The Dark Horse - Marcus Sedgwick

The Dark Horse was not the book I was expecting, though I'm not entirely sure what that would have been. A short novel, typical of Sedgwick, The Dark Horse maintains an unsettling and tense atmosphere throughout.

The Dark Horse follows the Storn, a coastal northern tribe, in their struggle to weather the harsh conditions and prepare themselves for the arrival of the titular Dark Horse, a terrifying, relentless warrior tribe. The story revolves around a single family, with the young boy Sig and his adopted sister Mouse, found in a wolves lair while the Storn were on a hunt. Sig loves his family, would do anything for them, but there is far more to Mouse than it seems.

I was completely absorbed by the relationship between Sig and Mouse. Love, trust, respect, fear...Sig battles an array of emotions when dealing with his sister and the events that transpire following the arrival of the Dark Horse. Drama, tension and excitement I was prepared for. What I was not expecting was the dark and entirely creepy nature of the book. I was honestly not expecting anyone to survive the events it contained, and was continually surprised by its twists and turns. Knowing who to trust is not immediately obvious, as events unfold slowly and danger lurks in unexpected places. As always, I was utterly gripped by Sedgwick's storytelling. Highly recommended!

The Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments is a six-part series written by the infamous and apparently prolific author Cassandra Clare. The first four books in the series are already available, with City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire due for release in 2012 and 2013.

As mentioned in my review of Clockwork Angel, the Mortal Instruments series was imagined first, although set in present day New York. In City of Bones we meet our main protagonist, a young teenager named Clary Fray, at a club with her best friend Simon. Clary encounters a group of teenagers whom no-one else can apparently see, while she witnesses them murder another young man. Clary returns home to find the apartment wrecked and her mother missing, shortly before she is attacked by a demon. She is rescued by one of the mysterious teenagers, Jace, who takes her to his home and reveals that he is a demon hunter, known as a a Shadowhunter. Clary soon learns that her mother was also a Shadowhunter, who had apparently been trying to protect Clary from the same fate.

The Mortal Instruments is an ongoing saga revolving around Clary, Jace and their family and friends, in a tale of demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, faeries, magic and romance. Nothing new there you might say. And while the typical stories in this series are generally similar to much of the fantasy fiction that is available for young adult readers at present, Cassandra Clare has certainly proved herself to be a highly entertaining storyteller. Indeed this series delves into some of the more darker aspects of the genre, with gruesome murders, tragic loss and forbidden (and inappropriate!) love between two central characters.

Although somewhat predictable, the Mortal Instruments series is enjoyable, with humour and heart where it is needed. I may have fallen more for the world created in Clare's Infernal Devices, but I shall certainly be seeing this series through to the end.

(I've recently heard that Clare is working on a set of sequels called The Dark Artifices...watch this space!)

Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

The Infernal Devices is a trilogy of prequels to the bestselling Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. While the Mortal Instruments series is set in modern day New York, the Infernal Devices is firmly set in Victorian England.

Although a prequel, Clockwork Angel was my first foray into Clare's world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders, demons and warlocks. The titular Clockwork Angel is a necklace that belongs to Tessa, a young orphaned American girl who travels to England in search of her missing older brother Nate. However, when she arrives at Southampton, instead of her brother she finds the Dark Sisters, who take her prisoner, subjecting her to experiments and preparing her for marriage to the "Magister". Tessa soon discovers she is a shape-changer, able to take the shape of any person whose belongings she can touch.

Tessa is rescued from captivity by Will Herondale, a handsome and arrogant Shadowhunter, who introduces her to the Institute, his "family" and the world of demon-hunting. The Institute members utilise Tessa's unusual skill to find Nate and find the Magister and reveal his sinister plot. Of course there must be a sinister plot!

Clockwork Angel is a world of supernatural beings, magic and mystery, but had such intriguing characters that I was completely hooked within a matter of pages. Tessa herself is a mystery, her nature as a shape-changer - is she a demon or some other kind of creature? Will Herondale is reckless and self-destructive, drinking, gambling and womanising, while demonstrating unnatural skill as a demon hunter and moments of barely hidden tenderness to his loved ones. Will's best friend and fighting partner Jem is an even more interesting character, with a mysterious illness and dark secret.

Clare's Victorian London is dark and gloomy, with sinister organisations, dark magics and flesh-covered automatons. With seedy drinking establishments and glamorous parties, dark alleys and gothic buildings, I can well believe this London may have existed. With the pre-requisite revelations, betrayals and romantic triangles, Clockwork Angel is a gripping and enjoyable story, with a very intriguing ending! The next two books in the series, Clockwork Prince and Princess will be released at the end of 2011 and 2012, and I for one am very excited to read them.

Mini reviews

Lonely Werewolf Girl - Martin Millar

Teenage werewolf Kalix MacRinnalch is pursued through the streets of London by murderous hunters, while her sister, the Werewolf Enchantress, is busy designing clothes for the Fire Queen. In the Scottish Highlands there's trouble at Castle MacRinnalch as the Werewolf Clan prepares for war.

Lonely Werewolf Girl is an expansive tale of werewolves in the modern world. The MacRinnalch family contains elegant werewolves, troubled teenage werewolves, friendly werewolves, homicidal werewolves, fashion designers, warriors, punks, cross-dressers, musicians - an entire Clan of Werewolves, involved in conflict from the Scottish Highlands to London, and several dimensions beyond.

How anyone could not rush out and get this book after reading Chris' review is beyond me! I managed to get a copy through my library in perfect time for last year's RIP Challenge.

Lonely Werewolf Girl is a hoot! Flitting between modern day London and Edinburgh, the story moves from high drama to ridiculous comedy! Lonely Werewolf girl is both a dark fantasy, and a modern tale of students, music and pizza. Kalix is a troubled girl on the run from her family and living rough on the streets of London, when she is taken in by two naive but kind students.

With a bizarre series of events and plot twists, it is Millar's characters that steal the show. Perhaps best of all is Malveria, Queen of the Fire Elementals, who is more concerned with having the latest designer handbags and shoes than with ruling her kingdom. The hilarious things she occasionally comes out with left me roaring in laughter, especially her conversations with the haughty and misunderstood Werewolf Enchantress, Kalix's sister. Fantastic stuff!

Curse of the Wolf Girl - Martin Millar

Scottish teenage werewolf Kalix MacRinnalch is in London trying to settle down and live a normal life. Her new friends support her as she goes to college to learn to read and write, but her old enemies won't leave her alone. Many powerful werewolves want Kalix dead, and the Guild of Werewolf Hunters is still dedicated to wiping out the entire MacRinnalch werewolf clan. Life might be easier for Kalix if her werewolf family were able to help, but her sister the Enchantress needs all of her sorcerous powers to locate the perfect pair of high heels, her brother Markus is busy in Scotland organising an opera, and her cousin Dominil is engaged in her own merciless vendetta with her enemies. Kalix must carry on alone but she's finding it difficult enough to pay the rent and cope with her anxiety and depression, while struggling with werewolf hunters and exams at the same time...

With her life a little more stable, but her continuing problems with anxiety and depression, not to mention a laudanum addiction, Kalix attempts to get an education and even finds a romantic entanglement. However, life is never that easy when you are the daughter of the former werewolf chief and find a bunch of assassins on your tail, while befriended by the clumpsy adopted daughter of the Fire Queen. Needless to say, further chaos ensues.

While this was a thoroughly entertaining follow-up to Lonely Werewolf Girl, and I would highly recommend it, few of the characters were really developed much, and it did not feel quite as substantial as the first.

The City and the City - China Mieville

The body of a murdered woman is discovered in the remarkable, crumbling European city of Besźel. Such a crime is par for the course for Inspector Tyador Borlú, who is the premier talent of the Extreme Crime Squad – until his investigations uncover evidence that bizarre and terrifying forces are at work – and soon both he and those around him will be in considerable peril. He must undertake an odyssey, a journey across borders both physical and psychical, to the city which is both a complement and rival to his own, that of Ul Qoma.

China Mieville is a complicated writer, with a highly complex imagination. The City and the City begins as a crime novel, a whodunnit set in a fictional eastern European city, a culture in part Balkan and part Germanic. The victim is a young American woman who had been working in another city, "the" other city, situated in the same place - the two cities occupying the same place, sometimes merging, sometimes overlapping. Both the law and social acceptability require the citizens of these two cities to refrain from contact, to the point where people have learnt to "unsee" places and people in the other city. To see something from the other city would be considered breach, with harsh penalties. Strict border controls exist between the two, manned by law enforcement from both sides. However, there are some borders that cannot be completely maintained, which is where "Breach" - a mysterious force that deals out the most severe penalties - steps in.

The relationship between these two cities is the heart of this story, which rapidly delves into philisophical science fiction, while all the time focusing on two law enforcement officers and their search for the truth about the young woman's murder. Confusing yet gripping, the City and the City is a highly original and inventive novel, that occasionally falters, and while it may not have provided the most satisfying ending for this particular blogger, was a very enjoyable read.

Revolver - Marcus Sedgwick

After his father dies from the cold out on the ice-covered lake, fifteen year old Sig Andersson finds himself waiting alone with the body in the family cabin while his step-mother and sister go for help. Then a mysterious and sinister man bearing a revolver arrives claiming to have business with his father. Sig slowly learns the truth about the man's link to his family and when his sister's own life becomes threatened, he has to make a choice. Whether to use his father's own prized revolver.

Set in the Arctic Circle, cold penetrates every inch of this novel. With tension that you could cut with a knife, and a story of such intensity, this book lingered with me long after I finished it. Another atmospheric and gripping novel from my beloved Marcus Sedgwick. Go read it!

Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater

Grace has a fascination with wolves. Not just any wolves, but those that live in the woods behind her house. And one wolf in particular, a wolf with yellow eyes, who watches her just as she watches him. There is more to these wolves than meets the eye. Sam, a young yellow-eyed man, is torn between his two lives, but cannot bear to be separated from the girl who watches him.

This is a supernatural love story, a la Twilight, the love between a girl and a supernatural creature. A forbidden love. Nothing new there then.

While not a particularly original story however, there was a certain charm to this book. Stiefvater's descriptions of the wolves, cold winter and the woodlands were beautiful rather than overly romantic, and her portrayal of a strong heroine was worlds away from the passive Bella of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. The reasoning, or perhaps even science, behind the werewolves' change was also a nice touch, but overall I found it hard to become emotionally involved in this story.

Definitely a book for fans of supernatural romance, though perhaps not as thrilling as I had hoped. I probably won't be reading the sequel.

Other blog reviews:
Book Gazing
Becky's Book Reviews
Gemini Moon
Fluttering Butterflies
Melody's Reading Corner
Medieval Bookworm

The Foreshadowing - Marcus Sedgwick

Another Marcus Sedgwick novel, and another fantastic read. I swear the man can do no wrong. The Foreshadowing is something else. I tend to be drawn more to children's fantasy than historical fiction, but that has changed since I've started reading Marcus Sedgwick's work, as he so often combines the two, together with great characters and powerful storytelling.

The Foreshadowing is the tale of Alexandra "Sasha" Fox, a young girl living in London during World War I. Like her brothers, Sasha wants to help, and while Edgar enlists as a soldier and Tom trains as a doctor, Sasha persuades her father to let her begin training as a nurse in his hospital. But Sasha has a secret, a 'gift' that she cannot explain and that her family have never accepted - she can see the future. But the only future that Sasha sees is death, which soon takes its toll after seeing premonitions of the deaths of several patients in her care.

After the guilt of remaining away from active service drives her beloved brother Tom to the front line, Sasha is tormented by recurring visions of his death. Fear of losing what remains of her family, Sasha travels to France, disguised as a fully trained nurse, in an attempt to find and save her brother from the fate in her visions. Along her journey to the Somme, Sasha befriends the mysterious Hoodoo Jack, a man also cursed with visions of the future, and finds her life becoming linked to his in a way she could not possibly expect.

Although painfully naive, Sasha's bravery and single-minded determination end up teaching her a lot about herself, and her gift - or curse. Her journey is an emotional one, full with the horrors and reality of war. Sedgwick has clearly done his research into life in the trenches, making Sasha's experiences all the more real. There is also the connection between Sasha and Cassandra, the legendary character doomed with the knowledge of the fate of Troy, yet cursed to have noone believe her. What can Sasha really do about her own fate, or that of her brother?

This is a wonderful story of love, hope, fear and determination. It is also a tale of destiny, how one shapes it and make it one's own. Beautifully written and powerfully real, the supernatural aspects never seem out of place. And the ending...well you'll have to read that for yourself.

Other links:
Marcus Sedgwick's website and blog.

Monsters of Men - Patrick Ness

Wow...third and final book in Patrick Ness's fabulous Chaos Walking series. I actually read this several months ago now, but it was so hard to write this review at the time and then life caught up with me.

I can't say too much without spoiling events that occur in this book. Todd and Viola are caught in the conflict between three warring armies, all converging on New Prentisstown, desperate for dominance, or freedom.

The narrative of this final book is what makes it stand out, with Todd, Viola and the Return each telling their own stories. Each character brings their own distinct voice, making the story a very personal one and giving it a powerful emotional impact.

Monsters of Men is devastating, showing the horrors of war, and the terrible choices of those caught up in it. Ness continues to shock and horrify me, at one point I found myself completely disbelieving the events he had written...how could he do that to the characters I had grown to care about! I can't believe this is the final book in the series, but look forward to reading more of Ness' work. Wonderful stuff.

1. The Knife of Never Letting Go
2. The Ask and the Answer
3. Monsters of Men

Other blog reviews:
Stuff as Dreams are Made on
Things mean a lot
Fluttering Butterflies
Stella Matutina
Medieval Bookworm
Gemini Moon

Red Spikes - Margo Lanagan

Red Spikes is a collection of short stories from Australian fantasy author Margo Lanagan. Dark and unyielding, these are bizarre, other-worldly tales, brought forth from the depths of a truly astounding imagination.

Nothing I write here could possibly do this collection justice. These stories are unusual, not likeable exactly, but they are so believable, Lanagan's writing is effortless, convincing us of their truth. With beauty, wonder and true horror, each tale has elements of familiar fairy-tales...tales of warrior queens, guardian angels, gods, witches and heroes...but reworked and reimagined.

Highly recommended for fans of dark fantasy and fans of Lanagan's fiction.

Here Lies Arthur - Philip Reeve

Read for: Arthurian Challenge; A Tournament of Reading

Picked up purely off the back of Nymeth’s review and because I’m having a bit of an Arthurian (and other mediaeval/middle ages/historical literature!) year, Philip Reeve’s Here Lies Arthur did not disappoint.

This tale of the legendary Arthur shies away from glossy cliché, portraying him as a brutish and not particularly intelligent warlord, who travels around the country with his thuggish band of fighters, ravaging villages, seizing gold and land, and generally taking whatever he wants.

The tale is told by Gwyna, a slave and one of the victims of such attacks, who flees in terror from her burning village and escapes by diving into a frozen stream. She is rescued by a mysterious man, who turns out to be none other than Myrddin, Arthur’s bard, who soon factors her into his mischievous plans. Myrddin explains that what others see as magic, are simply tricks and stories weaved from half truths, into something far grander, the stuff of legends. He uses Gwyna to help him weave the tale of the lady in the lake, passing the sword Caliburn (Excalibur!) to Arthur, who himself falls for the trick. Myrddin is then forced to hide Gwyna in plain sight, dressing and passing her off as a boy, Gwyn, who spends several years working for the bard and learning to live as a boy. She finds the life far better than that she had known, and becomes accustomed to male ways, until she is forced to experience the reality of war firsthand. Soon though, she becomes too old for Myrddin to hide her as such, and she is forced to rediscover her womanly ways, in a life she finds boring in contrast.

To say much else would begin to give away some of the fabulously creative ways that Reeve has incorporated the other characters from Arthurian myth. Most notably Guinevere, who is recognisable as Gwenhwyfar, a middle-aged widow, but whose fall from grace is not entirely the tale you will remember.

Although aimed at children and young adults, Here Lies Arthur is incredibly realistic and astute, dealing with the horrors that children of the age would indeed have experienced. Reeve treats his young readers with maturity and respect, and in return creates something I found to be a joy to read. It is work like this that can inspire so many young people to read, especially in this age of videogames and television. This maturity also makes the novel a fantastic read for adults and I found myself completely absorbed in Gwyna’s tale.

Although primarily an excellent spin on the Arthurian legend, the subplots of gender identity and the lines between what makes a story legend or truth, make this tale that bit more unique. But it is Reeve’s writing and storytelling that make this particular tale something special. Highly recommended.

Other blog reviews:
Things mean a lot

Paper Towns - John Green

It's hard to believe that little over a year ago, this particular blogger was unaware of the existence of a somewhat well-known and renowned American author named John Green. His first main novel was the astoundingly brilliant Looking for Alaska, one of my favourite books of last year, followed by An Abundance of Katherines, which I must admit, did not rock my world.

Paper Towns is the third young adult novel from this fabulous young John Green. I was a little wary, after being disappointed by Katherines, but need not have worried. Paper Towns is the story of high school student Quentin Jacobsen, who has lived next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman since he was two years old. They were best friends until one day, at nine years old, they discovered a dead body. Now high-school seniors, Quentin is still besotted with the wilful and independent Margo, but they no longer speak. So one night, when she climbs through his bedroom window and invites him to help her in her all-night mission for revenge, Quentin cannot refuse. The night is insane and daring, impulsive and every bit as exciting as Quentin could have hoped, but the next day at school he discovers that Margo has disappeared. However, Margo has left clues for Quentin and his friends to follow, and he soon finds himself on a journey that will change his life.

It is safe to say that Paper Towns is not what I expected. What begins as an adventurous romance soon turns into something quite different. Quentin is the anchor of the story. The main protagonist, it is Quentin's desire to find Margo that drives the plot, and his confusion about her that keeps the reader so involved. He is so normal that it is easy to identify with him. Margo on the other hand, while intriguing, is very hard to understand. She is the enigma, the mystery that is slowly revealed. Paper Towns is witty, warm and magical, touching deeply into the meaning of truth and friendship and what it is to feel hope, despair or love. Although the ending may also not be what the reader expects, it is the journey that makes the story worthwhile.

Brilliant brilliant brilliant! Green will most certainly go down in my book as one of the most astute authors when dealing with characters making that final transition to adulthood.

Other blog reviews:
Bold.Blue.Adventure
Gemini Moon
Ravenous Bookshelf
Stuff as Dreams are made on
Things mean a lot
The Written World

The Ask and the Answer - Patrick Ness

Read for: No other reason than being the sequel of a very good book, and finally being available in the library (and thus pipping Mr Beagle's book to my first of the year)!

Rarely does a sequel outdo its predecessor. Not necessarily because the writing is bad or the story less enjoyable. But because the feeling that the reader gets when reading the story for ths first time is incomparable...the original can rarely be replicated, and is even less likely to be bettered.

That being said, The Ask and The Answer does all that, and more. The Knife of Never Letting Go was an excellent first novel; full of original ideas, excellent storytelling and characters who it was easy to care about. Left on a cliffhanger ending (to say the least!), it was hard not to rush out and read the sequel to Knife straight away. Hard that is because the library copies had been reserved for what seemed like eternity, and I couldn't justify buying it when I already had so many books on my shelf. So I waited, and low and behold, The Ask and The Answer became available and was subsequently devoured in a matter of days.

Gripping is an understatement. Ness has the ability to take your average characters, your far-from-extraordinary plot and turn it into an absolutely riveting read. With one emotional rollercoaster after another and a corker of a plot twist at the end (I'm sure some readers saw it coming but I certainly didn't!), Ness deftly navigates the somewhat busy field of young adult fantasy and created something truly special. Suffice to say, if you enjoyed the Knife of Never Letting Go, I guarantee that you will love the sequel. Oh yes.

Characters developed throughout the first novel have been fully fleshed out in the sequel. Without giving too much away, our protagonists, Todd and Viola, have been dragged through the most dire of circumstances and find themselves in deadly peril from the first page. Having suffered the most tragic of personal losses, and running from one danger to another, Todd and Viola are forced to face the darkest of situations and worse, the darkness inside themselves. What they each are willing and capable of doing...and sacrificing. It is this that makes the book so enjoyable and so gripping, better than any suspense film that I have seen over the past years. The Ask and The Answer is dark, darker than I expected and far darker than the covers of either book suggest.

It is Ness' expert handling of his characters' plight and the truly devastating effects of their decisions that make the book stand out from its contemporaries, especially in a time where run-of-the-mill YA fantasies seem to be churned out by the dozen. Understated, powerful, heartfelt yet sharp as a knife, Ness' writing really delivers. My only complaint is that we are yet again left with a cliffhanger. And this time, I do not have the next installment readily available to read at my leisure. I guess I'll have to wait with the rest of you! Mr Ness, you have certainly set the bar very high.

I was slightly concerned that a childrens fantasy would not live up to the standard of my first reads of the past three years...I need not have worried. Cracking stuff.

Other blog reviews:
Becky's Book Reviews
Things mean a lot

(have i missed yours?)

The Bride's Farewell - Meg Rosoff

Set in the 1850s, this is the story of Pell Ridley, who decides to run away on the morning of her wedding day. Fleeing the life she dreads, Pell leaves to start anew, heading for Salisbury Fair to find work, taking her horse Jack and her little brother, Bean. However, things do not go to plan and Pell finds herself alone and desperate after suffering a terrible loss.

This is perhaps not what one would expect from Meg Rosoff. Although filled with her trademark writing style and sensitive handling of coming-of-age issues, The Bride's Farewell is a historical romance, compared by many reviewers to the works of Thomas Hardy. Pell is struggling against the future expected of her, as an older child, wife and eventually, mother.

Rosoff has certainly made a name for herself in reinventing each story she writes, with a new setting (in this case a new time period) and new characters. This particular novel is very focused on the heroine Pell and her particular struggles, and certainly does not pull any punches. Pell is subject to terrible treatment and neglect, and at one point, a particularly vicious attack. The latter half of the book delves into a somewhat atypical romance with Pell and her unnamed companion beginning a very modern relationship and living situation.

The Bride's Farewell is about courage and independance, about not accepting your lot in life, but striving to overcome adversity and facing your challenges head on. Rosoff's writing is as graceful as ever. Although dark and at times quite hopeless, Pell is such a tough character and continues onwards, showing admirable determination and strength. Perhaps my only complaint is the speed with which the story comes to its conclusion, with all loose ends tied up in a matter of pages.

Certainly not everyone's cup of tea, and perhaps not as beautiful as her other work, but a good example of Rosoff's writing. I would recommend it to any fan.

Other blog reviews:
Fluttering Butterflies
Things mean a lot
The Written World

The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan

"In Mary's world, there are simple truths.
The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence the surrounds the village..."

I blame Darla D of Books and other thoughts for this entirely. But with a title and book description like that, who could blame anyone for being tempted.

Mary lives in a small, fenced-in village surrounded by the Forest of Hands and Teeth, where the Unconsecrated wait for the opportune moment to strike, to kill. Living her sheltered life with her mother and brother, mourning the loss of her father, Mary dreams of the world outside the fence, the world lost to her people, and the ocean she longs to see with her own eyes. Her quiet existence is shattered one day, when she is proposed to by her childhood friend, Harry, when it is his brother whom she longs for. When tragedy strikes, Mary finds herself at the mercy of the Sisterhood, the mysterious group of nuns who maintain their society and way of life, but whom she soon discovers bear some terrible secrets.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth was not the book I was expecting. From the reviews and blurb that I had read, I imagined it to be a run-of-the-mill fantasy, set in a small village where a girl finds the truth about her ancestors and origins. It is all that, but also so much more. Forest is gripping and suspenseful, harrowing and sad, and I could barely put it down; reading the entire book on Christmas Day. But it is not your typical zombie story either, and it is these differences that truly make the book worth reading.

This is a tale of longing and loss, of growing up, and of making choices. And yes, it is the first in a possible series. The second book, The Dead Tossed Waves, will be published in the spring, and a film adaptation of the first book is likely for 2011. I have read many comparisons with Twilight, and though Forest is as readable ad exciting as the vampire series, I found it to be far better quality writing and a more enjoyable set of characters with real tangible flaws.

Most definitely a series I will be following. Thanks Darla!

Other blog reviews:
Becky's book reviews
Books and other thoughts
My Fluttering Heart
Ravenous Bookshelf
Stuff as Dreams are Made on
The Written World

(Have I missed yours?)

Nation - Terry Prachett

I am writing my last few reviews for 2009 in reverse order, as they are freshest in my mind that way!

Read for: 2009 YA Challenge, Herding Cats II

This is the tale of a wave, one that wipes out every living person in the Nation, a small island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The only survivor of that Nation is Mau, a boy returning home from the challenges of leaving boyhood to accept a new status as man. Trapped at sea in his canoe when the wave hit, Mau returns home to devastation and lost somewhere between being a boy and becoming a man (and thus with no soul), and tries to make sense of what has happened.

However, Mau is not alone. Mau is joined by Daphne, a high class Victorian girl, the only survivor of the ship Sweet Judy, that lies wrecked and broken on the island. Daphne is what Mau refers to as a trouserman, and with the vast language and cultural barriers that divide them, the two survivors attempt to communicate, while of course adhering to Victorian protocol. Soon, the pair are joined by other survivors and with Mau as their (soulless!) Chief, this sad and broken rabble attempt to make a life for themselves.

Nation is a book of questions. Throughout Mau questions everything around him. The reasons for his surviving the wave, Daphne and her strange trouserman ways, the history of his people and ultimately the existance (or not) of their gods. Although imbued with much of the humour one would expect from Pratchett (tree-climbing octopus!), this is quite a serious book, due predominantly to the terrible events caused by the wave, and the spiritual questions posed by our protagonist. I also particularly liked the nods to science and the discoveries and scientists of the era.

The progression of the story after the wave felt slow, and I did not warm immediately to it or to Mau. However, by the time I was in the latter third of the book, it occurred to me that I liked it, a lot more than I thought I would, though perhaps not as much as I had hoped, given the reviews and recommendations. Mau is a delight and his questions are what drive the book and, I am sure, the reader's enjoyment of it. Daphne too comes into her own, transforming from a confused Victorian castaway, to a clever, scientific-minded woman of power, and it is she who uncovers much of the secrets of the Nation. Indeed, the other survivors are so individual in character and voice that it is almost possible to visualise them, and I found myself particularly taken with the unknown woman. My feelings towards latter events in the book are still somewhat conflicted, but as promised (by many bloggers!), the final chapter was truly wonderful. I have a feeling that this tale may haunt me for a while.

One particular passage that stood out for me midway through the book:

"It was a sacred place, and not because of some god or other. It was just...sacred, because it existed, because pain and blood and joy and death had echoed in time and made it so."

I will certainly recommend Nation, especially to fans of Pratchett, though I am aware that it is somewhat different to his other books. And that is perhaps why I will not be rushing out to read much of his other work. I have never loved Pratchett (the measley handful of books I have read that is!) and doubt I ever will, but I appreciate the following he has and hope that, in light of his illness, this very popular and prolific author can continue to entertain the masses for a long while to come. However, if another book appears in a similar vein of storytelling and characterisation as Nation, I might well consider it.

Other blog reviews:
Becky's book reviews
Book Gazing
Books and other thoughts
Medieval Bookworm
Stuff as dreams are made on
Things mean a lot
Valentina's room
The Written World

Graceling - Kristin Cashore

Read for: YA Challenge

Although the first in yet another fantasy series billed for young adults, Graceling would certainly appeal to adult readers. I won't say too much about the plot because, lets face it, you've all read the book itself or other reviews, so you probably know everything you need to.

Set in the Seven Kingdoms, where a small number of people are born with a Grace, or special talent, the book revolves around a feisty heroine, Katsa. Born with a killing Grace, Katsa acts as an assassin for her uncle, the King of the Middluns, and as such, is feared by most of her people. Katsa gets close to noone, except her eccentric cousin, that is until she meets Po, a Graced fighter from the kingdom of Lienid. Searching for Po's kidnapped grandfather, Katsa must travel far across the Kingdoms and come to terms with her feelings towards her own Grace.

Graceling is yet another exciting and entertaining fantasy novel with a strong and interesting female leading character. Although nothing particularly original, the story was gripping and the characters flawed but passionate enough for the reader to become engrossed in their journeys. Yet again, I felt myself drawn to the leading male character, Po, and his burgeoning relationship with the somewhat difficult Katsa. His journey felt slightly less predictable to me, and the development of his character and his relationship with his family was somewhat more intriguing.

A very enjoyable read. I shall certainly be reading the sequel, Fire.

Other blog reviews:
Always Dreaming
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The Written World

The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness

Read for: YA Challenge

On several occasions recently, I have heard about a book that has received good reviews or hype, only to pick it up and be a little disappointed by the blurb on the back cover. Almost every time it has been a young adult book, that I am slowly moving away from reading, despite the recent flurry caused by my joining the 2009 YA Challenge. Despite this, almost every time I actually read one of these books, the quality of the writing far outweighs the cover blurb and I am forced to remind myself that these are not written by the author, but by the publishing house. It is far better to attempt reading the first few pages of a book, to see if it strikes any accord with me before I decide whether or not to buy/borrow it.

On that note, The Knife of Never Letting Go was no different. And yes, I read it, and oh yes, I loved it. Although off to a slightly lukewarm start, with a character I could not immediately identify with, in a setting that felt all too familiar, Ness soon established his tale as something quite different. Our main character, Todd is a young man on the cusp of adulthood. His home, Prentisstown, is a somewhat backwards town, with a notable difference from own our world. Here, a race of alien beings called the Spackle have introduced a virus that has wiped out all the women, the mothers, daughters, all of them. The men have survived, but the virus has had an interesting effect on them. No man's thoughts are his own. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts all the time, nothing can be kept to oneself. Another interesting side effect of the virus is that they can also hear the thoughts of other animals, though usually more primative and instinctual, such as those of Todd's dog, Manchee.

Although strange to us, this is the world Todd has grown up in, so his entire world is shaken when one day he finds a spot of quiet by the swamp. Soon Todd discovers that many many truths have been hidden from him and nothing is truly as it seems. To say any more about the plot would reveal too much, but suffice to say that the action is perpetual, with few chances to take a breath or pause to absorb the events. The Knife of Never Letting Go is not a happy book. Don't get me wrong, there are laughs here, or rather moments that make you smile, usually concerning the adorably dim Manchee and his affection for Todd. However Ness does not hold back, and his characters are forced to experience the truest darkness of human nature, either by their own hands or others, which creates a rollercoaster ride of emotion for the reader. I was quite exhausted by the end.

I honestly did not expect to find this book live up to its reviews. The plot and opening pages seemed a bit woolly to me, but very little perseverence was required for me to quickly discover the sheer astounding quality of Patrick Ness' writing and storytelling. To call it absorbing or gripping would be an understatement. I loved the concept of Noise, and the allusions to the tremendous dividing line of gender and what that means for society. Again, I cannot say any more without giving the plot away.

Suffice to say, here is yet another book where the blogging world has been right on the button. A fantastic novel, whether young adult or not (this book is quite violent in places), it was not unexpected that I would feel drained and perhaps a little unfulfilled at the end. This is of course because there is a sequel, the Ask and the Answer, which I shall shortly be hunting down at the library, though I'll be lucky to get my paws on a copy!

My message to you dear reader...get out there and read this. It is surely one of the best young adult fantasies I have read in a very very long time.

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things mean a lot
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Becky's Book Reviews

The Book of a Thousand Days - Shannon Hale

Read for: YA Challenge

Read simply because it was written by Shannon Hale, I'll admit that the blurb on the back didn't immediately grab me, seeming to be for younger readers. Trusting Hale's wonderful writing though, I persevered and am so glad that I did!

Our heroine is Dashti, a mucker maid who joins the service of Lady Saren, moments before the Lady is locked away in a tower by her father, for refusing to marry Lord Khasar and betrothing herself to the young Khan Tegus. Saren becomes miserable in her seclusion and Dashti uses all her healing skills to help comfort her. After two and a half years in the tower, with the very real threat of Lord Khasar in the city, the girls make an escape, only to find new challenges and difficulties on their path to freedom.

The story is a lot more complicated that that, but the intricacies of Hale's storytelling are a delight to read, thus I do not want to spoil them for you here. The Book of a Thousand Days is another adaptation of a fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, Maid Maleen. Although clearly based on a fairytale, I also found this story interesting socially and is a classic adventure romance.

Dashti is a lovely character, plucky though resigned to her status and position in society, she is primarily very loyal to her Lady and takes her role very seriously. Tegus is a good lead male character, though with the all important flaws. I found Lady Saren most irritating at first, but her character and the orders she often gives Dashti added a great deal of mystery for me, and I was curious throughout the tale what her motivation might be.

I would recommend it for anyone who loves a good fairytale retelling, or simply a good yarn.

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Once Upon a Time in the North - Philip Pullman

Read for: YA Challenge

To continue my short reviews, I'll get straight to the point!

Once Upon a Time in the North is another book set in the world of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. In the same format as Lyra's Oxford, this delightful little hardback is actually a prequel. The story follows aeronaut Lee Scoresby as he meets Iorek Byrnison for the first time.

Unlike Lyra's Oxford, Once Upon a Time in the North captured my interest from the very beginning. The fact that neither Lee nor Iorek were the most important characters in the trilogy actually made the book even better reading. It is often the minor characters that intrigue me and this was especially the case with Scoresby. Very little is revealed about him during the series, aside from his character and friendship with the armoured bear, little is told of his back story. A daring choice of follow up installment, I do not know if this was a particularly big hit or not, although I really enjoyed it. Beautifully packaged, the book also contains a game and some letters from Lyra herself.

Still earmarked with Pullman's excellent literary style, though not bogged down in the religious aspects that were a bit much for some in the later books, Once Upon a Time is an adventure through and through. This would certainly be understood if read with no prior knowledge of the series, though anyone who desires a little more insight into Scoresby's history and the tale of how he met Byrnison, will likely find the story more satisfying. As always, Scoresby's daemon, Hester, is a joy to read about and is most certainly my favourite daemon in the series. Sadly, as is often the case with such novellas, not enough is revealed and the reader is left wanting more.

Where is the Book of Dust I ask?

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An Abundance of Katherines - John Green

Read for: YA Challenge

After falling in love with John Green's writing in Looking for Alaska, I took the opportunity while visiting the Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle, to buy both An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns.

An Abundance of Katherines is about Colin Singleton, a high school graduate and child prodigy who has just been dumped by his girlfriend, Katherine. In fact, all Colin's girlfriends have been called Katherine...all nineteen of them. After being dumped shortly after graduating, Colin and his best friend, Hassan, decide to go on a road trip, while Colin continues to work on his Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability. On this road trip, Colin and Hassan find themselves in middle of nowhere Gutshot, where they meet Lindsay, not a Katherine but something very different.

Katherines is a little more daring than Looking for Alaska, while at the same time, very little appears to happen. Although I did not find myself becoming particularly attached to the characters in this book, I did enjoy the writing, particularly the mathematics that pervade the story. I also liked Green's use of footnotes for these mathematical formulae and other amusing tidbits.

Sadly, I did not love Katherines as I did Alaska, but it was a well written book regardless. I would recommend it as an example of John Green's intuituve and insightful writing, although as other bloggers have pointed out, not everyone would consider this book suitable for younger teens.

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Have I missed yours?

What I Was - Meg Rosoff

Read for: YA Challenge

After having enjoyed How I Live Now so much, and after reading Nymeth's review, I picked up my next Meg Rosoff novel, What I Was.

Narrated by our protagonist as an old man, the story is predominantly set in the early 1960s, the year in which he "discovered love". Sent to a school for hopeless cases on the East Anglian coast, the narrator finds little of interest in his daily life, with boring school work, bunkmates and professors that he can't stand, yet no home that he wants to return to. It all changes one day, when on a cross country run, he meets Finn, the boy who lives by the sea, and everything changes. Finn, the mysterious boy who rarely speaks a word, who lives by himself in a small run down cottage on the beach. As far as books go, I loved this more than How I Live Now, even when I didn't think that would be possible. As a story though, this resonated perfectly with me. Child on the cusp of adulthood, searching for something he does not understand, something he does not yet have, nor does he know to want it. Until he meets a boy who has all those things.

And Finn, oh Finn. If it is possible to fall for a character in fiction, I fell for him. Such gentleness and hardness all at the same time. Mysterious, yet longing. Each time when I thought I had come to understand him and his friendship with the narrator, I realised I knew nothing of him. It is Finn that is the heart of this story, and Finn whom we are all searching for or longing to become. And that is the beauty of this story. I don't think I can describe it as well as Nymeth, except to say that there is that line, between wanting to love someone, and wanting to be them, that their life is somewhat superior to your own, and that is explored so delicately here.

How is it that as an adult now, I keep discovering these wonderful, insightful books aimed at teenagers? I am quite envious, having not read anything even remotely comparable at that age. Yes there is a twist in What I Was, and although I knew from other reviews that it was coming, I did not look for it and thus did not expect it. I was somewhat sideblinded, and yet not in the typical dramatic way. This twist is perfectly relevant to the story and ultimately how the reader sees the characters. I long to reread the book now that I am aware of this revelation, and I truly hope that it will add to my enjoyment of the book, rather than detract from it.

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Things mean a lot "What I Was is also about how idealizing a person can sometimes keep you from seeing how they really are; can make you miss what's right in front of your eyes. And then who do you love? The person of the construct in your head?"

Have I missed yours?