author: Robin McKinley
genre: YA Fantasy
Grade: B/C
In this fantasy world the land of each Demesne is alive and the land and people live in harmony through a link with the Master of the Demesne and his circle. Mirasol plays the most important role in that circle, that of Chalice. The Chalice works with cups/chalices, with herbs, and with her own liquid element to bind and heal the land and the people. But Mirasol is a new Chalice because the previous Master and previous Chalice died, both without heirs. It is up to Mirasol to tie the previous Masters younger brother to his new role of Master, to his people and to the land. But the previous Master, angry with his brother had sent him to the Fire Priests. And he is a third level Priest, barely able to live among humans. Can Mirasol, a young, untrained Chalice working with a previously unused liquid element make this work?
This is a fascinating story set in an intriguing world. Mirasol is a solid heroine -- compassionate, caring about her people and her land. And the new Master is wonderful -- very self sacrificial, caring and willing to learn from everyone about him. It would have been easy for him to blame Mirasol's lack of training for everything and anything that went wrong but he didn't, he really relied upon her and helped her so that the two created a partnership.
My quibble is that the story was often told as opposed to shown. So much world building was being done and it was not woven into the story but often a break in the narration. While the story is good and very interesting it did not move above those levels. Very frustrating because I got the definite sense this could have been great with just a little work.
Tea: Honey Lemon all the way. Or really anything with honey.
tea time
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Moon Spinners
author: Mary Stewart
Genre: Romantic Suspense circa 1960's
Grade: B/B+
I spent the holidays reading and not posting as you can see. And let me start by saying that I got a huge kick out of looking at the dust jacket of this hard back and seeing $4.50 for the price. Wow! Those were the days . . . .
Or weren't if you were Mark Langley. Mark finds himself in some dire straits indeed when on a visit to Crete, doing a routine tourist stop he finds himself in trouble with some of the locals. Hiding out in the hills was not in his plan but that is what he is reduced to until he meets heroine Nicola Ferris, a fellow tourist on holiday from her job at the British Embassy in Athens. Mark firmly orders Nicola out of his business but she is not a young lady that takes orders well.
Mark, Nicola, her Aunt Frances and his sidekick Lambis find themselves in a thrilling cat and mouse game within the sleepy hamlet of Agios Georgios, a lovely if isolated fishing village in the center of the Asterousia spine. Stewart is a master of using her location and I got a real feel for this sleepy town, surrounded by rough but beautiful terrain with lush greenery and the scent of lemon blossoms hanging in the air. Nicola and Mark are both very likable characters and even the villains (all but one) are imbued with a certain charm. The book has a definite spring holiday gone bad feel to it but that is to the authors credit. So many books these days lose the sense of location or even time but this one is firmly mired in both. You feel you almost live the action and could tell people at what point everything happened your sense of having been there is so immediate.
The one problem I did run into with the book was the sense of misogyny I felt emanated from both Mark and Lambis. In Lambis, a traditional Greek, it was almost explicable since everyone describes the Greeks as being notorious misogynists but in Mark I found it a tad more offensive. He owes his life to Nicola at least a few times over and yet treats her like an amateur in comparison to himself. I first picked this book up seven years ago and wasn't able to make it past the first ten pages because of that but this time I persevered and it was worth it. While Mark's attitude did still rub me wrong the mystery and setting lured me in in spite of myself. Still, the B rather than A grade came from that.
Tea: Greek Mountain Tea, if you can find it, would be perfect for this. There is some information on it at http://greekfood.about.com/od/mezethesdrinks/a/tsaitouvounou.htm. Otherwise, how about something cool with a gyro or Greek salad made with olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and some lovely feta.
Genre: Romantic Suspense circa 1960's
Grade: B/B+
I spent the holidays reading and not posting as you can see. And let me start by saying that I got a huge kick out of looking at the dust jacket of this hard back and seeing $4.50 for the price. Wow! Those were the days . . . .
Or weren't if you were Mark Langley. Mark finds himself in some dire straits indeed when on a visit to Crete, doing a routine tourist stop he finds himself in trouble with some of the locals. Hiding out in the hills was not in his plan but that is what he is reduced to until he meets heroine Nicola Ferris, a fellow tourist on holiday from her job at the British Embassy in Athens. Mark firmly orders Nicola out of his business but she is not a young lady that takes orders well.
Mark, Nicola, her Aunt Frances and his sidekick Lambis find themselves in a thrilling cat and mouse game within the sleepy hamlet of Agios Georgios, a lovely if isolated fishing village in the center of the Asterousia spine. Stewart is a master of using her location and I got a real feel for this sleepy town, surrounded by rough but beautiful terrain with lush greenery and the scent of lemon blossoms hanging in the air. Nicola and Mark are both very likable characters and even the villains (all but one) are imbued with a certain charm. The book has a definite spring holiday gone bad feel to it but that is to the authors credit. So many books these days lose the sense of location or even time but this one is firmly mired in both. You feel you almost live the action and could tell people at what point everything happened your sense of having been there is so immediate.
The one problem I did run into with the book was the sense of misogyny I felt emanated from both Mark and Lambis. In Lambis, a traditional Greek, it was almost explicable since everyone describes the Greeks as being notorious misogynists but in Mark I found it a tad more offensive. He owes his life to Nicola at least a few times over and yet treats her like an amateur in comparison to himself. I first picked this book up seven years ago and wasn't able to make it past the first ten pages because of that but this time I persevered and it was worth it. While Mark's attitude did still rub me wrong the mystery and setting lured me in in spite of myself. Still, the B rather than A grade came from that.
Tea: Greek Mountain Tea, if you can find it, would be perfect for this. There is some information on it at http://greekfood.about.com/od/mezethesdrinks/a/tsaitouvounou.htm. Otherwise, how about something cool with a gyro or Greek salad made with olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and some lovely feta.
My Brother Michael
author: Mary Stewart
genre: Romantic Suspense circa 1950's
grade: B+
It could have been sheer dumb luck. Or it could have been the fact that Camilla Haven had thrown her fate to the winds by writing the words "Nothing ever happens to me" while sitting in an outdoor cafe in the land of the gods. Whatever caused it, Camilla's trip to Greece takes an exciting turn just as she finishes writing those words. For out of the crowd comes a Greek, apologetic and flustered, assuring her that the car she was to deliver to Mr. Simon was now ready, he was sorry for being late and would she please take the car and go now. He knew the matter was urgent. She, however, knew nothing of the matter whatsoever. Still, after a token pressing she takes the car and heads off to Delphi in search of a "Mr. Simon" to whom she is to deliver the car. By happy circumstance she finds him but lands into yet another mystery since he had never requested a car.
While Camilla and the charming Simon work to find who the car should actually be going to they find themselves embroiled in an increasingly sinister mystery. For this is not Simon's first coincidence in Greece. It is, in fact, not his only sinister tie to the island. For his brother had died in a small village not far outside of Delphi during the war. And just before his death, his brother had sent a rather strange message home. A letter some many years old which Simon has just seen, bringing him to Greece to solve a mystery and land in another. What awaits them in the hills of this vast, ancient culture is unsure but the lure and mystery of Greece has them firmly in it's grasp. The question is, will it ever let them go? Or are they destined to become part of the rich history of this ancient place?
This is a typical Stewart mystery, masterfully written with a sense of peril in the smallest acts and the bravery of the hero and heroine ever at the forefront. Simon is a wonderful hero -- stoic, cheerful, loyal, responsible, caring. While Camilla shines just a bit less she is a well drawn out, likable thoughtful character and has just enough of a sense of adventure to land her squarely in this type of scrape. My one problem came at the end of the book where they made a decision about something which did not in any way belong to them and was in no way their decision to make. Other than that, I loved this story and would recommend it to any fan of mysteries.
Tea: For something this very English, Earl Grey all the way!
genre: Romantic Suspense circa 1950's
grade: B+
It could have been sheer dumb luck. Or it could have been the fact that Camilla Haven had thrown her fate to the winds by writing the words "Nothing ever happens to me" while sitting in an outdoor cafe in the land of the gods. Whatever caused it, Camilla's trip to Greece takes an exciting turn just as she finishes writing those words. For out of the crowd comes a Greek, apologetic and flustered, assuring her that the car she was to deliver to Mr. Simon was now ready, he was sorry for being late and would she please take the car and go now. He knew the matter was urgent. She, however, knew nothing of the matter whatsoever. Still, after a token pressing she takes the car and heads off to Delphi in search of a "Mr. Simon" to whom she is to deliver the car. By happy circumstance she finds him but lands into yet another mystery since he had never requested a car.
While Camilla and the charming Simon work to find who the car should actually be going to they find themselves embroiled in an increasingly sinister mystery. For this is not Simon's first coincidence in Greece. It is, in fact, not his only sinister tie to the island. For his brother had died in a small village not far outside of Delphi during the war. And just before his death, his brother had sent a rather strange message home. A letter some many years old which Simon has just seen, bringing him to Greece to solve a mystery and land in another. What awaits them in the hills of this vast, ancient culture is unsure but the lure and mystery of Greece has them firmly in it's grasp. The question is, will it ever let them go? Or are they destined to become part of the rich history of this ancient place?
This is a typical Stewart mystery, masterfully written with a sense of peril in the smallest acts and the bravery of the hero and heroine ever at the forefront. Simon is a wonderful hero -- stoic, cheerful, loyal, responsible, caring. While Camilla shines just a bit less she is a well drawn out, likable thoughtful character and has just enough of a sense of adventure to land her squarely in this type of scrape. My one problem came at the end of the book where they made a decision about something which did not in any way belong to them and was in no way their decision to make. Other than that, I loved this story and would recommend it to any fan of mysteries.
Tea: For something this very English, Earl Grey all the way!
Running Wild
author: Sarah McCarty
genre: Paranormal Romance/Romantica/Anthology
grade: C/C-
Just to clarify, romance novels to me aren't quite this graphic in terms of language usage. And the sex was pretty hot so I called it a romantica.
Story: Werewolf Donovan is a Protector (which came across as police/military) for his pack. He is on a mission for the pack when he finds his True Mate, a young human woman. A young human woman in need of his help. But Lisa Delaney is nothing if not independent. Can Donovan convince her that she needs his help -- and his love?
This is a romance so the answer to that is obviously yes. The only real question is, how. And how is through a lot of lust talk and that type of banter of "I hate you, I hate you, oh you turn me on!" that is unique to a certain type of romance novel. There is some action as Donovan helps Lisa take care of a problem but mostly we have a lot of hot love talk.
Kelon is Donovan's brother and also a Protector. He comes to help his brother deal with Lisa's problems and discovers his true mate in Lisa's sister Robin. Robin has some big issues to deal with and Kelon knows he is just the male to help her do it. This story pretty much followed the course of Lisa and Donovan's tale with a new villain to shake things up.
Wyatt is the Alpha of Donovan and Kelon's pack and a close friend of the two protectors. D and K know Wyatt is in trouble and are itching to get back and help him but they will have to take their mates with them. Then a glitch in this plan occurs when the third Delaney girl appears in the form of Heather. Practical, sensible Heather doesn't believe these men are werewolves (and the men can't transform for her for various silly reasons) but she does think they are good for her sisters, in spite of the delusion. She is less than thrilled however when they insist on taking her to the werewolf compound with them since the problems at home are nowhere near solved and the men fear she would be in danger by staying. Once at the compound Heather has her eyes and mind opened to many things -- can she also open her heart?
I think if you like the style of book that has the relationship built around the two arguing over silly issues, succumbing to lust and then recognizing love you will find these stories really great. Otherwise, I would give them a big miss.
Tea: Something cold and sweet. The sex scenes were hot and long.
genre: Paranormal Romance/Romantica/Anthology
grade: C/C-
Just to clarify, romance novels to me aren't quite this graphic in terms of language usage. And the sex was pretty hot so I called it a romantica.
Story: Werewolf Donovan is a Protector (which came across as police/military) for his pack. He is on a mission for the pack when he finds his True Mate, a young human woman. A young human woman in need of his help. But Lisa Delaney is nothing if not independent. Can Donovan convince her that she needs his help -- and his love?
This is a romance so the answer to that is obviously yes. The only real question is, how. And how is through a lot of lust talk and that type of banter of "I hate you, I hate you, oh you turn me on!" that is unique to a certain type of romance novel. There is some action as Donovan helps Lisa take care of a problem but mostly we have a lot of hot love talk.
Kelon is Donovan's brother and also a Protector. He comes to help his brother deal with Lisa's problems and discovers his true mate in Lisa's sister Robin. Robin has some big issues to deal with and Kelon knows he is just the male to help her do it. This story pretty much followed the course of Lisa and Donovan's tale with a new villain to shake things up.
Wyatt is the Alpha of Donovan and Kelon's pack and a close friend of the two protectors. D and K know Wyatt is in trouble and are itching to get back and help him but they will have to take their mates with them. Then a glitch in this plan occurs when the third Delaney girl appears in the form of Heather. Practical, sensible Heather doesn't believe these men are werewolves (and the men can't transform for her for various silly reasons) but she does think they are good for her sisters, in spite of the delusion. She is less than thrilled however when they insist on taking her to the werewolf compound with them since the problems at home are nowhere near solved and the men fear she would be in danger by staying. Once at the compound Heather has her eyes and mind opened to many things -- can she also open her heart?
I think if you like the style of book that has the relationship built around the two arguing over silly issues, succumbing to lust and then recognizing love you will find these stories really great. Otherwise, I would give them a big miss.
Tea: Something cold and sweet. The sex scenes were hot and long.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Wings
author: Aprilynne Pike
Genra: YA fantasy
Grade: A
Laurel has been home schooled her whole life but her mom has decided that high school is the time she needs to get out, go to public school and have fun. To that end they leave their cabin in the woods -- a home that has been in her mom's family for generations -- and head out to a medium sized town with a decent high school and a wonderful business opportunity for her parents. Money is tight so they are thinking of selling the ancestral lands but other than that, things are looking pretty good. Her dad is loving owning his own bookstore. Her mom is loving the time she can spend doing things other than teach Laurel. And Laurel is making friends at the school. They are even pretty tolerant of her need to spend every spare minute out among trees and plants.
But things are turning weird for Laurel. Well, they have always been a bit weird. She can't drink diet sodas, only the real stuff, or she gets sick. She is on an extreme vegan diet because her body can't tolerate anything else. But she is happy and healthy until one day she finds a bump on her back. Which grows. And grows. And suddenly . . . it blossoms.
I loved this little gem of a story with its fascinating new look at the fairy realm and everything that goes with that. Laurel, David and Tam are all well drawn characters and Laurel's discoveries of the world that exists outside of the one she always knew are handled deftly. The author has created a world that is just right in terms of balancing world building between too much information. The story is told simply but with care to detail. And it is intriguing enough to make you want to keep turning pages, even when dishes are piling in the sink.
I loved this book and give it a big thumbs up.
On the side: One of the things I am jealous of with this generation is their YA lit. I mean, these books are some of the most fabulous things ever! I especially like how, unlike my generations YA lit, they are about things other than periods or sex or popularity. They tell wonderful stories. Why that fell out of vogue for twenty or so years I will never know but I am glad to see things back on track.
Tea: Country Peach Passion by those wonderful folks at Celestial Seasonings. Read the book, you'll know why.
Genra: YA fantasy
Grade: A
Laurel has been home schooled her whole life but her mom has decided that high school is the time she needs to get out, go to public school and have fun. To that end they leave their cabin in the woods -- a home that has been in her mom's family for generations -- and head out to a medium sized town with a decent high school and a wonderful business opportunity for her parents. Money is tight so they are thinking of selling the ancestral lands but other than that, things are looking pretty good. Her dad is loving owning his own bookstore. Her mom is loving the time she can spend doing things other than teach Laurel. And Laurel is making friends at the school. They are even pretty tolerant of her need to spend every spare minute out among trees and plants.
But things are turning weird for Laurel. Well, they have always been a bit weird. She can't drink diet sodas, only the real stuff, or she gets sick. She is on an extreme vegan diet because her body can't tolerate anything else. But she is happy and healthy until one day she finds a bump on her back. Which grows. And grows. And suddenly . . . it blossoms.
I loved this little gem of a story with its fascinating new look at the fairy realm and everything that goes with that. Laurel, David and Tam are all well drawn characters and Laurel's discoveries of the world that exists outside of the one she always knew are handled deftly. The author has created a world that is just right in terms of balancing world building between too much information. The story is told simply but with care to detail. And it is intriguing enough to make you want to keep turning pages, even when dishes are piling in the sink.
I loved this book and give it a big thumbs up.
On the side: One of the things I am jealous of with this generation is their YA lit. I mean, these books are some of the most fabulous things ever! I especially like how, unlike my generations YA lit, they are about things other than periods or sex or popularity. They tell wonderful stories. Why that fell out of vogue for twenty or so years I will never know but I am glad to see things back on track.
Tea: Country Peach Passion by those wonderful folks at Celestial Seasonings. Read the book, you'll know why.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
TBR Pile Challenge: A Spell for Sussanah
Author: Jody Wallace
Grade: C
Read: January 1, 2010
Susannah is the eldest daughter in a small kingdom of the middle kingdoms. When she is born the fairy Malady places upon her a curse that she will marry "a man not of her choosing." This curse was apparently soooo horrible that the Kings and Queens of the middle kingdoms banned Malady from the human realms. Before the ban could be read into effect however, Malady gave them a parting curse: No male children would be born to the nobility. Ever again.
The Kings and Queens try to bargain with the fairy council but the fae claim it would be against professional ethics to involve themselves in curse interference unless serious damage has been done. There are daughters still being born to the nobility, their are sons in the peasant and merchant classes being born ergo no real damage has been done.
But there has been damage done. The laws of the middle kingdoms decree that noble women can't marry outside their class, own property, live on their own or rule and those laws mean that there are many cranky, unmarried noble women living at home. The shortage of noble husbands also means that for many kingdoms, the time of the inheritance will be coming to an end. Who will rule when the generation of noble male rulers that now exists is at an end? Enter Susannah and her sisters. They are twelve young women living at home ranging in age from thirty to 13. When it is discovered (by them only) that Sussanah can do magic, they resolve to solve the problem.
Things go wrong of course. The door Sussanah was supposed to open into the realm of fairy actually opened into an enchanted kingdom full of young men who want nothing but to dance with the princesses who walk through the door. As the princesses begin to take nightly excursions to this enchanted realm where they wear out their slippers, their parents grow concerned. And angry. What is happening? Why? Guards don't work. Separating the girls doesn't work. Nothing works until . . . .
Enter Jon Tom. A Detective, something unheard of in the kingdoms. This handsome commoner assures the Queen that he will be able to get to the bottom of the mystery of the 12 dancing princesses. . . . .
This book was a cross between a medieval fantasy and a modern day farce. While the humor was mild it was definitely on the silly side. The characters all have modern sensibilities. And the resolution of the problems seemed nonsensical to me. I also didn't get the "evil" of Sussanah's curse since it sounded as though she would have been marrying a man of her parents choosing anyway.
It was a light read and taken as that it is in the OK realm. Readable but nothing to write home about.
On the other hand, I am thrilled to have this book off my TBR pile where it has languished for several months! One down and many to go.
Tea: Celestial Seasonings has several good varieties of Red Tea. I recommend the Moroccan Pomegranate
Grade: C
Read: January 1, 2010
Susannah is the eldest daughter in a small kingdom of the middle kingdoms. When she is born the fairy Malady places upon her a curse that she will marry "a man not of her choosing." This curse was apparently soooo horrible that the Kings and Queens of the middle kingdoms banned Malady from the human realms. Before the ban could be read into effect however, Malady gave them a parting curse: No male children would be born to the nobility. Ever again.
The Kings and Queens try to bargain with the fairy council but the fae claim it would be against professional ethics to involve themselves in curse interference unless serious damage has been done. There are daughters still being born to the nobility, their are sons in the peasant and merchant classes being born ergo no real damage has been done.
But there has been damage done. The laws of the middle kingdoms decree that noble women can't marry outside their class, own property, live on their own or rule and those laws mean that there are many cranky, unmarried noble women living at home. The shortage of noble husbands also means that for many kingdoms, the time of the inheritance will be coming to an end. Who will rule when the generation of noble male rulers that now exists is at an end? Enter Susannah and her sisters. They are twelve young women living at home ranging in age from thirty to 13. When it is discovered (by them only) that Sussanah can do magic, they resolve to solve the problem.
Things go wrong of course. The door Sussanah was supposed to open into the realm of fairy actually opened into an enchanted kingdom full of young men who want nothing but to dance with the princesses who walk through the door. As the princesses begin to take nightly excursions to this enchanted realm where they wear out their slippers, their parents grow concerned. And angry. What is happening? Why? Guards don't work. Separating the girls doesn't work. Nothing works until . . . .
Enter Jon Tom. A Detective, something unheard of in the kingdoms. This handsome commoner assures the Queen that he will be able to get to the bottom of the mystery of the 12 dancing princesses. . . . .
This book was a cross between a medieval fantasy and a modern day farce. While the humor was mild it was definitely on the silly side. The characters all have modern sensibilities. And the resolution of the problems seemed nonsensical to me. I also didn't get the "evil" of Sussanah's curse since it sounded as though she would have been marrying a man of her parents choosing anyway.
It was a light read and taken as that it is in the OK realm. Readable but nothing to write home about.
On the other hand, I am thrilled to have this book off my TBR pile where it has languished for several months! One down and many to go.
Tea: Celestial Seasonings has several good varieties of Red Tea. I recommend the Moroccan Pomegranate
Catchup
I have been very bad about writing down everything I read. But here is hopefully a comprehensive catchup from the last month!
Graceling -- Kristin Cashore C/C-
This is a fantasy novel set in a medieval world where those with eyes of two different colors are born "graced". Perhaps your grace is as simple as being an excellent cook or being able to find lost keys but some graces are exceptionally powerful and evil. And the graced are not loved as a result. Lovely Katsa has such a grace. Hers is the power to kill, to hurt, to destroy at will. And a young noble girl with such a power can be only one thing in the hands of a noble uncle: An assassin.
Katsa never expects to fall in love or meet someone who can love her in return. But an act of kindness sends her on a journey where she encounters just that -- and so much more.
The book was interesting but definitely a freshmen effort. There were small holes in the plot line easily found and it was difficult for me to follow the idea of the council and some of the things involved in that. I will probably read book two but am not dying to get my hands on it or anything.
Tea: Maybe a highly sweetened chamomile.
Bloody Good Georgia Evans A-/B+
Vampires are running around the British country side during WWII. Their mission? To sabotage the English and bring the Empire down from within. But when the cruel and sadistic vamps land in a rural country village outside London the last thing they expect to find are some powerful Others. As country doctor Alice Doyle, her grandmother, an elderly guard and a wonderful new comer all come together to fight the vamps a wonderful tale unfolds. In many ways light hearted and fun, this little gem pulls you into an England teeming with the things of fairy tale. I heartily recommend it.
Tea: A lovely pot of Earl Grey or English Breakfast is in order here.
The Fire King Marjorie M. Liu C
Soria is beautiful human woman with a past that contains a horror that marks her to this day. The loss of her arm is a haunting loss but it was the betrayal of a friendship that hurts most of all. But when she Dirk and Steele contact her for a special assignment that only she can fulfill, she puts her language skills at their disposal. Her assignment is Karr, a shape shifter of unusual powers who believes he died three thousand years ago. So how is he alive now? And why? As the two try to find the answer to this riddle being chased by gunman may be the least threat they face. How can two hearts so vulnerable be open to love once more?
This book took a lot for me to get into. I just never felt the pull I should have from the two characters. Add that to the fact that Liu's universe has an everything but the kitchen sink feel to it and you come up with a book that drags more than it delights. Still, Liu is a skilled writer and this is an interesting addition to her series.
Tea: Something very basic, like a Lipton, but make it warm to help heat up the action!
Skinned
Robin Wasserman
Grade: Not sure
Lia Khan had it all. Wealth. Popularity. Beauty. And then an accident happens and she finds herself in a computerized body. The brain is her: downloaded from bio into mechanical. But is she her? Or just a machine who wants to believe she is?
Asimov did a short story many, many years ago with this premise and the question asked here is the same. As Lia tries to fit in her old life and old family the whole idea of is she the old her or a new, something different her guides the whole story. And if she is something different, is that something different a good or bad thing?
This is probably the darkest book I have read all year (and this is after several WWII novels and a book about teens killing each other in an arena designed for the entertainment of the privileged.) It isn't just the questions asked but the horrors that happen all around that take you to dark places. It also has a strong, anti-religious bent. In the end I can't give it an A. A crucial question in the book was never asked. For those curious it is only a mild spoiler but I will warning you anyway, read at own risk. spoiler * Early in the story they tell you the bodies only last 50 yrs. and then you have to be downloaded again. And an accident on Lia's part reveals you have to be careful with the bodies. And then the author seems to forget that and makes it sound like the characters are immortal and indestructible rather than at the mercy of their human engineers. Given what probably happened to Lia the first time she was "out" I can't help thinking that was a pretty big flaw in the plot.end spoiler* That might be addressed in book two (which I have on reserve at the library but am not sure I will read) but in the end all I can say is the book is an emotionally intense and riveting read.
Tea: Comfort tea. Whatever comforts or soothes most, read this with it.
Graceling -- Kristin Cashore C/C-
This is a fantasy novel set in a medieval world where those with eyes of two different colors are born "graced". Perhaps your grace is as simple as being an excellent cook or being able to find lost keys but some graces are exceptionally powerful and evil. And the graced are not loved as a result. Lovely Katsa has such a grace. Hers is the power to kill, to hurt, to destroy at will. And a young noble girl with such a power can be only one thing in the hands of a noble uncle: An assassin.
Katsa never expects to fall in love or meet someone who can love her in return. But an act of kindness sends her on a journey where she encounters just that -- and so much more.
The book was interesting but definitely a freshmen effort. There were small holes in the plot line easily found and it was difficult for me to follow the idea of the council and some of the things involved in that. I will probably read book two but am not dying to get my hands on it or anything.
Tea: Maybe a highly sweetened chamomile.
Bloody Good Georgia Evans A-/B+
Vampires are running around the British country side during WWII. Their mission? To sabotage the English and bring the Empire down from within. But when the cruel and sadistic vamps land in a rural country village outside London the last thing they expect to find are some powerful Others. As country doctor Alice Doyle, her grandmother, an elderly guard and a wonderful new comer all come together to fight the vamps a wonderful tale unfolds. In many ways light hearted and fun, this little gem pulls you into an England teeming with the things of fairy tale. I heartily recommend it.
Tea: A lovely pot of Earl Grey or English Breakfast is in order here.
The Fire King Marjorie M. Liu C
Soria is beautiful human woman with a past that contains a horror that marks her to this day. The loss of her arm is a haunting loss but it was the betrayal of a friendship that hurts most of all. But when she Dirk and Steele contact her for a special assignment that only she can fulfill, she puts her language skills at their disposal. Her assignment is Karr, a shape shifter of unusual powers who believes he died three thousand years ago. So how is he alive now? And why? As the two try to find the answer to this riddle being chased by gunman may be the least threat they face. How can two hearts so vulnerable be open to love once more?
This book took a lot for me to get into. I just never felt the pull I should have from the two characters. Add that to the fact that Liu's universe has an everything but the kitchen sink feel to it and you come up with a book that drags more than it delights. Still, Liu is a skilled writer and this is an interesting addition to her series.
Tea: Something very basic, like a Lipton, but make it warm to help heat up the action!
Skinned
Robin Wasserman
Grade: Not sure
Lia Khan had it all. Wealth. Popularity. Beauty. And then an accident happens and she finds herself in a computerized body. The brain is her: downloaded from bio into mechanical. But is she her? Or just a machine who wants to believe she is?
Asimov did a short story many, many years ago with this premise and the question asked here is the same. As Lia tries to fit in her old life and old family the whole idea of is she the old her or a new, something different her guides the whole story. And if she is something different, is that something different a good or bad thing?
This is probably the darkest book I have read all year (and this is after several WWII novels and a book about teens killing each other in an arena designed for the entertainment of the privileged.) It isn't just the questions asked but the horrors that happen all around that take you to dark places. It also has a strong, anti-religious bent. In the end I can't give it an A. A crucial question in the book was never asked. For those curious it is only a mild spoiler but I will warning you anyway, read at own risk. spoiler * Early in the story they tell you the bodies only last 50 yrs. and then you have to be downloaded again. And an accident on Lia's part reveals you have to be careful with the bodies. And then the author seems to forget that and makes it sound like the characters are immortal and indestructible rather than at the mercy of their human engineers. Given what probably happened to Lia the first time she was "out" I can't help thinking that was a pretty big flaw in the plot.end spoiler* That might be addressed in book two (which I have on reserve at the library but am not sure I will read) but in the end all I can say is the book is an emotionally intense and riveting read.
Tea: Comfort tea. Whatever comforts or soothes most, read this with it.
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