Monday, June 14, 2010

Romance Book Review: Fired Up and Burning Lamp

Fired Up
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: Arcane Society
ISBN: 978-0399155963
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal
Publisher: Putnam Adult


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Just finished both of Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Amanda Quick)'s new editions to her Arcane Society series. This series is unique because the author is writing books in both her contemporary persona, Krentz, and her historical persona, Quick. The series is about a special society that deals with the paranormal psychic population of the world in both time eras. Since the government doesn't choose to acknowledge the psychics of the world a group known as the Arcane Society was established during the Victorian Era and works to keep all the psychics in line. The group still exists today working to keep the evil psychic from hurting the rest of the world with their psychic ability.


In every book in the series there is a different hero and heroine, with the common consistancy the J&J Agency. Fired Up and Burning Lamp are not only books 7 & 8 of the Arcane Series but they are also the first two books in the Dreamlight Trilogy.

I was surprised by those who reviewed these two books and said that they saw little of Jayne Ann Krentz's usual style and characters, when I saw her using very much the same characters as she has used in the previous books in the series. I thought both books were well written, it not a little too descriptive. Fired Up seemed to relate a lot of the history of the first Winters' experiments, as does the Burning Lamp, so it seemed a little repetitive when you read them close together. I didn't mind though.

In Fired Up readers get to spend more time with the modern day Jones from the J&J Agency—Fallon. Fallon's character is more defined in Fired Up and he seems more disorganized than he has in previous books. I'm hoping we'll see a book for him soon.

It seem the books a little backwards where Fired Up, book 7, is the modern day version. Readers meet Jack Winter a decedent of the Nicholas Winter who created the Burning Lamp. A devise that the first Winter would hope would amp up his psychic powers, but ultimately made him go mad. Suddenly strange things are happening to Jack Winter and he is worried his is cursed as his ancestor was believed to be. So he goes to Chloe Harper, a Dream Psychic whom, Jack believes can save him before he goes insane.

Chloe is a private investigator. She is worried that Jack isn't going to get the helps he thinks from her, but she is the one Harper who isn't exploitive like the rest of her con-artist family and can't help but want to do what ever she can for Jack. Together they work against the clock to save Jack and also keep one step ahead to the evil group who wants to used both Jack and Chloe for their own gain.


Description:
More than three centuries ago, Nicholas Winters irrevocably altered his genetic makeup in an obsession fueled competition with alchemist and Arcane Society founder Sylvester Jones. Driven to control their psychic abilities, each man's decision has reverberated throughout the family line, rewarding some with powers beyond their wildest dreams, and cursing others to a life filled with madness and hallucinations.

Jack Winters, descendant of Nicholas, has been experiencing nightmares and blackouts—just the beginning, he believes—of the manifestation of the Winters family curse. The legend says that he must find the Burning Lamp or risk turning into a monster. But he can't do it alone; he needs the help of a woman with the gift to read the lamp's dreamlight.

Jack is convinced that private investigator Chloe Harper is that woman. Her talents for finding objects and accessing dream energy are what will save him, but their sudden and powerful sexual pull threatens to overwhelm them both. Danger surrounds them, and it doesn't take long for Chloe to pick up the trail of the missing lamp. And as they draw closer to the lamp, the raw power that dwells within it threatens to sweep them into a hurricane of psychic force. 


Burning Lamp
Author: Amanda Quick
Series Connection: Arcane Society
ISBN: 978-0399156465
Genre: Historical Paranormal
Publisher: Putnam Adult


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The Burning Lamp, takes readers back a century in time where they meet Griffin Winters and Adelaide Pyne. Griffin is the only other Winters who has need to use the lamp. He knows the legend of Nicholas Winters and how the lamp is suppose to help him from going insane. He also knows he needs the help of a Dream Psychic to make the lamp work.

Adelaide is a social reformer and someone that Griffin would not normal associate himself with, but Adelaide is in possession of the lamp and he soon realizes that she is the only one who can help him before it is too late.

As with modern time, there are forces that don't want Griffin and Adelaide to come together on this project. They too need to race against time to safe not only Griffin but once Adelaide is enlisted to help she is no in danger as well.


Description:
The Arcane Society was born in turmoil when the friendship of its two founders evolved into a fierce rivalry. Sylvester Jones and Nicholas Winters each sought to enhance their individual psychic talents. Winters’ efforts led to the creation of a device of unknown powers called the Burning Lamp. Each generation the Winters man who inherits it is destined to develop multiple talents—and the curse of madness.

Plagued by hallucinations and nightmares, notorious crime lord Griffin Winters is convinced he has been struck with the Winters Curse. And the instincts that have helped him survive the streets and rise to power are now drawing him toward Adelaide Pyne, the bothersome social reformer. But even as he arranges a meeting with the mysterious woman, he has no idea how closely their fates are bound, for Adelaide holds the Burning Lamp in her possession.

A dreamlight reader, Adelaide should be able to manipulate the Lamp’s light to save both Griffin’s sanity and his life. But their dangerous psychical experiment makes them the target of forces both inside and outside of the Arcane Society. And though desire strengthens their power their different lives will keep them apart—if death doesn’t take them together.


Below are a list of books in the series.

SECOND SIGHT
By Amanda Quick
Purchase Book 1 here
SETTING: Late Victorian England

WHITE LIES
By Jayne Ann Krentz
Purchase Book 2 here
SETTING: Stone Canyon, Arizona, 21st. Century

SIZZLE AND BURN
By Jayne Ann Krentz
Purchase Book 3 here
SETTING: Oriana, Washington, 21st Century
THE THIRD CIRCLE
By Amanda Quick
Purchase Book 4 here
SETTING: Late Victorian England

RUNNING HOT
By Jayne Ann Krentz
Purchase Book 5 here
SETTING: Hawaii, 21st Century
THE PERFECT POISON
By Amanda Quick
Purchase Book 6 Here
SETTING: Late Victorian England

FIRED UP
By Jayne Ann Krentz
Purchase Book 7 here
SETTING: Seattle and Las Vegas, 21st Century

 BURNING LAMP
By Amanda Quick
Purchase Book 8 here
SETTING: Late Victorian England

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