Novels Now

“Caucasian vampires should never wear white,” the television announcer intoned. [first sentence from Dead and Gone]

The Dragons of Ordinary Farm by Tad Williams & Deborah Beale
Illustrated by Greg Swearingen
Ordinary Farm, Book 1

Pages: 412
Ages: 10+
First Published: May 25,’09
Genre: children, fantasy
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Colin tested the parlor door.

Reason for Reading: When I heard Tad Williams had a book out for juveniles, I was so going to be reading it.

Comments: Tyler and Lucinda are sent to spend the summer with their incredibly old great uncle (whom they’ve never met) while their mother goes on a singles retreat. Not looking forward at all to farm life: where will she go shopping? will there be electricity to recharge his hand-held gamer? they are reluctant guests. Upon arrival they quickly see that this is no ordinary farm, all the farm hands and kitchen staff talk with strange accents and seem as though they come from various far away countries. Then on their first day they are shown around the farm and meet the inhabitants: unicorns, basilisks, a flying monkey, cockatrices, baby griffins, a couple of dragons and many more fantastic creatures. Tyler and Lucinda are sworn to secrecy but are only given small pieces of information at a time leaving them full of questions with no answers. So they take to exploring on their own at night and find some incredible answers and mysterious clues to a secret from the past as they also learn that the farm itself and the dragons are in danger.

Well, I just loved this book. A setting filled with fantastic creatures is a sure bet I’m going to have some fun. Lucinda and Tyler both started off as rather annoying kids as they were portrayed as a typical brother and sister who spend most of their time together annoying each other and being sarcastic. As they are brought together at the farm for the first time where they have to live together, work together and count on each other their relationship (and attitudes) grow and develop. The eccentric cast of supporting characters is a riot from Great Uncle Gideon who always wears his pajamas and house coat to Mrs. Needle, Gideon’s assistant with strange powers who cannot be completely trusted to Ragnar, a powerhouse of a Scandinavian. The plot is not exactly fast-paced. The first half of the book spends a lot of time in the kids enjoying their new exciting surroundings, getting to know the fascinating people and slowly unraveling the mysteries. The troubles slowly mount until a pivotal point where the action picks up and the second half of the book has a plot full of action as events unfold at a faster-pace and reveals follow one another.

I had a great time reading this. I loved the motley crew of characters. The plot is a lot of fun and the dragon side story is unique and well, who doesn’t love a good dragon story? The story is nicely wrapped up yet there is a bigger plot running along which will continue through the series and the book leaves us with a satisfying ending but also knowing the children will be returning to Ordinary Farm again.

Get in at the start with this series folks, it’s quite likely, imho, that this is going to become a popular one. I’m really looking forward to book two.

Sea Monsters and Other Delicacies by David Sinden, Matthew Morgan & Guy Macdonald

Oracles of Delphi Keep by Victoria Laurie
Book One

Pages: 552
Ages: 10+
First Published: May 26, 2009
Genre: children, fantasy
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Ian Wigby sat on his cot, staring at the raging storm just beyond his window.

Reason for Reading: The jacket flap simply intrigued me. The book sounded right up my alley.
Comments: Set in the 1930’s along the White Cliffs of Dover atop of which stands an old castle and its keep. In that keep is an orphanage run by the earl, who owns the property and the land. It is here that orphans Ian and Theodosia (Theo) have lived most of their lives. Now 13 and 10 respectively they spend a lot of their time secretly exploring the caves within the cliffs (a most forbidden activity ) until one day they discover a silver box that contains an ancient prophecy that will forever change who they thought they were. As they turn to leave the cave they are chased by a hellhound and now that the evil forces are after them they have only one path to follow to save themselves, the children at the orphanage and perhaps the world.

What an intricate, deep plot to follow! I admit it took a bit of getting into as their were so many things going on and stories being told that I started to get lost a bit but I went with the flow and soon enough understood the different angles. This book has it all: ancient Greek mythology (though the author takes liberties with real names creating her own ancient-ancient mythology), Druid oracles, Phonecian relics, evil sorcerers and hellhounds. Starting off in England and veering off into Morocco this is an adventure as well as a mythological-steeped tale. Part of the book has a very ancient fantasy lore feel then in another part it went all Indiana Jones. There are quite a lot of different types of action happening here, not to mention the orphanage moments which have that boarding school feel that is so popular. You certainly don’t get bored!

One thing I particularly liked was the unusual party of questers in this book. Usually one can assume in a book like this we’ll have a group of children with some boys and some girls. Ms. Laurie has created a very unique group. Here we have a party of six containing 1 girl and five males, also the group contains three children and three adults. There is a hierarchy of power. The adults expect the children to obey them as they look out for their safety yet the adults know that the children have a special connection to what is going on and know things instinctively that they don’t. The children often assert their power of intuition over the adults leading the way but they follow the authority respect (this is the 1930s, remember) and they also know the adults know much more than they do because they are educators. Everyone is friendly and gets along well with each other within these dynamics.

The party consists of an old professor of archaeology, two twin brothers who are schoolmasters at the orphanage and very educated, and Colin, a new boy who is undernourished and very skinny. He has a sense of comradery and bravery but sometimes his body just won’t let him follow through. Ian and Theo are the two main characters of the group. Ian is a typical boy, all about adventure. He actually wants to be an explorer when he grows up. Finding treasures in the wild and getting rich. Theo, who was given to him to look after as a sister when she arrived, is a unique character as well. I really like the way the author has portrayed her. She is a strong-willed girl and doesn’t let anyone walk over her but she is not pushy. Sometimes she is all for whatever adventure is going on but at other times she’ll find something too dangerous and will be scared and not want to do it. Sometimes girls are portrayed in books as supergirls who can do anything, I prefer this real life example of how girls are just like anybody else sometimes strong, sometimes scared and being scared doesn’t make you weak. Theo always keep face and she saves the day more than once just by being herself, faults and all.

A well-written book. Very long, with no pictures it will probably take kids a while to read but it is full of action and plot. This is not one of those 500 page books with 200 pages of filler; this is 500 pages of pure story. There is also quite a bit of violence; there are battles, people get killed, it is described briefly and is not pretty. Kids sensitive to that sort of thing may want to avoid this book. If you like your fantasy mixed with ancient history and mythology this will be your kind of book.

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
Darkest Powers, Book Two

Pages: 360
Ages: 14+
First Published: Apr. 28, 2009
Genre: YA, paranormal, fantasy
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

When the door to my cell clicked open, the first thought that flitted through my doped-up brain was that Liz had changed her mind and come back.

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

Comments: The story picks up shortly after Book One and without giving much away, I’ll say this book’s main focus is that of the teens being on the run. While all six teens are still in this book, only five of them are a part of the story and if you’ve read Book One it may not be the five your thinking of. As all the teens take part in the plot, two of them in particular become the main characters and the undercurrents of a romance are felt boiling beneath the surface.

As often happens with the second book in a trilogy, The Awakening does have a feeling of being the middle part, filler if you will, awaiting the big climax of Book Three. Oh, I still enjoyed it, very much in fact, but the plot just doesn’t advance very much. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of exciting, tense, and unexpected moments and a couple of reveals along the way. What this book does do though is show a lot of character development. We learn a lot of previously unknown information (secrets even) about each teen and we also get to know each one much more closer. All of the supernaturals, as they call themselves, have personalities which are made up of both likeable and unlikable characteristics making them real people to connect with.

While the plot only slightly advances we do learn a lot of the background of the story, how and why the teens have their powers, and who is after them and why, plus information on their own personal backgrounds. This compiled with the Book One leaves the reader very anxious for the big showdown in Book Three. Having been hit with a cliffhanger ending in The Summoning (which I don’t like), I am happy to say that The Awakening leaves us with a more finite, however brief it may be, ending.

Kelley Armstrong is my new found favourite author and I’ll be going back and starting her adult series for sure now.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Darkest Powers, Book One

Pages: 390
Ages: 14+
First Published: July 1, 2008
Genre: YA, paranormal, fantasy
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

Mommy forgot to warn the new babysitter about the basement.

Reason for Reading: I’ve been wanting to read this author for sometime now but her adult series has a number of books in it and with all the series I already have going it’s a daunting project and I thought this new YA series would be a great place to start and see if I liked the author before trying her adult books.

Comments: Chloe was a normal teenager until the day she sees a very scary ghost of a janitor in the girl’s bathroom and runs screaming down the school hall. Next thing she knows, she has woken up in an exclusive home for mentally troubled teens. She’s told she has a mental condition and they only want to help her get better. The handful of other patients all seem nice enough, well except a couple who have major attitude problems, and she begins to adjust to her diagnosis. But Chloe (and the others) begin to realize that something isn’t right. Chloe can still see dead people and the kids don’t think it’s because of any mental illness. In fact, quite a few of them seem to have rather special talents. Why are they always being threatened with transfer? What’s so bad with being transferred? Why can Chloe see the girl who was transferred?

This is an absolutely amazing read! You need one of those rubber page-flipper thingies on your finger so you can turn the pages fast enough when you read this. Kelley Armstrong has created an amazing world, which her website reveals is the same one in which her adult books are set. The mental home the teens live in has that boarding-school feel to it but with a much closer, tighter, oppressive atmosphere. While three of the teens stand out as main characters at this point, all six of them are fully realized and each given a background and believable personality.

The plot starts off with a bang and just keeps going from there. Event after event keeps the pace moving very quickly then reveal after reveal towards the end will have you gasping in shock. There is an overhanging darkness throughout the book which we are briefly let into and by the end of the book we have some idea of what it is but no real knowledge of its depth except that it has evil intentions.

The book does end basically mid-paragraph though not exactly with a cliff hanger as we know what is coming immediately next but it is one of those “to be continued” endings that I’m not partial to with everything left just at the crucial moment and leaving the reader dying to read the next book. Fortunately, I have the next book on hand and don’t have to wait a year to found out what happens next but I do fear that book two will leave me in the same position. However, the book is just too darn good to take any marks off so it gets a full rating from me! This is the best teen novel I’ve read since A Great and Terrible Beauty (which I loved!) and this is by far the better book. If you read paranormal books, whether they be adult or teen, you’ll love this. Go get it now! Highly recommended.

Werewolf versus Dragon by David Sinden, Matthew Morgan, Guy Macdonald
Illustrated by Jonny Duddle
An Awfully Beastly Business, Book 1

Pages: 186
Ages: 7-10
First Published: 2008 (UK), Apr. 28, 2009 (NA)
Genre: children, fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5

First sentence:

Ulf watched the radar screen.

Reason for Reading: It simply appealed to me: the cover, the title and the write-up.  I thought it would make a good read-aloud to my 9yo, and it did.

Comments: Ulf lives at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Beasts, more commonly called the RSPCB. It is a large castle-type building and estate somewhere in the UK which houses injured or otherwise in need of care beasts such as trolls, rocs, giants, biganasties, faries, sea serpents, or in Ulf’s case, werewolves. A baby dragon is found shot on the premises as they watch the mother fly away. Next day an Inspector from the department of National and International Criminal Emergencies (NICE) arrives to explain an evil criminal who is gathering beasts for his own dastardly amusement is on the loose. So with the help of Dr. Fielding, Orson the giant and Tiana the fairy they try to find the mother dragon before it is too late.

This is a book for the younger set and I must say I figured out the whole “secret” right from the beginning but my 9 year did not see it coming a mile away and was shocked with the reveal at the end. This is a lot of fun. It’s sort of a twist on the boarding school type of story only this time we basically have a house and grounds that are filled with beasts (not unlike a zoo) instead of other children. A lot of time is spent at the beginning introducing the reader to the RSPCB so we meet many different kinds of beasts and our imagination can tell this is the place to be if you want lots of adventures. A third of the way through the plot picks up full speed and one thing after another happens leaving my son begging for one more chapter practically every day. This isn’t a book with any deep hidden meanings or lessons to learn. It’s simply just plain rollicking good fun about a boy (at least until the full moon comes around) and a bunch of beasts in the middle of a wicked adventure. My 9yo highly recommends it. We have the second book in the series which we will be reading next upon his request.

One thing I need to comment on is that the original UK versions were written by “The Beastly Boys”. For North American publication they have changed this to the authors’ actual names (or at least to what appear to be real names) and I think this was a smart publishing decision. I’m fairly certain that I, for one, would have been dubious to the quality of the book had I been given such a fake author’s name and probably would have passed the book over otherwise and missed the treat of reading this series with my 9yo.

Zamora’s Ultimate Challenge by M.K. Scott

Pages: 198
First Published: Feb. 1, 2008
Genre: children, fantasy
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

The little man, named Jemlock, drew his sword, richly decorated with jewels he’d earned during his many adventures.

Reason for Reading: A very long time ago I read a book with the same premise of two children finding themselves inside a video game and loved it so the premise again intrigued me.

Comments: Two pre-teen boys are left to babysit their two-year old sister while the parents go grocery shopping. They turn on their favourite video game “Zamora’s Ultimate Challenge” to have the face of Queen Zamora talking directly to them. She has taken little Isabella and plans on taking over her soul and returning to Earth in her body so she can eventually take over the planet Earth. All she needs to do is wait a few days for the planets to align. The boys who have always considered the baby a major imposition on their lives are stunned and find a way to enter the game so that they can rescue her and thus save both the video game world and Earth.

At first I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book as for the first two chapters the boy’s spend an awful amount of time complaining and using words such as “stupid” and “shut-up” and basically being very disrespectful human beings. However, once they enter the game the first two rules they are give are 1) Trust yourself and 2) Trust each other and the reader comes to realize that the bad behaviour is a plot point. The book is a lot of fun with the the two boys playing out the levels of the game which they have played before at home but they meet new characters, light-keepers, who help them on their quest. Ultimately the book follows a theme throughout as the boys realize that they love each other and their family and learn ways to show it to each other, physically and through trust.

A fun read with lots of fun characters, mermaids, pirates, giant robot shark, a pegasus, lava monster and more. The publisher recommendation is for ages 10+ but I think that is a little extreme. The book reads more for younger audiences and a limited audience really as I think older children will want more, so I’m recommending this as a fun adventure for ages 8-11.

As faithful followers of my blog, you all know my love of both YA and Vampires. So it will come as no surprise that the next book I review is Hunted: A House of Night Novel (Book 5) by PC Cast and Kristin Cast (336 pgs, St. Martin’s Press, 2009). Not only is it a selection for the YA Challenge 2009, but also for the Once Upon a Time III Challenge.

WARNING: There may be spoilers if you haven’t read Book 4!

The dream began with the sound of wings. In retrospect, I realize I should have known that was a bad sign, what with the Raven Mockers begin set loose and all, but in my dream it was just background noise, kinda like a fan or the TV turned on to the QVC.

Immediately taking off where Untamed left us hanging, Zoey and her circle have fled to the tunnels to escape the demon Kalona, that Neferet has released to be her consort. Putting her faith in Stevie Rae and the new red fledglings, Zoey and the gang needed to regroup and decide what they were going to do. The Raven Mockers have started on a quest to massacre the humans; Neferet has turned away from Nyx and joined the Dark Side, increasing her powers along the way; Kalona has a strange hold on all the other residents of the House of Night. Trying to come up with a plan, they realize that one of the red fledglings’ poetry seems to hold clues as to how they can stop Kalona.

But when Zoey’s human ex-boyfriend, Heath shows up to try to help, he brings trouble to the tunnels. And Zoey is almost killed in the process. Weak and seriously injured, the only chance for her survival is to return to the House of Night to heal, among the adult vampyres. Leaving Heath and Erik to stay with Stevie Rae and the red fledglings, the rest of the gang heads right back into the fire of the House of Night.

Hunted, in it’s entirety takes place in only 2 days. The action is fast-paced and immediate. But if I’m going to be honest, I was disappointed with this book. As readable as it is, it is not nearly as good (or well-written) as the previous book, Untamed. Why was I disappointed? Zoey never seems to learn her lesson. As a High Priestess in training, she should be more focused on the tasks at hand. But she keeps falling back into the same trap with the men in her life. She can’t break with ANY of them, and now she has even added a new one to her entourage!!

More unanswered questions leave us hanging at the end: Most importantly….what is really up with the red fledglings?? Can they truly be trusted?? Which, of course, is a nice way of getting us prepared for the NEXT book. I really need to quit reading series books that have no endings because now I have no closure!

But my main disappointment with this book is the editing!! I’ve read a lot of ARC’s that are considered uncorrected proofs. And that’s fine. But for me to go out and BUY a new NOVEL to find blatant errors really bothers me. There are at least three major typos (including a name switch : Damian’s name in place of Darius) that really irked me. It made the whole book seem like it was rushed to the shelf. There seems to be an inconsistency between the books in the series - an up and down in quality to them. Note to anyone at St. Martin’s Press: If you need a new copy editor, I AM available!

All of that said, I still enjoyed the book. I still need to finish the series because I MUST know how it all ends! If you have read the rest of the series, you should definitely read this one. Just don’t expect a lot of answers and don’t expect to be ‘wowed’ like before! 3.75/5

Starfinder by John Marco
The Skylords, Book 1

Pages: 326
First Published: May, 2009
Genre: YA fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

Moth was flying his kite near the aerodrome when he heard the dragonfly crash.

Reason for Reading: I was initially drawn to the fantasy world of airships as I’ve read other books of airships and enjoyed them immensely and the publisher’s write up of the plot had me extremely eager to read the book.

Comments: The setting is a town on the far reaches of a world. This town has an atmosphere of a 19th century American West feel to it. Right beside the town of Calio is the Reach, a sea of fog that stretches forever and that tales are told of about people who have entered but never returned. Moth is sent on a mission by his guardian’s dying words to cross the Reach and enter the world of the Skylords and he is accompanied by his friend Fiona. The other side of the Reach is a new world full of danger for the Skylords know Moth is there and they are after him. It is a world full of mermaids, centaurs, dragons, harpies, the god-like Skylords and their hideous once-human slaves.

I have to admit it took me a couple a chapters to get into this book but once I got hooked I stayed hooked permanently. A fabulous and ingenious plot that starts out going in one direction and swiftly turns into another direction before you can see it coming. Moth and Fiona are exciting, interesting characters with realistic dialogue and a non-romantic relationship that feels right. Once the story gets going this is a book you just can’t put down; a page-turner for sure. I loved all the different creatures the teens met on their quest, especially the centaurs.

Being the first book in a series, the story does have a complete ending, no cliffhanger, something I am very particular about. It does however have many threads left to explore and foreshadowing of events to come in the next book of the series. But one can feel complete satisfaction upon reaching the ending. I do recommend the book for teens though as, while the majority of the book is suitable for younger ages, the battle scenes are long, descriptive and very violent and bloody; most definitely suited for a teen audience.

A highly readable and enjoyable book. I am attached to the character Moth and can’t wait to find out more about his character in the next book. He has a mysterious background and I’ve already got some ideas rolling around in my head. I can’t wait for the next in the series to find out what happens next.

The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen

Pages: 407
Ages: 8+
Finished: May 18, 2009
First Published: April 14, 2009
Genre: children, fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5

First sentence:

Calen tried not to look down.

Reason for Reading: YA fantasy about dragons? Need I say more!

Comments: Calen is the apprentice to the rather surly palace mage, Serek. One day while loitering about instead of gathering herbs he meets the Princess Meglynne out for her daily jaunt in peasant clothing. They become friends and she shares her darkest secret with him. She has a young dragon hidden nearby! But as the dragon is reaching adolescence Meg is having strange experiences, she can feel what the dragon feels when she is away from him and she seeks Calen’s help in gathering knowledge about dragons from the mage’s library. Together they explore this strange phenomenon but meanwhile the kingdom is under a secret attack from the inside that Meg and Calen accidentally discover on their own. Will they be able to out the traitor before all is lost?

I have to admit this started slowly and I wasn’t immediately taken with it. I kept having feelings of deja vu which leads me to say the plot is rather cliched and I knew what was going happen before it happened throughout the entire book. But, that said, I’m not saying this was not worth the read. The story does pick up eventually and Calen and Meg are two very likable characters. I enjoyed them both and found their relationship with each other to be on an equal footing, neither was the smart one, which is always refreshing to see. In fact, this is probably one of the best male/female relationships I’ve read in a children’s book lately. They are very natural with one another, the boy/girl issue is never raised, they are equal people and there is no romance. Very enjoyable dynamics between the two.

As I said, the plot didn’t really grab me, it was just ok. But then it was enough to keep me reading the full 400+ pages! The last two chapters are full of foreshadowing that there is no doubt that there will be a sequel. The plot does end nicely and a sequel is not called for to finish the plot but as the foreshadowing reminds us there are plenty of loose strings that could do with tying up. I’m recommending this one for ages 8-12 as I don’t think it will hold the interest of teens. (But that doesn’t include adult readers of children’s books!) While not quite living up to my expectations, a good enough book, and I’ll certainly be waiting for the next book to read more about Calen and Meg.

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson

Pages: 329
Ages: 10+
First Published: April 28, 2009
Genre: children, YA, fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

“I only want to go out for a little, little while,” the faery child pleaded.

Reason for Reading: I have a fondness for faeries in fantasy as long as they are not cutesy and when I saw the title of this book that combined the words “rebels” and “hunter” with “faery” I was very intrigued. Also the picture of the very pretty yet so serious faery on the cover also helped to pique my interest. I received a review copy from Harper Collins Canada.

Comments: In the Oakenwyld lives a faery realm which is slowly dying out. They lost their magic hundreds of years ago and no one remembers exactly how. A sickness is slowly killing them all off one by one. They do not reproduce but only replace themselves with a baby upon death. These faeries are selfish, friendless and joyless. They also have no culture, no art, no seekers of knowledge and as far as they are concerned it has never been any different. But Knife does not accept this. Why are the faeries so terrified of humans? When she accidentally meets one and nothing bad happens she, who has always been somewhat of a rulebreaker, decides to find out the truth about humans and faeries and perhaps save the Oakenwyld faeries from extinction.

Honestly, I’m amazed at how much I enjoyed this book. I have to admit I was expecting a more juvenile book than what this actually proved to be. Not that I don’t enjoy a good juvenile book by any means. Perhaps it was the cover or the publisher’s age range of ten plus but I was pleasantly surprised to find a very in depth, layered story that will be enjoyed by those aged ten on up through young adults. The two major characters, Knife and Paul, are sixteen years old and there is a romantic element that is pure and self-sacrificing. The faery character, Knife, is a very headstrong and a forceful, determined female to be admired and yet very feminine when her heart strings are pulled both in friendship and love. The faery world is very intriguing and the mythos created very full and believable yet with plenty of room for expansion should a sequel be in the works.

I couldn’t put this one down and read it within a 24 hour period. The book has a complete satisfying ending for the central main characters, yet for the world in which they live there are threads left hanging which makes me wonder if a sequel is in the works which may be set in the same world but focus on different protagonists. That would certainly make for an interesting series. Anyway only time will tell! This is the author’s first novel, though she has written picture books previously, and I’ll be waiting to see what she has for us next. Recommended!

ETA - My oops, the author has not previously written picture books.  The is her first ever published book!

Hell’s Horizon by D.B. Shan (aka Darren Shan)
The City Trilogy, Book 2

Pages: 389
Ages: 18+
Finished: May 4, 2009
First Published: Mar 5, 2009 UK & Apr. 3 2009 CAN
Genre: urban fantasy
Rating: 5/5

Reason for Reading: next in the series. Received a review copy from Harper Collins Canada.

First sentence:

In room 812 of the Skylight Hotel a woman lay close to death.

Comments: The summary of this book is going to be very hard to understand if you haven’t read the first book. You can read my review of Procession of the Dead for a fuller understanding of the story without any spoilers. This second book starts off with completely different characters within The Cardinal’s Troops, his own personal police/security force. The plot runs parallel with the first novel with very few crossover’s until the end. The theme centers around a vicious killing of a young woman and Al Jeery, Troop member, is personally assigned, by The Cardinal himself, to solve the case. The case becomes personal to Jeery as he finds loved ones crossing paths with his investigation. This book also delves deeper into the mysterious Incan group of blind men in white robes, has more of a mystical element to it and centers on the mysterious but feared and dreaded hitman/killer/torturer Paucar Wami first met in book one.

A quick-paced read that ultimately reads like a mystery thriller for 3/4s of the book. Second books in trilogies are always compared to the first as we have expectations set up for us and while I certainly do describe this as a dark, violent urban fantasy, I found this not as dark, not as mafioso, not as violent (but don’t get me wrong it is plenty violent!). Comparisons aside, this was a fantastic read, the mystery angle really shocked me having read a lot of Shan’s books I didn’t expect that angle coming from him. It was very well done. The characters are just as eccentric, as expected, from the victim’s cross-dressing rich brother to the octogenarian pimp who always knows the word on the street. Those characters make it sound seedy but it’s not, I don’t remember any s*x scenes at all!

I’m hardly doing the book justice as it is just such an intricate book and since it runs parallel with the first one there are crossovers which are infrequent to start off with but rush to a head at the end. Now that I have read the final words of book one and the final words of book two, I just can’t wait for the two to meet up with each other in the final book, City of the Snakes, due Mar. 2010 in UK, which means a month or so later for me here in Canada.

I can’t find these books available new on amazon.com, so am thinking they haven’t been published by an American publisher, which means you Americans may not find them on the shelves of your local bookseller. If you like urban fantasy these books really are a MUST read and I can’t recommend them highly enough. You must find a way to buy them. My links above with take you to amazon.ca where you can easily purchase them. If price+ship doesn’t work for you there , here’s a place American’s can order direct from the UK and receive Free Shipping, The Book Depository. The mass market pb’s are only $9US, but you’ll have to wait for Sept. for this one to be published in mmpb. The Trade PBs are reasonable enough especially considering, you pay no shipping from the UK. PS - I get no money from that link. It’s free advertising for them, I just want you to read these books!

Colleen Gleason
353 pages

The Bleeding Dusk is the third book in The Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I have enjoyed this series so much that I have actually delayed reading them. I am so not ready for this series to end but I just bought the last book in the series, As Shadows Fade, this past weekend. Now I am not sure I will be able to wait any longer. It is total comfort and escapism for me. Historical Fiction…Vampire Fiction…perfect fusion.
In this installment we find Victoria still in Rome. She is in mourning for her beloved Aunt Eustacia as well as her husband. She must step into her aunt’s role as the leader of the Venators and lead them on in their quest to fight the evil vampires. She barely has time to adjust to her new role and recover from her recent losses when sinister events begin swirling during Rome’s Carnivale.

This is pure fun for me and even though I am not normally a big fan of the romance genre, I love this series. Victoria, Max and Sebastian continue to be likable characters for me as well as Wayren and the rest of the Venator family. I hope to have time to devour the last two books in the series next week. I am dying to know who Victoria chooses. I know who I’d choose.(5/5)

There was no other word for it. Moth knew constellations were pictures, but these seemed alive to him, moving together, tumbling, running. And not just one big mess of stars, either. They were separate from each other, moving in their own particular dance. [pg 65]

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison
Madison Avery, Book 1

Pages: 232
First Published: May 26, 2009
Genre: YA, paranormal
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

Comments: Madison dies on prom night with her date holding her hand. Not as romantic as it sounds though. As he’s only her date because their dad’s set it up for them and she’s not really dead as she was scythed by a dark reaper and managed to steal his amulet in the morgue when he came to claim her soul, thus she claimed his powers. Now she’s been taken in by the light reapers and being taught there way while living on earth, as a dead girl, having several people’s memories of that fateful night erased, but when the truth of whose stone she really carries comes out she is left alone at home with a guardian angel to look after her. Of course, this is exactly when the enemy strikes but instead of going for her they go for someone close to her and Madison must spill the truth of her death to a living person and that person soon becomes the only one whom she can only trust as light and dark and fate and choice battle it out with each other.

A fabulous book! What a whirlwind read from start to finish. The two main character’s Madison and her friend, Josh are wonderful, well-rounded teens who at first seem stereotyped. Josh being a gorgeous, jock with an attitude and Madison a goth girl who tries to be as weird as possible but we soon see this is not so as we learn their many layers to discover that looks are often deceiving. Fabulous plot! I just love angel stories, but only when they are actually heaven sent angels. And while not harped upon it is mentioned these angels do come from heaven and that’s enough for me. The story contains two factions, both originating from the same place, one dark and one light and each containing angels, reapers, and timekeepers. From above they can visit the higher beings, seraphs, or call upon lower beings, guardian angels, in this case a cute little cherub named Grace with a real fun sense of keeping her protectorates from harm. One night while looking after Josh she makes his little brother stub his toe every time he swears making a restless night for everyone!

I hate to admit this is my very first Kim Harrison book but I thought it would be a great place to start and I was right as it has me anxiously awaiting the next in this series and even more eager to read her adult books. This is her first book for YAs.

One thing bothers me about the book and that actually has nothing to do with the writing but the cover. Which I will say that I do love, but after reading the book you will know that Madison’s hair style is referred to over and over again. It really takes on a point of symbolism in the story and the girl’s hair style on the cover is so not the one in the book. Really, what’s up with that?

Not to end on a negative note for such a great book, one thing I especially liked and am often particular about in serial books is that the book did have a complete and final ending. One could read this book and happily not need to continue on, but on the other hand it does end so obviously as really just the beginning of a whole new story. Everything has changed so much since the beginning, one can only wonder what life will be like for the main characters and the newly befriended ones now. Great stuff, bring on book #2!!

Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn
Grand Central Publishing, 2009 (ARC)
Fantasy; 336 pgs

Book 6 in the Series

Trouble seems to follow Kitty no matter where she goes, and it certainly has found her in Denver. Something is stalking her and threatening her pack. She is up against a supernatural force she cannot explain, much less name. Seeking help from the crew of a televised paranormal investigation show, maybe she will be able to figure out who or what is behind the strange happenings and learn how to stop it before it wrecks even more havoc than it has already.

She also is offered help from another source; a mysterious vampire offers his services but for a price. His price is high and both the Master Vampire of Denver and Kitty are unsure they can trust the man who says he is the only one who can stop the foe they are up against. As danger draws closer takes the life of someone close to her, Kitty is desperate and willing to try anything to save her friends and family.

I am beginning to see a pattern with the Kitty Norville books. I appear to like the novels that take place in Denver best (although I really liked Kitty Goes to Washington too). Kitty seems more settled in this book, although not completely. Her position in the pack is somewhat tenuous, especially with an evil after her that she knows so little about.

Carrie Vaughn continues to add new and interesting characters to the series as well as bring back old ones that I am eager to learn more about. The longer the series goes on, the more I like the character of vampire Rick. Kitty has a good ally in him even though they do not always see eye to eye. And I was pleased to see Odysseus Grant reappear—there’s still so much to learn about him!

Kitty Raises Hell is a great addition to the series. It was different and fun. I look forward to meeting up with Kitty and friends again in the near future.

Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand by Carrie Vaughn

Grand Central Publishing, 2009

Fantasy; 301 pgs

Book 5 in the Series

Kitty heads out of town again, this time for Las Vegas. She somehow was talked into hosting a live television special in the City of Sin and in delivering a message from Denver’s Master Vampire to the one in Las Vegas. Add to that a wedding, a poker tournament and mobsters; what could be more fitting for the setting of this novel?

Kitty is booked into the same hotel that is hosting a gun show and some of the conference goers are not too keen on her kind. It does not take much to make an enemy of someone who already has it in for you. Where Kitty goes, you can be sure magic and danger will be close behind, and sure enough, Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand has some of both. Las Vegas is the home of many secrets and Kitty quickly finds herself tangled up in the middle of several.

Although I liked Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand, it got off to a slow start. Considering the characters that needed to be introduced for the set up of the various plot threads, including the main one, it probably could not have been done any other way. In addition, I wish the author had gone a little farther with certain threads in the novel, but perhaps that was in part due to the limitations of a first person narrative.

Something I really liked about Kitty in this book is how she used her cell phone to warn her friends when she was about to jump into trouble. Sure, she didn’t stay put like she promised and ran head first into trouble all by herself. But at least she reached out for help, even if a little later than she should have.

One of the strongest things Kitty has going for her are her friends and how they will stand by her during the worst of moments. Kitty may not be able to tackle the biggest evil in the world on her own, but she is a team player—most of the time—and she is not afraid to stand up for herself no matter how afraid she might be.

Carrie Vaughn has created an interesting storyline which holds a lot of promise in developing further in future books. Although this was not my favorite book in the series, Kitty and her friends continue to keep me entertained and interested in their adventures.

Fade by Lisa McMann
Wake Trilogy, Book 2

Pages: 248
First Published: Feb. 10, 2009
Genre: YA, magical realism
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

Janie sprints through the snowy yards from two streets away and slips quietly through the front door of her house.

Comments: Janie has found out that she is not the first to experience her ability to enter other people’s dreams. She and Caleb start researching dreams and she begins to learn to gather some control over her blackouts and the dream events themselves. The nightmares are the worst they make her totally helpless and she begins to experience a classmate’s terrifying nightmare over and over as they share study hall together. Caleb and Janie become aware of a horrible situation taking place at Fieldridge High between teachers and students but no one will talk. Janie tries to find the truth, and stop the terrible event from happening anymore, through her dreams. Caleb and Janie’s relationship also matures and two people who have never felt love from anyone their whole lives find love for each other. Janie also learns a brutal truth about her condition and how it will affect the rest of her life. Again tough issues are dealt with here; rape and once again parental neglect and terrible abuse.

Picking up immediately after the first book, Wake, and written in the same day-by-day format the second book of this trilogy grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go until the end. This book is on an equal footing with the first; well-written, dynamic characters, compelling and page-turning. I haven’t felt this way about a trilogy since the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray. There is no doubt these books are going to catch the heat of popularity from teens and adults like.

While I liked this book probably even more than the first one, my slightly less rating is due to two points, one of the author’s doing and one of my own personal opinion. First, Janie and Caleb’s relationship turns s*xual and while not graphic it isn’t left to the imagination either. On one hand, the author handled the situation well; it is not portrayed as reckless. But on the other hand, I do not like s*xual intercourse to be portrayed as a “good thing” in books aimed primarily at Young Adults. My second quibble is the plot went, I felt, beyond realistic believability in the way Janie’s “job” was handled.

I can’t wait until the third book of this trilogy, Gone, is published but I will have to somehow make it through the wait until 2010. Highly recommended!

Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye
Illustrations by Bob Dob
Heck, The First Circle of Heck

Pages: 288
First Published: July, 2008
Genre: children, fantasy
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

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

Comments: Milton’s sister Marlo is a lot of trouble; a Goth girl always pulling off pranks and often dragging her younger brother along for the ride. When Milton and Marlo are killed in a marshmallow-bear explosion at the local mall they slide down to a place with big sign “Heck”. Seems children aren’t fully responsible for their earthly actions and Heck is the place where they go until they are 18 or eternity whichever comes first. At that time their soul will be re-weighed and their final destination (up or down) will be determined.

Heck is not a nice place. They have to go to school with teachers such as Lizzie Bordon, Richard Nixon and Blackbeard. Then there is a principle Bea “Elsa” Bubb who has particular designs on Milton as it appears he really shouldn’t be here and she watches him carefully. Milton, Marlo and Milton’s new found friend Virgil come up with plans to escape.

A fun romp through demons, teachers and yukky places provide plenty of humour and a fun ride. While much of the book is predictable I found the ending quite a surprise. The humour is a bit much of the toilet variety and I had expected something more witty but the potential is there and I’m looking forward to see where the story goes in book 2. Ages 9 to 11 are certain to enjoy the book, while I found it somewhat lacking in believable characterization I still found the story a lot of fun. Sometimes a book can just simply be a pleasant diversion and that is how I conclude my impressions of this book.

Nicola