Still reeling in the aftermath of the revelation of Chase’s true identity, Calla is hurt and lonely and trying very, very hard to move on and forget aStill reeling in the aftermath of the revelation of Chase’s true identity, Calla is hurt and lonely and trying very, very hard to move on and forget all about him -- to just focus on her guardian training. Unfortunately, easier said than done. Especially when Vi & Ryn are pestering her for information about him. Especially when faeries start getting sick with a mysterious illness, and she suspects Chase’s involvement. Especially when she herself is framed for causing the illness and she suddenly finds herself with no one else to turn to.
While some series lose steam the longer they get, the Creepy Hollow series is one that gets progressively better and better with every book, effectively utilizing its previously established history and building in intensity. While it’s fast-paced and well-plotted with lots of action and set in a wonderfully conceptualized world, the real strength to these novels lies in its fantastic character and relationship development. Calla in particular is just very well done. While suffering a horrible childhood trauma at the hands of Zell, after seeing the kinds of things that would make one lose faith in humanity (or whatever the faerie equivalent of that idea would be), she is still an optimist and an idealist. And Calla flounders a bit as her optimism and idealism are seriously tested in this novel.
Chase is also extremely well-developed. He is a character I wasn’t sure I wanted to like, but darn it… I do. I can’t help it. While Calla is most definitely my favorite character in this second half of the series, I have to say that Chase’s journey is probably the most compelling. His history and backstory... well, let’s just say he presents a bit of a conundrum. He’s black and white, and all the shades of gray in between.
Speaking of which, I absolutely love the themes of redemption, atonement and morality that play out throughout this book.The continuing idea idea that the world is made up of all different shades of gray, and that while one must acknowledge existence of darkness in the world and in one’s self, a person must choose to either get mired down in those shadowy places or to choose the light -- the brighter colors of life. As Calla continues on with her guild training, she’s learning that things are rarely as straightforward, cut-and-dry as she once thought; that in reality it can be a bit more complicated than “good guys” and “bad guys.” By meeting Chase, by recognizing areas in which t he Guild fails or lacks, her worldview that’s been shaped by her idolization of the Guild as a moral center begins to crack and reshape. Just love these themes that Rachel is weaving through Calla’s story.
Overall, riveting, romantic and enchanting (with an ending that almost killed me), A Faerie’s Revenge is an excellent next installment to this fantastic series....more
You know that feeling you get when you start a new book? That lovely, small (yet pervasive and ever-increasingFantasy, and magic, and romance, OH MY!
You know that feeling you get when you start a new book? That lovely, small (yet pervasive and ever-increasing) feeling upon reading just the first few pages that you’ve found a new favorite novel?
That.
That is how I felt upon beginning The Burning Sky. From the incredibly detailed, richly rendered, heavily storied world of elemental and subtle magic, to the complicated political games and intrigue, to the terrible burden of fulfilling a fated destiny, to the desperate attempts to hide Iolanthe from the ever-watchful eyes of Atlantis, to its dark fairytale-esque qualities, to the breathlessly paced plot, to the ever-mounting danger that surrounded Iolanthe and Titus constantly, to the tempestuous love/hate relationship between a world-weary, duty-bound (yet resolute) prince and the feisty, elemental mage who’s constantly setting him slightly off-balance, to Thomas’ beautifully lush writing style, to the historical setting (and resulting, completely fascinating, social microcosm) of Eton College — everything, everything, EVERYTHING, in and about this book enchanted me.
I love Iolanthe. I love her presence of mind, her vulnerability, her resolve, her cunning, her tenacity, her dreams, her spunk, her perseverance. I love Titus. His bravery, his underlying melancholy, his longing for impossible things, his loneliness; and conversely, his craftiness, his ruthlessness, and his cleverness. I love how their relationship with each other evolves over the course of the book. It’s just this fantastic, tumultuous dance of trust and mistrust, resentment and affection, attraction and duty, manipulation and authenticity. It’s one big, beautiful mess of conflicting emotions and purposes set against the backdrop of a shared, and probably doomed, destiny.
Overall, consider me well and fully head over heels for this book.
*** If you’re thinking about picking The Burning Sky up on audiobook, you totally should. Philip Battley narrates, and does an absolutely fantastic job....more
Rarely do I have such passionate reactions to books, BUT when I finished The Golden Lily about a year and a half ago, I was throw-my-Kindle-against-thRarely do I have such passionate reactions to books, BUT when I finished The Golden Lily about a year and a half ago, I was throw-my-Kindle-against-the-wall frustrated. (Heather can attest to the phone call in which I ranted, at very great length, about how upset I was with… a certain character.) The reasons as to why being numerous and spoilery, but I was so much so, that I put off reading The Indigo Spell until a couple weeks ago. And I’m sorry that I waited this long. The character progression that I had been waiting for in The Golden Lily finally happened in this book, and I’m woman enough to admit that, after reading this, I think Mead was so very right in how she (so very frustratingly) paced that character and relationship development.
So the things I love about this book…
I love the interactions between Sydney and Adrian. I love Adrian’s development — who’s he’s becoming, his growing sense of purpose, his perseverance, his breaking out of some of those destructive behavioral patterns he tends to sink into. His character maturation since I first met him in Frostbite, has been one of my favorites to read… ever. I love Sydney’s soul-searching, her determination, her courage, her compassion, her confidence, her self-doubt, her resourcefulness and willingness to help others. I love the multiple, suspenseful plot threads that kept building throughout — the crap is kinda hitting the fan… or about to. I love the ever-building sense of danger and broadening of scope. The Bloodlines series in some ways feels… smaller than the Vampire Academy series was — not nearly as political, not nearly as ” the fate of the Moroi world is in your hands!” I mean, technically, yes, Sydney’s mission in Palm Springs with Jill is vitally important to the Moroi world, but in kind of a passive way? More preventative and defensive then proactive and aggressive, maybe? However, The Indigo Spell makes me think that is about to change… and I CANNOT WAIT for The Fiery Heart!...more
Fantastic little piece that I wish I had read before starting Seraphina. It may be short, but it provides foundational character development for SerapFantastic little piece that I wish I had read before starting Seraphina. It may be short, but it provides foundational character development for Seraphina, Orma, Viridius and Princess Glisselda. I love Seraphina's approach to problems, her dry humor. I loved seeing how she and Orma interact, and what their relationship looks like on a normal day. I love Glisselda's spunk and stubborness, and Viridius's gruff nature and the way he speaks without a filter. And I love Rachel Hartman's beautiful, descriptive style.
Overall, just a wonderful, little depiction of how Seraphina was hired as the castle's music mistress. ...more
From the very first page of Seraphina, it’s evident that Rachel Hartman is a masterful storyteller. With narrative is that smart and as wickedly funnyFrom the very first page of Seraphina, it’s evident that Rachel Hartman is a masterful storyteller. With narrative is that smart and as wickedly funny as it is gorgeously poetic, world building that feels both intricate yet effortless, a well-rounded and diverse cast of characters who could leap off the page human and whole (or reptilian and whole), and a plot that never leaves you wanting, Hartman has woven a gorgeous fantasy of dragons, castles, handsome princes, and the girl who doesn’t quite belong.
The world held me completely captivated. Though the characters stay in a small localized area for most of the book, the world of Seraphina feels vast and limitless. What I love most about Hartman’s world building is that it’s woven throughout the story – the explanation of this world, its history, customs and technicalities feels organic and natural. Just by cleverly working in insignificant mentions of places, peoples and things outside the confines of Goredd, she is constantly expanding the borders of her world in my imagination. It’s not just the grand scope of the world however, it’s also in smaller details, such as the organized religion of Goredd, the tenuous relationship between humans and dragons and the intolerance and hatred that thrives despite the treaty. I love the strange saints-based religion that permeates the book. It’s infused into how every human views their world and how they interact with it. The dragons on the other hand are believed soulless and have no use for mankind’s silly saints. Logic, reason, knowledge, information, these are the things the dragons value most highly. And perhaps this is the root of both groups’ inability to truly coexist harmoniously – that, as a whole, their foundational worldview is so fundamentally different. Perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that dragons used to eat humans for a mid-afternoon snack before the treaty. In any case, tensions between the humans and the dragons are always a hairsbreadth away from escalating into a devastating conflict. And when the very human Prince Rufus is discovered murdered and headless just before the renewal of the peace treaty, dragons are the first to be suspected.
And into the midst of this civil unrest comes Seraphina Dombegh.
Seraphina is one of those characters that inspires instant affinity. Half-human, half-dragon, Seraphina is a girl who’s been forced to hide who and what she is in order to protect both her father and herself. She is the embodiment of something thought impossible, something feared, something humans would find an abomination, something detested by both her species – the merging of dragon and humankind. If caught, she would surely be put to death, and her father alongside. So to avoid discovery, her father encourages her to remain isolated from her peers and insists that Seraphina’s prodigious musical talents be hidden away from the world. Until finally, Seraphina grabs hold of her destiny and decides that merely existing is not the same thing as truly living her life. She auditions for the position of assistant to the court composer, Viridius, a job for which she is chosen. Suddenly, she’s performing, making friends, creating quite the reputation for herself as an incredibly gifted musician, and keeping her closely guarded secret is becoming even more difficult than ever before.
While the idea of Seraphina’s existence may be referenced in the butt of many a crude joke or nasty slur among pious, dragon-hating humans, she’s also the personification of the best qualities in both her peoples. Seraphina, for all her isolation, is a strong personality, authoritative, a leader, naturally curious, conscientious, discerning, quick-witted, a music prodigy with an eye for detail. When presented with a problem or obstacle, she’s very practical, analytical and strategic in the way she handles it. However, despite the calculating, disengaged side of her that comes from her dragon heritage and education, she doesn’t ignore the value of emotion. Instead, she embraces her emotionality. She’s passionate. She feels deeply, and her music moves the very souls of those who hear it. Having grown up under the tutelage of her dragon instructor Orma, she’s well equipped to understand the worlds of both humans and dragons. Add to this her dry sense of humor partnered with her ability to see the irony in that which is around her, and I developed a very strong connection to this girl caught between worlds.
Also caught between worlds in a sense, is captain of the Guard, grandson of the queen, and fiance to Princess Glisselda, Prince Lucian Kiggs. A bastard by birthright, but a royal one, he has fought to prove himself worthy and gain his esteemed position among the Guard. He’s a part of the royal world, but also not — existing on the periphery and oft reminded of his illegitimate roots. His uncle just having passed under suspicious circumstances, Kiggs undertakes the task of sussing out the truth about his beloved uncle’s death. He proves himself to be determined, dogged, cunning, a skilled investigator, honorable, resourceful, kind – a man of conviction who values truth and honesty. And yet, despite the inherent strength of this young man, he has moments of pure vulnerability that allows Phina — and the reader — glimpses into the very heart of him.
When it becomes clear to Kiggs that Seraphina could be a valuable resource to his investigation, they begin to work together to find the truth. But once they begin unraveling the threads that lead up to Prince Rufus’ death, they discover that perhaps the answers they seek may threaten everything they’ve fought to uphold. Tensions begin to rise as the time nears to renew the treaty between man and dragon, and it becomes increasingly hard for Phina to keep her true nature hidden from the shrewd prince she’s come to care for. She knows firsthand what kind of mark secrecy and deception leave on a relationship, but she fears the consequences of outing the truth, for both her heart and her life. What will she choose when it’s all on the line?
Well I’m certainly not going to tell you. You must read the book for yourself.
Overall, Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina is simply magnificent in every way....more
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