Review: The Thirteen Hallows by Michael Scott and Colette Freedman

Title: The Thirteen Hallows
Author: Michael Scott and Colette Freedman
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 349
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: December 6th, 2011
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating: C+

Summary:
From Goodreads: The Hallows. Ancient artifacts imbued with a primal and deadly power. But are they protectors of this world, or the keys to its destruction?

A gruesome murder in London reveals a sinister plot to uncover a two-thousand-year-old secret.

For decades, the Keepers guarded these Hallows, keeping them safe and hidden and apart from each other. But now the Keepers are being brutally murdered, their prizes stolen, the ancient objects bathed in their blood. Now, only a few remain.

With her dying breath, one of the Keepers convinces Sarah Miller, a practical stranger, to deliver her Hallow—a broken sword with devastating powers—to her American nephew, Owen.
The duo quickly become suspects in a series of murders as they are chased by both the police and the sadistic Dark Man and his nubile mistress.

As Sarah and Owen search for the surviving Keepers, they unravel the deadly secret the Keepers were charged to protect. The mystery leads Sarah and Owen on a cat-and-mouse chase through England and Wales, and history itself, as they discover that the sword may be the only thing standing between the world… and a horror beyond imagining.

The Thirteen Hallows is the beginning of a spellbinding new saga, a thrilling tale of ancient magic and modern times by a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning playwright.
Why did I read this book? I was really intrigued by the premise that promised a mixture of fantasy, mythology and history. And look at that cover, it’s beautiful!

Source: Review copy provided by publisher

My Review
The Thirteen Hallows opens with a bone-chilling first chapter, one of the most exciting openings to a book that I remember reading in a long time. It really hooked me from the first page and from there I could tell that Scott and Freedman would take me on a ride of the very well-written, thrilling and shocking story of The Keepers of the Hallows and their objects.

The story follows Sarah, who, either by chance or fate, has her world turned upside down when she finds herself charged with the care of one of the thirteen hallowed objects, a sword. She must protect it from the main villain of the story, who is trying to collect all thirteen objects to pretty much take over the world. It all sounds very epic and it is. It’s also a very horrific story, one with more gore than I anticipated. But this isn’t a bad thing; I actually thought the horror of the reality of the situations Sarah finds herself in to be refreshing. The whole book spans only a few days and much happens, creating a very fast-paced and exciting journey.

I did have some issues with the plotting, though. Two major pet peeves of mine where present in this story. One of them is the Nasty Villain who gets Flunkies to do his job for him, no matter how incompetent they are, while he watches and criticizes from afar. I know this is a common trope, but watching these flunkies fail so much and take so much time doing it while the villain could just try to get something done himself annoyed me. It created a situation where I felt the villain wasn’t as scary as he should be. There were a few instances where the bad guy does appear himself and those scenes I enjoyed.

The other pet peeve was the inclusion of the police in this story. Many people are being murdered so it’s natural the police would get involved, but I felt they, for no real reason, kept trying to blame Sarah for the crimes. At some points they make some pretty extreme leaps to connect her to the crimes and I felt this was just way too unbelievable for me (someone who takes detective work pretty seriously).

Rating: C+
The Thirteen Hallows was an exciting ride, if not a slightly bumpy one for me at times. I wanted so much to see what happens to the hallowed objects. One of my favorite aspects about this novel was the inclusion of British and Christian lore. I found the prose to be deftly executed in creating an exciting and terrifying world. However, this book was not without some faults that could have improved the story a lot for me. I would recommend this with these reservations in mind to those particularly interested in British and Christian lore or who’s looking for a fast-paced story with a good helping of horror.

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Review: Codename: Sailor V, volume 1 by Naoko Takeuchi

Title: Codename: Sailor V
Author: Naoko Takeuchi
Series: Codename: Sailor V Deluxe Editions #1
Format: Manga
Pages: 272
Genre: Shojo, Magical Girl, Comedy
Publication Date: September 13th, 2011
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Rating: C+

Summary:
From Goodreads: Like Sailor Moon, Minako Aino is a normal 13-year-old schoolgirl until a fateful day when a white cat introduces himself to her and tells her she has the power to transform into the hero, Sailor V. Using a magic pen to transform, Sailor V fights the evil agents of the Dark Agency as she strives to protect the earth.

Codename: Sailor V, created by the author before she created the mega-popular Sailor Moon, has never before been available in the U.S.

Why did I read this book? I'm a huge Sailor Moon fan. It was the first anime I ever saw and then became the first manga I ever read. Naturally, I've always wanted to read the Sailor V manga, and now I finally can!

Source: Bought

My Review
Codename: Sailor V was the predecessor to Takeuchi’s Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and was never translated to English, until now. It’s the story of Sailor V, or Sailor Venus and how she becomes a sailor senshi. Minako Aino is a first year middle school student who loves to sleep, eat, play video games. She’s approached by a talking white cat, Artemis, who tries to get her to realize her potential as a hero.

The first thing I noticed about Minako’s story is that it’s very similar to Usagi’s (Sailor Moon). Their personalities are very similar (both love video games, not very good students, outgoing ) while some characterizations are the same as well. Minako has many references to the moon and even has a crescent –shaped compact for transforming. I even though Minako’s mother looked and acted an awful like Usagi’s. This isn’t really a bad thing, it’s actually kind of cool to see how Takeuchi developed the character of Sailor Moon and what the role this series played in that.

Reading this was reminding me all the things I loved about Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: the light-hearted shojo and school life story and the beautiful artwork. Takeuchi knows how to draw gorgeous pictures, however, some of the action scenes in this volume were lacking in detail.

As for the story – we aren’t given much substance. For many of the first chapters, the enemies and storylines felt very repetitive to the point where I was starting to wonder if the story was going to go anywhere. Luckily, the last two chapters were better. One of them was my favorite, where Sailor V wins a trip to Hawaii and hilarity ensues.

Rating: C+
Overall, I loved getting to follow along in Takeuchi’s and Minako’s journey to Sailor Moon through Codename: Sailor V. As an existing fan I enjoyed all those things I fondly remember. This volume is fun, light and features some great artwork as we know Takeuchi can do. I would mostly recommended this to those who are interested in the history of the Sailor Moon series or are particularly fond of the character Sailor V.

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Review: Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

Title: Theft of Swords
Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Series: The Riyria Revelations #1-2
Format: ARC
Pages: 649
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Publication Date: November 23rd, 2011
Publisher: Orbit
Rating: B-/C+

Summary:
From Goodreads: Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles—until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the king and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom.

Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires in order to keep a secret too terrible for the world to know?

And so begins the first tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere.

Why did I read this book? I always wanted to read this series. I actually own the first two novels in paperback form, from before they were being published by a major publisher.

Source: ARC from BEA 2011

My Review
Theft of Swords is aptly named; it is the first two tales of the Riyria Revelations and both center around the job of stealing swords. They follow two main protagonists, Hadrian, a kind-hearted soldier who can't be matched in combat, and Royce, the stealthy rogue who doesn't always share his partner's sentiments. In The Crown Conspiracy (book one), they are hired to steal a sword but are framed for a king's murder. In Avempartha they are again hired to steal a sword but must face a magical beast that threatens their lives.

The Crown Conspiracy
I really enjoyed this debut. It's highly action-packed and contained all the things I like in epic fantasy: politics, adventure and plenty of twists and turns. In fact, I couldn't believe Sullivan had me fooled on more than one occasion. Where the book faltered for me wasn't the plot, which was deftly crafted and paced, but the characters and the tendency towards info-dumping. There is really only one female character, the princess Arista and I felt while she was a decent character, I needed more representation from women. Also, with the other characters, I felt like I was always trying to connect to them, since there seemed to be many and therefore hard to connect to. My favorite was actually the prince, Alric; I felt he had a good story arc and growth through the story.

Avempartha
This was another enjoyable read for me. It's set a few years after The Crown Conspiracy and I was happy to see the story moving along. Unlike the first book, I thought Avempartha suffered from a slow start and it wasn't until halfway through did I really get interested in the plot. I noticed that when the plot involved the overreaching story of the series, it was more interesting to me than dealing with the episodic nature of the book's plot. Fortunately, another female character is introduced, but I found myself connecting more to Arista even so. She really grows in this book and I liked following her development.

Rating: B-/C+
I think I'm in the minority here where I say I thought The Crown Conspiracy (B-) was the most enjoyable for me. I really liked the even pacing, the action, and most of all, the mystery. Avempartha (C+) was good, but slower and ending on a big cliffhanger. One thing I can say is that while Sullivan uses common epic fantasy tropes (there's a wizard, a rogue, a princess, a fighter), he does know how to craft a story and keep you interested. I was able to overlook any misgivings I would normally have in favor of a good plot and addictive storytelling. There's an overall story arc to this series that gets touched on in each book as we go and I find I am really dying to see what happens. I would definitely recommend this to fantasy fans, but be warned, it's not super unique, but it's going to grab you from the beginning and not let go.

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Review: Laddertop, volume 1 by Orson Scott Card, Emily Janice Card, Honoel A. Ibardolaza (artist)

Title: Laddertop
Author: Orson Scott Card, Emily Janice Card, Honoel A. Ibardolaza (artist)
Series: Laddertop #1
Format: Manga
Pages: 192
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Tor Seven Seas
Rating: C

Summary:
From Goodreads: An original science fiction manga by the bestselling author of Ender’s Game and his daughter

Twenty-five years ago, the alien Givers came to Earth. They gave the human race the greatest technology ever seen— four giant towers known as Ladders that rise 36,000 miles into space and culminate in space stations that power the entire planet. Then, for reasons unknown, the Givers disappeared. Due to the unique alien construction of the Laddertop space stations, only a skilled crew of children can perform the maintenance necessary to keep the stations up and running.

Back on Earth, competition is fierce to enter Laddertop Academy. It is an honor few students will achieve. Robbi and Azure, two eleven-year-old girls who are the best of friends, are candidates for the Academy. They will become entangled in a dangerous mystery that may help them solve the riddle of the Givers...if it doesn’t destroy the Earth first!

Why did I read this book? I was intrigued about reading a science fiction manga!

Source: ARC from BEA

My Review
I feel like it will be hard to review this book because it's just the beginning of a larger story. For a first volume, though, I enjoyed it and found it to be interesting enough to persue.

The story, at least from what I hear (I never read Ender's Game), is similar to that book in that it has a young protagonist that goes into training in space. In this case it's a girl names Roberta ("Robbi") and the story follows how she is accepted to a school called Laddertop Academy. There's a large cast of characters most of which is classmates of Robbi.

What I enjoyed most about Laddertop is the world building. There's a healthy plot of mystery and science fiction surrounding the The Givers, aliens who gave humans technology to go into space and progress in many things. Robbi seems to be at the heart of this when she's passes a scan that all students must do (this was installed by The Givers and no one really knows what it's scanning) in order to go up to Laddertop. Robbi's scan results are unusual and this furthers the idea that something else is going on.

Rating: C
I would recommend this if you're interested in a new manga centered around science fiction school life. I feel like I should hold off a little until the next volumes to make a firm decision on this story, since volume one is just the beginning. It didn't start off with a bang, but there is a lot of potential here for a good series. As for the art, I thought it was great and held a lot of detail.

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Review: Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Title: Graveminder
Author: Melissa Marr
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 52/336
Genre: Paranormal
Publication Date: May 17th, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: No Grade

Summary:
From Goodreads: Melissa Mar is known to young adult readers as the author of the popular faery series Wicked Lovely. Her debut leap into adult fiction lands her in the small community of Claysville, a town where the dead walk free unless there their graves are not properly tended. Into this eerie maelstrom, Rebekkah Barrow descends as she returns to a place that she once believed she knew. Kelley Armstrong justly described Graveminder as "a deliciously creepy tale that is as skillfully wrought as it is spellbindingly imagined." A new genre author to watch.

Why did I read this book? This was chosen for Calico Reaction's October Challenge! Also, I've read Marr's Wicked Lovely series and enjoyed most of those books and wanted to read something else from her.

Source: Library

Rating: No Grade
As you can see by the rating, I didn't finish this book. I didn't get very far but I strongly felt that I wasn't connecting to the characters, setting or circumstances at all. Rebekkah loses her grandmother in the first pages, and I didn't really feel the emotional impact this had on her. We didn't have enough time to really know the characters before their lives are turned upside-down, which causes there to be a lot of telling about past events and relationships. It just wasn't working for me. You can tell from the beginning that romance is going to play a major role in the plot and I just wasn't interested in that either.

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Review: The Highest Frontier by Joan Slonczewski

Title: The Highest Frontier
Author: Joan Slonczewski
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 443
Genre: Science Fiction
Publication Date: September 13th, 2011
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating: C+

Summary:
From Goodreads: One of the most respected writers of hard SF, it has been more than ten years since Joan Slonczewski's last novel. Now she returns with a spectacular tour de force of the college of the future, in orbit. Jennifer Ramos Kennedy, a girl from a rich and politically influential family (a distant relation descended from the famous Kennedy clan), whose twin brother has died in an accident and left her bereft, is about to enter her freshman year at Frontera College.

Frontera is an exciting school built with media money, and a bit from tribal casinos too, dedicated to educating the best and brightest of this future world. We accompany Jenny as she proceeds through her early days at school, encountering surprises and wonders and some unpleasant problems. The Earth is altered by global warming, and an invasive alien species called ultraphytes threatens the surviving ecosystem. Jenny is being raised for great things, but while she's in school she just wants to do her homework, go on a few dates, and get by. The world that Jenny is living in is one of the most fascinating and creative in contemporary SF, and the problems Jenny faces will involve every reader, young and old.

Why did I read this book? I suppose because when I found out this was a book about a college in space, I just had to read it since that's exactly what I would want to do. Go to college in space. How awesome would that be?

Source: Review copy provided by publisher

My Review
I've come away from The Highest Frontier feeling very dichotomous about the book. Overall, I did enjoy this book very much but I alo had some reservations.

I'll start by saying that there are many awesome things Slonczewski did with this story. It follows Jenny Ramos Kennedy, a college student from a family of politicians and presidents, who loves plants and goes to study at Frontera College. Frontera is located in a spacehab ('space habitat') and is accessible by going up an anthrax lift. There we meet many interesting characters: Dylan, the college president and his partner, Father Clare, the college chaplain. Then there's the eccentric roomate, Mary Dryer, and Jenny's best frend, Anouk. One of the advertised benefits of Frontera is that there are no ultraphytes, alien organisms that have been populating on Earth. However, Frontera isn't as perfect as everyone's made it out to be and slowly, Jenny finds out there are issues going on in the spacehab.

Politics and religion is another large part of the book. Through Jenny we witness the presidental election on Earth, mostly between two parties: the religious Centrists who don't believe in outer space and Unity, the part of Jenny's ancestors. What I really enjoyed is the mix of politics and religion in a futuristic world where often times religion is replaced by science. That's not the case here. There are still many conflicts between church and state despite it being around a century in the future.

But the aspect I liked the most about this book is the science. Slonczewski injects this future world with so much interesting and fun concepts that it really kept me reading out of sheer fascination. Biology is a big part of this world, where ultraphytes are mixing DNA with Earth life and Jenny spends a lot of her time with her Life class professor learning about organisms. Everyone wears a diad on their head where they use their brain to navigate the Toyworld, a virtual place where you can chat with people, watch news and basically do anything you could think of.

The only downside that I found to The Highest Frontier is that we don't pass through too much time (about one semester of college) and the story moves at a slow pace. There wasn't a specific plotline. Instead we follow Jenny through school and through her political life, learning as much as we can about this world. I would have liked to see a bigger climax at the end, but I did feel the conclusion was satisfying enough.

Rating: C+
Like I said earlier, I have mixed feelings. I thought this was one of the most interesting and unique science fiction books I ever read and I really appreciate it for that. There isn't always a lot of action or a clear direction in plot, but it's supplemented by grabbing your attention with a myriad of ideas and concepts that Slonczewski has thought up. I would recommend this book for people looking for more hard science fiction with a great side dish of poltics and religion. However, if you're looking for an easy, fast-paced action book with a clear storyline, then this isn't for you.

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Mega Manga Challenge (11): Spice and Wolf, vol. 1 by Isuna Hasekura and Keito Koume

Title: Spice and Wolf
Author: Isuna Hasekura (story), Keito Koume (art)
Demographic: Seinen
Series: Spice and Wolf #1
Format: Manga
Pages: 192
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Publication Date: April 20th, 2010
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: C

Summary:
From Goodreads: With his carthorse as his only companion, the young merchant Kraft Lawrence slowly wends his way through dusty back roads in search of profitable trade. But this monotony screeches to a halt when, one night, he encounters a harvest goddess in the guise of a beautiful young girl . . . with wolf ears and a tail! Longing for the northern lands of her birth, Holo the Wisewolf joins Lawrence as he follows the ebb and flow of trade through the countryside. And when the two come across a compelling but suspicious opportunity for profit, will Lawrence with his mercantile chops and Holo with her ancient instincts be able to separate the truth from the lies - and make some coin while they're at it?!

This manga adaptation of Isuna Hasekura's acclaimed Spice and Wolf novel series, also available from Yen Press, is an investment that promises the greatest of entertainment returns!

Why did I read this book? I had seen some episodes of the anime and was curious!

Source: Bought

My Review
This novel is the story of Kraft Lawrence, a traveling merchant from a vaguely familiar historical setting, who comes across Holo the Wisewolf. She's in human form that includes wolf ears, teeth and tail, and she has the ability to hear the difference between the truth and a lie. She's escaping the wheat fields where she had stayed for centuries, making sure the crops grow. Lawrence allows her to travel with him, and they have adventures together.

I enjoyed this book, I thought the story was light and fun. I like the interactions between Holo and Lawrence; Holo is definitely a wise creature and often helps Lawrence out on his work. I also liked seeing a bit of the world here, where there's a transition happening between pagan and (presumably) Christian-like religion. This is interest especially since Holo is believed to be a pagan god.

I had issues with the slow pace of the story and the lack of direction of the plot. I don't know where anything is going. Also, I found thatI'm not really the target audience for this, which is really adult males, since there's some gratuitous nudity (only on the part of Holo).

Rating: C
Overall, I don't think this book is meant for me, but I did like the writing, setting and characters. I believe this is a story meant to be told slowly so you can enjoy the light adventure stories of Holo and Lawrence. I'd only recommend it but with these reservations in mind.

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Mega Manga Challenge (10): Peach Girl, vol.2 by Miwa Ueda

Title: Peach Girl 
Author: Miwa Ueda
Demographic: Shojo
Series: Peach Girl #2
Format: Manga
Pages: 184
Genre: School Life, Romance
Publication Date: December 7th, 2004
Publisher: TokyoPop
Rating: C

Summary:
From Goodreads: The dastardly Sae has gone too far! First she sabotaged Momo's blossoming relationship with Toji, now she's trying to embarrass Momo in front of the school at the swim meet. Can anyone help Momo? Well, "Wiley" Kiley seems eager to help, but can Momo trust that he's really looking out for her best interests, and not just trying to get into her pants? And poor Toji-will he ever see through Sae's veil of lies and be able to trust Momo? The Peach Girl soap opera gets is about to get a little meaner in volume 3 of Miwa Ueda's high school drama.

Why did I read this book? For the Mega Manga Challenge!

Source: Bought

My Review
In my review of volume one I said I shouldn't like this manga like I did because of all the annoying high school drama it portrayed. In this volume, I think it annoyed me even more. Momo and her boyfriend Toji are constantly believing what other people (mainly Sae) say about each other and never just talk to each other. I guess that's part of the plot, that Sae is constantly manipulating everyone, but everyone's common sense is sacrificed in return for that drama. It came to the point of being unbelievable. In fact, I think the only one who knows what Sae is doing is Momo, but since everyone else listens to Sae, she looks like the idiot.

Rating: C
This volume had a lot more drama and a lot less of the humor that volume one had. Sae is controlling everything and it's fustrating to see how all the characters can be so influenced by her. I want Momo to just dump Toji and get on with her life if he's going to constantly listen to Sae over her, or I want Momo to just get Sae to back off. I hope these things happen in the next volumes because I don't know if I will continue reading the series if it's all silly drama like this. I would recommend this only if you seriously enjoy high school drama.

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Mega Manga Challenge (8): Peach Girl, vol.1 by Miwa Ueda

Title: Peach Girl
Author: Miwa Ueda
Demographic: Shojo
Series: Peach Girl #1
Format: Manga
Pages: 184
Genre: School Life, Romance
Publication Date: Januaryy 1st, 2000
Publisher: Tokyopop
Rating: C+

Summary:
From Goodreads: It's not easy being beautiful. The envy, the jealousy, the vicious rumors spread by your best friend. That's life for young Momo. While everyone thinks that Momo is a wild party girl, the reality is that she is shy and honest. Can Momo confess her love to her classmate Toji, or will her best friend Sae steal him away. It's a bittersweet drama of growing up and fitting in that will charm girls everywhere.

Why did I read this book? I found all 8 volumes on sale at my local comic book store so I snatched them up! I always wanted to read this manga.

Source: Bought

My Review
I really think I shouldn't like this manga as much as I did because it containa a lot of things I find very annoying, usually. Firstly, this manga deals with one girl's (Momo) struggle to accept herself when she's not considered traditionally beautiful. That's an okay start, but Momo is really concerned about what boys think, in particular, Toji, her crush. I wanted her to be less obsessed about what he thinks and what her schoolmates think. I also thought Momo let's Sae (her friend turned rival) control and push her around too much to the point where Momo believes everything Sae says and it really creates a lot of drama. Momo's pegged as a slut by her schoolmates because she has skin that easily tans in the sun and so she's darker than most other girls. I liked how Momo stood up for herself, saying that just because she dresses or looks a certain way it doesn't make her a slut.

I hope that in future volumes Momo learns to accept herself, but not only that, for there to be less emphasis on being or looking a certain way in order for boys to like you.

Rating: C+
Overall I was really into the story despite my many misgivings with how some of the characters act. I think the artwork is beautiful and I also thought that Momo is a good heroine to root for. She stands up for herself yet she struggles with what other people think of her a little too much. I would recommend this for people interested in a quirky school life drama, but beware you might be annoyed by some of the obsession with being liked by boys despite who you are.

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Mega Manga Challenge (7): Maximum Ride #2 by James Patterson and NaRae Lee (artist)

Title: Maximum Ride

Author: James Patterson, NaRae Lee (artist)
Series: Maximum Ride, #2
Format: Manga
Pages: 240
Genre: Science Fiction
Publication Date: October 27th, 2009
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: C+

Summary:
From Goodreads: Having recovered Angel, Max and the flock head to New York City to pursue a lead regarding their true identities. But where the flock goes, erasers are sure to follow! Even more troubling, though, is the voice that's begun whispering in Max's head. Is it really her destiny to save the world?

Why did I read this book? Well, I read Maximum Ride #1 and while it didn't really hook me, I had already bought this next volume so I decided to give it a try.

Source: Bought

My Review
I think I liked this one better than the last volume. I had some issues with the last one and probably wouldn't have continued but for the fact that I had aready bought the 2nd, 3rd and had the 4th volume from BEA. Anyways, I think the story improved. There's definitely more developement with the plot which I liked because now I have some idea what's going on and where the story might go. I like the idea of a band of kids who have been altered genetically and are now on the run (or the fly...) from the people who created them.

I still had some issues: sometimes the dialogue felt disjointed and the some scenes didn't flow like I would like them to. I did really enjoy the art and the action scenes as they were drawn very well. Another pet peeve is the names all the kids have which really seem to jolt me out of the story because I'm wondering why they chose these names. Maybe they made more sense in the novel where an explaination could be given, but not in the manga.

Rating: C+
Overall I think this is an improvement on the last volume and it happened to grab some more of my interest. I still had issues with the writing, flow and characters, but I do think the concept is fun and has the potential to pack a big punch. I will continue with the series until I run out of issues and then see where I'll go from there.

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Review: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Title: Retribution

Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: Dark-Hunter #20
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 448
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Rating: C

Summary:
From Goodreads: Harm no human...

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meets the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.

A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster...

Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who’s assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he’s not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.

Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they’ve sworn to protect.


Why did I read this book? I always wanted to read the Dark-Hunter novels and since I heard they could be stand alone, I gave #20 a try!

Source: Review copy from publisher

My Review
The Dark-Hunter novels have been around a long time (this one is #20, wow!) and I always wanted to read them. This was my first experience and I was really intrigued by the world building. Dark Hunters are undead beings ressurected by Artemis to protect humans, mostly from Daimons (Appolites that live past their 27th birthday by feeding on souls of humans) and I liked this idea since Dark Hunters have many similar attributes to vampires. Seeing them as a force of good was different and fun. I wish this was more apparent; this novel seemed to focus more on the story of the Guardians, which is somewhat based on Native American mythology.

Anyways, the two main characters, Sundown (a gunslinger from the Wild West - he's now immortal because he's a Dark-Hunter) and Abigail (raised by Appolites to belive Dark-Hunters were evil) had some good chemistry that lead to the romance that developed between them. I liked their early interactions, but then at some point, it became a romance where they loved each other after too little time. I wish it was played out more but I suppose it had to go along with the very short timeline of the plot. Also, this being paranormal romance, I expected there to be more steamy romance but it was really toned down.

I don't know if this is the best novel to jump into the series with since it didn't proivde much of the Dark-Hunter side of things and that is what I found really interesting.

Rating: C
This was a decent quick read as my firsst experience with the Dark-Hunter series. I met characters from previous books I'd love to get to know more about and so I will check out the backlist. For my recommendation, I'd say give it a try if you're interested in the premise but perhaps the earlier books might be better.

Retribution is also available in audio book format from Macmillan Audio. Click here to listen to an excerpt.

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Mega Manga Challenge (5): Arata: The Legend, vol. 1 by Yuu Watase

Title: Arata: The Legend, vol. 1

Author: Yuu Watase
Demographic: Shonen
Series: Arata: The Legend
Format: Manga
Pages: 208
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: January 16th, 2009
Publisher: Viz
Rating: C+



Summary:
From Goodreads: An action-packed shonen fantasy from the acclaimed author of Fushigi Yûgi! In a mythical world where humans and gods co-exist, Arata has the unfortunate honor of being the successor to the matriarchal Hime Clan. This means he has to pretend to be a girl or face death if his true gender is discovered! On the day of his inauguration, an assassination plot forces him to flee—and he somehow winds up in modern-day Japan! Meanwhile, a boy named Arata Hinohara gets sucked into the first Arata’s world and finds himself dealing with people after his life!

Why did I read this book? I saw it in the bookstore and decided to pick it up based on the fact it's by Yuu Watase!

Source: Bought

My Review
I picked this up because I read Fushigi Yuugi a long time ago, but remembered the great art and storytelling. Here Watase writes a story about a boy, two boys in fact, both named Arata. One is from another fantasy/medieval world where he's framed for murdering the princess. Upon fleeing into the woods, he is transported into our world. In exchange, Arata Hinohara, a bullied high school boy is transfered into the fantasy land. They look so alike that each other's families believe them to be the real Arata.

Of course, this idea to the story really opens it up for some laughs and intriguing plotlines. I like the idea of our world mixed with theirs and what each boy can do to effect our worlds together. Out of the two characters I really connected to Hinohara (the Arata from our world) because he is picked on at school so much that he runs through the alley wishing he could be somewhere else and he ends up in a fantasy land where he's mistaken for a suspected murderer. I found him really charming in his belief that people should be loyal and trustworthy. Arata (the one from the fantasy land) seems more mischievious and funny which plays well against Hinohara.

As for this volume, we only were really introduced to the characters and their new situation. I'm interested to see how this all plays out and what the greater consequences for the princess dying and the switch between the two Aratas.

Of course, I really loved the artwork. I think Watase's attention to detail is so thorough and this really comes out in the fantasy setting. I wish all the artwork was in full color because it would just be so vibrant.

Rating: C+
I think this was a good start to what can be a great manga. I like the idea of the two Arata boys being switched and I like the idea of contrasting worlds. Villains were identified and I can definitely see some issues popping up like: how does Hinohara deal with being mistaken for a guy who's framed for murder? What is the deal with the gods? The magic and mystical aspects of the story need to be developed more but I'm sure we discover that in the next volumes. I recommend this for peope interested in this kind of comedy fantasy and two male protagonists. As for where the story goes, we'll have to wait and see.

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Mega Manga Challenge (2): Maximum Ride: The Manga #1

Title: Maximum Ride
Author: James Patterson
Artist: NaRae Lee
Series: Maximum Ride: The Manga #1
Format: Manga
Pages: 192
Genre: Science Fiction
Publication Date: January 6th, 2009
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: C

Summary
From Goodreads: Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?

My Review

Why did I read this book? I had a copy from BEA 2011 and I'm trying to read more manga so I gave it a try!

What I liked: I have mixed feelings about this first volume in the Maximum Ride: The Manga series. The things I like are definitely the interesting science fiction premise: a group of kids genetically altered to have wings and fly. I like the theme of flying and it's rare to find it in books other than American style comic books. For that new perspective I was grateful. I also like the idea of a group of young people on the run from bad guys, who also have mysterious abilities, and also some group of scientists who want to study them. I don't know if the story lived up to it's potential yet, but the foundation is definitely there.

What I didn't like: This manga series is based on a novel series by James Patterson and I don't know if it's because I didn't read those books that I was a little lost in it all, but I found I was trying to come to grips with everything that was happening (or wasn't happening). We aren't revealed a lot about the characters or their past, which I assume is explored in other series, before the action of the plot takes off, so I found it hard to connect with any of them since I didn't know them yet.

I also found the transitions between serious events in the story coupled with cutesy chibi manga-style drawings were a bit odd. I'm not sure if that flowed correctly.

Thoughts on the cover: LOVE the cover. I love that it's a close-up of Max. You can really feel the intensity in her eyes.

Overall Thoughts
It's a decent read but I'm still not convinced. I have the next three issues so I'll be able to find out if my issues get resolved or not. I'm guessing this series is great for readers of the novels, but I can't really say since I haven't. I want to though after reading so much good things about them!

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Review: Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey

Title: Santa Olivia
Author: Jacqueline Carey
Series: Santa Olivia #1
Format: Paperback
Pages: 341
Genre: Science Fiction
Publication Date: May 29th, 2009
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Rating: C

Summary: Lushly written with rich and vivid characters, Santa Olivia is Jacqueline Carey's take on comic book superheroes and the classic werewolf myth. Loup Garron was born and raised in Santa Olivia, an isolated, disenfranchised town next to a US military base inside a DMZ buffer zone between Texas and Mexico. A fugitive "Wolf-Man" who had a love affair with a local woman, Loup's father was one of a group of men genetically-manipulated and used by the US government as a weapon. The "Wolf-Men" were engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, sensory capability, stamina, and a total lack of fear, and Loup, named for and sharing her father's wolf-like qualities, is marked as an outsider. After her mother dies, Loup goes to live among the misfit orphans at the parish church, where they seethe from the injustices visited upon the locals by the soldiers. Eventually, the orphans find an outlet for their frustrations.They form a vigilante group to support Loup Garron who, costumed as their patron saint, Santa Olivia, uses her special abilities to avenge the town. Aware that she could lose her freedom, and possibly her life, Loup is determined to fight to redress the wrongs her community has suffered. And like the reincarnation of their patron saint, she will bring hope to all of Santa Olivia.

My Review

Why did I read this book? This book is Calico Reaction's selection for July's Dare.

What I liked: I have mixed feelings about this one. I've read Carey's Kushiel's Dart a long time ago and I had mixed feelings about that one, as well, but for different reasons. I really enjoyed Kushiel's Dart for the worldbuilding and plot, but had issue with the characters. In Santa Olivia I had issue with the worldbuilding and plot (and I suppose some characters). What I liked about it was the originality in setting (an Outpost where residents cannot go in or out due to the threat of war) between Mexico and the USA. I also liked the mythology used about the figure of Santa Olivia and how this played into the lives of the townspeople. My favorite part has to be the beginning where Loup's mother meets and falls in love with two men and has two children (not at the same time). I thought her struggles with life and romance was sympathetic and I admired her for the decisions she had to make.

What I didn't like: Where the book changed for me was when the focus changed to Loup. It became, not about a superhero (which I thought) but more of children orchestrating events to do good to some people or to send messages.Then, to me it seemed like it suddenly became a book about boxing. A good chunk of the novel focused on boxing and I definitely have no interest in that. I wasn't connected to Loup enough to care about her goal or her problems in her romance with Pilar. I would have rather seen more about the engineered men and the world outside Outpost, because in Outpost, there wasn't much going on at all (except boxing).

Thoughts on the cover: I like it for the way it evokes the image of a superhero.

Overall Thoughts
I finished the book, which may be a surprised since I had a lot of negative things to say. It was interesting but I felt what I was interested in was always happening elsewhere or outside the view of the main characters. I liked the world that is hinted at but I needed more. If this is a series, I'd definitely be interested in continuing because I think the next books can only reveal more of the world. If someone is interested in a book with a strong female protagonist or a different take on werewolves and don't mind a lot of boxing, you will probably like this.

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Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Title: Spellbound

Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Format: ARC
Pages: 384
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication Date: June 28th, 2011
Publisher: Harlequinn Teen
Rating: C

Summary:
What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

My Review

Why did I read this book? I received an advanced copy of this from BEA and thought it looked interesting.

What I liked: As you can see from my rating, I had reservations about this book. They mostly had to do with the plot. I enjoyed the writing and the pacing and I found that while I did have problems, I sped through this novel quickly and found myself enjoying certain parts. These were often the times the main character, Emma, showed her strong side, like when she stood up for her cousin at school. What can I say? I enjoyed myself well enough to keep reading despite my problems with the fundamental parts of the plot, which is saying something. Oh, and huge props for the author not using a love triangle!

What I didn't like: Basically, I didn't like how the romance was portrayed. Emma and Brendan fall for each other and aren't sure why their feelings are so strong and why weird things keep happening. We're told their love is special (I won't give anything away) and I don't have a problem with that. I have a problem with the fact that their love seemed to be portrayed as any teen infatuation. There was no depth as I expected; I couldn't really distinguish their love from anyone else's, despite the reminder that their love is special. Part of this is because, at least from Emma's point of view, her perception of Brendan was often superficial. He's smart, gorgeous, rich, and nice. Well, who wouldn't fall madly in love with that?

I also thought Emma was given a past that was especially tagic in order for us to give her our sympathy, but her past really never made any impact on herself or the story at all. Why make her life so tragic? Why make Brendan so perfect? Is it for the 'fairy tale' effect? I don't think I like that.

Thoughts on the cover: I really like the font and the black background.

Overall Thoughts 
I'm sort of torn on this. On the one hand I felt engaged and interested enough to read the book quickly and enjoy most of it. The problems I had with it came afterward as I sat thinking about the story and the characters. I began to think I didn't like the idea of soul-mates between two teens which often came across as obsession and infatuation. Perhaps if I could have believed it more, I would have a different opinion. I'd recommend this only if you're really interested in this type of romance or if you are looking for a light beach read.

ARC was provided by the publisher.

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Review: Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter

Title: Prospero Lost
Author: L. Jagi Lamplighter
Series: Prospero's Daughter #1
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 352
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: August 4, 2009
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating: C-

This book is part of the 2011 Women of Fantasy book club hosted by Jawas Read, Too!.



From Goodreads: More than four hundred years after the events of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the sorcerer Prospero, his daughter Miranda, and his other children have attained everlasting life. Miranda is the head of her family’s business, Prospero Inc., which secretly has used its magic for good around the world. One day, Miranda receives a warning from her father: "Beware of the Three Shadowed Ones.

When Miranda goes to her father for an explanation, he is nowhere to be found.

Miranda sets out to find her father and reunite with her estranged siblings, each of which holds a staff of power and secrets about Miranda’s sometimes-foggy past. Her journey through the past, present and future will take her to Venice, Chicago, the Caribbean, Washington, D.C., and the North Pole. To aid her, Miranda brings along Mab, an aerie being who acts like a hard-boiled detective, and Mephistopheles, her mentally-unbalanced brother. Together, they must ward off the Shadowed Ones and other ancient demons who want Prospero’s power for their own.

Going into this I didn't know what to expect mostly because I never read The Tempest and know only bits and pieces about it. This story follows Miranda, the daughter of the dread Prospero as she tries to uncover what happened to her missing father. Along the way she tries to warn her siblings of the danger to their family and we are faced with the wonders of the supernatural side of reality. 

I found it hard to really get into this novel. I don't think it's bad per se, I just found myself indifferent for quite a lot of it. Miranda, as the narrator, is cold and uninspiring. She is a Handmaiden of Eurynome and therefore often calls on her aid in tough situations. I found this to be an easy way to drive the plot forward without much explaination; if Eurynome told Miranda to go somewhere, she went.

Also, I found that the plot was hard to grasp; as the reader and maybe even Miranda, we're not really given a direction to go into. It seemed very arbitrary. One day Miranda would go to find this sibling, and another day go to a ball. There wasn't really a big sense of danger. 

Lastly, what bothered me was the choice to include pretty much any and all mythological creatures or realities. There seems to be so much packed into this story that I felt like there wasn't much to tie it all together. I wasn't entirely convinced that all these supernatural beings and legends could really coexist.

Overall, while I wasn't feeling very inspired by the end of Prospero Lost, I think others may enjoy it if you could overlook some of the issues I mentioned. But do be warned: this book ends abruptly and continues in the next installment, Prospero in Hell. I don't know if I'll be continuing the series. C-

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Review: The Buntline Special by Mike Resnick

Title: The Buntline Special
Author: Mike Resnick
Format: ARC
Pages: 321
Genre: Steampunk
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2010
Publisher: Pyr
Rating: C-

I first discovered The Buntline Special months ago after seeing the cover on various blogs. I was interested in the idea of a steampunk/wild west story. When I found out I could review it for Dreams and Speculation, I jumped at the chance.

The premise of the book is simple: Thomas Edison and Ned Buntline have joined forces; Edison with his genius ideas and Buntline with his expert engineering skill. Together they have created multiple inventions such as carriages that need no horses, automatons, special guns and other steampunk gadgets. Their success has made them a target and so the US government whisks them away to Tombstone, to work on their technologies in hiding. While there, the Earps take the responsibility for protecting them, especially after Edison gets his arm shot off and then replaced with a mechanical arm. They enlist the help of the best in the business, Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson. The tale centres on Holliday and his experience in Tombstone; his encounters with the magic-using Native Americans, the Cowboys, and Kate Elder, who owns the local brothel.

Unfortunately, the book did not work for me. It seems that it has the recipe right for a great action adventure story, but the execution failed. The writing is quick, smooth and overall easy to read, however, it is focused too much on dialogue. Often the dialogue between characters became bogged down by really cheesy statements. You might expect that from a western movie, but when reading a novel, it can get old really quickly. While you might also expect some great action, most of the book’s scenes take place in the saloon while characters ate breakfast or drank. I didn’t understand why there was so much time dedicated to these scenes. Even the big showdown at the end was disappointingly over in a page or two.

Adding to that, there were many subplots integrated into the story to the point that the main plot was often pushed to the side. I found that this didn’t help the pacing since I often wondered where the story was going.

Lastly, I thought that while some characters were interesting (Holliday, Geronimo), others were found lacking. One example is Kate Elder, the only female character of the book. I really wished she either had more development or there were other females. A lot of the females were the whores in Kate’s brothel, and even then, they were automatons! There was too much attention paid to the mechanical prostitutes rather than real human women. It made me wonder, who is that woman on the cover? Kate? I don’t think she ever left her brothel.

Overall, I would say that Resnick missed the mark with The Buntline Special. If you’re a die hard western fan, I’d say try it, but don’t expect a lot of action.

ARC was provided by Dreams and Speculation.

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Review: The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee

Title: The Sentinel Mage
Author: Emily Gee
Series: Cursed Kingdoms #1
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 509
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Publication Date: January 25, 2011
Publisher: Solaris
Rating: C-

From Goodreads: Her magic may be the only thing that can save a prince—and the Seven Kingdoms. In a distant corner of the Seven Kingdoms, an ancient curse festers and grows, consuming everything in its path. Only one man can break it: Harkeld of Osgaard, a prince with mage’s blood in his veins. But Prince Harkeld has a bounty on his head—and assassins at his heels. Innis is a gifted shapeshifter. Now she must do the forbidden: become a man. She must stand at Prince Harkeld’s side as his armsman, protecting and deceiving him. But the deserts of Masse are more dangerous than the assassins hunting the prince. The curse has woken deadly creatures, and the magic Prince Harkeld loathes may be the only thing standing between him and death.

When I saw this book months ago, I was really excited and intrigued by the premise. So much so that I requested a review copy and was kindly sent one by the publisher. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations, however, I do believe I have gained an interest in Emily Gee as an author.

One of the reasons I had trouble with the book is that it is very long while not having much in the way of action. There's a lot of traveling and repetition in actions by the characters, such as the shapeshifters changing back and forth as the armsman. You see, the Prince loathes mages and ironically must be protected by them. Instead of the mages forcing him to get over his prejudice, they decide to break one of their laws and take the shape of a man. One of the mages charged with this task is Innis because she can stay shifted for long periods of time. On the one hand this seems interesting, but on the other, why? Why go through all that trouble? I just wanted someone to say to the Prince, "get over it!"

I also had problems with the magic. I like to have a lot of magic but only if I can believe it. In this story, mages have special abilities usually ranging from shapeshifting to healing to fire spells. I found that the magic was interesting but I couldn't grasp the cost. Mages are constantly shapeshifting to animals without any apparent harsh effects. Also, people will get seriously injured and a mage will come along and cure them fully. I started to lose the sense of danger quite easily.

Another reason I had trouble is that the story itself lacks the spark I like in my epic fantasy. That spark could have been the conflict of Innis shifting into a man and then falling for the Prince and having to explain everything, but I just didn't get into it as I would have liked. What didn't help was that the prince wasn't very likable. For hundreds of pages he would look at a mage in disgust or perform another childish act of hatred. Innis was more likable but I often found myself frustrated over her passive and naive nature.

On the other hand, the thing I enjoyed most about this book was Gee's writing. It's very direct and concise but also satisfying. I found myself able to consume so much of it in a short period of time. It has an immediacy that encourages you to go forward, even if the story itself isn't doing it for you.

Overall, I would only recommend this book to someone who is particularly interested in this premise. The Sentinel Mage is part one of a planned trilogy.

A review copy was provided by Solaris.

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Review: Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre

Title: Wanderlust
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Sirantha Jax #2
Pages: 312
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Publication Date: August 26, 2008
Rating: C+

Here we are with the second book in the Sirantha Jax series, Wanderlust. It takes place just after the events of Grimspace. Jax accepts a diplomatic mission to the planet Ithiss-Tor on behalf of the Conglomerate. The centers on Jax and the crew's journey just trying to get to Ithiss-Tor; they meet a lot of trouble along the way.

What I really liked about Grimspace is the fast-paced and action-packed story filled with really cool characters. I suppose this stays the same in this installment, however, I didn't enjoy it as much as Grimspace. I really think it came down to Jax. In the first book, Jax is tough, strong and hard to like sometimes, but I always enjoyed her point of view. In Wanderlust , I've never been so bored and annoyed by her thoughts and personality. She's suffering physically because of the effects of grimspace, and that's understandable, but I felt like she really brought the story down. Who wants to read a book about the main protagonist being debilitated and in a really bad mood all the time? I even felt this way about her emotional state. She was just really negative all the time and I felt it was hard to connect to her or to even care about her problems because they seemed to go on and on and on.

This issue was echoed in the story as well. It seemed everything always went wrong. So many small plot points were shoved into the story to, in my opinion, lengthen and try to make the story more interesting but I thought it felt like the author throwing everything in but the kitchen sink. When the crew tries to do anything, leave the planet, visit friends on another one, there's always something going wrong. I think this was distracting and tedious. This, coupled with Jax's personal problems, really made the book hard to enjoy to the extent I did Grimspace.

Well, I did finish the book of course and there are a couple reasons why. One of them is Vel, the bounty hunter than can cover his mantis form with a human one. I really was intrigued by him in the last novel but he only showed up at the end and we didn't get to see him much. In Wanderlust he has a bigger part and I really enjoyed seeing him and Jax interact. I kind of wish there was more of that and less of her and March having problems for the sake of having problems (at least that's what it seemed like). Another reason I enjoyed Wanderlust was Jael, a new character. He's a bred human which gives him some special abilities. I really liked seeing this new friendship for Jax especially after the troubles with March.

As you can tell, I wasn't into the romance. I don't think I ever really liked March. I don't entirely see where the relationship is going or why they are so attached to each other. However, I don't think this defines the story for me so it's not a deal breaker.

Overall, the book has some good aspects but compared to Grimspace, it's a lot weaker. I will definitely read the next in the series, Doubleblind, because I heard good things. Apparently Wanderlust is the weakest of the series, so I am excited to continue. I recommend reading Wanderlust if you're interested in reading the whole series and if Grimspace is any indication, it will be great.

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Review: Feed by Mira Grant

Title: Feed
Author: Mira Grant
Pages: 572
Series: Newsflesh #1
Genre: Dystopia, Zombies, Science Fiction
Publication Date: May 1st, 2010
Rating: C
Challenge: Calico Reaction's Book Club - October Challenge

From Goodreads:
The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

I had many small problems with this book a couple bigger ones. The small ones included various inconsistencies which probably didn't matter to a lot of people except me. The book takes place around 25 years in the future and 20 years after two viruses mutated and created zombies and killed 20% of the world's population. I found that a lot of the world pushed my willing suspension of disbelief too far. For example, even if 87% of the population stays indoors because of the threat of the outside world, a lot of things from our world today still exist: Starbucks, campaign rallies, paparazzi and other daily life things. I felt that the world didn't change enough, other than the added zombies which only make a few real appearances.

A major problem for me was the pacing itself. The book was slowed down by a lot of nothing; info dumps, needless scenes and descriptions. I'm definitely someone who loves action and there definitely wasn't enough of it to keep me interested. It didn't help that often a lot of the action that was going on, the main character, Georgia, would halt the scene by inserting things about how good this might be for her blog, etc. It seemed like a very passive experience through the POV of the main character.

There are some redeeming qualities about Feed. The writing itself was good and I felt Grant had some good ideas but was brought down by the enormous amounts of information and blog/political stuff going on. The reasons for the zombie virus emerging was interesting and clever.

Overall, I was disappointed with Feed but perhaps my expectations were too high. It could be a great book for people interested in an original story, but maybe fans of zombies might not like it since zombies don't make a lot of appearances. I may be checking out the sequel to see where Grant takes the story.

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