Review - SHIVER

Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
# of pages: 392 pages
Publisher: Scholastic
Recommended for: HS & beyond!
Shiver @ Parental Book Reviews

My Thoughts
Okay, so have you ever felt you're the only one who hasn't read something yet? Well, that was Shiver and me.
I loved (ABSOLUTELY LOVED) the writing style. A lot of people have commented on Maggie's lyrical writing style, and that is definitely a great word to use! I can’t even describe how beautifully crafted Shiver was. I do, however, think that Grace and Sam’s voices/perspectives could have contrasted more – they sounded a little too…I don’t know, similar. But maybe I’ve just never met a guy who is as Sam-like in real life…YET. For those who have read this book, do you agree? What did you think of Sam?
I liked Grace as a character. She’s described as stoic, but actually, I thought she did show quite a bit of emotional depth. For a girl in love, Grace is rather practical, she doesn’t let her love cloud her judgment (for the most part) and I found that very refreshing. To be sure, I didn’t always agree with her choices, but it wasn’t that big of a deal because I always knew why she made certain decisions. Personally, I like the stoic, rational, self-sacrificing characters (easier to relate to for me), and so I found Grace very enjoyable and fun to read. Everybody has different tastes, though.
And now…Sam. Sam, Sam! I loved Sam. When it comes to boys/love interests in YA fiction, it seems that there are two predominant types: the sweetie-pie, almost-too-good-to-be-true boys, and the “bad boys.” Here’s another personal preference: I like good boys over bad boys. I guess I’m just so sick of bad boys that I’m now over on the other end of the spectrum. I liked him and thought he was a great character. Yes, some of his comments were eyebrow-raising (I've never heard a guy comment about how many calories are in candy, for example, or comment that a certain coat makes him look 'like a blimp'), but I didn’t care. I found them funny, but cute-sort of funny. So to conclude a really long, rambling point: I liked Sam just fine, thought he was a great character, and I liked the way Maggie chose to portray him. Thanks Maggie for helping control the bad-boy population (*this is Amelia reminding you to help control the bad boy population. Have your bad boy spayed or neutered*)
The supporting characters were very well fleshed out, and the plot kept rolling along at a nice pace. The foreboding and anxious tone reminded me of a growing thunderstorm, and most of my Shiver time took place during weekend storms. Excellent weather conditions for a book like this! Well, cold weather would have been best, but storms and rain was a good consolation. Maggie is one of those authors who pays such attention to detail and gives so much consideration to the overall tone of the story; it made Shiver seem so polished and well crafted. And indeed it is!
There was one part in particular (and I bet most of you can guess which part it was) that just made me sob. I mean like really, really sob. I’m kind of a “detached” reader, so for me to get this emotionally involved in what was going on was very out of the ordinary. Shiver was so poignant, so emotional, and so beautiful. Just...WOW!
I loved this book! Definitely recommended! Yeah, there’s one part (and really only one part) that I wish hadn’t been included, and those who know me can probably guess what it is. It was handled well though, and I wouldn’t have any problem giving my 14year old cousin this book.
From now on, I'm going to do my 'Content Radar' a little different. The awesome Andye @ Reading Teen has allowed me to link her reviews to this site, so I'll be doing that for now on. Check out Reading Teen's review for Shiver HERE.

Final Grade Shiver is definitely one of my new favorites! If you haven't already, please check it out!

Review - SABRIEL

Sabriel - Garth Nix
Genre: YA Fantasy; book 1 in the Abhorsen (US)/Old Kingdom (AUS) trilogy
# of pages: 311 (pb)
Publisher (US): Harper Collins
Recommended for: HS & beyond!

My Thoughts: WOW.

Sabriel completely took my breath away.
The fantasy elements were phenomenal: fun, interesting, and unique. So unique, in fact, that it took me a few chapters to wrap my mind around the world Nix created. It's not simply high fantasy, it's more of a parallel world: in one country, the culture seems to mirror an early-20th-century England, and in the other country seems to mirror a more medieval setting. So one culture has technology, the other has magic. Very, very cool!

As for the characters, Sabriel, Touchstone, and Mogget (a spirit who takes the form of a white cat) made an entertaining trio. Nix's characters are written with a great balance of emotion and action, though I will admit to wishing that the romance played a bigger role. (I know, what can I say? I like love stories...*facepalm*) I thoroughly enjoyed Sabriel - once again, a girl who's strong without being snarky. Touchstone was definitely my favorite character, mainly because I don't really see a lot of guys like him in fiction. So many YA love interests seem to have this inherent haughtiness, so it was neat to see a guy who (while not a wuss) struggled with fear and insecurity. It was really cool to watch him come to terms with his guilt and his past. And he's just so sweet!
And Mogget the cat was hilarious and just a little creepy. I tell you what, if he and Grimalkin from the Iron Fey series had a tomcat alley fight, Mogget would WIN. He fights dirty!
But man, oh man, the ACTION of Sabriel was just riveting! I really do think that the best way to write entertaining fantasy that keeps readers' interest is to have some kind of journey or quest. The characters and plot keep from getting stagnate by being in some kind of state of motion, both physically and mentally. And it's just edge-of-your-seat reading!

Final Grade:

Review - WONDROUS STRANGE

Wondrous Strange - Lesley Livingston
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
# of pages: 321 (pb)
Amelia's Age-Level Recommendation: 13+
My Thoughts: Did a little something uncharacteristic in that I read two very similar books back-to-back - The Iron King and then Wondrous Strange (both being YA modern-faerie-tale stories). I'm glad I did, though! Truth be told, TIK had me in a little bit of a funk, and I was holding out for a hero to rescue me from bad faerie books (okay, so TIK wasn't "bad" - it just was "flat okay")

And let me tell you - Lesley Livingston is a hero! A hero and a wonderfully creative storyteller, too! This book was so fun, so enjoyable, such a delight to read! I love writing happy, positive reviews! It makes me not sound like a harpy :)

Wondrous Strange, to me, offered a very clever, very interesting amount of mythology and folklore to explain the faerie world. This is particularly interesting because the entire story takes place in New York City - the "Otherworld," as it is known, is only referenced.
There's something in particular that I found really neat: So often in faerie fiction, you hear the same things over and over: Seelie/Unseelie, Winter & Summer Courts. Well, those concepts are all here, but Livingston brings more to the table by having 4 courts: yes, Autumn and Spring are represented too! That was really cool. And the Midsummer monarchs: Titania and Auberon (instead of Oberon--cool!) are here as well, but they're not near as stereotypical. In fact, Titania is only referenced, and Auberon is portrayed in a way that makes sense with his character background.
This may sound redundant (because it is a FAERIE book), but in WS I actually liked the portrayal of the faeries. What I look for are not necessarily cute, adorable little J.M. Barrie/Tinkerbell fairies... but I do look for faeries that make sense for what they're portrayed to be. For example, if fairies are so magical/wonderful/beautiful/immortal/exotic, that should reflect in their culture and behavior. I don't want to get off-track here, but the easy way to write faerie fiction (it seems) has been to portray them as raunchy and too over-the-top... Not so here. Faeries aren't perfect - by any means - but they're not overdone.
Girls, you will *love* Lesley Livingston's writing style! It's just so beautiful, lyrical, and incredibly witty. Seriously, there were a few passages and quotes that made me laugh out loud!
Also, I loved that Livingston chose to tell Wondrous Strange using double perspectives. Sometimes seeing things from the point of view of the "normal girl character" can be a bit limiting, so it was really cool to read Sonny's perspective and be able to have a window into the faerie world through him.
And last but not least: the main character. I liked Kelley Winslow a lot. She's smart, spunky, and capable, but she's also able to let somebody else take the lead, too - a very good quality to have in a well-rounded and mature person. And she graduated early - very cool (I liked that little bit because I graduated early too!).

If you are a fan of faerie fiction, Shakespearean-influenced literature, or just a fun, entertaining summer read, definitely check out Wondrous Strange!

Final Grade:
I have Darklight, but I want to make the series last as long as I can! Wondrous Strange #3 won't be published until January 2011!

Review - THE IRON KING

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA Urban/Paranormal Fantasy
# of pages: 361 (pb)
Age-Level Recommendation: 15+
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
The Iron King @ Parental Book Reviews

First off, I want to start this review by asking a question:

How AMAZINGLY beautiful is the cover design?!

It's one of my favorites! And The Iron Daughter is pretty, too :)
Okay, this is one of those books where I just have a lot to say, I guess. First of all, I enjoyed The Iron King. Truly, I did. It was good, and I had fun reading it. I was a little disappointed, though. From all the other reviews I've read, I was expecting this book to be incredibly good: I expected the book to be as awesome as the cover design, and it wasn't. I liked it, but I didn't "love" it.. For what it was, I liked it okay. But it wasn't as good as I expected it to be.

Trying to keep it simple:
What I liked:
1) The Main Character: If I don't connect with the main character, the book just totally strikes out. End of story. Meghan Chase was a good character for me. She's not stupid, but she's not exactly practical, either. The reason why I think she's a good character is because she has enough positive qualities to make up for her negative ones. She's a good and loyal sister and while my family life is pretty much the polar opposite from hers, I still felt like I could relate to her. She had a good sense of humor, too. The best way I can describe Meghan is that while she has valid feelings and concerns, she frequently jumps to conclusions and is a little too impulsive. That's why things keep happening to her that a lot of times could have been avoided. Like my awesome affiliate Christina says, you just have the urge to shake her. But I still liked her. And it's like, if I was in that situation, who's to say I wouldn't behave exactly like her?
2) Supporting Characters: what The Iron King had that the other faerie books lacked (for me, at least) were likable supporting characters. Grimalkin and Puck were great. Puck makes so many appearances in fiction nowadays, he's practically a stock character, and a talking cat is not that original, but they were fun and interesting. That counts for something.
3) Originality: There are certain elements of this book that are petty original. The whole "iron fey" thing is interesting and definitely unique, and it's always fun to read about something new.
4) Fun, Quick Read: Maybe I'm lightening up over the years, but I just enjoyed this book more than the other faerie books I've read. It was just a fun, quick read

What I disliked
1) Repetition of plot: Okay, this got to be really annoying in the middle of the book. Meghan and company encounter scary, nasty creatures - then they escape. The continue on, and then they encounter some more scary, nasty creatures - then they escape. Over and over. It's obvious why: action sequences keep the plot from getting "boring," but it got very repetitious and predictable...which is the same thing as boring.
2) Repetition of characters: there are so many stock characters here, I felt like I was at a blue-light special. I said that the iron fey concept was pretty original; everything else had a used/worn feel to it. I didn't really find this book that creative or that different from other faerie books. It was more enjoyable, but there wasn't anything particularly special about it. I know how critical this review sounds, but when a book gets all sorts of praise and high reviews, I naturally have expectations. And while it was fun, it wasn't special.
Her faeries are pretty much exactly like Holly Black's and Melissa Marr's. And that's too bad. When your "good guy" characters act almost exactly like the "bad guy" characters, what kind of contrast exists? Tell me, how are Mab and Titania any different? And yet one is queen of the Unseelie Court - Unseelie usually implying malevolent. No contrast. The faeries are so frustrating because they seem to possess a "devotion to rules and proper etiquette" (according to Ash on pg 166) but they're portrayed as obscene, oversexed, orgiastic revelers. Those are contrasts in behavior, and it happens over and over. I was so hoping that Kagawa would give me something truly different, but she obviously took the easy stereotype. And she didn't miss a chance to take a few chapters and throw in teenage stereotypes either: mean jocks and cheerleaders. Haven't heard those before.

Summary: I enjoyed The Iron King, and I'm glad I read it. It was entertaining, but not special. In fact, pretty much every scene in the book reminded me of similar scenes I've seen in another book or movie. Still, even if most of the plot was predictable and borrowed, it was entertaining. It may not sound that way from the review, but I did like it. I just have pretty low standards for faerie fiction, I guess. Here's hoping Wondrous Strange will be a better experience.

Quick Content Check
L: strong and consistent vulgarity throughout, including the "f" word.
S: Nothing but kissing happens with the main characters, but the narrative mentions somewhat graphic sexuality on part on the faeries.
V: if Quentin Tarantino got ahold of this, he'd have a new movie in no time. Strong, consistent (albeit predictable and repetitious) blood and gore.

Final Rating:
The Iron King may be best suited for upper teens only.

Review - PERCHANCE TO DREAM

Perchance to Dream - Lisa Mantchev
Genre: YA Speculative Fiction/Fantasy
# of pages: 333 (hb)
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan
Recommended for: 13/14 up (perfect for 8th grade and beyond, not for content, but just reader maturity in general)

Quick Take: Perchance to Dream follows in the proud tradition of its predecessor, Eyes Like Stars, in bringing action, romance, humor, and everything in between! If you loved Eyes, my guess is that you will devour this next installment as well!

On the Plot: This story goes in a different direction from its predecessor: instead of the entire setting being within the Theatre, Bertie and Company take their show on the road; therefore there’s more action driving Perchance, and it gave me an exhilarated, adventuresome feeling as I was reading. Eyes, in my opinion, was more "clever" with its references to various plays and characters, whereas in Perchance, action propels the plot to a faster pace than in the first book, if that makes sense. Clever references of some of the Bard's more well-known play quotes were woven into the story, and Shakespearean fans will just be delighted - I sure was!

The romantic angle is more pronounced in Perchance, but it never took center stage, so if you're wary of love triangle stories (like me), you'll have no problem loving this installment. I have to say, though, that while I liked Nate and Ariel equally in Eyes, at the end of Perchance, I am now Team Ariel! I don’t fully trust him yet, and I’m sure there will be more revelations about him in Untitled Book Three (most of Perchance seemed to emphasize the search for Nate, and what he was going through), so I can’t wait to for more Ariel!

On the characters: I said this in Eyes, so forgive me if I sound redundant, but I really, really like Bertie! I just seem to identify with her, somehow, and so it was really nice to read about a character that I actually cared about! Sometimes, though, I wished she didn’t have to be quite so bossy, but she's someone I could relate to and she goes through a lot of the course of the story. I guess what I liked best about Bertie is her unwavering concentration: stuff gets thrown at her from all angles, and yet she never strays from her goal (in this case, to rescue Nate from the malicious Sea Goddess’ lair). Joining her on her journey are the hyper, food-frenzied Midsummer faeries! I love these little guys! Oh, and you too, Pease! These loveable sidekicks were hysterical and adorable from start-to-finish, and I just wish I had four little faerie pals, too!

As always, I remain a big, GUSHING fan of Mantchev’s clever, witty writing style. She has an amazing talent for taking Shakespearean quotes and scenarios and weaving them seamlessly into her narrative – I even underlined all the references I saw.
A very well done sequel! Can’t wait for Untitled Book Three!

Final Rating:

Review - THE SHADOW HUNT

The Shadow Hunt - Katherine Langrish (Dark Angels in the UK)
Genre: MG/YA Historical Fantasy
- ARC
- On sale (US) 1 June 2010

From back cover:
Wolf is onthe run - from the oppressive monastery where he was raised and from the ghosts and demons that haunt the windswept moors of Devil's Edge. But he is not alone. Along the way he befriends a brave girl named Nest. Together they discover that a sinister enemy is looming much closer than they ever could have imagined. With lies masquerading as reality, will Wolf and Nest learn who they can trust...before it's too late?

A few months ago, I discovered the works of an author named Katherine Langrish (the Troll Trilogy, also highly recommended), and she has since become one of my absolute favorite authors. The Shadow Hunt was a gripping, powerful read from beginning to end, and I absolutely devoured it. From page 1, the story started strong and remained strong all throughout: there was seriously never a dull or confusing moment!

The fantasy premise was incredibly interesting: in this culture, many believed in the existence of elves, mysterious creatures caught somewhere between Heaven and Hell, who reside in an underground kingdom known as Elfland. Are elves good, or are they evil? And what happens to a human who strays into Elfland? These questions, among others, are faced by the two main characters, Wolf (a boy fleeing the dull, oppressive monastic life) and Nest, the daughter of a knight who dreams of doing something extraordinary in her life. The natural and the supernatural collide when Wolf discovers a strange little elf-girl, who may hold the key to the secrets of the supernatural world...

As usual, Langrish's work is well-researched and historically insightful, in addition to being entertaining. Shadow Hunt is set in 12th century England and Wales, a time of knights, crusades, and castles, but also a time of religious anxiety and strict adherence to social customs, where death remained (for many) only a whisper away, and the lines between the real and the supernatural were not so easy to define. Langrish has a gift for truly making her story world come alive - which is even more amazing given that she writes historical fantasy, which requires equally strong blends of fantasy and history. The rich myths of English and Welsh folklore are beautifully woven into the novel, which makes Shadow Hunt an even more fulfilling read. The story provided an excellent cultural look into the world of the Middle Ages. Characters one would expect to see in a medieval story: the young girl dreading marriage, the zealous priest, the courtly knight, the cheeky jester - were not just stereotypes, but well-rounded, explored and real characters brought to life by a creative story and powerful writing.

And also, there was this eerie, almost foreboding emotion that I felt while I was reading that I haven't really experienced since reading Joseph Delaney's Wardstone series. It's not a scary book, per see, but it is chilling and kind of ominous at times, and I just loved that! The suspense, the "what is going to happen NEXT?!" all contributed to the fun reading experience.
Like I mentioned, Shadow Hunt is set along the border between Wales and England, and Langrish has an obvious knack for describing her scenes in rich, lush detail. I just love authors who take the extra time to really bring their scenes to life through detailed description. And I've been to Wales - it is without a doubt the most beautiful place I've ever visited...just absolutely breathtaking! It was so great to be transported back to my favorite place on earth for a few days.
In short, Shadow Hunt is a captivating, exciting (and a little spooky) read that I would recommend to EVERYONE - all age levels! Well, 10 and up. I am 21 years old, and I devoured this book. Teens and grownups, you will too!

Final rating: 5/5.

Review - WILDWOOD DANCING

Wildwood Dancing - Juliet Marillier
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy (and nobody does it better than JM!)
# of pages: 400 (pb)
Publisher: Knopf, Random House
Recommended for: ALL AGES.

High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It's an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle's hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.
But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he's there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena's sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom--an impossible union it's up to Jena to stop.
When Cezar's grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can't imagine--tests of trust, strength, and true love.

My Thoughts: Juliet Marillier has done it again! Over the Christmas break, I read her historical fantasy series The Bridei Chronicles and her historical novel Wolfskin (both of which are geared more toward adults) and was captivated by her writing style. Reading Wildwood brought back fond memories of her other stories, and I found delightful character and story similarities between this book and the others. Folks, I cannot gush enough about Marillier's obvious skills as a storyteller: her stories are always thoroughly researched, her characters are so exquisitely real (not real as in excessively flawed, but real as in someone you can care about and trust), and her fantasy elements are creative without being extreme.

Including elements from the fairytales of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" and "The Frog Prince," Marillier also gives readers a clear and descriptive look into historic, cultural Transylvania. It is so obvious that careful study and research went into the making of Wildwood, way more than a few mere "google searches," and for that Marillier deserves much recognition. Historical fantasy is not easy - it is a careful blend of two genres, really. It just felt nice to read a book with substance.

And now on to the characters. I've read Marillier's work before, and I kind of see a little pattern: her heroines are usually very practical, if just a wee bit on the self-sacrificing side. I loved Jena for many reasons, but chiefly because I felt like I could relate to her. She's not perfect, by any means, but she has heart, and she learns from her mistakes. So often it seems that there's this message in Young Adult fiction (as in culture) that says, "You can't make a mistake, there's no such thing as 'mistakes,' because everything is a learning process!" Well, if you don't realize you've made a mistake, how can you learn anything at all?! I'm getting off-topic, but hopefully you see the point I'm trying to make. Marillier's characters are incredibly substantial because, like us, they have the capacity to learn and grow. There's one character that I didn't really connect with, and that's Jena's older, do-anything-for-love sister, Tatiana. If you've read Wildwood, did you feel the same way? However, though I didn't understand Tatiana or her deep connection to her love interest, Sorrow (who may or may not be on of the nefarious Night People), I really liked how Marillier did justice to their story and their struggles - absolute, true love is not only possible, the story seems to say, but it's noble and wonderful. I liked that message, because it's true. Sometimes things happen and even though they seem to contradict reason, that doesn't always make them wrong. Jena, as the embodiment of reason, discovers this (among other things) throughout the course of the story. I also liked that when Jena makes a "stupid" mistake (after the climax of the book), she gets thoroughly chewed out by a powerful-but-lovable witch. Thank you, helpful adult characters! What a rare, lovely breed you are!

Marillier spends so much time efficiently building and establishing her characters, she doesn't leave anybody out, even the villains. I really vacillated over Wildwood's "villain," Cezar. It's weird, because sometimes I actually found myself seeing things from his point of view. She's so good about creating well-rounded characters, that even the villain of her story had a touch of humanity. Nevertheless, there is a difference between a man being chivalric and gentlemanly (which I love!) and being downright chauvinistic (which more closely describes Cezar). And the special FROG of the story---I loved him! He was by far my favorite character. And that's also a great thing about Wildwood, too: I thought I had the "twist" all figured out - "everybody knows the story of the Frog Prince,' but I was so wrong! That twist caught me completely off-guard, and I loved it!

Final Rating: 5/5. If you read ANY of my reviews (and I'm glad everybody liked Eyes Like Stars - that's a good one, too!) PLEASE, PLEASE check out this book! You won't regret it.
:D

Review - BRIGHTLY WOVEN

Brightly Woven - Alexandra Bracken
Genre: YA Fantasy
# of pages: 368 (hb)
Publisher: Egmont
Amelia's Age-Level Recommendation: targeted @ teenagers, but good for the 12+ group too
Brightly Woven @ Parental Book Reviews
My Thoughts
This review is going to be very atypical, mainly because of the weird combination of 1) not liking it, and 2) recommending it to others

Simply put, Brightly Woven was a disappointment. There's definitely a dichotomy between this book and my previous read, Eyes Like Stars, and so that probably has a lot to do with why I didn't like this book. For me at least, there is a middle ground between "good" and "bad" when it comes to taste, and while I didn't find this book bad, it wasn't good, either.

My reasons? the characters. North was fascinating, I will admit. He is hands down my favorite character in the book, and I loved his scenes. He was great. However, he wasn't believable in his role. A wizard who is completely direction impaired and who relies on the map-skills of a girl who's never left her own village? Yeah right. Sydelle - the story's feisty MC - rotated between being occasionally entertaining and heartfelt and being for the most part an annoying, whiny and incredibly stupid narrator. Now I'm not usually the "yeah, girls are macho, too!" type, but it's one thing to scream independence, and it's another to just be an idiot. She whines about North being unfair and not trusting her and so forth, yet when she goes off and tries to do something on her own, she shows serious lack of hindsight, judgment or rationality. That's "realistic" to a certain extent, but I deal with enough frustrating people in real life---I don't want to have to read about a stupid character, either. I know, I'm sounding harsh--I'm sorry! And another quick thing: North is all of 18 years old, and yet he says things like "when I was a boy" or "in my youth" or whatever and talks like he's so old. Yeah, you're a real full moon away from your AARP card, dude.
What I liked: I liked the gradual relationship development between Sydnelle and North. They had some very poignant, well-written scenes and I do credit Bracken for making Brightly Woven enjoyable (in parts).

With regards to the plot, I am seriously not sure what to think. Parts of it were exciting and parts of it dragged. Bracken's writing really aggravated me, and that's more the reason I didn't like this than anything else. Her writing just seemed off. If Brightly Woven was an amusement park ride, I'd say it would be a wooden roller coaster: it's fun and exciting at times, but the ride is very bumpy, rickety, and you wonder how in the world the coaster got a license to operate in the first place.
Her magic, too, is somewhat interesting, but severely underdeveloped. I think that BW could/should have been optioned as a series, because there is so much information that is touched on but never truly explained, I felt like I was wading through really shallow waters. Like "oohh, good idea, but not quite there yet."

To speak frankly, I was expecting way more. A college senior publishing a debut novel is pretty uncommon, and so I was expecting brilliancy on a Christopher Paolini level, and to be frank some more, I didn't get it. But it did have likable moments, and I have a sneaking suspicion that (thanks to the loads of other 4-and-5-star reviews out there) my review might just be the "odd one out." And so would I recommend it to others? Yeah, probably. There are no content restrictions or anything, I do need to salute Alexandra Bracken for presenting a clean read that could be read and enjoyed by multiple age levels (you might even find yourself thinking of a certain wizard named Howl---I sure did!).

Final Rating:This is a pretty good book - don't expect much out of it, like I did, and you'll probably enjoy it more, and don't put it at the tippy-top of your TBR list. Read Eyes Like Stars or something first!

Review - THE HOURGLASS DOOR

The Hourglass Door - Lisa Mangum
Genre: YA fantasy
# of pages: 399 (hardback)

Publisher: Shadow Mountain His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time? Abby's senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He's mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she's ever met before. Abby can't deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

My Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to start the sequel, The Golden Spiral. First of all, I have to mention the cover design. It's beautiful, especially for a first-time author (honest to goodness, sometimes I think debut authors get jipped on cover art) and I definitely appreciate a good pretty cover!

The Hourglass Door is an especially fun read because it's quite different from a lot of other YA books floating around out there. There aren't any paranormal creatures in this book (which accounts for I'd say half of the YA fantasy genre); instead we are immersed in a story about time travel. Don't worry - that's not really a spoiler. It's actually pretty original, too: Yes, Mangum isn't the first person to write about time-traveling, but she certainly thought up a lot of really cool twists that makes reading Hourglass a fun and exhilarating experience.
I also have to give props to Mangum for creating a functional love story. I absolutely loved Abby and Dante (for the most part) because their relationship made sense. Let's face it - as much as we all love paranormal romance, sometimes those said romances can be a little on the dysfunctional side. That's not really a judgment, because it's fiction, not real life, but still...I'll admit to reading love stories in YA books and going, "Huh?" "What?" "Yeah right!" and "Ohhhhkay..." That doesn't happen here. Why? Pretty much because for all Dante's intrigue, he's not really dangerous. Now, the book tries to portray him as being edgy, but really every scene that Mangum puts him in, he behaves like a model protagonist. And to that, I say "It's about blooming TIME!" He's not arrogant. He's not a two-timer. He doesn't treat the MC like crap. Hey, what's not to love?

As much as I love this book - and highly recommend it, too - I do feel the need to address some minor points. There's a bit of a pacing issue in Hourglass, I think, and it can get kind of distracting. The book is 399 pages long, and I honestly don't think all of those pages were necessary. This is a YA fantasy book, but at several points in the story it read more like realistic fiction. I totally understand why: several authors get a little too immersed in the action of their stories that they don't focus on character development (*coughINCARCERON!*cough); here, you really do see into Abby's life and her relationships with those around her...in fact, I'd say you see a little too much, and it takes the focus off the fantasy aspects until about the last 15o pages or so. Don't freak out, but I'll quickly compare it to Twilight: you have a 1st person narrative that chronicles even the most microscopic details - ahhh, Bella. With her, it was like head-bashingly annoying; here, it's just like "Okay, move it along, move along..." I'll admit to skimming a little. Also, the teens in the story don't talk like teens at all. Wait, yeah they do---think the cast of "Happy Days." If you go to goodreads, you'll see a lot of reviews that point this out - I honestly didn't think it was that distracting, but still.

Final Rating:
So please, please PLEASE give this book a try - if ever there's a book that I strongly recommend to others, it's this one.

Love myths?!

Here are two books on Greek mythology that I absolutely love!

Last year I was on a major Greek mythology binge and I scoured amazon looking for books that had myth retellings. I'm so glad I found these two, and now I want to pass on the info!

Aphrodite's Blessing - Clemence McLaren

Genre: marketed to adults, but suitable for the over-14 crowd (I admit to blushing a little when I read this!)

# of pages: 202 (hardcover)

This is a collection of 3 short stories dealing with some of Greek mythology's happier love stories - the tale of Atalanta, the tale of Perseus and Andromeda, and the tale of Eros and Psyche. Because these are short stories, characters fall in love rather fast, and everything ends happily. This book is a perfect for when you're in the mood for a fun, quick read that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire - Julius Lester

Genre: Adult fiction/fantasy

# of pages: 186 (hardcover)

Amelia's Age-Level Recommendation: I think this book is okay for 12+. :)

I'm not going to lie - I am completely fascinated by the story of Cupid and Psyche: it's my favorite Greco-Roman myth and so naturally I'm a sucker for [some] retellings (CS Lewis' Till We Have Faces didn't really do anything for me, but that's because it doesn't focus on the love story...*yawn*) I also really like this story because Lester really seems to do justice to the traditional elements of the myth while adding a sort of modern-day commentary. When you read about myths, sometimes they feel kind of cardboard: not really explained in detail, not exhibiting a lot of emotion.... but Lester's retelling adds heart and a deeper level to this timeless tale. He also uses a double-perspective which is a breath of fresh air, because most stories (including the above book) only focus on Psyche, so Cupid is either really unrelatable or really inconsiderate.

Favorite passage from the book?

"It was all Cupid could do not to turn around, go to her, and apologize for being such a fathead." (pg 124) <--- hahaha! I love Cupid, but yeah he is a fathead sometimes!

I don't usually like to talk about my writing, but one of my MSs has to do with this myth - I just love it so much! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes 1) myths, and/or 2) sweet romances that don't have a lot of angst. Don't get me wrong, angst is necessary sometimes - I'm not dissing angst! But sometimes, "sweet" is good too!

review - THE HOLLOW KINGDOM

The Hollow Kingdom - Clare Dunkle
Genre: YA Fantasy
# of pages: 240 (pb)
Publisher: Henry Holt, Macmillan
Age-Level Suggestion: 13&up

In nineteenth-century England, a powerful sorcerer and King of the Goblins chooses Kate, the elder of two orphan girls recently arrived at their ancestral home, Hallow Hill, to be his bride and queen.

I just read this book again last night, and I have to say, I love it *MORE* than the first time!! The Hollow Kingdom is absolutely one of my all-time favorite books!! WAY TO GO, CLARE DUNKLE!!!! Thanks for writing such an amazing story :)

Original Review: Wow! I started this at 7 at night and finished at 2something in the morning! It was that engrossing! The fact that Clare Dunkle's writing was praised by Lloyd Alexander (one of my favorite authors of all time) really impressed me, and I see why. Though published within the last 5 years, she writes with a lyrical narrative not seen among today's more "urban fantasy/modern" authors. I can't really describe it, but it sounded reminiscent of Alexander's own work: simple yet elegant. And I have to say, I was and still am almost entirely in love with the story! Although the story's order of events were...unconventional (certainly like nothing I've ever read before) I was not bothered or uneasy in the least. If you've read the story, you may know what I mean: there are some things in fantasy stories that you just don't expect to happen, and when they do, it's very surprising, to say the least! And in fact, the sometimes shocking plotline is what I remember most about this story - the things you'd never expect to happen actually do - and from those shocking twists and turns comes an amazing, beautiful story that will stay with you forever. At least, this story will definitely stay with me forever.

This is a simple enough love story, and I found myself found it a little similar to the Phantom of the Opera scenario...but it is still different... It doesn't take an English professor to crack the major themes and the overall message of the story. Typical YA: sometimes those "messages" tend to be a little "after-school-special" for my taste, but still... great story, very well-developed characters, and an extremely talented

author.

PS... he's totally not described this way, but I couldn't help but picture the Goblin King as the one played by David Bowie in Labyrinth! I *LOVE* Labyrinth and you all need to watch this movie after you read the book!

Review - SAPPHIQUE

Sapphique - Catherine Fisher

Genre: YA Sci/fi-Fantasy
# of pages: 480 pages (UK paperback)
Amelia's Age-Level Suggestion: 14< (probably better suited for 8th/9th grade level and up)


Disclaimer: For those who have read Incarceron, or for those who are planning to read Incarceron: I've altered my usual review style and made it a little more vague just to be absolutely sure that I don't include any spoilers... so feel free to read this and maybe get a good idea of what is in store in this book.




This book was pretty good. I think I enjoyed it more than Incarceron, pretty much because I was familiar enough with the basic storyline and didn’t have to spend so much time figuring everything out. The pacing was pretty good, but the last 100 pages really, REALLY dragged…and it got to the point where I came dangerously close to not caring anymore…that’s not usually a good sign.


And yet… I don’t want to make it sound like I didn’t like the book, because I did…but Catherine Fisher is not the greatest author on the planet, and her writing style actually aggravated me. You know the phrase “show, don’t tell”? Well, she pretty much tells how characters feel/act, she doesn’t show. Characterization is definitely not her strong suit in this series – everybody was pretty wooden and it was hard for me to relate to them because they didn’t seem very real. There was just this hollow, shell-like feel to her characters and that was a major distraction. Claudia, in particular, was just incredibly frustrating. She was easier to relate to in Incarceron because you understood *why* she acted like such a conceited brat. In Sapphique, pretty much all of her conflicts have been resolved, so why is she still so MEAN?! It was stuff like this that made reading Sapphique a bit cumbersome. I didn’t really like Keiro, either, because to me he seems like the embodiment of Evil: he’s an individual with pretty much no conscience – he doesn’t know compassion or remorse, and according some of my teachers (and the Harry Potter series), true evil is that which is excessively vain and devoid of compassion or remorse for one's actions. I’ll admit it: I like it when characters “get their comeuppance” and he didn’t get any comeuppance!


Also, the ending…very mediocre and a bit bizarre. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending just really didn’t make sense if you take into account the overall story. It seems like Catherine Fisher spent so much time creating this really intense situation, and then the ending comes and it’s “ta da! We’re finished now! The end!” I think the first thing I said when I finished Sapphique was, “ohhhkay…I’m hungry.” Let’s compare that to another book…oh, say…The Last Olympian. I finished that book and was like, “OMG!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO READ NOW?!?!?!” *hyperventilates*


It was a pretty engrossing read, most of the way through. Catherine’s exceptionally imaginative, and the Incarceron series is one of the most thoroughly original books I’ve ever read in my life. However, her books aren’t the best books I’ve ever read.

Strengths: creativity and action.
Weaknesses: very wooden and shallow characters and a spiraling last 100 pages…and a lackluster ending.


Amelialand Rating:
V: this book was “darker” than Incarceron, I think, and so there was more action-violence and scary images; about a PG-13 level
S: a few innuendos, nothing major, but parents of >12 should be cautioned
L: swearing present, nothing ‘major’ but still present. My age recommendation: 13/14+ (great for older middle schoolers/high schoolers…oh and grown-ups too!)

Final Rating: 3.9/5. Almost a 4, but just a little under.

Review - TROLL BLOOD

Troll Blood - Katherine Langrish

Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
# of pages: 395 (UK paperback)
Published by: Harper Collins

Recommended for: ALL AGES.

My Thoughts

I am seriously not exaggerating when I say that the Troll Trilogy is one of the greatest series I have ever read – and I’ve read a lot of books. Within the series, readers are given hearty doses of fantasy, folklore, history, and culture of not one but two civilizations: the Vikings of 10th century Norway and the Native Ameri--er, Canadians. It delivered on action, suspense, romance, and a little bit of comedy, too.

The direction of the third (and final) book in the trilogy completely changes directions from the other two; instead of the familiar fells and surrounding areas of Norway, our characters are now part of an expedition to a whole new world (North America, in other words). Apparently, good ol’ Christopher Columbus wasn’t the first European to reach North America – the Vikings made it over about 500 years earlier, and from this piece of history, an amazing story unfolds. Troll Blood reads a little more like a historical fiction story with fantastical elements added in. I may have my terminology all wrong, but it reminds me of an MG “magical realism” story: there’s magic involved, but it’s placed in a very normal context, not overt in tone like some of your other fantasy series books. I found that really refreshing after reading so many overtly magical stories.

Plot: Like I said, this book takes the series in a different direction, and what an exciting story emerged! By removing the characters from their familiar environment, the story that develops has a bit of a suspense edge to it – you truly have no idea what’s going to happen next, because so many elements have changed. There seem to be 3 plots that unfold over the course of the story: Peer, Hilde, and Company’s expedition across the sea and everything that develops with them; the characters in Vinland and their interactions with their visitors; and finally, the emotional and psychological development of the main characters. Peer and Hilde don’t just have a physical journey – they embark on an emotional one, too.
Frequently I found myself marveling at how much action had taken place over the course of the series, beginning with Troll Fell. With each book, the plot got a little darker and a little more involved, which was a really cool progression and one that is no doubt easier said than done. I think it’s so cool how Ms. Langrish was able to progress her story so smoothly without getting too over-the-top or too mature. Books nowadays are either really superficial or have-a-meltdown- serious and thematic. So bravo for giving us great stories that amplify over the course of the series!

Characters: Peer and Hilde change so much from 12 year olds to 16 year olds, and yet they retain the same personalities and characteristics that made me love them in the first place. I love romantic storylines that are done right – and ones that aren’t the main focus of the story. It was so sweet to read about Peer and Hilde struggle with their feelings, but it was very refreshing to have more going on in the story, too. And all of the new characters were very strong and well-thought out. I personally couldn’t help but like Harald, even though he’s totally wicked! Hmm, maybe he’s one of Draco Malfoy’s ancestors? And Astrid, the reluctant wife of a Viking explorer with a few skeletons in her closet, was such an interesting character, too. I thought I had her all figured out, but boy was I wrong!

Ending: I tag on this category for series-enders – it’s a chance for me to hurrah or whine about how a series was wrapped up. I love closure, but too much closure and I think you lose some of the intrigue of the story that you had during your reading experience. I felt like Troll Blood gave me enough closure but also left a window open for me to fantasize a bit! The last few chapters were just incredible – lots of action, lots of excitement, and a few “no way!” outbursts. You just have to read this for yourself!

Final Rating: 5/5. Yeah, it’s that good

REVIEW - TROLL MILL

Fifteen-year-old Peer Ulfsson is haunted by his past. Forced to live with his evil uncles under the eerie shadows of Troll Fell, he nearly fell prey to their plan to sell children to the trolls. Now Peer lives with his friend Hilde's family, but can he ever truly belong? And will Hilde ever share his deeper feelings?
One rainy night, Peer watches in shock as his neighbor Kersten pushes her baby daughter into his arms and then disappears into the sea. Rumor says that Kersten is a seal woman who has returned to her ocean home, and the millpond witch, Granny Green-teeth, seems intent on taking the "seal baby." Peer also discovers that the mill, abandoned when his uncles joined the troll kingdom, is running again -- all on its own?
With angry trolls, mysterious seal people, a mischievous house spirit, and three unusual babies in the mix, Peer and Hilde have their hands full and more! Katherine Langrish returns to the magical world of her acclaimed debut, troll fell, in this second story set in an extraordinary land by the sea filled with Viking legends and lore.


Whew, Troll Mill really picks up on adventure and excitement! I think I might actually like it a teeny bit more than Troll Fell. In this continuing story, 3 years have passed and Peer and Hilde and now (dum dum dum!) teenagers! Once again, a very engaging read. It seems like this story is a little more serious than its predecessor: older characters, a little more mature storyline... all add together to make a very strong second installment.
In addition to the two MCs, Peer and Hilde, Troll Mill offers a rich ensemble cast of very detailed and well-crafted characters while blending the historical flair of Viking Scandinavia with creatures of Norse folklore. How many books have you read about with trolls *and* selkies? You'll definitely want to check out this series!
Can’t wait to see what happens to everybody in the final installment.

Final Rating: 5/5. Yes, I know, 4.7 is a random number, but I liked this book a little more than Troll Fell, so I wanted to boost its rating a little. This series is highly recommended

Review - TROLL FELL

Troll Fell - Katherine Langrish
Genre: YA Fantasy
# of pages: 317 (UK paperback)
Recommended for: ALL AGES.

A secret kingdom of trolls, and their legendary gold, lies in the mysterious shadows of Troll Fell. It is to this eerie and dangerous place that Peer must go after his father's sudden death, to live with his greedy uncles, Baldur and Grim, at their mill.
When Peer discovers his uncles' plan to sell children to the trolls, he has to bury his fears and set out to stop them somehow. In a world filled with magic and mystery, Peer has only his bravery, his wits, and two new allies -- a daring girl looking for adventure and a mischievous house spirit looking for a good meal. Their story will become part of the legends and lore that fill this extraordinary land by the sea.

My Thoughts:
Troll Fell – the first book in the Troll Trilogy by Katherine Langrish – has all the ingredients for being an awesome fantasy series. There’s a simple plot filled with exciting action, memorable characters (including two lovable MCs, Peer and Hilde) a good dose of mythology and folklore, and a great ending. I devoured this book easily and eagerly look forward to the two remaining books in the series, Troll Mill and Troll Blood.

The story was very engaging from beginning to end. There were twists and turns, yes, but you know how some authors just love to keep readers on the edge of their seat to the point that their books start to get “plot-whiplash”? That doesn’t happen here. The story is exciting but easy to follow at the same time. So no whiplash!
Both of the MCs, Peer and Hilde, are 12 years old. From what I understand, in the fashion of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Septimus Heap (to name a few), they age over the progression of the series. Adults, don’t feel silly reading about 12-year-olds – they’re gonna grow up! Heck, don’t feel silly reading about 12-year-olds at all - preteens are AWESOME!
The villains of the book, Peer’s wicked, money-hungry uncles, are a little on the Stereotypical Villain side, but personally, I don’t mind if villains are one-sided or anything, as long as they’re entertaining. I will say, though, that I was kind of expecting more troll action, so I was a bit surprised that I didn’t really see the trolls until close to the climax of the story – even though the books *is* called Troll Fell. I think that actually worked in this setup, because by not showing the trolls until later, the story builds up on the suspense, and you get to the point where you’re just expecting them to JUMP out at any moment!

Fantasy Radar
- Fantasy creatures? trolls, nithings (the Norse equivalent of brownies or nice boggarts), nixies, merrows (mermen), and giants all inhabit the setting in this story, based on 10th century Norway/Sweden
- Magic? This isn’t really supposed to a be a story heavy on the “magic” aspect of fantasies…trolls practice magic, but there’s not much of an emphasis in this series
- Awesome villains? Well, the trolls are pretty troublesome, and the King of the Trolls is conniving and deceptive, but the main villains of this story are Peer’s two human uncles… maybe in the next installment we’ll see some more villainous creatures!
- Unforgettable world/realm? The setting is around 10th century Scandinavia, and I’m guessing it’s either Norway or Sweden. So this isn’t a “high fantasy” series in that the setting is entirely imaginary, but magic creatures in history past? Sounds fun to me!
- Battle scenes? Not yet.

Final rating: 4.5/5. An awesome read for kids and grownups alike! Highly recommended! Next time you’re at your library, or surfing Amazon, or wherever else you turn to for your next reading material, I hope you’ll remember this fun series!

INCARCERON review--sorry, it's a rambler!

Incarceron – Catherine Fisher
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
# of pages: 464 (UK paperback edition)
Publisher: Penguin

Overview
If Incarceron was a school subject, it would definitely be science. I love science, I find it fascinating, but I’m not very good at it… kind of like my reading experience!

Okay, so in a nutshell – how about I go ahead and set the stage for you, and maybe save your brain some racking? I have no idea if this is supposed to be Earth or if this is an entirely fictional universe, but whatever it is, it’s sometime in the future after a major war has taken place. Sound pretty Dystopian 101, right? Well, this society decides to halt progress of any kind (technological, mostly) and return to a simpler way of life; thus the society is 18th century based, with some contraband technology thrown in (sidenote: I really, really do love this concept! I love the blending of the old with the new! COOL!) Meanwhile, the powers that be created Incarceron – an experimental “prison” that they populated with criminals, political prisoners, and all other kinds of undesirables…* One of these prisoners, a 17-year-old boy named Finn, truly believes that he does not belong in Incarceron: he is convinced that he came from Outside. When he finds a Key that allows him to communicate with a girl on the outside, Finn launches a desperate escape plot all the while attempting to unravel the secrets of his past.

Plot: From page 1, Incarceron hits the ground running! I can definitely say that there are no dull points in this riveting, action-packed story. I think, though, that the fast-paced action comes at the expense of character and story development. There’s so much action in this story, but there’s not a lot of explanation and so a lot of the time there’s confusion as to what’s going on and how things relate to each other. It seems like you learn things in fragments. But hey, this book is incredibly fast-paced and so you don’t stay in the dark for long.

Characters: I really liked the two main characters, Finn and Claudia, and thought that their respective storylines were pretty interesting. I loved seeing their separate lives start to blend and was definitely cheering for them the whole way! As usual, I’m divided on the supporting characters.** Because there’s so much action in this 400+ book, characterization seemed to take a backseat. That’s not to say that characters weren’t developed; they just didn’t really seem explored. Incarceron seems like a very psychological novel, and I honestly could have done with more in-depth character exploration, especially when it came to relationships and how characters dealt with each other. Claudia/Jared/the Warden are very well done, and I felt like I really understood their part of the story and what they were going through, but I didn’t feel like I got as much from the characters inside Incarceron. For everything that has happened to Finn, I would have liked more psychological exploration. And Finn and Keiro’s weird, warped relationship confused me – for example, *why* does Finn just take Keiro’s crap?
So to summarize: VERY GOOD characters – they’re all interesting and useful to the plot (no “filler” characters, in other words)…SOMEWHAT LACKING on how these characters are explored and how they relate to each other.

Amelialand Rating
- Violence: Yeah, so this is a dystopian science fiction book that, even though marketed to children/YA audiences, has a great deal of violence. Hey, most of the story takes place in a prison, though, so it’s not really out-of-place.
- Sex: there’s no sex in here, but I did catch a couple references to it, just so you know…
- Language: I was actually surprised at the language in here. Nothing “hardcore” but still...and interestingly enough, it's Claudia, the *girl* who does most of the swearing! Haha, I think that's kind of butch for a girl to swear...it just seems kind of out-of-place. Oh well, whatever.


If this book was a movie, I think it would be a high PG-13. It’s not quite bad enough to be an ‘R,’ but it’s pretty intense.

This book was definitely fun to read, and also fun to figure out. Yeah, I had fun figuring everything else out! This book also got me thinking about a lot of things: can everybody escape, and who must stay behind? Can everybody be saved? Does everybody deserve to be saved?
See what happens when books make me think?! I love it! I’ve got Sapphique to read next, but I’ve been thinking about a change of pace…maybe reading something with a little less nuance next. Still, I’ll be hitting Sapphique soon! I want to find out what happens to Finn, Claudia and Incarceron!

Final Rating: 4.3 – in between my 4-and-4.5 star rating. I know, I can’t make up my mind! Incarceron is an awesome plot with great characters, but it could have been better explained and explored.

Review - Avalon #1: CHILD OF THE DARK PROPHECY

This book was just beautiful – a great start to what I am confident will be an excellent series!

The Great Tree of Avalon is refreshing to me because it is the first “high fantasy” series I’ve read in awhile – and I personally think high fantasy is the most interesting of the Fantasy subgenres because it is so absorbing but also really difficult to create. The Wardstone books, by contrast, are more parallel-fantasy, in that they're supposed to be this "off-world" of real-life Lancashire... that's thoroughly confusing, isn't it :P ?

- T. ABarron’s prose is absolutely beautiful – somewhat lofty, but more along the lines of elegant and occasionally didactic. He is still a “modern author” and you can see differences between his style and say, the 50s-60s style of C.S. Lewis or Lloyd Alexander, but he’s pretty close. I’d say Barron and maybe Clare Dunkle come the closest to emulating that style. In other words, his writing is a long, far cry from “text speech.”

All his characters are beautifully crafted and well-rounded. The central figure, to be sure, is a young wilderness wanderer named Tamwyn, whose hidden identity is the key to a prophecy made years ago. What I like about the Avalon series – and was kind of surprised to discover – is the really large ensemble cast of characters and how big of a role they play. I was totally expecting the story to revolve almost exclusively around Tamwyn and the search for his true identity, but the perspective follows several other characters, including Scree, his adopted eagleboy brother; Elli, a fiery priestess with a sketchy past; a haughty seer-in-training named Llynia who believes herself to be the next Chosen One (note: there’s always a bloody Chosen One! Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Anakin Skywalker…); a captured elf maiden named Brionna, and the nefarious villain of the book, a mysterious wizard known only as White Hands.

I liked the different perspectives, even if I’m not sure I’d have so many in my own stories. What I like about Barron, though, is how clearly defined each perspective shift is – it’s mostly switched over on a chapter-by-chapter basis, so there’s no confusion. The only frown-worthy thing about the book has to do with the designated Prophecy (note: there’s always a bloody prophecy!). I couldn’t really understand why everybody – the other characters and myself, the reader – could figure out what the prophecy was saying but our sweet, adorable little MC Tamwyn couldn’t! It’s like, “hello, Mcfly!” (Back to the Future, anyone?) But oh well.

The number one Must, though, about writing fantasy – at least in my opinion – is Make It Believable! It’s like a deal that the reader and author enter into – in exchange for the reader’s initial suspension of disbelief, the author needs to provide a clearly-defined and clearly-written world that comes alive through the story. Barron totally succeeded. And the idea of Avalon is particularly creative: the entire world – seven realms – all stems from one Great Tree…named Avalon. Each of the seven realms: Mudroot, Woodroot, Stoneroot, Airroot, Shadowroot, Waterroot, and Fireroot, are all roots of the Great Tree. That’s an awesome concept, once you wrap your mind around it! And everything is so vivid and described in such wondrous detail, you can easily visualize this world and believe in its existence.

I will say, though: that the story develops at a pretty steady pace. Not a slow pace, mind you, but it’s about pg 150 before the true plot begins to unravel. That’s okay, I think, because Barron budgets his time wisely by going ahead and setting up the world of Avalon and its history; so many authors ignore detail and leave you feeling confused or hollow about this fantasy world…he reminds me a lot of Tolkien in the way he includes the history and the art/literature of his world. It’s even more incredible when you remind yourself that everything – every song, every story – is entirely made up.

Wow! Rating: I really need to figure out a clean and simple way to do this – I love my blog buddy Juju @ Tales of Whimsy who has a Kiddie-O-Meter and an Adult-O-Meter which really quickly goes into content. There’s what I would call PG-level language (but it’s there, and it’s funny in my opinion – I usually never here the MC say “damn” but oh well…!) and PG-13 level violence (there’s actually quite a violent scene in the Prologue section that didn’t really surprise me per see, but seemed almost out-of-place considering this is an Intermediate-level YA… and like no sex, which is always a plus in Amelialand :)

Final Rating: 5/5. EXCELLENT! YOU MUST READ THIS SERIES!!!

Review - THE SPOOK'S SACRIFICE

In terms of excitement and non-stop action, The Spook's Sacrifice is right up there with the first book in the series. I read this installment in just 2 days' time and now I'm a little bummed that I read so fast, because this is it until May!

This book has a formula that I consider to be successful in nearly all cases: there's a quest - an actual journey that takes the characters out of a familiar setting and plunges them into a totally new atmosphere. That tension nearly always creates a fun and exciting read for me. Also, there's a battle: the whole story revolves around this major good-evil confrontation and the suspense surrounding the planning and execution of the goal. Action, when done right, is definitely a winning element. And Delaney is a master when it comes to setting up scenes, particularly in the visual elements. He's also really good at drawing you in to the suspense and excitement of what's going on, particularly through the narrative voice of the MC, Tom Ward.

- That being said, there were a few plot revelations that really didn't work for me. I'm one the readers who believes that not everything an author writes has to be devoured with this "Oh sure thing!" attitude. I didn't like a few things that happened - they just seemed a little too far-fetched for my liking. But hey, I'm obviously not docking stars or anything...
- Characterization, though, has regressed a little throughout the last 2 books. I still like Tom and everything, but lately he's kind of gotten on my nerves, and he seems at times like a major walking contradiction, especially when it comes to how he deals with the Spook, his Mam, and Alice. He'll do something really noteworthy, and then just a little while later he'll revert back to the same old self that he was before...so I don't really know what to think of him sometimes. He's a well-rounded character, sure, but his actions/emotions seem very contradictory. I don't want to drop spoilers, so I won't elaborate. And this is bad for me since he's like one of the MCs, but I pretty much don't like the Spook. He annoys the crap out of me - gah he's so hypocritical! It drives me so crazy! I just want to thrust my hand through the page and smack him! It seems like everything to Spooks says and does is justified by the author, because I'm not picking up on any "well, clearly the Spook is wrong" message, and that annoys me. I like my Authoritative Figures (the Dumbledores and the Chirons and other teacher-mentor characters) to either be relatively flawless OR flawed-and-used-as-an-example. But by the end of the book, the Spook seemed to have been slipped some Compassion Pills so maybe we're good...

If you haven't started this series already, they are highly recommended! I like to muse and rant, sure, but the bottom line is that this is a highly engrossing series by a very creative and talented author that you will DEVOUR! Now I'm off to Wal-Mart to find a pet boggart :P

Final Rating: 4.8/5. Winning formulas and nonstop action make this one of the better books of the series! NEARLY a perfect 5-star rating!!

Review - THE SPOOK'S BATTLE

This is definitely the axis book around which the series will start to evolve… and it’s about time, too – holy cow, this is book #4! I felt like The Spook’s Battle in particular was a long time coming. Why? Well, we finally start to piece together Alice’s background, and we also get hands-on dealings with the most malevolent witches in the County! After hearing about them for the better part of 3 books, I was excited to actually see them. We also get more insight into Tom’s family dynamics, including his mysterious mother and her quickly-unraveling past… interesting!

HOWEVER, the pacing of the overall series is starting to get on my nerves – the last 4 books have taken place roughly over a year’s time…that is waaaaaay to slow (in my opinion, at least). I said this in the review for The Spook’s Secret: I’m ready for Tom to start growing up! He’s matured so much emotionally, yes, but he still functions like a young kid... Alice is starting to slightly surpass Tom as my favorite character! She’s quite the underdog, though: nobody trusts her and everybody is just waiting for her to screw up. Now granted, she is a witch with a shady past, but come on, give her a break! It’s like your Typical Girl scenario: you’ve got a problem, but for some reason the menfolk can’t seem to get their act together and solve the problem, so you do it, then they jump on you because they don’t like your methods! Poor Alice! I can certainly relate, haha.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND: one thing Delaney does really, really well is “connect-the-dots”. I love it when a series author finds ways to reiterate certain points from previous books into the current book. There were quite a lot of things from Apprentice and Curse, for example, that I managed to forget, so it was good of Delaney to remind me how everything relates to each other. The only thing I’m unsure about is his order-of-events. For example, he had a really good “recap” conversation between two characters where you as the reader are given an explanation for something that happened earlier on in the series – however, this conversation occurs at the very end of the story, so you go through 300+ pages of “WHAT THE?!?!?!” before you get your answer. To me, that’s not really suspense, that’s distracting. If I’m paying so much attention to a particular unexplained plot point, and I’m given no “hold-your-horses, I’ll-get-to-the-explanation-later” from the author (and authors do give you clues that they’re not going to leave you hanging – JK Rowling, for example) it becomes hard for me to concentrate on the rest of the story. Maybe that’s just me, though… So bottom line: Delaney does tie up loose ends and tie in his previous stories with the present one, he just does it at weird times… -

ANOTHER THING I really like about Delaney and this series: his creativity at times gets off-the-charts. No, he didn’t “create” boggarts, wights, and witches, but he puts his own personal touches on creatures and legends you thought you knew already, and the result is near-constant surprise on part of the reader. I was certainly impressed. On the other hand: the last 3 books in a row have pretty much used the same idea when it comes to your “creature of the dark” – a malevolent, spirit thing that has been/could be mistaken for some kind of godlike being. The Bane. Golgoth. The Fiend. I want something more original, please. Just having the three covens of evil witches would have sufficed, at least in my opinion. And that brings me to my next point:

This series is starting to move in the “philosophical direction” and I’m not sure how I feel about that. For one thing, I don’t find “those questions” necessary for good fantasy fiction: take a hint from JK Rowling, whose whole story revolves around witches and wizards, yet she never says anything negative about religion. Seriously, Mr. Delaney: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all! Now granted, I like stories that are about that cosmic, seemingly-metaphorical “Light/Dark” battle, but could we please not get religion-specific? Or at least, leave the religion-specific stuff to people like Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti who actually know what they’re talking about? Please?! Oh well, it may sound like I’m ragging on the series, but I really do like it! I’m definitely hooked at this point!





Rating: 4.5/5 - Despite my little snitty comments (haha), I really liked this book and highly recommend the whole series!