Rosamund Hodge’s debut novel, Cruel Beauty, is a bold and imaginative retelling of Beauty and the Beast. With this highly ambitious book, Hodge attempRosamund Hodge’s debut novel, Cruel Beauty, is a bold and imaginative retelling of Beauty and the Beast. With this highly ambitious book, Hodge attempted to take the wildly popular retellings one step further, mostly by making the connections between Cruel Beauty and the original story very loose, and wrapping what was left into much violence and darkness in her richly imaginative world. Consequently, we’re left with no more than a few vague similarities between Beauty and the Beast and Cruel Beauty, just enough to justify calling this a retelling at all.
Nyx, for one, is nothing at all like Belle. She is hateful and stubborn, quick to lash out at those she should aim to protect. I suspect some readers might find her less than endearing, and that’s putting it mildly, but I wasn’t troubled by her anger or her actions. In fact, her rage was the only thing about her I was able to fully understand, the injustice of her life from the moment she was born a constant burning sensation in my throat. It was obvious that Hodge strived to make her characters endlessly complex, but Nyx is the only one with whom she actually succeeded. The secondary characters, Nyx’s father and aunt in particular, were two-dimensional, archetypal and utterly predictable.
There’s no denying the lushness and elegance of Rosamund Hodge’s prose. Her writing is a thing of beauty, atmospheric, gorgeous and alluring. Yet oftentimes, the tenor of the prose prevented me from immersing in the story or caring about the characters. While I enjoyed her words, put together so prettily, I also found them to be emotionally sterile. Nothing about them felt real or emotional or visceral or true. Dark, twisted and beautiful Cruel Beauty may be, but emotionally, it leaves a lot to be desired.
The romance was certainly the part I liked best, Nyx’s moral dilemma making it more interesting and real. My failure to connect with Nyx took away some of my reading enjoyment, but seeing as I liked the Gentle Lord immensely, I found him and their relationship to be the saving grace of this book.
I still haven’t managed to find a retelling I actually liked, so do take my opinion with a grain of salt. I went into this because I was promised lush, atmospheric prose, and that’s what I got, so I shouldn’t complain too hard.
There have been quite a few good books about Spanish Influenza in the last few years, but A Death-Struck Year stands out among them as unusually realiThere have been quite a few good books about Spanish Influenza in the last few years, but A Death-Struck Year stands out among them as unusually realistic. Put simply, it is a story about unlikely heroes, regular people who chose to help others when help is most needed, regardless of the danger. A Death-Struck Year is about a teen girl who joins the Red Cross volunteers during the outburst of Spanish Influenza in Portland, despite being far too young to do so. I myself have spent many, many years volunteering for the Red Cross, and although my work was much simpler and far less dangerous, I loved seeing these people portrayed in such a wonderful way.
Just like everything else in this book, Cleo struck me as an unusually realistic character. She wasn’t particularly bold and she didn’t make the decision to help rashly. She was scared and uncertain like any other sane person would be, but she swallowed her fears, hid her age, and volunteered to help where help was most needed. It’s people like Cleo who are true heroes of every story, and I appreciated her uncertainty just as much as I appreciated her courage.
The romance is subtle and uncomplicated, strong and reliable, and certainly not at the forefront of anyone’s mind at such a terrible time. Cleo and Edmund both have their hands full caring for the sick, which leaves them very little time to spend together and get to know each other, but his constant concern for her and vice versa is touching. Lucier chose to make her romance as straightforward as possible, leaving the drama completely out of the picture. The focus was always on the devastating effect the Spanish influenza had on Portland in October and November of 1918.
Because of its realism, A Death-Struck Year has tremendous educational value. It’s obvious from this debut that Makiia Lucier is a very promising young writer from whom we can expect many more extraordinary novels. I cannot recommend this book enough.
3.5 stars I always have high hopes when I start a new urban fantasy series. Nothing makes me happier than a good book within my favorite genre so I’ve 3.5 stars I always have high hopes when I start a new urban fantasy series. Nothing makes me happier than a good book within my favorite genre so I’ve always been willing to dig very deep in order to find one. Thankfully, Night Owls was well worth the time it took to read it, and then some. That’s not to say that it was free of flaws, but there was a lot to admire, especially for a series opener.
There are two types of supernatural creatures in this world: Jackals or Creeps, vicious, bloodthirsty killing machines and vampires like Val. Val herself was a Hunter for many years. Her job was to find Jackals and kill them just as mercilessly as they killed humans everywhere. After a massacre only she survived, Val left hunting to other vampires and opened a small bookstore that she runs with the help of her Renfield, Chaz.
Flawed or not, Night Owls is a valiant attempt to introduce some changes into the urban fantasy genre. The first is a notable absence of romance, which takes us back to the early days of UF and its very roots. Secondly, the third person multiple perspectives narrative, by definition foreign to this genre and not at all well suited for it. The first attempt can easily be described as praiseworthy and mostly successful. The absence of romantic entanglements between the five core characters allowed other, some would say more important storylines to stand out and kept the focus exactly where it’s supposed to be – on the main plot. The narrative mode, however wasn’t nearly as successful, and this is where the lack of romance did some serious harm. With no couple to get emotionally invested in, the distance between reader and character, created by the author’s choice of narrative mode,
For all the novelty it brings in structure, Night School is thematically old school urban fantasy, my very favorite kind. We have a decent mythology-based world, excellent protagonists and plenty of action to keep us entertained. While there’s no romance to speak of, it is by no means an emotionally empty book. Quite the contrary: these characters give us plenty to worry about.
All things considered, Night Owls is an exciting start to what promises to be a great new urban fantasy series. Book 2 hasn’t been announced yet, but I hope we’ll have a release date soon.
4.5 stars It’s been a very long time since I finished a book in one sitting (a couple of hours, really) not daring to blink or look away lest I miss so4.5 stars It’s been a very long time since I finished a book in one sitting (a couple of hours, really) not daring to blink or look away lest I miss something important. Brigid Kemmerer hit it out of the ballpark once again. Secret is, I dare say, her best Elemental book so far. The sensitivity and subtlety she showed with Nick launched her from an author whose books I enjoy to someone I admire and deeply respect.
Unlike Hunter’s book (and Gabriel’s for that matter), Secret has very little action and a whole lot of contemplation. Nick is in such a difficult situation, forced to hide his true self from everyone, including his twin brother, convinced that they’d never accept and love him if they knew who he really was. Nick’s struggles were done so beautifully and realistically, his pain poured out of every page, his insecurities and fears a burden on the reader’s shoulders. Nick’s reluctance to open up was incredibly frustrating, since not knowing the outcome made his suffering so much worse. At times, even being rejected by everyone seemed better than pretending, but it was clear that Nick needed to reach his breaking point first… and reach it he did.
Also unlike the previous books, the other Merricks get very little attention. There was always one Merrick boy (or Hunter) at the center of each book, but in Secret, everything was about Nick and only Michael played a more significant part. I attribute this to the fact that Nick is such an overwhelmingly troubled character, but also a strong presence that simply takes over every scene, his mild manners notwithstanding.
In addition to Nick’s story, we see everything that goes on in Quinn’s house, especially now that her older brother is back in town. Against all odds, Quinn finds a love interest of her own, and in the most unlikely of places. It was hard for me to like Quinn, her prickly nature making it almost impossible, but I was fully aware of how complex she was and how her reactions always made sense. While I felt Nick’s pain and even suffered along with him, it was through Quinn that I saw Kemmerer’s superior understanding of human nature. Please allow me this small comparison – I always complain that something is missing from Katie McGarry’s books. Her characters never seem real because their reactions are textbook perfect. Whatever she’s missing, Kemmerer has it in spades. Her characters are nuanced, deeply flawed and, most importantly, entirely believable.
While reading Breathless, the prequel novella also told from Nick’s perspective, isn’t strictly necessary, I strongly recommend it for those who wish to fully enjoy Nick’s (and Quinn’s) story. It will give you a great idea of what to expect and show you a side of Nick you’ve never seen before.
A quick note: I firmly believe in separating the book from its author. Once the book is published, it belongs to itself, to other texts, and to the reA quick note: I firmly believe in separating the book from its author. Once the book is published, it belongs to itself, to other texts, and to the readers, not to the person who wrote it. However, the fact that I moderately enjoyed this book months before the whole stalking debacle does NOT mean that I condone the author's behavior. In fact, I am thoroughly disgusted by the whole sordid affair. I'll leave my original review intact because frankly, it's not the book's fault. But I will never again read or in any way support anything written by Kathleen Hale. As a reviewer whose full name and face are available to anyone willing to google, I invite you all to do the same.
3.5 stars Like every satire ever written, No One Else Can Have You is destined to polarize readers. I doubt there will be people with lukewarm feelings for this book. Either this type of dark humor is something you enjoy or not, but either should be clear after only a couple of pages.
Through Friendship, Wisconsin and its colorful inhabitants, Hale cleverly points out all the shortcomings of a small community. Her criticism is as sharp as it is funny, and she spares no one in the process: not the protagonist, not the grieving parents, not the war hero, and certainly not the victim herself. To Hale, everything is fair game, and that’s precisely what makes her prose acceptable and entertaining. Had she been picky with her disparagement, the value would have been lost, but her tone remains unchanged whichever way you look.
Like everything else, the murder mystery is designed to both entertain and ridicule the small town mentality. Everyone involved in the investigation is basically a blithering idiot and the only two people with a modicum of sense are Kippy and Davey, Ruth’s older brother, just returned from a tour in Afghanistan. Davey has secrets he’s doing his best to hide and the entire town believes that he suffers from PTSD, so the fact that he’s the sanest one around is plenty ridiculous all on its own.
Despite the quirkiness that is, on occasion, exaggerated and annoying, Hale strikes just the right note with her secondary characters. The people of Friendship, few exceptions aside, are funny and instantly lovable, in that entirely unrealistic, unbelievable way. Kippy’s dad in particular has no trouble finding his way into the readers’ hearts, with his silly nicknames and his unrelenting support.
While I strongly recommend reading a sample first, just to see if this is something you might enjoy, I think everyone should at least give this one a chance. It’s a novelty, a breath of fresh air in an overly saturated market, and as such, it’s worthy of attention.
4.5 stars Considering my horrid experience with Firelight, Sophie Jordan’s YA paranormal project, I started Uninvited a bit wearily, honestly not expec4.5 stars Considering my horrid experience with Firelight, Sophie Jordan’s YA paranormal project, I started Uninvited a bit wearily, honestly not expecting much. And yet, not even 50 pages in, I found myself wound so tightly I could barely breathe.
Jordan did an excellent job of building this mistrustful, terrified society. Parents turning on their children, boyfriends turning on their girlfriends, best friends turning on each other, for no reason other than two recessive genes combined. Fear and mass hysteria are worst enemies of mankind, and combined with the financial interests of some huge company, they make the most dangerous thing in the world.
The horrible injustice of it all burned my throat as I struggled to understand how an entire nation could become so close-minded and prejudiced in such a short period of time. How does one go from ‘innocent until proven guilty’ to ‘guilty simply for having the so called kill gene’? Are we really that easily manipulated? I’m afraid the answer to that question came to me just a bit too quickly, and it wasn’t one I wanted to believe.
Ostracized by her friends and completely abandoned by her formerly loving family, Davy suddenly finds herself completely alone in a world unknown. The rules she lived by for the first 17 years of her life no longer apply. One minute she is a former child prodigy, a well-loved and well-cared for girl, already accepted to Julliard, girlfriend of the most desirable boy in school, with her life all planned out – the next, she is no one, a person with no friends, no family, no name and no rights. She is fair game to every bully and predator out there, and the law is never on her side.
At the beginning, the author took a great risk by making Davy just as prejudiced as her peers, just as ready to judge and turn her back on someone without bothering to find out the first thing about them. She discriminated even while being discriminated against. However, the worse her situation got, the more she realized how unimportant outward signs of violence – forced upon those like her by the government – really are. Little by little, Davy changed the frame through which she viewed the world, and built herself into the person she needed to be to survive.
The strong philosophical undertones, the never-ending nature vs. nurture discussion, make Uninvited a much better book. This isn’t a story you’ll breeze through. If you pay enough attention, it will force you to consider things you’d rather not think about.
Thought-provoking and deeply disturbing, Uninvited is a perfect read for those who enjoy their dystopias with a slightly more realistic edge.
Dead Ends is a simple yet wonderful tale about an unlikely friendship between two young boys, both of them social outcasts. Dane is a bully, raised byDead Ends is a simple yet wonderful tale about an unlikely friendship between two young boys, both of them social outcasts. Dane is a bully, raised by a very young single mom and angry at the world. He has no idea who his father is, and his mother, although otherwise great, refuses to divulge his identity. Dane takes out his anger on anyone who dares to look at him the wrong way, until Billy D. comes along.
Billy D. has Down syndrome. He is highly functional and pretty healthy, all things considered, but he's far from being a regular kid. He sees Dane as someone strong enough to keep him safe from all those who enjoy "hitting a retard". Being intelligent and aware of his situation makes him pretty manipulative so he somehow manages to blackmail Dane into helping him.
The last thing Dane wants to do is to get involved, but with the expulsion from school looming over his head, his choices are limited at best. He even lets himself be blackmailed into helping Billy D. locate his estranged father, which forces Dane to think about finding his own missing dad. Despite how it may seem, a friendship born from mutual understanding is inevitable between these boys. Lange doesn't try to portray either of them in a better light, but as they learn things about each other, they also discover things about themselves, partly flaws they'd rather not see, but also qualities they didn't even know they possessed. Of course their journey ends up being painful and full of unwanted revelations, but it also gives them something neither of them has ever had before - a true friend.
There isn't much I can say about the plot for fear of spoiling it, but I will say this: Dead Ends is a beautifully written, poignant story that deserves far more attention than what it's been getting. I vote that we try to change that. It's what we do, after all.
1.5 star Oh, how deceiving looks can be! (I just love being overly dramatic sometimes, don’t you?) With the cover and the blurb as impressive as these,1.5 star Oh, how deceiving looks can be! (I just love being overly dramatic sometimes, don’t you?) With the cover and the blurb as impressive as these, Drawn can easily pull in even the most skeptical of readers – and in my case, it did. Everything about this book looked right on the surface. The cover is alluring, the premise so very intriguing, and the short graphic introductions to each chapter promised a unique reading experience. However, it soon became clear that Drawn is nowhere near as good as I was hoping it would be. Instead, it is slightly amateurish novel that may appeal more to middle grade readers.
How many fabulous, but poorly executed ideas can you think of right this second? I bet I could come up with at least a dozen off the top of my head, and yet very few have had such promising beginnings and have ended up disappointing me to such extent. The protagonist, Sasha, is a human lie detector – her voice can make anyone say what they’re thinking out loud. Because of her talent, Sasha lives a very lonely life. Her parents abandoned her when she was a baby and she moved from home to home, friendless, until she was assigned to a female FBI agent who took care of her and used her to solve cases.
Considering Sasha’s unique ability, the mission she was sent on in Drawn, and by the CIA, no less, seemed ridiculously easy and entirely unnecessary. Her job was to infiltrate a group of graffiti artists and uncover the identity of the infamous Kid Aert, and how convenient that the daughter of Sasha’s handler – a girl who befriended her despite constantly blurting out embarrassing truths around her – was already a part of said group. Of course, as she befriends this group of French artists, Sasha ends up with an internal conflict – do her job like she’s always done, or protect the only friends she’s ever had?
The attempt to build Sasha into a complex character, bitter for being abandoned by various parental figures and constantly used by the government, failed spectacularly. Not for a second did I feel her loneliness and insecurity as I was undoubtedly supposed to. Instead, she came across as unapproachable and somewhat obnoxious.
As a general rule, I try to find at least something positive to say, and in this case, it would probably be the setting, except for all the errors it brought with it. Sasha’s assignment takes her to Belgium, a country we don’t see much of in YA, which I’d normally be thrilled about. However, although I don’t speak much French, even I could notice all the language disasters – the kind of errors Google Translate would do.
To make the long story short – I can’t, in good conscience, recommend Drawn to anyone. This is not Gray’s debut, but it certainly reads like someone’s first high school attempt at writing a novel, and I think we can all agree that those should be kept hidden.
Every once in a while, I read a book that has no ratings or reviews by people I trust, hoping to discover a hidden gem. And every once in a while, tho Every once in a while, I read a book that has no ratings or reviews by people I trust, hoping to discover a hidden gem. And every once in a while, though not as often as I’d like, I actually succeed (which, I freely admit, happens to be very good for my ego). Angelbound is one of those gems I’m thrilled to have discovered. I picked it up on Netgalley not expecting much at all and I ended up reading it in one sitting. This YA paranormal fantasy is cute, compulsively readable and above all fun.
Myla is a quasi-demon – a half demon, half human 17-year-old girl enslaved by ghouls in the Purgatory. She did nothing wrong to end up there; her species used to rule the realm until Armageddon, the King of Hell, allied himself with the ghouls and helped them in their rise to power. Aside from going to school where she learns all about being a good slave to the ghouls, Myla fights in the Arena against souls that choose trial by combat in their afterlife. Her opponents are always the most wicked of souls and it’s Myla’s job to make sure they don’t win against her, thus earning a one-way ticket to Heaven. Luckily for everyone, Myla is very good at what she does.
Myla is a magnificent heroine, fierce and outspoken, hilarious and mischievous, and yet compassionate and mature when the need arises. As fascinated as I was by the worldbuilding, it was Myla who turned this book into something memorable. This girl never faltered, she fought back with a healthy dose of humor and an arrogance I would probably hate in anyone else. I do love a girl who knows her strengths. And did I mention that her demon tail is sentient? Best. Sidekick. Ever.
When Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax first appeared, I disliked him so intensely, I didn’t think there was any hope for his character. But only a boy equally skilled and equally arrogant could ever hold Myla’s interest for a longer period of time, and the prophecies soon proved true – they were indeed perfectly matched. What started as an awfully antagonistic relationship, ended up being one of the sweetest, drama-free romances I’ve come across in a very long time. Don’t you just love it when couples present a unified front in all things?
Ah, but here’s the real treat: Bauer took the very basic Heaven-and-Hell outline and then built upon it, creating five realms with rich history, each ruled by a different race. Usually, the word ‘angel’ on the cover of any book is enough to make me shudder, but thankfully, I didn’t let my prejudice stop me from requesting this, and thank Heavens for that!
The secondary characters, with the unfortunate exception of Myla’s best friend Cissy, are all very lovable and interesting. I could have done without the focus on Cissy and her love life in the first half, but when Myla and Lincoln took center stage, the annoyance was quickly forgotten. As far as narrative techniques go, I’m usually not a fan of flashbacks, but these dreamscapes in which Myla discovered the truth about her mother’s past were perfectly timed and reasonably short, so I found myself enjoying them despite myself.
Fans of interesting worldbuilding, fans of romance, fans of kickass heroines, fans of great fight scenes, fans of all of the above… I believe you’ll all find plenty to love about Angelbound. Although it ends cleanly and beautifully, I can’t wait for the release of Scala in May 2014.
After Kim Curran’s original and highly entertaining debut, Shift, my expectations for the sequel were pretty high. I read both books back to back, butAfter Kim Curran’s original and highly entertaining debut, Shift, my expectations for the sequel were pretty high. I read both books back to back, but a significant improvement was easily noticeable. She has matured as a writer from one book to the next, and although Control had its problems, it’s a read I’d never hesitate to recommend.
In Shift, Scott discovered that he has the power to change any decision he’s ever made. In other words, he’s a shifter. But the power is far more dangerous than it seems because even the smallest change can have catastrophic consequences. What’s more, his power won’t last forever – the ability to shift is limited to teens. Once Scott reaches a certain age, entropy will set in and he’ll be just a regular person once more. Through it all, he has the help of a shifter girl, Aubrey. She was the one who helped him adjust to his new life as an agent of the ARES, and – to Scott’s never-ending astonishment – she seems to like him just as much as he likes her.
At only 15, Aubrey is intelligent, talkative and energetic, true force of nature. Both books are told from Scott’s point of view, but although we only see her though his eyes, Aubrey is no less of a protagonist. For Scott, she is the only constant in his otherwise turbulent life, something to hold on to in the ever-changing realities.
Male voices are so difficult to get right in YA (a teen boy’s mind is a mysterious thing indeed), but Scott’s struck me as very authentic. Both Scott and Aubrey were extremely mature for their age, but it never really seemed odd considering the amount of power they wielded and the type of job they did. Each of them was burdened with so much responsibility that it’s no wonder they talked and acted like 30-year-olds.
The plot in both books is downright excellent and Curran leaves her readers no time to breathe or relax. Scott and Aubrey face true horrors on every turn. The only letdown was their final encounter with the villain in Control. This person had been terrorizing and manipulating shifters for decades, and yet Scott handled the situation so easily, it was almost ridiculous. Aside from that, Shift and Control are amazing and compulsively readable.
Another thing I feel the need to mention: I. Do. Not. Appreciate. Cliffhangers! Ending your book with a cliffhanger is a sure way to ruin the whole thing for me. While Shift has a nice, clean-cut ending, Control ends with a huge pile of mess at Scott’s door. It’s a good thing a third book was recently announced, or I’d be tempted to pull my hair out. Or well, someone’s hair at the very least.
Cliffhanger or not, these books are a much needed breath of fresh air in YA. If originality is what you’re after, pick up a Strange Chemistry title and give it a try. It’s quickly becoming my favorite and most reliable imprint. These days, it’s enough to see their logo to know that I’ll thoroughly enjoy a book. Kim Curran’s series is no exception.
2.5 stars The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Well then, methinks I’m batshit crazy2.5 stars The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Well then, methinks I’m batshit crazy because I just never learn.
Even though I’m fully aware that she has many, many fans, Katie McGarry’s books never quite worked for me. I often found her approach to certain subjects too shallow, her characters just a tiny bit plastic and her writing awfully clichéd. They are, for me, the type of books I can finish in one sitting, and then promptly forget they exist.
The same stands true for Crash Into You, albeit somewhat amplified. Despite my lukewarm feelings towards the previous two books, I found myself looking forward to Isaiah’s story. Of all McGarry’s characters, he’s the one I felt had the most potential. But instead of building upon the promising foundations, McGarry turned him into one of those bad-on-the-outside-decent-on-the-inside archetypal romance heroes, thus effectively ruining his character and the overall story for me. Where was the expected depth? Mommy issues and a few false rumors do not a hero make.
Back when Isaiah thought himself in love with Beth, I wholeheartedly agreed that they weren’t right for each other. Two severely damaged individuals would always drag each other down, no matter their intentions. But who he got instead wasn’t much better for him, and she was a disappointment for me as a reader as well. I was promised a street racer, and instead I got a skittish, never-been-kissed girl with no backbone and more issues than I could count. So even though Isaiah ended up being as stereotypical as they come, the real letdown was Rachel.
With her personality and her will practically smothered by her family, Rachel grew up into a weak, strange girl prone to panic attacks. Her small rebellion, the street race where she met Isaiah, was a once-in-a-lifetime deal, not a common occurrence like the book description led me to believe. There were so many times I wanted to shake some sense into Rachel, make her stand up to her family instead of cowering and throwing up until her throat was raw and bleeding. Their relationship was at times exaggerated to the point of being ridiculous, which is exactly what McGarry usually does and why her books rarely work for me.
As always, secondary characters were far more interesting, probably because they haven’t been turned into clichés just yet. Abby has a great story to tell, McGarry has hinted at a horrible past that I would normally be excited to explore. My problem is that I don’t trust this author to do it properly, without turning Abby into a textbook teen martyr, a troubled girl only waiting for the right boy to solve all her problems. The next book isn’t Abby’s, however, that dubious honor belongs to Rachel’s brother West.
I’ve decided to part ways with McGarry so many times, only to pick up the newest title as soon as it becomes available. This time, I know better than to make such statements. I don’t feel particularly drawn to West’s story, but once it comes out… who knows?
A Cursed Moon is a novella told from the perspective of Bren, Celia’s were friend. Novella’s are always hit or miss for me, rarely do they fall in theA Cursed Moon is a novella told from the perspective of Bren, Celia’s were friend. Novella’s are always hit or miss for me, rarely do they fall in the middle, and luckily, A Cursed Moon is a huge success.
I adore Cecy Robson for being able to build such a fabulously complex character in a single novella. I feel like I know Bren well now, and I certainly understand what makes him behave the way he does. I have to admit I was a bit worried at first – Bren’s devil may care attitude grated on me and made me severely uncomfortable, but Robson did a fabulous job of explaining his character in a way that made sense and that succeeded in endearing him to me in a matter of minutes. The loyalty and love he shows his friends on a daily basis more than make up for his sometimes obnoxious behavior.
It was also nice to see Celia through someone else’s eyes. Due to her confidence issues, we never really got the sense of how other people might see her, so being privy to Bren’s thoughts was truly eye-opening. It is now even more clear that Celia has a somewhat distorted self-image and that she is, in fact, both fierce and stunningly gorgeous.
Even though this novella focuses on Bren and his new position in Aric’s pack, a big part of it continues to explore Celia and Aric’s situation. These two break my heart to teeny tiny bits. Their love for each other is so strong, but Aric is not selfish enough to put his own desires and happiness above that of his pack. They are the very definition of star-crossed lovers, and Robson writes these emotional moments extremely well.
For a novella, A Cursed Moon is pretty eventful and it brings some permanent changes, which is rather unusual. I can’t wait to see how they will reflect on the series as a whole in Cursed by Destiny, the next novel in this wonderful series.
As a book reviewer, I sometimes have to struggle very hard to keep even a semblance of objectivity. With some books it’s easy: I either get a combinatAs a book reviewer, I sometimes have to struggle very hard to keep even a semblance of objectivity. With some books it’s easy: I either get a combination of technical excellence and great chemistry between myself and the story, or there’s an unfortunate lack of both. But sometimes, a book is technically good, with very little I can objectively criticize, but there’s no chemistry to speak of. In other words, it’s written fairly well, but I don’t like it. Born of Deception is one such book.
Anna van Hausen’s story intrigued me greatly in Born of Illusion. Combined with Teri Brown’s excellent writing, it made for an excellent read, perhaps one of my favorites in 2013. Needless to say, I waited with bated breath for my advanced copy of Born of Deception to arrive, but the initial reviews that preceded it had me worried that it wasn’t quite up to snuff.
The biggest letdown wasn’t the story or the pacing, it was Anna’s relationship with Cole. Like everyone else in the known universe, I adored these two in the previous book, but this time they just didn’t fit together very well, and their lack of communication combined with Cole’s reluctance to show his feelings made me doubt that they should be together at all. By the end I still wasn’t convinced that these two were right for each other, and the final chapter did absolutely nothing to ease my worries.
Adding a love triangle to a relationship that’s already shaky didn’t go very far toward endearing this book to me. I despise love triangles at the best of times, but having one so poorly constructed, with no other purpose than to put even more distance between Anna and Cole, made me extremely uncomfortable. I liked Billy a lot, but I never really considered him to be a true love interest, just a means to an end.
However, I enjoyed the rest of the story. While the villain was painfully obvious almost from the start, the crimes were gruesome enough that I didn’t particularly mind. After all, I had death curses, exsanguinations, powerful mages and a very large group of Sensitives like Anna to entertain me. Anna faced a formidable enemy in this book, and her abilities weren’t all that helpful in this case. In the end, she had to rely on others to stay alive, and unfortunately, Cole wasn’t really among them.
Since Anna moved to London to work on her own show and be with Cole, Born of Deception introduced a number of new characters, most of them really interesting. I loved seeing Anna on her own in a new city, she was able to prove that she’s more than capable of taking care of herself.
As far as I can tell, this is the second part of a duology, but it felt vastly unfinished to me. I don’t have to have a neatly tied ending, but in this case, far too many things were left open, which made me uncomfortable. I hope we’ll get at least a novella that will clear things up a bit.
2.5 stars I love that the New Adult genre is starting to stray a bit from the usual format. I’ve stopped reading it altogether because of its repetitiv2.5 stars I love that the New Adult genre is starting to stray a bit from the usual format. I’ve stopped reading it altogether because of its repetitive, formulaic nature, but Trouble Comes Knocking seemed different from the start, which is why I decided to give it a chance. Romance is an important part of this story, but it’s not at the forefront. The characters here are young and Lucy still lives with her aunt, but she is out of college, and so are her friends/romantic interests. They have already started living their adult lives.
Lucy is someone I could have liked a lot, were she sufficiently developed as a character, but she wasn’t. The length of the story, which is somewhere between a novella and a full length novel, made proper development of characters and plot virtually impossible. The only thing that was fully developed (which I suppose says enough about the planning of this narrative) was the dreaded love triangle. Lucy has feelings for two men – one she’s allowed to be with, and one she’s not. What bothered me was that she started having feelings for both of them in a matter of days, which made me doubt the quality and intensity of those feelings. It was, however, clear who she really wanted to be with, but that didn’t make me feel any better at all.
The story constantly jumped back and forth in time, between Lucy’s questioning at the police station, and past events she was being questioned about. These jumps happened without any kind of warning, which made them a bit awkward and exhausting at first. Even when it’s well done, it is a narrative technique that never works for me, and it didn’t work now. I would have much preferred a linear story.
The last 10% opened up a whole new story for Lucy, a mystery that will probably be pursued in the next book. I doubt I’ll read it myself, but I might change my mind once it’s out. If I do, I hope I’ll get a better understanding of these characters; wasted potential always makes me so sad.
The story revolves around Evelina Cooper, Sherlock Holmes’s niece. With her rather unusual upbringing (she grew up in a circus, no less), Evelina does The story revolves around Evelina Cooper, Sherlock Holmes’s niece. With her rather unusual upbringing (she grew up in a circus, no less), Evelina doesn’t fit in with London’s high society. Her interest in various steam-powered trinkets and her penchant for magic only make things worse. However, as an outsider with inside connections, she is uniquely qualified to solve mysteries, even though no one else seems to think so.
A Study in Silks occasionally tries to do too much, but still drags a bit due to its unusual length. The pacing is slower, and Evelina sometimes just isn’t strong enough to carry it. Admittedly, Holloway has great talent for writing action scenes so those parts proved to be incredibly entertaining. Her writing is fairly clean and light, completely unlike Gail Carriger’s witty style.
True fans of one mister Sherlock Holmes might struggle a bit with this book. Holloway’s portrayal of this well known and beloved character has very little to do with the original, which might be irritating to some. Doyle’s Sherlock is a misogynist, he is a drug addict and impossible to live with. Holloway’s version is too mild in comparison, completely unlike the skeptic we all know and love. I’ve seen him described as sweet by several reviewers, and while Sherlock may be many awesome things, sweet he most certainly is not. I saw no reason for the introduction of this character and I thought the book would have been much better without it.
As for the romance, there is a prominent and rather painful love triangle, which I resented. That aside, though, Holloway understands that infatuations aren’t meant to last and that young, inexperienced people often see what they want to see in others. As a true romance fan, I struggled a bit with these parts of the book as well, but intellectually I appreciated Holloway’s bravery and the path(s) she chose to take.
There haven’t been any new books since 2013 as far as I can see, but fans of steampunk should read the three that have been published, as long as they’re not too sensitive about Holloway’s artistic liberties with the character of Sherlock Holmes.
Nightlife is a book that has a lot to offer, but it’s also filled with flaws. I will certainly point out at least some of those flaws, but I’ll never Nightlife is a book that has a lot to offer, but it’s also filled with flaws. I will certainly point out at least some of those flaws, but I’ll never tell you that the book isn’t worth reading, because it is. The positives outweigh the negatives, and overall, Nightlife offers an enjoyable experience, as much as the horror genre can.
One can’t ignore the fact that Nightlife is poorly structured and often slightly amateurish. There are far too many points of view, which quickly becomes terribly distracting and prevents readers from immersing themselves into the narrative. The first part is composed of one scary scene after another, most of them, of course, told from different perspectives, thus denying the reader a chance to make a proper connection with any of the characters. Later in the book, the additional POVs slowly vanish, or their number dwindles, at least, leaving only Beth and Jack to tell the story.
Starting with multiple points of view and then settling into two is a rather odd choice. Generally, multiple narrators and third-person narrative mode is my least favorite option, but I can get used to it if done well and consistently. In this case, however, it was almost like Martin started one thing, and then changed his mind halfway through.
I rather liked Beth. Her strength and independence, determination and the slightly superior attitude are all qualities I look for in a proper heroine. But the fact that I liked her as much as I did only made the additional POVs more jarring. I wanted more time with her, a chance to learn more about her, but her story kept being interrupted by unnecessary gruesome scenes.
Martin’s take on vampires is entirely different from everything I’ve stumbled upon in other books and movies. He portrays them as gorgeous, irresistible and evil predators, but there’s so much more to it than that. It’s a pity he only revealed their true nature in the very last part of the book. Knowing exactly what they are from the start would make this book far more terrifying. Mindless evil with no nuance whatsoever is rarely truly frightening to me, often I find it more cartoonish than anything else, which seemed to be the case here, until the truth came to light.
When it comes to books, I am rarely this conflicted. I either like something or I don’t, but with Nightlife, the decision is much harder to make. There are some very good and original parts, and there are some sloppy and poorly thought through parts. In the end, I believe the good parts prevailed, but I fear that not everyone will feel the same.
Delia’s Shadow is a wonderful combination of so many genres, it would be almost impossible to find the one that’s dominant. It’s historical, set in SaDelia’s Shadow is a wonderful combination of so many genres, it would be almost impossible to find the one that’s dominant. It’s historical, set in San Francisco, nine years after the great 1906 earthquake. It involves ghosts and spiritualists, which means it has strong urban fantasy elements. It is a murder mystery too, in which a deranged serial killer decides everyone’s fates. And finally, the strong romantic elements and dual narration mark it as paranormal romance as well.
All these things combined make a fascinating book, one that will hold your attention from start to finish. It is beautifully written, although the dialogues are occasionally just a tiny bit stilted, and the characters are perfectly developed. In addition, the story is excellently paced, with not a single dull moment to burden the narrative. Although this is Jamie Lee Moyer’s debut novel, she already writes with an impressive level of maturity and self-assuredness.
The story is told from two perspectives: Delia’s, in first person, and Gabe’s in third. Oddly enough, I found myself enjoying Gabe’s POV far more, probably because he showed more emotional complexity, and because his parts of the story were more eventful due to the murder investigation he was running. Delia, for her part, brought a certain calmness and unflinching honesty one can’t help but admire. As a heroine, she is easily likeable and dependable, but still somewhat of an enigma, someone I can see myself wanting to get to know better in later installments.
The secondary characters don’t fall far behind. Each of them equally fascinating and well thought through. Sadie and Jack make a wonderful couple, with Sadie especially interesting and quirky. I hope there will one day be a short story with them at its center. Officer Henderson is also someone I’d very much like to get to know better, as is Annie, Sadie and Delia’s maid and confidante.
The ghosts in the story were perhaps not as scary as they could have been, but that was not their purpose at all. They were a constant presence in Delia’s life, there with a purpose – to help catch the man who killed them all, a serial killer active for over 30 years. Moyer is excellent at building nail-biting tension, and her killer does not disappoint; he is intelligent, vicious, and completely sociopathic.
Two more books about Delia Martin were announced. They’re titled A BARRICADE IN HELL and AGAINST A BRIGHTENING SKY and scheduled to be published in 2014 and 2015. I’m very much looking forward to them.
Well, well, those Strange Chemistry people just keep throwing these little gems at us! It’s the only imprint that has yet to disappoint me in any way Well, well, those Strange Chemistry people just keep throwing these little gems at us! It’s the only imprint that has yet to disappoint me in any way and Cracked is another one of their successes waiting to happen – funny, thought provoking, surprising and surprisingly heartbreaking, it is a great beginning to what promises to be a fabulous new series.
So many YA authors avoid taking risks at all costs, choosing to rely on tested recipes and roads well-traveled instead, but Eliza Crewe cannot be counted among them. The opening scene of Cracked, with Meda in an asylum preparing to eat the soul of a vicious murderer, sets the tone for the rest of the book. Cracked is bold and daring and above all, different, all due to Meda’s distinctive voice and her moral ambiguity. Meda has hardly any redeeming qualities. She is blood-thirsty, self-centered and just a tiny bit evil, but somehow Crewe made her likeable anyway so that, even when her actions make us cringe, we can’t help but laugh at her antics and her witty comments.
I’ve always known I’m a monster. My skin is as tough as sheet metal, my bones are almost impossible to break. I can run faster and jump higher than any Olympian. My strength is unreal. And let’s not forget, I eat people…
Crewe has the teen language down to a T, which gives Meda’s voice additional authenticity and spark. She cannot be mistaken for an older character, and her sarcasm combined with the typical teen wit and sharpness give her an original voice that will cause you to laugh yourself into stitches.
Demons and Templars aren’t new in YA, but Crewe offers a slightly different take. Although just a touch too juvenile at times, the worldbuilding is well structured and rich enough to give the story a very distinctive flavor. Cracked hides quite a few surprises along the way, things I never saw coming and some I suspected but was unsure of. In addition, Crewe has a talent for making pretty standard characters seem new and fully fleshed-out. All this makes Cracked a must read; while it doesn’t offer astounding depth, the entertainment value is practically immeasurable.
Eliza Crewe is a promising young writer who dares to take risks, already a force to be reckoned with. Read Cracked, and then join me in comfort-eating muffins and desperately begging for the sequel. Not because Cracked ends with a cliffhanger – it doesn’t – but because it’s just so darn fun.
4.5 stars If I were to get stranded on a desert island and allowed to pick just one person for company, Carrie Harris would be at the top of my list. P4.5 stars If I were to get stranded on a desert island and allowed to pick just one person for company, Carrie Harris would be at the top of my list. Perhaps we’d starve in a matter of weeks (FINE, days!), but we’d at least go down laughing.
Carrie’s foray into Middle Grade fiction couldn’t have been more successful if she tried, and I get the distinct feeling that this lady doesn’t need to try very hard. That’s the real beauty of her prose – her sense of humor, utterly ridiculous as it may be, seems effortless and smooth, never the least bit forced. She did, admittedly, keep it a bit in check, this being an MG novel and all, but her lovely nature still shines from every page.
Middle Grade fiction or not, Sally Slick is Harris’s most mature work to date. A more careful reader will be rewarded by the strong feminist undertones that permeate every page. Sally refuses to live by the social norms, even though she lives in rural America in 1914 and she’s only 14-years old. She wants to be an inventor, not a housewife, and she wants to race tractors with her brothers instead of spending time in the kitchen with her mother.
In Sally Slick and the Steel Syndicate, Sally and her best friend Jet take on bullies, mobsters, the Steel Syndicate, and, worst of all, older brothers. They are resourceful and smart and they always stand up for themselves. Sally is unflinchingly loyal and she relentlessly defends those she loves.
But of course, Sally is not the only shining star of this book. There is also her best friend Jet, a clumsy, awkward, geeky kid, a follower by nature, but one with a lion’s heart. It is virtually impossible not to fall in love with this kid and wish to adopt him. Geeky and awkward or not, he has a spectacular future ahead of him.
Read this book. Share it with your daughters, nieces, and really, women of any age. When you’re done, share it with the boys as well, they have a lot to learn from it. And while you’re at it, read it out loud to your family pets. Every living creature in this world should meet Sally and Jet.
Once again I fell prey to a pretty cover. I just never learn, it seems. I’ll try to make this rant review as short and clear as possible. Plea1.5 star
Once again I fell prey to a pretty cover. I just never learn, it seems. I’ll try to make this rant review as short and clear as possible. Please don’t hate me if I don’t succeed.
The story is very unstructured and immature, and the narrative technique is a bit odd, which is a euphemism for messy and poorly thought through. At first, the focus switches between two groups of teens from one chapter to the next, but as they get separated, the number of perspectives increases. Instead of focusing on the groups (not POVs in the usual sense) we get short chapters from Alec’s, Jack’s and Aubrey’s points of view. I suppose this was meant to help accelerate the pacing somewhat, but what it really did was stop me from connecting with any of the characters. The only one I felt even remotely sympathetic towards was Jack, but even that wasn’t enough to keep me engaged.
And yet, if there is a main character in this mess, it’s Aubrey, not Jack. And Aubrey is one of the whiny ones, insufferable and utterly self-absorbed. She does come to her senses later in the story, but by then it’s far too late.
In the beginning, while the two groups are still together, the second group of teens (Alec, Laura and Dan), commits unspeakable acts of violence without any real reason or justification. They are supposedly terrorists, but terrorists always have strong motivations that make sense to them, if not to us. This was just a group of teens with superpowers going around killing people and causing natural disasters for no apparent reason other than because they can. I really wish this had been done differently. Terrorism is something we all have to live with to some degree and the psychology of it, the motivations of these terrorists is a great foundation for a book. Approaching the subject this superficially is disrespectful and somewhat insulting. No author should write about such serious matters thoughtlessly and immaturely.
The treatment of the teens in Blackout, aside from being awfully unrealistic, was obviously heavily inspired by concentration camps in World War II. The shower scene reminded me so much of The Schindler’s List, except that Wells completely failed to address the psychological aspects of being stripped naked and forced to wash with a group of people. Regardless of whether the showers are harmless or not, the entire experience is hurtful and very degrading. And yet Wells just skips right over it like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
And how likely is it that the government would lock up every single teen in the country overnight? Where are the parents? Where are the human rights groups? Perhaps it’s silly to complain about credibility in a book about kids with superpowers, but this entire thing bordered on ridiculous.
I will now end my rant because I see no point in tormenting you guys any further. I think I’ve made myself pretty clear, but in case I haven’t, here’s my recommendation: don’t waste your time and don’t be fooled by the gorgeous cover.
Maja (The Nocturnal Library)
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Books:
arc-2013
(94)
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