Lady Lazarus (Lady Lazarus #1) by Michele Lang

Paperback, 320 pages
Published August 31st 2010 by Tor Books
Source: Author

Synopsis:
With the romance of Twilight, the suspense of The Dresden Files, and the delicious thrills of True Blood, the enthralling saga of Magdalena Lazarus unfolds. Descended from the legendary witch of Ein Dor, she alone holds the power to summon the angel Raziel and stop Hitler and his supernatural minions from unleashing total war in Europe. The Nazis have fighters more fearsome than soldiers, weapons more terrifying than missiles, and allies that even they are afraid of SS werewolves; the demon Asmodel who possesses a willing Adolf Hitler, and other supernatural creatures all are literally hell-bent on preventing Magda from possessing the Book of Raziel, a magical text with the power to turn the tide against Hitler’s vast war machine.

Magda, young and rebellious, grew up in the cosmopolitan city of Budapest, unaware of her family’s heritage. When her mother dies, Magda–ready or not–is the Lazarus, who must face the evil that holds Europe in an iron grip. Unready to assume the mantle of her ancient birthright, but knowing that she must fight, she sets out across Europe searching for the Book. Magda is desperate enough to endanger her soul by summoning the avenging angel Raziel. When she sees him in the glory of his celestial presence, her heart is utterly, completely lost…

Review:

Lady Lazarus has this otherworldly feel to it. It gave me the same feeling I get when I read books set in Russia or anywhere that is not here, actually. It’s set in a place steeped with history, blood, tears, laughter, joy and sorrow. It is Holocaust literature but it re-envisions that period with werewolves, witches, demons and angels. There is a strong thread of spirituality and religiosity, specifically Judaist traditions, running through it and I found it fascinating to delve into places and events that I have very little knowledge about.

What fascinated me most about this novel was Magda’s gradual decline, if you want to call it that. She is, rather unfairly in my opinion, sent on a suicide mission by her sister to retrieve a book that belongs to her family and that was written by the angel Raziel. Traveling during Hitler’s attempt to eradicate Jews was dangerous enough but throw in a crazy wizard who wants the books for himself, Nazi werewolves, demonnesses and general despair. I liked the world building and I liked that the darker aspects of Magda’s nature are explored. When she returns from the dead, she loses a bit of her spirit and she does it willingly because to fail is to consign her sister and best friend to certain death.

The romance is a bit awkward and too fast, I needed some gradual development in that area but I won’t quibble with it. But it is nothing like Twilight and for the synopsis to compare the two does this book an injustice. Yes, I said it. The portion that Magda spends out of her body and stuck in an envelope is in turns fascinating and frustrating because it halted the story a bit. However, the narrative flows in a way that answers important questions but I think a lot of it may be a bit abstruse for some readers.

I enjoyed it because Magdalena is a fantastic character. Her journey, physical and spiritual, is fun to follow. Couple that with rich history, fascinating settings, thrills and danger, and you’ve got a winner. While the romance is not explicit in the novel and a bit awkward, I did enjoy it more than many others I have read.  I will definitely be reading the next one in the trilogy.

The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #2) by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Hardcover, 331 pages
Published March 1st 2013 by Scholastic Press
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:
A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Find out in the highly anticipated sequel to Jennifer A. Nielsen’s blockbuster THE FALSE PRINCE!

Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya. Soon, it becomes clear that deserting the kingdom may be his only hope of saving it. But the further Jaron is forced to run from his identity, the more he wonders if it is possible to go too far. Will he ever be able to return home again? Or will he have to sacrifice his own life in order to save his kingdom?

Review:

I always hesitate before I read the sequel of a novel I really loved. Because I am scared that the continuation will not only not move the story along in a way I can love but that the disappointment of the sequel will also colour the way I remember the first book. However, I worried needlessly where The Runaway King is concerned. I think I may have liked it better than I did The False Prince which is saying something since I liked that one a lot.

Jaron, as Sage is now known, is the King of Carthya. It is a tenuous position at most because his regents are murmuring about having him removed and installing a steward until he comes “of age.” And there is not a thing he can do about it (which I couldn’t understand since he is the king and one of the perks of that job is being able to do whatever you want to). And then there is the reappearance of his frenemy who promises to destroy Carthya if Jaron doesn’t surrender himself to the pirates. There is Imogen and Amarinda whom we don’t see too much of.

The novel is quick paced, the characters are well hewn and the world building is done well. This book will and should appeal to both boys and girls. Nielson does several things very successfully in this novel. She manages to balance the quick pace with introspective moments that add substance to the narrative. She avoids making a male Mary-Sue out of Jaron/Sage which would have been very easy to do. She also manages to insert humour into bleak situations which I appreciated a lot. What I liked the most though was that she approaches romance, what little there is of it, with less melodrama and more pragmatism. As much as YA novels will want you to believe that love is the be all and end all of teenagers’ lives, no matter who or what they are, real life will tell you otherwise. I like that Jaron and Amarinda accept their situation because the events occurring around this world are already far too convoluted to introduce romantic drama into it. Also, though Jaron may have feelings for Imogen, non-verbalized ones, he is smart enough to understand and accept the reality of his situation and responsibilities that come with his position. I would have been really annoyed if in the midst of saving his country, he had decided to throw caution to the winds and asked Imogen to marry him.

It could still happen in the next book but I have full confidence that whatever romance the next novel holds will have its own portion and will not take over the entire narrative. What I didn’t like, however, was Jaron’s noble idiocy at the beginning where he sends Imogen away “for her own safety.” Barf. That’s a tired trick and I’m glad that someone actually confronted him with that. The ending, though, contained an unnecessary cliffhanger. I’m sure people who have read book two will read book three so there was no need to attach that little portion at the end.

All said and done, I enjoyed this one quite a lot. I can’t wait to see what the third, and presumably the last, book holds in store for Jaron and his kingdom.

Rift (Nightshade Prequel #1) by Andrea Cremer (review)

Hardcover, 430 pages
Published August 7th 2012 by Philomel
Source: Library

Synopsis:
Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer’s internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother’s life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

Review:

I have had Cremer’s Nightshade (purchased mostly  because the cover was so gorgeous I couldn’t resist) for a long while now. As it happens (and it usually does happen this way), I ended up reading the first book in her prequel trilogy. I think what discouraged me most from reading Nightshade was the general reactions of friends who were reading the third book in that trilogy when I was deciding to read it or let it linger. They did not like the guy the main character ends up – they did not like him at all.

Anyway, what’s up on the review board is the prequel and I liked it. It is a bit meatier than your run-of-the-mill YA fantasy; the writing style is also a lot more mature and developed. The world is pretty well developed and there was never any jarring moment where the narrative tossed you out into the world because of inconsistencies with the time and the writing. I also appreciated the breadth of the novel. It reads more like a proper high fantasy than a YA fantasy which is focused more on the romance than the fantastical elements. This is not to imply that this novel does not focus on romance, it does but it almost feels like a secondary trajectory and not the focal point of the narrative as it usually is.

What I found really interesting about this novel is how little of the narrative is concerned with the so-called main character. She is an important character – yes – but she is just one of the important characters. She, so far, is not the one though things may change. The characterizations in the novel are strong in that you get an actual sense of the character and not cardboard (and regurgitated) stereotypes. The pacing is spot on though there may have been moments when it lagged a bit. But hands down, the most fascinating aspect of the novel is the gradual development or should I say breakdown of the warrior woman who becomes the villain of the piece. Her arc in the novel is very well done. She starts out with pure intentions and perhaps she still has them by the end but the fanaticism that had been lurking in her all throughout comes to a surface helped by elements and beings who, while promising her liberty, enslave her. It’s a very close look at what humanity is made out of and this aspect of the novel gives it more substance than it would have had otherwise.

In conclusion, I thought this was quite entertaining. It had all the elements common to the trope but it also incorporated some new things in the narrative that made it more than just fluff. I recommend it.

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl (review)

Hardcover, 261 pages
Published June 14th 2012 by Viking Childrens Books
Source: Library

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors–or suitors of any kind–in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There’s only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has his own set of plans . . . This witty take on the classic Regency–Patrice Kindl’s first novel in a decade–is like literary champagne!

Review:

Keeping the Castle is a charming novel in the Austenian fashion of young girls needing rich husbands to provide for their poor families. I have long been a fan of Kindl’s whimsical style. Her books are always quirky and have a light, ethereal feel to them. Keeping the Castle is no different. Althea is very beautiful but rather than that being her defining quality, it becomes one of her secondary characteristics as the first thing the reader notices about Althea is how very eccentric she is. Then the reader notes her practical nature and her determination to do right by her mother and her little brother.

There are two stepsisters who, while not vilified, do provide comic relief and have an interesting twist. My enjoyment of this novel was interrupted by a number of pages missing in the library copy I was reading which made me think rather irately about the falling standards in publishing but on the whole, I’d say this was a pleasant novel that dealt with themes of beauty and need. True love and romance and all those other shiver-inducing feelings do not really have a place in the novel.

That might be problematic for some readers and I admit, even I was a bit perturbed by the lack of explicit feeling (or expression thereof) but c’est la vie. If you want something charming, quirky, a light read, this is for you. Do not expect it to change your life but I can guarantee that it will afford you some chuckles.

Venom – Fiona Paul (Secrets of the Eternal Rose #1) (Review)

Hardcover, 432 pages
Expected publication: October 30th 2012 by Philomel
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin… and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself.

Review:

Venom invites you to a rich world of mystery and intrigue set in Renaissance Venice. It offers secret rendezvous in graveyards, masked balls and errant lovers mixed with absent fiancés. With a premise like that, I could not help but be interested in the novel. The cover, too, is beautiful and alluring.

So what went wrong?

Many things, I’m afraid. This will take a while so bear with me. I went to this author event recently where Kenneth Oppel presided as the main author in attendance. He spoke about his writing and showed us the amount of work he does before he comes to a draft that he is willing to call his first (it’s actually the 4^th or 5^th and is about knee-high in papers). By the time he has finished writing a novel to his satisfaction, he has accumulated papers that are nearly thigh-high when stacked together. The reason I talk about this is because as I read Venom, I saw the potential of a good novel but what I was reading seemed more like a first draft than the copy you send out for reviewing purposes. This seemed more like a first draft than the final one.

This is the academic in me but it made me wonder whether the standard is being disregarded because it is children’s literature -  but of course, that cannot be true because Oppel is also a YA novelist though I believe his novels are more cross-over than strictly YA. Anyway, I shall now detail to my readers what troubled me about this novel.

The setting of the novel, as I said, is historical Venice. The characters populating a novel set in such a time and place will necessarily be constructed by the ideas and thoughts of the period. Their actions will be informed by the norms of the society they were born and live in – even if they are thinking against the grain. When you take a character that is born in a different culture in a different time and place and project upon her the thoughts and actions of a contemporary American girl, it makes for an illogical and frequently jarring read. Her constant sneaking out and meeting a strange man (despite being engaged to another) without any thought of her position in society is improbable and does not read as an authentic portrayal of a girl of her time period. The lack of attention given to the titles of nobility by the serving class also throws the reader out of the narrator. It does not seem possible that the maid would address her employer by her name – especially in its diminutive form. There probably would be more hesitation when making fast and loose with one’s virtue than Cass shows at any time. Also, I am no expert but I doubt going from one place to another in a gondola was as easy as this book seems to insist it is.

We meet Cassandra at a funeral and her lack of respect for the dead girl is astounding. She assures the readers that she was not very close to the dead girl in question and then proceeds to talk about how much the death is affecting her – how sad she is even though she is backing out of the church and falling into the arms of an erstwhile artist. At her friend’s funeral. Right. She does not read the letter her fiancé sent her in the beginning of the book for about one third of the book despite mentioning it once and again. The letter seems as though it was tampered with (its seal is broken) but this goes nowhere.  Cass tells us how her fiancé kissed her for the very time and all she could think about was the bench digging into her back and then as soon as he gets back, she starts noticing him in all these splendid new ways. His shy eyes, his soft hair and oh, his broad shoulders!

The love interest is an artist who takes her to shoddy places, leaves her alone amongst men with rapacious intents, digs up graves and steals corpses, lies to her, drugs her – does he sound charming yet? Cass has no reason to go looking for the killer other than the disappearance of a body – flimsy excuse that does not get better as the novel proceeds. The mystery is under-developed, the villains are vanilla and read almost as though they were cut out from cardboard and the so-called killer is ridiculous enough to induce an eye roll. There are no connections between the “mysteries” and there’s no answer to the question “why do I care?”

The language is too contemporary and some of the words (such as “creepy”) are out of place as is the attitude of the main character.

There is not a single likable character in the novel. And no, it is not like Thackerary’s Vanity Fair where such ambivalent characters are intentional. The main character is rude, unappreciative and deliberately stupid. Also, writing in a journal does not make her a writer no matter how much the author insisted. I really did not like her. At all. The love interest is creepy, stalkery and sometimes murderous. The rest of the characters are under-developed. The pacing is lagging and the diction is troubling. The plotting is weak and full of holes.

Look, this book had the potential of being a lot better. If I were the editor, I would have told the author to work on her characterization – especially where Cassandra is concerned. She is a sheltered young girl of the noble class. If she has to be rebellious, well, sure but not in a way that reads so out of place in the setting. Also, she is very abrasive. She comes off as cold and unfeeling – even to the so-called artist to whom she professes her love. I would have asked the author to work on the mystery, the villains, to create something more substantial than what is present. But alas.

Would I recommend this one? Unfortunately, no.

Tiger Lily – Jodi Lynn Anderson (Review)

Hardcover, 292 pages
Expected publication: July 3rd 2012 by HarperTeen
Source: HarperCollins Canada (Thanks Shannon)
Official Website

Synopsis:

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn’t believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she’s ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland’s inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she’s always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it’s the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who’s everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn’t grow up.

Review:

I don’t know if I’m ready to write a review of this book. Then again, I don’t know if I ever will so let me put on my big girl pants and get on with it.

The novel is narrated from Tinkerbell’s perspective and before I continue, I must point out a sticking point here. Tink says she has no language (by which I think she meant she can’t talk) but she is TALKING or rather narrating to us which belies her assertion that she has no language. She also talks about her father telling her to stay away from the Lost Boys again indicating that the fairies communicate in their own way. So I think that the author may need to make it more specific that she couldn’t talk to humans or that she had no language for the humans or whatnot rather than making the sweeping comment that fairies have no “language” when clearly they do.

That said, Tiger Lily is such a beautiful book. Obviously the readers are already acquainted with Never Land but Anderson builds the world so exquisitely that you can almost smell the damp earth in the forest, hear the sound of the waves hitting the surf and envision the burrow where the Lost Boys tumble around like puppies. Her characterizations are also spot on. Tiger Lily is written as an almost feral girl, at one with the nature she revels in. Her life in all its twists may try to break her but she has more pride, more strength than to let it. She is perhaps one of the most compelling heroines I have read this year. Her relationship with Peter Pan who is also as broken and as beautiful as she is is the kind of romances you secretly read about and yearn for. I never thought I’d hate Wendy but I think in this book, I did. I hated her a lot. Tiger Lily’s heartbreak is exquisitely written and I mean it is so well written that you can’t stop reading even as your heart cracks and breaks. There is this otherworldly sense about the book; it almost feels as though you are peeking into the past and you cannot breathe too loud lest you scare the characters away. The plotting, pacing and the bittersweet ending are, again, exquisitely rendered.

Tiger Lily is a beautiful reimagining of Peter Pan and The Never Land. Anderson gives the story more depth and more dimension. She makes it richer both with her narration and her additions to the classic. I truly recommend it.

The Changeling – Philippa Gregory (Review)

Hardcover, 272 pages
Expected publication: May 29th 2012 by Simon Pulse
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

Dark myths, medieval secrets, intrigue, and romance populate the pages of the first-ever teen series from #1 bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl
Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.

Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.

Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.

The first in a series, this epic and richly detailed drama is grounded in historical communities and their mythic beliefs. It includes a medieval map of Europe that will track their journey; and the interior will include relevant decorative elements as well as an interior line illustration. And look for a QR code that links to a note from the author with additional, detailed information about the setting and the history that informed the writing. With Philippa Gregory’s trademark touch, this novel deftly brings the past—and its salacious scandals—vividly and disturbingly to life.

Review:

I haven’t read any of Gregory’s widely acclaimed novels because historical novels usually aren’t my thing – well, not unless they feature young adult characters and there’s no tragedy involved. However, I was pretty comfortable going into Changeling because as an established author, I was sure that Gregory knew how to weave a tale. And I wasn’t disappointed. Not at all. I had some issues but I dare say they are more because I am an adult reading young adult novels than because there is anything wrong with the novel. Convoluted sentences aside, let’s get on to the review proper.

I find it very difficult to read books that deal with the Crusade and the Crusaders and talk about “heretics” because I become very aware of my own position and that these “famed heroes” are murderers to my people. Being Muslim, I find it very difficult to see the heroism and to put aside my own feelings matter and approach the book simply for entertainment purposes. It is very difficult but not impossible and I think I successfully approached this book in an objective manner.

Luca, the male protagonist, is very interesting but you know the character that overshadows him with his brilliance and nonchalance? Frieze, Luca’s manservant, who is charming, irrepressible and irreverent. In my opinion, Frieze is much more developed as a character than Luca who is rather restrained by his position and the status he has to maintain. The dour Brother Peter is not much of a character though I suppose he fulfills his purpose. It’s just that you never get much of a sense of him because he is, I believe, intentionally shrouded in mystery. Then there are the two female characters of whom I like Ishraq slightly better than Isolde. This might be because Ishraq is much fiercer and far more liberated than Isolde who is held into place by her position, her loyalty and her vows. However, Isole, though we do not see much of her, does promise to develop into as vibrant a character as Ishraq. I appreciated how both girls are so loyal to each other and maintain that loyalty.

I would love to see this series as a TV show because I believe that due to the episodic nature of Luca’s Inquirer work, it could successfully sustain a season or maybe more. The initial “case” that Luca deals with leads him to meet Isolde and the subsequent “cases” are ones they come across as they journey through Christendom. There is a shadowy Order, heart racing moments of intrigue and danger, bandits and of course, love in two flavours. The interactions between Frieze and Ishraq are entertaining while the friction between Luca and Isolde seem more passionate though innocent in nature. A priest and a nun. Ha. Anyway, I am not too much of a fan of the latter because it seems to be a bit too fast and I like to see courtship slowed down.

The novel is easy to read and very entertaining and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun historical read that promises to develop into more. This brings to me to the one issue I had with Changeling. I felt, and this is a personal observation mind you, that Gregory simplified her usual style a whole lot to better match the intended audience of the novel. However, I feel that this simplification cost the novel the complexity it needed to correctly and minutely deliver the true story in all its rich historicity. I do think she may have underestimated her young adult readers who, in my opinion, are much more able to read and comprehend complex characters and narratives than they are given credit for.

Shadows on the Moon – Zoe Marriott (A Review)

Hardcover, 464 pages
Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Candlewick Press
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume is able to re-create herself in any form – a fabulous gift for a girl desperate to escape her past. But who is she really? Is she a girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother’s new husband, Lord Terayama? Or a lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama’s kitchens? Or is she Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands? Whatever her true identity, Suzume is destined to use her skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge plot to destroy Terayama. And nothing will stop her, not even the one true aspect of her life- her love for a fellow shadow-weaver.

 

Review:

Gorgeously crafted, intricately detailed, Shadows on the Moon illustrates Marriott’s remarkable story weaving skills. Suzume’s evolution from the carefree girl who frolicked with her cousin under the cherry blossoms to the strong woman at the end of the novel is particularly compelling. The novel is reminiscent of Alison Goodman’s Eona series in its depiction of the struggles of a girl against severely adverse situations. I remember thinking that Marriott has done her research in the writing of this novel (a bit more on this  later) and I am right, Marriott has done a lot of research and it shows in the way her story unfolds.

The pacing, the plotting, everything is spot on and the tiny shades of a Cinderella story blooming here and there does not take away from the overall. Suzume is a fascinating character but she is not the only one. All the side characters serve to make the story more intriguing. Also, the love story itself is fun to read and I like how the sexuality in the main characters is approached. The novel contains a bit of everything and anyone who likes fantasy novels will enjoy this one. So really, the novel itself is completely readable and comes highly recommended by yours truly.

What I did take umbrage with (somewhat, really) is how in the acknowledgements or maybe it is the note at the end, Marriott claims that the world is a new one and has no connection to any Asian country and I find that remiss of her as the Japanese influences are very obvious and credit should go where it deserves to go. I believed the country the story is set in is Japan, albeit not a Japan that exists in history but one in which some things have been altered. I don’t understand why she does not acknowledge the richness of Japanese culture that influenced her writing so that threw me off balance. I mean, the language used in the book is Japanese and that definitely points to a specific Asian country so…really, I don’t get it. At all. As a contrast, I offer Eon/Eona. While that series definitely had Asian influences, it did not name any, nor was it specific to any and as such it was easy enough to believe that there were no specific Asian countries.

You may think I am hung up on something that is admittedly slight but it bothers me. Because I believe that authors who write about cultures (and from perspectives not belonging to them) walk a fine line between appropriation and misappropriation.

But anyway, I believe the book, without the author’s note, is extremely readable and satisfying and you should totally read it. The other stuff I mentioned (I only did because I couldn’t not mention it, that’s the way I roll) is something you will notice if you study literature and if you are concerned with the same things I am.

The False Prince (The Ascendence Trilogy #1) – Jennifer A. Nielsen (A Review)

Hardcover, 342 pages
Published April 1st 2012 by Scholastic
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Review:

All right! It is almost midnight and this is when I write my finest reviews (oh stop laughing) so I shall write the galumptious (how can galumptious not be a word? I feel affronted) (well, it is a word now) (hmph) review that The False Prince deserves because let me tell you this, the book is pretty freaking fantastic. Okay, before I go forth with this review, let me tell you that it is Finals time and I am rather batty (battier?) during these times so the following review maybe be interspersed with absolute nonsense. You are advised to ignore the nonsense and focus on the absolutely laudatory mumbles and just breathe in the panegyrics I may write if I don’t restrain myself.

Anyway, The False Prince succeeds on almost all counts (with me) because of the irrepressible, irresistible voice of its protagonist. Ever meet someone and you know you will love them forever based on the first few minutes of conversation with them? Yeah? That’s what happened when I first started reading The False Prince. Sage, the entirely irreverent protagonist of the novel, wins hearts with an ease that will leave you a bit wary. I think it is mostly his irreverence that won me over but I believe that the snark, and the wit (of course) that is layered in his complex character, is balanced by the vulnerability that shows up in times you least expect it to. However, he is not the only complex character in the novel. All characters, no matter how small their parts and how insignificant their roles in the grand narrative, have a personality that is not cardboard cut. They are not stereotyped representations of real people. They are real people or could be real people.

The writing flowed very smoothly and while it wasn’t excessively choked with imagery, I felt that Nielsen handled the prose in a masterful manner that worked to further her story without interrupting it with descriptions about flowers and feelings. Not that those are necessarily bad things – they just have their own place. The point is, the writing was very well structured, it handled the movement within the narrative and sustained the suspense and intrigue until the words felt like they were windows through which you were seeing an entire world unfurl. Which is, in my opinion, a pretty grand thing.

The plot threw me for a loop. I had all these suspicions about the inevitable twist but when it did come around, I realized I had not really expected the twist to be as twisty as it was. The book isn’t perfect and if there were stumbling points, I would say the plot contained them. Nothing overt, really. I just found myself left with some questions I don’t know where to direct – maybe I will email the author but it really is not my style but then again, I want to know the answer before I start hypothesizing but then again…see? My mind, it whirls. Anyway, the plot points are not really significant because they are possibly a reflection of my personal reading manner and reaction.

The romance – it’s there, not in great quantities but it’s there. And there’s a sliver of it that makes you hope that the next two books will develop it a little, not too much because we have a kingdom to save but enough to keep things light and just the tiniest bit sentimental. So let’s see what we’ve got here. Hero? Fantastic. Writing? Fantastic. Plot? Fantastic. Do I really need to say more?

Oh okay, I will then. If you want something more, from a purely academic point of view, I liked how this novel explores the fluid nature of identity and, I’d argue, the book tried, to some extent, to redefine masculinity. There is also some pretty heavy stuff present about the cost of power and the meaning of it – and, a bit interestingly, the meaning of being a patriot. What is loyalty and whom (or what) do you owe it to? So yeah, if you want something to think about, this book is for you.

Actually, this book is for everyone!

Go read it!

Now!

Grave Mercy – Robin LaFevers (A Review)

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 549 pages
Published April 3rd 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

 

Review:

Right now I shall attempt, with all the skill I have in my arsenal as a somewhat itinerant reviewer (okay, not really, I just wanted to use that word) to give you wonderful people my thoughts about the book that is being touted by (mostly) all and sundry as the next best thing since sliced bread (being a non-native English speaker, I fail to see why sliced bread is so wonderful but that just might be my failing as a heathen). Anyway, forgive the digression and let’s turn ourselves to the glorious bounty that is Grave Mercy, the first in what is definitely a trilogy.

What did I think about it?

Well, to be completely honest (so help me God), at first? Not much. I have, as you might not know, very little fondness for romance novels (which is not to imply that they don’t tell a good story because they do but I’ve read too many of them) and Grave Mercy really resembled a romance novel disguised as a YA novel. Okay, what I mean by this is – the focus was on the romance and I was like “Ehhhhh!” Don’t get me wrong, I like romance in YA, in fact, it might be a requirement for me but I don’t want the focus to be on it. What I mean by my babbling is that for a while Grave Mercy and I were at odds with me saying “please, do go on” while Grave Mercy said “but I want to discuss how he sits in my bedroom while I’m sleeping and there’s no sexytimes.” Ya know?

But then, Ismae, who had been about to join the hallowed ranks of Heroines Who Annoy Nafiza (it’s a long list) became fantastic.

I kid you not.

It’s like LaFevers decided a quarter into the book that her heroine needed more to be more (yes, I am quite articulate tonight) and so she gave her more. And I was like “YES, KILL THAT VILLAINOUS BASTARD!” I love heroines who kick ass and dear people reading this review and refraining from rolling their eyes, Ismae kicked ass and she kicked plenty of them. And I even liked the romance. LaFevers managed to tamper what could have been a mushfest and made the book more about the kingdom, the dynamics, the politics, delicious stuff like that and less about heaving bosoms and moony eyes.

The pace was quite exhilarating because things kept happening (after the first quarter, that is). There was no lull in the narrative where they watch daisies grow or curl up in a ball and bemoan their broken hearts. They are on the brink of a war and things just…happen. (Yes I know, don’t be intimidated by my eloquence.) I liked the characterizations, the pacing, and the plot (more elaboration this later). The writing felt a bit raw and I thought that the chapter transitions could be a bit smoother though this just may be because I was reading the ARC version.

I liked how LaFevers managed to sustain a skein of realism into something that is clearly fantastic. Oftentimes happy endings are too happy and tie up so neatly that they ruin the entire book but the term “pyrrhic victory” applies to this novel and I appreciated that. I didn’t think the violence was excessive nor did I feel that the sexytimes in the book was forced or illogical (you shall understand after you read the book and then if you want to discuss it, I shall happily oblige).

And I cannot freaking wait for the next story. Sybella sounds just as kickass as Ismae except in a crazier sort of way. I like insane. And I wonder if it features Beast. I hope so. Unlikely protagonists make me happy.

Do I recommend this book? Yeah I do, just stick with it through the somewhat slow beginning and it will pick up and stun you with its awesomesauciness.