Bookworm Blues

Shadow Ops - Myke Cole

2012-01-25T11:19:00.001-07:00

About the book

Army Officer.Fugitive. Sorcerer.

Across the country and in every nation, peopleare waking up with magical talents. Untrained and panicked, they summon storms,raise the dead, and set everything they touch ablaze.

Army officer Oscar Britton sees the worst of it.A lieutenant attached to the military's Supernatural Operations Corps, hismission is to bring order to a world gone mad. Then he abruptly manifests arare and prohibited magical power, transforming him overnight from governmentagent to public enemy number one.

The SOC knows how to handle this kind ofsituation: hunt him down--and take him out. Driven into an underground shadowworld, Britton is about to learn that magic has changed all the rules he's everknown, and that his life isn't the only thing he's fighting for.

400 pages (paperback)

Published on: January 31, 2012

Published by: Ace

Author’s webpage

This bookwas sent as an ARC by the author.

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Control Point is an incredibly talkedabout book, and it hasn’t even been released yet. It’s the kind of urbanfantasy that isn’t found on shelves nearly often enough and because of thatit’s attracting a lot of much deserved attention. Control Point isn’t about tattooed women who fall hopelessly inlove with vampires while investigating a crime. It’s about inner and outerconflict as well as duty and these deeper themes are nothing short ofcaptivating.

Control Point is heavily steeped inmilitary tactics. Usually books that center heavily on military themes don’tappeal much to me. Control Point isdifferent, and the reason why is because of the author himself. There issomething quite surreal and captivating about reading a book written by someonewho has first hand experience with his main themes and thus, understands themon a deeper, more intimate level. It’s obvious that Cole isn’t writing thisfrom a well-researched perspective. He lived it, and that brings a level ofrealism to the happenings that couldn’t be achieved by mere research alone.

Perhapsit’s this realism that makes so many scenes in the book pop. For instance, thebook opens with an altercation that takes place in a high school. While thismay seem like familiar territory, Cole twists it into something uniquely his,and it’s almost haunting due to the “what ifs” that readers will inevitablymull over. That’s something that can be felt throughout the book. Control Point takes place in a world of“what ifs.” What if humanity did evolve enough to gain special abilities? Howwould the government deal with it? How would people react to it? The openingscene is haunting because the reader is almost slapped in the face with all ofthese questions while they wrangle with the idea of the military falling uponteenagers who have special abilities.

Then,Cole ups the ante when the protagonist, military man Oscar Britton discovers hehas a forbidden ability of his own. Britton is forced to reevaluate his placein the military. Events transpire, and Britton ends up in the Shadow Ops, whichtakes him somewhere else entirely. This is where the book gets reallyinteresting, as readers are exposed to something beyond urban fantasy and enterinto a realm something else entirely while the protagonist battles with othersagainst another, more looming threat.

OscarBritton is a fascinating protagonist to follow through the book. He suffersfrom an inner struggle regarding orders from a government he believes in andhis own moral code. In this sense he’s utterly human, and gives the averagereader fascinating insight into the personal struggles many individuals inmilitary bodies across the world probably face in silence at some point intheir career. Further, Cole fills his book with strong supporting charactersthat offer unique insights into the life of various military personnel.

Whilethe characters were fascinating, this is also where my only real complaint withthe book lies. I never felt incredibly attached to any of the characters. Whiletheir thoughts and the events they take part in are fascinating, there is a wedgebetween the reader and the protagonist that was never quite pushed aside. Control Point focuses so much on actionand activity that the few attempts there are to give background regardingBritton, or show that he’s a man outside of the military as well as in it, areoverwhelmed by everything else that happens. Further, some of his reactions tosome of the events that take place are almost nonexistent. For example, whensomething traumatic happens to his father, the author makes a point to say thatBritton is shocked and upset, and while this event does serve as a catalyst forother events, I never really feel it. Then the plot moves along so quickly thatthe event seems to be almost swept under the rug before I felt that Britton hadany chance to deal with it in a way that the average human would. Situationslike this really caused a divide between the characters and myself.

Theplot really is filled with nonstop, quick moving, edge-of-your-seat action.However, I found the subtler, personal struggles more interesting than thein-your-face action. Don’t get me wrong, that was incredibly well done, andit’s where Cole’s personal experience with the armed forces really shinesthrough. However, the struggle of Britton to discover where his personal dutytoward a government he believes in but questions ends, and where that leaveshim as an honorable man is really where the book shines and that’s the stuffmany readers may overlook in favor of the more in-your-face military tactics.It’s the deeper layers of the book that really act as the centerpiece aboutwhich all other events turn and these are the layers that readers will have todig for, and many will miss.

It’sthe fact that many may overlook these deeper questions and struggles forpersonal meaning that makes the book so successful. Control Point works on multiple levels. Readers looking for a fastpaced, action oriented book will love it for those aspects of it, without beingoverwhelmed with the deeper stuff. Readers who enjoy something deeper and alittle more personal will love the personal struggle of Britton while he triesto reorient himself and his moral code to a world gone mad, unpredictable andabsolutely gray.

Iusually read an author’s first book in a pretty forgiving manner. A first bookis usually the least polished of all of an author's books. There are more mistakes andhiccups, but not here. Barring the one complaint I listed above, Control Point reads like a book writtenby a man who has already written and published ten books. It’s fast paced andaction packed, but also deep and riveting, filled with the personal strugglesof a man forced into a situation which makes him question his life and thecareer which gave him so much purpose. This is a book that will attract alot of attention and deservedly so. Myke Cole is an author to watch and Control Point is an incredibly strongstart to an amazingly promising career.

4/5stars

The Third Section - Jasper Kent

2012-01-23T16:14:00.001-07:00

About the book

The third novel in Jasper Kent's enthralling, chilling and acclaimed historical vampire sequence -- The Danilov Quintet.
Russia 1855. After forty years of peace in Europe, war rages. In the Crimea, the city of Sevastopol is besieged. In the north, Saint Petersburg is blockaded. But in Moscow there is one who needs only to sit and wait -- wait for the death of an aging tsar, and for the curse upon his blood to be passed to a new generation.

As their country grows weaker, a brother and sister -- each unaware of the other's existence -- must come to terms with the legacy left them by their father. In Moscow, Tamara Valentinovna Lavrova uncovers a brutal murder and discovers that it is not the first in a sequence of similar crimes, merely the latest, carried out by a killer who has stalked the city since 1812.

And in Sevastopol, Dmitry Alekseevich Danilov faces not only the guns of the combined armies of Britain and France, but must also make a stand against creatures that his father had thought buried beneath the earth, thirty years before.

480 pages (paperback)

Published on: September 27th, 2011

Published by: Pyr

Author's webpage

This book was sent for me by the lovely people at Pyr.

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JasperKent’s Twelve was one of the mostsurprising books I have read recently. It was one of those books that I didn’texpect to like but ended up loving despite myself. Twelve had everything I wanted in a book – a tight plot, compellingcharacters and a unique take on a fascinating period of history. Thirteen Years Later was just as good,which proved that Jasper Kent is not a one-hit-wonder author. This leads me to The Third Section, a book I hadincredibly high hopes for and because of this, I was extremely excited to readthis installment of the Danilov Quintet.

The Third Section is one of those rarebooks that I enjoyed almost as much as I felt disappointed with it. One of themost compelling aspects of the previous two books in the series was the perspectiveof the main protagonist, Aleksei. Even in the second book, when the perspectiveswitches from first to third, Aleksei is still in the driver’s seat. The previous two books give the reader plenty of time to become attached to him. He almost becomes as much of areason to read the books as the plot is. However, in The Third Section Aleksei is pushed to a very minor, almostnonexistent wallflower type role. Instead, his two children Dmitry and Tamara arethe main protagonists, and neither ever seems quite as interesting or compellingas their father, Aleksei. In fact, Dmitry comes off as boring and his sections took me an amazingly long time to get absorbed in. This really is a huge drawback for the book. Whilethe plot is still interesting, and many of the things that Kent struggled within previous books has been ironed out, and his writing is fluid, descriptive and absorbing, TheThird Section lacks the compelling voice of Aleksei, and the whole workpays dearly for it.

Theplot of The Third Section isnoticeably slower in pace than the previous two books. This, combinedwith the third person perspective from two new main protagonists, could easilyput a wedge between the reader and the events that take place in this book.While much of what happens is still interesting, and has potential for reallywowing certain readers, others will feel a bit put off. There isn’t muchemotional intimacy between the reader and characters or events in The Third Section, and the pacing isslow enough to cause whatever intimacy there may be to fade in place of thedesire to get things moving a bit faster.

Perhapspart of the reason this is felt so keenly is because the reader knows a bit toomuch to be shocked by many of the events. Due to previous books, the readeralready knows who Tamara’s parents are and who Yudin really is. A huge “surprise”that could have been felt with those two revelations is lost almost automatically.Due to the use of Yudin’s perspective, many of his plans aren’t shockingbecause the reader ventures with him while he schemes. There are plenty moreexamples of where knowing too much effects the plot, but to avoid spoilers I’llkeep them to myself. Journeying along with the characters like this, whileinteresting, exposes a bit too much. The plot already moves a bit slower thanadvisable; the lack of surprises is keenly felt. While it can be argued thatthe journey, not the destination is what the reader should enjoy, a little moresurprise could have really gone a long way toward a compelling plot or addingsome much needed tension and suspense to the pages.

Yudin,however, is more interesting and realistic than he has been in previous books. The sectionstold from his perspective really build him up to be a very compelling villain and a character that readers can almost sympathize with, despite his negativequalities. In fact, Yudin was perhaps one of my favorite characters in The Third Section and I felt a closeness to him that had been lacking in previous books. His voice ismemorable, and his perspective really makes him realistic, whereas in previousbooks he was a bit too mysterious to fully understand. Yudin becomes a nicecounterpoint to some of the more droll characters.

Despiteits problems, The Third Section was areally enjoyable read. Perhaps the reason the issues I listed were felt sokeenly was because Kent’s books are so high quality and absorbing that thesmallest details are more noticeable. The period of history this book takesplace in is nothing short of fascinating. While the characters lack and thepacing is a bit slow, The Third Sectionis a strong installment in a series that has continually blown me away. Yes, itdoes have issues, but I still loved it. Kent continues to impress me. I’manxiously waiting to see what comes next in the Danilov Quintet.

4/5stars

And the winner is...

2012-01-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a day late posting this. I am currently house hunting and the process of doing that has devoured my week. I lost track of time. Apologies.

Anyway, the winner of Theft of Swords by Michael Sullivan is...

Ole Imsen of Norway

(and also of Weirdmage's Book Reviews)

Congratulations, Ole! - and thanks to everyone who took the time to enter!

Territory - Emma Bull

2012-01-12T08:43:00.001-07:00

About the book

Wyatt Earp. DocHolliday. Ike Clanton.

You think you know the story. You don't.

Tombstone, Arizona in 1881 is the site of one ofthe richest mineral strikes in American history, where veins of silver run likeley lines under the earth, a network of power that belongs to anyone who knowshow to claim and defend it.

Above the ground, power is also aboutallegiances. A magician can drain his friends' strength to strengthen himself,and can place them between him and danger. The one with the most friends standsto win the territory.

Jesse Fox left his Eastern college education totravel West, where he's made some decidedly odd friends, like the physicianChow Lung, who insists that Jesse has a talent for magic. In Tombstone, Jessemeets the tubercular Doc Holliday, whose inner magic is as suppressed ashis own, but whose power is enough to attract the sorcerous attention ofWyatt Earp.

Mildred Benjamin is a young widow making herliving as a newspaper typesetter, and--unbeknownst to the other ladies ofTombstone--selling tales of Western derring-do to the magazines back East. LikeJesse, Mildred has episodes of seeing things that can't possibly be there.

When a failed stage holdup results in two dead,Tombstone explodes with speculation about who attempted the robbery. The truthcould destroy Earp's plans for wealth and glory, and he'll do anything to buryit. Meanwhile, outlaw leader John Ringo wants the same turf as Earp. Eachcourts Jesse as an ally, and tries to isolate him by endangering his friends,as they struggle for magical dominance of the territory.

Events are building toward the shootout of whichyou may have heard. But you haven't heard the whole, secret story until you'veread Emma Bull's unique take on an American legend, in which absolutely nothingis as it seems...

320pages (paperback)

Publishedby: Tor

Thanks to Tor for sending me a copy of this book to review.

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Territory was my first Emma Bull book. Ihave read some of the author’s short stories before, and was familiar (and knewI enjoyed) her writing style, I was really excited to read Territory. Furthermore, I am really not incredibly familiar withthe Wild West, but of course I know the names like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.I was really was anxious to see how Bull could turn the infamous Gunfight atthe OK Corral into a romping fantasy adventure.

Dueto the fact that I know next to nothing about the days of the Wild West, I wasa good choice to read this book. Most of the historical specifics were lost onme, as were the historical characterization elements. For example, I couldn’tcompare Wyatt Earp or Doc Holliday in the book to what I knew about these charactersfrom history. If Emma Bull was correct with her characterization, or with thenitty-gritty details of what took place during the span of time she covered, Inever knew it. Thus, historical accuracy wasn’t a huge deal to me, whichallowed me to sit back and really enjoy the story for what it was.

Territory opens on a rather grim note atthe scene of a robbery where two people are killed. While this scene isimportant for the plot, it doesn’t set the tone for the whole book. There areincredibly dark and suspenseful moments, but it’s nicely juxtaposed with anoverall feel of innocence as the widow Mildred Benjamin is introduced, as wellas the traveler Jesse Fox. In fact, it seems as though each character adds aunique atmosphere to the book. The physician Chow Lung is perhaps the mostatmospheric as he fills his pages with an incredibly mystical air withoutoverdoing it. Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, as you’d expect, add a level ofdanger and suspense to Territory thatis almost palpable.

Withsome minor reservations, I could almost recommend Territory as a book both fantasy fans, and mainstream fiction fanscould both enjoy. While there are some fantasy elements, they are rathersurprisingly subtle and, in many parts of the book, nearly nonexistent. Thiscould easily disappoint fantasy readers who might spend most of the bookwaiting for the fantastic elements and end up being disappointed with notenough to satisfy their appetite. However, for readers who are looking for amore mainstream book but don’t mind the occasional dabble into the fantastic,this might be the perfect recipe for them.

Mostof Territory feels like a setup forthe big end-of-the-book hurrah. This was interesting at the start, buteventually it got rather old as many of the characters seemed willfullyignorant in the way that they refused to admit that there was more going onthan a simple robbery. By the time the characters did admit that Wyatt Earp wasup to a bit more than met the eye, the book was almost over. The ending, becauseof this, felt incredibly rushed and left me rather unsatisfied. If the authorhad, perhaps, allowed characters to have important revelations a bit sooner, Iwould have felt that the book was properly paced. As it was, I felt as thoughthere was a lot of lollygagging while the author set things up for theconclusion… and then set them up again…. And again….and again and in the end, Ijust got sick of all the background and wished Territory would just “get onwith it” already.

Oneof Emma Bull’s talents lies in her ability to describe things in an incrediblyunique and memorable way. For example, she describes liquor by saying it islike, “a pretty whore with brass knuckles.” Descriptions like that really livenup the book and add a layer of subtle humor to Territory and really, at times, livened it up quite a bit.

Territory is a fun read. Individuals whoare more familiar with the ins and outs of this period of history might find itmore rewarding than people who are vaguely aware of what happened at thisperiod. Furthermore, Territory focuses more on the events leading up to theinfamous gunfight, rather than the gunfight itself, so if you are reading thisbook to read about the events at the OK Corral, you’ll be let down. Barringthose facts to be aware of, Territoryis enjoyable. There are some issues with pacing, but Emma Bull’s unique spin ona well-known event coupled with her fantastic writing makes the issues in Territory easy to overlook.

3.5/5stars

Discussion: 2012 Reading Goals

2012-01-08T18:41:00.001-07:00

I know I'm a little late with this, and I've also slacked on my weekly discussions. I'll try to be more prompt this year.

Anyway...

This year I don't really have many reading goals besides to hit 100 books. Before I had the baby I'd read between 170 - 200 books/year. Now that I have a baby I'll be incredibly proud to hit 100 books again (I hit 101 in 2011 which shocked me, seeing as how I was deling with a newborn and cancer). My other book related goal is to do author interviews on my blog. Interviewing authors terrifies me, but I think it will be good for me to get out of my shell and get it done. My never-going-to-happen dream would be to have some publisher contact me this year and say, "Hey, Sarah, you are AMAZING. I want to pay you to do (insert some sort of job type thing here)." I won't hold my breath for that to happen.

So what are your goals, hopes and dreams for book related happenings in 2012?

100,000 hits, oh my!

2012-01-05T11:59:00.001-07:00

Today is quite a mile marker for good 'ol Bookworm Blues. Last night, while I was asleep, my blog hit the 100,000 hits mark. That's incredible. I never thought I'd get this many hits, but now that I'm here, it's rather surreal. I started this blog in May of 2010 as a place for me to go and gab about the books I read. I never expected it to take off, much less get 100,000 hits.

I'm always trying to make my blog better and one of the ways I'll be trying to do that this year is by getting out of my shell and doing author interviews. I'm actually rather terrified to do author interviews, so this is a huge step for me but I think it will be a lot of fun for me and my readers alike.

As a thank you to my dear, loyal readers who have made this blog so much fun for me, I'm going to be giving away a book. In sticking with the theme of my last review, I'll be giving away:

The giveaway will end on Friday, January 13th and is open worldwide. To enter, send me an email (bookwormblues (at) live (dot) com) with the subject line THEFT OF SWORDS. I'll randomly choose a winner on the morning of Saturday, January 14th.

Thanks for making my first 100,000 hits so amazing, and I'm looking forward to 100,000 more!

Not a review: Percepliquis - Michael J. Sullivan

2012-01-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

About the book

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS...THE ELVES HAVE CROSSEDTHE NIDWALDEN. TWO THIEVES WILL DECIDE THE FUTURE

"I saw a great journey. Ten upon theroad, she who wears the light will lead the way. The road goes deep into theearth, and into despair. The voices of the dead guide your steps. You walk backin time. The three-thousand-year battle begins again. Cold grips the world,death comes to all, and a choice is before you." -- Fan Irlanu, Tenkin Seerer of Oudorro Village

Percepliquis is the final installment of theepic fantasy, The Riyria Revelations. In this saga that began with The CrownConspiracy, two thieves caught in the wrong place at the right time werelaunched on a series of ever escalating adventures that have all lead to thismoment. Three thousand years have passed and the time for Novron's heir to acthas arrived.

RidanPublishing/ Orbit Books

Author’swebpage

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Thisis not a review. Usually when I not-a-review someone, it’s because I didn’tfinish their book for some reason. Well, that’s not the case here. In my humbleopinion, a review should be comprised of both positive and negative aspects ofa book. As you will soon see, while I could quibble over small, meaninglessdetails there is just no point to discuss anything negative regarding Percepliquis. Thus, this isn’t a review;it’s more like an ode to Michael Sullivan and his wonderful series.

Ithas taken me a while to really wrap my head around Percepliquis. In reality, despite the fact that I got Fiona (myfour-month-old) to sleep last night and had ample time to write a review, Icouldn’t do it. This is one of those books that grips you so tight, and pullsyou so close you have to take time to untangle yourself from it and step backso you can actually wrap your head around its wonder. I had to completelyswitch gears and read some Stephen King or my excitement over Percepliquis would have kept me up allnight, and with a lively four-month-old, that’s just not an option.

Riyria Revelations is a wonderful swordand sorcery series which is very reminiscent of many of the fantasy books whichreally got me into the genre in the first place. This fact is true with thewhole series, perhaps most strongly with Percepliquisthan other books. There were many times in PercepliquisI was reminded of other fantasy books that I had read and loved many years ago.An example of this would be the dwarf cities in Lord of the Rings, or even thequest for the ring itself. In other books comparisons or similarities like thatmight come of as cliché and tired, but Sullivan pulls them off masterfully andwhile Percepliquis does remind me ofmany other fantasy books, it just endeared me to the book even more as thesesimilarities worked to remind me why I love fantasy so much.

Percepliquis has everything. It’s filledwith drama, an epic quest, and adventure, plot twists and, perhaps mostimportantly, it’s incredibly emotionally compelling. The whole of the Riyria Revelations series has been verycharacter driven, but Percepliques isperhaps the most character driven of the series and is incredible intimate withreaders often seeing sides of characters that they hadn’t seen in previousbooks. These characters grow, develop and unfold quite a bit in Percepliquis and become exactly whatSullivan has been building them up to become. It’s a book of transformation andwith its raw emotional quality it’s incredibly poignant. While it’s the longestbook in the series, roughly double the size of most of the others, the factthat it’s impossible to put down will make the pages practically turnthemselves. Percepliquis, while beinglong, didn’t last long enough. It was over too soon and I found myselfautomatically wanting to reread the whole series just so I could enjoy it allover again.

Ifeel that epic fantasy is a genre which could easily become notorious forhaving series that never end. In fact, I haven’t read many end-of-series books inepic fantasy. This recent trend of authors writing trilogies is starting to endthat, but it’s a rare treat for me to find an epic fantasy series that lastslonger than three books and actually has an end. The fact that Percepliquis is the end of a six bookseries is notable in and of itself. However, what really sets it apart from thecrowd is that Sullivan did something unique here. He took ideas that aren’tincredibly new, and proudly made them his own. In the afterward (which I highlyrecommend everyone read as it sheds a lot of light on the series, andSullivan’s inspiration behind writing it), he mentions that he wrote thisseries because he couldn’t find anything like it on the shelves. He wrote whathe wanted to read and share with his daughter. Perhaps because of that, theseries is more than an incredible journey and some great writing, but it’s ajourney away from current trends and into something new and it’s a series witha lot of heart. Riyria Revelationshas a happy ending, a strong emotional base, a visual and exciting world andcharacters you can really root for. It’s a book that reminds you why you lovefantasy, and brings you back to the classics like Lord of the Rings all the while blazing it’s own trail into new,shining territory.

Percepliquis is the end of all endings.Sullivan masterfully ties together every possible loose end that he could. Someyou’d expect some come as a surprise. Characters from previous books (some ofwho I never expected to see again) are revisited. While some of the plotelements are rather predictable, Percepliquisisn’t about predicting the plot, but savoring it. There are plenty of “ah-ha”moments as things tie together, or light shines on something and suddenlyeverything seems to make sense. The truly amazing thing is how much thought anddetail (many of these details I never noticed until I read the afterward)Sullivan used throughout the series. I can’t imagine how he managed to keepmeticulous track of over all the books he’s written in the series to makeeverything in Percepliquis so flawlesslyclick together.

Idare say that most of us were introduced to fantasy through books filled withburly heros with swords, sorcerers, shadowy evil people and epic quests. Theseare the stories that most of us fell in love with, that blazed the path intospeculative fiction for us. These days the trend is toward graphic, gritty, darkand “different” but it’s these sword and sorcery roots that got us to desirethese new trends. It’s sword and sorcery that brought us to love the genre. It’sbooks like Percepliquis that bring usback to our roots and remind us what fantasy is all about. Percepliquis reminded me of the magic of the genre. Percepliquis made me fall in love withfantasy all over again. It’s a book to be proud of, finishing off a series thathas quickly become one of my absolute favorites. Percepliquis truly is Michael Sullivan’s magnum opus.

5/5stars

Lightbringer - K.D. McEntire

2012-01-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

About the book

The Never is a place of greys, a world a breathbeyond our own, layered just past the memories of yesterday and the fleetingpresent moment. It is here, in this dismal limbo, that ghosts such as Piotr,Lily, and Elle must sort out an existence, both protecting the children calledLost and themselves from the walking darkness that is the army of rottingWalkers.

Caught between her duty to her calling as theLightbringer and her concern for her new ghostly friends, Wendy must walk theline between the two worlds, aiding Piotr in his fight against the Walkers aswell as searching out the wandering soul of the one who means the most to her.Time, however, is running out and in the end... who will she choose?

300pages (hardcover)

Publishedon: November 25, 2011

Publishedby: Pyr

Author’swebpage

Thanks to Pyr for kindly sending me a copyof this book to review.

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I’vebeen on a young adult kick recently, which is odd for me because I tend to notenjoy young adult books. I’ve lucked out, though. I’ve actually been enjoyingthe recent flood of young adult books that have come my direction. It’s been arefreshing change of pace from my usual reading routine. Lightbringer is one of those young adult books I didn’t expect toenjoy, but ended up with more than I anticipated.

Lightbringer takes place both in ourworld, and in a world parallel to our own called The Never. This parallel worldis a place where life and death exist together. It’s easy for readers to graspthe ins and outs of this parallel world. One hiccup that may exist for somereaders is regarding terminology (for example, the terms used to describe thedead like Rider, Walker, Lost and Shade), which readers will have to figure outas they continue with the book. The Never does take a little time getting usedto, but once the reader is familiar with the rules that govern this world, itbecomes obvious that McEntire has done a wonderful job at seamlessly blendingour world, and the world ghosts inhabit to create something wonderful, enticingand new.

Lightbringer is rather refreshing in thesense that none of the book is wasted on the protagonist, Wendy, coming toterms with her role as a Lightbringer, or a person who brings lost souls intothe light. Instead, when the book starts, she is already fully aware of herrole in this department, and while there is a bit of a backstory as to how shewas trained to handle her abilities, the book is written as if the readeralready understands what Wendy’s role is, and is comfortable with it. It’srefreshing change of pace in the fact that it lacks the time many books spendon the protagonist coming to terms with their abilities or their newunderstanding as to how the world “really” is. Another interesting aspect ofWendy’s abilities is that the author never really addresses what happens afterWendy brings the souls into the light. Actually, Wendy herself doesn’t seem knowwhat happens to them other than the fact that she’s sending them into the trueafterlife. Thus, the reader is left wondering if Wendy is doing these souls afavor, or dooming them to some less happy place. Wendy’s ability, therefore, israther ambiguous. As the story progresses, Wendy starts to question what she’sdoing and all the things she was taught, which leaves her, as well as thereader, an interesting fog of confusion which seems to add to the emotionaldepth of the book.

Wendyherself is a character of extremes. She can be understanding and loving on onepage, and a few pages later she can shock the reader with her abrasive, angryattitude. While the reader may feel sympathy with her plight in life, there areoccasions where her negative attitude can be grating. In this way, I personallyfeel she truly reflects a teenage girl (as most of them can be ratherhot-and-cold at times). Thankfully, others around her point out this attitudeflaw and she remedies her behaviors. However, her unwarranted snapping atothers can be rather off putting, though more positive aspects of herpersonality nicely balance her negativity.

Theantagonist, the White Lady should be mentioned as McEntire does a wonderful jobat making her antagonist incredibly easy to loath. While many authors are goodat making a fitting antagonist, I doubt I’ve ever seen one so artfully done ina young adult book. Though readers may guess who the White Lady is before thebig reveal takes place, it’s still great reading about her. The White Lady’sdialogue, especially toward the end, might really enflame the reader; it’sactually quite entertaining to read about a negative character that is so welldone in a young adult book.

Lightbringer does take some time to getinto, which might cause some people to quibble with the pacing, but at the endof the day this is a refreshing twist on a paranormal young adult book. Lightbringer isn’t filled with sappy,unbelievable romance, nor does it have a large chunk of the plot dedicated tothe protagonist coming to terms with her abilities and her new understanding ofthe world. Instead, the reader is thrown into a story where the protagonist, anincredibly strong, if hot-and-cold, teenager is dealing with her life as a highschool student trying to keep her family together, as well as her plight tofind her mother’s lost soul. It’s a touching tale, and a harrowing one, andabsolutely not what you’d expect from a young adult book about ghosts. It’s afantastic change of pace, and one I highly recommend.

4/5stars

Happy (early) New Year!

2011-12-29T14:42:00.002-07:00

I'll be out until after the new year is celebrated. Fiona (my 4 month old) and myself contracted some sort of a plague at one of our various gatherings for Christmas so we are both busy resting and trying to get better. I have half of a review written for Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire and a pile of books, the size of which impresses me, waiting to be reviewed. I'll get to them after January 1.

I'm also a dangerously close to my 100,000 hit mark. Once I get there, I'm planning a really exciting giveaway, so keep your eyes peeled. The sooner I get that 100,000 hits, the sooner I do my celebratory giveaway.

Have a happy and safe new year! See you in 2012!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T14:47:00.002-07:00

I've been waiting for this package to arrive all month. This is my most ANTICIPATED book, as this series has quickly turned into one of my absolute favorites. Today I checked the mail and it was here! What a great time to arrive - a nice holiday gift. Thus, I have to brag.

Eat your hearts out, Riyria Revelations fans. Luckily, the book is set to release on January 2, and my review will post either on that date or right around it, as I'm starting the book ASAP.

Here it is!

Happy holidays from my house to yours!

Legacy of Kings - C.S. Friedman

2011-12-20T10:46:00.001-07:00

About the book

The young peasant woman Kamala has proven strongand determined enough to claim the most powerful Magister sorcery forherself-but now the Magisters hunt her for killing one of their own. Her onlyhope of survival lies in the northern Protectorates, where spells are warped bya curse called the Wrath that even the Magisters fear. Originally intended toprotect the lands of men from creatures known only as souleaters, the Wrathappears to be weakening-and the threat of this ancient enemy is once morefalling across the land.

480pages (paperback)

Publishedon: October 6, 2011

Publishedby: Orbit

Author’swebpage

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C.S.Friedman is one of my favorite authors. I love how she enjoys toying withantiheros, and because of that her work tends to remain fresh and uniquecompared to other books within the genre. In fact, her Coldfire Trilogy is incredibly widely read and highly rated and isone of my favorite series. T he ColdfireTrilogy really highlights her incredible work with unique settings andmagic systems as well as memorable characters and antiheros.

WhileI haven’t ever thought that the MagisterTrilogy is as good as the ColdfireTrilogy, it’s still a highly enjoyable series written by one of my favoriteauthors. When I realized the last book in the trilogy was published (I’mblaming new motherhood for not realizing this sooner), I bought it on my iPadand started reading it immediately. Legacyof Kings was, perhaps, one of my most anticipated reads this year. The factthat this was one of my most anticipated reads is probably why my reaction toit was so incredibly mixed.

Theproblem with anticipated books and favorite authors is that expectation isbuilt up so much in the readers mind that it’s easy to not hit that high markthat reader’s desire. That’s the case here. While Legacy of Kings is an incredibly satisfying end to an amazinglyenjoyable series, it just didn’t hit the marks I was expecting from Friedmanand in the end, this left me rather disappointed.

Thewonderful thing about the MagisterTrilogy is that it’s such a refreshing, unique spin on traditional sorceryfantasy. In fact, the magisters themselves, while being slightly traditionalwith their long lived lives and incredible intelligence, have fresh life blowninto them with Friedman’s dark, somewhat sinister spin on where their magiccomes from. In previous books, Friedman spent plenty of time exploringmagisters and their power. In Legacy ofKings, the science behind where their power comes from is exposed, and whileI didn’t find this to be a huge surprise, it was still a satisfying andbelievable reveal which tied nicely into the plot.

Friedmandoes a wonderful job at including all of her main characters from previousbooks in Legacy of Kings, and nicelyexploring where situations in previous books have brought them. Being a lastbook in a series, there isn’t an incredible amount of character developmentthat takes place, but there is some. While I did find the actions of thecharacters in Legacy of Kings arebelievable in regards to actions and developments in previous books, I did feelalmost bored with some of the characters.

Boredomeis due to my expectations with Freidman to really toy with the gray area withher characters and this, being the last book in the series, doesn’t leave muchroom for that. I felt that many of Friedman’s characters lost their “gray”aspects and aligned completely to “good” or “evil.” This disappointed me quitea bit. I love Friedman because of her tendency to lack clear “good” or “evil”boundaries and in Legacy of Kings, Ifelt that black and white were loud and proud in some of the characters thatlacked it in previous books.

Friedmancovers a lot of ground plot-wise in Legacyof Kings and because of this, it seems like something is always happening.Where she shines is that, not only are big events happening in the plot, butshe keeps it personal, as well. Many of the characters not only take part inthings like epic journeys, but also inner struggles. This balance of inner andouter events is truly wonderful and makes the book shine. Friedman keeps eventsreal and believable. However, there is a negative to balance this positive.Many of the events were predictable. Thus, the book lost much of its surprisefactor. This wasn’t the only affect predictability had. It also stripped thebook of much of the uniqueness I enjoyed so much from previous books in theseries. Legacy of Kings read morelike traditional fantasy with plenty of traditional elements, rather thanFriedman fantasy.

Perhapsthis last point is a quibble, but it really highlights, to me, that Friedmanreally wasn’t in her top form when writing Legacyof Kings. Friedman tends to use repetitive descriptors here. While it’s notthat big of a deal, and I doubt many readers will even notice, to me it stuckout like a sore thumb. In one chapter she describes wine as looking like bloodat least three times. Like I said, it’s not a big deal, but it really was,perhaps, the most obvious thing that showed that Friedman was writing anenjoyable series ender, but she wasn’t writing her best work and these repetitivedescriptors really made portions of the book feel clunky.

The Magister Trilogy was a lot of fun toread. While I do feel that the first two books in the series were much strongerthan this third book, Legacy of Kingsis still a worthy, and enjoyable read. Though Legacy of Kings lacked the gray characters I enjoy so much,suffered from a rather predictable plot and some clunky writing, it stillnicely (perhaps a bit too nicely to be completely believable) ties up plenty ofloose ends and answered important questions. This is, by no means, Friedman’sbest work, but it’s a must read for any fans of the Magister Trilogy and is an incredibly satisfying end to a wonderfultrilogy.

3.5/5stars

And the PLANESRUNNER winner is...

2011-12-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

The winner for my giveaway of Planesrunner by Ian McDonald is...

Todd Campbell

Congratulations Todd!

Thanks to everyone who entered.

And the winner is...

2011-12-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

This morning I assigned everyone who entered my giveaway for Thirteen Hallows a number based on the order they entered my giveaway. Then, I went to random.org and had the website pick a number for me. Based on random.org, the winner for my giveaway is:

Matthew Crocker

Congratulations! And thanks to everyone who entered.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor

2011-12-15T13:40:00.002-07:00

About the book

Around the world, black handprints are appearing ondoorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit inthe sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply ofhuman teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young artstudent is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks withmonsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious"errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and herbright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That isthe question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, hauntedAkiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the resultis blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose rootsdrink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truthabout herself?

416pages

Publishedon: September 27, 2011

Publishedby: Little, Brown & Company

Author’swebpage

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Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one ofthose incredibly hyped novels that I read to understand what all the fuss wasabout. I generally don’t go into young adult books expecting much, and this onewas no different. While in some respects Daughterof Smoke and Bone lives up to its hype, in other respects it misses themark entirely. Regardless, there is enough here that will please most readerswilling to venture into these young adult depths.

Thereare a few things that sets Daughter of Smokeand Bone apart from the crowd instantly. First, the book is set in Praguerather than a more typical setting like suburbia. Second, Karou is in her upperteens (seventeen, to be exact) and has spent much of her life independent soshe comes across much more adult than most characters in other young adultbooks I’ve come across. Third, Karou is an art student and reading about a morecollege-feeling educational experience rather than high school hallways,lockers and lusty glances across geography classrooms was nothing short ofabsolutely refreshing.

Infact, Taylor does a wonderful job at not just establishing a different feel forher young adult book through those details, but also through her writing. Oneof my main complaints with young adult books is, often times, I feel like theauthor is “dumbing down” their style to reach a younger age group and that justgets on my nerves. Taylor doesn’t do that at all. Her writing is solid,confident, descriptive and flowing and can be read by a teenager as well as anadult without either feeling like they are reading a book that’s been watereddown for the masses.

Thefirst half of Daughter of Smoke and Boneis fantastic. Taylor mesmerizes readers with her unique setting, interestingprotagonist and unique, imaginative creatures. There are no hunky vampires orhulking werewolves. Instead, Taylor’s chimera match the unique streets ofPrague perfectly. It’s a fresh setting, and her chimera match it perfectly.Furthermore, Karou keeps things revitalized with her adventures collecting teeth allover the world. The plot builds quickly and Taylor’s attention to detail reallymakes this first half shine.

Problemsbegin somewhere toward the second half of the novel. Once Karou is introducedto Akiva and their oh-so-predictable romance begins, Taylor looses much of whatmade her so unique and refreshing in the first half. Akiva is, as you’d expect,too perfect and gorgeous to fully comprehend and he, improbably, is attractedto Karou. Taylor lost me here. Daughterof Smoke and Bone was focused, unique and refreshing until Akiva enteredthe picture and the book took a sharp left turn and started throwing out youngadult clichés left and right.

Theromance really did it for me. Akiva and Karou are just too cliché. They aregorgeous beyond understanding and can’t fight their overpowering attraction toeach other. The detail that goes into their relationship is too much. It’salmost like every time they glance at each other, universes unfold and theworld is set right and while that's fine, it makes me feel a little green around the edges. While some readers may enjoy that kind of thing, it’s justso unrealistic and overpowering to an otherwise wonderfully built world andplot that it nearly destroys what the book spent so long building up.Furthermore, this wonderful relationship is doomed from the start (I’m surethat comes as a huge shock to everyone). Once the story of Madrigal enters, thetwists, turns and important information are incredibly predictable. There is noshock value. It’s almost like Taylor spent all her energy on a campy relationshipand let the rest of the book slide.

Thereare issues that go beyond the ill-fated relationship. Characters that werebelievable and enjoyable before loose some of their believability in thissection. For example, Karou tells her best friend about her world, which isfilled with angels and chimera and magic and whatever else and her friendbasically accepts all of this information without so much as batting an eye. Ijust can’t believe that a level headed character would basically accept a storylike Karou’s on face value and so suddenly. Secondly, when the romance takesthe driving seat, the plight of Karou’s adopted family seems to take back seat.While her main goals are still to get to them, they play second fiddle to theall-encompassing goal of falling madly in love with gorgeous Akiva.

Inthe end, Daughter of Smoke and Boneis much better than most of what is being published in the young adult genrethese days. If the second half of the book had kept the same quality and toneas the first I would have loved it. However, the sharp left turn Taylor tookabsolutely derailed this book and caused it to drift away from much of whatmade it such a unique, shining beacon in the land of YA. The romance isoverpowering, and boarders on ridiculous, and the sharp cliff style ending isannoying. However, despite my issues with this book, it’s been a huge hit withreaders and despite this review, I feel it largely deserves the fans it has. Ithas its unfortunate problems, but when it’s stacked up against the rest, itstill stands apart from the crowd.

3/5stars

I was interviewed! (And a few reminders)

2011-12-14T09:46:00.006-07:00

This will be a rather quick post highlighting a few important happenings.

1. My giveaway for THIRTEEN HALLOWS is open until Thursday at midnight. You can still enter, and the chances of winning are really good, so go enter. Hey, it's a free book. Who can turn that down?

2. I'm also giving away a copy of PLANESRUNNER. You can read my review, and giveaway details here.

3. I was recently interviewed by Bryan Thomas Schmidt on SFFWRTCHT about book reviewing. The interview went live today. This is really exciting to me as I've never been interviewed before. Check it out. Go here to read the interview.

4. My review of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor will be posted tomorrow, so keep your eyes open for it.

That's it. Enjoy your Wednesday!

Planesrunner - Ian McDonald + GIVEAWAY

2011-12-13T13:56:00.001-07:00

This post has been updated with new cover art.

About the book

There is not one you. There are many yous. There isnot one world. There are many worlds. Ours is one of billions of parallelearths.

When Everett Singh's scientist father iskidnapped from the streets of London, he leaves young Everett a mysterious appon his computer. Suddenly, this fourteen-year-old has become the owner of themost valuable object in the multiverse—the Infundibulum—the map of all theparallel earths, and there are dark forces in the Ten Known Worlds who willstop at nothing to get it. They've got power, authority, and the might of tenplanets—some of them more technologically advanced than our Earth—at theirfingertips. He's got wits, intelligence, and a knack for Indian cooking.

To keep the Infundibulum safe, Everett musttrick his way through the Heisenberg Gate his dad helped build and go on therun in a parallel Earth. But to rescue his Dad from Charlotte Villiers and thesinister Order, this Planesrunner's going to need friends. Friends like CaptainAnastasia Sixsmyth, her adopted daughter Sen, and the crew of the airshipEverness.

Can they rescue Everett's father and get theInfundibulum to safety? The game is afoot!

274pages (hardcover)

Publishedon: December 6, 2011

Publishedby: Pyr

Thanksto Pyr for sending me a copy of this book to review.

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It’sno secret to anyone that I’m not a big fan of young adult books. Therefore,please read the following sentence twice, just so it really sinks in.

Iloved this book.

I’ma fan of McDonald, but his books are rather adult, so when I saw that he wrotea young adult book I had to check it out so I could see what this very adultauthor can do with a younger audience to play with. I’m glad I did. This is,perhaps, the first young adult book I’ve ever read that I simply couldn’t putdown, and what’s wonderful about it is that McDonald doesn’t shed the aspectsof his writing that make me love his adult books just to appeal to a youngeraudience.

Planesrunner starts with a bang whenfourteen-year-old Everett watches his father get kidnapped off the London streetsand is then flung into an adventure while he tries to find his father (in aparallel universe, no less). While a book based on the idea of paralleluniverses and multi-universe organizations might seem a little weighty forteenagers, Planesrunner makes theseideas fun and accessible by labeling things with words like “infundibulum”. Whilethat may seem like a little thing to point out to readers, fun words like thatmake a huge difference with heavier concepts. They make the concept fun tolearn about and incredibly accessible to the average reader. While it is asmall detail, it’s an important one.

Everett,our protagonist, is an absolute joy to read about. McDonald does a wonderfuljob establishing his fourteen-year-old nature, despite his genius with quantumphysics. Everett watches Doctor Who, he’s a goalkeeper for his school footballteam, among other things. He’s the average fourteen-year-old, despite hisgenius, and that’s what makes him shine. Everett is a kid every kid can relateto. Furthermore, McDonald doesn’t loose what I love about him when creatingEverett. Let me explain.

Oneof the things I love about McDonald is how cultural he is. His adult novelsfocus largely on cities and cultures around the world and it’s absolutelyfascinating for a culture-junkie like myself to read about these other citiesand countries and see what a mind like McDonald’s can do with them. McDonald,thankfully, didn’t leave this behind when he switched into young adult mode. Infact, Everett himself his half Punjabi Indian, and that small dash of cultureclicked all the right gears and made me feel as though Planesrunner was more of a coming home than acompletely-new-and-absolutely-different book. It’s not jarring, it’s a smalldetail, but it’s completely McDonald.

McDonaldalso does a great job at peopling his book with fantastically memorablesecondary characters, like the headstrong Sen and her mother, the captain ofthe airship Everness, as well as the wonderfully fun crew of the Evernessitself. While there is a little teenage romance thrown in for good measure, it’sdone incredibly well and in a way that isn’t overpowering. The romance is anice spice added to the plot, rather than the focus of the plot itself.

Thealternative Earth Everett is whisked to in the search for his father iswonderfully built and will appeal to steampunk fans everywhere, as oil neverbecame a viable energy source there. This Earth is populated with airships andplenty of other fun steam powered devices. Furthermore, history played out abit differently there, and McDonald did a wonderful job at making thisalternative history rich and believable. This other Earth is a joy to explorewith Everett and will strike plenty of wonder in readers, as McDonald’s worldbuilding will cause individuals to wonder, “what if?”

Planesrunner is action packed from coverto cover. Fast action coupled with McDonald’s stunning world building, characterdevelopment, as well as flowing writing will appeal to a younger audience andwill make Planesrunner an instant hitwith youth and adults alike. While the ideas might sound weighty, McDonaldhandles them with incredible finesse and manages to not only make these ideasinteresting and accessible, but will strike wonder in almost anyone.

That’sprobably what is the most amazing part of Planesrunner.It’s a book full of everything from action to romance to heavy scienceconcepts, but despite all of that, it’s the wonder of the story that willstrike readers most. It’s not just a great book, but it’s a book that willleave readers wondering, “what if?” and that’s the best part of it. It’s pureimaginative fun.

5/5stars

GIVEAWAY

Ireally want to keep my copy of this book, but I’m not going to. I enjoyed it somuch I want to share it with others, so I’m doing ANOTHER giveaway. This timeyou can enter to win my review copy of Planesrunner.

Toenter, email me at bookwormblues (at)live (dot) com with PLANESRUNNERin the subject. The giveaway is open worldwide.I’ll announce the winner on Tuesday,December 20.

Good luck!

Thirteen Hallows - Michael Scott & Colette Freedman + GIVEAWAY

2011-12-09T10:00:00.001-07:00

About the book

The Hallows. Ancient artifacts imbued with a primaland deadly power. But are they protectors of this world, or the keys to itsdestruction?

A gruesome murder in London reveals a sinisterplot to uncover a two-thousand-year-old secret.

For decades, the Keepers guarded these Hallows,keeping them safe and hidden and apart from each other. But now theKeepers are being brutally murdered, their prizes stolen, the ancient objectsbathed in their blood. Now, only a few remain.

With her dying breath, one ofthe Keepers convinces Sarah Miller, a practical stranger, to deliverher Hallow—a broken sword with devastating powers—to her American nephew, Owen. The duo quickly become suspects in a series of murders as they are chasedby both the police and the sadistic Dark Man and his nubile mistress.

As Sarah and Owen search for the survivingKeepers, they unravel the deadly secret the Keepers were charged toprotect. The mystery leads Sarah and Owen on a cat-and-mouse chase throughEngland and Wales, and history itself, as they discover that the sword may bethe only thing standing between the world… and a horror beyond imagining.

416pages (hardcover)

Publishedon: December 6, 2011

Publishedby: Tor

Webpage

Thanks to Tor for sending me a copy of this book to review.

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Idon’t generally read urban fantasy, but this one looked too good to ignore. Thirteen Hallows is an incredibly dark,urban, mystery/suspense novel based on the legend of the thirteen hallows,which I had never heard about before I read this book. The hallows themselvesfill the book with an interesting and appealing history which could causereaders to do research on various points of history and legend this booktouches on.

Thirteen Hallows is told with multiplepoints of view and while some of these perspectives are done better thanothers, switching perspectives helps keep this fast paced book fresh withoutmaking the reader overly exhausted with the nearly constant action. That beingsaid, Thirteen Hallows is almostoverflowing with bad guys, who are so purely evil that their chapters arealmost unbelievable. Furthermore, this overflow of evil gives the book anoverall hopeless feel that good could ever triumph as the evil has limitlessresources to further their goals.

Thirteen Hallows doesn’t focus intenselyon characterization. Instead, it seems to focus more on plot and action. Thecharacters always seem to be running and rarely are there any confrontations.The nearly constant chases made it hard for me to feel rooted in time andplace. While the English setting could have been very interesting andrevitalizing to the book, it whirled by so quickly I rarely had time to enjoyor absorb it.

Characterization,as I mentioned above, does seem to be lacking. While the two main protagonists,Owen and Sarah are enjoyable to follow, they spend so much time focused onrunning that the readers really don’t get a feel of who they are without allthe drama surrounding them. Thus, they seem to have no history, just theirpresent situation. Furthermore, as I mentioned above, the evil characters seemto be so incredibly evil they are almost completely unbelievable.

Onecommon complaint in reviews on this book is regarding how inept the police are.This is a complaint I feel I should point out, as well. There were numeroussituations where the police could have lifted fingerprints or taken otherevidence and discredited their suspicions, but they almost never did. Insteadthey assumed almost everything and acted on those assumptions. It got to beexhausting to read about their inept police procedures when simplefingerprinting or more research into the situation would have cleared up nearlyeverything and could have cut the overall drama which filled the book in half.

Theplot is relentless, almost exhausting because it is so breakneck andsuspenseful. Thirteen Hallows isfilled with plenty of blood and torture as well as sex. While the sex isn’tgraphic, the violence often times is and readers should be aware of that. Thebook builds into a quick, yet satisfying end which clearly sets up the readerfor the second book in the series.

Thirteen Hallows is the start of a newdark urban fantasy series. While it did have problems, there is plenty here forreaders to enjoy. Thirteen Hallows isfilled with plenty of history, a unique English setting, two protagonists whoare easy to follow through their adventures. The plot is breakneck andabsolutely relentless and will probably leave readers on the edge of their seatgasping for breath. For readers who are more plot focused and not afraid of incrediblydark books, Thirteen Hallows could bequite a hit.

3/5 stars

--- GIVEAWAY ---

I amgiving away the book Tor sent me to review. Normally I keep review books, butwith a baby I just don’t have the room anymore so I’m sharing the wealth. Ihave read this book once, and I am VERY easy on books. I doubt you’d be able totell it was read. It’s also hard cover. The giveaway is open until Thursday, December 15 at midnightmountain standard time and is open worldwide.

Toenter, send me an email at bookwormblues(at) live (dot) com with “THIRTEEN HALLOWS” in the subject. I will emailthe winner and announce who won on my blog on Friday, December 16.

Goodluck to all who enter!

The Fallen Queen - Jane Kindred

2011-12-05T08:19:00.001-07:00

About the book

Heaven can go to hell.

Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive.

Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees Heaven with two Fallen thieves—fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each with their own nefarious agenda—who hide her in the world of Man. The line between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter.

Heaven seems a distant dream, but when Anazakia learns the truth behind the celestial coup, she will have to return to fight for the throne—even if it means saving the man who murdered everyone she loved.

Published on: December 6, 2011

Published by: Entangled Publishing

Author's website

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WhenI got the offer to review The FallenQueen, I almost said no. I read the blurb and saw that it was about Heavenand angels and kind of rolled my eyes. If you can’t tell, I’m not big on bookswith huge religious overtones and talk of Heaven and angels smacks of religion.I decided to take a chance on it for no real reason other than I felt brave atthe moment and now, looking back at it, I’m glad I did.

Iwas told Kindred’s writing style was reminiscent of Jacqueline Carey, and thiscomparison is probably what got me to read this book. While I can seesimilarities between the two, Kindred’s writing style is different enough to makeher an individual though her graceful prose is suggestive Carey. Kindred’swriting is incredibly descriptive, which is needed when you realize how complexher world is.

Infact, her world is so complex that it might take some time for the reader tofully figure it all out. However, at the beginning of the book there aredescriptions that will help the reader get a feel for it. Plan on having toflip back occasionally to sort out details as you read until you get a realsolid handle on the world and the people who live in it.

GrandDuchess Anazakia, the main protagonist, does quite a bit of growing anddeveloping within the pages of The FallenQueen. She starts out as a rather self-absorbed and girlish and grows andmatures in leaps and bounds as the book progresses. There is some romance inthis book, though it’s probably not what you’d expect and while I did feel thatthe romance laden portions did slow the plot down a little, thebook does recover from the slower middle section.

The Fallen Queen has alternatingperspectives. The chapters told from Anazakia’s perspective is written in thefirst person and these chapters also read more lyrical and eloquent than thechapters told from other points of view (which are also told in third person).The flip side of this is that, while Anazakia’s chapters are more flowing, Ifelt as though the third person chapters were more fleshed out. Perspectivedoesn’t change mid-chapter, which makes the switch from first to third easierto deal with, however, it might still jar some readers.

Now,when I see a book which takes place in heaven, with angels, I automaticallyassume it’s going to have strong religious overtones and a hunky angel namedGabriel coming to save the day/woo the protagonist. The Fallen Queen isn’t like that at all. The angels aren’t whatyou’d expect them to be, neither are the demons and heaven is more like aparallel universe, of sorts, than anything else. There is no god, nor is therea hunky angel Gabriel. This “heaven” consists of different classes of people:the ruling class, and the poor and oppressed. Again, it might take time tofigure out who is who and where they all come from, but it’s worth taking timeto figure it out. Kindred has a pretty good setup for her races and many ofthem have interesting abilities, like demons who have the ability to controlcertain elements like fire, water or air, for example.

Theportion of the book that takes place on our earth, takes place in Russia andthis is, perhaps, the weakest part of the book. While the world is very wellbuilt and the characters never seem to falter in their development, the plotduring this section of the book does seem to drag a bit, both for the earthhappenings and the heaven happenings. Another problem is some of thebelievability is gone. As the plot slows down, the reader is given more time toexamine some of the aspects and this may or may not prove to be a problem forsome readers. For example, under closer examination, some of the antagonistsare rather two-dimensional and their actions were rather transparent andpredictable which I really didn’t notice until the plot slowed a little. Theseproblems don’t ruin The Fallen Queen,but they do become much more obvious during the middle to last portion of thebook.

WhenThe Fallen Queen is stripped down toits roots, the plot isn’t really anything new. There’s a battle for power andthe unexpected is forced to rise to the challenge. A plot like that can befound in any number of books, but Kindred unique flair, lyrical writing andcomplex world make it stand apart from the crowd. While I did feel that characterization and portions of the plot were rather weak, The Fallen Queen is well worth reading and the ending will leavereaders yearning for the second installment in this series. The Fallen Queen is set to release onDecember 6.

3.5/5stars

A Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge

2011-11-30T14:01:00.001-07:00

Aboutthe book

Thousands of years hence, many races inhabit auniverse where a mind's potential is determined by its location in space, fromsuperintelligent entities in the Transcend, to the limited minds of theUnthinking Depths, where only simple creatures and technology can function.Nobody knows what strange force partitioned space into these "regions ofthought," but when the warring Straumli realm use an ancient Transcendentartifact as a weapon, they unwittingly unleash an awesome power that destroys thousandsof worlds and enslaves all natural and artificial intelligence.

Fleeing the threat, a family of scientists,including two children, are taken captive by the Tines, an alien race with aharsh medieval culture, and used as pawns in a ruthless power struggle. Arescue mission, not entirely composed of humans, must rescue the children-and asecret that may save the rest of interstellar civilization.

613pages (paperback)

Publishedon: February 15, 1993

Publishedby: Tor

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Ihave wanted to read A Fire Upon the Deepfor some time now. It’s been heralded as a SciFi classic and Vernor Vingeis a name I’ve seen passed around with a good deal of respect. However, untilTor sent me The Children of the Sky,I forgot to read A Fire Upon the Deep.Thankfully, that has been remedied.

A Fire Upon the Deep is, perhaps, one ofthe most inventive science fiction books I have read. In fact, it’s soinventive that my mind boggles as to how Vinge managed to not only create itall, but to keep it as realistic as it ended up being. Vinge keeps his universedetailed without becoming overbearing with it. While it did take some time tofully understand some aspects of the universe (like the different levels, forlack of a better word, of space), this didn’t hamper the overall flow, orunderstanding of this book.

However,to make this book work, Vinge had to use a few plot devices which don’t reallystand up to close examination. For example, the alien world can convenientlysupport human life, and the Tines who live on this world can mentally andverbally interact with humans. Furthermore, the creatures in the Blight, whoare much further advanced than humans do seem incredibly human. Though,generally speaking, this can be overlooked as the book as a whole is soenjoyable that most flaws can easily be forgiven.

Thenew and unique ideas in A Fire Upon theDeep deserve to be mentioned. While they do occasionally push the plot tothe back burner, the unique aspect of Vinge’s universe is worth reading thisbook for. For example, the Tines are an incredible alien race who can “hear”thoughts and need to work as a pack of multiple members to function on a humanlevel. These wolf-like creatures are quite incredible and stole the limelightwhenever they entered the book.

Thereare multiple characters in A Fire Uponthe Deep, some more engaging than others, but they are all interesting tolearn more about and follow through the events that take place. However,despite how enjoyable the characters are, some of them fall into depressingstereotypes, like the villain, Lord Steel, who’s “evil” nature seems to be hisonly defining characteristic, and has a master plan which he spends much of thebook doing behind the backs of pretty much everyone. Another stereotypicalplotline is the orphaned kids left on an alien world split between two warringrulers. While this didn’t bother me as much as the first that I mentioned, itis worth mentioning. Lord Steel, when stood against the unique ideas and tightwriting in the rest of the book, sticks out like a sore thumb.

Whileit may sound like I only moderately enjoyed this book, the truth is that Iabsolutely loved it. A Fire Upon the Deepis an incredibly enjoyable read made only better by Vinge’s flowing and descriptivewriting which he somehow manages to keep from being overbearing in the face ofeverything he is creating, defining and exploring with the reader. And thewriting is only helped by the plot, which can, at times, be rather uneven, butstill, despite the stereotypes it trips on, manages to be one of the mostinteresting plots in a science fiction book I’ve had the honor to read since Istumbled upon Peter F. Hamilton.

A Fire Upon the Deep is one of thoserare books that seems to have as many flaws as it does strengths, but they canall be easily overlooked in the face of the sheer enjoyment a reader can findwith Vinge’s writing, world building and plot. A Fire Upon the Deep in unique and refreshing. There isn’t anythingquite like it, and for that reason alone it’s well worth checking out.

4/5stars

** I apologize for any glaring editing/content errors in this review. I am writing this during my daughter's nap and it looks like she's waking up before I get a chance to look through this review too closely. **

Green - Jay Lake

2011-11-25T08:56:00.001-07:00

About the book

Herexquisite beauty and brilliant mind were not enough to free her from captivity.That took her skills with a knife, plus the power of a goddess.

Shewas born in poverty, in a dusty village under the equatorial sun. She doesnot remember her mother, she does not remember her own name--her earliest clearmemory is of the day her father sold her to the tall pale man. In theCourt of the Pomegranate Tree, where she was taught the ways of acourtesan…and the skills of an assassin…she was named Emerald, the preciousjewel of the Undying Duke’s collection of beauties. She calls herselfGreen.

The world she inhabits is one of politicalpower and magic, where Gods meddle in the affairs of mortals. At the center ofit is the immortal Duke’s city of Copper Downs, which controls all the trade onthe Storm Sea. Green has made many enemies, and some secret friends, andshe has become a very dangerous woman indeed.

Acclaimed author Jay Lake has created aremarkable character in Green, and evokes a remarkable world in thisnovel. Green and her struggle to survive and find her own past will livein the reader’s mind a long time after the book is closed.

368pages (paperback)

Publishedon: June 9, 2009

Publishedby: Tor

Author’swebpage

Thanks to Tor for sending me a copy of this book to review.

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Green is one of those books that peopleeither love or hate. There isn’t much middle ground, here. After reading Green, it’s easy for me to see whypeople feel either way about this book. There is plenty here to love and plentyhere to dislike. It’s an interesting mix of elements which people tend to reactdifferently to.

Theshining element of Green is JayLake’s stunningly eloquent prose. His writing style reminds me a bit ofJacequeline Carey’s, only less wordy. It’s flowing and lyrical and stunninglydescriptive. In fact, the prose fairly cause pages to turn on their own. It’seasy to read Green to enjoy Lake’sincredible writing if not for any other reason. Despite its faults, Green is artistic due to the writingand, I should also mention, the beautiful cover art.

Thefirst half of Green wraps itselfaround the reader as Lake introduces us to the young child, who later namesherself Green. Readers are taking on a captivating journey as her father sellsher and she is taken from her desert home to a far off land where she learnshow to read, write and become a lady. Later, she meets her Dancing Mistress andshe learns how to attack, defend and other skills of that nature. It’s afterthis point that Green falls apart.However, much of the first half of this book is so stunning and interestingthat, when the book falls apart, some readers might not mind it. Others mightfind the second half of the book so jarring that it leaves a sour taste behind.

Green,herself, is an incredibly strong female protagonist. She is a woman who losther heritage, and through rigorous training becomes more culturally comfortablein the land which holds her captive. Furthermore, she undergoes an almostunbelievable training program and refuses the name given to her by the man whoruns her training program and instead names herself. In an impressive feat ofrebellion in her struggle for freedom, she even physically maims herself toruin her beauty so she wouldn’t be wanted for pleasure. Her struggles don’t endthere. On her journeys and further struggles Green seems to grow and evolve,constantly challenged and constantly finding an inner strength to overcomethese challenges. She is a strikingly deep character and incredibly memorable.Fans of strong female protagonists really should read this book, because Greenmight redefine the word, “strong” and she never once looses her depth.

Green lost me after Green’s lastconfrontation with the Factor. While the prose remained stunning and hercharacterization remained solid and well done, the plot took twists and turnsthat weren’t the least bit believable, and a few didn't even seem necessary. There were implausible plot twists andjourneys that seemed to go on and on with no real point. The book seems toloose its focus and Green seems to travel helter-skelter throughout the worldfor no real reason. Interesting things happen to her and she does learnnecessary lessons needed for the final events that take place, but much of thesecond half of Green read as filler, unnecessary, unbelievable events to fillpages rather than anything else.

Dueto the strong first half of the book, this second half was a hugedisappointment. The other major problem I had with Green was the ending, which was unbelievable due to the fact thatso many implausible events had to come together to make Green the one person towhich the fate of the city hinged on, which seemed a far too convenient way to tie up loose ends.

Despiteits problems, it’s easy for me to see why some readers absolutely love Green. Lake’s writing is absolutelystunning and Green herself is a fascinating well-wrought character withincredible depth. These two facts might serve to carry some readers through.However, for others, the unbelievable and endlessly dragging second half filledwith events that seemed more filler than anything else will leave readers witha sour impression. In the end, Greenleft me wishing Lake had focused more on the character Green rather than endlessjourneys and odd happenings in foreign lands punctuated by a poor ending.However, regardless of my feelings, this book is still a solid three star readwhich may appeal to some readers and not others. There are things in Green that are absolutely stunning,which are nicely balanced by other things which may cause a few eyes to roll.

3/5stars

Long Eyes and Other Stories - Jeff Carlson

2011-11-23T12:58:00.001-07:00

Aboutthe book

From the mind thatbrought you Plague Year and The Frozen Sky...

SIXTEEN STORIES ABOUT STRANGE WORLDS, BIOTECH,COMMANDOS, AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR.

"Striking." --Locus Online

"Exciting." --SF Revu

"Chilling and dangerous."--HorrorAddicts.net

First published in top venues such as Asimov'sScience Fiction Magazine and cult 'zines like The Vampire's Crypt, thesestories have been translated into fourteen languages worldwide. Severalreceived honorable mentions in Gardner Dozois's The Year's Best Science Fictionor in Ellen Datlow's Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. As part of the FastForward 2 anthology, "Long Eyes" was also a finalist for the PhilipK. Dick Award.

THE FIRST COMPLETE COLLECTION FROM INTERNATIONALBESTSELLER JEFF CARLSON, THIS EBOOK IS 80,000 WORDS AND PACKED WITH ARTWORKFROM AWARD-WINNING ILLUSTRATORS SUCH AS FRANK WU AND BILLY TACKETT.

262pages (ebook)

Publishedon: March 15, 2011

Publishedby: JVE

Author’swebpage

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Readingshort stories is fairly new to me. In fact, before this year I had never read acompilation of short stories before. I am finding that I actually enjoy themquite a bit. With a baby around, short stories are often the perfect length forme to read. I also enjoy seeing how an author can manage to captivate a readerin a short amount of time. However, because of the fact that reading these isso new to me, I’m still not completely sure how to review them, which probablyshows and for that I apologize.

Ihad never read anything by Jeff Carlson before, and when he emailed me with anoffer to review this book I couldn’t turn him down. The idea of reading sciencefiction short stories hooked me for numerous reasons. First, I enjoy sciencefiction quite a bit and don’t feel like I read nearly enough of it. Secondly, Ienjoy the “science” part of science fiction and third, I couldn’t wait to seehow an author could pile in the necessary science and world building into ashort story to make it believable and worth reading.

Carlsonis an international best seller for his PlagueYear Trilogy and, based on the writing in Long Eyes, he’s an author I can’t wait to read more from. Thestories in Long Eyes are short, easyto read and many of them are incredibly poignant and also peppered with somegreat artwork. Carlson excels at not only writing an entertaining yarn, butalso writing a story that will stick with readers long after they read it. Anexample is the story Monsters, whichis an incredibly disturbing piece about a man infected with HIV in a movie theater. Monsters will probably be stuck with me for a long, long time.

Notonly are his stories memorable, but they also will, more often than not,provoke thought from readers. The story LongEyes is a great example of thought provoking work. The story focuses on awoman who discovers a race of beings on another planet and decides to keep themfrom being discovered by others so they have a shot at survival. The storyitself, combined with Carlson’s afterward where he explains his inspirationbehind Long Eyes is actually quitethoughtful and profound when looked at as a whole.

Oneof the strengths of Long Eyes, whichI didn’t actually expect to be anything more than mildly annoying, are theafterwards he adds to each story which describes his inspiration, or motivationbehind each story he wrote. These are often quite interesting tidbits,but they are also fascinating insights into the mind of a man who thinks muchdeeper than surface level. These afterwards add an amazing depth to each storyand, often, will force a reader to sit back and absorb the story again from adifferent angle.

It’snot all just science fiction and technological mumbo-jumbo. Caninus, a wild story about a vampiredog, was written (as Carlson says) during his “horror phase.” In fact, Long Eyes is filled with stories thatexercise other facets to this science fiction author’s talent. For example, Damned When You Do may be, Carlson says,the only fantasy story he ever writes and while it does have “sf guts” (anotherterm I’m stealing from him), its style is different enough to take note of.

Carlsonspends a lot of the book toying with situations which could happen tomorrow, orin sometime in our planet’s future. Planetof the Sealies is set on Earth, taking place in the future. Humanity hasbeen wiped out by ecological disaster and another race is digging through whatwe have left behind to find something useful. This story is very well executed,but it is also thought provoking. What impression are we leaving on futuregenerations with our common behaviors now? Garbage dumps tell a story, andCarlson uses that as inspiration and it works fabulously.

Iwon’t talk about each story in this review (there are a total of 16 stories).Instead, I will just tell you that, in this review, I have touched the bare tipof a captivating iceburg. Carlson is an excellent writer with a fascinatinghead on his shoulders. Long Eyes isan exercise in thought. Carlson doesn’t just write these to entertain, hewrites them to explore concepts and ideas and that’s half the draw of thiscompilation. While many (if not all) of these stories have been published inother compilations (and won awards, been on a short list for awards, beentranslated into numerous languages and etc.) or magazines, this is the firsttime they have all been put together in one book and it is well worth reading.Carlson is one hell of an author and this is one hell of a compilation fans ofscience fiction should take note of.

4.5/5stars

Discussion: Do you schedule?

2011-11-21T10:01:00.001-07:00

The end of the year is always kind of interesting for me, especially with bloggers. People summarize their year, throw shout outs to whoever they think was awesome during the previous year and... undoubtably, some of them will write a list of books they plan to read.

I don't schedule or plan like that. It's impossible for me to as I'm generally one of those readers who reads based on current mood (which is why I generally always have 3-4 books going at once - one for each of my "major moods" at that time). I have books I hope to get to next year, but I can't say, "I will read these books." I'm too unorganized - or something. However, I know some people do "schedule" their reading. For example, "I will read (insert title) in (insert month) because that's the date it comes out/whatever other reason."

Do you preplan your list books to read, or schedule months to read certain books? Or are you spontaneous and go with your mood?

Wintertide - Michael Sullivan

2011-11-16T09:40:00.001-07:00

About the book

A FORCED WEDDING. A DOUBLE EXECUTION. TWOTHIEVES HAVE OTHER PLANS.

The New Empire intends to celebrate its victoryover the Nationalists with a day that will never be forgotten. On the highholiday of Wintertide the empress will be married and Degan Gaunt and the Witchof Melengar will be publically executed. Then the empress will suffer a fatalaccident leaving the empire in the hands of the new emperor. It will be aperfect day. There is only one problem--Royce and Hadrian have finally foundthe lost heir.

380pages (paperback)

Publishedon: October 1, 2010

Publishedby: Ridan Publishing

Author’swebpage

Thanks to the Sullivan's for sending me a copy of this book to review.

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Wintertide is the fifth installment in Riyria Revelations and is, perhaps, myfavorite of the series. Wintertidestarts soon after the culmination of events in Emerald Storm with Hadrian and Royce making their way to Aquesta.Once again, while this book can be read as a stand-alone, it will have agreater impact if it is read with the rest of the series as each book buildsupon the last book in the series to a greater extent as the series progresses.

Whileeach book had hints of traditional sword and sorcery aspects, Wintertide is filled with them and comescomplete with courtiers, knights, lords, ladies and epic royal feasts. Wintertide made me feel nostalgia forthe days when fantasy was filled with royalty and royal manners with a distinctlack of crass language.

Swearingand graphic violence doesn’t bother me, but I find Riyria Revelations a refreshing change from the current trend ofmaking everything as bloody and curse-filled as possible. In fact, Riyria Revelations, while geared towardan adult audience, is a series I would have no problems reading with mydaughter when she is (a lot) older than her current age of three months. It can be appreciated on an adult level, but Ibelieve that, due to Sullivan’s writing style, teens could enjoy it as wellwith little to no worry from their parents.

Wintertide fully utilizes the firmfoundation Sullivan created with the previous books in the series. Readers areintroduced to new characters while enjoying friends they met in previous books.Furthermore, the rich history Sullivan subtly built up in throughout the serieswill be full appreciated as readers often call upon the small details ofprevious books to enrich situations they are reading about in Wintertide. Sullivan reminds readers ofimportant bits of history, past events and characters with quick descriptionsthat don’t bog the story down. In fact, many of these reminders are so welldone that the readers may not even realize that they are being reminded aboutprevious events/characters.

Theplot of Wintertide is quickly movingand absorbing. Wintertide is filledwith action and intrigue and even a touch of romance. Sullivan nicely ties manyloose plot threads while leaving plenty open to fill the last book in theseries. Wintertide ends with animpressive plot twist which will leave readers guessing and holding theirbreath for Percepliquis. However,Sullivan never looses the sense of adventure and pure fun that will have servedto hook many readers to this series in the first place. While Wintertide did feel a bit more seriousthan other installments, it seemed to add more depth and tone to the bookrather overwhelming it.

Intruth, this is a rather hard review for me to write because I enjoy this seriesso much. I feel like there isn’t much I can say besides, “I love it! I love it!I love it!” – but that’s not much of a review. In previous books, Sullivan hasbeen hitting homeruns, but with Wintertide,he hit the ball out of the park. If you haven’t read this series yet, you needto. Each book is filled with adventure, fun characters and interestingsituations, but the new depth added to Wintertidemakes it irresistible. Wintertide isalmost like coming home. This is a book that reminds me why I enjoy fantasy somuch.

Wintertide left me yearning for Percepliquis and gave me an importantrealization. Riyria Revelations isone of those rare series that will leave me both happy and sad when it is over.Happy, because the adventure was amazing and sad because it’s rare I find aseries that is so completely pleasing and absorbing. Sullivan is a masterartist, and Wintertide really showshis impressive skill.

5/5stars

Discussion: What if authors get it wrong?

2011-11-14T08:18:00.001-07:00

Occasionally when I am bored I wander around Goodreads to see who is reading what and what they think about it. The other day I was doing this and one common complaint I saw from reviewers was when the individual liked all aspects of the book except this one detail that the author got wrong. For example, the author might be writing a book with medical situations in it, and numerous complaints would be, "I love this book but as a medical student/doctor/nurse, the author got a lot of details wrong." I have seen the same complaints for battle situations, arms/armor, professions highlighted in books (I saw one complaint once that said, "As a glass blower, I really can't overlook how wrong this author got my profession.") and much more.

The truth of the matter is that a lot of authors have to do a lot of research before writing a book and yes, they may get some details wrong, especially if their real-life specialty isn't in whatever they are researching. For example, an author might be a computer repair man (as well as author) but they need to write a book with medical situations in it. They'll have to do a lot of research to properly do that, and yes, some details might be misunderstood and/or overlooked in the process.

One example of the "research process" that I saw on Twitter the other day was an author asking if anyone knows anything about fiddle acoustics (or something along those lines). I can almost promise you this author probably has never played a fiddle. They do research, they learn as much as they can for their books and sometimes they get it wrong and overlook details.

Does it bother you when an author doesn't get "it" 100% right or can you, for the most part, overlook it? Why/why not?

The Search for Artemis - P.D. Griffith

2011-11-11T09:49:00.001-07:00

About the book

Fifteen-year-old Landon Wicker is psychokinetic,but the tragic unleashing of his abilities forces him to run from everything heknows. Alone, terrified and unable to remember the events that compelled him toflee, Landon fights to survive and understand what's happening to him. He findssolace, however, in the company of hundreds of psychokinetics like him whenhe's brought to the Gymnasium.

Forced into a life where people don't just see -but control - the world around them and teenagers lift city buses with athought, Landon struggles to accept his new reality and the guilt over hispainful secret. But everything changes when a chance encounter with amysterious girl propels him on a hunt for answers. Uncovering dark truths theGymnasium would do anything to keep hidden, Landon must choose where hisloyalties lie.

Will Landon accept his past - and his future?Will he discover the truth? What's hidden in the Restricted Tower, and who isArtemis?

388pages (ebook)

Publishedby: Gryff Publishing Ltd.

Publishedon: June 1, 2011

Author’swebpage

Thanks to the publishers for sending me acopy of this book to review.

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Ihave never been really good at reading young adult books. For some reason Igenerally have problems getting into them and appreciating them for what theyare. That being said, there are some great young adult books out there whichmake me really want to appreciate the young adult genre more than I currentlydo. It’s for that reason that I wanted to try The Search for Artemis. That, and I am always rather interested instories about normal people who suddenly find out that they aren’t so normalafter all.

P.D.Griffith does a great job at exploring human nature in The Search for Artemis. The protagonist, Landon Wicker, opens thebook with a traumatic event which really pushes him to grow and develop in somerather surprising ways. Griffith doesn’t just tell the reader what happens, buthe really pulls the reader into the mind of Landon Wicker as he changes, growsand develops. Griffith’s exploration of a teenager’s psyche in a world thatisn’t anything that he expected it to be is rather poignant and will probablystrike a chord in many readers.

Oneof the issues I have with young adult books is that the authors tend to writeteenaged characters who act and think like adults, or teenaged characters thatact and think like five year olds. Griffith doesn’t do either of these. Infact, Landon reads exactly like a fifteen-year-old and that, perhaps, is whatmakes much of his character so engrossing. He’s the fifteen-year-old all of usremember being in his speech and thought process, thus, he’s easy to relate to.Only, unlike us, this fifteen-year-old is thrust into a big, scary world andleft to basically figure it out on his own. The only down side to thisrealistic fifteen-year-old stuff is that once Landon meets others that are likehim, the “hey dude” talk is a little overdone.

The Search for Artemis almost reads likeGriffith’s answer to Harry Potter.Landon enters a special school, housed in a mansion for others that are justlike him. It’s a school where he learns to control his ability and function normallyin society. Griffith’s world is a bit more raw than Harry Potter, but fans of HarryPotter might find many similar themes between the two series, specificallyin regards to the special school for the gifted. This is a double-edged sword.While many might enjoy the idea of a special school, others might feel asthough this story has been told before.

Griffith’sworld isn’t as well realized as I had hoped it would be when starting the book.There isn’t enough description of surroundings, buildings, etc. to make thereader vividly visualize event surroundings. This had the effect of, at parts,driving a wall between readers and the book itself. While some readers may notnotice this issue, for others who enjoy a lot of well realized surroundings anda vivid world, this book may disappoint. Despite that, Griffith fills his bookfull of enough myth, legend, mystery, intrigue, secrets, other worlds andcreatures to please nearly anybody.

Someof the plot points are rather predictable. For example, it’s obvious that onceLandon realizes that he can do some rather interesting things that he’s not goingto be the average teenager with special abilities, instead, he’ll stick outfrom that crowd in some respect so it’s not really a shock when the reader getsto the point where Landon is discovering that he’s not just special, but he’sultra special. Another point the book struggles with is toward the beginningwhen Landon is dealing with the scene the book opens with. While his actionsare believable, I often felt that there was some sort of disjoint between hisemotional processing of the events that transpired and his physical reaction tothem.

The Search for Artemis is quickly movingand, at parts, proceeds at a breakneck pace. Something is always happening, andwhile some of the book might not have the shock value the author was going for,there is enough raw humanity here to please almost any reader. The story ofLandon is absorbing, as Griffith is realistic in dealing with Landon's growth, developmentand his emotional reactions to events as they happen. Despite its flaws, The Search for Artemis will leave fans witha slam-dunk ending that will cause them to yearn for the second book in thisseries.

3/5stars

The Highest Frontier - Joan Slonczewski

2011-11-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

About the book

One of the most respected writers of hard SF, ithas been more than ten years since Joan Slonczewski's last novel. Now shereturns with a spectacular tour de force of the college of the future, inorbit. Jennifer Ramos Kennedy, a girl from a rich and politically influentialfamily (a distant relation descended from the famous Kennedy clan),whose twin brother has died in an accident and left her bereft, is aboutto enter her freshman year at Frontera College.

Frontera is an exciting school built with mediamoney, and a bit from tribal casinos too, dedicated to educating the best andbrightest of this future world. We accompany Jenny as she proceeds through herearly days at school, encountering surprises and wonders and some unpleasantproblems. The Earth is altered by global warming, and an invasive alienspecies called ultraphytes threatens the surviving ecosystem. Jenny is beingraised for great things, but while she's in school she just wants to doher homework, go on a few dates, and get by. The world that Jenny isliving in is one of the most fascinating and creative in contemporary SF, andthe problems Jenny faces will involve every reader, young and old.

Publishedon: September 13, 2011

Publishedby: Tor

Author’sblog

Thanks to Tor for sending me a copy of this book to review.

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(Before I start this review, let me apologize for my silence last week. I learned a very important parenting lesson: When you baby is sick, your whole world stops until she feels better.)

The Highest Frontier was a book I wasvery excited to receive and started reading it almost immediately. I got abouthalfway through the first chapter before I had to put it aside until I was moreup to the task. With a newborn it was just too hard for me to sift through allthe new SciFi concepts and understand exactly what was happening. That beingsaid, once I did get my, “holy crap I have a baby now,” bearings about me thebook itself was incredibly easy to become absorbed in.

The Highest Frontier is rather hardSciFi book. The first chapter is full of concepts and ideas that will beforeign to the reader. Only through continuing with the book itself will manyof these ideas and concepts become clear as Slonczewski fills in the details asshe goes. While this may frustrate some readers, it’s worth pushing throughthese somewhat challenging parts because the real meat and potatoes of the bookfollows quickly on confusion’s heels.

Slonczewskistarts The Highest Frontier with anabsorbing bang and keeps that tone throughout the work. The quickly paced,tightly wound plot coupled with her fluid, somewhat understated writing managesto bring Slonczewski’s vision alive makes TheHighest Frontier an incredible read which will be a challenge for individualsto put down.

Themain character, Jennifer Ramos Kennedy, a young adult descendent of twoimportant presidential lineages (you’ll, undoubtedly, recognize one of them) andis an interesting woman to follow. In TheHighest Frontier, Jennifer starts her first year in college at Frontera, aman-made habitat orbiting the earth. Jennifer’s twin brother died from a tidalwave caused by a methane quake and his death scarred Jennifer deeply. She has ateam of psychologists to help her cope with the death of her brother. Jenniferalso has a rare disorder where she has problems speaking in public, arecognized handicap in a world where nearly everyone seems perfect. Thus, she’sdifferent from the average person which makes her life and her, as a person,incredibly interesting to read about.

Dueto the fact that Jennifer is the descendent of two political lines, The Highest Frontier focuses more onpolitics than might be expected. For example, to help throw support behind herfamily’s chosen candidate (the Utah governor) at the impending election,Jennifer must be seen eating green Jell-O and discussions with her family, andher own interests often focus on political happenings. On a side note, livingin Utah, I was impressed that Slonczewski knew that green Jell-O is Utah’s “officialstate food.” Furthermore, Slonczewski evolved our current political process tofit the times of the world she’s envisioned. For example, instead ofRepublicans and Democrats, there are Centrists and Unity parties. Furthermore,the tax system is different where instead of paying taxes, individuals can“play” their taxes, which basically amounts to gambling.

Frontera,the independent space habitat, is created in answer to the fact that the earthis losing habitable ground due to climate changes and dangerous ultraphyteswhich seem to be taking over the planet. In this vein, it’s obvious thatSlonczewski has an in depth understanding of biology. There are quite a fewbiology terms thrown around which might frustrate and/or confuse some readersdepending on their grasp of that science. Jennifer, for example, is anincredibly talented botanist and her thought processes and discussions oftenfollow that path (as well as politics). For people who have a hard time withthis type of science, the portions of the book that focus on biology might makethe book feel rather bogged down.

The Highest Frontier’s ending was a littledisappointing in the fact that it seemed to wrap up rather quickly and didn’thave impact I was expecting from the rest of the book. Despite that, and theminor frustrations some readers might find regarding biology speak and someconfusing concepts that take time to figure out, The Highest Frontier is quite an amazing, thought provoking bookabout a dystopian earth and how society has evolved to fit that vision.Slonczewski’s world is vibrant and well realized. Every detail of her futurevision is well thought out in riveting detail. The plot is tight and quicklyflowing and Jenny is a wonderful character to follow. Many reviewers predictthis book to be on the short list for many book awards, and I wouldn’t besurprised if that is the case. TheHighest Frontier is a joy to read and highly recommended.

4.5/5stars

Discussion: Book recommendations

2011-10-26T16:16:00.006-06:00

I've finally thought of a discussion for this week. I apologize that it's a bit late.

I had a friend ask me what fantasy book she should read if she's never read fantasy before. I honestly had no idea what to say to her, so I asked Twitter and got some great suggestions I threw her direction. Of course this got my brain pumping, so I thought I'd ask my blog readers the same question to see what you guys thought.

So, what fantasy book would you have someone read who has never read fantasy before.

And, to shake it up a bit - What book would you have someone read who has never read science fiction before?

-- In other news, I started a Facebook page for this blog. There isn't anything there yet (I'm still working on it). If you want to follow me over on Facebook, you can find me here. Eventually I'll be like the cool kids and have a nifty button on the side of my page you can click on to take you there. For now, the link will have to work. --

Prince of Thorns - Mark Lawrence

2011-10-25T15:20:00.001-06:00

About the book

Once a privileged royal child, raised by a lovingmother, Jorg Ancrath has become the Prince of Thorns, a charming, immoral boyleading a grim band of outlaws in a series of raids and atrocities. The worldis in chaos: violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg's bleak past has sethim beyond fear of any man, living or dead, but there is still one thing thatputs a chill in him. Returning to his father's castle Jorg must confronthorrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turnedagainst him.

Prince of Thorns is the first volume in apowerful new epic fantasy trilogy, original, absorbing and challenging. MarkLawrence’s debut novel tells a tale of blood and treachery, magic andbrotherhood and paints a compelling and brutal, sometimes beautiful, picture ofan exceptional boy on his journey toward manhood and the throne.

384 pages (hardcover)

Published on: August 2, 2011

Published by: The Penguin Group

Author’s webpage

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Ihave, for quite some time, put off reviewing this book. Why? Because I have aserious personal issue with it that got in the way of my ability to believe inany of the events that were taking place. Before I actually continue with myreview, let me get my grievance off my chest.

Iseriously cannot, in any way shape or form, believe that the main character isa teenager. Sorry. I just can’t buy that one and my inability to believe in thecharacter’s age seeped into every single aspect of this book. Now, if he was inhis twenties, I’d probably believe it, but a fourteen-year-old thinking withsuch uncanny military strategy that him and his tiny band of rough boys canovercome a nobleman’s army (toward the beginning of the book) isn’t believable.I just don’t buy it. I don’t care how hard this kid’s life has been and howfast he’s had to grow up, a teenage boy just doesn’t make sense in the leadcharacter’s role. The maturity and life experience isn’t there.

Okay,now that my rant is over, let me actually review Prince of Thorns.

Itseems like gritty fantasy is the in thing right now and that really works inthis book’s favor. It is gritty and there is plenty of blood but I don’t thinkit’s quite as edgy as many people have made it out to be. The shock factor hereis that the lead character, Jorg, is a teenager and that is, perhaps, whatmakes this book seem a bit more gritty and edgy than it really is. The otherthing working for Prince of Thorns isit’s short length coupled with a fast moving plot. A dedicated reader can plowthrough this book fairly quickly.

Prince of Thorns is told in the firstperson perspective with chapters that focus on “current” events and flashbackchapters that give a bit of a history and work toward explaining why Jorg isthe way he is. These flashback chapters help the reader build some sympathy forthis poor kid when you really wouldn’t expect to have any sympathy for him atall. Lawrence is a good author. There aren’t any major literary stumbles inthese pages. The writing is flowing and fairly descriptive. The one place itreally lacks is world building, which seemed pretty lackluster in comparisonwith some of his character development. However, this is a rather characterdriven novel, so it can be expected that the world building may take secondseat to character developments.

Firstperson perspective is tricky for authors and readers. The author needs to makehis main character unique enough to pop in the context of his book. Thischaracter needs to have a remarkable individual voice to grab the reader’sattention. Personally, I feel as though many issues with first personperspective are largely individual. What may attract me to one character mayrepulse others. Please keep that in mind for what is about to follow. Jorgreally wasn’t an amazingly interesting character. In fact, I felt as thoughmany of the events that he was involved in were taking place more for a shockfactor than anything else and this did largely compensate for his rather boringnarrative voice. Without those shocking events, Jorg would have never been ableto stand on his own as a character.

Theworld in Prince of Thrones wasanother disappointment. The idea Lawrence used has the potential to beincredible, but instead it felt half done, which was a huge letdown. With apost-apocalyptic world like this Lawrence could have done a lot to make itstand apart from the crowd, but the opportunity was missed. As it was, theworld has a rather unplanned feel to it and is colorless in comparison to manyof the characters.

Prince of Thorns is an entertainingread, despite all of my qualms with it. It has been well received by manyreaders and reviewers, so there is something here that appeals to people. WhileI can see where many people would enjoy this, I couldn’t manage getting over myabsolute inability to believe in the main character due to his supposed age.His narrative voice is rather boring and is saved by the shock-factor ofmany of the events Jorg takes part in. In fact, I can, perhaps, sum up thisbook with the words “shock factor” because that’s what it felt like to me – aliterary campaign of Shock and Awe. In the end, Prince of Thorns left me thinking that Jorg was a puke teenager whoneeded a psychiatrist more than a book. However, for fans of gritty fantasy orpeople who want a quick read with a rather compelling story, this book is foryou. Despite my issues, I think Lawrence has an impressive future as an author and it will be interesting to see what he does next.

3/5stars

Something different

2011-10-24T10:12:00.003-06:00

I'm not feeling up to much today so instead of a discussion I think I'll just post some recent photos I've taken. They aren't incredibly exciting, but that's okay. I'm not a professional photographer, but I learn as I go. I wish I had more time for it. Anyway, here they are. Theme? Baby feet. Enjoy.

I edited this one handed and if you look at it closely you can see a TON of mistakes. Oh well. I like the idea behind it.

And here's a random one of a rose I took two weeks ago.

I'll have a review posted tomorrow. Enjoy your Monday.

Eyes to See - Joseph Nassise

2011-10-21T13:51:00.002-06:00

About the book

Inan urban fantasy that charts daring new territory in the field, Jeremiah Hunthas been broken by a malevolent force that has taken his young daughter andeverything else of value in his life: his marriage, his career, his reputation.Desperate to reclaim what he has lost, Hunt finally turns to the supernaturalfor justice.

Abandoningall hope for a normal life, he enters the world of ghosts and even moredangerous entities from beyond the grave. Sacrificing his normal sight so thathe can see the souls of the dead and the powers that stalk his worstnightmares, Hunt embarks upon a strange new career—a pariah among the living; ascourge among the dead; doomed to walk between the light of day and the deepestdarkness beyond night.

Hislove for his departed daughter sustains him when all is most hopeless, but Huntis cursed by something more evil than he can possibly imagine. As he descendsinto the maelstrom of his terrifying quest, he discovers that even his deepestfears are but prelude to yet darker deeds by a powerful entity from beyond thegrave…that will not let him go until it has used him for its own nefariouspurposes.

304pages (hardcover)

Publishedon: Oct. 11, 2011

Publishedby: Tor

Author’swebpage

Thanks to the wonderful people at Tor for sending me a copy of this book to review.

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I’mhaving an incredibly hard time writing this review, and I’m not exactly surewhy. First off, this book was described to me by some other reviewers as being a horror novel and maybeI just don’t read enough horror, or I don’t get scared enough or something, butI really don’t think this is horror. It’s more of a kind of creepy urbanfantasy – a darker, more cynical DresdenFiles. That's not a bad thing, mind you. It's just something I feel the need to point out.

Eyes to See starts with a compellingline, “I gave up my eyes in order to see more clearly.” This line automatically draws in readers andmakes them want to learn more. The beginning of Eyes to See is incredibly emotionally compelling as readers aredrawn into the hard luck world of Jeremiah Hunt. This story is told mostly inthe first person and due to how interesting and emotionally drawing Hunt canbe, the first person perspective really works.

Partof the reason this book can draw readers in so easily is because of howsympathetic readers will feel for Hunt and his determination to give upeverything, including his sight, to find his missing daughter. The first partof the book sets this up nicely and also gives readers a bit of history with afew flashback chapters thrown in here and there. However, somewhere toward themiddle Eyes to See looses a bit ofit’s compelling and emotionally drawing nature as another character’s thirdperson perspective is thrown in. This really wouldn’t be a problem, but thischaracter is rather uninteresting and at this point the book stops primarilyfocusing on Hunt and his missing daughter and focuses more on a current-daymurder mystery. While the murders are rather creepy, what draws readers in is thestory of Hunt and his daughter, not creepy murders in Boston. The loss of thatstrong part of the story is keenly felt.

Thecast of Eyes to See has a bit ofeverything many urban fantasy fans will enjoy, only a bit darker and morecreepy – perfect for the Halloween season. Hunt’s (dis)ability is interestingenough to stand on its own, as he can only see ghosts and other specters. Healso has two ghostly companions who lend him their sight and strength whenneeded, adding a nice touch to things and a bit of mystery as Hunt tries tofigure out who they are and why they help him. Along with that is a powerfulwitch and the only Russian who runs an Irish bar in Boston. The companions worktogether to solve several murders that I can just picture being found in filmsomeday. On the flip side are a mysterious antagonist and a detective with anattitude problem.

Eyes to See is a pretty unique mystery, however, the reader will answer the big questions before thecharacters figure it out. This can be both frustrating and entertaining at thesame time. It can be rather frustrating to have the big mystery figured out ina book that hinges on its mysterious aspects. However, since the charactersdon’t know what the reader knows, how the ending will play out is anyone’sguess. That being said, the book never really recovers from the loss of theemotionally jarring first section and the ending is no exception as it has arather rushed feel, though there is some good closure found there and a nice setup for future installments to the series.

ThoughNassise is a great writer, this book, in some respects, missed its mark for me. While I loved thefirst portion, I found myself lamenting its loss quickly. I would have lovedthe whole of Eyes to See to follow inthe same footsteps as the first emotionally jarring section. However, it doesn’t,and basically readers are left with a novel that reads like it’s HarryDresden’s big brother. While I am confidant that this will appeal to a greatmany readers, it may leave others with a bitter taste in their mouth. Though Ido have my quibbles with the book as a whole, I do feel Nassise has set up astrong foundation to a potentially riveting series and despite its drawbacks, I really enjoyed my journey through Nassise's world. His world is well built andpeppered with interesting characters and a well done magic/supernatural systemwhich is supported nicely with Nassise’s descriptive writing that really makesthings come alive. Eyes to See isworth checking out, just give the book time before you let an impression form.

4/5stars

Cancer update

2011-10-20T13:37:00.003-06:00

When I was diagnosed with cancer a year ago I made a conscious decision to be pretty open about my journey with the disease. Many of you were following my blog when I was diagnosed and have been following my various health updates and excitements since, so I figured I'd post a brief cancer update today for those who care. If you don't care, ignore this and continue on with your regularly scheduled Thursday.

About three weeks after I had Fiona I went back to my doctor who wanted to do an ultrasound on my neck to see how everything is in there. He basically assured me that he wouldn't find anything worth note in my ultrasound. He said I did so great with my medication while pregnant that there wouldn't be anything there. Cancer was history. I ignorantly believed him. I walked into that ultrasound room on cloud nine. This has been one hell of a health year for me. I was positive I've paid my dues. The doctor said he wouldn't find anything, so he wouldn't find anything. Period. End of story.

How stupid that seems now.

The ultrasound showed some abnormalities. Today I went back to the doctor who did another ultrasound to see for himself what the ultrasound tech was seeing. Well, long story short, not only am I celebrating my "year of cancer" this month (I was diagnosed last October), but I'm also starting on year two of cancer. My medication didn't suppress the cancer growth like it was supposed to. Lucky me, it's spread into my lymph nodes. The doctor found 4 lymph nodes that are abnormal and "show no sign of being benign" (a nice way of saying malignant) and 1 that shows signs of being benign. I'm getting biopsies done next week. Then we get to talk about surgery to remove my cancer... again. Then we talk about radioactive iodine treatment.

All of this, AND a two month old baby. That's not even touching my pregnancy induced back issues, which might also require surgery to fix.

I'm vacillating between being incredibly upset, feeling cheated and exhausted, and enjoying a level of stress I've never felt before. This wasn't supposed to happen, but it did and all I can do is deal with it and read books to cope with the bullshit. I know in the end everything will be okay. I do have a very treatable form of cancer, which is good, but it's spread, which is bad. Cancer is cancer and regardless of the type it's still terrifying. I can't even describe the emotional and mental punch in the gut this is.

Anyway, that's that. Tomorrow I'm going to post my review of EYES TO SEE by Joseph Nassise.

The Emerald Storm - Michael Sullivan

2011-10-18T13:18:00.001-06:00

About the book

A MESSAGE IS INTERCEPTED. A SINISTER PLAN LAUNCHED.TWO THIEVES STAND IN THE WAY.

Ex-mercenary Hadrian Blackwater sets course on ahigh seas adventure to find the lost Heir of Novron. His only hope lies inconfronting the ruthless and cunning Merrick Marius. Fearing his friend is notup to the challenge, Royce Melborn joins his old partner for one last mission.Their journey finds them adrift amid treachery and betrayals forcing Hadrian toface a past he hoped never to see again.

375pages (paperback)

Publishedon: April 2, 2010

Publishedby: Ridan Publishing – will also be released by Orbit

Author’swebpage

Thanks to the Sullivans for sending me a copy of this book to review.

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Iread Nyphron Rising when I wasdiagnosed with cancer about a year ago. I reviewed it, and then got sooverwhelmed with life I basically completely forgot I read and reviewed it,until Robin Sullivan reminded me in an email. I felt like an idiot, but I guessit’s excusable. That was a pretty incredible period of my life. That beingsaid, The Emerald Storm did anamazing job at refreshing my memory with plot and characters withoutoverwhelming me with a series-up-to-this-point summary that can take up half thebook. I mention this to say that TheEmerald Storm is strong enough to stand on its own merit, but, unlikeprevious books, I’d recommend readers read the series up to this point before they start on this one.It can be read as a stand alone, but I think it would be a confusingstand-alone and would lack the punch it will have for readers who have alreadyinvested time in the series.

Theworld in The Emerald Storm growsquite a bit compared to other installments in the series. Along with growing,it seems to gain a history and depth that other books hinted at but neverreally expanded upon in this amount of detail. New cultures are introduced tothe reader, like the Tenkins who are somewhat tribal and live in the jungle farsouth of the Empire. Sullivan also mentions other lands which the beyond theboarders of where the series has thus far ventured. This really adds a newlayer of depth and development to the series as a whole and reminds me a bit ofSteven Erikson’s history filled Malazan world, yet on much more reader friendlyterms lacking the overwhelming qualities of Erikson’s series.

Thecharacters in The Emerald Storm alsodevelop nicely along with the series. Women in The Emerald Storm seem a bit more powerful, sure-footed and pivotalto the plot than they did in other installments in the series. Arista, inparticular, is developing nicely and really becoming a character to watch for.While I did find myself wishing she had a bit more time in the limelight, Itruly enjoy how Sullivan is developing her. Despite the strong character growthand development in the main cast, the antagonist, Thranic, was a bit toostereotypical and predictable in his role. He was interesting to follow andadded a nice panache to the book, but he lacked the strong qualities of therest of the cast and was a bit of a disappointment overall.

The Emerald Storm reminds me a bit of The Wizard of Oz, specifically, the “manbehind the curtain.” The events that dominate Royce and Hadrian’s part of thestory are almost completely manipulated and planned out by Royce’s nemesis,Merrick, whom the reader won’t really interact with until the end of the book.While Merrick’s name is mentioned quite often, the fact that he remains anillusive, shadowy figure throughout the book gives Royce and Hadrian’s entirechunk of the book an incredibly mysterious air and leaves the reader curiousabout a number of different plot elements.

As Imentioned above, the women in The EmeraldStorm really stood out more than they have in previous installments,specifically Arista who is really coming into her own. While her portion of theplot centers more on the empire and the depressing and somewhat mad puppetempress, the real highlight of that portion of the book is Arista’s overallcharacter development. Though she doesn’t seem to have as much stage time asAmelia, she truly steals the limelight in her sections and dominates the castthat enters her portions with her.

Ishould mention the plot. The EmeraldStorm is quickly moving and because of Sullivan’s writing style, it is easyfor the book to engage the reader. However, a large portion of the book takesplace on a boat and, if you know me, you know that not much turns me off fasterthan paranormal romance, zombies and boats. It says more for the book and plotdevelopment that I enjoyed the portions of the book that took place on a shipas much as the landlocked portions, which is no small feat.

Theending of The Emerald Storm willleave readers frantic to move on to Wintertide.The plot pace mirrors the development of the series as a whole. There is noslow boil here. Something is always happening, yet in the midst of Sullivan’squickly moving plots are some incredible character developments. The series isat once bold and subtle, serious and fun and so is this book. Sullivan toys with tried and truesword and sorcery tropes and twists them into something new and fresh. Readerswill want to be invested in the series before they embark on The Emerald Storm, but it’s well worthit. The Emerald Storm is a qualityinstallment in an already beloved series.

4.5/5stars

Discussion: What author would you dine with?

2011-10-17T12:23:00.000-06:00

Let's have fun with this week's discussion.

If you could have lunch with one author, and one author only - What author (living or dead) would you have lunch with and why?

Blackdog - K.V. Johansen

2011-10-14T15:26:00.002-06:00

About the book:

Long ago, in the days of the first kings in thenorth, there were seven devils.

In a land where gods walk on the hills andgoddesses rise from river, lake, and spring, the caravan-guard Holla-Sayan,escaping a bloodily-conquered lakeside town, stops to help an abandoned childand a dying dog. The girl, though, is the incarnation of Attalissa, goddess ofLissavakail, and the dog a shape-changing guardian spirit whose origins havebeen forgotten. Possessed and nearly driven mad by the Blackdog, he flees tothe desert road, taking the powerless avatar with him.

And long ago, in the days of the first kingsin the north, the seven devils, who had deceived and possessed seven of thegreatest wizards of the world, were defeated and bound with the help of the OldGreat Gods...

Necromancy, treachery, massacres and rebellions,gods dead or lost or mad, follow hard on the devils' heels. But it is Attalissaherself who may be the Blackdog's—and Holla-Sayan's—doom.

And perhaps some of the devils are free inthe world, and perhaps some are working to free themselves still.

525pages (paperback)

Publishedon: September 20, 2011

Publishedby: Pyr

Author’swebpage

Excerpt

Thanks to Pyr for sending me a copy of thisbook to review.

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Whilereligion is often found in epic fantasy, rarely is it the main focus of anovel, as it is in Blackdog. Furthermore,it’s even more rare to find an epic fantasy book that is a stand-alone ratherthan part of a long series or trilogy. While the fact that Blackdog is a stand-alone might turn some epic fantasy fans off, itis rather refreshing to read a fantasy on an epic scale that is containedwithin one book and has a definite beginning, middle and ending.

Johansen’sworld building reminds me a bit of Erikson’s in his Malazan series. The world is large, intricate and sprawls intolands that are just hinted at. It has a rich history which will keep the readerinterested and yearning to learn more. Furthermore, the gods are steeped inthat rich history and add an interesting dimension to both time and place aswell as some interesting complexity and cultural nuances.

Thegods in Blackdog are also somewhat reminiscentof Erikson’s Malazan series in thefact that they are actual beings that can be interacted and spoken with ratherthan being some vague idea that cultural nuances are based on. In fact, many ofthe cities and towns seem to thrive based on the health and power of theirlocal god. For example, a few of the gods readers will meet in Blackdog are old and almost decrepit dueto the fact that they had been long forgotten, or only worshipped by a selectfew. As Tamghat, the warlord antagonist, expands his power, the gods begin tolook incredibly human. They fear and anticipate just like humans would andtheir reaction to events directly and profoundly affects the communities theyare anchored to.

Attalissais an interesting character to follow, as she is the lake god who is forced toflee as a young girl and grows up as a human child in a caravan travelingsomething similar to our Silk Road. Due to this shockingly human upbringing faraway from her base of power, her coming of age tale is far different than you’dexpect from a goddess. The same can also be said of Holla-Sayan, who spendsmuch of the book locked in an inner struggle with the Blackdog.

WhileBlackdog is primarily the tale ofAttalissa and Holla-Sayan, it doesn’t focus solely on them. There are plenty ofwell-developed secondary characters to keep anyone entertained. The onlyproblem with this is that due to the span of years covered and the epic sizedplot and world, some incredibly interesting characters with stories that couldeasily be expanded on seemed to fade into oblivion quickly and unfortunately.

Blackdog is interesting in the fact thatJohansen uses a lot of interesting internal dialogue throughout the book asmany of the characters are either wrestling with insanity or are possessed.Despite these struggles and possessions, the characters all retain their uniquevoices and individuality throughout without allowing the reader to ever getconfused with who is who, which is no small feat.

Namingconventions in Blackdog might confusereaders a first, but they are well thought out and give the reader an importantsense of the world’s culture, as most characters seem to take on the name oftheir local gods somehow. For example, a priestess of Attalissa is namedAttavaia and Holla-Sayan carries his local god Sayan’s name. Even places followthis pattern. Attalissa’s lake is named Lissavakail and the goddess Serapresides over the city named Serakallah. This, as other reviewers have noted,shows off Johansen’s master’s degree in Medieval Studies. These subtle detailspeppered throughout the book really help the believability of this multifacetedAsianesque world.

WhileI rarely mention cover art in a review, I feel like the cover art of Blackdog particularly supports the book.It’s artistic, ethereal and mysterious without being over-the-top. It causespotential readers to wonder what it’s all about, setting the perfect tone andattitude before the reader even cracks the spine and Johansen carries thatthrough to the last page. Everything about Blackdogis measured, deep, planned and thought out. An incredible world and wonderfulcharacters are created in this tome, which I woud love the author to expand onin the future. Despite some abrupt character entries and exits and someconfusing names, Blackdog is a realgem fans of epic fantasy should check out.

4/5stars

** Note: this review was typed one handedwhile holding a sleeping two-month-old. I apologize for any glaring errors Imissed. **

I was mentioned!

2011-10-12T10:41:00.000-06:00

This made my day, so I'm going to pass it on to you, my dear readers. Why? Because sometimes a girl's just gotta brag.

This morning I was doing my traditional, 'the baby woke me up WAY TOO EARLY so I'm surfing the internet while I try to get the synapsis in my brain firing again' thing. I was looking around Twitter, and someone informed me that they heard about my blog on a podcast. Well, this perked me right up. I'm a small time blogger. I don't really get mentioned many places (that I know of). I can't (and don't) compete with the big-name reviewers out there. I read their stuff, but I'm not one of them. I know this. So getting mentioned pretty much anywhere thrills me half to death.

Thus, my brag. I got mentioned on a podcast by Robin Sullivan of Ridan Publishing. I really respect her, and her vast amount of publishing knowledge. So being mentioned by someone like her is really exciting for me. The podcast is Dead Robots' Society episode #195. So give them a listen. Besides the bragging thing on my part, the podcast itself is really interesting and worth listening to, especially if you are an author. Robin Sullivan has great advice regarding marketing, reviews, blurbs, etc.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled Wednesday.