mun-strum-ol-o-gy, n.
1. The study of life forms generally
malevolent to humans and not recognized
by science as actual organisms, specifically
those considered products of myth or folklore.
2.The act of hunting such creatures.
"The Munstrumologist" by Rick Yancey is probably the most gruesome book I have ever read. I do not exaggerate when I say that it is fantastic.
Anthropophagi: Headless beats with mouths in the center of their abdomen, eyes on each of their shoulder blades and a nearly insatiable thirst for human flesh. Doctor Warthrop: One of the foremost experts on Munstrumology and the habits of such ferocious beasts, a man with an ego bigger than most planets. The Situation?: An infestation of man-eating beasts in a small New England town in the late 1800s. Jack Kearns: The man that's brought in to kill them. Will Henry: The twelve year-old boy that's forced to bear witness to it all. Someone has created a river of blood and a path of destruction, bringing dangerous beasts into this town. Blinded by pride, it's impossible to see. And that can have deadly consequences.
Warning: If you are squeamish, do not read this book. If you have an aversion to graphic descriptions, mostly involving decapitations or bugs eating people alive, do not read this book. If you do not like the possibility that there might be monsters underneath your bed at night, do not read this book. But, if you relish those things, then, by all means. Please, I beg you. Read away.
The book is told from Will Henry's point of view, looking back on past events. At least, that's what it's supposed to be, but it reads like your average first-person past-tense novel. But, because he's telling you, though, and you're not supposed to be submerged within the situation to the extent that you're supposed to be in other first-person scenarios, when something is hidden from you it doesn't feel like a glaring omission. Will Henry, though, is portrayed as a twelve-year-old boy very well. You never get the illusion that he's older than his said age, nor do you get the illusion that he's younger, which is a very difficult balance to come by, especially when an adult is writing.
The doctor is an enigmatic figure. Will Henry feels a very strong loyalty to him, though you can't really understand why because the doctor is not the sort of fellow that you'd want to live with. The author tries to make it clear that Will Henry has a very strong bond with the doctor by telling you repeatedly, but you only really begin to see the connection near the end of the book.
Jack Kearns is also a conceited character. He's the stereotypical 'rouge' character, riding up on his metaphorical white horse, concerned about his appearance, expecting people to bow down to him as he proceeds to save the day, and making witticisms that are amusing to the reader but annoying to the people he's interacting This character, though, has fewer morals than the Grim Reaper himself (or herself). There is also a very strange connection from this character to another historical 'legend' that appears at the end of the book. I don't get it, and I hope that it the author follows up on it in one of the sequels.
The plot of this book is fairly straightforward. There aren't very many twists and turns that you can't see coming, but that's okay. Not every book has to be a work of a crazy physiologist (thought, don't we wish that was the case). In this case, the less elaborate plot--don't get me wrong, it's plenty complicated, but it isn't "Ender's Game" thought-provoking--is preferable, leaving us to focus on what really matters. Namely, the blood and the guts.
The language can be a bit troublesome at times. There are hardly any curse words in it, as far as I can remember, it's just the vocabulary. It's written in period-vernacular, not exactly old English, but it doesn't dumb anything down. Which is nice, but sometimes things can get lost among all the pretty words. Yet another reason not to make the plot so complicated. And, if you miss something, you can usually pick it up a bit on, because everything has to be reiterated (no one wants to accept things the first time around).
This book has a fantastic last line, though. "Yes, my dear child, monsters are real. I happen to have one hanging in my basement." I love that line. It's so weird and creepy and gives you such a good picture of what the rest of the book is like. Should I stop gushing right now?
I couldn't find the second book, "The Curse of the Wendigo" in the library when I looked for it, but I will be looking for that. The third book, "Isle of Blood" I believe, was at the library, but there's no point in reading the third book when you haven't read the second. Oh, and, today, (because I know you care so much) I found a tree leaking a strange orange substance in my backyard and I went up and touched it. So, now I'm terrified that little white worms, no bigger than a hair, will eat me alive. And I leave you now with that pleasant thought.
http://www.rickyancey.com/monstrumologist/index.php For some weird reason, this site does not have anything on "Isle of Blood," which results in the fact that I don't really know what the book's called, I'm just hazarding a guess based off of what's in the authors bio.
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Clockwork Princess
"Clockwork Princess," by Cassandra Clare, is the third and final book in the 'Infernal Devices' trilogy. If you haven't read the first two books in the series, then I would advise that you not read this, as to not spoil them for yourself.
Mortmain is almost a thought of the past in the London Institute, with Tessa and Jem busy preparing for their wedding and Will's younger sister, Cecily, recently installed into the household. Then Gabriel Lightwood comes, pounding on the doors of the Institute, with the news that his father has succumbed to the deadly Demon Pox. London's supply of Yin Fen, the drug that prolongs the life of people who have contracted Demon Pox, has run out. Jem, who must also take the drug, is days away from death when the message comes that Mortmain will give the London shadow hunters all the Yin Fen that they want, if only they give him Tessa Gray. The fight comes to the Institute's own front stoop, and the Shadowhunters are forced to reevaluate everything they know, lest they too fall to the Infernal Devices.
I did not like the ending of this book. What ending do I like? There are only a few perfect endings in the world, and I'll just have to accept that conclusion. Sadly, this book is not one of the better endings, though the ending is halfway decent, I'll give it that. But I hate how everyone has to have their cake and eat it too. I won't say more than that, lest I spoil anything. Still, though. Some people have to go home unhappy at the end of the day, don't they? -- not saying any more--
I wish that Tessa was more of a spunky heroine. She's more of a . . . background character, though, even if the whole book is supposed to center around her. She's more obsessed with her boys then with getting out of . . . wherever she was. A bit like in the first book, "Clockwork Angel." Come on, Tessa! I thought that we had been making progress in "Clockwork Prince!" But, noooo, Tessa Gray must be some deranged princess. She does three great acts throughout the whole books, three great acts that show she has a strong spine, and a fourth that isn't so great but, still, it's definitive. But, her strength is not apparent in her speech, and she is described as 'bookish.' Uh, I can see Tessa as so much more than that. It's a shame that her full potential isn't realized.
Jem Carstairs is a bit better. He's made his decision of how he's going to live his life, illness or not, and he sticks to that, which is admirable. He does sort of . . . I won't say anything. I've just never liked his character that much (I prefer Will). Jem was always a bit of a wallflower, until he decided that he was going to marry Tessa and then boom, now he's his own person. He hardly talked to Tessa before he decided he was going to marry her! In my opinion, at least. So, I never 'knew' him as well as I would have liked to. And I won't say anything else here, because I could rant for a good while and give away everything.
Will Herondale is the real break-out character here. Before this book, you see him as a good man in the throes of a curse that will ruin his life until his dying day. Here, Magnus has finally told him he's free of the curse and he's free to live his life as he pleases. Then Jem and Tessa lay it on him that they're getting married, oops, Will, here's your dreams, let's stick 'em to ya. In this book, he's dealing with his loyalty to both of them, as well as his loyalty to himself. His inner turmoil is fantastically done. You can feel what he's feeling with a rare acuteness, and that's a treat, even if most of what he's feeling is self-loathing.
The Lightwood brothers also become more prominent in this book, which is good in its own way, but it takes away from the drama surrounding the main three characters. The time that's spent focusing on Gideon and Gabriel is time that we are not focusing on Tessa. Also, I had trouble remembering which was the older brother (it's Gideon) because both have the same first letter in their name.
There are some happy parts where the unexpected happens. Not that that is a happy thing, because the unexpected is usually not so pretty, but it is good all of the same. Not everyone has to have a happy ending, and that's a lesson we all need to learn in life. There are also some mushy parts--namely one--which is annoying, because they're just about to fight demons and stuff. But, Magnus handles it gamely. (Magnus is, like, the most awesome person in both of the Shadowhunter series.)
The conflicts in these books are always pretty weird, though. It's all physiological until the last fifty or so pages, and then some big physical conflict happens. You know what I'm trying to say? It's almost as though the story arc has been modified to include some gigantic final battle between the two sides, while the rest of the story is entirely about the manipulation of the mind. And it has some pretty good manipulation. Cassandra Clare is, as always, very, very good at portraying human emotion in impossible situations.
One of the coolest thing about these book are the crossovers between the stories. Between the two Shadowhunter series, there are some objects and people that are the same (hint, hint, Isabelle's locket, Church the cat) and it's cool to get their origin stories. The families that participate in both dramas are the same (So, Clary, it isn't your fault--it's genetic), and you get to see what the 'Mortal Instrument' character's great-grandparents were like. If you get the hardcover book, the paper covering of the books comes off to become a family tree of the Fairchilds, Lightwoods, and Herondales spanning from the 1800s to 2008.
As mentioned, this is the third book in the 'Infernal Devicies' triology, with the first two books being 'Clockwork Angel' and 'Clockwork Prince,' respectively. I think that 'Clockwork Prince' was my favorite of the three, with 'Clockwork Angel' and 'Clockwork Princess' tied for third. And, let me tell you, the name 'Clockwork Princess' is a misnomer. Technically, it's a metaphor, referring to something Mortmain said in the second book.
Some things are a little too convenient, and other things are a little too perfect, but as always, Cassandra Clare is adept at capturing the tangled webs of human (or warlock, or Shadowhunter) emotion, making 'Clockwork Princess' a tale that's a little too good. The cast peddles in humor and misery equally, facing an inhuman army with the pure definition of humanity.
In our world, in our time, everything goes on as planned, but in the London of the 1800s, the Shadowhunters fight their final fight. THE INFERNAL DEVICES ARE WITHOUT PITY. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON THEIR SOULS.
The url to the Infernal Devices website is this: http://www.shadowhunters.com/theinfernaldevices/index.php
Though not as extensive as the Mortal Instruments sight, this one does have some pretty decent 'extras,' including a 'Clockwork Princess' countdown widget, which went into negative numbers 10 days, 9 hours, 48 a minutes, and 47 seconds ago. I got the picture above from the site (I can't draw that well).
Mortmain is almost a thought of the past in the London Institute, with Tessa and Jem busy preparing for their wedding and Will's younger sister, Cecily, recently installed into the household. Then Gabriel Lightwood comes, pounding on the doors of the Institute, with the news that his father has succumbed to the deadly Demon Pox. London's supply of Yin Fen, the drug that prolongs the life of people who have contracted Demon Pox, has run out. Jem, who must also take the drug, is days away from death when the message comes that Mortmain will give the London shadow hunters all the Yin Fen that they want, if only they give him Tessa Gray. The fight comes to the Institute's own front stoop, and the Shadowhunters are forced to reevaluate everything they know, lest they too fall to the Infernal Devices.
I did not like the ending of this book. What ending do I like? There are only a few perfect endings in the world, and I'll just have to accept that conclusion. Sadly, this book is not one of the better endings, though the ending is halfway decent, I'll give it that. But I hate how everyone has to have their cake and eat it too. I won't say more than that, lest I spoil anything. Still, though. Some people have to go home unhappy at the end of the day, don't they? -- not saying any more--I wish that Tessa was more of a spunky heroine. She's more of a . . . background character, though, even if the whole book is supposed to center around her. She's more obsessed with her boys then with getting out of . . . wherever she was. A bit like in the first book, "Clockwork Angel." Come on, Tessa! I thought that we had been making progress in "Clockwork Prince!" But, noooo, Tessa Gray must be some deranged princess. She does three great acts throughout the whole books, three great acts that show she has a strong spine, and a fourth that isn't so great but, still, it's definitive. But, her strength is not apparent in her speech, and she is described as 'bookish.' Uh, I can see Tessa as so much more than that. It's a shame that her full potential isn't realized.
Jem Carstairs is a bit better. He's made his decision of how he's going to live his life, illness or not, and he sticks to that, which is admirable. He does sort of . . . I won't say anything. I've just never liked his character that much (I prefer Will). Jem was always a bit of a wallflower, until he decided that he was going to marry Tessa and then boom, now he's his own person. He hardly talked to Tessa before he decided he was going to marry her! In my opinion, at least. So, I never 'knew' him as well as I would have liked to. And I won't say anything else here, because I could rant for a good while and give away everything.
Will Herondale is the real break-out character here. Before this book, you see him as a good man in the throes of a curse that will ruin his life until his dying day. Here, Magnus has finally told him he's free of the curse and he's free to live his life as he pleases. Then Jem and Tessa lay it on him that they're getting married, oops, Will, here's your dreams, let's stick 'em to ya. In this book, he's dealing with his loyalty to both of them, as well as his loyalty to himself. His inner turmoil is fantastically done. You can feel what he's feeling with a rare acuteness, and that's a treat, even if most of what he's feeling is self-loathing.
The Lightwood brothers also become more prominent in this book, which is good in its own way, but it takes away from the drama surrounding the main three characters. The time that's spent focusing on Gideon and Gabriel is time that we are not focusing on Tessa. Also, I had trouble remembering which was the older brother (it's Gideon) because both have the same first letter in their name.
There are some happy parts where the unexpected happens. Not that that is a happy thing, because the unexpected is usually not so pretty, but it is good all of the same. Not everyone has to have a happy ending, and that's a lesson we all need to learn in life. There are also some mushy parts--namely one--which is annoying, because they're just about to fight demons and stuff. But, Magnus handles it gamely. (Magnus is, like, the most awesome person in both of the Shadowhunter series.)
The conflicts in these books are always pretty weird, though. It's all physiological until the last fifty or so pages, and then some big physical conflict happens. You know what I'm trying to say? It's almost as though the story arc has been modified to include some gigantic final battle between the two sides, while the rest of the story is entirely about the manipulation of the mind. And it has some pretty good manipulation. Cassandra Clare is, as always, very, very good at portraying human emotion in impossible situations.
One of the coolest thing about these book are the crossovers between the stories. Between the two Shadowhunter series, there are some objects and people that are the same (hint, hint, Isabelle's locket, Church the cat) and it's cool to get their origin stories. The families that participate in both dramas are the same (So, Clary, it isn't your fault--it's genetic), and you get to see what the 'Mortal Instrument' character's great-grandparents were like. If you get the hardcover book, the paper covering of the books comes off to become a family tree of the Fairchilds, Lightwoods, and Herondales spanning from the 1800s to 2008.
As mentioned, this is the third book in the 'Infernal Devicies' triology, with the first two books being 'Clockwork Angel' and 'Clockwork Prince,' respectively. I think that 'Clockwork Prince' was my favorite of the three, with 'Clockwork Angel' and 'Clockwork Princess' tied for third. And, let me tell you, the name 'Clockwork Princess' is a misnomer. Technically, it's a metaphor, referring to something Mortmain said in the second book.
Some things are a little too convenient, and other things are a little too perfect, but as always, Cassandra Clare is adept at capturing the tangled webs of human (or warlock, or Shadowhunter) emotion, making 'Clockwork Princess' a tale that's a little too good. The cast peddles in humor and misery equally, facing an inhuman army with the pure definition of humanity.
In our world, in our time, everything goes on as planned, but in the London of the 1800s, the Shadowhunters fight their final fight. THE INFERNAL DEVICES ARE WITHOUT PITY. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON THEIR SOULS.
The url to the Infernal Devices website is this: http://www.shadowhunters.com/theinfernaldevices/index.php
Though not as extensive as the Mortal Instruments sight, this one does have some pretty decent 'extras,' including a 'Clockwork Princess' countdown widget, which went into negative numbers 10 days, 9 hours, 48 a minutes, and 47 seconds ago. I got the picture above from the site (I can't draw that well).
Monday, March 18, 2013
Eon
"Eon," Allison Goodman, is a novel centered around a girl pretending to be a boy in a fictional setting that closely mimics old feudal China.
Eon wants to become one with the Rat Dragon. Every twelve years, each dragon chooses a new apprentice to train, and during that year the apprentice from twelve years ago attains unthinkable power. Beyond this, though, gaining the apprenticeship will mean salvation for her adopted family and the chance to make the world see that Eon is something more than a cripple. But Eon has a secret--he is actually a girl named Eona. The position of Dragoneye, lord of the dragons, is for men only, and if Eon can pass the trials with his twisted leg he must hide his true nature, or else everyone he knows could be killed. The fate of the Celestial Empire rests in the hands of a sixteen-year-old girl who can't even begin to know what she's doing, but will do anything she needs to to get the deed done.
It is a very dramatic book, with a pretty commonplace plot, if you think about the plot to the most simplistic extension. Girl gets power = girl attempt to save world. Yada de yada de blah. This, though, is not your normal fantasy. Most fantasies are based off of European culture. Take Christopher Paolini's "Inheritance Cycle." Those books had dragons that bound with humans too, but they're the type of dragons normally found in Europe. And the bond is for life, etc., but we digress.
In "Eon," there are 12 Chinese dragons, each one representing one of the symbols of the Chinese years (rat, hare, tiger). It can get a bit confusing at times, but you are not required to remember all of the names of all 12 Dragoneyes to comprehend what's happening which is a relief. And, the books does a much better job of explaining it than I do.
Combine this feature with the fact that you're in feudal China and the Emperor is basically a god, things can get very interesting. I love books where the thought processes are as equally important as the fighting, and there is a lot of intricate politics that Eon has to dance around as he makes his way through court. One mistake, and his neck could be severed. It makes for quite an interesting read.
Eon's character is very interesting in and of itself. Eon is written as a boy who is aware that he's actually a girl. So, Eon doesn't have the complete brashness of a male, but he doesn't act like a girl. His thoughts are also schooled in the way of a male's (that's why I'm calling him a 'he'--because he's so absorbed in his chosen gender he ignores his given one). The only way you would picture him as a girl is if you knew he was a girl previously. That too, adds another layer of intrigue to the whole thing. First, because it effects the way things are played out, and second, because if anyone found out, Eon's dead.
Happy book.
Moving on to Kygo, the heir to the throne. He also is a very complicated person. Raised among the women of the court, he's considered a 'girl' so he does much to prove that he really is a man. He seems to want to be seen as a benign ruler, but he isn't afraid to impose his power upon others to get what he wants. Within the court, he has the potential to be one of Eon's greatest enemies, if he ever finds out Eon's secret. He winds up being one of Eon's greatest allies. You can almost tell that the violate temper inside of him will lead to something deadly--the only thing that you're unsure of is who he'll strike out at first.
Lady Dela and Ryko are another strange pair. Lady Dela is a man who is a woman--basically, the opposite of Eon, but she hasn't changed her gender because her life is in danger, like Eon had. Ryko is her guard. On the top, he seems to be a very uncomplicated person, but in reality, he's probably the most complicated person in this book.
Lord Ido is the designated bad guy. You picture him as a pudgy, balding, old man at first, which is really annoying because then you get a different picture of him elsewhere, and you have to change your entire mental image . . . He isn't a very good bad guy, though, in this book. Much too stereotypical.
This crew of fantastic characters aids the plot in unthinkable ways. It had the potential to be a horrendously boring book, but Allison Goodman pulled it off. Kudos to her. There is a sequel, "Eona," but both books are small libraries in themselves, so I decided to review them separately. There are other reasons for this decisions, which I will soon reveal.
Excuse my absolute chaotic layout of this review. No matter how much of the above you were able to understand, I encourage you to read the books. I saw these books sitting on the shelves for about three years before I decided that they were worth my time. Don't make my mistakes, and don't wait an eon to read the fantastic combination of history and myth. (And please, excuse my horrible pun, but I had no other way to end this).
She has a fantastic author's website, http://www.alisongoodman.com.au/ One of the best I've seen, in my opinion. It tells quite a bit on her and her other books, which is always interesting.
Eon wants to become one with the Rat Dragon. Every twelve years, each dragon chooses a new apprentice to train, and during that year the apprentice from twelve years ago attains unthinkable power. Beyond this, though, gaining the apprenticeship will mean salvation for her adopted family and the chance to make the world see that Eon is something more than a cripple. But Eon has a secret--he is actually a girl named Eona. The position of Dragoneye, lord of the dragons, is for men only, and if Eon can pass the trials with his twisted leg he must hide his true nature, or else everyone he knows could be killed. The fate of the Celestial Empire rests in the hands of a sixteen-year-old girl who can't even begin to know what she's doing, but will do anything she needs to to get the deed done.
It is a very dramatic book, with a pretty commonplace plot, if you think about the plot to the most simplistic extension. Girl gets power = girl attempt to save world. Yada de yada de blah. This, though, is not your normal fantasy. Most fantasies are based off of European culture. Take Christopher Paolini's "Inheritance Cycle." Those books had dragons that bound with humans too, but they're the type of dragons normally found in Europe. And the bond is for life, etc., but we digress.
In "Eon," there are 12 Chinese dragons, each one representing one of the symbols of the Chinese years (rat, hare, tiger). It can get a bit confusing at times, but you are not required to remember all of the names of all 12 Dragoneyes to comprehend what's happening which is a relief. And, the books does a much better job of explaining it than I do.
Combine this feature with the fact that you're in feudal China and the Emperor is basically a god, things can get very interesting. I love books where the thought processes are as equally important as the fighting, and there is a lot of intricate politics that Eon has to dance around as he makes his way through court. One mistake, and his neck could be severed. It makes for quite an interesting read.
Eon's character is very interesting in and of itself. Eon is written as a boy who is aware that he's actually a girl. So, Eon doesn't have the complete brashness of a male, but he doesn't act like a girl. His thoughts are also schooled in the way of a male's (that's why I'm calling him a 'he'--because he's so absorbed in his chosen gender he ignores his given one). The only way you would picture him as a girl is if you knew he was a girl previously. That too, adds another layer of intrigue to the whole thing. First, because it effects the way things are played out, and second, because if anyone found out, Eon's dead.
Happy book.
Moving on to Kygo, the heir to the throne. He also is a very complicated person. Raised among the women of the court, he's considered a 'girl' so he does much to prove that he really is a man. He seems to want to be seen as a benign ruler, but he isn't afraid to impose his power upon others to get what he wants. Within the court, he has the potential to be one of Eon's greatest enemies, if he ever finds out Eon's secret. He winds up being one of Eon's greatest allies. You can almost tell that the violate temper inside of him will lead to something deadly--the only thing that you're unsure of is who he'll strike out at first.
Lady Dela and Ryko are another strange pair. Lady Dela is a man who is a woman--basically, the opposite of Eon, but she hasn't changed her gender because her life is in danger, like Eon had. Ryko is her guard. On the top, he seems to be a very uncomplicated person, but in reality, he's probably the most complicated person in this book.
Lord Ido is the designated bad guy. You picture him as a pudgy, balding, old man at first, which is really annoying because then you get a different picture of him elsewhere, and you have to change your entire mental image . . . He isn't a very good bad guy, though, in this book. Much too stereotypical.
This crew of fantastic characters aids the plot in unthinkable ways. It had the potential to be a horrendously boring book, but Allison Goodman pulled it off. Kudos to her. There is a sequel, "Eona," but both books are small libraries in themselves, so I decided to review them separately. There are other reasons for this decisions, which I will soon reveal.
Excuse my absolute chaotic layout of this review. No matter how much of the above you were able to understand, I encourage you to read the books. I saw these books sitting on the shelves for about three years before I decided that they were worth my time. Don't make my mistakes, and don't wait an eon to read the fantastic combination of history and myth. (And please, excuse my horrible pun, but I had no other way to end this).
She has a fantastic author's website, http://www.alisongoodman.com.au/ One of the best I've seen, in my opinion. It tells quite a bit on her and her other books, which is always interesting.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Death Watch
"Death Watch," Ari Berk, is a fantastic novel on death and what it means to live.
Lichport is a town where the dead outnumber the living. Amos Umber used to be the town's Undertaker, putting the spirits of the dead to rest and keeping the fragile peace between the world. Amos Umber went missing while working a year ago, though, and his disappearance has haunted his son, Silas. Moving into his uncle's house in Lichport, Silas stalks the old, abandoned streets looking for clues to his fathers appearance. But Silas is no child and the more time he spends looking for his lost father is less time he has to figure out the real problem in Lichport, the one that's got everyone on their toes; a lonely ghost locked in a house, an insane man looking for blood, and the ship wicked that's hovering just beyond the horizon.
You know what's going on forty pages after Silas steps over the threshold and into his uncle's house. Well, you know the basic premise of what's going to happen, but still. That's a hundred pages into a (I want to say) 500 page book? Eh. Could be better.
Also, Silas is a spoiled brat. All he thinks about is his 'girlfriend' and his father's disappearance. Okay, so, maybe he's not a spoiled brat. But he's pretty self-absorbed. He is a basically good person and he's selfless when he can see past his own problem. When Mr. Peale dies he's still wrapped up in his father and he has to do the final rites. Hello? Quit worrying. There's a time for everything. Eventually, though, I do believe that he learns his lesson. It's always nice to see a character grow after reading an absurdly long novel. In my mind, he was cutting an impressive figure by the end, but that might just be my perception and my obsession of good beating evil, good personalities over bad personalities.
I'm not saying that it's a bad book, though. It's one of those books that can carrying on no matter what mood the protagonist is in. There isn't a dreadful amount of dialogue; the descriptions of things outweigh the dialogue by far. The amount of description is like that of C.S. Lewis's, in literary nature, of course. I've heard some people describe the Narnia books as wordy, and if you can't handle those I don't believe that "Death Watch" is for you.
But, lo, the descriptions describe something wonderful. The ghostly worlds jump of the page. It's phenomenal. The town of Lichport is as real as any town on the map, sometimes more real. The closed in lanes of the Narrows; the playground; the cramped, chaotic, and serene sight of that graveyard that's on the hill that I've gone and forgotten the name of; and (one of my favorite parts) the tea house and the alehouse where the spirits go to forget that they ever lived. They all played like a little movie in my head, and I believe that I would recognize those places if I ever stumbled across them.
Also, I love books about death. I know that's extraordinarily morbid, but I do. Books that bring up theories about what happens to you after you die, books that speculate what the meaning of death is. This is a book that does both, with an added question: What is death if you've never really lived at all The question is sort of buried within the many pages, but I agree with it wholeheartedly, or, at least, as much as one can agree with a question. The book also brings up another interesting concept (yes, this one also has to do with death); the memory of the dead.
Not the memory of the spirits, but how people remember them. Silas's mother's grandfather decided not to die, so he's basically a 'zombie' or a corpse with a will. No, he does not try to eat anyone's brains, sorry for the disappointment. Mainly, he sleeps. But, all that aside, Silas's mother's grandfather is a good example of the books theme "Remember the dead," because Silas's mother is afraid of her grandfather. She doesn't want to remember him. In fact, she moves so she doesn't have to remember him anymore. This could be in part because he's a corpse, but it also could be a metaphor, and not just about death. A lot of people are afraid to remember things that are painful to them.
Also, in the spirit world, spirits try to remember things too. I think that those souls 'have lost something but have given up on looking for it' but I don't have the book in front of me so I can't check up on the correct wording. But these souls lost something in their life, and now, upon their death, they've given up looking, but they're still stuck. This could be another metaphor, but about people who are living.
So, really, the book isn't all about death. It's about the living and how death affects them. It has multiple levels, which makes for an enthralling read. All in all, Silas Umber's story isn't half bad, not half bad at all. Now, if only he can stay alive long enough to give us more of them.
Lichport is a town where the dead outnumber the living. Amos Umber used to be the town's Undertaker, putting the spirits of the dead to rest and keeping the fragile peace between the world. Amos Umber went missing while working a year ago, though, and his disappearance has haunted his son, Silas. Moving into his uncle's house in Lichport, Silas stalks the old, abandoned streets looking for clues to his fathers appearance. But Silas is no child and the more time he spends looking for his lost father is less time he has to figure out the real problem in Lichport, the one that's got everyone on their toes; a lonely ghost locked in a house, an insane man looking for blood, and the ship wicked that's hovering just beyond the horizon.
You know what's going on forty pages after Silas steps over the threshold and into his uncle's house. Well, you know the basic premise of what's going to happen, but still. That's a hundred pages into a (I want to say) 500 page book? Eh. Could be better.
Also, Silas is a spoiled brat. All he thinks about is his 'girlfriend' and his father's disappearance. Okay, so, maybe he's not a spoiled brat. But he's pretty self-absorbed. He is a basically good person and he's selfless when he can see past his own problem. When Mr. Peale dies he's still wrapped up in his father and he has to do the final rites. Hello? Quit worrying. There's a time for everything. Eventually, though, I do believe that he learns his lesson. It's always nice to see a character grow after reading an absurdly long novel. In my mind, he was cutting an impressive figure by the end, but that might just be my perception and my obsession of good beating evil, good personalities over bad personalities.
I'm not saying that it's a bad book, though. It's one of those books that can carrying on no matter what mood the protagonist is in. There isn't a dreadful amount of dialogue; the descriptions of things outweigh the dialogue by far. The amount of description is like that of C.S. Lewis's, in literary nature, of course. I've heard some people describe the Narnia books as wordy, and if you can't handle those I don't believe that "Death Watch" is for you.
But, lo, the descriptions describe something wonderful. The ghostly worlds jump of the page. It's phenomenal. The town of Lichport is as real as any town on the map, sometimes more real. The closed in lanes of the Narrows; the playground; the cramped, chaotic, and serene sight of that graveyard that's on the hill that I've gone and forgotten the name of; and (one of my favorite parts) the tea house and the alehouse where the spirits go to forget that they ever lived. They all played like a little movie in my head, and I believe that I would recognize those places if I ever stumbled across them.
Also, I love books about death. I know that's extraordinarily morbid, but I do. Books that bring up theories about what happens to you after you die, books that speculate what the meaning of death is. This is a book that does both, with an added question: What is death if you've never really lived at all The question is sort of buried within the many pages, but I agree with it wholeheartedly, or, at least, as much as one can agree with a question. The book also brings up another interesting concept (yes, this one also has to do with death); the memory of the dead.
Not the memory of the spirits, but how people remember them. Silas's mother's grandfather decided not to die, so he's basically a 'zombie' or a corpse with a will. No, he does not try to eat anyone's brains, sorry for the disappointment. Mainly, he sleeps. But, all that aside, Silas's mother's grandfather is a good example of the books theme "Remember the dead," because Silas's mother is afraid of her grandfather. She doesn't want to remember him. In fact, she moves so she doesn't have to remember him anymore. This could be in part because he's a corpse, but it also could be a metaphor, and not just about death. A lot of people are afraid to remember things that are painful to them.
Also, in the spirit world, spirits try to remember things too. I think that those souls 'have lost something but have given up on looking for it' but I don't have the book in front of me so I can't check up on the correct wording. But these souls lost something in their life, and now, upon their death, they've given up looking, but they're still stuck. This could be another metaphor, but about people who are living.
So, really, the book isn't all about death. It's about the living and how death affects them. It has multiple levels, which makes for an enthralling read. All in all, Silas Umber's story isn't half bad, not half bad at all. Now, if only he can stay alive long enough to give us more of them.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Scorch
"Scorch," the sequel to the fantastic "Croak," by Gina Damico is finally out.
Cordy is dead, a physotic serial killer is on the loose, and all of Croak blames Lex and Mort. With Norwood and Heloise pointing fingers at any Junior who breathes funny the world is falling to pieces. To make matters worse, Zara is murdering her way from criminals to innocents and everyone in between, just to make a point. As Grims start falling dead in the streets Lex must run so the wrath of the "Croakers" can't get her before Zara can. But the only way to save the world this time is to figure out who "Bone, the sick scythe bandit" is and where the mysterious "Wrong Book" is, so with limited resources and limited time, Lex finds that it's her responsibility to stop the dominoes her uncle started falling with the touch of his finger.
I hate this book. No, let me revise. I have a love/hate relationship with this book. Because it's so darn good . . . and it's so darn bad. I mean, come on. Did that really have to happen? Really? It's so painful to read. Too painful, almost. Like ripping your heart out and roasting it over the open flame. But I only hate it so much because I like it so much. It's an awful conundrum.
I think that this book, if it's even possible, is even more hysterical then the first one (though that could just be because I've over-read the first one). Again, there is a strong language warning on this. A strong warning about strong language. And, uh, since Driggs and Lex are, like, dating or whatever it is that Grim Reapers to, there is a lot of . . . snogging, to put it into British terms. Just an advisory.
Now, to analyze the plot. I hate it. And I can't say much more without giving anything away. But I hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it. Except for the funny parts. And the part where they're hiding out in DeMyse and everything is so ludicrously fabulous it's like Katniss going into the Capital in the "Hunger Games" (don't you think I didn't notice that parallel Ms. Damico). So, yeah.
The characters are still wildly funny and extraordinarily wacky, which is always good. There are some new ones to make up for the ones that have been lost or do get lost during the course of the book (in every love/hate book someone has to die, and you just know it).
Lex is still dealing with all that inner angst that we all known and love: Occasionally she blows up dirt or pencils or furniture, which is always fun to watch. Driggs doesn't play the drums at all during this book, nor does he mention the Titanic, but we know he's not an impostor because, well . . . He's madly in love with the most difficult Grim Reaper in any life, After or otherwise. And we'll leave it at that. You get to see a side of Cordy that you had only seen momentarily in "Croak" and it leaves you wondering "those two girls really grew up in the same house?" And you see Mort to is full Mort-ness. You also see Pip and Bang in ways that you've never seen Pip and Bang before, mainly you've never seen Pip and Bang before. So, there's comfort with the old characters and an edge with the new characters. It's a nice mix.
And again, the humor. Always with the humor. It's just such a silly book, even though it's about death and stuff. If it was a serious book, I think I wouldn't like it. Who would want to read a morbid book about a girl who goes around and steals other people's souls? But a book about a bunch of teens who go around, steal people's souls, come back home, and have a social uprising on their hands and deal with it all while laughing is a serious winner. A pick-me-up for when all of the Zaras and Norwoods in your life are out to get you.
Uh, la la la. There are some twists. Big twists. One big twist. One I hate. I haven't fully finished the book yet, but I just thought it was so wonderfully awful that I had to tell it to you right away. If I say any more about the big twist, though, I know that I'll give it all away so I'll stop harping on it.
But I despise its guts.
Moving on. I do not know when the third one will be out, but rest assured that there will be a third one because this one is not going to be wrapped up any time soon at the rate I'm going at. I don't know when it comes out, though, because "Scorch" came out on September 25, and the website isn't saying anything about another one in the series yet.
A theme of this book, humor and all, might be that we shouldn't fear death because it's just another stage in life. "Don't fear the reaper," as the Blue Oyster Cult says. Laugh at it, as Lexington Bartleby says, because the Afterlife is pretty much the best thing out there. Next to that ice cream that Cordy and I ate a week before the place that sold it closed.
The website is, as it always is, is www.ginadamic.co If you go to ginadamico.com you get a realtor's site, just so you know.
Cordy is dead, a physotic serial killer is on the loose, and all of Croak blames Lex and Mort. With Norwood and Heloise pointing fingers at any Junior who breathes funny the world is falling to pieces. To make matters worse, Zara is murdering her way from criminals to innocents and everyone in between, just to make a point. As Grims start falling dead in the streets Lex must run so the wrath of the "Croakers" can't get her before Zara can. But the only way to save the world this time is to figure out who "Bone, the sick scythe bandit" is and where the mysterious "Wrong Book" is, so with limited resources and limited time, Lex finds that it's her responsibility to stop the dominoes her uncle started falling with the touch of his finger.
I hate this book. No, let me revise. I have a love/hate relationship with this book. Because it's so darn good . . . and it's so darn bad. I mean, come on. Did that really have to happen? Really? It's so painful to read. Too painful, almost. Like ripping your heart out and roasting it over the open flame. But I only hate it so much because I like it so much. It's an awful conundrum. I think that this book, if it's even possible, is even more hysterical then the first one (though that could just be because I've over-read the first one). Again, there is a strong language warning on this. A strong warning about strong language. And, uh, since Driggs and Lex are, like, dating or whatever it is that Grim Reapers to, there is a lot of . . . snogging, to put it into British terms. Just an advisory.
Now, to analyze the plot. I hate it. And I can't say much more without giving anything away. But I hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it. Except for the funny parts. And the part where they're hiding out in DeMyse and everything is so ludicrously fabulous it's like Katniss going into the Capital in the "Hunger Games" (don't you think I didn't notice that parallel Ms. Damico). So, yeah.
The characters are still wildly funny and extraordinarily wacky, which is always good. There are some new ones to make up for the ones that have been lost or do get lost during the course of the book (in every love/hate book someone has to die, and you just know it).
Lex is still dealing with all that inner angst that we all known and love: Occasionally she blows up dirt or pencils or furniture, which is always fun to watch. Driggs doesn't play the drums at all during this book, nor does he mention the Titanic, but we know he's not an impostor because, well . . . He's madly in love with the most difficult Grim Reaper in any life, After or otherwise. And we'll leave it at that. You get to see a side of Cordy that you had only seen momentarily in "Croak" and it leaves you wondering "those two girls really grew up in the same house?" And you see Mort to is full Mort-ness. You also see Pip and Bang in ways that you've never seen Pip and Bang before, mainly you've never seen Pip and Bang before. So, there's comfort with the old characters and an edge with the new characters. It's a nice mix.
And again, the humor. Always with the humor. It's just such a silly book, even though it's about death and stuff. If it was a serious book, I think I wouldn't like it. Who would want to read a morbid book about a girl who goes around and steals other people's souls? But a book about a bunch of teens who go around, steal people's souls, come back home, and have a social uprising on their hands and deal with it all while laughing is a serious winner. A pick-me-up for when all of the Zaras and Norwoods in your life are out to get you.
Uh, la la la. There are some twists. Big twists. One big twist. One I hate. I haven't fully finished the book yet, but I just thought it was so wonderfully awful that I had to tell it to you right away. If I say any more about the big twist, though, I know that I'll give it all away so I'll stop harping on it.
But I despise its guts.
Moving on. I do not know when the third one will be out, but rest assured that there will be a third one because this one is not going to be wrapped up any time soon at the rate I'm going at. I don't know when it comes out, though, because "Scorch" came out on September 25, and the website isn't saying anything about another one in the series yet.
A theme of this book, humor and all, might be that we shouldn't fear death because it's just another stage in life. "Don't fear the reaper," as the Blue Oyster Cult says. Laugh at it, as Lexington Bartleby says, because the Afterlife is pretty much the best thing out there. Next to that ice cream that Cordy and I ate a week before the place that sold it closed.
The website is, as it always is, is www.ginadamic.co If you go to ginadamico.com you get a realtor's site, just so you know.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Curiosities: A collection of stories
"The Curiosities: a collection of stories" a, well, collection of stories, all by either Brenna Yovanoff, Tessa Gratton, or Maggie Stiefvater.
Psychopaths with piano wire, dragon slayers with one night left to live, puddles that contain secrets or puddles that contain the zombie virus, silver boxes that hold hearts and the key to living . . . Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton explore the "playground" (more of an, uh, insane asylum) of their minds with short stories posted to their blogs. Each author makes comments on the side margins of one another's work, providing extra insight to each of the wonderfully twisted stories, which are works of art themselves. Whether you're reading about delightful zombies, Nordic beserkers, or a world on fire, the worlds they exist in are both perfectly exquisite, and wonderfully alien.
This is, hands down, the best anthology ever. Better than that "Steampunk" one, and you know how I prattled on about that. And this one had hardly a wit of identifiable steampunk in it.
I have recently discovered, within me, a passion for stories that end unhappily. I discovered it before I read this book. But, anyway, if you do not like unhappy endings, do not read further. Never look for the book on the shelves. The stories are realistic, to some degree, and not every tale has a happy ending with glitter and butterflies. Sometimes people have to cut out their hearts. And this makes me happy.
Each of the stories is something vastly different, if ever the same. Nearly all of the stories revolve around a teenage girl heroine, who has to overcome some ordeal. Sometimes she gets slaughtered, sometimes she succeeds in her task, and sometimes you're left standing on a barbed wire fence, an eye on both possibilities.
The characters or settings may not be very deep or well-developed characters, but that's only because the stories are brief clips. I can deal with that when the stories are as haunting as they are here, though with every character you want to know more about them. Where did they come from? Who are they really? Where are they going? What are they trying to tell you? Reading this book is like looking through a picture album, each picture from a different place, telling a different story.
Maggie Steifvater wrote the "Shiver" series (a bunch of romantic claptrap), don't ask me what the series is really called. She also wrote "The Scorpio Races," which looks to be infinitely better. Brenna Yovanoff wrote the amazing "The Replacement" and the equally dazzling "The Space Between." I've never read anything by Tessa Gratton, but her main focus seems to be with the Nordic Gods, which is always good.
I can't really do much more analyzing, unless I want to basically tell you what half the stories are. I can tell you, though, that you have to READ THIS BOOK. If you don't, there's not telling you what horrible fate you might come to, whether it be death by piano wire or lack of good literature.
The idea for this book started on www.merryfates.com All of the stories are posted here, as well as some extra ones, if you don't want to get off your computer and go to the library.
Psychopaths with piano wire, dragon slayers with one night left to live, puddles that contain secrets or puddles that contain the zombie virus, silver boxes that hold hearts and the key to living . . . Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton explore the "playground" (more of an, uh, insane asylum) of their minds with short stories posted to their blogs. Each author makes comments on the side margins of one another's work, providing extra insight to each of the wonderfully twisted stories, which are works of art themselves. Whether you're reading about delightful zombies, Nordic beserkers, or a world on fire, the worlds they exist in are both perfectly exquisite, and wonderfully alien.
This is, hands down, the best anthology ever. Better than that "Steampunk" one, and you know how I prattled on about that. And this one had hardly a wit of identifiable steampunk in it.
I have recently discovered, within me, a passion for stories that end unhappily. I discovered it before I read this book. But, anyway, if you do not like unhappy endings, do not read further. Never look for the book on the shelves. The stories are realistic, to some degree, and not every tale has a happy ending with glitter and butterflies. Sometimes people have to cut out their hearts. And this makes me happy.
Each of the stories is something vastly different, if ever the same. Nearly all of the stories revolve around a teenage girl heroine, who has to overcome some ordeal. Sometimes she gets slaughtered, sometimes she succeeds in her task, and sometimes you're left standing on a barbed wire fence, an eye on both possibilities.
The characters or settings may not be very deep or well-developed characters, but that's only because the stories are brief clips. I can deal with that when the stories are as haunting as they are here, though with every character you want to know more about them. Where did they come from? Who are they really? Where are they going? What are they trying to tell you? Reading this book is like looking through a picture album, each picture from a different place, telling a different story.
Maggie Steifvater wrote the "Shiver" series (a bunch of romantic claptrap), don't ask me what the series is really called. She also wrote "The Scorpio Races," which looks to be infinitely better. Brenna Yovanoff wrote the amazing "The Replacement" and the equally dazzling "The Space Between." I've never read anything by Tessa Gratton, but her main focus seems to be with the Nordic Gods, which is always good.
I can't really do much more analyzing, unless I want to basically tell you what half the stories are. I can tell you, though, that you have to READ THIS BOOK. If you don't, there's not telling you what horrible fate you might come to, whether it be death by piano wire or lack of good literature.
The idea for this book started on www.merryfates.com All of the stories are posted here, as well as some extra ones, if you don't want to get off your computer and go to the library.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Dreamdark: Blackbringer
"Dreamdark: Blackbringer," Laini Taylor, is a tale of whimsy . . . and the end of the world.
Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind and a fairy, travels the world, hunting down demons that humans have released from their bottles. With her seven crows and their traveling caravan, their travels take them far and wide. But when the mannies release the worst demon of all, the Blackbringer, the stuff of legends and nightmares, Magpie, affectionately 'Pie, must return to a home she hasn't been to in 80 years: The forest of Dreamdark. As the destruction of her people becomes immanent, she appeals to the oldest and strongest power for help. If she can wake him from his sleep and gain his trust, those she loves might be saved. Secrets are unraveled and truths are revealed, though, and 'Pie learns that the Djinns aren't the only ones who could save the forest.
What book today isn't about the end of the world? At least this one approaches it creatively, I suppose. It doesn't come out right and say, "we have to save the world!" because that would be lame. And this book wasn't lame, thank the powers that be. I enjoyed it a lot, actually.
The characters were real, and that was a big part of it. A lot of books don't have well-formed characters. Well, books that I've been reading of late. Magpie, though, is three-dimensional, and I knew what she was going to do next. Rephrasing that: I never knew what she was going to do next, but the things she didn't made sense and fit in with her character. The "co-stars," Talon, Poppy, Lady Vesper, Orchardspike, etc, are real as well, and no back story seems to be a stretch. Everything, every character, fits, as perfect as a puzzle piece.
There was a sense of unpredictability and haphazardness about the book that was also nice. Everything fit together, but it didn't come together neatly. It sort of fell together, seemingly at random. Things that didn't seem important were important. There were twists and turns that weren't expected, but that had been there all along. There were items that seemed to have no importance, but changed the course of the plot. There were actions that were taken at page thirty and had great significances at page 200. It was a chaotic mess, but it was also a woven pattern.
And, you can probably see that I enjoy the illustrations from the picture above. There are a few good-full sized pictures of the three main characters, and they are very well done. I took this picture from the website listed down below, and there are several pictures from the book on that site. I didn't like the internal picture of Magpie, of course (I'm so picky), but I did enjoy the cover. The picture above is of Poppy, who is a 'flower fairy,' I suppose.
Of course, there were a couple things that could be spotted from a mile off. The slandered happy ending; the fact that the main character is going to be wonderfully and uncommonly gifted. One can see these cliches from a mile off. The things that aren't cliched pretty much balance those out, in my opinion.
Also, this isn't a soppy Disney fairy tale love story. I'm not saying those are bad or anything (I'm just implying it). The characters are still teenagers, maybe, in "fairy-years," relatively young teenagers. So, yeah. I like things like that. I'm not saying that it doesn't hold elements of sterotypical fairies (see above picture), but there are also non-sterotypical-fairy things. Like, demons. And swords.
I also like how the fairy tales seem to swirl around the characters: The saga of the hero Bellatrix, the story of Magpie's parents, the myths of the Djinns, the legends of the dragons. These add flavor to the world of Dreamdark, for what is a culture but their stories and beliefs? Even Magpie's parents realize this, as shown by their journeys to fairy villages to collect the old stories. Every little detail in this book comes alive, and either brings a new perspective or adds to a perspective that's already there.
There's another book in the series, a sequel. I think it's called "Silksinger." For sure, I'm going to look into it. Actually, Laini Taylor's written some other stuff that I like, and I didn't make the connect between her and the other stuff she's written before I looked at her site. I enjoyed "The Daughter of Smoke and Bone," but I haven't read the sequel to that one yet. So, that's two books I need to look out for.
You can find all the information here at www.lainitaylor.com It's a "google blogspot," or whatever they're calling this, if you care to know.
Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind and a fairy, travels the world, hunting down demons that humans have released from their bottles. With her seven crows and their traveling caravan, their travels take them far and wide. But when the mannies release the worst demon of all, the Blackbringer, the stuff of legends and nightmares, Magpie, affectionately 'Pie, must return to a home she hasn't been to in 80 years: The forest of Dreamdark. As the destruction of her people becomes immanent, she appeals to the oldest and strongest power for help. If she can wake him from his sleep and gain his trust, those she loves might be saved. Secrets are unraveled and truths are revealed, though, and 'Pie learns that the Djinns aren't the only ones who could save the forest.
What book today isn't about the end of the world? At least this one approaches it creatively, I suppose. It doesn't come out right and say, "we have to save the world!" because that would be lame. And this book wasn't lame, thank the powers that be. I enjoyed it a lot, actually.
There was a sense of unpredictability and haphazardness about the book that was also nice. Everything fit together, but it didn't come together neatly. It sort of fell together, seemingly at random. Things that didn't seem important were important. There were twists and turns that weren't expected, but that had been there all along. There were items that seemed to have no importance, but changed the course of the plot. There were actions that were taken at page thirty and had great significances at page 200. It was a chaotic mess, but it was also a woven pattern.
And, you can probably see that I enjoy the illustrations from the picture above. There are a few good-full sized pictures of the three main characters, and they are very well done. I took this picture from the website listed down below, and there are several pictures from the book on that site. I didn't like the internal picture of Magpie, of course (I'm so picky), but I did enjoy the cover. The picture above is of Poppy, who is a 'flower fairy,' I suppose.
Of course, there were a couple things that could be spotted from a mile off. The slandered happy ending; the fact that the main character is going to be wonderfully and uncommonly gifted. One can see these cliches from a mile off. The things that aren't cliched pretty much balance those out, in my opinion.
Also, this isn't a soppy Disney fairy tale love story. I'm not saying those are bad or anything (I'm just implying it). The characters are still teenagers, maybe, in "fairy-years," relatively young teenagers. So, yeah. I like things like that. I'm not saying that it doesn't hold elements of sterotypical fairies (see above picture), but there are also non-sterotypical-fairy things. Like, demons. And swords.
I also like how the fairy tales seem to swirl around the characters: The saga of the hero Bellatrix, the story of Magpie's parents, the myths of the Djinns, the legends of the dragons. These add flavor to the world of Dreamdark, for what is a culture but their stories and beliefs? Even Magpie's parents realize this, as shown by their journeys to fairy villages to collect the old stories. Every little detail in this book comes alive, and either brings a new perspective or adds to a perspective that's already there.
There's another book in the series, a sequel. I think it's called "Silksinger." For sure, I'm going to look into it. Actually, Laini Taylor's written some other stuff that I like, and I didn't make the connect between her and the other stuff she's written before I looked at her site. I enjoyed "The Daughter of Smoke and Bone," but I haven't read the sequel to that one yet. So, that's two books I need to look out for.
You can find all the information here at www.lainitaylor.com It's a "google blogspot," or whatever they're calling this, if you care to know.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Croak
Croak, by Gina Damico, is a hilariously grim book about the one thing that every human is afraid of.
Lexington Bartleby is a good girl gone rouge. From straight-A's to having to be tied to her chair during dinner so she doesn't kill a family member, Lex would baffle even Freud. So when her parents get an offer to send Lex to work on her Uncle Mort's farm in upstate New York, they are delighted. Could this be an end to their problems? But Lex is devastated--she can't remember a time when she's ever been away from her twin sister, Cordy, and she really, really, really, doesn't want to go to live with a man she hasn't seen since she was six. He could be, like, a homicidal maniac or something.
Lex's fears are proven to be true when she finds out that Croak, the town Uncle Mort lives, is a town for the secret population of Grim Reapers. And Lex's summer job to join their ranks and reap the souls of the dearly departed.
But, as the pesky literary devices of plot and conflict would have it, nothing is as simple as it seems. From dead presidents and poets who hate each other's guts, to a boy who might be better looking than Lex would like to admit, to a rash of mysterious deaths that might be linked to a shady figure of legend, the tension within Croak escalates with each step Lex takes--and the population begins to see her as more of a threat than a fellow Grim.
When there's a chance that the harbingers of death might die, things will get tight, especially when all of Croak is forced to face a stinging betrayal -- and Lex's world is rocked forever.
When I grow up I want to be a Grim Reaper. Really. If I get to live in a story-world as delightful as Croak I would stay there for forever and ever and ever. And ever. I actually went out and bought the book, I liked it so much. (It's $8.99 at both Barnes and Noble and at the Apple iStore, or whatever it's called.)
Croak is a lovable town, full of whimsical characters, from the old man, Cropp, who owns the local tavern and is susceptible to flattery, to his wife, Pandora, who owns a diner and enjoys throwing food at her customers, to Kilda, the overly-energetic tourist deterrent, to Mort, the, uh, eccentric mayor, to Norwood and Heloise, a husband-and-wife pair who can be likened to vultures who pick at beings who are still alive.
The Junior Grims have their charms too: Kyloo, the mother of the group, Zara, who's the best Junior Grim and isn't afraid to admit it, Ayjay, who is Kyloo's boyfriend and not much else, Ferb, the video-gaming nerd, Sofi, the girl in pink, and Elysia, everyone's best friend. Of course, my two favorite characters, Lex, the juvenile delinquent, and Driggs, the witty drummer, are constantly at odds, except . . . when they're not.
There are basically two plot lines, one in the beginning of the book and one near the middle and end of the book. The first plot line is Lex getting adjusted to Croak. The second is the mysterious deaths. They transition smoothly, overlapping somewhat in the middle, though there are parts that only seem consequential upon reflection. Also, the story is buoyant despite the grim (ha ha) subject matter because it is hilarious. For precautionary measures I will note that there is some language that may not be suitable for all age groups. Juvenile delinquents do cuss a lot.
The book does require some suspension of disbelief and there are some parts which are in there purely for the humor. And, of course, which book wouldn't be complete without romance? Also, to myself, the events directly after the climax are a bit anti-climatic.
This is a book that doesn't hesitate to cut apart the shroud of perfect it wrapped you in, and all the better for it. So many books these days are scared to make you hate them, but this book does it, and you find you can't hate it even if you want to. All that's left to say is that Gina Damico better come out with a sequel soon, and thank-you, person, who left this book over by the manga section because I never would've spotted it otherwise.
http://www.ginadami.co/ This is the website. There are some reviews, a better description of the book, and an . . . interesting book trailer. Yeah.
Lexington Bartleby is a good girl gone rouge. From straight-A's to having to be tied to her chair during dinner so she doesn't kill a family member, Lex would baffle even Freud. So when her parents get an offer to send Lex to work on her Uncle Mort's farm in upstate New York, they are delighted. Could this be an end to their problems? But Lex is devastated--she can't remember a time when she's ever been away from her twin sister, Cordy, and she really, really, really, doesn't want to go to live with a man she hasn't seen since she was six. He could be, like, a homicidal maniac or something.
Lex's fears are proven to be true when she finds out that Croak, the town Uncle Mort lives, is a town for the secret population of Grim Reapers. And Lex's summer job to join their ranks and reap the souls of the dearly departed.
But, as the pesky literary devices of plot and conflict would have it, nothing is as simple as it seems. From dead presidents and poets who hate each other's guts, to a boy who might be better looking than Lex would like to admit, to a rash of mysterious deaths that might be linked to a shady figure of legend, the tension within Croak escalates with each step Lex takes--and the population begins to see her as more of a threat than a fellow Grim.
When there's a chance that the harbingers of death might die, things will get tight, especially when all of Croak is forced to face a stinging betrayal -- and Lex's world is rocked forever.
When I grow up I want to be a Grim Reaper. Really. If I get to live in a story-world as delightful as Croak I would stay there for forever and ever and ever. And ever. I actually went out and bought the book, I liked it so much. (It's $8.99 at both Barnes and Noble and at the Apple iStore, or whatever it's called.)
Croak is a lovable town, full of whimsical characters, from the old man, Cropp, who owns the local tavern and is susceptible to flattery, to his wife, Pandora, who owns a diner and enjoys throwing food at her customers, to Kilda, the overly-energetic tourist deterrent, to Mort, the, uh, eccentric mayor, to Norwood and Heloise, a husband-and-wife pair who can be likened to vultures who pick at beings who are still alive.
The Junior Grims have their charms too: Kyloo, the mother of the group, Zara, who's the best Junior Grim and isn't afraid to admit it, Ayjay, who is Kyloo's boyfriend and not much else, Ferb, the video-gaming nerd, Sofi, the girl in pink, and Elysia, everyone's best friend. Of course, my two favorite characters, Lex, the juvenile delinquent, and Driggs, the witty drummer, are constantly at odds, except . . . when they're not.
There are basically two plot lines, one in the beginning of the book and one near the middle and end of the book. The first plot line is Lex getting adjusted to Croak. The second is the mysterious deaths. They transition smoothly, overlapping somewhat in the middle, though there are parts that only seem consequential upon reflection. Also, the story is buoyant despite the grim (ha ha) subject matter because it is hilarious. For precautionary measures I will note that there is some language that may not be suitable for all age groups. Juvenile delinquents do cuss a lot.
The book does require some suspension of disbelief and there are some parts which are in there purely for the humor. And, of course, which book wouldn't be complete without romance? Also, to myself, the events directly after the climax are a bit anti-climatic.
This is a book that doesn't hesitate to cut apart the shroud of perfect it wrapped you in, and all the better for it. So many books these days are scared to make you hate them, but this book does it, and you find you can't hate it even if you want to. All that's left to say is that Gina Damico better come out with a sequel soon, and thank-you, person, who left this book over by the manga section because I never would've spotted it otherwise.
http://www.ginadami.co/ This is the website. There are some reviews, a better description of the book, and an . . . interesting book trailer. Yeah.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Fablehaven
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull is the first novel that I read that gave the idea that fairies weren't all fairy dust, cute wings, and springtime.
Seth and Kendra Sorenson were caught unawares when they found out that their grandparent's large farm was actually a preserve for the endangered and hidden species of our world: the magical and dangerous. Now they're up to their necks in fairies who turn into imps, egocentric centaurs, Frito-lay-eating and television-watching satyrs, devious demons, shape-shifting dragons, ancient wizards, a quest for the five keys to the demon prison, and an evil society who knows no scruples. But what is a fantasy story without romance, death, and fairy royalty? Kendra and Seth will live to explore another day, if only they can figure out how to stop the rising Morning Star.
I believe that these books are Brandon Mull's best. Sure, there are many different artifacts you have to keep track of, as well as the names of various enemies inside the Society of the Evening Star, but it all ties together nicely. On top of that, the characters are likable and believable: none of them are perfect or immune to human emotions. In fact, more often than naught their actions lead them into more danger then they would've been in if they hadn't acted, if that makes any sense. The characters are human, therefore, you can connect with the story better. You find yourself agonizing whenever the characters (or, one character in particular) is going to do something that you know is rash or doesn't heed given directions.
Another thing I liked about these books are that you know no more than the characters do. In some books you cut away to what the enemy is plotting, but in these books you can only see what Kendra (and sometimes Seth) are seeing. You cannot see what their enemies are planning, so when the surprises come, they come with, well, surprise. Also, the action comes fairly steadily, so rest assured -- there is at least one grand battle scene in every book (except the second, in which there is a scene involving sneaking somewhere).
The books should be read in this order: Fablehaven, Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star, Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague, Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, and Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison.
Seth and Kendra Sorenson were caught unawares when they found out that their grandparent's large farm was actually a preserve for the endangered and hidden species of our world: the magical and dangerous. Now they're up to their necks in fairies who turn into imps, egocentric centaurs, Frito-lay-eating and television-watching satyrs, devious demons, shape-shifting dragons, ancient wizards, a quest for the five keys to the demon prison, and an evil society who knows no scruples. But what is a fantasy story without romance, death, and fairy royalty? Kendra and Seth will live to explore another day, if only they can figure out how to stop the rising Morning Star.
I believe that these books are Brandon Mull's best. Sure, there are many different artifacts you have to keep track of, as well as the names of various enemies inside the Society of the Evening Star, but it all ties together nicely. On top of that, the characters are likable and believable: none of them are perfect or immune to human emotions. In fact, more often than naught their actions lead them into more danger then they would've been in if they hadn't acted, if that makes any sense. The characters are human, therefore, you can connect with the story better. You find yourself agonizing whenever the characters (or, one character in particular) is going to do something that you know is rash or doesn't heed given directions.
Another thing I liked about these books are that you know no more than the characters do. In some books you cut away to what the enemy is plotting, but in these books you can only see what Kendra (and sometimes Seth) are seeing. You cannot see what their enemies are planning, so when the surprises come, they come with, well, surprise. Also, the action comes fairly steadily, so rest assured -- there is at least one grand battle scene in every book (except the second, in which there is a scene involving sneaking somewhere).
The books should be read in this order: Fablehaven, Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star, Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague, Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, and Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison.
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