but I kind of wish I had.
September 19, 2013
This followup to Matchbox Girls is stronger and more aggressively paced. Part of that is that the reader can be expected to have some familiarity with the world, so less time is spent introducing it, but the bulk of the difference is the protagonist.
Branwyn's demanding and insistent, she knows what she wants, and she has no qualms about pushing others around to get it. She drives the story much more than Marley did in the previous book, and as a result we're left breathlessly trying to keep up.
There's at least two moments where I said 'Oh hell yeah' out loud, which gives a sense of how satisfying the conclusion is.
If you liked Matchbox Girls, you'll like this. If you wish there were female urban fantasy protagonists who are active instead of reactive, you'll like this.
(note: this is based on the pre-release text; I was this book's alpha reader.)
Branwyn's demanding and insistent, she knows what she wants, and she has no qualms about pushing others around to get it. She drives the story much more than Marley did in the previous book, and as a result we're left breathlessly trying to keep up.
There's at least two moments where I said 'Oh hell yeah' out loud, which gives a sense of how satisfying the conclusion is.
If you liked Matchbox Girls, you'll like this. If you wish there were female urban fantasy protagonists who are active instead of reactive, you'll like this.
(note: this is based on the pre-release text; I was this book's alpha reader.)
October 12, 2015
Plot: 5 stars
Characters: 4 1/2 stars
Style: 4 1/2 stars
Pace: 4 1/2 stars
Rounding up, slightly, because it managed to have it's own plot arc amongst all the building of subplots, which is a particular pet issue for me with second books. It's refreshing to see characters who aren't special snowflakes, but take power for themselves to help friends and loved ones with full understanding of what they're getting themselves into. The only downside, of course, is in creating a very fleshed out world, there's such an assortment of characters, and sometimes I had trouble remembering who was who from the previous book. Luckily for my overtaxed synapses, there were always clues to indicate who they were, which was nice.
Will I have my eyes peeled for the third of these in kickstarter print? Heck yes!
Characters: 4 1/2 stars
Style: 4 1/2 stars
Pace: 4 1/2 stars
Rounding up, slightly, because it managed to have it's own plot arc amongst all the building of subplots, which is a particular pet issue for me with second books. It's refreshing to see characters who aren't special snowflakes, but take power for themselves to help friends and loved ones with full understanding of what they're getting themselves into. The only downside, of course, is in creating a very fleshed out world, there's such an assortment of characters, and sometimes I had trouble remembering who was who from the previous book. Luckily for my overtaxed synapses, there were always clues to indicate who they were, which was nice.
Will I have my eyes peeled for the third of these in kickstarter print? Heck yes!
March 31, 2015
Marley's best friend Branwyn (Action Girl) shows all too clearly why she has that nickname in this greatly enjoyable book that shares its clever and fascinating setting with the previous book, Matchbox Girls, which you should read first. Each book is complete in itself, with some characters carrying over, but you'll want to read them in order. Or not; I'm not the boss of you.
The series continues in Wolf Interval, which I'm reading right now and enjoying. There are also some short stories in the setting which I hope will wind up in a convenient collection.
The author is working on a 5-part epic fantasy series Thrones of the Firstborn that sounds very good, with book 1 Citadel of the Sky on kickstarter as I type these words.
The series continues in Wolf Interval, which I'm reading right now and enjoying. There are also some short stories in the setting which I hope will wind up in a convenient collection.
The author is working on a 5-part epic fantasy series Thrones of the Firstborn that sounds very good, with book 1 Citadel of the Sky on kickstarter as I type these words.
December 5, 2013
Chrysoula Tzavelas intoduced us to three Matchbook Girls (ebook), close friends who discover a strange world of angels and fae when Marley is hired to babysit two children with powers. At the end Penny was left in a coma and Branwyn who had contacts with Tarn, the of Underlight. He claims that if Branwyn makes the Infinity Key (ebook from Candlemark & Gleam). As she travels through both the fae and human worlds, she learns more about how magic works and how her abilities as an artificer will help her find the cure for her friend. Very good. Review printed in the Philadelphia Weekly Press
January 27, 2014
This is a more-or-less direct sequel to Matchbox Girls, but with a different protagonist. Which I was initially a little bummed by, since I liked Marley. But it works! And, once again, Chrysoula's very good at taking story and setting elements that I usually find annoying or boring and making them work. It was good. You should read it. Read Matchbox Girls first though.
October 21, 2015
Really enjoyable sequel to Matchbox Girls. Branwyn is an interesting, sometimes stubborn beyond her own good character, but she wouldn't achieve what she does if she wasn't. Liked the development of Tarn. An Artificer sounds like something I'd like to be when I grow up!
February 4, 2015
I am starting to like the concept of Heavenly Machines!
December 30, 2015
3.5 stars. This one took me longer to get into than the first, but I loved Action Girl's growth and badassery.
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