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Sarah Beauhall #2
Honeyed Words
Sarah Beauhall is a blacksmith, has a night job as a props manager for a low-budget movie, and spends her free time fighting in a medieval re-enactment group. Her world falls apart when she discovers that dragons are real and live among us as shapeshifters; in fact, it is they who have been the secret masters of our world from time immemorial. On top of all this, it appears that Sarah has managed to reforge an ancient sword that everyone suddenly wants... and those who don't want the weapon want Sarah to take on her destiny and become humanity's saviour.
As Sarah tries to make her way in this new world, she discovers just how little she knows of reality. Fairies and dwarves and giants abound, the fault line of the Pacific Northwest is rife with ancient Norse magic. Odin himself appears with ravens at his side and cryptic advice for the fledgling heroine. And the cherry on the sundae? The discovery that Sarah's girlfriend is from a family that has been battling these forces for generations and they look to Sarah as their last best hope.
What's a girl to do when the powers of the world decide that you're responsible for cleaning up the magical mess?
As Sarah tries to make her way in this new world, she discovers just how little she knows of reality. Fairies and dwarves and giants abound, the fault line of the Pacific Northwest is rife with ancient Norse magic. Odin himself appears with ravens at his side and cryptic advice for the fledgling heroine. And the cherry on the sundae? The discovery that Sarah's girlfriend is from a family that has been battling these forces for generations and they look to Sarah as their last best hope.
What's a girl to do when the powers of the world decide that you're responsible for cleaning up the magical mess?
412 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2011
24 people are currently reading
682 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Pitts
11 books165 followers(from author's website) I learned to love science fiction at the knee of my grandmother, listening to her read authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard during my childhood in rural Kentucky. My life has always been heavily influenced by strong women. My mother first among them: raising three boys after the death of my father, with grace and wit. There were always women coming and going in our house, friends, family, folks who needed a hand, and folks who had one to lend. All of my life has been steeped in the stories of average people doing extraordinary things — and most of them were women. That is why I was drawn to the character Sarah in my new novel. She embodies all the strength of the women who have influenced me over the years.
I can’t remember a time I wasn’t absorbing and creating story. I read early, and became a regular at my local library. There for a while, I thought the coolest thing in the world would be to grow up and be a librarian. I even got the degree. Once I hit the workforce, I discovered how poorly most librarians are paid, and I ended up in high tech instead.
But I live my life surrounded by books and story. Selling my own tales still comes as a surprise to me. The characters and worlds I build have been given loving care by some pretty spectacular editors. I’ve been very lucky. I continue to launch my words into the world, for all to read if they have the mind. I just hope you are entertained in the process. The opportunities for you to read my work has just gotten even better.
Tor Publishing has agreed to purchase the first three books in my Black Blade series. The first — BLACK BLADE BLUES — comes out in trade paperback and hardback April 27th, 2010.
Of course, if you want a sneak peak on the novel, you can read the short story which launched it all in the DAW anthology Swordplay, edited by Denise Little. It was released June 2, 2009.
My other short fiction can be found in such fine magazines as Fortean Bureau, Talebones magazine (issue 36 and forthcoming in issue 39) as well as two additional DAW anthologies Zombie Raccoons and Killer Bunnies (Oct 2009), and The Trouble with Heroes (Nov 2009).
I have a BA in English and a Masters of Library Science from University of Kentucky. In addition, I am a graduate of the Oregon Coast Writers Workshops with Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith. When I’m not writing, you can find me practicing martial arts with my children or spending time with my lovely wife.
I am a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
I can’t remember a time I wasn’t absorbing and creating story. I read early, and became a regular at my local library. There for a while, I thought the coolest thing in the world would be to grow up and be a librarian. I even got the degree. Once I hit the workforce, I discovered how poorly most librarians are paid, and I ended up in high tech instead.
But I live my life surrounded by books and story. Selling my own tales still comes as a surprise to me. The characters and worlds I build have been given loving care by some pretty spectacular editors. I’ve been very lucky. I continue to launch my words into the world, for all to read if they have the mind. I just hope you are entertained in the process. The opportunities for you to read my work has just gotten even better.
Tor Publishing has agreed to purchase the first three books in my Black Blade series. The first — BLACK BLADE BLUES — comes out in trade paperback and hardback April 27th, 2010.
Of course, if you want a sneak peak on the novel, you can read the short story which launched it all in the DAW anthology Swordplay, edited by Denise Little. It was released June 2, 2009.
My other short fiction can be found in such fine magazines as Fortean Bureau, Talebones magazine (issue 36 and forthcoming in issue 39) as well as two additional DAW anthologies Zombie Raccoons and Killer Bunnies (Oct 2009), and The Trouble with Heroes (Nov 2009).
I have a BA in English and a Masters of Library Science from University of Kentucky. In addition, I am a graduate of the Oregon Coast Writers Workshops with Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith. When I’m not writing, you can find me practicing martial arts with my children or spending time with my lovely wife.
I am a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 13, 2011
This book is the sequel to Black Blade Blues and continues the urban fantasy adventures of Sarah Beauhall, blacksmith, lesbian, and repairer of an ancient sword... The series has some unique aspects, and there were things I definitely liked about the first book. For instance, I appreciated the fact that people got hurt and even killed battling the dragon (as opposed to the usual all-the-good-guys-survive.) Sarah is a great character and the segments which are narrated in her first person POV are the strongest in both books. Unfortunately in this book, there are even more switches of POV from Sarah to Katie, her girlfriend (not too bad,) and several other third person POV's (got annoying). The plot is more scattered than in Black Blade Blues and I spent the first half of the book trying to figure out which bits of action and narrative were central to the plot. It's not a bad book, but if it were more cleanly plotted and told straight through in Sarah's unique voice it could have been an excellent one.
August 1, 2013
I didn't like Honeyed Words as much as I liked "Black Blade Blues", but I really can't put my finger on the precise reason as to why. I didn't not like it, but it just didn't grab in the same way as did "Blues".
Likes
I still like Sarah, our hero. She's hell on wheels with blade or forge hammer.
Dragons still eat people. Can't have dragons if they're not eating anyone.
There was plenty of action, and people still get munched, crunched and mauled.
Bub
Don't Likes
Now that Sarah's kind of come to terms with herself, she's not as much fun to watch. She's still all kinds of badass, but she wasn't as badass as I'd have liked her to be. A couple of non-evil creatre related fights would have helped keep her street rep. She's getting to be a little too in touch with her sensitive side for a dragon fighting hero.
The dragons weren't in it as much as they should have been. It started out interesting, but went downhill. Evil dragon Frederick was barely there at all. More evil dragons=more badass Sarah slinging swords=more fun!
Not enough Bub skull crushing (read the book)
The Black Briar bunch needs to be eaten. All of them. They whine, whine and whine. They add nothing to the story, except nibble around the edge of a mystery that was so meaningless that I'm not even caring about it anymore. And who the hell talks like they do?
The book just seemed like a setup for the next one, which is annoying.
The girl on the cover has nothing to do with the one in the book.
Ok, so I guess I do know what bugged me about it. I'll still get the next one, but it had better knock my socks off instead of tippy-toeing about the edge of a story.
Likes
I still like Sarah, our hero. She's hell on wheels with blade or forge hammer.
Dragons still eat people. Can't have dragons if they're not eating anyone.
There was plenty of action, and people still get munched, crunched and mauled.
Bub
Don't Likes
Now that Sarah's kind of come to terms with herself, she's not as much fun to watch. She's still all kinds of badass, but she wasn't as badass as I'd have liked her to be. A couple of non-evil creatre related fights would have helped keep her street rep. She's getting to be a little too in touch with her sensitive side for a dragon fighting hero.
The dragons weren't in it as much as they should have been. It started out interesting, but went downhill. Evil dragon Frederick was barely there at all. More evil dragons=more badass Sarah slinging swords=more fun!
Not enough Bub skull crushing (read the book)
The Black Briar bunch needs to be eaten. All of them. They whine, whine and whine. They add nothing to the story, except nibble around the edge of a mystery that was so meaningless that I'm not even caring about it anymore. And who the hell talks like they do?
The book just seemed like a setup for the next one, which is annoying.
The girl on the cover has nothing to do with the one in the book.
Ok, so I guess I do know what bugged me about it. I'll still get the next one, but it had better knock my socks off instead of tippy-toeing about the edge of a story.
September 20, 2011
Honeyed Words is the sequel to Black Blade Blues. I enjoyed this quite a lot more than the first book. While I had been interested by the characters and the setting, I was put off the first book by Sarah's internal conflicts. As a queer woman, I really don't want to read about characters who hate themselves because they're gay.
Sarah has, thankfully, gotten over those issues. Honeyed Words was blessedly free of the self-hate, and although she still has things that she is working through, including repercussions from the events from book one, the romance with Katie was very much at the forefront. There aren't enough books out there with sweet lesbian romances. :)
The external plot is a little slow, and it isn't immediately obvious how everything ties together, but I enjoyed it. It's different than your average fast-paced urban fantasy, which is a nice change. It's a slower, more thoughtful story.
All in all, an enjoyable read, and I can't wait for the next book!
Sarah has, thankfully, gotten over those issues. Honeyed Words was blessedly free of the self-hate, and although she still has things that she is working through, including repercussions from the events from book one, the romance with Katie was very much at the forefront. There aren't enough books out there with sweet lesbian romances. :)
The external plot is a little slow, and it isn't immediately obvious how everything ties together, but I enjoyed it. It's different than your average fast-paced urban fantasy, which is a nice change. It's a slower, more thoughtful story.
All in all, an enjoyable read, and I can't wait for the next book!
September 2, 2021
A disappointing sequel to Black Blade Blues. Don't get me wrong, because it is okay, and I will probably read the next in the series eventually. But the plotting was much weaker than the other book. There are a number of instances where the author violates Chekhov's rule of "don't have a gun in act one unless you use it by act 3." Too many things get introduced with no payoff later. There are a number of subplots with the main plot only slightly more important than the side plots. All of those things give me the impression that this is meant to be a lead in to the next book in the series where the payoff actually takes place. At least I hope so. If you can ignore those issues, and just try to enjoy the ride, then I think you will find enough in "Honeyed Words" to be happy, and develop and appetite for more. A number of interesting new characters and new magic are introduced. Previous characters, problems, and magics are downplayed, but not forgotten.
June 18, 2011
Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...
I gave it 3.5 stars
Sarah is learning to deal with her self a little better in HONEYED WORDS, she is finally accepting who and what she is which makes a lot of things run a little smoother. She still seems to have a lot to learn about herself and her new life but she is trucking along the best she can. There are some interesting characters and situations added to her story as she fights some new bad guys. People she cares about are once again in danger but also have her back. We learn a little bit more about Sarah's family and I'm hoping that book 3 will include some more of her past. The world that J.A Pitts has made continues to grow and develop and I have enjoyed learning about all the different creatures in it. The ending makes it clear that Sarahs journey is far from over and I will keep on reading the series.
I gave it 3.5 stars
Sarah is learning to deal with her self a little better in HONEYED WORDS, she is finally accepting who and what she is which makes a lot of things run a little smoother. She still seems to have a lot to learn about herself and her new life but she is trucking along the best she can. There are some interesting characters and situations added to her story as she fights some new bad guys. People she cares about are once again in danger but also have her back. We learn a little bit more about Sarah's family and I'm hoping that book 3 will include some more of her past. The world that J.A Pitts has made continues to grow and develop and I have enjoyed learning about all the different creatures in it. The ending makes it clear that Sarahs journey is far from over and I will keep on reading the series.
September 8, 2018
Review time:
The second book of the Sarah Beuhall Novels is “Honeyed Words” by J.A. Pitts.
It’s been five months and the whole summer since Sarah killed the dragon ruler of Vancouver. She’s avoided her friends in shame for those who died helping her fight, hasn’t been blacksmith-ing much since her mentor Julie isn’t yet back on her feet. Said mentor is living with Sarah since the dragon burned down Julie’s home and smithy. But Sarah isn’t deterred. She meets an unbalanced blacksmith who makes beautiful, realistic art pieces, and her daemon companion Bub. Bub is controlled by an amulet that defects to Sarah’s command. Unfortunately for everyone involved, and Sarah’s poor social life, this new smithy is located on top of a contaminated nexus of power, calling all sorts of nasty beasties to dwell on the land.
This book had a great plot line, good addition to Sarah’s story, but it dragged along. There were long stretches of nothing happening or being resolved, with short bursts of action where too much happened in too short of a span. It really knocked me out of the flow of the story and I had to go back numerous times to reread the action bits because I got lost in what was going on. Certain things were never explained - either on purpose because we’re supposed to find out later, on accident, or neither because it’s assumed we already know.
Despite all of these faults, I liked the overall story line. So four stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The second book of the Sarah Beuhall Novels is “Honeyed Words” by J.A. Pitts.
It’s been five months and the whole summer since Sarah killed the dragon ruler of Vancouver. She’s avoided her friends in shame for those who died helping her fight, hasn’t been blacksmith-ing much since her mentor Julie isn’t yet back on her feet. Said mentor is living with Sarah since the dragon burned down Julie’s home and smithy. But Sarah isn’t deterred. She meets an unbalanced blacksmith who makes beautiful, realistic art pieces, and her daemon companion Bub. Bub is controlled by an amulet that defects to Sarah’s command. Unfortunately for everyone involved, and Sarah’s poor social life, this new smithy is located on top of a contaminated nexus of power, calling all sorts of nasty beasties to dwell on the land.
This book had a great plot line, good addition to Sarah’s story, but it dragged along. There were long stretches of nothing happening or being resolved, with short bursts of action where too much happened in too short of a span. It really knocked me out of the flow of the story and I had to go back numerous times to reread the action bits because I got lost in what was going on. Certain things were never explained - either on purpose because we’re supposed to find out later, on accident, or neither because it’s assumed we already know.
Despite all of these faults, I liked the overall story line. So four stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 7, 2018
I am rereading this series, as I may have mentioned previously, because it was enjoyable, and because I thought that there were additions to the collection. I may be wrong about that, because I can't find any thing beyond the third book, which is on its way to me from another Ohio library (actually I think it's at my local, but I haven't had time to get there and I have several other books in process). This series is interesting because it involves all kinds of contemporary fantasy situations, including as main characters multiple dragons, which are able to disguise themselves as human. The main character, Sarah Beauhall, is a blacksmith with talents for battle with swords and hammers, whose girlfriend is a singer/bard? with some interesting battle skills of her own. If that's not enough fantasy for you, there's lots more. That's as much as I'm going to say.
November 12, 2019
This is the second book in the Sarah Beauhall series. I didn’t realize that until I started reading it and then looked more closely on-line about it. The author does a decent job of bringing you up to speed, but I think there’s a lot of world building I missed out on. This book has elves, dwarves, and shape shifting dragons, and is in a lot of ways, high fantasy despite being urban. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read the first book, which hopefully provided more descriptions of the denizens of the world. This book was nominated for the Endeavor Award, a Pacific Northwest award given at the Oregon Science Fiction Convention, and won the Gaylactic Spectrum Award in 2012.
Come visit my blog for the full review…
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Come visit my blog for the full review…
https://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspo...
July 30, 2020
What I liked about this book - How for once the romance complimented rather than spoiled the story and the great action sequences.
What I feel could be improved - some sections felt really slow while others shot past like the Flash.
Book felt a bit like a link book so hopefully the next in the series will be an improvement.
What I feel could be improved - some sections felt really slow while others shot past like the Flash.
Book felt a bit like a link book so hopefully the next in the series will be an improvement.
February 6, 2018
I really like this series. Sarah is kickass and it's awesome to read a fantasy novel about a lesbian that isn't surrounded by a bunch of romance drama. There is a little but it's never the focal point of the book.
January 23, 2019
I liked that Katie wasn't a damsel in distress and she courageously fought in her own way. It's also good to see Sarah getting more confident about things she needs to do, finding and helping friends along the way. Onto the third book. =o]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2022
Sarah Beauhall continues to be the best protagonist you could possibly ask for. She's flawed, insecure and uncomfortable in her own skin, yet she doesn't hesitate to strap on her armor, wield her enchanted black sword and hop on her motorcycle to charge into battle when necessary.
March 22, 2017
so much better than the first one! this book is not bogged down by the "gay shame" after school special subplot that was so frustrating in the first book. thks book delivered what I was looking for: a kickass dragon fighting blacksmith SCAdian lesbian dealing with a world exploding in Norse myth.
glad I gave this series a second try.
glad I gave this series a second try.
May 25, 2017
I'm enjoying this series. Have the 3rd one on order. Enjoying the contrivances to keep me reading.
June 2, 2018
Sarah is an amazing character. The book keeps you wanting more. Will definitely be getting more to find out what happens with Sarah and her sword
November 8, 2019
Good read but frustrating ending
I quite enjoyed the second book in this series, but the obvious set up so we buy the next one is frustrating.
I quite enjoyed the second book in this series, but the obvious set up so we buy the next one is frustrating.
April 21, 2024
Good story, MC and concepts, the reason for only 4 * is the pacing is excruciatingly slow.
August 14, 2012
The Black Blade Blues series continues, but not without some problems, both for Sarah, the warrior dragon-fighting blacksmith of Seattle, and the book itself. It suffers a bit of middle-book syndrome, combined with some editing problems. It wasn't the fun read the first had been, and I sort of slogged through because I've been promised that the next book is really good. It is because I still want to read the next book in the series that I bumped this one up to the 3 star level. Otherwise it would have been a solid 2.5
The good vs evil saga continues, with new characters and creatures thrown into the mix (and some old ones, too.) Sarah, though still not receiving help to get her head on right or to get comfortable in her own skin, is less angst driven about her relationship with Katie, and seems to be actually learning to love. There are a lot of loose ends (had these appeared in the final book, I'd say "holes", but they still have time to tie together) and odd references that make me try to guess what other fantasy worlds the author has been reading in his spare time. (Some of his phraseology/word choice is so like another author that at first javaczuk and I speculated if J. A. Pitts was a pseudonym for the other author, writing outside his comfort zone. But battle scenes are too clear, and I did some internet sleuthing. Not the same, unless he's created a really good alter-ego.)
So as for this book: Sarah battles; Sarah protects; Sarah seeks work. Sarah meets elves. Sarah loves Katie. Sarah gets a hot ride. Sarah learns about friendship and loyalty.
On to Forged in Fire. I hope it's as good as I've been promised. It's why I picked up the series.
A couple of favorite lines:
"Get up, already. Somebody's murdered a dwarf."
"It (the motorcycle) looked like I remembered -- long and sleek, with unexpected power and raw energy. Kinda like sex, only in red, black and chrome."
(And Katie shows both strength of character and humor:)
"It's just not that simple" he said. "It's all muddled together -- dragons and witches and all the rest." He looked up, peering into her face. "And Sarah, dear god. She's off the charts, Katie. I've talked it through with the twins; we can't figure out why she's here or who she represents."
"Who she represents?" Katie let her voice grow louder. "She's not one of your projects, Jim. Not something for you to catalog and hide from the world. She's a caring person, broken and beautiful. And whether you approve or not, someone I happen to love. How dare you try and categorize her?"
"I didn't mean... she's not... I know she's special."
"Special? Like short-bus special, Jim? One of those flawed heroines who can't get past her own baggage to save herself at the end of the movie?"
The good vs evil saga continues, with new characters and creatures thrown into the mix (and some old ones, too.) Sarah, though still not receiving help to get her head on right or to get comfortable in her own skin, is less angst driven about her relationship with Katie, and seems to be actually learning to love. There are a lot of loose ends (had these appeared in the final book, I'd say "holes", but they still have time to tie together) and odd references that make me try to guess what other fantasy worlds the author has been reading in his spare time. (Some of his phraseology/word choice is so like another author that at first javaczuk and I speculated if J. A. Pitts was a pseudonym for the other author, writing outside his comfort zone. But battle scenes are too clear, and I did some internet sleuthing. Not the same, unless he's created a really good alter-ego.)
So as for this book: Sarah battles; Sarah protects; Sarah seeks work. Sarah meets elves. Sarah loves Katie. Sarah gets a hot ride. Sarah learns about friendship and loyalty.
On to Forged in Fire. I hope it's as good as I've been promised. It's why I picked up the series.
A couple of favorite lines:
"Get up, already. Somebody's murdered a dwarf."
"It (the motorcycle) looked like I remembered -- long and sleek, with unexpected power and raw energy. Kinda like sex, only in red, black and chrome."
(And Katie shows both strength of character and humor:)
"It's just not that simple" he said. "It's all muddled together -- dragons and witches and all the rest." He looked up, peering into her face. "And Sarah, dear god. She's off the charts, Katie. I've talked it through with the twins; we can't figure out why she's here or who she represents."
"Who she represents?" Katie let her voice grow louder. "She's not one of your projects, Jim. Not something for you to catalog and hide from the world. She's a caring person, broken and beautiful. And whether you approve or not, someone I happen to love. How dare you try and categorize her?"
"I didn't mean... she's not... I know she's special."
"Special? Like short-bus special, Jim? One of those flawed heroines who can't get past her own baggage to save herself at the end of the movie?"
March 3, 2015
The second book in the series, I find it much better than the first.
+
The ratio of show vs tell I disliked in the first book was improved and my major gripe with civilians behaving in a decidedly non-civilian manner on a battlefield was absent here.
It starts off a bit slow, but picks up after Anezka and Bub make an appearance. Otherwise, the pacing is still good, though bigger fight scenes still feel a bit clogged up with details from everything that's going on simultaneously. Smalles skirmishes though are good and quick.
As a second book in a series, the events from the previous book influenced what was happening in this one, as they should in any series, but I also appreciated the subtler touches. People recognizing MC not only in-the-know, as the dragonslayer, but also mundanes recalling the cover story that was created for her. A character in this book getting into a similar potentially dangerous situation as the MC in the previous book. A seemingly throwaway background character from the previous book being big prop in this one (they were unconscious for the most of it, they were like an inanimate object), etc.
Mc gets to be more badass in this one, as well as better acclimated to the in-the-know world. One of the motives that seem to be running for MC, besides hot headedness and running from frustrating situations, seems to be people looking up to her and idolizing her
Quindra is still my favourite, but Bub is a big competitor there.
There were also more funny (at least to me) moments here.
Frederick took a much enjoyed turn from harmless to straight up silly (Brittany...? Betty...? Britney...?).
Here's hoping Justin comes back for the third one.
-
I wonder what speech was given to the new members of Black Briar. I felt that that was the least credible bit of worldbuilding in the series. People who are looking for a hobby generally aren't interested in joining up with someone who's talking about dragons and giants while brandishing a sharp sword. The community they were a part of would have heard something about this for sure, as I highly doubt they would have had a 100% recruitment success after they dropped the D-bomb, and people who are put off love to complain.
Am I the only person who finds it odd that there's such a number of people in the Pacific Northwest here who casually use "nay" and "aye" in their vocabulary?
I get MC cutting ties with her judgemental folks, but with her little sister? As a younger child, I take offense.
+
The ratio of show vs tell I disliked in the first book was improved and my major gripe with civilians behaving in a decidedly non-civilian manner on a battlefield was absent here.
It starts off a bit slow, but picks up after Anezka and Bub make an appearance. Otherwise, the pacing is still good, though bigger fight scenes still feel a bit clogged up with details from everything that's going on simultaneously. Smalles skirmishes though are good and quick.
As a second book in a series, the events from the previous book influenced what was happening in this one, as they should in any series, but I also appreciated the subtler touches. People recognizing MC not only in-the-know, as the dragonslayer, but also mundanes recalling the cover story that was created for her. A character in this book getting into a similar potentially dangerous situation as the MC in the previous book. A seemingly throwaway background character from the previous book being big prop in this one (they were unconscious for the most of it, they were like an inanimate object), etc.
Mc gets to be more badass in this one, as well as better acclimated to the in-the-know world. One of the motives that seem to be running for MC, besides hot headedness and running from frustrating situations, seems to be people looking up to her and idolizing her
Quindra is still my favourite, but Bub is a big competitor there.
There were also more funny (at least to me) moments here.
Frederick took a much enjoyed turn from harmless to straight up silly (Brittany...? Betty...? Britney...?).
Here's hoping Justin comes back for the third one.
-
I wonder what speech was given to the new members of Black Briar. I felt that that was the least credible bit of worldbuilding in the series. People who are looking for a hobby generally aren't interested in joining up with someone who's talking about dragons and giants while brandishing a sharp sword. The community they were a part of would have heard something about this for sure, as I highly doubt they would have had a 100% recruitment success after they dropped the D-bomb, and people who are put off love to complain.
Am I the only person who finds it odd that there's such a number of people in the Pacific Northwest here who casually use "nay" and "aye" in their vocabulary?
I get MC cutting ties with her judgemental folks, but with her little sister? As a younger child, I take offense.
July 9, 2011
A few months ago, blacksmith Sarah Beauhall reforged the legendary Norse sword Gram, attracting the attention of a number of supernatural beings that wanted the sword for themselves. This culminated in an epic battle, in which Sarah and her valiant SCAdian friends defeated a dragon but suffered tragic losses. Honeyed Words, the second in J.A. Pitts’ Black Blade series, continues Sarah’s story.
From the perspective of character development, Honeyed Words is terrific. Sarah has always had avoidant tendencies, and here she begins to take responsibility for that trait and works on overcoming it and facing its consequences. This occurs on several fronts: her relationship with Katie, her friendship with the Black Briar SCA group, and her dealings with supernatural beings — and it’s hinted that her family of origin may soon join that list.
The fantasy plot didn’t grab me as hard, though, as that of Black Blade Blues. For about the first half of the book, the plot felt scattered, and if you’d stopped me midbook and asked me what it was about, I’d probably have replied, “A bunch of stuff is happening.” It takes a while before the story starts to feel like a unified whole. I think this is partially because Pitts frequently cuts away from Sarah’s point of view to look in on the scheming of characters who aren’t as interesting as she is. It’s also because while one plotline (the kidnapping of a musician acquaintance) is introduced early in the book, the other main plotline (creepy goings-on at a fellow blacksmith’s farm) doesn’t make its entrance until around page 150. The result is that the introduction of this blacksmith feels like a distraction at first (as in "why are we going here now, when someone's been kidnapped?"). Once it becomes clear that this plotline is important, though, it’s spooky and well-executed, and does eventually tie in with the kidnapped-musician thread. The climax is tense, though it’s not as grand (or as wrenching) as that of Black Blade Blues.
Honeyed Words doesn’t quite live up to Black Blade Blues, but it’s worth reading for the growth in Sarah’s character, and I will definitely be back for the third installment. I recommend reading this series in order, as Honeyed Words would be quite confusing without the background.
I originally wrote this review for FantasyLiterature.com
From the perspective of character development, Honeyed Words is terrific. Sarah has always had avoidant tendencies, and here she begins to take responsibility for that trait and works on overcoming it and facing its consequences. This occurs on several fronts: her relationship with Katie, her friendship with the Black Briar SCA group, and her dealings with supernatural beings — and it’s hinted that her family of origin may soon join that list.
The fantasy plot didn’t grab me as hard, though, as that of Black Blade Blues. For about the first half of the book, the plot felt scattered, and if you’d stopped me midbook and asked me what it was about, I’d probably have replied, “A bunch of stuff is happening.” It takes a while before the story starts to feel like a unified whole. I think this is partially because Pitts frequently cuts away from Sarah’s point of view to look in on the scheming of characters who aren’t as interesting as she is. It’s also because while one plotline (the kidnapping of a musician acquaintance) is introduced early in the book, the other main plotline (creepy goings-on at a fellow blacksmith’s farm) doesn’t make its entrance until around page 150. The result is that the introduction of this blacksmith feels like a distraction at first (as in "why are we going here now, when someone's been kidnapped?"). Once it becomes clear that this plotline is important, though, it’s spooky and well-executed, and does eventually tie in with the kidnapped-musician thread. The climax is tense, though it’s not as grand (or as wrenching) as that of Black Blade Blues.
Honeyed Words doesn’t quite live up to Black Blade Blues, but it’s worth reading for the growth in Sarah’s character, and I will definitely be back for the third installment. I recommend reading this series in order, as Honeyed Words would be quite confusing without the background.
I originally wrote this review for FantasyLiterature.com
July 29, 2013
This is another one of those books that I have read because I am stubborn and do not really want to let go of a book series that I have started even though I might not be overly thrilled about it. I was certainly not overly thrilled about the first book in this book series. The part that put me off the most with that book was Sarah’s constant whining and inner conflict about being lesbian. Luckily she has gotten over that in this book and this is the main reason why I thought this book was marginally better.
Unfortunately Sarah is still running around trying to hide from the world that she now know exists. This makes it a very very slow book and, for me, this is the biggest fault of this book. Christ, I think 90% of the book must have gone before she even picks up the sword again! I really do not want to read more about Sarah’s childish and stubborn rage and denials. After the first book and maybe half of this one I would have expected Sarah to get on with it and start to step into the role that, obviously, have been prepared for her. Instead it is not until the very end and the last few pages that we see a glimpse of that.
J. A. Pitts is a reasonably good writer. The book is well written as such. If I where more into characters and character development than the fantasy and action part of the story then I would probably have enjoyed the book much more. The basic idea behind the story appeals to me though. J. A. Pitts have created a interesting world of dwarfs, elves and other mythical entities that is quite different from how we normally gets them presented yet he has managed to retain many of their classical features. However, the story really never seems to take off. Not only that but it ends with half a conclusion and a rather large cliffhanger. After having read through all that slow going it has to be said that getting a big cliffhanger thrown in your face was somewhat disappointing. I am quite hesitant whether or not to pick up the next book. I probably will though since I still think the story has promise and I still hope that it will start to get going.
I gave the last book two stars on Goodreads and Amazon. This one gets three out of five. I would really have liked to be able to give half stars since I do not really think it is worth more than two and a half for me.
Unfortunately Sarah is still running around trying to hide from the world that she now know exists. This makes it a very very slow book and, for me, this is the biggest fault of this book. Christ, I think 90% of the book must have gone before she even picks up the sword again! I really do not want to read more about Sarah’s childish and stubborn rage and denials. After the first book and maybe half of this one I would have expected Sarah to get on with it and start to step into the role that, obviously, have been prepared for her. Instead it is not until the very end and the last few pages that we see a glimpse of that.
J. A. Pitts is a reasonably good writer. The book is well written as such. If I where more into characters and character development than the fantasy and action part of the story then I would probably have enjoyed the book much more. The basic idea behind the story appeals to me though. J. A. Pitts have created a interesting world of dwarfs, elves and other mythical entities that is quite different from how we normally gets them presented yet he has managed to retain many of their classical features. However, the story really never seems to take off. Not only that but it ends with half a conclusion and a rather large cliffhanger. After having read through all that slow going it has to be said that getting a big cliffhanger thrown in your face was somewhat disappointing. I am quite hesitant whether or not to pick up the next book. I probably will though since I still think the story has promise and I still hope that it will start to get going.
I gave the last book two stars on Goodreads and Amazon. This one gets three out of five. I would really have liked to be able to give half stars since I do not really think it is worth more than two and a half for me.
October 25, 2012
In this year's Spectrum Awards winner for Best Novel, we rejoin Sarah and her partner Katie as life settles down after the aftermath of battle. However, dark forces never rest: the dragon-ruler of Portland is still scheming, while a secret cabal of dwarves is working on a powerful blood-potion for the mysterious King of Vancouver. In this exciting sequel to Black Blade Blues (2011 Spectrum Awards Short List), we learn more about the power-hungry dragons, and meet elves with questionable motives, another female blacksmith with some very dark secrets, and a neurotically devoted kobold. As the dark forces prepare to claim dominion over the realms of reality and magic, Sarah must deal with her own struggle to accept herself as she and her partner Katie try to build a life together amidst the turmoil.
A self-described "teller of tales," J.A. Pitts uses the beautiful Pacific Northwest as the backdrop for this clever twist on Norse mythology. Along with the heart-pounding (and sometimes deadly) action, humor and tenderness are woven into the tapestry. (There's something oddly familiar about this homeless one-eyed guy name Joe, the one with the raven. . .) Pitts has avoided making the sexual themes gratuitous. While it's clear that Sarah's friends are part of an "alternate life style" group, their partner choices are presented in a forthright and respectful way. The message is that regardless of whom you love, everyone can be a worthy champion of the Light in the struggle against Darkness.
Whether you're looking for a fresh presentation of LGBT content or well-crafted fantasy in an urban setting, Honeyed Words provides both as it draws you deeper into the lives of these very engaging characters, not the least of whom is Sarah Jane Beauhall herself.
A self-described "teller of tales," J.A. Pitts uses the beautiful Pacific Northwest as the backdrop for this clever twist on Norse mythology. Along with the heart-pounding (and sometimes deadly) action, humor and tenderness are woven into the tapestry. (There's something oddly familiar about this homeless one-eyed guy name Joe, the one with the raven. . .) Pitts has avoided making the sexual themes gratuitous. While it's clear that Sarah's friends are part of an "alternate life style" group, their partner choices are presented in a forthright and respectful way. The message is that regardless of whom you love, everyone can be a worthy champion of the Light in the struggle against Darkness.
Whether you're looking for a fresh presentation of LGBT content or well-crafted fantasy in an urban setting, Honeyed Words provides both as it draws you deeper into the lives of these very engaging characters, not the least of whom is Sarah Jane Beauhall herself.
August 6, 2015
Sarah Beauhall, the drunken lesbian blacksmith with super Nordic deity powers, is back! Honeyed Words is the second installation of J.A. Pitts’s Beauhall series, and it comes with more punch than the first. We rejoin Sarah Beauhall, her girlfriend Katie, and Qindra the dragon-serving witch–along with a host of new characters–five months after the end of Black Blade Blues. Beauhall is busy hammering out her guilt from the reign of destruction she brought down on her friends in the form of Jean-Paul Duchamp/dragon dude, but she’s too notorious now to avoid the attention of some big baddies. She tries to move on with her life by returning to the trade she loves: blacksmithing. But when she temporarily apprentices with an artsy woman named Anezka (who just happens to have a giant dragon sculpture out back), Beauhall starts noticing her life getting screwy again. And not screwy in a happy, lesbian way. With much darker magic, fire kobolds, and necromancers, Pitts throws us back into his universe of modern fantasy, and I had more fun with Honeyed Words than with the first installment for a few reasons: 1) Beauhall is a fuller, more well-rounded character, not the angsty psuedo-teen from book one; 2) side characters like Bub the kobold and Qindra as a returning player make the story more multidimensional; and 3) Pitts leaves us with major a cliff-hanger. I’m talking “Lara Croft dangling by a handmade pickax from a rocky outcropping over a hundred foot drop onto spikes in an ancient tomb’s booby-trap” cliff-hanger. Will she make it?!
Read the full review here: http://litbeetle.com/2013/09/10/on-j-...
Read the full review here: http://litbeetle.com/2013/09/10/on-j-...
January 4, 2013
I find myself wondering what happened between this book and the first one. I loved the first book in the series. Sarah seemed less involved in blacksmithing even though she took over for her mentor. The whole thing with the woman caught up with the mini demon and all her craziness didn't seem to add much to the overall story arch with the dragons ruling the humans from behind the scenes.
The elf kids were interesting, but the angles of that didn't get explored very much. I mean the mirror travel thing was seriously cool and could be very useful and handy.
While the prop position for the movies was a huge part of the first book, in this book, it just seemed like an afterthought. Oh yeah, the movie thing, forgot all about that!!
Yeah, I'll be up for another one in hopes it captures some of the cool of the first one. I hope this is just second in the series blues going on.
Note: I always write my own review before I read someone else's review. One of the reviewers I read for this book said that she liked the second book better because there was less internal drama for Sarah. Actually, I loved the internal conflict of the character, it made her more real for me and I missed that in the second book. Also, find a viewpoint. Stay there!
The elf kids were interesting, but the angles of that didn't get explored very much. I mean the mirror travel thing was seriously cool and could be very useful and handy.
While the prop position for the movies was a huge part of the first book, in this book, it just seemed like an afterthought. Oh yeah, the movie thing, forgot all about that!!
Yeah, I'll be up for another one in hopes it captures some of the cool of the first one. I hope this is just second in the series blues going on.
Note: I always write my own review before I read someone else's review. One of the reviewers I read for this book said that she liked the second book better because there was less internal drama for Sarah. Actually, I loved the internal conflict of the character, it made her more real for me and I missed that in the second book. Also, find a viewpoint. Stay there!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2014
A few months ago, blacksmith Sarah Beauhall reforged the legendary Norse sword Gram, attracting the attention of a number of supernatural beings that wanted the sword for themselves. This culminated in an epic battle, in which Sarah and her valiant SCAdian friends defeated a dragon but suffered tragic losses. Honeyed Words, the second in J.A. Pitts’ Black Blade series, continues Sarah’s story.
From the perspective of character development, Honeyed Words is terrific. Sarah has always had avoidant tendencies, and here she begins to take responsibility for that trait and works on overcoming it and facing its consequences. This occurs on several fronts: her relationship with Katie, her friendship with the Black Briar SCA group, and her dealings with supernatural beings — and it’s hinted that her family of origin may soon join that ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
From the perspective of character development, Honeyed Words is terrific. Sarah has always had avoidant tendencies, and here she begins to take responsibility for that trait and works on overcoming it and facing its consequences. This occurs on several fronts: her relationship with Katie, her friendship with the Black Briar SCA group, and her dealings with supernatural beings — and it’s hinted that her family of origin may soon join that ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
July 7, 2012
Not a perfect book, but a very enjoyable one. Sarah Beauhall remains an immensely appealing main character - still struggling with a few insecurities and family issues, but becoming more confident, and learning to handle her anger better, and always trying to do the right thing.
This 2nd in the series follows the main characters as they're trying to learn to live with the after-effects of the major battle at the end of the first book, and I enjoy seeing that the author doesn't just move them right along to the next epic clash. We get to learn more about the mythological set-up of this world and meet some more of its unusual denizens, and the story builds to a satisfying conclusion. It takes an odd, slow-starting route to get there, and occasionally there's a line of dialogue that doesn't quite ring true, but overall, I liked this a lot and am looking forward to the recently-released 3rd.
This 2nd in the series follows the main characters as they're trying to learn to live with the after-effects of the major battle at the end of the first book, and I enjoy seeing that the author doesn't just move them right along to the next epic clash. We get to learn more about the mythological set-up of this world and meet some more of its unusual denizens, and the story builds to a satisfying conclusion. It takes an odd, slow-starting route to get there, and occasionally there's a line of dialogue that doesn't quite ring true, but overall, I liked this a lot and am looking forward to the recently-released 3rd.
November 10, 2012
Honeyed Words had potential and then it landed flat on its face in the mud. What I wanted was the story that was described on the back cover, and I received that for at least the first chapter. From there, everything was random events that left me question the purpose/story. At 130 pages in, I’m still actually waiting for the story to begin. At this point, I won’t be reading any further until I have time to slug through the other ¾ of the book.
The writing is well done. The world that was created is clear and precise. Unfortunately, as others have pointed out before in this book and first book, you can tell this was a man writing from a woman’s perspective. Which I can get around, but the lack of direction for the story made it hard for me to care about the characters and what they were doing.
The writing is well done. The world that was created is clear and precise. Unfortunately, as others have pointed out before in this book and first book, you can tell this was a man writing from a woman’s perspective. Which I can get around, but the lack of direction for the story made it hard for me to care about the characters and what they were doing.
November 5, 2012
Again I really enjoyed the characters created by J.A. Pitts. They are alive. They catch the reader up in their stories, and you care about them (both love and hate :). They are inspiring, and good characters go a long way to making a good book.
This book is in some ways the opposite of the first in the series. The first book tied up almost all the story lines and this second in the series leaves almost all the story lines with loose ends. The characters are better developed in this second book and there is considerably more (not too much) detail, however it is clearly a bridge book and doesn't stand alone as well as I would have liked. The story lines, and there were several, were very engaging despite their open endings, and it will definitely make you feel pressured to buy the next book in the series, so from a marketing standpoint this book is outstanding :)
This book is in some ways the opposite of the first in the series. The first book tied up almost all the story lines and this second in the series leaves almost all the story lines with loose ends. The characters are better developed in this second book and there is considerably more (not too much) detail, however it is clearly a bridge book and doesn't stand alone as well as I would have liked. The story lines, and there were several, were very engaging despite their open endings, and it will definitely make you feel pressured to buy the next book in the series, so from a marketing standpoint this book is outstanding :)
February 9, 2012
I kind of liked the first book, uneven pacing and characters acting out of character not withstanding. Even the rather abrupt climax made me wonder where the author would go with the next book.
And then Honeyed Words. Well at least the uneven pacing is fixed, this one is slow throughout. I found most of the characters less believable here. And as a dyke myself, I'm sorry but the romance bits really don't do a thing for me.
Even so I will probably buy the third book. I really hope that one manages to avoid the slow pacing and has a satisfying denouement. I thought the first book had a lot of promise and I hope to see that promise kept.
And then Honeyed Words. Well at least the uneven pacing is fixed, this one is slow throughout. I found most of the characters less believable here. And as a dyke myself, I'm sorry but the romance bits really don't do a thing for me.
Even so I will probably buy the third book. I really hope that one manages to avoid the slow pacing and has a satisfying denouement. I thought the first book had a lot of promise and I hope to see that promise kept.
August 26, 2013
This book was "okay." I didn't like it nearly as much as the first book, but I'm still interested enough to read the next. Whereas the first book ended with some sort of closure, this one leaves more questions unanswered and plot points unresolved.
Katie and Sarah's relationship has moved past the awkward guilt stage (for Sarah), but as they spend most of the book apart, it's even more clear that this is not a romance novel, keeping it firmly in the fantasy/sci-fi world, which makes me happy. Always happy to see lesbians treated as people and not sex objects.
I really (really) loved Bub and Anezka. I hope they play more of a part in the third book.
Katie and Sarah's relationship has moved past the awkward guilt stage (for Sarah), but as they spend most of the book apart, it's even more clear that this is not a romance novel, keeping it firmly in the fantasy/sci-fi world, which makes me happy. Always happy to see lesbians treated as people and not sex objects.
I really (really) loved Bub and Anezka. I hope they play more of a part in the third book.
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