Camilla Lackberg / Alison Sinclair

A local woman is killed in a tragic car crash, but it isn't a clear-cut drunk driving case. The victim's blood contains high alcohol levels, but she rarely drank a drop. Meanwhile, a reality TV show begins shooting in the town, and as cameras shadow the stars' every move, tempers start to flare. When a drunken party ends with an unpopular contestant's murder, all eyes turn to the cast and crew could there be a murderer among them? The ratings spike as the country tunes in to a real life murder mystery. Detective Patrik Hedstrom finds himself increasingly unable to focus on the strange circumstances of the first case, but what if that holds the key to a series of other unsolved cases across Sweden? Under the unforgiving media spotlight, Patrik tackles his toughest investigation yet.

  
Magic dies with the mage, or so the Darkborn believe. That's why Lady Telmaine Hearne has been condemned to death for sorcery. She's escaped but is now bound with her mageborn allies for the Borders and war. Meanwhile, her husband, Balthasar, has learned of his family connection to the Shadowborn-and is fighting for survival and sanity as magic turns him against everything he holds dear.

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Comment: These were the first two books I've read this month.

Gallows Bird is the 4th story in the crime series by the author, she continues the major storyline from the first book, with the same usual cast of characters. I like this because slowly we get to see many characters follow their lives and paths and it gives the reader a certain sense of continuity, which I love in a series. In this book, another crime must be solved and it includes several current themes in the world, like the price of fame, the need to be famous, reality shows among other things. I was shocked by some things plot related, although at some point some things start to look clear to the reader. I wished a certain subject was wrong but it wasn't and it still amazes me how some psychological differences can be so easy and for people, when most our lives we learn to see them as wrong and impossible.This was a great book and I can't wait to get my hands on the following ones.

Shadowborn is the end if the trilogy started with Darkborn and followed by Lightborn. 

The end of the trilogy was the tidying up for all the plots and sub plots in curse. We see changes are coming to the world and it will depend on everyone, from all the different races, to accomplish that. I liked the general things happening and what it meant to the society. What I wanted was a more firm end, I mean, the author herself has said she deliberated left things open ended, but to me it was too much. And I mean in the personal level, where I see too many things done unsatisfying. I even emailed the author about my questions but no answer yet. I know this trilogy isn't a romance but I've seen it through a romance filter and some things weren't clear enough for me in that respect. In the end, I have to confess that ruined the story a bit because I was so sure I'd see certain things and when it wasn't obvious or clear, I ended up disappointed. Still, a great fantasy read, an amazing idea and world development and intrigue to last a week.

Alison Sinclair - Lightborn

The Darkborn aristocracy has rejected magic, viewing the pursuit of science as the only worthy goal. But Lady Telmaine Hearne does not have that luxury. She has kept her own powers secret, fearful of being ruined in society...until her husband Balthasar draws her into a conspiracy to protect the archduke and his brother against a magical enemy. But who will protect them from her?

Comment: This is the second book in a fantasy trilogy about a world where people are divided into those who live in darkness and those who live in daylight. The darkborns fear and dismiss magic whereas lightborns practice and encourage magic. Now the two worlds mixed and are about to start a war.

In this second book, we see several character's point of view and what's happening through their eyes, specially things in the lightborn side. Their prince is murdered and a political play starts to develop, ending up in a potential war between the two sides, ans also the threat of an invasion by the shadowborns, people everyone fears and wants to keep at distance.

This is the continuation of the fantasy world started in Darkborn. In this book, the focus is more about Floria White Hand, a lightborn and while she plays her part, we learn more about lightborns and their rules and many things pertinent to their "side", the same way we did with darkborns in the first book. There's a plot in this book to start a war between sides and some of the most powerful people in the darkborn society feel it's their right to do so. However, Telmaine is still around and developing each day her magic. Of course, she can' be found otherwise she would be ostracized. 

One day, something happens and Telmaine is discovered and accused. She has the help of others and that is how the good guys can prepare themselves to what's coming.

This is a very complex world. Many rules exist and some of them hard to follow. I think a sort of glossary or background explanation would be better instead of only the information given in the books. Some things still make me confused. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and there were several parts where I couldn't wait to see what would happen. All the main characters play a certain role and are meant to be part of something, and  can't help but wonder what they would do in the future. I think the author has created a very special world, and I'd like to have a more concrete idea of how things work.

The best thing about these books is the original society created. It's fun to find out about what suits a lightborn and a darkborn and their differences, even funnier is to see the things that make them close. They divide the city and strange at it seems, the rules are different for each group. 

This book is the continuation of a detailed plot. It's real not good to read it alone because many things wouldn't make sense. I felt lost in some moments and I did read the first one. I think it could use a bit more "lightness", I mean, more funny and easy moments between characters, perhaps a bit more romance, because despite being a fantasy it doesn't have to be all about politics and business. I think it could use a bit more balance between the different subjects being dealt int he story.

The characters have strengths and weakness, not only personal traits but things about whether thy are lightborn and darkborn. It's interesting to look for them and to think about each person that way, I think in this the author has done a good job.

Anyway, I liked the book and I'm eager to read the third and see what will happen about some things, but I hope it will go a certain path, otherwise I think it might too...businesslike and that could make the whole trilogy more serious than what it needs.

Alison Sinclair - Darkborn

For the Darkborn, sunlight kills. For the Lightborn, darkness is fatal. Living under a centuries-old curse, the Darkborn and the Lightborn share the city of Minhorne, coexisting in an uneasy equilibrium but never interacting. When Darkborn physician Balthasar Hearne finds a pregnant fugitive on his doorstep just before sunrise, he has no choice but to take her in. Tercelle Amberley's betrothed is a powerful Darkborn nobleman, but her illicit lover came to her through the daytime. When she gives birth to twin boys, they can see, something unheard of among the Darkborn. When men come for the boys, Balthasar is saved by the intervention of his Lightborn neighbor--and healed by the hands of his wife, Telmaine. Soon he finds himself drawn deeper into political intrigue and magical attacks, while Telmaine must confront a power she can no longer keep sheathed in gloves, a power she neither wants nor can control.

Comment: I've had this book for quite some time and it seemed it was never a good day to start it, but this month I said to myself I had to get on with it.
This is a fantasy novel, the first of a trilogy, where a curse 800 years ago divided people into races: the Darkborn that can't abide light and only leave their houses after sunset and the Lightborn, who can't leave the light even inside their homes.
There are more differences between them, specially on their views of how a woman should act in society and about the need and meaning of magic. Of course, there's more to it than this, but in a simplistic way, this is it. However, some Darkborns have magic, but most of them hide it because it's not socially acceptable.
In this book we learn more about the Darkborn, obviously, but the following books present more information about the other races, I'm sure.

The story begins with a Darkborn aristocratic lady asking for help in Balthazar's door because she is about to give birth and she fears for her life because the father is someone who came to her during the day and when she is engaged to be married to a powerful man and she thinks if he finds out she will be disgraced.
From here, we start meeting new characters that seem to have a very important role int he developing story. Some of them don't seem to matter that much, but everyone will play a key role in something or other during the curse of the plot. I liked most characters because although we get to see them act and thus getting used to their thoughts and behavior, there's always a sense of mystery surrounding them which makes them interesting and alive.
Balthazar is a sweet man, caring and always wanting to help others. He doesn't have magic but he is a doctor and tries to help that way, not caring about social status although he is married to a woman in high society.
Telmaine is his wife, at first she looked like a silly bimbo, but looks can be deceiving.
Then there's Baron Ishamael, he isn't liked by the society because he has magic and lives close to the shadowlands, a place where there's too much darkness, the bad kind at that.
These three are the main characters and we see things from all of their POV's. This allowed us to see different things happening in the plot and also made possible for us to sympathize with all of them.

To be very honest, the beginning is a bit boring but I think it's natural, new world and all that. But from a certain point in the story - not very late - I got very curious and eager to read more not only about character development but also the story, which becomes very interesting as long as it moves along. I'm actually very surprised by how much I liked it, considering the time it took me to get to it.
There's a mystery, like I said, and the solution was a surprise. I think the author has done a great job in the world's built up and in the character's descriptions. I'm going to get the rest of the trilogy soon.