Novels Now

The Turning: What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis
Sourcebooks, 2010
Fantasy (YA); 224 pgs

White Cat by Holly Black
The Curse Workers, Book 1

Pages: 310 pages
Ages: 14+
First Published: May 4, 2010
Publisher: McElderry Books
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

I woke up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles.

Reason for Reading: I’m a fan of the author.

Set in an alternate reality almost identical to the Earth we live in with one small difference, some people are born with a special ability which is called a “curse”. One must touch another’s skin for the effects to take place. These “curse workers” are a minority of the population and their curses range from luck to changing emotions to causing death. In this world everyone wears gloves to keep everyone safe from “curses”. No one knows who may be a “worker” but working itself has been deemed illegal.

In this world Cassell finds himself the only non-worker in a family of workers. His family, along with others who have a strong heritage of workers, are what we would call organized crime families, mobsters and con artists. Since Cassell can’t “work” he at least has honed his skills as a con artist. But his life starts to unravel when he finds himself sleepwalking, having dreams sent from a white cat and beginning to notice some unaccounted for events in his life. His brothers act strangely when he asks them about it and Cassell begins to feel that perhaps he is the subject of a huge con himself.

I loved every word of this book! I was hooked from the first sentence and couldn’t continue with my regular life until I had finished the book. The world Black creates here is very dark and dangerous. One wonders if any character can truly be trusted and the main character himself is not exactly an honest citizen. The direction the story takes is surprising and makes compelling reading. The unexpected actions of characters, including Cassell himself, are shocking and yet as one gets to know them not out of character at all. In this world of dark magic and crime the back stabbing characters are always at each other and it’s as matter of magic against magic and wits against wits. The ending is absolutely brilliant and so appropriate! Don’t expect any happy, happy, joy, joy ending here! I can’t wait for book two!

Meridian by Amber Kizer

Pages: 305 pages
First Published: Aug. 11, 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

The first creatures to seek me were the insects; my parents cleaned the bassinet free of dead ants the morning after they brought me home from the hospital.

Reason for Reading: I was attracted to the angel aspect of the story as I enjoy paranormals involving angels.

When Meridian turns sixteen her family has planned for her to be whisked away to live with “Auntie” for an undermined amount of time. It is here that she learns that she is only half-human, the other half is angel. In fact she is a Fenestra, a window to the ‘other side’ that the dead seek out, if she is near, to make their passing easier. Auntie is also a Fenestra and Meridian has been brought here to learn how to open and close the window properly without getting sucked in herself. But time is short and their evil opponents, the Aternocti will do anything to destroy Auntie and Fenestra before the information can be passed on.

The premise of this story is very exciting and I feel the book could have been so much more than it was. The only character I really connected with Meridian herself, even though there were plenty of times when her behaviour didn’t quite ring true. I’m of two minds when it comes to this book. I feel as though my words will make the book sound worse than it was because I really did enjoy the story, became quite caught up in the plot and read the book quickly.

Besides the lack of fully developed characters my main irritant with the book were the religious issues. The author went to great pains to repeatedly let Meridian know that in (the book’s) world their is no Christianity. Meridian would ask questions about Heaven and would be given answers like religions have many names for it. She’d ask about God and be told “the Creators are known by many names”. This type of thing is mentioned so much you are hit over the head with it. And yet, the bad guys are masquerading as Christians. We are told once at the beginning of the book, before we meet the bad guys, that they are a cult, after that they are simply referred to as Christians. However, throughout the entire book all the detailed descriptions of this group, their practices and church celebrations are all based on The Old Testament. The self-styled preacher quotes Biblical phrases often and their are notes for the reader to look them up (all Old Testament). There is no mention of Jesus or Christ, except once when someone mentions they voted to keep the Christ in Christmas. This just really irked me. The two issues together come across as being anti-Christian. This isn’t the first I’ve run into this. If an author wants to make the bad guys a group of Christians, so be it, but at least have them follow the The New Testament where Christ is found i.e. the term “Christian”. As far as I would say, ‘Christians’ who only follow the Old Testament would actually be Jewish.

Back to the story, remember I did say that overall I did enjoy it. It has a very strong beginning and the Fenestra creation, with the other mythos created around it is unique and interesting. The book ends satisfactorily but the two main characters are ready to set off for their future, making a sequel more than obvious. I would read a sequel should one be written.

The Reckoning by Kelly Armstrong
Darkest Powers, Book 3

Pages: 391 pages
Ages: 14+
First Published: Apr. 6, 2010
Genre: YA, paranormal, fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

Exiles from the War: The War Guests Diary of Charlotte Mary Twiss, Guelph, Ontario, 1940 by Jean Little
Dear Canada series

Pages: 243 pages
Ages: 8+
First Published: Jan. 2010 (Canada only)
Publisher: Scholastic Canada Ltd.
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

George phoned me long distance at six o’clock this morning to wish me happy birthday.

Reason for Reading: I am in the process of reading the whole series. I am particularly fond of WWII stories and this one takes place near where I grew up, Fergus, ON and we went to Guelph many, many times.

Comments: As per all books in the Dear Canada series, this is written as a series of diary entries that cover the span of one year. Charlotte receives the diary for her twelfth birthday and the book finishes a few days after her thirteenth birthday. The book focuses on a family and their close neighbour who both receive War Guests from England. A brother and sister who have been evacuated from London and sent to live in Canada for the duration of the War. When the family picks them up from Toronto they are sent off by two other children they sailed over with a little 5yo girl and a much older teen boy.

Through Charlotte’s eyes we experience life on the homefront for a family who has a son in the army and a Jewish family who worries about what is happening to their relatives in Europe. Many horrible things are reported in the papers and on the radio that terrify Charlotte but some things she cannot comprehend and her father explains many things to her but when it comes to her questions about the Jews he is unable to give her answer telling she must wait till she is older, his reason being that he himself is unable to explain the inhumanity of the Nazi’s hate.

Through Charlotte’s eyes we see the adjustments the children from England must make in their new homes. The terror and shock they have experience from the bombings and air raid alarms, their worry for their parents and the gradual settling in with a new family who has foreign ways but treats them lovingly and as a member of their own family. We also get to see the flip side of other War Guest children when they meet the little five year old girl in town and see she is being neglected (by her own aunt at that) and how the boy receives regular letters from the older boy he met on ship telling him how much he hates the family he is with, how he wants to runaway, go home and please may he come to visit him.

In this modest appearing book Jean Little manages to capture so many experiences from differing peoples that one gets a very diverse view of life both on the homefront and the life of a War Guest. She even manages to mention recurringly about the treatment of a German shopkeeper in town. I found the book to have covered all the issues I could think of and they came with the naivete of a child’s point of view and the innocence with which a child can blurt out the simple truths. The story is highly entertaining and informative. Things are not all war, war, war either; there are plenty of happy times and a wonderful first-hand glimpse into 1940s wartime life for children and in general is portrayed. Since I’ve lived in the area it was fun to hear mention of places I knew: my own Fergus a couple of times, the quarry and Belwood Lake to name a few dear to my heart.

I really enjoy the Dear Canada series, but of course the quality of each depends on the author and when Jean Little’s name is spied on the title page you just know you’ve got a winner in your hands. As usual the book ends with a chapter telling us what happened to the characters in the future, then an historical note that tells the real history behind the story and is finally followed by a section of related photographs. This book would make a great introduction to reading about the War as many feelings are dealt with but war details are not graphic. Highly recommended.

Gone by Lisa McMann
Wake Trilogy, Book 3

Pages: 214
Ages: 15+
First Published: Feb. 9, 2010
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

It’s like she can’t breathe anymore, no matter what she does.

Reason for Reading: Next (and last) in the series.

Summary: Janie has been left with a decision to make about her future and concentrates on making that decision. However, a wrench is thrown into her contemplations when her never before known father shows up in ICU causing her alcoholic mother to go off the deep end and add a twist to her previous choice. Now she must decide which is lesser of two evils.

Comments: Right of the bat I’ll say this was rather disappointing. For a good portion of the book, from the beginning, the story mostly concentrates on Janie’s dealing and coping with her alcoholic mother. Which would have been fine if this was just another teen dysfunctional family novel (which I abhor) but it was supposed to be the final book in a, so far, exciting paranormal trilogy. Janie has become very good at blocking out dreams unless they hit her out of nowhere, so during this part of the book there is barely any semblance of paranormal activity.

The introduction of Janie’s father and his story that Janie learns through his comatose dreams was an interesting plot move and was certainly the highlight of the book. I enjoyed the twist it brought to the story and the extra dimension it added to Janie’s decision. In the end though, I thought her decision lacked logic and I came up with a different way in which she could have possibly solved her dilemna.

I won’t go into any details about what I thought of the casual, s*xual relationship between Janie and Cabel, except that I was not impressed. In general I was not impressed with Gone much at all; I read the book very quickly, I was already committed to the characters and enjoyed the previous two books *very much* but Gone just did not share an exciting plot with them. The father’s part was good but not that exciting and I didn’t pick up this book to read about the trials, tribulations and effects of an alcoholic on a family. Readable, but disappointing for the last book in a trilogy.

Defenders of the Scroll: History, Legend and Lore by Shiraz, illustrated by Steve Criado

Book 1

Pages: 317
Ages: 12+
First Published: June 29, 2009
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

In a different time, in a different place, Mornak ruled the realm of Mythos from the city of Aspiria.

Reason for Reading: The combination of members who joined the quest in this fantasy is what initially intrigued me enough to want to read the book.

Summary: Alex is your typical high school teen with one major obsession, playing rpg/mporg video games and a secondary fixation as the leader and lead guitarist of a band called the Axemen. Alex’s biggest dilemna in life is whether to skip a history exam to go to a real studio audition with the band. Meanwhile, in another realm of existence , Mythos, the dark forces have started to take over. Kidnapping and torturing the king to get the source of all his power, the magical scroll which is in possession of his 11 year old daughter, Dara. The King’s army, aptly named the Axemen have become lost in an ensorcered wood with no way out. When Dara summons the leader of the Axemen, Alex appears before her and he is stuck in her world until he has completed his mission, protect her until her father is free. As they search for the Hall of Shadows where her father is imprisoned and try to stay clear of the Shadow Warriors as they track Dara in search of the scroll they call upon teen warriors to join them in their quest: Scorpius, a Roman legionnaire, Genjuro, a Japanese samurai, Bantu, an African warrior, Maya, an Amazon archer and Tenzin a Shaolin monk.

Comments: First off this book is unique in that the pages have been designed with a scroll background which makes for a very attractive presentation. However, this left the reading page a very light grey with black text which I think did interfere with my normal reading speed as it did take me longer than it should have to read this book and I know it was not from lack of enjoyment. While the story follows the basic ‘group of companions on a quest’ format, a lot of originality has been brought into play making this a very enjoyable treat. They must follow many mini quests on the way to their larger goal and they face many dangers from the elements, monstrous creatures and their pursuers. At the beginning of the book, I did find it a bit confusing as it jumped back and forth between Alex in the modern world and Mythos as the trouble started. I had this lost feeling as to who were these people and what was going on but rather than distracting from the story it made me determined in the beginning to keep reading until the two sets of characters merged, as I knew they would. I started reading the book in bed and my dh asked me to turn the light off so he could sleep and I told him plainly, “No, not until this Alex guy somehow gets to Mythos so I can figure out what’s going on!”

I loved the group dynamics of the various races and cultures of the group members. Each person comes from such a strong ethnic group/profession that they all must also learn to get along with each other. As they struggle to flee from the enemy they also struggle to reject some of their own bias along with accepting other’s different ways. Each of the characters has a very strong character and their background life is developed enough that I formed great feelings for each of them even though I liked them in varying degrees. Bantu, the African teen who was a very strong warrior in this group but who had just gone out on his mission to prove his manhood in own real time, was my favourite of the bunch. Young Dara was characterized very well. While she needed protecting, she was still portrayed as a strong character with smart ideas who added to the group’s overall success, yet accepted when her role as child meant she had to obey the others or stay away from the danger.

The creatures (good and bad), the adventure, the fighting, the excitement, and the general theme were all very entertaining and I really enjoyed the story very much. My only complaint here is the the ending. If you read my reviews regularly you’ll see it coming. The book ends by letting us know it is the end of book one and has no proper ending. In fact, it ends mid-story, mid-action, a cliff-hanger if you will and I am not fond of such endings. I much prefer books in a series to contain individual mini-plots that have a resolution within the book while still remaining a part of the overall story arc. But at least this leaves you wanting more!

The Dragon Book edited by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois

Pages: 433 pgs.
Ages: 15+
First Published: Nov. 3, 2009
Rating: 4/5

Comments: This collection of 19 never previously unpublished short stories by mostly well-known authors is written for an “all ages” audience, meaning for adults but an acceptable cross-over for older teens. The book is entirely language and s*x free, though the themes keep the book form being suitable for anyone younger. There were a couple of stories I didn’t appreciate but for the most part I rated the others 4s or 5s. I really enjoyed that this book of short stories contained one longer almost novella sized story along with several lengthy 30 page stories along with the shorter short stories, making for a wide range of reading, with the longer stories letting the reader become quite involved in the story. I certainly had my appetite whetted for some of the others here I hadn’t read before, which was shamefully quite a few. Of the 19 authors, I had heard of 12 (even owning books by most of them), of those 12, alas, I had read only 8. A very engaging collection of stories with an amazing array of dragons: good, bad, those who fly and those who swim, with wings and without, those who breath fire, those who breathe ice. Plus the stories are told from all sorts of points of view including that of the dragon itself. A very enjoyable collection of stories. Recommended!

1. Dragon’s Deep by Cecelia Holland - I really enjoyed this story of a fishing village that the Duke visits one day and tells them their taxes are now doubled. Not knowing what else to do they venture into the dangerous waters called “Dragon’s Deep” to fish where they are attacked by a dragon and one girl, Perla, is accidentally taken away by the dragon. The story shows that a beast can learn to love through human tenderness and that humans can turn to beasts when they forget human tenderness. 4/5

2. Vici by Naomi Novik - An enjoyable and funny story with a quirky ending set in Ancient Rome of a man presumably sentenced to death when his punishment is to single handedly kill a dragon. Pure luck makes him successful and he comes home rich with the dragon’s hoard and an egg, presumably is dead. When the egg hatches the man’s life takes a turn for adventure and will never be the same again. Quite humorous while rather violent at the same time. 4/5

3. Bob Choi’s Last Job by Jonathan Stroud - A dragon hunter goes out on a hunt has an encounter with a couple of dragons. Didn’t really get this one. Well, I “got” it but wasn’t that entertained. 2/5

4. Are You Afflicted with Dragons? by Kage Baker - This was a fun, clever romp of a man who owns a seaside hotel and has a bunch of small dragons come to roost on his roof. After trying the usual pest control measure for ridding oneself of these wyrmin pests he encounters a man who specializes in the job and promises to rid him of his troubles forever. A clever, humorous tale. 4/5

5. The Tsar’s Dragons by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple - Much longer than the other stories at 35 pages this is the story of the beginnings of the Russian Revolution and the repeated attempts to kill Rasputin. Dragon’s are in the story but don’t really come into play until the end, when the Tsar’s black and the revolutionaries red dragons are leashed upon the world. The dragons have a more metaphorical place in this story of empire vs communism. 3/5

6. The Dragon of Direfell by Liz Williams - I really enjoyed this story of a mage who has been hired by a small Dukedom to rid itself of a worm-like dragon wrapped around a mountain. The mage undertakes what should be a routine job and finds more than he expected. Deeper magic is at work and as he tries to expose the hidden dark mage things are even more complicated than they had appeared. 4/5

7. Oakland Dragon Blues by Peter S. Beagle - A Police Officer gets called to a traffic hold-up to find an old, sad-looking dragon sitting in the middle of the intersection. Not wanting to deal with all the hoopla that capturing a dragon is going to cause him he convinces the dragon to move out of the way and out of sight where the officer will see if he can fix his problems for him. Turns out the dragon is a remnant from an unfinished story and he wants to find the author, to have his revenge. Absolutely loved this one. Very humorous and we get to see a dragon’s life from his point of view. 5/5

8. Humane Killer by Diana Gabaldon and Samuel Sykes - at 55 pages this started to feel more like a novella than a short story and contained a lot of plot. I really enjoyed it though very much. Two pairs both set off to kill the fierce dragon unbeknownst to each other. One pair is the weakling son of a recently deceased valiant hero who must return with his father’s mace to prove himself and joins up with a heartless warrior woman wearing a full body leather thong. The other pair is a half heathen girl, therefore a sorceress, but a nice girl who has reanimated a dead soldier to be her protection and strength as she needs to kill the dragon to rescue a precious spell book. Obviously they meet up and the story is quite hilarious. But it was confusing when it first started with the jumping back and forth between these people without the reader knowing who they were or what was going on. 4/5

9. Stop! by Garth Nix - A short, interesting story that doesn’t seem to have anything to do about dragons until the strange ending. 3.5/5

10. Ungentle Fire by Sean Williams - The author has written ten books set in the same world and this short story is also set in that world. A young man is bound to apprentice a warrior until he is deemed fit to go on a quest for his master. After five years his master sends him off to find and slay a dragon plus to bring back proof of the dragon’s death, then he will set the man free to return to his homeland and marry his intended. The story starts on the 23rd day of that quest. I really, really enjoyed this story! I’ve never heard of this author before and this is the first story in this book that makes me want to read more by a new-to-me author. 5/5

11. A Stark and Wormy Knight by Tad Williams - A funny story in which a mother dragon tells her children a bedtime story of the days of old when there were big bad knights who slayed dragons and relates a time when their great great great grandpap pulled one over on such a knight. Humorous story, told with lots of word play in the vein of “Jabberwocky” with Williams creating his own fun words but also adding a “snicker”, “beamish” and “uffish” here and there. 4/5

12. None So Blind by Harry Turtledove - Set in some time and world of an explorer’s age with magic, a group of explorer’s and sorcerers set out to explore a part of the map that has always been labeled “Here Be Dragons”. The go to find if these dragons are real and also to find any other unusual flora and fauna. An ok story but I figured out the surprise ending and just didn’t enjoy this more than ok. 2.5/5

13. JoBoy by Diana Wynne Jones - DWJ is one of my fav. authors and I loved this one! Can’t really tell much without giving anything away but it’s about a boy who experiences adolescence with both joyful and painful revelations. 5/5

14. Puz_le by Gregory Maguire - One rainy afternoon, a boy works on an old jigsaw puzzle picked up at a garage sale with strange results. Can’t say much as this is short and has a twisty ending. Really enjoyed it! 4/5

15. After the Third Kiss by Bruce Coville - May Margaret is cursed and turned into a dragon by her wicked stepmother and only three kisses from her sea adventuring brother will return her to her rightful form. He unexpectedly does arrive home after hearing his homeland is threatened by a dragon. May Margaret gets her three kisses and the stepmother is punished and you would thing all would be well. But this is just the first few pages! No, this fairy tale-like story has much more to it and May Margaret finds that though she no longer breathes fire, there is a yearning fire burning in her blood. I loved this one! 5/5

16. The War that Winter Is by Tanith Lee - In a land where winter lasts 9 months of the year, and may well last longer as time goes by, the tribes have learnt to cope in this harsh land but one thing they have no control over is the dragon, Ulkioket, who can blast a village with it’s breath of of ice and freeze everything and everyone glass-like ice that will shatter. Until one day, a small group of scavengers find a frozen city with a pregnant women near the edge, when they touch her she shatters and a live baby is born, one with pale skin and white hair. This, they believe is the hero who has come to rid them of the dragon. At 29 pages, this short story has a lot of space for a well developed story that I just loved. I’ve only read a few books and stories by Lee but I’ve never been disappointed yet. 5/5

17. The Dragon’s Tale by Tamora Pierce -This story is set in Pierce’s fictional universe of Tortall, which I haven’t read before. At 39 pages, this one felt like a novella and really had plenty of time to be a well-developed tale. Told through the point of view of a young dragon who is on a trip with an entourage visiting the Emperor’s villages, he gets bored and watches a group of boys through stones at a lady scrounging in the garbage who then runs away. Feeling magic in the air, the dragon follows her and discovers magic and a whole lot more. He keeps his secret and comes up with a plan to keep him occupied with big results. I loved, loved, loved this story!! 5/5

18. Dragon Storm by Mary Rosenblum - Tahlia’s eyes are different from every one else in the grove and the other children call her “bad-luck eyes”. But she does have a special closeness to the surf dragons and one day when she finds a dragon egg a bit different than usual and it hatches, the dragon does not appear to be a surf dragon. In fact it starts to grow at an alarming rate, protects her against any harm, talks to her and reveals the truth that has been kept secret from her for so long. Another fabulous story that I just loved, just shy of 30 pages making it long enough to really develop some character along with the plot. 5/5

19. The Dragaman’s Bride by Andy Duncan - It’s the 1930s, in the Virginia mountains and every so often when the sheriff’s men are around a few of the adolescents will go missing. At first this caused great concern but they all eventually came back after 6 weeks with tales of a hospital, being treated well, and fed well. The girls all had small scars as they’d had to have their appendix out. The boys, well, they had tiny scars a bit lower down, but after finding out everything worked fine they had no complaints. That is until Allie Harrell goes missing for 3 months causing the mountain folks to rile up against the sheriff and his men. Then one day Pearl Sunday follows an old Fire Dragaman down a hole and discovers a lot of answers. Another longer story just shy of 30 pages that combines some historical fiction with a shapeshifting giant/dragon that reads a lot like a folk tale. Really enjoyed this as well 5/5

Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale. Illustrated by Nathan Hale

sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge

Pages: 144
Ages: 10+
First Published: Jan. 5, 2010
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

I think of myself as a criminal mastermind … with an unfortunate amount of bad luck.

Reason for Reading: Sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge.

Summary: This is very much Jack’s story. Jack tells us of his childhood and his schemes as he grew up, later with his pixie cohort Prudence. Then comes the fateful day that he grows the beanstalk, steals a giant’s magic goose and as he chops the beanstalk down he kills one of the giants, plus the building his mother lived in and ran her bakery from. Now the giants are after him and he leaves town. In one frame we’re shown that this where the events of Rapunzel’s Revenge fit in Jack’s own timeline. Now that the time is right Jack returns to the city with Rapunzel where they meet up with Prudence and a strange young man with many gadgets and the foursome must save Jack’s mother who has been captured by the giants and enslaved as their cook, but they must also end the oppressive giant rule and the current war with the ant people.

Comments: An adventure filled plot from start to finish that doesn’t let go. As well as all the action we have a bit of a romance going on as well as the new guy likes Rapunzel and charms her with his smooth talking. Jack realizes he doesn’t like this and a little love triangle is at work with some humorous moments involved. Rapunzel, again, is ever the hero. In fact, it is assumed that she is the fighter of the team and she takes that roll with grace and authority. Her part in the story is relegated to a secondary character though with Jack and Prudence being the main central characters. Quite an intricate plot that includes a couple of shocking twists, this is sure to please the intended audience and fans of the first book. However, this book stands alone very well and I’d say it is not necessary to have read Rapunzel’s Revenge first to understand this book. Though I always do like to recommend reading books in order, if possible. The illustrations are just as gorgeous as one would expect them to be from Nathan Hale. A riproaring adventure with steampunk elements that will have readers begging for more from this trio.

The Silver Anklet by Mahtab Narsimhan

Tara Trilogy, Book Two

Pages: 263
Ages: 10+
First Published: Dec. 12, 2009
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

The patch of sunlight at the edge of the forest had an odd look; dirty yellow and striped.

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Summary: Tara and her brother, Suraj, along with his friend, have gone to the local fair. There they befriend the Ferris wheel operator, an overweight yet very friendly boy and a performer who can dislocate all his joints to fit inside small containers along with his little sister helper, Sadia. While there, a scream rips through the fairgrounds and the girl, a fair person who can see as day in the night, who was looking after Sadia screams that Sadia was taken from her by a hyena into the jungle. Tara herself had earlier thought she had seen a hyena but shrugged it off as a trick of the sun as hyenas do not live in these parts. Men quickly start organizing a search party when Tara realizes that her brother and his friend are missing too and when a scrap of his shirt is found on a bush they know he was taken too. Thus the story is set up as Tara and her new found friends, along with a familiar face from book one take matters into their own hands and set off into the jungle to find the missing children only to find out that it is all a carefully orchestrated plan to lure Tara herself into the clutches of her evil nemesis, Zarku. Only this time her brother’s life may be the sacrifice to rid the world of this evil once and for all.

Comments: The second book in this trilogy jumps right into the action and does not let go until the very end. A very fast-paced plot-driven novel that kept me reading well into the night. The book is not quite so dark as the first in the series but is, even so, still dark with death and imagery. After the brief beginning in the fairgrounds, the entire story takes place within the jungle which serves to add a heavy, broody, stifling atmosphere throughout as the teens deal with the heat and humidity, mosquitoes and thirst. The plot itself is what I call the “race against time” theme where the characters set off to save someone and event after event happens until the final climax. Thus, there is not a lot of character development in the new characters introduced in this book. The heavy set boy and the night seeing girl were the most fully realized and I developed feelings for them. On the other hand the boy who’s sister was taken plays a more important role in the story, yet he felt flat to me and I didn’t connect with him. But otherwise, I really enjoyed the band of teens and the various personalities make for great dynamics within the group.

Tara, herself, is given the most powerful characteristics. Along with how we’ve come to know her from book one, she is a strong girl, with family loyalty and honour high in her values along with responsibility, fairness and a willingness to believe in others. Tara is faced with many dilemnas such as choosing between: the one or the many, a life of evil or death and sacrificing herself or losing time by going for help. Choosing the right thing is not easy nor is it always obvious.

One can’t help but write about a sequel and not compare it to the first and here I found that while “The Third Eye” was steeped in Hindu mythology, this book does not follow through with that though it is still present, just in a smaller degree. There is no mistaking though that the story takes place within a Hindu society as the culture is ever present throughout and this is one of the exciting things about this series, making it so different from the usual YA fantasy fare being written at the moment. There is even a glossary at the back for all the Hindi words used in the book. I wonder if I can get my sister to start calling me Didi?

The cover is also quite intriguing. I think it reflects the ethnic flavour of the story well and the picture reminds me of a simple henna drawing. While being the second in a series the story can hold up on its own. References are made to events in the first book but the story here is complete within itself having a beginning and an ending. I always appreciate when authors can make the second book of a trilogy a complete story of its own while continuing to be a part of the whole (no cliffhangers please!). Ms. Narsimhan does this very well by bringing this story to a conclusion and then giving readers a taste by setting up the direction the next book will take. The last few lines of the book left me with a gleeful chuckle and shiver as I look forward to the final ’showdown’ in the last book.

Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde
Shades of Grey, Book 1

Pages: 389
First Published: Dec. 29, 2009
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

It began with my father’s not wanting to see the Last Rabbit, and ended up with my being eaten by a carnivorous plant.

Reason for Reading: I haven’t read Jasper Fforde before. I really want to but just never find the time to start his Thursday Next series so I jumped at the chance to get in at the beginning with a new series.

Summary: I don’t really feel capable of doing this justice but I’ll make an attempt. This is a satirical dystopian novel. Set 500 years in the future after Something Happened, this new world is ruled by a Colortocracy. People are born being able to see only one colour or perhaps a mixture of primary colours thus making greens, oranges, etc. Those at the top of the class system are Purples and those at the bottom are Greys, the working class who are colourless. Increasing one’s family’s colour heritage is of utmost importance and marriages are arranged to produce children who will climb further up the class system. It is here we find Eddie Russet, half promised to marry into the Oxblood family, who finds himself wearing a humility badge, sent to the Outer Fringes, a town called East Carmine, to conduct a chair census supposedly because of a prank he pulled but in reality because he asks too many questions and shows too much curiosity, a dangerous quality in this society. But it is in East Carmine that he realizes the banality of the heavily rule dependent government and the oppressiveness that is wrought upon society. He meets Jane, a Grey revolutionary, who he loves at first sight and while her ideas seem fanatical at first, the more he experiences the more he starts to agree with her.

Comments: This was a fabulous book. Fforde has created an utterly unique and fascinating dystopian society that is believable but is full of satirical comments that reflect upon our own society that one can take the story seriously and with tongue in cheek at the same time. I became immersed in this world from the first page, and while I’d never want to live there, I enjoyed every detail of it from government policies to recreation requirements. The characters are wonderful. Eddie and his group of friends each are distinctly real and flawed persons. The entire cast of characters is enormous and entirely eccentric from the librarian Mrs. Lapus Lazuli who has memorized the barcode of every book that has been removed from the library to the Apocryphal man, a 400 year old historian who everyone must pretend does not exist. The plot itself is a slow unraveling of Eddie coming to terms with the hidden reality of his society and the unsettling realization that the few must be sacrificed for the many. The story is quite dark and while I haven’t read any other Fforde books, from what I’ve read about the Thursday Next series, it would appear that this is a different move for the author. The themes and atmosphere are dark, there is a lot of satire making for plenty of humour but even the humour is dry and biting at times. There is so much going on within the pages of this book that I could simply go on and on about it. Suffice to say, I am utterly enamored with this world and its mythos and can’t wait for the next book.

The Jungle Vampire by David Sinden, Matthew Morgan & Guy Macdonald; illustrated by Jonny Duddle

An Awfully Beastly Business, Book 4

Pages: 204
Ages: 8+
First Published: Dec. 29, 2009
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

Late one night, on the outskirts of a grimy town, a man in a long fur coat hurried through the rain.

Reason for Reading: My son loves this series and this was the next one out. I read it aloud to him.

Summary: All the members of the RSPCB are off to the jungle and this time Ulf is invited along as he is in training to become an official member and his mission takes him in search of a legendary vampire. Unbeknownst to all, Baron Marackai is after the same treasure only he wants to kill the fabled beast and he is following them to take advantage of their smarts on finding this creature’s den.

Comments: Everything one has come to expect from this series is present in this latest addition. The authors keep the story fresh even though Baron Marackai is after Ulf and his friends in every book, Sinden, et al. find different ways of bringing the two parties together and we’ve come to enjoy waiting for that moment that the RSPCB finds out that Baron Marackai is behind their troubles. This particular book is an action packed story. Briefly starting at home they are off to the jungle very quickly, where they meet adventure after adventure. The whole team is included equally this time around with Ulf, Tiana, Orson and Dr. Fielding all sharing equal page time. Once the Baron reveals himself the pace is very quick and the exciting adventure turns into a wild race to the end. The only thing we missed was since the whole book took place away from Farraway Hall, our favourite character, Druce the gargoyle, only made a cameo appearance at the beginning and the end.

Lots of laughs were had by both of us and we are sad to have come to the last book in print to date. My son says he’d like to start from the beginning and read them all over again so maybe I’ll pass them on Dad, for bedtime reading. After doing a bit of research I see book 5 “Battle of the Zombies” will be released in June of this year (2010) in the UK, so according to the schedule that’s been established so far, I think we can expect it out here in North America in December. We will anxiously be waiting!

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handerland
The Phoenix Chronicles, Book 1

Pages: 343 pgs.
First Published: Nov. 4, 2008
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

On the day my old life died, the air smelled of springtime — budding trees and just-born flowers, fresh grass and hope.

Reason for Reading: I was intrigued by the ex-cop, psychic demon hunter aspect of the plot.

Summary: Ex-cop Elizabeth Phoenix has always been psychic but she’s tried to keep it under control and under wraps most of the time. But when her beloved foster mother is killed by monsters she visits Lizzy in her mind to tell her that she is now the seer over all the demon killers and she remains with Lizzy to teach her to recognize non-humans. It is in this way that she learns her boyfriend Jimmie is half vampire and one of the demon killers. She is sent out into the desert with a mysterious Navajo shape-shifter to awaken her psychic powers to their fullest and learns that learns that the prophetic Apocalypse is well underway unless she and her demon killers can save humanity.

Comments: The plot is based upon the Book of Enoch, a Jewish writing which is non-canonical (not part of) either the Bible or the Torah. This book has many scholarly interpretations and Handeland has gloried in the literal interpretation, allowing her to tie her paranormal world to a Biblical mythology. I’ll admit right up front that I quite enjoyed the book; it’s what I would call a guilty little pleasure. It was a fast read, exciting, lots of action and very Buffy-like that it kept me reading. The dialogue was cheesy at times but so what. The book is supposed to be paranormal romance though I wouldn’t call it as much romance as I would plain s*x. The first half of the book is all action, but the second half introduces some quite explicit s*x scenes. While this isn’t what I normally read, I found myself going with the flow and basically having a fun read. I’m a grown-up, married woman and while I am deeply religious, I’m not a prude and don’t mind a bit of a romp when it’s aimed at adult women. So, no literary winner here. Definitely not to everyone’s tastes. Just a fun little read that would make a good plane or beach read. I’ll be continuing the series.

Bang Goes a Troll by David Sinden, Matthew Morgan & Guy Macdonald. illustrated by Jonny Duddle
An Awfully Beastly Business, Book 3

Pages: 202 pgs.
Ages: 8+
First Published: Sep. 15, 2009
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

High on a snowy mountaintop, a blizzard was howling.

Reason for Reading: Next in the series. Read aloud to the 9yo.

Summary: The RSPCA receive a messenger bat that tells them the trolls are in trouble and Dr. Fielding, Orson, Ulf and Tiana set out to investigate. Once there they find that someone has set up an elaborate enclosure full of mechanical traps for a beast hunter’s ultimate hunting weekend getaway. The three meet a new friend and set out to save the beasts.

Comments: This is definitely my favourite book in the series so far. So as not to keep repeating the same template book after book of having Baron Marackai plotting against the RSPCA the authors have gone in a different direction. Here we have the Baron already involved in his nefarious scheme when our heroes arrive on the scene to foul up his plans. Of course the Baron is only too pleased to have another chance to rid himself of his pesky nemesis. At this point in the series we are comfortable and great friends with the main characters and they need no introductions, nor do the authors waste space to re-introduce them. Everybody we’ve come to love returns, though our favourite character, Druce the gargoyle only has two small scenes this time around. However, we immediately took a liking to the new character Gumball the Goblin, whom I couldn’t help but read aloud with a Gollum-like voice! Very funny story, full of action. The nine-year old was laughing and cheering so loud I often had to stop before I could continue reading. This is a wonderful series, that boys, especially are going to love. But girls will equally find appeal probably enjoying Tiana the Fairy and her take no guff attitude the best. Looking forward to next month’s release of Book 4, The Jungle Vampire. Which, by the looks of it, may possibly be the last in the series. I’ll wait until I know for sure before I tell my son though, as he’s not going to take that news well at all!

Another Faust by Daniel & Dina Nayeri

Pages: 387 pgs.
Ages: 14+
First Published: Aug. 25, 2009
Genre: YA, paranormal
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

Victoria didn’t have time to play.

Reason for Reading: The plot drove me to choosing this one. Plus, I’ll admit the cover also attracted me.

Summary: Five children disappear from their homes, all ten years old. Five years later they all arrive at an elite New York high school with a governess in charge of them. They are all beautiful, brilliant or athletic and soon take over the school with their popularity. They each have a special talent such as stopping time, reading minds, etc. and they’ll do anything to get what they want including making deals with the devil.

Comments: I absolutely loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what to expect when I went into it as I have been avoiding reading any other reviews and it just surpassed all my possible expectations. The five teenagers range in temperament from nasty and backstabbing to shy and lonely. The governess is the real villain in this story and I was just tickled that she shared my name, Nicola. I don’t come across my own name in literature all that often so that was fun for me. The story is amazing. I can’t say much as it’s best to find it all out on your own. The story slowly unravels itself chapter by chapter and has a very unexpected twist at the end which really brings home the dangers behind the classic story of selling one’s soul to the devil. There’s nothing I did not like about this book; the characters, the plot, the pacing, the theme made a brilliant reading experience for me which I was sad to see come to an end. The ending is satisfying and I heartily recommend this tale of greed, evil and redemption.

The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

Pages: 275
Ages: 10+
First Published: Sep.8, 2009 (Can)/ Sept.22 (US)
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

Six hunting hounds had perished in previous experiments.

Reason for Reading: Arthur Slade had a new book out and I was thrilled to find out it was the start of a series. I had been wanting him to venture out into a series. I received a review copy from the publisher, Harper Collins Canada.
Summary: Modo is an orphan taken in by Mr. Socrates and kept house-bound for the first thirteen years of his life where he is trained in body and mind. Modo is a hunchback with a terribly disfigured face which is so repugnant to look upon that Mr. Socrates does not allow mirrors in the house until he decides Modo is old enough to see his reflection. Once Modo has been trained to be one of Mr. Socrates secret agents he is sent out into the world where he uncovers a diabolical plot of the mad scientist Mr. Hyde. While investigating he meets Octavia Milkweed and together they must save the orphans of London and the city itself.

Comments: My review could end here and now with one word, brilliant. Arthur Slade comes up with some absolutely amazing plots and this book tops them all. A compelling read, that kept me turning the pages almost faster than I could read them. Modo is a wonderful character, one whom the reader bonds with instantly and feels compassion for, making him a superb hero. Octavia is a strong, yet feminine female hero and the two make for a dynamic pairing.

Slade’s writing is as strong as ever. The book contains some quite disturbing scenes which made for a scary read at times but at others the humour is high which gives this quite dark story an even balance of light moments. I loved everything about this book and could simply gush over it. It’s got everything you could hope for in a great read. If you like dark tales set in alternate Victorian England featuring mad scientists working with steam engines, clockworks and human bodies this will certainly be a must read for you! I can hardly wait for the next book to see what direction the series takes. The Hunchback Assignments will appeal to both boys and girls (as well as adults) equally. Recommended

Wonderland by Tommy Kovac. illustrated by Sonny Liew

Pages: 160
Ages: 13+
First Published: Mar. 17, 2009
Genre: graphic novel, ya, children, fantasy
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Mary Ann …

Reason for Reading: Cybils Award nominee. I’ve also been meaning to read this since I first heard about it.

Summary: The book is set in Wonderland sometime not too long after Alice has left. Here we meet Mary Ann, the girl whom the White Rabbit mistakes Alice for when she first arrives. We find out Mary Ann is the White Rabbit’s maid and follow her through an adventurous day where she uncovers the fiendish doings of the Queen of Hearts.

Comments: While the book does have its plot running through, I found the main focus to be on the characters. Kovac explores Wonderland and its famous inhabitants such as the Queen of Hearts and the Cheshire Cat in such great detail and in a more up close and personal way than the original book provides. It is great fun watching these characters come to life in this way. (Though I do question why Jabberwocky and Tweedledee & dum from Through the Looking-glass have been placed in Wonderland.) Kovac has done a magnificent job of keeping the essence of Carroll’s witty, off-the-wall sense of humour. Sonny Liew’s illustrations are wonderful and wacky; based on the Disney images (since this book is published by Disney Press) they are instantly recognizable yet he changes them enough to take away the cuteness and there is actually an aura of creepiness to this Wonderland.

To thoroughly enjoy the book, one must know the original Alice in Wonderland story as many references are made to it and it’s assumed you know who all these characters are. I don’t think reading the original book is necessary, any version or the Disney movie would suffice. I’m not really sure why the book is recommended for ages 13+; my only guess would be the maturity to fully comprehend the humour and the underlying tones.

I really enjoyed the story. It was a quick afternoon read. The eventual ending for Mary Ann is quite unnerving. I’ve never been a fan of the Cheshire Cat and to see his true colours (in my mind) brought to life so well was a delight … and slightly eerie. This is a book that just pulling it off the shelf and looking through it is going to make you want to take it home with you. I say it’s worth it. I suggest the book would make a great gift for a young teen or tween girl who already knows the Alice in Wonderland story.

Nicola

The Bag of Bones by Vivian French, illustrated by Ross Collins
The Second Tale from the Five Kingdoms

Pages: 248
Ages: 8+
First Published: July 28, 09
Genre: children’s fantasy
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

“Wheeeeee!” The small bat did a double backflip, then a twist, and landed neatly on the branch below.

Reason for Reading: Next in the series. I received a review copy from Candlewick Press.

Summary: The evil witch Truda Hangnail, practitioner of Deep Magic (not permitted in the Five Kingdoms) comes to visit her granddaughter and takes control of the local group of witches shrinking them down to the size of rats. Loobly, one of the witch’s servants, escapes and sets off to get the help of the Ancient Crones. Meanwhile, it is Queen Bluebell’s 80th birthday celebration and since she has no female heirs she will be naming her future successor at the party. But Truda Hangnail has a diabolical plan to crash the party and become the Queen of the Five Kingdoms herself!

Comments: A fun sequel to The Robe of Skulls! Lots of new characters are introduced but all the familiar ones from the first book find there way into this story as well. The bats Marlon and Alf join in on the first page, then the twin brother princes make their appearance, as well as the Ancient Crones. Our heroine (from book one) Gracie Gillypot and Gubble the troll finally make a late appearance halfway through the book.

A quick, easy read with lots of magic and dastardly doings. Truda Hangnail is all badness and as in the first book the bad are bad and the good are good keeping the story a fun romp through a fantasy world. I really enjoyed the new main character, Loobly. She’s outwardly so timid and yet she sticks up for herself every time it counts. Her fondness for rats is amusing as well.

This is one of those books that’s just plain ‘a whole lotta fun’. While the plot may have been predictable (to me) I had a great time getting there. I love these characters. I love the Scottish author’s sense of humour and I love Ross Collins illustrations. Looking at the author’s website, I see a third book has already been published in the UK, called The Heart of Glass. No sign of it on this side of the ocean yet but hopefully it will be a summer 2010 release.

The Child Thief by Brom

Pages: 481
First Published: Aug. 25, 2009
Genre: urban fantasy
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

It would happen again tonight: the really bad thing.

Reason for Reading: I was very interested in a retelling of Peter Pan from an author known previously for horror books.
Summary: This is a modern re-telling of the Peter Pan story. If you’ve read the original you’ll know that Peter is rather an arrogant, self-centered boy and the author takes that Peter and creates a very dark urban fantasy. Amazingly, the basic plot line is very similar to the original. Peter comes to the real world to find runaway kids and steals them by tricking them into following him back to his world, Avalon. There he has created a group of children who fight against the evil Flesh-eaters who are out to destroy them and the island, headed by the fearful, Captain. Peter has his mother figure in the woman who is the lifeblood of Avalon, the one who keeps the magic alive and Avalon hidden, Modron, the Lady of the Lake.

Comments: This was a fantastic read! First off though, the book itself is beautiful. Brom also illustrates the book with full page b/w drawings which are very dark and haunting, several of them remind me of the artist Hans Holbein’s woodcuts which feature Death. Plus in the middle of the book are full colour paintings of the major characters!

The book is both enchanting and disturbing at the same time. I love the folklore connections of Avalon and the Lady of the Lake. Avalon itself is inhabited by pixies and elves and all manner of creatures; while the mythos behind it all is fascinating. In the Author’s Note at the end, Brom goes into detail where he found his inspiration, which in itself is interesting. Peter and his gang of runaways, The Lost Ones, The Devils (they call themselves) are disturbing. A handful of them become major characters who the reader becomes emotionally involved with (one way or the other). The writing and characterization is brilliant. One can never forget that these are children and so it becomes a dreaded but compelling read that can’t be put down as they brutally kill and slay their enemies and swear like gangsters. Among themselves The Devils form a group that reminds one of The Lord of the Flies. And yet through it all, there is one runaway, Nick, whom we meet near the beginning, who never quite falls under the spells of the magic, Avalon, Peter, who knows that Avalon is not all there is to fight for. A truly, splendid, wonderfully crafted story. Very dark and haunting, not for those with weak stomachs (heads fly frequently), but both urban fantasy fans and fans of fairytale and classic book retellings will not want to miss out on this one. I will most certainly go back and read Brom’s two previous horror books and be on the lookout for his next offering.

I don’t want to post an illustration here and infringe on copyrights but going to this link will take you to a lot of pictures featured in the book. Unfortunately, the creepiest one that especially gave me a Hans Holbein vibe is not shown but scroll down about halfway for the woman with the monster head things, that will give you an idea! Most of the colour illustrations are shown, though again not my favourite.

As many believe, there is a place above and a place below.