Challenges

The Blending #3

by Sharon Green

The competition has begun. The band of five which best combines elemental magics into the most powerful alchemy will be chosen to win the throne and ward off doom for the kingdom. But the stakes are much higher than anyone suspects. Each magical adept possesses a potent preternatural talent. Stunning Tamrissa is Fire ; Vallant the sailor, Water ; Jovvi the lissome ex- courtesan, Spirit ; farmer Lorand, Earth ; and blue-blooded Rion, Air. But their fragile union threatens to disintegrate when Jovvi and Tamrissa discover a secret sensuality that would make their Blending supreme. And the dissension within is nothing compared to the perils assailing the enchanted quintet from competing nobles and judges alike, all determined to see the peasant mages perish. For as they vie for the Palace of Five, the brave but unwary team rushes headlong into desperate danger...and unknowable jeopardy.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Magic, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

About the author

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Attended New York University and graduated with a B.A. in 1963. Married in 1963, had three sons, divorced in 1976. Raised the sons, Andy, Brian and Curtis, alone in New Jersey. Worked for AT&T as a shareowner correspondent, then as an all-around assistant in a construction company, then sold bar steel for an import firm. Left that job as assistant sales manager. I've been writing full time since 1984.

Hobbies: knitting, crocheting, Tae Kwon Do, fencing, archery, shooting, jigsaw puzzles, logic problems, math problems, not cooking.

Don't do my own research, since if I did I'd stay with that and never get any writing done. I usually can finish a novel of about 120,000 words in about three months.

Reviews

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in the blending series is 100% magic - here's a detailed breakdown:

12% - Tea Drinking
9% - Napping
6% - Bath house
17% - Discussion of what people are wearing
20% - Fretting
19% - Just kind of sitting around
15% - Blending related activities, including actual blending and blending-related intercoursing
1% - Comfort Facilities
.5% - Challenges
.5% - Mind blowing reveals

Lots of mysteries remain unsolved. For example, why are there always two cups provided in a tea service? And seriously, what's in the tea service? We do learn that our heroes drink loose leaf tea - but it's pretty clear that Sharon Green is setting the reader up to find out so much more about this subject. It really makes me just so eager to continue reading the series.

Challenges also involved some great additions to the reader's understanding of the private bath house setup, as well as some killer descriptions of these special robes that blendings have to wear during the challenges.

I have only two criticisms:
1. The last twelve pages are so frenetically paced that it's a little upsetting.
2. When Tamrissa and Vallant [non-spoiler alert] finally do it, it's [spoiler alert] a little rapey.

[Aelfwina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to strangle Tamrissa! The character makes Scarlett seem likable. Good thing that with this author, skimming through one character's narrative is no loss - since she just repeats herself at some later point from another character's perspective.
All in all, I'm still reading this series for the world-building (which is unique enough to be interesting at times) and for the (really really diluted but still there) plot. In other words, I'm just curious what she'll do next.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just want to do a fan edit of these books. First three books distilled into a novel with less explanations, repetitions, and therapy. I feel ambivalent about Moord's storyline.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another enjoyable instalment of the Blending series. A fun, quick read!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this series when I read it as a teenager, but it wasn't awe-inspiring even then. That probably tells you something. At that point in my life, the sex (omg it makes ther magik stronger lololol!) held my interest enough to read the whole series. These days, I probably wouldn't waste my time and would look for something else with more substance.

[Loz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The junkfood nostalgia reread continues. What drama!

[Viridian5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Sharon Green's Challenges, the competition has started, and Lorand, Rion, Tamrissa, Jowi, and Vallant have to learn how to become a perfect Blending, a union of their powers and minds, to compete properly. Dissension within their group is making that difficult, and it doesn't help that the testing authority and people from the five's pasts are sabotaging them as well. The five are desperately trying to out-think their enemies and win power, freedom, and their lives against a deeply corrupt system.

The tone of the writing improved for me and sounded less off, though I did have a major "oh really?" moment when Jovvi and Tamrissa realize that the five of them having sex with each other improves the Blending. It leads to some really amusing discussions though, as well as more interpersonal problems as Lorand and Vallant refuse to trade women out of their sense of manly honor. There's less repetition now that the five spend more time working together as a team.

I'm really annoyed that some of the resolution of Tamrissa and Vallant's problem with each other comes about through partially stripping her of her ability to really consent to things. Vallant seriously needs to die, high-maintenance jackass that he is. (Why couldn't the book pair Tamrissa off with Rion? It's not like Naran is a real person.)

I enjoyed these books a lot more when I first read them in my early 20s, but they're still popcorn reading, fast and mostly tasty. But Challenges ends on a major, mean cliffhanger, so have the next book handy to pick up right after.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am still enjoying my re-read of this series but wow, we are going absolutely nowhere and we’re getting there at snail’s pace. I wanted to say nothing happened in this book, but that’s not true. The competition started and lots of people had lots of sex. I still love these characters, which is fortunate since 90% of the book was just them talking to each other about how they felt and things they were thinking about. *shakes head* I cannot even explain to myself why I have such fondness for these books, so forgive me for doing such a poor job encouraging anyone else to read these – but you should. Seriously.

[zjakkelien · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit better than its predecessors. For one, the main characters finally form a blending, which means they do a lot more together, resulting in a lot less repetitiveness. They also manage to get over a lot of their problems, which brings down the annoyance quite a bit. The only problem is, I don't really like the ending of the book. Ok, perhaps I should have expected something to go wrong after everything has gone according to plan for 2.9 books, but 1)it breaks with the rest of the story and 2)the main characters manage to get split up again, which makes me really scared about the repetitiveness of the next book...

[Catsalive · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear! How inconvenient is Vallant's claustrophobia, only popping in at the least opportune moment, & Tamrissa's inability to deal with emotion & real life - luckily she doesn't have to bear the brunt of living because She's Got The Power!

I'm still enjoying the world-building & love reading about the new capabilities available to the Blendings. Yay! we've Blended. The Heroic characters are as irritating & saccharine as ever, & the Antiheroic characters becoming more bizarre, but it is fun. You certainly wouldn't want to be a Noble woman, I have it in me to feel a little sorry for Eltrina, absolute monster that she is.

This is comfort reading, junk food.

[emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

when i was fifteen, i thought this series was the shit. the writing wasn't great, but hey, the sexy parts were good, so it didn't matter that the plot was like swiss cheese sliced superthin, right? looking back, the fact that the sexy parts *are* the best parts of these books is pretty telling. the premises of the plot and characters aren't bad, and there are some parts that are actually interesting, but overall the series is repetitive and predictable, and probably not worth the time it'd take to get through all five.

[Xa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was an interesting one, and the way it concludes really draws you on to start the next book. I do not like the characters of the noble blending that this book focused on, but then the government in the world of Blending doesn't sound like the greatest thing. Very compelling things to think about, though.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Devoured it. Yes, this is like mind candy for me. I can't stop reading it. Yes the situations are a bit hokey and over the top. I still enjoy it. Nice blend of historical romance with fantasy for me.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally unprepared for the ending. The book was so intent on the competition between blendings, that that was all I was considering. Great how she took the reader totally by surprise with the ending, and totally anxious to read the next book.

[Strain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the series really hits its stride at this point, because all the characters are together and so there is less repetition and more of the story. I'm very interested to get the next one from the library!

[Madam Claire of Whistley Woo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do like the cover art in the series, but it still took way too long for anything to happen.

[Clarice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in one day flat. Yep. Crack. Moving along moving along.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

See comment on Book 1

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

4th

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here:

http://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/2...

Well written, setting up the back half of the quintet.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Common Blendings vs Noble Blendings

Plots, murder, drugs, and a large dose of cheating are aimed at the commoners who manage to Blend their elemental talents anyway. Great Series.

[K.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still the same complaints, but it's an interesting world building, and I do enjoy the magic use. Just wish the main 5 were a little less cardboard cut-outty and that Tamrissa was less annoying

[Laura E. Hall]

I got this one at the library.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started 4/1/2015
rec. by Andy.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is shit and the writing is terrible, but the plot twist at the end of this book actually surprised me, maybe because of lowered expectations. Totally rooting for Team Murder Nobles now, of course