Review: The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells

Title: The Cloud Roads
Author: Martha Wells
Series: Books of the Raksura #1
Format: Paperback
Pages: 278
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: March 15th, 2011
Publisher: Night Shade Books
Rating: 8

Summary:
From Goodreads: Moon has spent his life hiding what he is - a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself... someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community. What this stranger doesn't tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power... that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony's survival... and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save and himself... and his newfound kin.

Why did I read this book? I have seen great reviews for this novel everywhere and on top of that, I’ve been in the mood for a great, straight-up fantasy.

Source: Bought

My Review
I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like The Cloud Roads before. The world building is fabulous in its detail and scope due to the fact that this world is so different from our own. It’s called the Three World, and it’s a vast world populated with any kind of fantastical species you could probably hope for, and no humans to be found. Everything has a touch of magic, from the shape-shifting Raksura to the floating islands and flying ships.

The story follows Moon, a Raksura who doesn’t know he’s a Raksura. All he knows is that he can shape-shift into a creature with spines, claws and wings. He gets by by passing as a regular ‘groundling’ and finds it’s not so hard since there are so many different people in the world. I really liked Moon and at times I was frustrated with him (but that just means he’s a good character). He’s alone in the world, trying to find his place, and when he finally finds one of his own he lets his fear of rejection take over and becomes stubborn and closed off. When Moon finally finds his own people, the Raksura, we meet other great characters. Some of my favorites were Chime, another who struggles with identity, Jade, a burgeoning Raksuran Queen, and Flower, a kindly mentor.

The crux of the story involves Moon’s identity crisis and his quest to find somewhere to call home. There’s also another part of the story, that of the Raksuran group of Indigo Cloud, who are being attacked and harassed by the Fell. The Fell are similar to the Raksura in many ways, except they prey on other intelligent creatures. They insist on blackmailing Indigo Cloud into joining with them so that they can become even more powerful.

Rating: 8
I was delighted while reading The Cloud Roads; the world-building is unique and creative and the story of Moon is endearing. What really synched everything for me were the characters. In less than 300 pages Wells manages to define all the characters that you really connect to them. The prose could have been clunky due to all the information we have to absorb because of the extensive world building, but it’s deftly handled and released to us through Moon, who is learning along with us. Overall, I really loved this book and look forward to reading the sequel, The Serpent Sea as soon as possible. Oh, and I will definitely be picking up some of Wells’ backlist as well.

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How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

Title: How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
Author: Charles Yu
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 234
Genre: Science Fiction, Time Travel
Publication Date: September 7th, 201
Publisher: Pantheon
Rating: 6

Summary:
From Goodreads: National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Award winner Charles Yu delivers his debut novel, a razor-sharp, ridiculously funny, and utterly touching story of a son searching for his father . . . through quantum space–time.

Minor Universe 31 is a vast story-space on the outskirts of fiction, where paradox fluctuates like the stock market, lonely sexbots beckon failed protagonists, and time travel is serious business. Every day, people get into time machines and try to do the one thing they should never do: change the past. That’s where Charles Yu, time travel technician—part counselor, part gadget repair man—steps in. He helps save people from themselves. Literally. When he’s not taking client calls or consoling his boss, Phil, who could really use an upgrade, Yu visits his mother (stuck in a one-hour cycle of time, she makes dinner over and over and over) and searches for his father, who invented time travel and then vanished. Accompanied by TAMMY, an operating system with low self-esteem, and Ed, a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog, Yu sets out, and back, and beyond, in order to find the one day where he and his father can meet in memory. He learns that the key may be found in a book he got from his future self. It’s called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, and he’s the author. And somewhere inside it is the information that could help him—in fact it may even save his life.

Wildly new and adventurous, Yu’s debut is certain to send shock waves of wonder through literary space–time.

Why did I read this book? It's the very first selection for Calico Reaction's Theme Park book club!

Source: Library

My Review
This is such a weird book. I don't even know how to write a review for this because I still don't know what I was reading. I'll try my best to explain. Charles Yu is the main protagonist in the book, who sort of rescues people who get lost in their time travelling adventures. One day, he runs into his future self and shoots him and creates a time loop. He spends part of that loop reading/writing a book called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe which also happens to be the book YOUR reading. Brain 'splode.

Meanwhile, the book has another major plot: Yu and his relationship with his parents, in particular, his father. His father is lost in time and he's trying to find him while also trying to come to terms with their past together.

To be honest, for the first 80 pages or so, I wanted to quit. I think every 3 pages I thought seriously about putting the book down. It was just because it was so dense, so introspective and lacking in any action that I couldn't find myself interested in the story. While I enjoyed Yu's science fictional universe and his clever concepts, I just didn't care. Then the time loop occurs and it gets more interesting. Charles tells so much about his past that I just got lost in it all. It was hard to grab onto any character, except maybe TAMMY, the computer program.

There is some great stuff here though. The writing shows a lot of skill and the time traveling quite fabulous. I loved the interaction of reading the same book that the character is reading inside the story. At one point Charles flips to the back of the book to see what happens and then I did as well. We had the same result and it was pretty awesome.I just wish there was more to the plot than Charles finding his father and working out his thoughts and memories. When characters (even if they were computers) conversed, it really set off for me, but unfortunately there wasn't a lot of that.

Rating: 6
I’m sorry if this doesn’t seem like much of a review, but it’s a tough book to qualify. All I can say is, if you’re looking for out-of-the-box science fiction, funky time travel and/or a story about a boy and his father, then give this a shot.

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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: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

Title: The Alloy of Law
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Series: Mistborn #4
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 320
Genre: Fantasy. Steampunk
Publication Date: November 8th, 2011
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating: A-

Summary:
From Goodreads: Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.

Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history—or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice.

One such is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn, who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs.

Why did I read this book? Sanderson's Mistborn series is probably one of my all-time favorite fantasy triologies. When I heard that a fourth novel was being published I squeed, then promptly requested the book from the publisher.

Source: Publisher

My Review
One of the most intriguing things about this fourth Mistborn novel is that it’s set about three hundred years in the future from the last book, Hero of the Ages. The characters of the trilogy we’ve come to know and love are legends, myths or religious figureheads (sometimes all three). I wanted to see what Sanderson did with this since one of my favorite things about his stories is the religions he creates and how they integrate into the society. I’m not disappointed with this; there are many nods towards the previous books through the new culture.

The Mistborn world has advanced since the events of Hero of the Ages and now there are trains, guns, and other steampunkish technology. This makes for great entertainment since the magic systems are all based on metals. We see two of the systems featured prominently, Allomancy and Feruchemy. Allomancy is the ability to burn certain metals (by ingesting them) and each metal has its own effect. For instance, burning steel gives the Allomancer the ability to push on metallic objects. Feruchemy uses metal to store power (it’s not consumed in the process). You could use gold to store health, so when you really need it, you can heal yourself.

That’s right, the Mistborn series has not one awesome magic system but three! Although the third isn’t mentioned that much in The Alloy of Law.

Aside from the setting and magic systems, I really enjoyed the plot. It follows Wax and his friend Wayne (yes, that’s really their names), who worked together in the outskirts of town keeping the peace. There’s a very western feel to this story, with hats, dusters, guns and shootouts. It fits the setting very well. Wax and Wayne inadvertently come across a series of robberies and they team up with a character named Marasi to solve the crimes. Wax is definitely the exalted hero type and Wayne was the snarky sidekick. I think I would like to see more of these characters to give them more time to develop, but I feel like the purpose of this novel was to give us more Mistborn and also tell an exciting action-packed story.

Rating: A-
I really loved it. There were so many awesome tidbits such as the references to the past books and even newspaper prints placed throughout the book. It really added to the western feel. I'm not a Wheel of Time fan, so when this came out I was super excited to read it, since I don't know when there will be more Mistborn books. I don't think this is the end though. I loved what Sanderson did with the setting and he created a fun mystery packed with Allomancy and Feruchemy to satisfy me until the next book comes out.

This book is also available by Macmillan Audio, and you can listen to an excerpt by clicking here.

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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: Eyes to See by Joseph Nassise

Title: Eyes to See
Author: Joseph Nassise
Series: Jeremiah Hunt #1
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: October 11th, 2011
Publisher: Tor
Rating: C

Summary:
From Goodreads: In an urban fantasy that charts daring new territory in the field, Jeremiah Hunt has been broken by a malevolent force that has taken his young daughter and everything else of value in his life: his marriage, his career, his reputation. Desperate to reclaim what he has lost, Hunt finally turns to the supernatural for justice.

Abandoning all hope for a normal life, he enters the world of ghosts and even more dangerous entities from beyond the grave. Sacrificing his normal sight so that he can see the souls of the dead and the powers that stalk his worst nightmares, Hunt embarks upon a strange new career—a pariah among the living; a scourge among the dead; doomed to walk between the light of day and the deepest darkness beyond night.

His love for his departed daughter sustains him when all is most hopeless, but Hunt is cursed by something more evil than he can possibly imagine. As he descends into the maelstrom of his terrifying quest, he discovers that even his deepest fears are but prelude to yet darker deeds by a powerful entity from beyond the grave…that will not let him go until it has used him for its own nefarious purposes.

Why did I read this book? After being completely taken with the cover, I thought the idea of a blind protagonist who could see the paranormal was pretty cool. I wanted to see where the author took this idea in an urban fantasy setting.

Source: Review copy provided by publisher

My Review
In Eyes to See, there are a lot of things Nassise does right. The choice of first person POV is one of them, since getting into Jeremiah Hunt's head is the bread and butter of this story. I really liked his voice, his struggles, and his humor. The POV does change near the end quite often, which I thought disrupted my enjoyment a little. I often preferred seeing things (no pun intended) through Jeremiah's perspective, since his was unique. He traded his eyesight of the normal world in return to see that of the other world, the one where all the ghosts and creatures we only heard stories about are. Eyes to See takes place in the past and present distinguished by "Then" and "Now" chapters, one telling the story of how Jeremiah came to be in this place, when his daughter went missing years before. The other is the present time while he is working as an exorcist while also helping the police solve crimes while hopping for more information about his daughter's disappearance. I really liked the "Then" chapters, since they were so heartbreaking, raw and real.

Another aspect I thought was done well was the mystery. I really didn't know what to expect at the end, and that kept me reading. I wanted Jeremiah to succeed in solving the mystery of his missing daughter. Along the way we discover more things about this world, which is a pretty standard urban fantasy setting. It contains magic and various paranormal creatures. Unfortunately I thought Jeremiah to be the most interesting because we knew more about why he came to be what he is.

Where the book faltered for me was finding enough interest in this world. While I thought there were unique ideas and a good protagonist, I wanted the other characters and world building to be stronger. For example, I thought Denise, the main female character, to be a little too predictable and not very developed.

Rating: C
After reading this series debut, I feel a bit on the fence. I liked some things and didn't like others, but I'm leaning towards a more positive opinion of this book. I feel like it's not completely there yet, but that I want to read more to see it get there. Nassise wraps up the mystery quite nicely while leaving room to continue the series and I believe that it could be headed in a great direction. If you are looking for that popular urban fantasy setting with an entertaining and humorous male protagonist, then this is for you.

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Review: Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton

Title: Tooth and Claw
Author: Jo Walton
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: January 6th, 2009
Publisher: Orb Books
Rating: A-

Summary:
From Goodreads: Here is a tale of a family dealing with the death of their father, a son who goes to court for his inheritance, a son who agonizes over his father’s deathbed confession, a daughter who falls in love, a daughter who becomes involved in the abolition movement, and a daughter sacrificing herself for her husband.

Here is what sounds for all the world like an enjoyable Victorian novel, perhaps by Anthony Trollope…except that everyone in the story is a dragon, red in tooth and claw.

Here are politics and train stations, churchmen and family retainers, courtship, and country houses…in which, on the death of an elder, family members gather to eat the body of the deceased. In which society’s high and mighty members avail themselves of the privilege of killing and eating the weaker children, which they do with ceremony and relish, growing stronger thereby.

You have never read a novel like Tooth and Claw.

Why did I read this book? I heard about this book through the Women of Fantasy Book Club. The fact that this is a Victiorian novel featuring all dragons is just too good to pass up. Oh, and it the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2009.

Source: Bought

My Review
Although when it comes to books, I haven't read many Jane Austen's or Victorian novels (I know Jane Austen isn't Victorian), but I do enjoy them and love the type of humor and situations they describe. Anything to do with manners, society, romance. Anyways, this means that on paper this novel would already be enjoyable to me, but the fact that the whole cast of characters are dragons is just icing on the cake. I think this is something really awesome about this novel - I didn't feel like the dragon thing was gimmicky. I would have enjoyed it were they human, but I enjoyed it even more that they were dragons. I thought the world building was clever. I smiled every time a dragon was described sleeping on their gold. Another aspect I enjoyed is that female dragons are gold-ish colored as maidens, but when approached by males (sometimes just being touched by them), they "blush" and turn a rosy pink. At this point they need to be married, and if not, it's a big scandel. I love how this reflected the real world situation of women in the past where they had to remain pure maidens before marriage.

The only negative thing I experienced while reading Tooth and Claw was that for the first one hundred pages or so I felt that the pace was slow and I wasn't totally absorbed into the story yet. This changed after the characters and plot strings were all layed out and then it wasn't long before I'd completely devoured this novel.

Rating: A-
I really loved this book. I wish more books were like this. I love discovering novels that are clever, well-written and just plain unique. The world building is very strong and enables Walton to effortlessly create a Victorian-like world featuring dragons and their societal problems. I also really appreciated the humor. Definitely recommended!

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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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Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor
Series: ?
Format: ARC
Pages: 420
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Rating: A

Summary:
From Goodreads: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Why did I read this book? I was midly interested in this book after receiving it at BEA, but what really piqued my interest was all the rave reviews.

Source: ARC from BEA 2011

My Review
This is one of those times where I'm going to have to reign in all my giddy fangirlishness and try and make this sound like a proper review. But I really, really want to squee all over this page but I suppose that's not the best way to get people interested in reading this book...

I would say there are two major things about Daughter of Smoke and Bone which easily makes this an awesome read: world building and the prose. I never heard of Taylor before, but she surprised me with this world she geniusly created. It's set in Prague and centers round Karou, our aquamarine-haired protagonist who loves art and whose adopted family is a set of chimaera. Her father-figure is Brimstone, a creature part man, part stag and who knows what else. Karou often runs errands for him, using the portal of to his workshop as a means to travel around the world. She picks up teeth for him, all kinds of teeth. She doesn't know what he uses it for, but he often trades wishes to clients who bring him teeth of various species. In this world, wishes are like a currency, the lowest being a scuppy, that can only manage something like turning hair a different color.

But this world is hidden from ours and Karou is the only one who seems to know it exists, until she meets another mysterious player, Akiva. Akiva's a seraphim and somehow connected to this other world, but he is also her enemy. The seraphim are at war against the chimaera and so there's natural tension between him and Karou, but they also can't help but be attracted to each other.

I really loved Karou's world as we see it through her life. However, she's been kept in the dark about her past and so have we and much of the story is about her discovering who she is and where she came from. This was expertly done by Taylor who provides a thrilling action-packed story filled with the glamour of Prague and the magic of a world elsewhere.

The only issues I had with this novel is how prominent the romance became after the first half of the book and the fact that the book doesn't really end. We are left to wait for the second book to find out what happens in Karou's story.

Rating: A
I definitely recommend Daughter of Smoke and Bone to readers looking for a magical story. It's a great read for young adults and adults alike. I hope to read the next novel in the series and to get closure on some of the events and also hope to see the romance fleshed out a bit more. 

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Review: Shadow Kin by M.J. Scott

Title: Shadow Kin

Author: M.J. Scott
Series: The Half-Light City #1
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 324
Genre: Gaslight Fantasy, Romance
Publication Date: September 6th, 2011
Publisher: Roc
Rating: B-

Summary:
From Goodreads: On one side, the Night World, rules by the Blood Lords and the Beast Kind. On the other, the elusive Fae and the humans, protected by their steadfast mages...

Born a wraith, Lily is a shadow who slips between worlds. Brought up by a Blood Lord and raised to be his assassin, she is little more than a slave. But when Lily meets her match in target Simon DuCaine, the unlikely bond that develops between them threatens to disrupt an already stretched peace in a city on the verge of being torn apart...

Why did I read this book? I really was interested in reading a fantasy that seemed to offer a different kind of world. I was also attracted to the idea of the main character being a wraith.

Source: Publisher, by request.

My Review
This novel opens with Lily, a wraith and assassin to the Blood Lord Lucius, attempting to kill the sunmage Simon DuCaine. She fails, and finds herself flirting with the idea of leaving the Blood Lord's domain, although she feels like she doesn't have much of a choice in the matter. She was abandoned to him by her mother because of her being born a wraith, a creature despised by most of better society. The Blood Lord keeps her captive against her will and she struggles with the choices of leaving him, for fear of her safety and for those who might help her.

This is how the plot is set up. We are also given the world Lily lives in, which was definitely different than I thought it would be. I thought this was a urban fantasy, but it turns out it's more of a gaslight fantasy; it's set in a partly-familiar world, almost Victorian, but contains many magical and paranormal elements like vampires, mages, fae and werewolves. I really enjoyed this surprise and came to really love the world Scott created. All the species that co-exist in the city, including humans, get along through a treaty set up and monitored mainly by the fae. The novel also includes these politics, since the Blood Lord is not abiding by the rules set by the treaties and so he's becoming a bigger and bigger threat, especially to humans. This is a concern of Simon, the sunmage, and also a reason he wants Lily to help him expose the Blood Lord and his crimes.

The things I liked most are the unique world-building (as I mentioned above) but also the romance. I think Simon and Lily have pretty good chemistry and while they were two star-crossed lovers, a wraith and a sunmage, I believed in their romance. I especially liked Simon, he's a sunmage, but also a healer. I thought it was fun that the female was the assassin and the male was a healer, despite the trope of the woman always being a healer in fantasy.

There was a few things I had problems with. First, the novel is in two first person point of views: Lily's and Simon's. While I don' have anything against it personally, I just found I was often confused of who's head we were in and when the point of view changed, I was mildly disoriented. The other problem I had was Lily's weakness towards the Blood Lord and her lack of confidence. I understand she's had a bad past (which was almost a little too contrived in itself) but I would have liked to see her empowered more by the end of it.

Rating: B-
Overall, I really enjoyed this debut from Scott. Scott has created a fascinating society that includes an array of magical creatures and pulls it off expertly. While I had some conflictions with the point of view and the main character, Lily, I was really absorbed in the romance between her and Simon and the politics of the Half-Light City. It's a great gaslight adventure and I look forward to the sequel, Blood Kin, out next year.

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Review: Blood and Other Cravings ed. by Ellen Datlow

Title: Blood and Other Cravings
Editor: Ellen Datlow
Format: ARC
Pages: 320
Genre: Anthology, Paranormal
Publication Date: September 13th, 2011
Publisher: Tor
Rating: B



Summary:
From Goodreads: When we think of vampires, instantly the image arises: fangs sunk deep into the throat of the victim. But bloodsucking is merely one form of vampirism. For this brilliantly original anthology, Ellen Datlow has commissioned stories from many of the most powerfully dark voices in contemporary horror, who conjure tales of vampirism that will chill readers to the marrow.

In addition to the traditional fanged vampires, Datlow presents stories about the leeching of emotion, the draining of the soul, and other dark deeds of predation and exploitation, infestation, and evisceration…tales of life essence, literal or metaphorical, stolen.

Seventeen stories, by such award-winning authors as Elizabeth Bear, Richard Bowes, Kathe Koja, Margo Lanagan, Carol Emshwiller, and Lisa Tuttle will petrify readers. With dark tales by Laird Barron, Barry Malzberg and Bill Pronzini, Kaaron Warren, and other powerful voices, this anthology will redefine the terror of vampires and vampirism.

Why did I read this book? I wanted to start reading more anthologies and I thought where better then the start with something edited by Ellen Datlow? The premise of this book really intrigued me. I wanted to see different takes on vapirism.

Source: ARC received at BEA

My Review
I don't think I ever reviewed an anthology before and so I struggled with how I would review this one. I decided not to review each story individually since I think this book works better as a whole and so I'll review it as such.

I really enjoyed most of these stories. Of course there were a few that I didn't care for but I found new authors that I never heard of before. What this anthology offers is a great array of tales of vapirism that don't always focus on blood as the essence of choice. In fact, I think most of the stories that did not involve traditional blood seeking vampires to be the most interesting. In particular, I enjoyed the story Keeping Corky by Melanie Tem, a story about a mentally disabled mom who had to give up her child to adoption and how she struggles to connect with him while those around her are influenced by her determination. I also really liked the storyThe Third Always Beside You by John Langan, about a family affected by a father's infedility, and how this lasts long after the other women passes away.

Here is the entire line up:
All You Can Do is Breathe by Kaaron Warren
Needles by Elizabeth Bear
Baskerville’s Midgets by Reggie Oliver (reprint)
Blood Yesterday, Blood Tomorrow by Richard Bowes
X For Demetrious by Steve Duffy
Keeping Corky by Melanie Tem
Shelf-Life by Lisa Tuttle
Caius by Bill Pronzini & Barry N. Malzberg
Sweet Sorrow by Barbara Roden
First Breath by Nicole J. LeBoeuf
Toujours by Kathe Koja
Miri by Steve Rasnic Tem
Mrs. Jones by Carol Emshwiller (reprint)
Bread and Water by Michael Cisco
Mulberry Boys by Margo Lanagan
The Third Always Beside You by John Langan
The Siphon by Laird Barron

Rating: B
After rating each story individually, the average rating was a B. I enjoyed most of the stories but there were a few great and and a few not so great, but the majority ran down the middle. I tended to enjoy the more creepy stories, but there were also more urban fantasy type stories, others more horror and some just plain weird. It's a good anthology and I would recommend it if the theme interests you. 

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Review: Sins of the Angels by Linda Poitevin

Title: Sins of the Angels

Author: Linda Poitevin
Series: Grigori Legacy #1
Format: ARC
Pages: 325
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Ace Books
Rating: B-

Summary:
From Goodreads: A detective with a secret lineage. An undercover Hunter with a bullet-proof soul. And a world made to pay for the sins of an angel…

Homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis answers to no one. Especially not to the new partner assigned to her in the middle of a gruesome serial killer case—a partner who is obstructive, irritatingly magnetic, and arrogant as hell.

Aramael is a Power—a hunter of the Fallen Angels. A millennium ago, he sentenced his own brother to eternal exile for crimes against humanity. Now his brother is back and wreaking murderous havoc in the mortal realm. To find him, Aramael must play second to a human police officer who wants nothing to do with him and whose very bloodline threatens both his mission and his soul.

Now, faced with a fallen angel hell-bent on triggering the apocalypse, Alex and Aramael have no choice but to join forces, because only together can they stop the end of days.

Why did I read this book? I saw this book floating around the blogosphere and that it was written by a Canadian author. After I read that it was about angels, I knew I wanted to get my hands on it.

Source: My very first Goodreads First Reads win! Yes!

My Review
There are some really great things I enjoyed about Sins of the Angels and just a few things I think could be improved upon. The story follows protagonist Alex Jarvis, a Toronto police detective who's following a string of brutal murders with no leads on the killer. Our other protagonist is Aramael, a Power (an angel of the sixth choir) who is sent to protect Alex from the serial killer she's searching for. Aramael, being a Power, doesn't interfere with humans (that's for the lowly Guardians), and has an issue with this mission but tries to get through it since he is also hunting the serial killer, who happens to be a Fallen Angel. This causes a lot of tension between Alex and Aramael, of course, and then there's the attraction they share to each other.

I really liked the the characters, especially Alex, since she's a tough cop but she's not without flaws. She finds herself overwhelmed from her case and this is made worse by Aramael since she can see his true form if they touch. She thinks she's losing her grip on reality because insanity runs in her family.

I also liked the world building. Out of all the paranormal races (vampires, werewolves, etc) I like angels the most. I think they could be used more so I was glad to see a book based on that mythology. The angel hierarchy resembles the Christian one but with changes and also includes a history of the past thousands of years existing with humans. I think this mythology is nicely woven into the book that also has a feeling of a crime novel since most of it is spent trying to solve all these murders.

Some of the issues I had with the book is that a lot of the conflict the characters feel is created by them not telling the truth to one another. This is sort of a pet peeve of mine (I always say: why can't they just say it!) and it creates some fustration for me. I would have liked to see things resolved more between Alex and Aramael sooner in the story so we could have a better payoff at the end. The novel also ends wide open for another sequel and maybe I'm just impatient but I would have loved to see more closure.

Rating: B-
I'd definitely recommend Sins of the Angels for urban fantasy lovers, but I warn you: you will like the characters and may wish more from them that you won't get possibly until later installments in the series. It's a fast-paced read and filled with good world building and action to move the story along. I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series when it comes out (I just have to find out what happens, darn it!)

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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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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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Guest Review: Kitty's Greatest Hits by Carrie Vaughn

This guest review was brought to you by calico_reaction!

Kitty's Greatest Hits (2011)
Written by: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Short Stories/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 319 (ARC)
Release Date: August 16th, 2011

This ARC was received for review from StarMetal Oak Book Blog

Why I Read It: When I heard that Carrie Vaughn was coming out with a short story collection that featured all her Kitty-universe short stories, I was thrilled, because that meant I wouldn't have to track down all the individual anthologies she's been in AND I would finally get to read the long-awaited novella featuring Cormac. Then starmetal_oak contacted me for a guest review: she had received a signed ARC from BEA but wasn't interested because she doesn't read the series and wondered if I'd do a guest review. Hell yeah, I would!

The premise: ganked from BN.com: This first-ever story collection from bestselling author Carrie Vaughn reveals new adventures by sharp-witted werewolf d.j. Kitty Norville and the fascinating back-stories of key characters, including Master vampire Rick, Emma, and Cormac. This collection features two previously-unpublished works. A must-have for the many fans of this critically acclaimed series.

Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. I'll discuss each story individually, but due to the nature of short stories, I won't be spoiling any key plot points; rather, I'll talk about how they fit into the universe and which stories are worth reading and which stories could've used a wee bit more work. Star ratings for each story included!

Il Est Né (5 stars): I'd originally read this in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe back in 2008. Even though it's a good story, and I think I like this story better the second time around. I did find it an odd piece to start out with, only because everything else seems to go in chronological order. This piece is DEFINITELY not in chronological order, but the mystical rules of short story collections state that one must open and end with STRONG STORIES, so in that case, opening with this makes sense.

This tale takes place between Kitty Goes to Washington and Kitty Takes a Holiday and made me really nostalgic for the earlier books, when Kitty wasn't grating on my nerves the way she is now, when she had something to lose and had already lost it and was trying to put her identity back together, piece by piece. When she wanted to avoid violence at all costs. It's a good tale and it had me choked up at the end a bit.

A Princess of Spain (3.5 stars): While there were no series-characters in this story, the paranormal element became quite obvious, quite quickly, which made me wonder if this collection was going to delve into the historical events that Kitty, in present day, is always looking for. Indeed, it was, and while I'm not as familiar with Catherine of Aragon, I did like the inclusion of vampires in her history, as well as the irony of the ending, with Catherine convinced that her life with Henry will be so much better.

Conquistador de la Noche (3 stars): I'm being a bit generous with the rating here because this is Rick's origin story, and it's rather fascinating for that. I also liked how the setting played into the plot itself, especially at the story's end. However, what didn't work for me was Rick's devotion to his faith, which would've been fine, if it hadn't made the story rather melodramatic in parts, if it hadn't made Rick rather whiny and angsty through-out the story. I shouldn't be too harsh on the faith, because one's faith, especially at that time, was essential to their being as air, but even though it essentially saved him, it still left me cold. And I guess I can appreciate Rick all the more now since he's definitely moved on from irritating Louis-mode into something much cooler. Still, I felt meh with this story, which dragged on a bit.

The Book of Daniel (2 stars): This is another story where a character's devotion to his faith just didn't read well for me. Maybe it's due to Vaughn's writing voice, which is so modern that these period pieces end up reading as insincere? That's a high possibility. Whatever the case, I loved the premise of the story itself, which is how Daniel of the Bible escaped the pit of lions. Seriously, that's AWESOME. The rest of the story is a little flat though, and I never really felt the setting was fleshed out, nor the world. That said, this is a SHORT story, so there's only so much room.

The Temptation of Robin Green (4 stars): I've actually got the anthology this story originally appeared in, but I never got around to reading it, which makes me extra-grateful for this collection. I love the slight twist on the Selkie tale, because usually in such a tale, the genders are reversed. Rick also makes a cameo appearance, and he's MUCH cooler here than he was in "Conquistador." Good piece, even if poor Robin is a little mopey by the end. It'd be cool if Kitty ever meets her in a book though, given Robin's state at the end of the story.

Looking After Family (3.5 stars): I can't place my finger on why this story didn't settle with me the way it should have, but I guess it's because whatever we learned in the books of Ben's and Cormac's upbringing, I've forgotten it, and this story really didn't ring any bells. It's a solid enough tale though, highlighting the differences between Ben and Cormac and showing us how and why they became the men they are today; it's especially revealing for its take on Cormac, and quite worth reading because of it.

God's Creatures (4 stars): Speaking of Cormac, we get another tale, one I read in Dark and Stormy Knights last year. I liked the tale then and I like the tale now, and it was good to read this right after "Looking After Family," because it gives some of the throw-away remarks about Cormac's father more meaning. Another great thing about this story is that it spoils NOTHING about the Kitty books whatsoever, so it's the kind of story you can read without reading any of Vaughn's novels.

Wild Ride (2 stars): It pains me to rate this story so low, because it's TJ's origin story and I haven't seen that poor guy since Vaughn's debut (for obvious reasons). I've got the anthology this originally appeared in too, but haven't gotten around to it yet. At any rate, the reason for the low rating is simple: it's all telling and practically no showing. There are things to like about the story, certainly, like seeing how TJ interacted with his first pack, how his sexuality is an easy and obvious metaphor for his werewolf, but I wish the story had been longer, and that Vaughn had taken more with the piece. All tell, little show.

Winnowing the Herd (1 star): This was weird. Pre-Kitty and the Midnight Hour, it paints a far more aggressive Kitty Norville than she appears in the very first book, and that bugs me. She's so meek and passive and scared of herself in the first book that seeing her like this, thinking about meat and her co-workers as sheep, is just startling. The very end with her baying like a sheep is as startling as it is weird, and it was a major WTF moment until I read the author's notes, where we learn that Vaughn was aiming to write a more "literary" story. Right. Okay… but that explains it. Doesn't make the story any better in hindsight, mind you, but at least I understand the motivations behind it, and which is better than thinking the author lost her mind while writing this.

Kitty and the Most Pit of the Damned (3 stars): Coming off "Winnowing the Herd" had me grumpy, so I was in a nitpicky mode with this story. I wanted to know why Kitty didn't mention the MANDATORY soundcheck for the band before they came on stage, I wanted to know why on Earth Jax didn't immediately stop the concert once the dead body was discovered, why he wasn't taking action until after Eliot said he quit and Kent tried to get them all to keep playing (perfect place for Jax to assert his authority and say, "No, we have to stop now") because NO CONCERT VENUE should allow ANY band to keep playing if someone DIED on the floor and the managers of said venue were aware. They'd need to get an ambulance ASAP for fear of getting sued.

So yes, I was nitpicky. The whole selling-your-soul-to-the-devil-to-play-awesome-music is nothing new, but I did like Vaughn's subtle take here, with the devil being one of the Fae, and I liked that Jax was equipped to handle it, because he, too, was Fae. The ending was cute, and got me out of my grumpiness.

Kitty's Zombie New Year (4 stars): I was worried, because I made that snark remark in my review of Kitty's Big Trouble about Vaughn will probably use zombies next, and a commenter warned me there were zombies in this story. HOWEVER, I really, really, REALLY liked this particular take. It worked well and spoke volumes on an emotional scale. Note to Vaughn: I can handle these types of zombies!

Life is the Teacher (5 stars): I think I had this anthology once, but got rid of it before reading Vaughn's tale. But it's a great tale. It's funny too, because I've always thought that Vaughn always had a certain difficulty transitioning couples from friends to lovers in terms of her romantic subplots in various books (everything is fine before and after, it's that transitions that are tricky), but damn if she doesn't get sexual tension just right in this story. This is definitely more paranormal romance than pretty much any of her other stuff, and it's a great piece. It didn't matter either that I barely remembered the main character in question (author's notes reminds me she was turned in Kitty Goes to Washington), because it's such a great, great piece. And here Vaughn's intentions for the piece (exploring sex and vampires; telling an erotic story without the heroine removing her clothes) work fantastically. I can't speak highly enough of this tale. It's awesome.

You're on the Air (3.5 stars): This is a funny little piece that actually takes place in Kitty and the Silver Bullet, but from Kitty's point of view. What this story gives us is the before, during, and after of the call, and how Kitty's advice inspired Jake to take matters into his own hands. It's a good story, even if it was jarring to see narrative I recognized at first (the dialogue portion that takes place in the book).

Long Time Waiting (5 stars): Winning the most ironic title of the collection award, we get the literal long-awaited tale of what happened to Cormac while he was in prison. This tale takes the cake, and while it's not the ONLY reason to buy this book, I wouldn't fault you for getting this book for the novella alone. Seriously. Vaughn takes her time with this piece, fleshes things out and we see how Cormac's story here connects to the Cormac stories we've read before. We learn about Amelia's origin and how she and Cormac reached the agreement they did. It is a fantastic piece, and it's one that can also be read without being familiar with the Kitty universe at all. Not that you're likely to get this book without being familiar with the universe, mind you, but still. Vaughn does such a great job with Cormac's character and his voice that I swear she could easily start a spin-off series featuring Cormac and it'd kick the pants off of what I've read of The Dresden Files (which is, admittedly, only the first book, but still). Hands down, best story in the whole collection.

My Rating: Good Read

I've been tough on the Kitty series of late, but this short story collection, which features only stories that take place in Kitty's universe (historical and present day), really renews my faith a bit (and admittedly makes me miss the early books more). Sure, there's a few pieces that don't work well for me, but one thing that has really helped is getting out of Kitty's head and really seeing Vaughn's supernatural world at large, and from the eyes of other characters. Reading all of these stories doesn't have the same "everything and the kitchen sink" feeling that I sometimes get while reading the actual books in the series in regards to the supernatural that exists in this universe, and that's a nice thing. If you've a fan or have ever BEEN a fan of these books, this anthology is worth taking a look at, if for nothing else but the long-awaited "Long Time Coming," which features Cormac in, well, fans of the books know where, and if you haven't read the books yet, I will spoil nothing. But Cormac's story (rather, STORIES, as there's more than one) isn't the only reason to read this collection: fans of the series will be excited to get Rick and TJ's origin stories, and then there's a few gems that simply shine, such as "Life is the Teacher," which is a departure from Vaughn's usual style but works wonderfully in context. The author's notes at the end of the book also provide an interesting insight to each of the stories, and in some places, getting that background really helped me understand why Vaughn made the decisions she did. I'm glad I was able to read this early, and even though I'm keeping my signed copy of the ARC, I've already pre-ordered the hardcopy (for some reason, Tor is publishing this both as a hardcover and a trade) and look forward to it arriving.

If you've not read the Kitty books, some stories will work better than others, though I'd hesitate to recommend reading the whole collection without having at least some of the books under your belt. Still though, some of the stories should work fine if you're not already a fan of the series but are a fan of urban fantasy in general. "Long Time Coming," is great for fans of magic; "Life is the Teacher" is great for fans of paranormal romance (but don't mind getting a twist), and while "Il Est Né" is a holiday tale, if you like werewolves and want to sample what Kitty's life is like at the start of the series, it'd be an easy tale to get into.

At any rate, I'm happy with the collection, and I really, really hope there's plans for Vaughn to publish a SECOND short story collection, but this time, featuring all of her stories that ARE NOT a part of the Kitty universe.

Cover Commentary: I love this cover. The colors, how Kitty herself is kind of cloaked in shadow, how she's actually reasonably dressed and showing no tattoos! My only quibble with Kitty's appearance is what LOOKS like a silver necklace. Oops? Of course, I'm looking at the cover to the ARC, which may be different in the final copy, but on the whole, it's a great Kitty cover. It's also the first that doesn't feature a were-creature as well, but that doesn't bother me, because this book has more POVs in it that just Kitty's, so it's appropriate to create that slight distinction in the cover. :) If there were a were-creature on the cover, it'd be easy to assume that this was just another Kitty installment, which it isn't.

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Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #1
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 107/487
Genre: YA, dystopia
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Rating: No Grade

Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

My Review

Why did I read this book? I bought this book due to the many positive reviews I've read and I thought the synopsis looked interesting.

Why it's a DNF: The usual reason I don't finish a book is because I reach a point where I realize that the book just isn't for me. Many people love Divergent, but after reading about a quarter of it, I knew I should call it quits. This is another YA dystopia and I think I've been really burnt out from them. I find I'm harsher on the worldbuilding because there's just so much others to compare it to. I was generally interested in the premise and the set up of the world: how people are divided into factions based on the traits they feel they need to exude in order to keep the world peaceful. However, I just couldn't grasp fully onto this idea and in particular, I thought the Dauntless faction was disappointing (which is the one that's focused on highly). I didn't understand why dangerous stunts and fighting each other (even in unfair fights) was brave. Once I got hints to a romance I decided to put the book aside since I was not feeling the worldbuilding and characters.

Overall Thoughts 

Obviously I'm in the minority, so if you like YA dystopias, there's a good chance you'll like this one. If you're someone like me who will really question the worldbuilding, then perhaps it's not for you.

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Review: Veil of Gold by Kim Wilkins

Title: Veil of Gold

Author: Kim Wilkins`
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 512
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: April 27, 2010, originally July 22nd 2008
Publisher: Tor
Rating: A

Summary:
When an ancient gold bear is found entombed in a dilapidated St. Petersburg bathhouse owned by her uncle, Rosa Kovalenka knows in her heart that this is no random twist of fate. Her former lover, researcher Daniel St. Clair, reluctantly agrees to go to the university in Arkhangelsk to identify the relic.

Along the way he is mysteriously set adrift. Maps are suddenly useless. Automobiles break down and cell phones inexplicably stop working. Lost and exhausted, Daniel stumbles even deeper into the secrets and terrors of the Russian landscape.

Rosa fears the worst when Daniel goes missing and, full of shame and sudden longing, resolves to find him. But to do so means confronting her past and secrets that she has fought to suppress.

In the unknowable, impenetrable Russian forest, Rosa meets an enigmatic wanderer who is full of tales and riddles of times past. He knows tales of a very old bear and the fate of lovers old and new. And he might hold the key to Rosa and Daniel’s future—or the destruction of their world.

My Review

Why did I read this book? This is June's Dare for Calico Reaction's Alphabet Soup book club! That and the fact I couldn't obtain the main selection, so instead of sitting June out I participated in the Dare instead.

What I liked: Well, I never heard of this author or book before in my life until Calico's book club (she's well known in her home country of Australia) and so going into this I wasn't sure what to expect. Boy, was I given a gem! I really enjoyed this story! I can easily say it's a Squee! type of book. You know, one that by the end of it, you're *squee*ing because it was so awesome?

Anyways, I better go into some detail here. There are some very specific reasons why I enjoyed Veil of Gold. First, the characters. There's three main protagonists: Em, cold and unfeeling but very smart, Daniel, kind but insecure and fearful and Rosa, strong and independent and the love interest of Daniel. I thought it was so refreshing that the male character was portrayed as the 'weak' one: insecure and anxious, while the women were tough and confident. Who agonized over lost love? Daniel. Rosa sometimes, but for her it was different. It didn't come from a place of dependance or insecurity. Secondly, I loved the darkness of the story. These characters go through some tough stuff, especially Em and Daniel after they cross the veil. Wilkins isn't afraid to damage her characters and it kept the story unpredictable for me. Also, the use of Russian folklore was fun and added another layer. The way Wilkins blended magic and myth into our world was intriguing and energizing. Finally, I enjoyed the ending. I really didn't see it coming and I was thinking "what just happened?" but in a good way!

What I didn't like: There isn't much I didn't like about this novel, but since I have the section here I'll write some stuff down. The story lagged in some areas but I felt this was minor and not enough to make me not want to read on. My biggest disappointment was Rosa's big secret. I thought it wasn't signficant enough for her to make such drastic decisions (I don't want to spoil it so I'm being vague) and when we find out what's motivating her, I felt like it was a bit of a let down. However, this was just one part of the overall story and I quickly overlooked it.

Thoughts on the cover: Love the cover for it's font and unique color.

Overall Thoughts
Definitely recommended. If you like urban fantasy, Russian folklore/culture or are just interested in something a little different, and a little dark, then this is for you. I hope Wilkins other books are reprinted in North America because I will definitely be reading them.

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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: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Title: Shade

Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Series: Shade #1
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 309
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publication Date: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: A

Summary
From Goodreads: Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

My Review

Why did I read this book? I had heard so many good things about Smith-Ready's writing and a lot of good things about Shade in particular. I bought this book right after Christmas and finally go a chance to sit down a read it.

What I liked: There's a lot to like and love about Shade. First, I was completely absorbed in how original this story is. What would happen in a story about a girl who loses her boyfriend but can continue to interact with him as a ghost? I just liked the premise so much and I thought it added a lot of weight to the theme of grief and how you cope with losing someone you love. While the book is very entertaining I always came back to the feeling that I felt so sorry for Aura and the situation she's in. She has to juggle a ghost-boyfriend who very much still loves her and the attention of a new boy at school while also trying to figure out what happened to her mother. It might not sound like much the way I'm describing it, but Smith-Ready does a great job of balancing a fast-paced plot and heart-wrenching story.

I also loved the worldbuilding and thought it very well developed. People 16 and under can see and talk to ghosts because of a mysterious event that happened called the Shift. As you can expect, this event changes the world in ways such as how crimes are solved. I mean, things can really change when a person who's murdered can testify at their own murder trial. As for the Shift itself, we don't get much answers but I suspect we will as the series continues.

What I didn't like: There's not much I didn't like, really. Sometimes I became fustrated with Aura and her insistance of continuing her relationship with Logan, but I ususally ended up feeling bad and thinking that most people would do the same thing in that situation, so soon after losing someone like that.

Thoughts on the cover: What can I say, my favorite color is purple so I automatically like it a lot!

Overall Thoughts 

I definitely recommend Shade to anyone looking for a great young adult read with a paranormal slant. I really liked it and plan on snatching the next book in the series, Shift, as soon as I can.

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