Jan 31st Already!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by this month and left a comment! I’ll be pulling a name tonight and posting it tomorrow.

February and March are going to bankrupt me with all of the books I want to get. Here’s just a sample of some of the goodies I’ll be bringing home next month:

Palimpsest ~ Catherynne Valente
Between life and death, dreaming and waking, at the train stop beyond the end of the world is the city of Palimpsest. To get there is a miracle, a mystery, a gift, and a curse—a voyage permitted only to those who’ve always believed there’s another world than the one that meets the eye. Those fated to make the passage are marked forever by a map of that wondrous city tattooed on their flesh after a single orgasmic night. To this kingdom of ghost trains, lion-priests, living kanji, and cream-filled canals come four travelers: Oleg, a New York locksmith; the beekeeper November; Ludovico, a binder of rare books; and a young Japanese woman named Sei. They’ve each lost something important—a wife, a lover, a sister, a direction in life—and what they will find in Palimpsest is more than they could ever imagine.

Swan Maiden ~ Jules Watson
She was born with a blessing and a curse: that she would grow into a woman of extraordinary beauty—and bring ruin to the kingdom of Ulster and its ruler, the wily Conor. Ignoring the pleadings of his druid to expel the infant, King Conor secrets the girl child with a poor couple in his province, where no man can covet her. There, under the tutelage of a shamaness, Deirdre comes of age in nature and magic…. And in the season of her awakening, the king is inexorably drawn to her impossible beauty.

But for Deirdre, her fate as a man’s possession is worse than death. And soon the green-eyed girl, at home in waterfall and woods, finds herself at the side of three rebellious young warriors. Among them is the handsome Naisi. His heart charged with bitterness toward the aging king, and growing in love for the defiant girl, Naisi will lead Deirdre far from Ulster—and into a war of wits, swords, and spirit that will take a lifetime to wage.

The Manual of Detection ~ Jedediah Berry
In an unnamed city always slick with rain, Charles Unwin toils as a clerk at a huge, imperious detective agency. But when an illustrious detective, Travis Sivart, goes missing, Unwin is reluctantly thrust into the role of investigator. His only guidance comes from a sleepy secretary and the pithy yet profound Manual of Detection. Soon he finds himself framed for murder, pursued by gunmen, and confounded by a femme fatale. Meanwhile, strange and troubling questions proliferate: Why does the mummy at the Municipal Museum have modern-day dental work? Where have all the city’s alarm clocks gone? Why is Unwin’s copy of the Manual missing Chapter 18?

When he discovers that Sivart’s greatest cases were solved incorrectly, Unwin must enter the dreams of a murdered man and face a criminal mastermind bent on total control of a slumbering city.

How Many Days till May?

One of the books I’m most looking forward to getting lost in is Daniel Waters’ Kiss of Life. I loved Generation Dead beyond measure, and throughout the year would often think of it. I’m trying very, very hard to get the local high school to add it to their summer reading list. (I’ve already attended several committee meetings – I’m learning how to cajole through this experience!)

For me, May just can’t come soon enough. The need to know what happens to Adam (and the rest of the crew, of course) is overwhelming!

If you haven’t been to his blog, check it out. He’s got an awesome zombified author picture posted.

The Hunger Games ~ Suzanne Collins

Sixteen-year-old Katniss is smart, athletic, and fast. She can take down a rabbit with a bow and arrow, hitting it straight through the eye. Will these skills be enough to survive the Hunger Games?

Back when this one was first released I passed it up. Kids killing kids like gladiators in an arena? It didn’t sound appealing. In fact it sounded rather appalling. I kept letting it go, even after friends and co-workers alike applied a near lethal amount of peer pressure to get me to read it. No. I wasn’t going there.

And then I did.

Thank God I got over my own stupidity. This is what happened: I had just finished reading Rallison’s book and it was late; I knew I wanted to start something else, but wasn’t sure what. I’d grabbed a copy of The Hunger Games at work that morning, mostly because the local middle school was using it as a book discussion title, and decided to just read the first few pages. Ninety pages later I showed absolutely no signs of stopping. When two o’clock in the morning rolled around I was still at it.

First of all, the pacing is fantastic. It seems like it never stops. There are hardly any lulls, any moment when you’re not right there, emotionally invested in the outcome of every little thing. And while the world-building was handled subtly, it was ever present in the story. I knew what Katniss’s district looked like and felt like I was standing beside her in the Capitol. It was full of sensory details.

And then there were the characters. I’m not going to drag out a list of their strengths and weaknesses, but, let me tell you, you care. They provoke and defy and pull the tension tight. I loved Katniss and Peeta.  Even secondary characters like Cinna were amazing.

When I hit the last page, had the last sentence read, I sat there staring at it for full minutes. It somehow didn’t seem right that it was over. That I couldn’t have more. And like so many others I’m left counting down the days until the release of Catching Fire. This time there won’t be a moment’s hesitation, that’s for sure.

My Fair Godmother ~ Janette Rallison

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight.

With a fairy godmother like Chrysanthemum Everstar on your side, you’d be better off with your enemies. Sheesh. In this cute young adult novel, wishes are perilous and Savannah is a sweet heroine who deserves her happily-ever-after.

My Fair Godmother was a quick read that had a lot of charm – mostly due to Savannah’s voice, which ranges from sweet to sarcastic to self-deprecating – and a fairy tale ending. I’ve never read Rallison before, but her writing has a nice flow to it, and the pace was great. Basically, this book was a pleasant diversion, and just the thing I needed after coming off of the 700 page epic that was The Way of Shadows.

The Way of Shadows ~ Brent Weeks

Book One in the Night Angel Trilogy
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city’s most accomplished artist.

For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he’s grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly – and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.

But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins’ world of dangerous politics and strange magics – and cultivate a flair for death.

When we first meet eleven-year-old Azoth he’s on his belly under the wooden planks of a tavern’s floor scavenging for coins. It’s a gripping opener, one filled with an immediate sense of character and place, and thick with tension as Azoth quickly realizes the danger he’s in. When I began the book, I seesawed between the desire to read it and the knowledge that it would take me some time to do just that, but the last page of chapter one easily made up my mind: I was in.

The pace of The Way of Shadows isn’t exactly leisurely – there’s too much action for it to be considered slow – but Brent Weeks definitely takes the time to establish the world and to introduce a large cast of players. The reward is in being able to place yourself for better or worse in Azoth’s shoes. Just as the first chapter hooked me, there was a scene that sort of splintered my heart, just sort of broke something up inside, and when it was done Azoth simply mattered to me…

In context, Azoth is being tested by Durzo Blint, but in order to be successful, and what’s more in order to survive, Azoth needs to be resourceful in his attempt. The other thing to know is that Rat is feared among the children in the guild, and that his proclivities run cruel and to both genders.

“I found a special place for us…” Azoth stopped. “But it doesn’t matter, we can do it here. We should do it here.” Rat’s eyes were hard, but unreadable. Azoth stood slowly, holding on to Rat’s hips. “Let’s just do it here. Let the whole guild hear us. Let everyone know.”

His whole body was shaking and there was no way to hide it. Revulsion was arcing through him like lightning, but he kept his face hopeful, pretended his trembling was pure naïve uncertainty. I can’t. I can’t. Let him kill me. Anything but…If he thought, if he considered anything for another second, he was lost.

Azoth reached a trembling hand up to Rat’s cheek, and  then stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

The moment I anticipated Azoth’s plan, I thought for sure kleenexes were going to be necessary. I’ll let you see how this plays out, if you decide to read the book.

And to that end, what else can I say to tempt you to give it a try? Well…

Along with Azoth, several others had depth, and that depth led to moral ambiguity in some. It’s like those characters were walking a tightrope, but their balancing pole was a sword or magic, and depending on how they wielded it they were left struggling to stay the course. In some cases they fell, and it was evident on which sign of the good/evil line they landed, but even then it seemed with purpose. As the reader, I enjoyed being kept off balance; it certainly made things more interesting.

If you enjoy action, this one has great sequences that play out in cinematic fashion. Plus, there’s poison, which is used liberally by Blint. And then there’s the magic. Weeks explores the intricacies of magic in this world, and because he does it seems new, fresh.

In spite of the fact that other novels were tempting me, I couldn’t let this one go. I had to see it out. In that way, it reminded me of the time I spent with George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. The two books also share an epic scope and length, political intrigue, as well as varying points of view, but Martin’s book has more of a historical perspective whereas Weeks’ The Way of Shadows feels a bit more contemporary. (Which I chalked up to the fighting more than anything else.) There are other dissimilarities, of course, but I’m as glad to have met Azoth as I was to have met Jon Snow. (And I just know I’m opening myself up to recrimination by using Martin’s book here, but I was speaking of my experience, which makes the difference.)

And after all that, it’s not to say that The Way of Shadows is perfect, or that everyone will necessarily enjoy it. I did, but with my recent disparate feelings toward a fantasy classic, who knows if this one would reach others the same way. One thing to know is that the book runs dark at times; keep that in mind if that’s not your thing.

If you’d like to see for yourself what I meant about the first chapter, you’re in luck. Brent Weeks has it up on his website.

124 Must Reads in Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Since I’m currently making my way through a rather long book, I thought a break from reviews might be nice, and thought this meme of sorts from Carl V.‘s site would do the trick nicely. The list of “Sci-Fi/Fantasy Must Reads” below is from the Guardian. The ones I’ve read are in bold, I’ve read other books by the authors in italics, and have always wanted to read the ones that are underlined.

All in all, it appears that  I’m woefully behind on my must-read reading.

1. Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

2. Brian W Aldiss: Non-Stop

3. Isaac Asimov: Foundation

4. Margaret Atwood: The Blind Assassin

5. Paul Auster: In the Country of Last Things

6. Iain Banks: The Wasp Factory

7. Iain M Banks: Consider Phlebas

8. Clive Barker: Weaveworld

9. Nicola Barker: Darkmans

10. Stephen Baxter: The Time Ships

11. Greg Bear: Darwin’s Radio

12. Alfred Bester: The Stars My Destination

13. Poppy Z Brite: Lost Souls

14. Algis Budrys: Rogue Moon

15. Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita

16. Edward Bulwer-Lytton: The Coming Race

17. Anthony Burgess: A Clockwork Orange

18. Anthony Burgess: The End of the World News

19. Edgar Rice Burroughs: A Princess of Mars

20. William Burroughs: Naked Lunch

21. Octavia Butler: Kindred

22. Samuel Butler: Erewhon

23. Italo Calvino: The Baron in the Trees

24. Ramsey Campbell: The Influence

25. Lewis Carroll: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

26. Lewis Carroll: Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There

27. Angela Carter: Nights at the Circus

28. Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

29. Arthur C Clarke: Childhood’s End

30. GK Chesterton: The Man Who Was Thursday

31. Susanna Clarke: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

32. Michael G Coney: Hello Summer, Goodbye

33. Douglas Coupland: Girlfriend in a Coma

34. Mark Danielewski: House of Leaves

35. Marie Darrieussecq: Pig Tales

36. Samuel R Delaney: The Einstein Intersection

37. Philip K Dick: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

38. Philip K Dick: The Man in the High Castle

39. Umberto Eco: Foucault’s Pendulum

40. Michel Faber: Under the Skin

41. John Fowles: The Magus

42. Neil Gaiman: American Gods

43. Alan Garner: Red Shift

44. William Gibson: Neuromancer

45. Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Herland

46. William Golding: Lord of the Flies

47. Joe Haldeman: The Forever War

48. M John Harrison: Light

49. Robert A Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land

50. Frank Herbert: Dune

51. Hermann Hesse: The Glass Bead Game

52. Russell Hoban: Riddley Walker

53. James Hogg: The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

54. Michel Houellebecq: Atomised

55. Aldous Huxley: Brave New World

56. Kazuo Ishiguro: The Unconsoled

57. Shirley Jackson: The Haunting of Hill House

58. Henry James: The Turn of the Screw

59. PD James: The Children of Men

60. Richard Jefferies: After London; Or, Wild England

61. Gwyneth Jones: Bold as Love

62. Franz Kafka: The Trial

63. Daniel Keyes: Flowers for Algernon

64. Stephen King: The Shining

65. Marghanita Laski: The Victorian Chaise-longue

66. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu: Uncle Silas

67. Stanislaw Lem: Solaris

68. Doris Lessing: Memoirs of a Survivor

69. David Lindsay: A Voyage to Arcturus

70. Ken MacLeod: The Night Sessions

71. Hilary Mantel: Beyond Black

72. Michael Marshall Smith: Only Forward

73. Richard Matheson: I Am Legend

74. Charles Maturin: Melmoth the Wanderer

75. Patrick McCabe: The Butcher Boy

76. Cormac McCarthy: The Road

77. Jed Mercurio: Ascent

78. China Miéville: The Scar

79. Andrew Miller: Ingenious Pain

80. Walter M Miller Jr: A Canticle for Leibowitz

81. David Mitchell: Cloud Atlas

82. Michael Moorcock: Mother London

83. William Morris: News From Nowhere

84. Toni Morrison: Beloved

85. Haruki Murakami: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle

86. Vladimir Nabokov: Ada or Ardor

87. Audrey Niffenegger: The Time Traveler’s Wife

88. Larry Niven: Ringworld

89. Jeff Noon: Vurt

90. Flann O’Brien: The Third Policeman

91. Ben Okri: The Famished Road

92. Chuck Palahniuk: Fight Club

93. Thomas Love Peacock: Nightmare Abbey

94. Mervyn Peake: Titus Groan

95. John Cowper Powys: A Glastonbury Romance

96. Christopher Priest: The Prestige

97. François Rabelais: Gargantua and Pantagruel

98. Ann Radcliffe: The Mysteries of Udolpho

99. Alastair Reynolds: Revelation Space

100. Kim Stanley Robinson: The Years of Rice and Salt

101. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

102. Salman Rushdie: The Satanic Verses

103. Antoine de Sainte-Exupéry: The Little Prince

104. José Saramago: Blindness

105. Will Self: How the Dead Live

106. Mary Shelley: Frankenstein

107. Dan Simmons: Hyperion

108. Olaf Stapledon: Star Maker

109. Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash

110. Robert Louis Stevenson: The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde

111. Bram Stoker: Dracula

112. Rupert Thomson: The Insult

113. Mark Twain: A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court

114. Kurt Vonnegut: Sirens of Titan

115. Robert Walser: Institute Benjamenta

116. Sylvia Townsend Warner: Lolly Willowes

117. Sarah Waters: Affinity

118. HG Wells: The Time Machine

119. HG Wells: The War of the Worlds

120. TH White: The Sword in the Stone

121. Gene Wolfe: The Book of the New Sun

122. John Wyndham: Day of the Triffids

123. John Wyndham: The Midwich Cuckoos

124. Yevgeny Zamyatin: We

Magic’s Pawn ~ Mercedes Lackey

You should probably know that I didn’t wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to read Mercedes Lackey. Magic’s Pawn, I think.” In fact, if it weren’t for a series of workshops a co-worker and I are attending, odds are good that Lackey’s work would have stayed out of my hands. For once, my inclination to steer clear might have paid off. And by now I’m guessing you know where this is going…

Lackey’s Valdemar books may have many fans, but, honestly, I’m not one of them.

Magic’s Pawn lacks everything I look for in what might arguably be considered high fantasy: Strong characterization, a rich atmosphere through solid world-building, and a storyline that is compelling whether it’s fast paced or not.

After finishing it, I read several reviews, most positive and glowing, and I kept wondering what I missed, what I didn’t see that all of these other readers saw. Shortly after, my co-worker brought it up, mentioning that she didn’t like it at all, and we were on the same page as to why.

The lead character, Vanyel, is a pity-party per minute. He was an “Oh, Gods, why me?” character that didn’t rouse up a shred of sympathy in me, not even when he was understandably pained by another’s action. It seemed the publisher – or whoever writes the synopsis – was trying to head off this complaint at the pass by actually stating that Vanyel was “strong-willed and self-centered.” Unfortunately, he never managed to transcend those traits, not for me, not even when the plot placed him in a moment of epiphany at the end. Of all, there were only three characters who tipped the scale – one was written out after two pages, one came to a bad end rather quickly, and the third was interesting but woefully undeveloped and under utilized.

Valdemar wasn’t a place so much as a word; I never felt like I was there with Vanyel or the others, could never actually picture their surroundings. The majority of the magical concepts were also weak. Including the bond between Companion and Chosen. For me, Magic’s Pawn held no appeal.

It was a shame, too, because the facilitator of the workshop chose this book as the benchmark for fantasy. It’s lunacy to pick one book and hold it as the standard for the rest of the genre, especially a genre that’s so rich with sub-genres, and to select this one as such…Well, I’ll be questioning that choice at our next workshop, that’s for sure.

I was shocked to have such a different experience with this one, so unlike other readers and even Library Journal, whose quote is first under editorial reviews on Amazon. And I expect my opinion won’t be appreciated by many, but it is just that, after all, and I respect those who saw something in Vanyel and in Magic’s Pawn that I just didn’t.

Grimspace ~ Ann Aguirre

Okay, after knocking back the first two books in Ann Aguirre’s Jax series, I’ve moved from sci-fi baby steps to superfast toddler steps. And I’m liking the new speed.

By all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…

As the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace—a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard for Jax to defend herself: she has no memory of the crash.

Now imprisoned and the subject of a ruthless interrogation, Jax is on the verge of madness. Then a mysterious man breaks into her cell, offering her freedom—for a price. March needs Jax to help his small band of rogue fighters break the Corp monopoly on interstellar travel—and establish a new breed of jumper.

Jax is only good at one thing—grimspace—and it will eventually kill her. So she may as well have some fun in the meantime…

Jax is a forthright character that immediately captured my attention. From page one, I wanted to know her story, wanted to know how she was going to bear up under the circumstances she found herself in. And when March folded himself down on the floor in front of her, I happily crossed the line from interested to hooked.

Since it always comes around to character with me, I’ll try to elaborate a bit on the appeal of Jax and March, and maybe on a few others. I’ve already said that Jax is forthright, but she’s also proud, and along with that comes a good bit of stubbornness and determination. On occasion she will lapse into self-pity, but it’s fleeting, and you can see it crack at the person she’s struggling to be. Jax is the type that, after weighing the odds and her options, will make a decision and persevere no matter the cost, which makes rooting for her easy to do, flaws and all. As for March, I have to admit, I liked him from the very first punch he threw. Like Jax, he’s suffered through his own brand of torment, and his personality has taken shape around it. He’s this mix of strength and need, arrogance and vulnerability, demanding and reassuring. And I’ll admit, too, that there were times he broke my heart. In good and bad ways. If any of that is what you look for in characters, pick up Grimspace; you’ll probably find that Jax and March transcend anything and everything I’ve said here.

Beyond character, this novel has a coherent storyline and solid worldbuilding. Jax brings grimspace to life and the sci-fi elements aren’t lying around like so much clutter. Ann Aguirre puts each piece of the story to good use. I found the pacing to be quick, but maybe that’s because I absolutely had to know what was going to happen next. There were plenty of powerful moments to satisfy and the ending left me feeling a bit bereft. I had the feeling that Jax’s world wasn’t going to even out any time soon. And that need to know spurred me on, right to a bookstore to buy a copy of Wanderlust. But that’ll have to be another review because I love Vel and he deserves more then a sentence or two.

If you enjoy strong characters, nicely written action, and a story that’s as rife with sadness as it is with joy, this one just might be for you.

You can read the first chapter of Grimspace on Ann Aguirre’s website.
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If it were a challenge, this would count towards Carl V. of Stainless Steel Droppings’ SciFi Experience. If you’d like to check out other bloggers reviews of sci-fi titles, take a look at the review site.

A Woman Worth Ten Coppers ~ Morgan Howell

Seer, healer, goddess, slave–she is all these things and more.

Yim is a young woman suddenly cast into slavery, a gifted seer with a shocking secret–and a great destiny. Honus is a Sarf, a warrior dedicated to the service of the compassionate goddess Karm. A Sarf’s sole purpose is to serve a holy person called a Bearer. But Honus’s Bearer has been killed by the minions of an evil god known only as the Devourer. Masterless and needing someone to bear his pack, Honus purchases Yim for the price of ten coppers–and their fates are forever entwined.

After reading favorable reviews of this title it seemed a given that I’d enjoy it. The hours it took me to read it went by at a snail’s pace and were easily interrupted. And when I finally finished it my thoughts were rather ambivalent.

We meet Yim when she’s about to set out on her quest to fulfill her destiny, and, aside for a few moments of what read as self-pity, she didn’t seem to have much depth. I couldn’t tell what type of person she was. Not really. Honus, the other major player in the novel, was more intriguing at first. As a Sarf, he’s covered in tattoos, some of which have a meaning beyond him. And as a man raised to uphold the goddess’s will, he is lethal with a sword. He should have been a walking contradiction, which is what the author was going for, I think, but it didn’t resonate.

Since none of the characters compelled me, I was hoping the plot would bear the story up. But without sympathy for either of the main characters, the only thing that caught my attention were a few bursts of action. Throughout the novel, the plot focuses on supporting players, usually to set up the evil faction’s motivations, and at best I skimmed through those sections. Just to get the jist. Since I wasn’t invested in the story it didn’t really matter.

A Woman Worth Ten Coppers is the first in the Shadowed Path trilogy. Those reviewers who remarked on the book favorably got something from it that I just didn’t. Howell’s Queen of the Orcs trilogy also had a solid following. To give Howell’s work a fair shot, I might read the second book. Hopefully I’ll be able to remember what happened in the first.

Song of the Sparrow ~ Lisa Ann Sandell

Summer Reading. If students knew that some of their teachers were already hard at work on their summer reading lists, well, I can just hear the groans. When I was in school, I wasn’t one of the groaners. In fact, I couldn’t wait to see what was going to be on the list. And now I get to help the local schools decide.

The middle school librarian asked me if I could suggest any novels in verse; I immediately rattled off a few, mentioning that there were others I could read to see if they fit the criteria. One of those was Lisa Ann Sandell’s Song of the Sparrow.

Since the days of King Arthur, there have been paintings and poems created in her name. She Elaine of Ascolat – the Lady of Shalott. And now, there is a new story, a new vision, of this mysterious and captivating girl…

I had always wanted to read this one, and while I didn’t need the excuse, it certainly bumped it up on the priority list.

The Arthurian legend fascinated me even as a little girl. I think it stemmed from the fact that my father’s name is Arthur and, yeah, he would often play on that fact when he was telling me stories. Since then I’ve read several novels that either reimagine or adapt Arthur and his knights, but, strangely, the only one I can recall mentioning Elaine was Meg Cabot’s Avalon High. I knew her story, though, and was delighted by Sandell’s “new vision.”

When we meet Elaine, she’s spent years alongside her father and brothers in Arthur’s war camp. She’s grown up among the men, condsidering them friends and brothers, helping in whatever way she could: mending, gathering medicinal plants. And there is one knight in particular that makes her heart flutter like a sparrow’s wings: Lancelot.

Sandell’s Elaine is a strong young woman, smart and compassionate. Her narrative is beautifully observant and compelling. I cared a great deal for her in this telling, and her presence seemed to illuminate the greater myth. Knowing how Elaine’s story played out, the resolution of Song of the Sparrow turned out to be a wonderful surprise.

I had just finished the book when I emailed the middle school librarian, urging her to put this one on the list. I can see so many students getting caught up in Elaine’s story. This was a gem, this one.