Dreamdark: Blackbringer ~ Laini Taylor

From the back cover:
Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, is not like other faeries. While most of her kind live in tranquil seclusion deep in their forests, escaped devils are creeping back into the world after millennia of imprisonment, and Magpie is all that stands in their way. With her faithful clan of crows, she travels the world hunting down the bloodthirsty snags, just as her hero, Bellatrix, did 25,000 years ago.

This hunt will take her back to the great forest of Dreamdark, a place of legends and Djinn, cunning imps and tattooed warriors, where she must unravel the mystery of the greatest enemy her folk have ever known. Will the determination of one small faerie be enough to defeat the impenetrable darkness that threatens to unmake the world?

Many of us have author-crushes, true? I have several and one is Laini Taylor. This crush took root long before I read a single book she wrote – her blog is a constant source of inspiration and delight – and it worried me that, perhaps, Dreamdark: Blackbringer wouldn’t live up to the expectations that my crush sent spinning towards the ceiling and beyond. The thing is…

I shouldn’t have worried.

Honestly, it took me a short while to truly get into the story, but once I did it gripped me tighter than a pair of devil’s talons and wouldn’t let go. I felt driven to read it, to keep reading, to not put it down until it was done. And here’s why:

The world-building. How tremendously well done it was, right down to every detail of flower and sky, faerie wing and imp’s tale. Taylor created a world that is based as much in nature as dreams, that pulled the reins between danger and wonder, and that made this reader feel as though she were no longer sitting on her couch but flying at wind-whipping speeds alongside Magpie and her crows. Original, refreshing, plentiful, detailed – the world Taylor’s faeries inhabit is all of that and more.

The characters. All I can say is: Wow. Magpie and Talon stole into my heart quickly. As did so many others: Calypso, Bertram, and the rest of the crows, Poppy, Orchidspike. Taylor’s characters are fierce, well-rounded individuals; they display personal quirks, fears, hopes, and talents that make them feel so real to the reader. These are characters you want to follow, you want to root for, characters you fear for and cheer for.

The story itself surprised me. Adventure is at its core, but Taylor never shies away from putting her characters in horrible, frightful situations. Though my heart clenched during a few scenes, I appreciated that Taylor did not hold back, not with danger and not with a plot made more (wonderfully) complicated by such thorough world-building.

I’m hoping I can wait to see if Dreamdark: Silksinger finds its way under the Christmas tree, but it’s not going to be easy, not when the end of Blackbringer left me feeling so hopeful and flying high with Taylor’s enchanting words lingering in my mind.

2010 Debut Author Challenge

I was going to wean myself off of challenges next year – excepting Carl‘s, that is, because I just have no willpower to resist them – but the 2010 Debut Author Challenge seemed like a no-brainer to me. I know I’ll be reading a ton that would count so why not join up?

This challenge is hosted by The Story Siren and here’s the deal according to her post:

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

• The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.* I’m going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! I’m hoping to read at least 30! You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year. I will also be focusing on mostly Young Adult novels.
• Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.
• The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime!

* I would like to limit the novels to those released in 2010.

Typically I don’t like posting lists – though I’ve been known to cave under pressure – and I reserve the right to swap out books (because I probably will end up going wildly off in another direction.) But for now…

1. The Iron King – Julie Kagawa
2. Deathday Letter – Shaun David Hutchinson
3. The Secret Year – Jennifer Hubbard
4. Brightly Woven – Alexandra Bracken
5. Sea – Heidi R. Kling
6. Everlasting – Angie Fraizer
7. Hex Hall – Rachel Hawkins
8. Shadow Hills – Anastasia Hopcus
9. Nightshade – Andrea Cremer
10. A Most Improper Magick – Stephanie Burgis
11. Claire de Lune – Christine Johnson
12. The Rise of Renegade X – Chelsea Campbell

The City in the Lake ~ Rachel Neumeier

The kingdom’s heart is the City. The City’s heart is the King. The King’s heart is the Prince. The Prince is missing.

Ever since the Prince disappeared, nothing has been right in the Kingdom. Something has disturbed the strange, old magic that whispers around its borders . . . something cunning and powerful. And the disturbance extends to the farthest reaches of the Kingdom, including the idyllic village where Timou is learning to be a mage under her father’s tutelage.

When Timou’s father journeys to the City to help look for the Prince, but never returns, Timou senses that the disturbance in the Kingdom is linked to her—and to the undiscovered heritage of the mother she never knew. She must leave her village, even if it means confronting powers greater than her own, even though what she finds may challenge everything she knows. Even if it means leaving love behind.

You know how certain things in one book can bring to mind elements in others? That was certainly the case with The City in the Lake, and yet it was not at all derivative. No. It was original and incredibly well-done.

The novel opens with the disappearance of Prince Cassiel. His half-brother, Neill, known without affection through the Kingdom as Lord Bastard, has been alerted and begins to question those who might know what happened. With barely a sentence written about him, I loved his character; it was an immediate attachment that held strong throughout the entire story. See, to me, it was apparent that Lord Neill would have not only felt at home in the company of Daemon and Lucivar from Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels books, he would have held his own among them. High praise as I love both of those characters dearly. And if you love characters that walk the line between being dangerous, calculating, prideful of their strength and being fiercely protective of those they love, compassionate to those who deserve it, you will adore Neill. And so the book begins with him, setting the scene for the Prince’s disappearance, and then the narrative shifts to Timou, the daughter of the mage, Kapoen.

“Timou was a child of winter, which in the villages, where most children are born in the spring like lambs, was worthy of some slight notice.”

Timou is a sweet girl, just discovering her own strengths, when her father heads to the City and does not return. With trepidation and determination warring within her, she follows him into the forest, knowing that not everyone who does so finds their way out. Along the way her mind wanders back to Jonas, a man with secrets of his own, and his declaration to her: “I’m starting to see your face in the raindrops.” Can a mage find happiness with a man that shatters her calm, the very thing she needs to control the elements of magic at her disposal? Timou is unsure, remembering all that her father told her about strong emotion, but she begins to realize she would like the chance to find out.

The narrative shifts between Neill, Timou, and Jonas, and it’s an effective technique that weaves together the many layers of this story. Like Neill, the book itself walks a blade of danger and tension, and its evil character brought to mind Marillier’s Oonagh; she filled me with dread, and her menace was palpable, just like it was with the character in The City in the Lake. With a rich, high fantasy world for a backdrop, The City in the Lake is an elegantly written, intelligent novel for teens and, really, for anyone who appreciates a strong fantasy. It ended sooner than I would have liked, but my saying so owes mostly to the fact that I was enjoying it so much and wanted a little more. It may be wishful thinking on my part, but it deserves a sequel.

I recalled reading Charlotte’s review of it, which got my attention, but it was a post on Angie’s site about Neumeier’s forthcoming book that made me dig this one out of the pile. I am so glad I did!

Holiday Grind ~ Cleo Coyle

It’s Christmastime and when manager and head barista Clare Cosi finds a red-suited body in the snow, she adds solving Santa’s slaying to her coffeehouse menu. Soon, a few clues convince her his death was something more than a mugging gone awry.

With Clare’s NYPD Detective boyfriend distracted by his own cold case, Clare discovers on her own that Santa had a list that he was checking twice- and the folks on it were not nice. But Clare had better watch out, because if she fails to stop this stone cold killer, she may just get the biggest chill of her life.

If you enjoy the common tropes of cozy mysteries, and what’s more, if you like them to be executed well, you should be reading Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery series. This eighth installment reinforced the strength of the qualities that addicted me to the series after reading its debut, On What Grounds, back in 2003. That said, Clare has come a long way, both in her personal life and in her sleuthing career.

The first thing that drew me to this series were the characters. Clare, for instance. Liking the amateur sleuth isn’t a requirement – and I can think of a few that left me cold – but that certainly wasn’t a problem with Clare Cosi. She’s a single mom, fiercely protective of her daughter, and the manager of a popular coffeehouse, a job she’s passionate about. Her history with her ex-husband left her with a few wounds, but she put them behind her, both for her daughter and so that she could work with him in running the coffeehouse. The last, I think, shows her determination and tenacity. She brings that iron will to Holiday Grind and shows some real cojones when she finds herself in more than one sticky situation.

More than the mystery, though, at this point in the series I found myself reading for the relationsips, specifically to see where Clare and NYPD detective Mike Quinn were at. I LOVE this aspect of the series and it’s one of the things that will keep me reading. In this installment the new couple whethers their first complication – and that had me more on the edge of my seat than Clare’s race to find the killer.

These books are a treat, and this one was even moreso, owing to its holiday theme and the pages of holiday recipes at the back. I had no sooner turned the last page that I wanted to know when the next one was going to be released. (August 3, 2010, if you were wondering, and it’s going to be called Roast Mortem. Heh.)

You can read an excerpt from Holiday Grind here.

Reading Now

Ah, non-fiction! Why do you take me so long to read?

I’ve put this one down, picked it up, over and over again. My motivation to read it is way low and the only reason I’m carrying on is because, simply, I have to read it for work. It’s not that the book is bad or anything, it’s just…like I’ve said in posts about NF before, I have to really be into the subject to stick out a non-fiction title. That’s not so much the case here. But! I did find a few interesting tidbits.

(I just realized…Does everyone know what this one is about? The 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago? “Murder, Magic, and Madness”?)

Early on in the book, Larson is setting up the backgrounds of the fair’s two driving architects: Burnham and Root. What interested me – the only thing that interested me, really – was Root’s connection to Harriet Monroe because I learned something I should have known, but didn’t.

Later, in her memoir, A Poet’s Life, she described Root’s marriage to her sister as being ‘so completely happy that my own dreams of happiness, confirmed by that example, demanded as fortunate a fulfillment, and could accept nothing less.’ But Harriet never found its equal and devoted her life instead to poetry, eventually founding Poetry magazine, where she helped launch Exra Pound toward national prominence. (pgs 22-23)

I read Poetry magazine all the time and yet it escaped my knowledge that a woman founded it. And that said woman helped Pound gain notoriety. I also very much like her ‘don’t settle for less’ attitude and the fact that she never did.

The next  piece isn’t so much a tidbit as a line that caught my fancy. I usually jot these down in a notebook, but I’ll post this one here instead.

When Burnham and Root were together, one woman said, “I used always to think of some big strong tree with lightning playing around it.” (pg 27)

That comparison is totally made of awesome.

So, that’s it for now. I better get back to it seeing as how I have to have it read by Tuesday and I’ve others to read for Monday beside. Hope everyone is enjoying what they’re reading now!

The Better Part of Darkness ~ Kelly Gay

From the back cover:

Atlanta: it’s the promised city for the off-worlders, foreigners from the alternate dimensions of heaven-like Elysia and hell-like Charbydon. Some bring good works and miracles. And some bring unimaginable evil….

Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She’s recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.’s Integration Task Force even harder. Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash. Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim — but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?

This book showed up in the mail a couple of days ago *cut to me excitedly opening the envelope* and as soon as it was in my hands I thought, well, there’s no harm in reading the first few sentences. Yeah, right! Those first few sentences turned into me ignoring the laundry basket, settling down on the sofa, and digging in.

“You told a two-thousand-year-old oracle to prove it.” Hank kept pace beside me, nursing his bloody nose with a handful of fast-food napkins I’d pulled from the glove box earlier. “I mean, do you ever think before the words spew out of your mouth, Charlie?”

“Yeah, all the time.” I jogged up the four brick steps. “If Alessandra didn’t have to act like a know-it-all, then I wouldn’t have to say things to her.”

“She is a know-it-all!”

The scene goes on, the banter goes on; I immediately liked Hank, and got a good sense of what following Charlie around for three hundred-plus pages would be like. Perhaps a little wearying, maybe with a few nerves grated the wrong way, but I’d do it because she probably had reason to be tough and ornery. And boy, did she ever. But still.

Okay, since I already mentioned Hank, that’s where I’ll start. Charlie and Hank are partners, they work for the ITF, a department of the Atlanta police that deals with the off-worlders from Elysia and Charbydon that came to our world after the Revelation.* Neither character is what they initially seem to be, of course, and we learn about Hank pretty early on. We also learn that he and Charlie are tight, real tight, but at times they had a funny way of showing it. One thing I love in my books are strong friendships, secure bonds between people, and this one threw me because Charlie was always “I hate Hank for that,” “I could punch Hank for this,” and not in a funny, ha-ha, pseudo-sibling teasing kind of way. We get the depth of their friendship in flashes, mostly as it revolves around Charlie’s daughter, Emma, and I would have loved for there to have been more…believability? Less bickering? It’s picky on my part to point out, but when you’ve set-up something good like that, why not really run with it?

But that brings me nicely to Emma. I don’t particularly like when kids are involved in urban fantasy novels** because it almost always comes down to being a ploy – especially when said kids are fully human. Let’s get the kid kidnapped or, hey, let’s have the child put into a really, really dangerous situation in which the parent/guardian has to choose between the kid and the rest of the world. I thoroughly appreciated Charlie’s dedication as a mother, it brought out a side of her that we probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise, but it bothered me nonetheless, and for reasons already stated. Emma herself was a sweet character and seemed pretty typical to her age.

The Better Part of Darkness had a lot of really wonderful characters. Hank, as I said, and Charlie’s sister, Bryn, who plays a big role in the book as the story arc begins to resolve. There’s also an intriguing noble and an equally intriguing Magnus, both of whom I’d like to see more of in future books.

Also, the world-building was nicely done. In Gay’s Atlanta there are mages, jinn, goblins, gods, and each group has a history and backstory that’s hinted at throughout the story. I was always able to picture Charlie’s surroundings and thought that many of the descriptions were wonderful in painting a just-so kind of picture.

Despite the old-fashioned-style streetlamps that burned twenty-four hours a day, the light on Solomon Street was murky at best, the perfect environment for crooks and convicts. Old Savannah bricks paved the street. Peddlers occupied alleyways. Butcher shops, inns, bars, herberies, magic ship, and strip clubs practically spilled onto the sidewalk. Doors stayed open. Inventory was piled against walls and storefronts. Small carts had permanent spaces on curbs. Open fires burned in barrels, making the air steamier than normal. This was the Charbydon quarter, and while they could tolerate the sunlight, they liked things crowded, hot, and dark. (pgs 190-191)

Despite a few problems I had with the book – a rather drawn out resolution, for one – I enjoyed The Better Part of Darkness quite a bit and will definitely read The Darkest Edge of Dawn when it’s released. Gay has come up with something a little different with this book; it’s not quite police procedural, not quite urban fantasy, a little dark and definitely dangerous, and you’re never completely sure you know what the real deal is. I can appreciate that. And I can say, too, that this review only barely begins to scrape the surface of what goes down in the book. You’ll have to read it yourself to see what I mean.

Waiting on Wednesday: A Twofer

At the edge of the known world, an ancient nomadic tribe faces a new enemy-an Empire fueled by technology and war.

A young spiritwalker of the Aniw and a captain in the Ciracusan army find themselves unexpectedly thrown together. The Aniw girl, taken prisoner from her people, must teach the reluctant soldier a forbidden talent – one that may turn the tide of the war and will surely forever brand him an outcast.

From the rippling curtains of light in an Arctic sky, to the gaslit cobbled streets of the city, war is coming to the frozen north. Two people have a choice that will decide the fates of nations – and may cast them into a darkness that threatens to bring destruction to both their peoples.

I found this one after spending some time on Janicu’s Book Blog. Doesn’t it look fantastic? The author does not have a whole lot about the book on her site, but she did link to a very cool post about the cover on Orbit Books’ blog, which includes some of the cover artist’s pencil sketches. Slated to be released on March 30, 2010.

In the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and few scruples.

Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot. Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last victim, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see. But in this fight for his life, Caim only trusts his knives and his instincts, but they won’t be enough when his quest for justice leads him from Othir’s hazardous back alleys to its shining corridors of power. To unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the empire, he must claim his birthright as the Shadow’s Son….

And this one I found on A Dribble of Ink. Loving the cover on this one, too, and have to wonder how Sprunk is going to pull off the story in 280 pages (according to Amazon.) A quick look at the author’s website and it appears that Shadow’s Son is the first in a trilogy to be published by Pyr. Set to be released on June 22, 2010.

Excerpts! Come get your excerpts! Anne Bishop posts Shalador’s!

Oh, it’s a happy excerpt day here at casa Persephone! Anne Bishop has (finally!) posted an excerpt for Shalador’s Lady, the sequel to this year’s excellent Shadow Queen. I have been waiting and checking, waiting and checking, and it’s finally up! (Here)

And here is the first paragraph:

“Ranon stepped out on the terrace behind the Grayhaven mansion, closed his dark eyes, and raised the wood flute to his lips. Then he hesitated while a lifetime of caution warred with the hope he felt because of Lady Cassidy, the Queen who now ruled the Territory of Dena Nehele.”

And since I love a good excerpt, here, in no particular order, are a few for books that are on my radar.

Laurell K Hamilton’s Divine Misdemeanors (here)

A snippet from Ilona Andrew’s next Edge novel, Bayou Moon (here)

Gail Dayton’s Heart’s Blood (here)

Rachel Caine’s Kiss of Death (here)

Glenda Larke’s The Last Stormlord (here)

Polly Shulman’s The Grimm Legacy (here)

Maria V. Snyder’s Inside Out (here)

Skyler White’s And Falling, Fly (here)

Not an excerpt, but Rick Riordan posted a little bit about his new series, the Kane Chronicles. The first book will be called The Red Pyramid. (here)

Okay! I’m going back to read Bishop’s excerpt again!

Fond Four – the T.V. Edition

With the holidays coming up I’ve been asked to jot down wish lists, which means I’ve had to put my thinking cap on. Or give Amazon a good long look. My attention recently snagged on a DVD set of a show no longer on air, one I have very fond memories of, which made me think of doing a post like this. So, here are five shows that I loved that are either no longer on or are in reruns (on obscure channels, of course.) Feel free to play along!

1. Zorro (1957 – 1959)
Obviously I didn’t watch this show when it originally aired, but I owe my mother big time for making sure I watched it when Disney decided to put it back on t.v. for a brief time. This show had everything my young self could have wanted: Comedy, swashbuckling sword action, romance, and a handsome leading man in Guy Williams. It was on past my bedtime, too, and it was an added thrill that I was allowed to stay up and watch it. Though it only ran for two seasons, my love for the story of Zorro endured, and I’ve found myself drawn to this type of character ever since.

2. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955 – 1959)
When you think Robin Hood, who comes to mind? Errol Flynn, maybe, or *shudder* Kevin Costner? Or, heh, Carey Elwes? Probably not Richard Greene, though, and he was arguably my favorite Robin Hood. Greene’s Robin exuded compassion and confidence; he always seemed quick to smile, and was just as quick with his bow. Another one I owe my parents for introducing me to despite the fact that it had long been off the air.

3. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr (1993 – 1994)
Bruce Campbell in a show that was part western, part sci-fi, and part campy comedy. How could you possibly go wrong with that combination? You couldn’t. It is such a shame that this one didn’t get a longer run, but it had so many memorable characters – including Comet, Brisco’s apple loving, trick playing horse – and storylines that kept the show interesting and fresh. Maybe not what Campbell will be remembered for in the future, but it was a role I loved him in.

4. BeastMaster (1999 – 2002)
Okay, I’ll admit it, this one is a guilty pleasure of mine. It was loosely based on the movie, but in the series Dar was played by Daniel Goddard. It disappeared for a while and it wasn’t until all three seasons were released on DVD that I learned how the show wrapped up the story arc of Dar’s search for his family. Between the gorgeous animals and Goddard, there was certainly plenty of lovely scenery.

This could go on and become a fond five, six, and probably more, but I’d rather not bore you. So! What tv shows do you have fond memories of?

Metamorphosis: Junior Year ~ Betsy Franco

My apologies right off the bat: This “review” is going to be all over the place, I’m afraid. And it might be longish. Disclaimer stated and moving on…

Ovid, named after the Roman poet, has several problems, most of which stemming from his sister’s drug abuse and willing disappearance. His parents’ fear that Ovid will pull a repeat performance to rival his sister’s has made his home a prison; he’s suffocating under the weight of someone else’s mistakes and tunnels the energy he has left into art and poetry.

As he looks around at his friends and classmates, Ovid takes a page from his namesake’s book, reshaping myths to narrate their lives.

Most of the myths Ovid uses to explore his world are fairly well known: Orpheus/Eurydice, Daphne/Apollo, Psyche/Cupid. Having at least a passing familiarity with each will make your experience with this book a pleasure. (As for the other, less known myths, well, they can always be looked up after.) For instance, the Orpheus myth – In Franco’s book, Ovid nicknames a gorgeous music player Orpheus, and dissects his failed relationship with a girl named Dalia in a poem  (which you can read after the cut.)

In that regard, I thought this book was very clever, and insightful in the way Ovid regarded superficial appearances.

But things aren’t like that, as far as I can tell. It seems to me that we all navigate our way through high school – solo or in ever-shifting pairs or groups – trying to find some rhyme or rhythm, some sense.

Sometimes we throw lights on our faces, letting other people get a glimpse of us. Then we retreat.

Seems like we’re all just groping our way through a labyrinth, fighting our personal minotaurs, morphing into who we really are, like it or not. And along the way, we cross paths with other people.

There’s no golden thread to follow. That’s for sure. So we all just try to help each other through the maze.

I could have pulled several quotes from this book, random lines that would have really spoken to my teenage self and ones that tugged at me now, but I really like that one above. I like that it keeps to the idea of reshaping mythology to suit contemporary problems and issues.

Along with the poems and prose narrative there are illustrations. Drawn by Tom Franco, the images are actually supposed to be Ovid’s own. Ovid wants to be an artist, to go to art school, and the drawings play an important role in forcing his parents to see who he is, not what they want him to be. They’re also often discussed with Ovid’s art teacher; initially, the art teacher praises Ovid for his creativity and imagination, but, if I read it correctly, eventually begins to question the motivation and emotions behind them.

If I’m being brutally honest, I didn’t always understand the images, certainly not in the same way that I did the poetry. Ovid does explain them to a certain degree, but even then, I kind of looked at them, shrugged after an extended beat or two, and then turned the page. They’re perfectly good and interesting illustrations, fitting of the book’s theme, but I just didn’t feel them in the same way, if that makes sense.

Metamorphosis: Junior Year is a very short book, only 114 pages, and that including full-page illustrations. Despite it’s length, it explores themes of drug abuse, broken families, cutting and other self-abuse methods, and that’s just to start. If I could apply one word to it it would be clever, like I said before, but it’s also creative and engaging. I’m not sure if it would be so warmly regarded among its intended demographic, or by those who have little to no interest in mythology, but I really enjoyed it.

The image and poem were found on Betsy Franco’s website.