[QLD]⇒ Libro Heart of Stone The Negotiator Trilogy Book 1 CE Murphy 9780373802920 Books

Heart of Stone The Negotiator Trilogy Book 1 CE Murphy 9780373802920 Books

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Heart of Stone The Negotiator Trilogy Book 1 CE Murphy 9780373802920 Books

~* 4.5 Stars *~
His life is lived in shadows, exiled from his own kind and alone in the world but for her, the woman he protects every night. He doesn't know her name. He doesn't know what she does for a living. He's never broken through the racial boundaries and dared speak to her, his human ward.

Though he wants to. Aches to with a need that grows by the year, by the night.

He is Alban Korund. He is gargoyle.

Most of Margrit Knight's friends joke about her having a death wish, and while those jokes are always half couched in genuine fear for her safety, Margrit knows she's an adrenaline junkie who prefers to run in Central Park every night. As a lawyer for Legal Aid in Manhattan, she doesn't get a lot of free time in the day, but the truth is, no matter how irrational, how dangerous, Margrit is confident to bone-deep levels. Until the night a pale man dressed in a suit far too light for the frigid winter temperatures steps out of the shadows on the path near her and says hello.

Weird, but easily dismissible until Margrit turns on the news at home and sees a witness to a vicious murder in Central Park describe the tall, pale man in a suit as the perpetrator.

As Alban tries again and again to reach out to Margrit to prove his innocence and Margrit gets dragged deeper and deeper into a world she never new existed - a world full of Old Races and predators beyond human comprehension - the two are drawn into the madness of a murderer with a hideous agenda and a horrific connection to an exiled gargoyle.

Long before I started reading C.E. Murphy's The Walker Papers series, I came across this nifty little trilogy and fell in love. In fact, as much as I enjoy The Walker Papers, The Negotiator trilogy remains closer to my heart. I love the world that Murphy created here, love the characters, the story. The Old Races add fresh breath and unique life to the genre, as I sure haven't seen a proliferation of gargoyles in fiction, and even though vampires are one of the Old Races, their history is original and shrouded in the sort of mystery that tantalizes instead of tires.

The characters are three dimensional and real, likable but quirky enough to have their own little foibles that add layers to their personalities. Margrit is a bright, confident woman with a strong moral center, liberal of mind and free speaking. She doesn't give much thought to her safety, true, but she throws herself at injustice with a weight far exceeding her body mass. Her ability to see members of the Old Races as people instead of monsters is laudable, even when her mouth starts to write checks that her body's going to have to cash.

Alban is a rock. Literally and figuratively. And in his character is some truly brilliant writing, because Murphy managed to imbue his personality with both a steadfastness that makes sense, a loneliness that devastates, and a stubbornness that is both humorous and intensely frustrating at turns. Where Margrit is fire, burning intensely bright and racing around willy nilly, he is the calm force of protection at her back. The pairing was odd, unique, and filled with a slow burning romantic tension that was very appealing.

But this isn't a romance. It's an urban fantasy. And if the brutal murder of women in Central Park isn't enough of a mystery to solve, Margrit also finds herself caught between a dragon crimelord and a vampire business mogul as the two play a dangerous game of power and influence as coldly calculating as an extended game of chess with the population of New York City as their pawns.

It's a thrilling book, though it's light on world-ending catastrophe like so many in the genre. Instead it offers up a steadily building conflict and rising tension about the murders and takes the time to really open Margrit's eyes to the reality of the world around her. The vampire wants to own her, the dragon wants to play with her, the gargoyle...well...Alban wants to protect her...mostly from himself. Stubborn male.

The beginning was a little slow. After the initial meeting with Alban, the narrative bogged down a bit with the search for him. And I never found Margrit's human friends as interesting as the supernatural elements of the book. Fortunately, after Alban and Margrit start working together, there is very little human interference.

There were also a few times when Margrit's actions and mouth went a little further than just being strong and confident warranted given the powerful entities surrounding her. A few times where I wanted to shake her for her insouciance. Just a few, though, and nothing to make her unlikable. Just a little foolhardy at times. There were also a handful of times when I wondered why any of the Old Races would bother sparing any thought to Margrit, or bothered dealing with her at all, for all her pesky humanity. Novelty only goes so far, after all. But then I stopped worrying about that and just sat back and enjoyed this remarkably well-written book.

I loved the end, though. I love how everything came together. I love the book. Knowing it's a complete trilogy is also another nice thing, because there's a sense of completion (I have a gift for the obvious)...a sense that whatever happens as you're reading, it's already all been written and you know you won't be left hanging for a new release sometime in the distant future to find out what happens next. Given the number of long-running series I read, that's a surprisingly comforting and satisfying treat. And so is Heart of Stone and The Negotiator trilogy.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.


Tags : Heart of Stone (The Negotiator Trilogy, Book 1) [C.E. Murphy] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. WHAT SECRETS LIE SHROUDED IN DARKNESS? Okay, so jogging through Central Park after midnight wasn't a bright idea. But Margrit Knight never thought she'd encounter a dark new world filled with magical beings-not to mention a dying woman and a mysterious stranger with blood on his hands. Her logical,C.E. Murphy,Heart of Stone (The Negotiator Trilogy, Book 1),Luna,0373802927,Romance - Paranormal,Gargoyles;Fiction.,Monsters;Fiction.,Vampires;Fiction.,10005785,115026X,20071101,707220,AMERICAN LIGHT ROMANTIC FICTION,FICTION Fantasy Contemporary,FICTION Romance Fantasy,FICTION Romance Paranormal General,Fantasy,Fantasy - Contemporary,Fantasy;Paranormal;Romance,Fiction,Fiction - Fantasy,Fiction-Fantasy,GENERAL,Gargoyles,General Adult,Monograph Series, 1st,Monsters,New York,SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY,United States,Vampires,Vampires;Fiction.,FICTION Fantasy Contemporary,FICTION Romance Fantasy,FICTION Romance Paranormal General,Fantasy - Contemporary,Fiction - Fantasy,American Light Romantic Fiction,Science Fiction And Fantasy,Gargoyles,Monsters,Vampires,Fiction,Fantasy

Heart of Stone The Negotiator Trilogy Book 1 CE Murphy 9780373802920 Books Reviews

I liked the read, as I said it was entertaining but I found the characters to be shallow and one-side, too unchanging. Our heroine is a bit too callous, she fears nothing or no one. Not even that what she does not know. I'm all for the "i'm a lawyer speech so I have seen worse" but it got to a point where it became unbelievable. Also the book started at a slow pace but ended at 200 miles per hour. I just all went so fast and though I know there are sequels I found that too many ends were left untied. Also something in the writing, though I can't quite define it put me off. I have been reading English literature since the age of sixteen and this time I had a hard time following the story, finding myself re-reading parts three times before understanding what had happened. This of course could be just me but it felt like there was a lack of fluency in the dialog and the descriptions. It somehow felt so incoherent as a whole. We learn much and yet we learn nothing of our heroine. I will read the sequels hoping to find that this opinion was wrong but i'm not digging into it like I would with authors and stories I really love.
I gave up on this book after about 60 pages. The characters were boring, the dialogue stupid, unrealistic and full of so many "good morning"s and "What's for breakfast?"s that I was quickly bored out of my mind.

The plot, that which there was in the 60 or so pages that I read, was slow and boring. It had something to do with some "creepy" (or was he just meant to be mysterious?) guy watching Margrit --- though I couldn't really work out why save that he thought she seemed interesting. I wish I knew what he found so interesting about her, because I certainly couldn't see it in what I read.

The writing itself wasn't particularly remarkable; at times it was downright boring and even made me cringe. Given that, the fact that I found it to be as bad as I did was probably the only reason why I actually read as much as I did. I was morbidly driven to find out what awful cliche the author would use next.

But, after 60 pages, I realized I was wasting my time. The cliche's were getting repetitive and I was bored.

I definitely don't recommend this book.
I will admit now that I have not yet read the Urban Shaman book/series. I WILL say that I LOVE this book!!! If you want an urban fantasy that centers around a main character who stands on her own two feet, is consistent and has a BRAIN, then this is for you.

Margrit, our heroine, is an athletic lawyer who likes to win, likes to take risks, puts her money where her mouth is, and doesn't always come out on top. She is actually a mixed race character, which is rarer than I would like, and I find this adds an even greater depth to the general context.

This is a smart book- there are some things that are implied rather than spelled out. The characters really do act their parts throughout. The romantic interests are complicated, hopeful, and bitter sweet. The plot line is clever, as is Margrit. I appreciate having a character who is written to be smart and actually comes across that way on the page!

There isn't a whole lot of violence, sex, or spectacular displays of magic, but none of that is necessary here. This is a slightly more subtle verson of urban fantasy- though you certainly do get plenty of intrigue and supernatural. This is the magic of Lois Lane's first flight with Superman and Mary Jane's first rescue by Spiderman. It leaves you standing on firm pavement, but breathless and waiting for more.

I loved it- I highly recommend!!!! (I am reading bk 2... but I don't want to read too fast as it is only a trilogy and my heart will break to leave these characters behind. *sigh* !!!)
~* 4.5 Stars *~
His life is lived in shadows, exiled from his own kind and alone in the world but for her, the woman he protects every night. He doesn't know her name. He doesn't know what she does for a living. He's never broken through the racial boundaries and dared speak to her, his human ward.

Though he wants to. Aches to with a need that grows by the year, by the night.

He is Alban Korund. He is gargoyle.

Most of Margrit Knight's friends joke about her having a death wish, and while those jokes are always half couched in genuine fear for her safety, Margrit knows she's an adrenaline junkie who prefers to run in Central Park every night. As a lawyer for Legal Aid in Manhattan, she doesn't get a lot of free time in the day, but the truth is, no matter how irrational, how dangerous, Margrit is confident to bone-deep levels. Until the night a pale man dressed in a suit far too light for the frigid winter temperatures steps out of the shadows on the path near her and says hello.

Weird, but easily dismissible until Margrit turns on the news at home and sees a witness to a vicious murder in Central Park describe the tall, pale man in a suit as the perpetrator.

As Alban tries again and again to reach out to Margrit to prove his innocence and Margrit gets dragged deeper and deeper into a world she never new existed - a world full of Old Races and predators beyond human comprehension - the two are drawn into the madness of a murderer with a hideous agenda and a horrific connection to an exiled gargoyle.

Long before I started reading C.E. Murphy's The Walker Papers series, I came across this nifty little trilogy and fell in love. In fact, as much as I enjoy The Walker Papers, The Negotiator trilogy remains closer to my heart. I love the world that Murphy created here, love the characters, the story. The Old Races add fresh breath and unique life to the genre, as I sure haven't seen a proliferation of gargoyles in fiction, and even though vampires are one of the Old Races, their history is original and shrouded in the sort of mystery that tantalizes instead of tires.

The characters are three dimensional and real, likable but quirky enough to have their own little foibles that add layers to their personalities. Margrit is a bright, confident woman with a strong moral center, liberal of mind and free speaking. She doesn't give much thought to her safety, true, but she throws herself at injustice with a weight far exceeding her body mass. Her ability to see members of the Old Races as people instead of monsters is laudable, even when her mouth starts to write checks that her body's going to have to cash.

Alban is a rock. Literally and figuratively. And in his character is some truly brilliant writing, because Murphy managed to imbue his personality with both a steadfastness that makes sense, a loneliness that devastates, and a stubbornness that is both humorous and intensely frustrating at turns. Where Margrit is fire, burning intensely bright and racing around willy nilly, he is the calm force of protection at her back. The pairing was odd, unique, and filled with a slow burning romantic tension that was very appealing.

But this isn't a romance. It's an urban fantasy. And if the brutal murder of women in Central Park isn't enough of a mystery to solve, Margrit also finds herself caught between a dragon crimelord and a vampire business mogul as the two play a dangerous game of power and influence as coldly calculating as an extended game of chess with the population of New York City as their pawns.

It's a thrilling book, though it's light on world-ending catastrophe like so many in the genre. Instead it offers up a steadily building conflict and rising tension about the murders and takes the time to really open Margrit's eyes to the reality of the world around her. The vampire wants to own her, the dragon wants to play with her, the gargoyle...well...Alban wants to protect her...mostly from himself. Stubborn male.

The beginning was a little slow. After the initial meeting with Alban, the narrative bogged down a bit with the search for him. And I never found Margrit's human friends as interesting as the supernatural elements of the book. Fortunately, after Alban and Margrit start working together, there is very little human interference.

There were also a few times when Margrit's actions and mouth went a little further than just being strong and confident warranted given the powerful entities surrounding her. A few times where I wanted to shake her for her insouciance. Just a few, though, and nothing to make her unlikable. Just a little foolhardy at times. There were also a handful of times when I wondered why any of the Old Races would bother sparing any thought to Margrit, or bothered dealing with her at all, for all her pesky humanity. Novelty only goes so far, after all. But then I stopped worrying about that and just sat back and enjoyed this remarkably well-written book.

I loved the end, though. I love how everything came together. I love the book. Knowing it's a complete trilogy is also another nice thing, because there's a sense of completion (I have a gift for the obvious)...a sense that whatever happens as you're reading, it's already all been written and you know you won't be left hanging for a new release sometime in the distant future to find out what happens next. Given the number of long-running series I read, that's a surprisingly comforting and satisfying treat. And so is Heart of Stone and The Negotiator trilogy.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.