Summer

10 March 2011

MASTER AND APPRENTICE: Gavyn Donatti Novel - Sonya Bateman


Gavyn Donatti was used to being freakishly unlucky as in the worst thief ever. Well, good thief, but unlucky in outcome. Then he met Ian the djinn who is Donatti's great-great-great...etc grandfather and the Donatti luck changed to reasonably okay. Especially when they were both on the hunt for the evil djinn tribe that had basically wiped out Ian's tribe.
The the luck went back to bad and it's affecting everything in Gavyn's life. His truck is wrecked after a head on with a moose, Ian starts drinking beer. Absolutely worst of all, his family is driven away and they need to rescue Princess Akila who has been kidnapped by beyond evil half-breed djinn supremacists.
I like watching Gavyn and how he keeps on keepin' on protecting his loved ones and responsibilities. Even when the injuries keep on comin', he makes himself do what needs doing. Sonya Bateman doesn't sugarcoat the injuries either nor make Donatti into a Superman. He's injured, he hurts, he stumbles. He grows with his newfound abilities, learns as he goes and gets tougher even if he doesn't admit to it.
It may be just me (but I doubt it), I got invested in everything that happened to Gavyn, Ian, Jazz, Akila, Cyrus, the characters I cared most about. I sat at my desk crying at some points and other times wanting to reach inside the computer and to wheal some whoop-ass on some evil djinn half-breed azzwipes.
That is excellent writing, making the reader give a good damn about the characters.
We get more of the history of Ian and Akila's relationship, too. It's a lovely story, a romance and love for the ages.
I love Cyrus, the young son of Jazz and Gavyn. He's a toddler doll and has inherited his father's djinn qualities. Jazz realizes she now has to not only worry about potty-training, but the fact that Cy has magical abilities like turning invisible. That's a hard one to deal with in a toddler when all you figured you needed to teach was stop eating the dirt and don't stick your finger in the light socket.
And, ohhhh....the WTF moments abounded...absolutely loud ones....
Favorite quote:
"I wasn't exactly claustrophobic---just allergic to being trapped."
I received MASTER AND APPRENTICE from Sonya Bateman...thank you Sonya! It will be released 29 Mar 2011....get it here on B&N or here at Amazon or your favorite indie bookshop. Mine are High Crimes or Mystery Lovers Bookshop.
Five big djinn magic diamonds......

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