Oblivion by Anthony Horowitz

5

(Read October)

I’ve been waiting for this book so long that the day it arrived I couldn’t bear to do anything else. Anyone who has read these books (or frankly, ANY of his books) can attest to the fact of how long he takes to publish them. This is the last in a 5 book series, with the fourth book having been published in 2008…that’s four years of waiting for one book. I hoped it was worth it.

In general, I’m going to have to say it was. The book was true to form in terms of quality of writing and imagery, and it managed to bring you back up to speed without the necessity of reading all the books again, which I definitely appreciated. It also began with a really nice twist that prevented him from copping out on something he was in his rights to do. Yet this ‘twist’ also meant he could revamp the story- give it a different setting, a different feel, and also a much greater urgency and challenge. I don’t want to say what it was, since I really liked the feeling when I found out, but I’ll just say that in no way could on predict it.

Getting to the story itself…uh. Mr. Horowitz really knows how to keep me on edge. Anyone who has read some of my other reviews can attest to how much I love (adore, desire, need) the fantasy “power” element in these kinds of books. They will either make or break the book for me, because they need to be grand, majestic and powerful without being showy and over-the-top. What can I say, I’m a hard man to please. But I meet my match in this man. Whenever he does the scenes with the powers, I can hardly contain my delight and my squeals of glee, but, knowing this, he very rarely let’s me have this feeling but because I love it that much, I would read on longer (lacking any part with powers) to ultimately reach that moment when I manage to squeeze some more of the unearthly delight out of him. It’s exhausting and wonderful all at the same time.

What’s a really well-done part in this book is the dystopian side of things too. The Old Ones have really gone to town on the world and it’s nice to see supernatural abilities in a decrepit, dystopian settings [1]. I’ve come to love survival type shows and scenarios during my hiatus, and dystopia offers a really nice outlet for this.

My opinion of the characters hasn’t changed. I still like Scarlet, Jaime and Richard but I find Matt increasingly frustrating. I do still lack him but, gah! That boy needs a slap across the face sometimes. My recollection of this book was also that not much time was spent exploring the characters. They had their moments and their conversations, and every few chapters we change perspectives so we can always see what they’re thinking, but I didn’t learn much else about them and it was relatively minor as a part of the book.

As with the Rise of Nine, the ending was disappointing for me. It was tremendously well-written. I’ve never been so sickened and heart-broken and moved by a YA-style book. I also kind of think this relatively traumatic ending coloured the rest of the ending for me- I wasn’t over it by the time the book ended. But in other ways, it was a little rushed and predictable. It seems that something that had happened previously was rendered obsolete for the sake of plot. But like I said, I’m a bit biased.

I loved these books: I love this book. I’d recommend anyone to read them, and I’d physically drag them around the store until they stepped out, the series in hand. But at the same time, I’m going to warn you. You get attached to the characters, even if sometimes you find them annoying or too quiet: maybe because of everything they have to go through. And then this book goes and snaps your heart in too, a malicious gleam in its eye, and blood dripping from it’s monster of a mouth. And crazily, you’ll love it while you’re hating it.

[1] If I was to ever write a book or a story, this is exactly the kind of thing I would write. I’ve known this for nigh on 4 years now. Funny, huh? J

Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

5

(Read September)

(Avoiding my usual pre-empt to these books…)this is the continuation of much loved (by me) series that follows aliens-that-look-like-humans-but-with-superpowers as they start on the next stage in their journey and find the next teenager in their entourage. These are never going to be the most well-written or deep of books, but it grabs that 5 rating through sheer thrill factor.

The story, as a quick reminder, follows John Smith who set out from Paradise, Ohio, to save earth and his own planet, Lorien. It turns out that he’s an alien, and to boot he has supernatural abilities. And the antagonist- Mogadorians! Aliens hell-bent on destruction and razing planets. Though I could bore you with details of their exploits up to now, the most important thing to know is that it’s basically like a Sci-Fi action movie. The main characters move from spot to spot and in between the kind of battles that makes an nerd (or person who’s ever dreamed of having special powers) drool in contentment, they manage to squeeze on romance, vulnerability and deep-set personal issues.

Don’t take my sarcasm to heart, because I genuinely like these books. I can’t really equate them to anything else (except perhaps the original animated Avatar with Aang), but they manage to tell what is an Sci-Fi action driven story without it becoming too much. Yeah, the romance is a bit rushed and silly, and okay, the personal issues tend to be your run-of-the-mill teenage angst, but if you like these books and you read them, you’re doing it because it lets you inhabit this world where such things are possible.

In terms of the story itself, without giving anything away, I’d say this does better in that regard than the other books. There’s a clearer goal (SPOILER FOR BOOK 2 ALERT!) in how they want to rescue Sam, they want to find the others, and want to figure out a way to actually prevail over the Mogadorians. There’s also some foreshadowing which, though overplayed, made me squirm with pleasure with the thought of what it meant in a future instalment.

The only part I had somewhat of a problem with was the ending. It seemed a bit overly rushed and unexplained. You might say to me “It’s a cliff-hanger, Alex!” but there’s a difference between leaving some things unsaid and telling me absolutely nothing about what has just happened. I'm being a bit judgemental, but given how much I enjoyed the rest of the book, I think that balances it out.

I’ll say thank you to Karen of For What It’s Worth here too! This was the final instalment of a prize I won almost a year ago! She knows how much I appreciated it, but thank you again!

Book Tour- The Waking Dream by Jennifer Ford Review

 Check out a giveaway of this book: link!!!
****
This is my completely honest review; though I seek not to offend, I swear every word is the fruit of my brain and my feelings- no other.

5
This is a fantasy novel which jumps between the perspectives of two men: Commander Dante and his Captain of the Guard, womaniser Kerran. A new threat to their crime free city comes in the form of the mysterious being Rasheim, and that isn't the only problem. It's been five years since the last contact with the world beyond the desert. For Dante, it couldn't get worse... could it?

Starting this book, the fact that the name of out main character was named Dante definitely caught my attention. It's a powerful name given its (assumed) namesake and I was interested to see why this name exactly. But as I got to reading, I found I didn't care about that as much and altogether forget that line of inquiry.

I found that Dante was definitely an interesting character, simply because he was so straightforwardly normal, but I slightly disliked the constant allusion to his logical thinking. But it didn't bother me so much as he actually thought logically after that. It was almost as though Jennifer was jumping down to whisper in my ear and reminding me he was logical. Sometimes it was useful reminder, other times annoying. I got the feeling that Dante was a very much a peacetime leader. (This could just be the fact we've been doing German history in school though, so I'm being over interpretative.) This is kind of reinforced later when Kerran steps up to take the mantle and leads more.

Kerran’s introduced as a very typical kind of misogynistic womaniser, but the moment he started to actually take a place on the stage of the book, he wasn't. I'm pleased by this, since I would otherwise have been perpetually annoyed by him. But despite some sexism in his belief of Gender roles (which he does overcome) he's fairly likeable.

For the first few chapters, I felt the book was fairly predictable. It followed your basic perfect city with a forgotten past and new threat they don't understand. But then the Messenger entered the picture. Simply put, I loved her character. I loved the mystery surrounding her and though you can guess at the truth to her (and I wasn't too far off the mark) she's still a very interesting person to see develop...or rather, come to understand. You go from mystified, to one understanding, to another, to a re-interpretation of a synthesis of the latter two. Maybe others would find it disjointed or even inconsistent, but it all makes sense in the context of the book, and towards the end you probably get the single nugget of pure truth behind her. Even when you learn who she is, you still see her as the mysterious messenger, which I think is hard thing to do; to so firmly establish who she is in a short time and no matter what else she does, that first impression is over powering.

It wasn't until around Chapter 5 that I was really hooked with the book though, since it was then that the magic actually started to come in. Anyone who has read enough of my fantasy reviews knows that this is always my favourite feature of a book and though it isn’t highly explored, I thought it was great. It’s not a topic I can dwell on though without giving up important details.

The dreams are probably the last most important feature of the book I can talk about safely. They are used as a kind of dramatic device earlier on to learn what we need to know, but they become much more important as the book progresses. They also underline the prominent differences between Kerran, the fighter, and Dante, the more logical and level headed. They also add this interesting dynamic of (at least early on) trying to guess when the events are real or dreamlike. They also mean that the more fantastical things leave a faint voice saying to you “This could just be a dream.” But then they take on a different level of importance later on when they go from being dreams to something much more dangerous, much more volatile, and much more significant.

Ultimately, this is really a riveting book (which might not have shown in this review). It seems to start slow but when events start to unfold it becomes a truly excellent fantasy book and when I finished I actually looked online to check I wasn’t missing pages. It came as such a surprise, and I wanted more in that instant. I’m interested to see where the book would go from here, but I’ll be there to find out…I hope!

Why did you decide to write it?
I am very interested in ancient history, and I spend a lot of time reading about ancient times and lost civilizations, and how climates in regions have altered over time. I have also always been a huge fan of fantasy and Sci-Fi. I started mixing elements of the two things together, and I was immediately struck with the idea of the lost civilization still being alive, just forgotten. The imagery that came to mind was so powerful, I just had to write it down. As I went further into it and discovered all the characters, it became a real world for me. And I think Dante and Kerran have a valid voice that resonates with a lot of people today.

Can I ask what that idea was that was so powerful? Is it a scene in the book- and if so which one? (If that isn’t giving too much away!)
It was the idea where I originally planned to start the book, but after I got into the story a bit I decided to change how it all started and began again from scratch – although the idea is still a powerful moment in the book. I can’t say too much about it because it is going to be a pivotal moment in the sequel.

The Messenger, in my opinion, is a fairly unusual character. But then she seems to stand against misogyny and act as Kerran’s exact opposite idea of a woman. And she is just so mysterious!!! What was the inspiration behind her?   
She was one of the first characters that I knew inside and out. I needed to have a strong woman, for obvious reasons. But I did not want her to have any of the typical sterotypes of strong women; I didn’t want it to be easy to categorize her. I toyed with telling parts of the book from her point of view, but found having her silent was far more interesting. I took my favorite characteristics from my favorite women, wrapped them together, and came up with the Messenger.

Kerran and Dante are opposites, yes? Did you set out to do this, or did they develop in this way? You say that the character came to you, so did they come in a pair or differently? And while we're on them, why did you choose the name Dante? 
In many ways, Dante and Kerran are opposites. That was not planned, it just happened that way. Dante’s character came first, and he was pretty well established as to how he acted and thought. Kerran evolved to fit the need of that secondary character; still strong, but very different from Dante. I chose the name Dante because it is a strong name; it means “lasting, enduring,” and it just fit perfectly to the character in my mind’s eye.

Why dreams? You could have had mysterious letters or a journal, I just wonder why did you decide on dreams?  
Why not dreams? Dreams are a gateway for our unconscious mind, which is really the powerhouse of our brain. So many things go on in dreams, and anything is possible in a dream. There is no such thing as the word “impossible” when you are dreaming. The idea was presented before in the movie “The Forbidden Planet’ but this is a different twist. It is a dream-world, where anything is possible, so long as you have the power to do it. As with all forms of magic, there are still rules, but there is unlimited potential (for both good and evil) in the dream world.

Finally, when do you think the sequel will be out? It says in the sample the end of 2012? Can we be so lucky?!  
Right now I am planning for November 2012. If I stay on track, then the sequel will be out around Thanksgiving.

Giveaway for The Waking Dream by Jennifer Ford

Today, I'm lucky enough to be hosting a giveaway from Jennifer Ford, author of The Waking Dream. She has offered to e-mail this book anywhere in the world, so anyone can join in! Read the information underneath to find out if this book for you, and be sure to come back on Monday for the Blog Tour stop and my review of the book!!!!

Two cities. A forgotten past. Destiny comes to call.

Cut off from the outside world by a hostile desert full of savage secrets, the city of Illamar must fend for itself. Late one night, Dante Montero, Commander and Ruler of Illamar, is confronted on his own streets by a mysterious woman bearing an ominous message from a dangerous man known only as Rasheim. Dante and his close friend Kerran, Captain of the Guard, rush to discover the identity of Rasheim and the nature of the threat posed against their city. The closer they get to the truth, the more their worlds begin to fall apart. Both men will have to rely heavily on their friendship as they struggle to comprehend the events happening around them, their past, and even the truth about themselves. They must move quickly and choose wisely, for time is running out as Dante and Kerran discover a secret plot is already underway to destroy their city and kill every last person alive. It seems the answers they so desperately need can only be found in a sequence of dreams, but in a world where nothing is as it seems, even their dreams could turn out to be deadly.

·        What types of readers will be interested in your book?

Obviously, anyone who enjoys the Fantasy/Science Fiction genre would enjoy it; but beyond that, anyone who enjoys a well-crafted story. My book does have a strong, heroic woman as one of the main characters. It is a fast moving story that quickly takes you to the heart of the action and dilemma faced by the two stars of the book- Dante Monterro and Kerran Gurtene. It has already been enjoyed by people of all ages; from young adult to mature adult.  If you are a person that enjoys to read, then you will definitely enjoy my book. It follows a non-conventional path that should intrigue even the most experienced fantasy, Sci-Fi, mystery, or fiction reader.

·        What is special about your book?  What differentiates it from other books in the same category? 

I take what I consider to be a more classical approach to storytelling. I leave a lot of the baser descriptions to the reader’s imaginings so I can focus more directly on moving the story along. This makes it appealing to more than just fantasy fans. I have had people read my book that actually do not like the fantasy genre at all, but they really enjoyed The Waking Dream. It carries a lot of focus on the characters, and how these two men discover hidden value in unexpected characters they encounter. This makes my story non-predictable yet identifiable to the reader.

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The Magician King by Lev Grossman

4

Following the events of the magicians, Quentin Coldwater is now one of the Kings of Fillory. It’s something he never dared to dream he’d have…but he’s still not happy. He’s restless. In trying to find occupation in adventure, Quentin stumbles upon something much more cosmically important leading to revelations and undesirable outcomes.

Though this is a sequel to The Magicians, this book doesn’t really feel that way to me. There are some references to Alice and Brakebills (the magic school) days, but they are almost pointless in the grand scheme of things. If you haven’t read the Magicians, it won’t be a problem in terms of understanding the story. I mean, if the names had been changed this could have easily been a separate stand-alone novel. For me, this wasn’t the best choice since what I like about sequels is those nods to the first book or when something in book one directly affects book two. For me these weren’t really there, and though I can appreciate the book it doesn’t feel like too much of a sequel to me personally.

The magic aspect was also elusive. The world was fantastical and there were other times when the magic of landscape was obvious, but other times it felt like the book had forgotten it was a fantasy book and things like magic were forgotten. Book one was a bit like this, but not to the extreme of the Magician King. There is only really one bit that this seems to go away, when Quentin is blasting magic left, right and centre.

But this highlights the crafting that has gone into the book. One thing Quentin says is that he doesn’t feel like a king, let alone a magician, most of the time. By the lack of magic and these things, we really feel this too. And it annoyed me, even enraged me, which only meant I could understand Quentin better.

This was the same for the general idea of Fillory and “real-life magic”. Quentin reminds us every few chapters that magic in books is often good and there is always a happy ending. Even the sadder endings are not so harsh on the characters. This book is not like that though. Even though book one improved at it’s very, very end, the whole final sequence was heart-wrenching and one of the most depressing endings I’ve ever read. In the Magician King, I’m reminded of this again. I don’t want to give anything away, but Quentin’s fate is almost unforgiveable. That one line that Elaine gives just made my heart sink, since I knew it wouldn’t end well after that.

There are also other dark elements involved, especially in Julia’s story. She was never accepted to magic school so she pursued magic however she could and sacrificed almost everything dear to her to get it. And how did that end up? For a long time it was horrifying for her. There’s this one scene which I shan’t repeat and which I don’t even like to think about which disgusted and depressed me so much. But at the same time I couldn’t stop reading. It’s was gripping and, though it pains me to say, realistic.

On a personal level, I struggle to read Grossman’s book. I get headaches from trying to process so much and some of the events genuinely affect me and my view of life for a short. I’ll be depressed, or feel lost, if only for a few hours. That could just be me (!!!) but I credit some of it to these books and these stories that seem to affect me so much. Sometimes I was just reading in a daze.

This book is something else, in a good and bad way. It’s bad in that I sometimes just want to walk away from this book and turn my back on some detestable truths, but then it is just so good at the same time that I can’t even begin to explain. This whole review is my trying to just give you a glimpse of how I feel about these books because in all honesty it’s so mixed up and indecipherable even for me. So read these if you want something magnificently compelling, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin

Part 2

4

The continuation of the Song of Fire and Ice reaches a kind of close. This is the end of the first half of the story, and as such shows a lot more finality than previous parts and, in general, feels like a more typical fantasy book for this conclusiveness.

I've decided that I might do this review a little differently. I've reviewed the first two books here and here (plus an intermittent half-way in this book here) and in general I feel much the same about most of what is happening. So I thought it might be more apt and easier if I list my likes and dislikes of this series, and end with a comment on anything new in this book. It saves me trying to make the same point a third time, but trying to put a different spin on it.

Likes

• Plot- Say what you will about Martin, he weaves a fantastic story. He doesn't really have any sympathy for his characters and verges on cold about he is more than willing to put them in dire straits and make the outcome unlikely every single time. I've mentioned a few times how one does not simply 'expect' with George R. R. Martin (that's an accidental meme/LOTR reference) and it makes for much more gripping story and also a much more difficult one as a reader. You are telepathically begging him to spare your favourite characters. The nicest you can expect it some kind of hideous wound or thrown into an inescapable circumstance, and you'll take that in your despair.
• Characters- Another typical story trope, but again excellently done. He crafts really well rounded characters, though in general I feel the Starks are all a bit too heroic sometimes, and Brienne too idealistic. But people like Jaime, Tyrion and Daenerys are effectively evil- or at least associated intimately with an evil faction- yet we learn about them as individuals and grow to like them. Those three are probably some of my favourites. Take Jaime: he's an oath-breaker and unbearably arrogant and rude, but he's more loyal than most and has a powerful sense of gratitude, familial love and duty.
• Magic- His attitude to magic is refreshing in a fantasy book, and that's a lot coming from me. I usually like magic and lots of it, but here I enjoy how fleeting and mysterious it is rather than something which makes the users superior to their peers.

Part 1

Dislikes

• Misogyny- Though I think Martin isn't a misogynist, the world he sets his books in is medieval. As such, women were expected to look pretty, get married then make babies until they died. They are completely and unrelentingly objectified by the men in the books. In general, the female POVs in the books are shown to be neither powerless nor accepting of this so it isn't all encompassing, but the nature of some of what happens is sickening.
• Cursing- I'm not the kind of person who uses profanities or approves of them if used in excess, but, for whatever reason, the characters insist on using words I refuse to utter even in my own company. As such, Martin tests my patience sometimes with the male characters in the story who use two four letter words beginning with 'C' as often as they breathe and use others with other select changes in the weather.
• Wanton Brutality- That's a phrase I used in another review which sums it up nicely. Be it violence, torture, rape or worse, GRRM does not pull punches. In fact, he packs them with iron and heats them such that they brand, even scar you. Seriously, sometimes I've felt physically sick reading some descriptions in these books.
• Death- As I mentioned above, no one escapes the bloody pen of GRRM and he will happily kill, maim or otherwise make characters lives a misery in the course of his books. This is something I also appreciate since it makes the stories gripping, and better than some other novels I've read; but at the same time I wish it was a bit less desolate and hopeless sometimes.

In this book, there are two new things: Finality and Viewpoints. We're given some new people to see through the eyes of- purely because the little conflict in book one has escalated to a national schism and there are all sorts of inner problems of each of the factions. It's like that St. Ives riddle where the numbers just keep growing as algebraic powers until the number is larger that we imagine. I digress, because it is not that bad, the point I was making is that we get a viewpoint in basically every story there is to tell.

The finality, which I mentioned at the beginning, is also bizarre. GRRM tends to leave people mid-story and move on and its disconcerting to leave these books for too long. So much is going on all the time, and keeping it straight require you to be reading the novels in succession. The ending of this book felt more conclusive, because A Feast For Crows is a catalyst novel connecting this book to A Dance With Dragons. The idea was to give characters time to grow up so that the story could move on to where he wants it to be. I'll say this though: I have no idea where that is.

The novel is the usual stock for Martin, in my opinion, so take that as you will.

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Possible spoilers for book one but not this book, but they will be highlighted such that one can avoid them!

4
This book two in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and is an extremely long read (though I hear A Dance With Dragons is longer still). It is continuation of every and all events from book one and is just as hard-hitting and, in some ways, wonderfully deplorable. In my opinion, it is the better of the two since I was much more interested in events than in book one.

The plot in this series, for anyone who hasn't read the books, is a sprawling mess of utter chaos. The best analogy is to imagine a plate of spaghetti, and each string of spaghetti is a plot line and reading it is like trying to find the other end of the spaghetti WITHOUT yanking it out. It is utter madness sometimes. You seem to have your main plot and about 4 other sub-plots, per viewpoint. And then there are around 6 view points. So you have a grand total of around 30 plots which you have to try, in vain to keep straight. Early on in the book, it's even worse. I commend Martin for not just tying off the old plots and moving on, but the start of the book holds onto about half of the plots for about a third of the book, but still insists on bringing in more. What I'm saying is that these are highly confusing books a lot of the time, and sometimes you'd be reading something and only realise about 3 pages in which plot it pertains to.

This same issue is with the characters, though it is less pronounced. The back of the book lists every major and minor character of the major factions on the book, and I seriously believe that every one of them is important in some way. Finishing the book, I astounded myself with how many characters I managed to keep straight in my head. Admittedly, I just had to keep reading blind sometimes and hope this character wasn't too important.

It's a credit to Martin, I have to say, that despite being occasionally muddled I managed to know what was going on. How I think he does it is by defining everything with certain events of names. Practically all the characters have a defining a feature- some are "the Knight of X", they may be named "The [noun]" or they were involved in some conquest- and they will be the only ones associated with this. It's fantastically done when I think about it.

Anyway, down to specifics.

Once again, one of the things is disliked was the wanton brutality of the books, and the banalisation of rape and prostitution. I read some response Martin gave on these fronts (I'm not the only one who is disturbed by it) and he defends it by saying that it is historical and medieval England was like this. He doesn't like it any more than we do, but he has to right a realistic, truthful story. If that means it must be gritty and disturbing, so be it. I can accept that since he's right to be honest in his story, but I'm retaining the right to dislike it. It is too often brought up, in my opinion, and hate that the men are often so flippant about it. It doesn't usually detract from the story, but I think that if anyone has particular sensibilities or particular revulsion to these things, stop while you're ahead; since I expect it to get worse as the book continues and fighting grows. I wonder if I would have ever opted to read these books had I known they were so....so like this.

**** SPOILERS FOR BOOK ONE IN NEXT PARAGRAPHS UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE!!! ****

I actually got more invested in various stories this time around. Last time, stories such as Jon Snow's, Sansa's or Arya's were just not at all interesting. However, at the end of book one, Arya has fled the castle, Sansa dislikes Joffrey (and, forgive me, has finally gotten some sense) while Jon has learnt that the Night's Watch are to go beyond the wall. In book one, I could read Jon's chapters easily enough for the same reasons I could read Catelyn's and Bran's: because despite not being terribly interesting, they were written and I liked the voice's. Also, they both had points were they were actually interesting. With Jon, I felt his story had so much potential to be interesting, but it just wasn't. I understand they had to train, set up loyalties and what not but there was wasted opportunity, in my opinion. There was always the feeling of a growing threat and it infuriated me that it was never realised story-wise.

Tyrion and Daenerys are both just as good though, if not better. Tyrion is whimsical and despite being a Lannister, I'm actually going to accuse him of having a great deal of sense and even a few morals. In some ways, he often strikes me as the most human of the characters and even though he has his weaknesses and short-comings (no pun intended), he is probably the only Lannister I would want to be King. I think he has the good sense to look past his own life and desires and do what is right for the kingdom as a whole.

Daenerys disappointed me a little since very little happened in her story besides a lot of wandering around, hopeless, and sitting about dreaming about her future. I think she had fewer chapters than last time as well so we didn't see her as much. But the dragons....man, do I love them! I squirm with happiness whenever they do anything and, at one point, it says how she was reclining in cushions with her dragons around her. Bliss, utter bliss.

There are two new views as well: Ser Davos, a Knight of Stannis, and Theon Greyjoy. Davos had a nice voice, and I did like him, but I was more interested in him because Melisandre and the magic (?) she suggested she had.  Theon is more interesting, but only because I hate him from the bottom of my heart. I feel sorry for him since he feels abandoned by his own family, but does he need to be such a debased and detestable individual? He has no value for women or anyone less than himself. In so many ways, he is just like a Lannister in his overwhelming idea of self worth and importance. And the things he does- the way he is- just disgusts me. The bit with Bran and Rickon...I just had to stop reading for a short while. I felt my heart stop; I stopped breathing in shock. I was just blown away at how much I could hate a character.

**** SPOILERS OVER ****


Overall, I was impressed with this book. If you read book one and were a bit dubious, I think this book will set your mind at ease that this is likely to be an enjoyable series and that you should definitely keep reading. I only warn you to expect to be reading this for a while; my copy was around 900 pages.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

5
This a YA fantasy novel that begins on the wedding day of sixteen year-old Princess Elisa. Being the chosen one, the one every century born with the Godstone in her navel, a lot is expected from her as a conduit for God's will in the world. Yet this stone, a priceless blue jewel, is unique enough to cause a host of problems.

I have to say that the reason I gave this book a five rating is because it's has been a while since I've been unable to put a book down and I've had this need to know what happens next: that insatiable urge to keep reading. It's probably courtesy of it being a YA fantasy that it was as fast-paced as it was, but it's still slower than other YA books thanks to the fantasy elements. The other reason I loved this book so was that at the end, when she confronts the Animages (which isn't a spoiler), I was just buzzing. Had I been a cat, I would have purred uncontrollably since I was experiencing a high like no other: where I just wanted to read as fast as I could and ascertain what happened, yet restricting myself to understand fully what would transpire (and also to extend the feeling).

One of the things that hit me early on as a pleasant surprise was that are heroine was fat. Not average sized, and definitely not thin, but undeniably fat and a lover of all things edible. I mean, I got hungry reading sometimes! But no, I like that books don't shy away from these things, especially in a protagonist. Too often they're the athletic type, or if not they are rarely fat: the general description is someone who couldn't be described as thin, but is healthy and fit. There is nothing wrong with that, but figures show that most people think of themselves as fat and obesity is a problem in the Western World.

I felt the story was a tad clichéd at times: a mix of princess in a new country/city, the chosen one and the less loved sibling. But Elisa's character- her voice, wit and attitude- made everything seem shiny and new and made me love the book so much. It underlined how no one judged her for her weight (mass!), but valued the quality of her mind or personality. Her strength of character. But again, this is a small part. Weight doesn't define who we are, though it is a huge anxiety in our society. As such, it never defined Elisa as a protagonist, as a princess or as the chosen one.

Other characters in the book were fine, but less interesting than Elisa and, on occasion, less fleshed out. It makes sense though in that because Elisa was such a good character, there was a good chance one would feel like this. Cosmé, Alejandro or Alodia all seemed to fall into a set character type for fantasy novels- yet in fairness they had some more exceptional qualities. Personally though, I felt they were mostly plot-orientated. They developed somewhat and were relatively interesting, but they were there to fill a function mostly: and their development wasn't entirely unique or unprecedented.

One thing I didn't think I'd be saying when I started was that I loved the religion element in this book. I'm not religious, and I didn't see why it was important early on: I found it distracting and in some ways unnecessary. But you slowly realise how important it is and, rather than being solely about religious zeal, it becomes apparent how important it is as part of this world; both as a motivation for characters (good and evil) and the impact this has on the world. Part of me says this is merely their interpretation of events and that there needn't be a God, but it doesn't matter. Part of me expects a sequel to have an atheist character who argues exactly this.

The God element is also fantastic in that my favourite bit involved the words Elisa uses whilst...optimising the Godstone. I always think the archaic sound of the Bible or ancient texts sounds powerful in some way: probably because it is, A, unusual to our ears and, B, writers had a certain way (with a certain tempo and use of stresses) to write. It really made that scene for me.

If you like fantasy, it is incredibly easy to recommend this, I think. It doesn't complicated the simple and well written characters with a well-formulated plot means that anyone who doesn't have a vendetta against fantasy will has a good chance of seriously liking this book. I rank this up there with Night Circus, so I hope you can understand my love for it.

Dark Lady's Chosen by Gail Z. Martin

Though there are no spoilers for this book, this book contains spoilers from books one, two and three. You have been warned!!! (It's also early on in the review.)


4
The next book in this (seeming interminable) series is the continuation and arguable conclusion of what occurred in book 3, Dark Haven. We see the end of the plot to kill Kiara, the result of the War with Curane, the fate of Cam of Cairnrach as well as the fate of Dark Haven itself- an ending wound up with the lives of Jonmarc and Carina.

This a well structured book, in my opinion. It seemed that Martin had accepted that, by the end of Dark Haven, everything was coming to its end; for better or for worse. So the majority of the book actually only takes place over 5 days, and the chapters in those days are split between the multiple story lines. I get that some people would rather dislike this (arguable) mess, but it worked for the book. On her site, she says this book was about the aftermath of events that are the settling down of chaos and order into some sort of balance: something I'm going to venture in saying is represented through the written style. It is a bit hectic and indiscernible at times, but there is a clear order and structure that is adhered to.

All the plots seem to figure themselves out in the expected manner: people survive, at a cost or they survive only to find a greater challenge. I don't think anyone would be blown away by the outcome of events since you you've probably been expecting it and though you're obviously happy with the result, you won't be overflowing with excitement after having read it. On the other hand though, you'll never be inconsolable. So if you want a book which isn't going to stress you out to much as a reader, but you can still enjoy reading, this is an excellent choice.

Getting more into specifics...

I felt that Kiara's plot and storyline got slowly more repetitive as time went on. She'd make the mistake of feeling safe or powerful, and then a threat would rear its ugly head. She would survive it, but it underlines the precariousness of her position as well as risking something concerning her unborn child. I am being somewhat cynical, but it has to be said that for an interesting character who could have a had a much more interesting story (in my opinion) it was annoying that it descended into repeating itself. The most interesting bit was the end of her plot. I'm not saying that it was great because it was over (though that lingers at the back of my mind) but because the possible repercussions are interesting. I believe her child will be a mage and that the excess of wormroot (a magic inhibiting drug) in her system from the dart will give the baby an unusual tolerance for it.

I'm of the same sort of opinion of Cam's story too. I feel like his was only used to remind us of the divisionists and the widespread chaos in the kingdoms; otherwise it wasn't too important.

Tris' story was when he was still at war with Curane. His story was also a tad dull, but the ever-looming battle and the mystery surrounding what to do and what new horrors would be encountered kept be reading quickly through these pages. Give whatever meaning to it what you will, I really enjoy reading about battles that involve magic and average soldiers. Part of it is my inbuilt love of magic, but I think I just like the idea of combat magic since it is the most instinctive side of magic and can have interesting consequences. What I disliked about this portion was that Tris seemed to be constantly at the edge of his power, but still managing to hold on. His comments on his growing fatigue and loss of power got a bit dull.

For me though, the Dark Haven story of Jonmarc and Carina was much more interesting. I think that might have been because it was the one story that wasn't so clear cut. The others ones needed their players to survive in order to continue. This story only needed one and, in Carina's case, that one didn't need to come about completely unscathed. If I look back on their story now, the same cynicism takes over that they were hardly the most interesting and that the story was hardly unique. There were conflicts with the revolting (as in revolution) Vampires and Jonmarc's fear of loosing Carina. Carina had her own problems in trying to avoid the taint of Vampirism that warred with her healing magic for dominance. I guess their story was also interesting because it was a chance to learn more about the flow: the river of magical energy in these lands.

So I was impressed with this book. Maybe Dark Haven was a book to set up this one which, in so many ways, was much better. It's actually the end of the Chronicle's of the Necromancer Series, since the following books are a separate series which (I suspect) have a more active focus on Jonmarc. Though maybe it instead focuses on the children of the people on these books: the series being the symbol for the next generation.

Also, bonus points if anyone know who is on the front of this book. Is it Carina???

Dark Haven by Gail Z. Martin

Though there are no spoilers for this book, this book contains a major (unavoidable) spoiler from books one and two. You have been warned!!! (It's also early on in the review.)

4
This the third in a series of fantasy, sword-and-sorcery novels following Martris "Tris" Drayke but now begins a split narrative that also follow Jonmarc Vahanian who is Mortal Lord of Dark Haven, the Land of the Vampires. Both are at war with one another and we see that though, perhaps, the major events are now ever, their effects are still being felt and the problem lingers still.

In some ways, I wasn't looking forward to this book. I like fantasy because I like magic and mythical creatures, and though Jonmarc is great character, I was initially worried that the magic (which, as I said, is the core fantasy element that I like) would take a back-seat. In some ways this is true, but it still took up half the narrative.

Jonmarc's is based on the fact that he is mortal among vampires, some of which are unwilling to have a mortal Lord. The central elements seem to be that he is rebuilding an ignored land to help its deprived inhabitants, as well as dealing with curbing an uprising and a war between the dead and the undead. Tris now the (SPOILER) King of Margolan is trying to do something similar as he stabilises a country in turmoil, secures the succession (since the Usurper was violently promiscuous) and enters into an inevitable war.

I point both of them out for a particular reason: they are both trying to help people who are starving and they both say how, though a King and a Lord, celebrations should be muted and in-extravagant. Yet it annoyed me to see them eating into heaps and heaps of food, dress up in expensively tailored clothes made for the occasions and basically spend truck loads of money. They proclaim the need to help and defend the interests of the people and say they cannot consider huge extravagance; the needs of the people are more important. It just frustrated me that this seemed persistently ignored.

That aside though, the plots were straightforward, run-of-the-mill stories, but well done such that you probably wouldn't be bored. The things I said earlier about the plot is basically just that in the long run, except with internal dialogue, romance and specifics. Yet the magic in it is that the characters involved are so interesting. Rather than being high and mighty, they are normal people who would fit in easily in a modern age because their outlook is understandable and they themselves are easy to empathise with. There is none of that sickening nonsense about "duty", "honour" and "loyalty" that is the Knight's code. They are still people, despite their rank. And they're interesting too. They come from different backgrounds- Vahanian is very much a rogue and former outlaw- which means that there's diversity between them. And, which I consider a huge bonus, the women are written as being capable alongside capable men. Too often I feel that though a balance is almost struck, few writers get across an idea that the female characters can defend themselves as well as having men who have a vulnerable, soft side. But I see it here (most of the time) and it's nice.

The magic in the book is something which is still important. In previous books it talks about how the flow (source of magical aptitude and power) is becoming unstable and chaotic due to dark magic, and this continued in the book. Tris is actually a spirit mage, so he can summon and converse with dead spirits and all but go to the land of the dead. It means that one of the main characters is constantly aware of the flow and can relay to us what happens concerning it. Again, it's run-of-the-mill stuff, but it's well done.

Romance...I don't know. It's there but I get this feeling that everyone keeps pairing up. Tris and Kiara are still a nice little couple and I appreciate how this isn't mad love but companionship and support: which I like to think is a more realistic relationship. There's also a whole thing involving Kiara as the bride of Tris, but I don't want to give anything away on that front since I found it so interesting. Vahanian has Carina, and their courting continues and develops fairly quickly, which is why I feel like people are being paired off. I like them as a couple too, especially since they were always at odds (though it annoyed me that this has kind of dwindled and been lost).

I'm not doing a very good job of selling this book to anyone, but I genuinely believe in my heart of hearts that this is a good book and part of that the reason is because Gail Z. Martin is such an excellent storyteller and craftswoman  for the characters and turmoil. One of the huge boons of this and the other books is that it is so easy and so pleasant to just get lost in this story for a few hours.

The Pain Merchants (Shifter) by Janice Hardy

British Cover

4
Nya lives in a world of Healers, Takers and Pain Merchants: people who can take pain from people and either store it away or turn it into powerful weapons. But Nya has a unique ability to actually be able to shift pain (hence the American name of the book) from one person to another. The story is what happens when this ability becomes known by those who would use her for it.

I'd read Janice's blog for a while before I decided to get the book, and in some ways I was surprised. I think I expected it to be more mature than it was: but I was forgetting that this is a teen book, perhaps Middle Grade (but I'm not entirely sure what Middle Grade actually is). Saying that though, I still really enjoyed the book and the world Nya lives in was lovely to  see and experience.

The healing idea is marvellous. As I said in the introduction, the ability is to take away the pain from an injury and- optionally- to be able to heal that injury. The pain is held in the healer's body until pynvium can be found: a rare metal that (when raw) is able to contain pain. In some ways, it's straightforward, but then I didn't want a huge and complicated magic system- and in it's good that it isn't magic. What's been done here is much more involved and sophisticated, in my opinion. One idea has been taken: that someone can heal someone else. What has then been done is that it was fleshed out. A problem with some magic in books is that- like in Harry Potter- no end of magic can be cast without personal effects. There is just an endless pool of magic while the magic itself is based on knowledge and creativity. Much better are the systems that cause the energy for magic to be taken from the caster, but that is an over-used idea. Janice's system is great because it really is a real effect: the healer will completely experience the pain of whoever they heal, they just won't have the physical injury.

The city itself was interesting too- as was it's place as city in a world. There is class divide in the city between the aristocrats who dominated the land through war and the natives who fought them. None of the descendants of those natives have positions of power, they-  the Gevegs- are beggars and manual labourers who work so that the Baseeris stay rich. The animosity between both groups is always apparent and it's the underlying tension throughout the city. A Baseeri believe that every Geveg's life is worth less than his own, and they would let thugs or worse do what they will with them. They turn a blind eye for their own protection.

American Cover (I prefer)

The League is almost the middle ground between Baseeris and Gevegs, but the leadership and power indicate quite clearly to whom the preference is directed. Since the skill of healing is valued, though not exceptionally rare, anyone will be accepted into the league and, once there, they dedicate their lives to healing others- in theory for the good of all. But in such a powerful establishment, there is obviously a level of corruption and wealth that is sadly necessary. The League has to feed, clothe and train the healers so money has to come into the institution. What's more, a Baseeri noble would dislike a grimy Geveg healing him so they must also be kept elegant and presentable. The League is supposed to be a good thing, at least that is what I feel. And I get the feeling it was a good thing until the Baseeris arrived as part of the unnamed Duke's conquest to reclaim independent lands.

One of the things I didn't like was the characterisation. I'm not going to make an issue of this because it isn't at the same maturity as some things I read so there can't always be the same moral ambiguity. Good and Evil are mostly clear cut, though the Pain Merchants (which is like a mob version of the League) are somewhat unclear. Even Nya, who is stealing eggs at the beginning, shows some sort of ambiguity. Yet it's all rather low-key and the manner of it makes it clear whether it's a good or bad deed. Nya is starving, so theft can be acceptable; and she also offers to work for her food once caught. She is a good character in a tough situation. As for the Pain Merchants, they are seen as ultimately bad. Though they might do good, it's for capitalist reasons of money-making.

The other thing  noticed myself disliking was some of the slang in the book. Some of it was local dialect, but when "cos" starting being used instead of "because" or " 'cause" the grammar freak in me lashed out and I got rather annoyed every time it was used after. I do remember some others, but that is the one that annoys me the most. Also, some of the names were bothersome since they seemed to awkward, but I think I'm just being unwarrantedly picky.

As a fantasy book for younger readers, I do think this was quite good. I would have preferred a more mature book, but knowing my old tastes, I know I would have liked it. I think the fact I read it all in a day is a nod towards the fact it is a good book. If you're looking for something simple, enjoyable and fantastical, look no further.

Friday Hop Seize

Q: Define what characteristics your favorite books share. Do they all have a kick ass heroine or is the hot love interest the Alpha Male?

I like books with at least a hint of the fantastical and slightly unbelievable. I do like, as the question asks, a kiss-ass heroine too! It's no fun reading about a meak one slowly struggling through life; someone with attitude, perserverance and willpower is much more interesting for readers. I tend to also like my romance to be slow- and I prefer watching a long period of falling in love then seeing the struggles they face after it. Falling in love is many time more engaging, for me, and the moment of realisation gives me a warm tingle up my spine.

Most books I like also seem to be reasonably long. Something about dedicating a lot of time to a book, and being able to be completely drawn in, are some important qualities. Other little things I like are: a whimsical side character who is humorous, clever and mysterious; the gruff 'teacher' role who helps the protagonist (this is kind of high fantasy exclusive, I think); and I like the main characters slowly learning to control and direct their abilities or skills towards another purpose (I thinking fantasy again here!).

Book Appeal: When you're browsing goodreads, the library, or another blogger's reviews, what grabs your attention to make you want to read it? 

Well, of course, the book cover is the best thing to grab my attention, followed quickly by the title of the book. I think the title is how the author or publisher has thought best to define a book; so it almost sums up the essence of that book in a short phrase or even just one word. For me the author isn't overly important- though I'm persuaded to try something if it is an author I know and like.

When it comes to goodreads or blogs, I also tend to look at the rating- and if it isn't a blogger I'm familiar with I'll scan their past review for books we've both read and see if I agree with what they say their. Goodreads has that handy comparison feature which I tend to utilise in this case. If I don't have much time, I'll also scan their introductory and final paragraph, since they tend to be more of a book overview than other more case-specific paragraphs.

Sometimes, reviewers also compare the books they read with other ones (such as when I've seen Legend compared with Divergent). This has been something that I've seen while going to leave the page, but has stopped me because I think if I liked one, maybe I'll like the other.

Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille

3
This is kind of Young-Adult Fantasy Romance, where our two narrators are actually elves. Both of them are said to have great potential to either enhance or destroy their world, yet both have no control and no aptitude. They seem less than average and, among their own kind, almost lesser. But as one might imagine, this book delves into how this isn't exactly the case.

This book reminded me of how I feel when I read Garth Nix. The fantasy element is there, but it's how the world  created by the author- no matter how wonderful and interesting- is something I can't grasp. I tend to feel that I'm thrown into something that I don't understand. Then, when I do learn something, I end up feeling more confused but just as out of place because I feel that I don't understand their world. It's not easy to explain, since it's just a feeling for the book, but I sit there and find myself reading merely hoping to understand something- anything- before its too late. For someone who likes if not needs are believable interesting world, this is something that (in my opinion) the book didn't seem to have. On the positive side, what I did see and understand was really marvellous. The trees and the lake were pristine in my mind's eye and the atmosphere was well done.

After the first section of the book (probably the first third) things started to make more sense. By this point I doubt I was completely engrossed or involved, but I was more interest by now. Seeing the attempts to train our pair- Krishani (the boy) and Kaliel (the girl)- and the results gave me a better idea of the characters than the pages I had read already. This was probably when I really saw the best parts of the book- especially Krishani's fight. I like the feeling of "I told you so" in that Krishani had warned his mentor what could happen. I think after good parts like these, by feelings towards the book improved and I enjoyed it more.

I kind of liked the romance too. In this world, Elves aren't taken with love as other creatures are. They dedicate themselves to the land and the universe, and any matrimony is at the whims of the land. So their love isn't forbidden, but it's unusual for it to happen. Most people just seem a bit sceptical, and argue that their duty is more important. I like this idea of their love- it isn't forbidden (because I think forbidden love is often unbelievable) but its treated with disbelieving delicacy. Krishani accepts that he is in love before Kaliel and is happy to tell her, but she- despite day dreams about him, and despite an obvious attraction to him- keeps turning him away. His undying yet unrequited love didn't bother me, but I feel it went on to long. As a reader, I can tell when something is going to happen and I get annoyed when it is constantly delayed. Another point is that at some times this love also seems a bit of obsessive.

The Flames were a nice touch. They, I think, represent a kind of open wilfulness and confidence and, for Kaliel, represent the opposite of what she thinks she should be. She wants to be loyal and dutiful, not carefree spirit of mirth. She also doesn't want to be special, but the Flames ("The jewels of the universe") are anything but that. I was perhaps bothered by the lack of display of this Flame power, since I like a bit of awe-inspiring demonstrations of potency, but I can't complain on this front.

One thing I really liked was the very last section of the book. The ending itself was much easier to read and it flowed smoothly and interestingly. There was also the first part of book two at the end and it's made me determined to read book two, merely because I want to know what's going to happen.

There are unanswered questions in this book, which bothered me. The fact that so much of this just didn't click for me is quite a personal thing, but I can see where the good parts of this book where and how I need to avoid focusing on the start which I didn't like, and the end which I did.

Magical March Challenge

A reading challenge, hosted by Adam from RoofBeamReader.net, is one that seems perfect for me. The aim is to read books that fall under any kind of fantasy label, be they Urban, Young Adult or Epic Fantasy; Science Fiction, so Dystopians or Steampunk are also good; as well as Magical Realism... which I'm not sure as to the meaning. These must be read throughout March. The rules, direct from the source, are:

1. You must register with the Mister Linky below prior to March 5^th in order to be eligible to participate.
2. You must read only “new” books – meaning, no re-reads are allowed.  Books for other challenges can be cross-used for this one, but you must read the book and review it in the month of March (previously completed books for other challenges do not qualify).
3. You must link up each book review to a separate Mister Linky, which will be available on March 5^th (once registrations close).
4. Challengers must post on their blog an “Announcement” post, indicating they are participating in this challenge and which level they hope to attain. One completer from each “Class” will be randomly selected to win the corresponding prize for that level. 
   1. You do not need to meet your level in order to win a prize.  If you aim for “Grand Merlin Class” but only achieve “Magician’s Class,” you will still be entered into the Magician’s Prize Pool!
   2. You do not need to list your books in advance, but I plan on doing so (to keep me motivated and to help me stay organized). 
5. Any Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Magical Realism books will qualify.  This means you can read Young Adult, Dystopian, Steampunk, or Alternative Histories.

There are levels of participation, based upon how much you think you'll read for the hop. They are:

Magician’s Class:               1-2 Books Read & Reviewed        1 Book $10 or Less

Sorcerer’s Class:                3-5 Books Read & Reviewed        1 Book $12 or Less

Wizard’s Class:                  6-7 Books Read & Reviewed         1 Book $15 or Less

Grand Merlin Class:            8+ Books Read & Reviewed          1+  Book(s) $20 or Less

I'd like love to go for the Grand Merlin class because I have more than 8 books that fall into those categories. Besides my classics, I think most of my to-read novels fall into that category. This is fantastic for me so I'm really going to try. But, I'm only going to aim for the Sorcerer's Class since it is the one I know I can achieve notwithstanding a sudden death. 

However, I'm going to try for Grand Merlin as much as possible!

I won't plan my books, since I won't enjoy them as much, but I'm hoping to read a few of my series (i.e. Lord of the Rings, Song of Ice and Fire and Chronicles of the Necromancer) and possibly get the Eleventh Plague (by Jeff Hirsch), Runemarks (by Joanne Harris) and The Girl of Fire and Thorns (by Rae Carson) in there between the others. 

Friday Hop Quatorze

Q: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to get your hands on any particular book?

I live in a main city in England (Livepool) so I've always been close to bookstores and easy to access for people to deliver to me. I've never done anything really describable as crazy, but I have ordered books from foreign countries before- knowing I'd have to wait a month or more for it to arrive. Usually, if I want a book, nothing will stop me. I remember when I was first reading the Belgariad that I wanted the same style of cover for all five books (two of which I already owned) and I trawled the internet for almost two hours so I could get those covers. They were twice as expensive as the available copies on Amazon, but I liked the other covers too much.

I think that I am (geographically and economically) always in a position where it is very easy for me to get whatever book I want whenever I want it. I'm not averse to doing something a little zany for a book, but I've never been given the oppurtunity. I'll be sure to update this if I remember anything during the day.

Recommend It: Which book from the last 10 you've read would you recommend to a friend?

Anyone who has read or hopped by this blog probably knows how much of a fan of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (my review) I am. So though I'm afraid of becoming a broken record, this is just so easily the book I'd recommend. It's a perfect mix of Fantasy and the falling in love element of romance (which I my preferred part of it). It was a well-written, immensely enjoyable hybrid of things I love in books.

Also, I don't have many real life friends who are great readers, let alone any who read fantasy. The one person I know who read fantasy, hates romance. So basically I need all you internet people to talk to me about this book and satisfy the craving I have to discuss this until my fingers fall off, blistered and bleeding.

If I was to say a book that couldn't be that, I'd have to say The Iron Maiden by Resa Nelson (my review), because I really, really liked it and, having not a read a high fantasy in while, I feel a craving for it. This was the last one I read so it's the one on my mind and the one my next fantasy will have to live up to!