Smarter than average book reviews
The lovely blogger Tia of Fantasy Debut has moved her blog to a new, self-titled domain. It will now be called Debuts & Reviews.
Tia says:
Anyway. The new blog is called Debuts & Reviews. It’s basically just like Fantasy Debut, except it’s different. There’s a post up over there explaining why I did this.
There are directions at Fantasy Debut to update your feed, so head over and update your information and blogroll!
Here’s the deal:
Our bestselling Kindle is now $259, down from $299. Second, we are introducing a new addition to our Kindle family of wireless reading devices: Kindle with U.S. and International Wireless. Our newest Kindle can ship to customers around the world so you can take advantage of referring Kindle sales to customers outside of the U.S.
With this new Kindle, you can receive your books, newspapers, and magazines wirelessly while at home or abroad in over 100 countries. Whether you’re in New York, Paris, São Paulo, Mumbai, Beijing, Tokyo, or Sydney, you can think of a book and be reading it in less than 60 seconds.
Our $259 Kindle with U.S. Wireless is available for immediate shipment, and our $279 Kindle with U.S. and International Wireless can be preordered today for delivery starting in two weeks.
Kindle utilizes the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so you never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Unlike cell phones, there are no monthly wireless bills and no yearly contracts. There is no software to install, and no syncing required.
Kindle is as thin as most magazines and weighs less than a paperback—but can hold 1,500 books. Its electronic-ink screen looks and reads like real paper with no glare—even in bright sunlight. A long battery life means you can read for up to two weeks on a single charge.
The U.S. Kindle Store has more than 350,000 books, including 107 of 112 New York Times bestsellers, plus top newspapers, magazines, and blogs.
I love that for a mere $20 more, you can purchase an international Kindle that will work just about everywhere. Even better, there’s no monthly fee!
Like most people, I probably think about/plan reading books the most when traveling. I often have to pick books vs. clothes and other necessities!
This may just be the push I needed to try a Kindle out for myself…
I’m afraid I’ve gone and done things out of order. Again. I read Kristin Cashore’s Fire as soon as I could get my hands on it, but I have not read Graceling (yet). Apparently Fire is a bit of a prequel, set 30 or so years before the events of Graceling, with one crossover character.
I thought Fire rocked.
Now, with that out of the way, Fire is a very intriguing book, different from anything else I have read. It takes place in a war-torn land called the Dells. Fire, a young 17 year old girl, is the last human shaped monster. The land is rife with beautiful creatures called monsters: birds, cats, lizards, etc. but they have gorgeously colored feathers, fur, and scales. And they have the power to control the minds of humans.
Fire is stunning beautiful, so beautiful that people (men especially) can forget themselves and proclaim their love for her, resulting in small scale battles, violence, etc. You get the idea. Unlike animal monsters, Fire has morals that she lives by and so does not abuse her powers, often keeping her fiery red hair under wraps. And so Fire lives in her own little corner of the world, until the day her King needs her. What happens after Fire leaves her comfortable niche is a stunning story with love, war, and everything in between.
What made this book really interesting is that we don’t meet Fire for several chapters into the book. Instead, we meet a little boy with different colored eyes and his father, who leaves his home so that his boy (a Graceling because of his telltale eyes) will not be taken away for the King’s personal use. Those first few chapters are chilling. This boy is everything that Fire is not. While he wants to get to know Fire, she wants nothing to do with him, and so Fire finds herself in the center of a disastrous plot.
Miss Cashore does an excellent job driving home that even though Fire is considered “monstrous”, she is still human at heart. Her love of her horse, Small, is so innocent and girlish that it makes the reader smile. Fire also has a difficult time removing herself from the shadow of her monster father, adviser to the old king. Her father was the cause of much dissension in the kingdom, and many people hate Fire simply because of the deeds of her father. Poor Fire has to navigate through a dangerous castle with people that either hate her, or love her because of her overpowering looks.
Fire is an excellent read, though at one point I felt as though almost every character was the victim or participant in rape, adultery, or some other deviant behavior. Members of the royal family turn out to have not-so-royal lineage, and it gave the characters a soap opera-like air. Otherwise, the writing and worldbuilding were excellent, and I plan to read Graceling very soon, followed by Bitterblue, which does not currently have a release date.
I just Wordled my blog! The lovely image below is a word cloud generated from entering the url of The Road Not Taken! You can Wordle any blog, webpage, etc. as long as it has an RSS or Atom feed. Be creative!
Suzanne Collins keeps the ball rolling with Catching Fire, laying all my fears to rest about the follow up not being as great as the original debut. It’s a page turner, with no middle book syndrome to speak of! As a sequel to the Hunger Games, Catching Fire describes the events that come after Katniss’ bold win in the arena of the Hunger Games.
Katniss attempts to return to a ‘normal’ life by hunting by herself (Gale is now working in the mines) and spreading her new wealth around by shopping at the Hob. Her relationship with both Gale and Peeta is strained, and I won’t say any more on that topic.
What Katniss does not quite fully grasp are the signs of unrest throughout Panem. Her and Peeta’s victory was a direct slap in the face to the Capitol. Her victory in the Hunger Games has incurred even the President’s wrath, and she must do her best during the victory tours to quell the sparks of rebellion.
If he’s made the journey all the way from his city, it can only mean one thing. I’m in serious trouble. And if I am, so is my family. A shiver goes through me when I think of the proximity of my mother and sister to this man who despises me. Will always despise me. Because I outsmarted his sadistic Hunger Games, made the Capitol look foolish, and consequently undermined his control.
Little does she know what President Snow has in store for the girl on fire.
I was overjoyed to return to Panem and see that Katniss was the same feisty girl that I had left. The new characters are just as fun (think Finnick Odair). The book takes a turn into slightly more adult territory with graphic descriptions of unrest and “peacemaking” attempts (riots, bombing, etc.). As before, Ms. Collin’s writing draws the reader in..without waiting for permission. One scene in particular had me holding my breath–where new PeaceMakers attempt to catch Katniss going beyond the fence to hunt. Ms. Collins weaves together the perfect elements of tension, deceit, and humor to create excellent scenes. Which makes me wonder when the movie’s coming out.
There are also a few things that are touched on that I’m sure will resurface in the final book, such as rumors of “District 13″, and what becomes of our beloved stylist, Cinna, who seems to have a mysterious past.
Read an excerpt from the second chapter here, where the book really starts to gain some steam.
Alexia Tarabotti is a fatherless spinster living with a self serving mother, stepfather, and two half sisters. To add insult to injury, Alexia has inherited her father’s Italian blood, making her much darker than is considered “fashionable”. Oh, and she has no soul. This doesn’t make her much different from other people, except that she can negate supernatural abilities, and she often speaks her mind in a very unladylike way, occasionally even using such terms as “You pea-brained lack-witted ninny-hammer!”
Alexia is quite used to being ignored on the fringes of the ballroom, and often escapes to the library in avoidance of such social prejudices. However, things go from bad to worse when her sanctuary is disturbed by a vampire who attempts to bite her (without an introduction!!). In a combination of self defense and anger at her attacker’s advances, she smartly taps him with her trusty parasol, thus killing her attacker. When the arrogant Lord Maccon (who is also a werewolf) appears at the scene to investigate on behalf of the queen, Alexia isn’t sure which is worse: his bark or his bite. So she fakes a faint (but not before comfortably inserting a pillow between her and the floor). From then on, the relationship between Alexia and the insufferable Lord Maccon begins to get stickier than treacle tart. Further, werewolf loners and vampire roves all over London have been disappearing at a most alarming rate. To make Lord Maccon’s job even more difficult, Alexia begins to investigate on her own. Who is behind the disappearances? And where did Alexia last leave her trusty parasol?
Soulless is an absolutely delightful debut that combines “urbane” fantasy, romance, and a hint of steampunk. The world building is well done, and I expect it will be fleshed out even more in future books. Victorian era London houses vampires, ghosts, and werewolves, along with its high society. The characters were enjoyable–from a flamboyantly gay vampire who speaks in italics to Alexia’s stoic butler (inherited from her dead father) who quickly and efficiently ushers the “Young Miss” out the servant’s door during her escapades.
Soulless is a laugh out loud ride for the thrill seekers among us–full of twists, turns, and werewolf fur. Just don’t spill your tea.
Gail Carriger’s Soulless will be released in the US September 29, 2009, though many copies were given out at this year’s BEA. Two more books are slated to be part of the Parasol Protectorate series, with Changeless (Book #2) coming out in April of 2010.
John at Grasping for the Wind has posted the latest edition of the very popular F/SF/H Linkup Meme! Check out the list for blogs that cover a multitude of genres and their respective news and reviews!
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Lucinda Hare’s debut novel, The Dragon Whisperer, follows Quenelda, daughter of the Earl Rufus DeWinter, commander of the SDS (Stealth Dragon Services). Her greatest wish is to follow her father’s footsteps as a battledragon commander, instead of a court life of unwieldy skirts and gossip. She has an odd affinity for dragon husbandry, and can coax even the most crotchety battledragon to allow her near enough to care for its injuries. The roostmaster, Tagnarost, sees her skill and allows her to aid in caring for the dragons, and it soon becomes a way of life for her.
However, as winter approaches, the battle against the hobgoblins grows dire. More and more dragons are lost in battle, and esquires cannot be trained fast enough to take to the skies.
Quenelda’s father, the Earl DeWinter finally realizes how adept, but snobbish Quenelda is about flying. Since she has flown as a child, she scoffs at those esquires who do not have a natural talent for flying. The Earl makes a deal with Quenelda: she may have her very own battledragon, as long as she can teach Root, a gnome esquire, to fly. It just so happens that Root not only has a fear of dragons, but he is completely inept. Slowly an unlikely friendship blooms and together Quenelda and Root must unravel a conspiracy designed to strike at the very heart of the SDS itself.
The Dragon Whisperer is a completely entrancing children’s tale. Every spare moment I had I searched out this book so that I could continue reading. I love that our young protagonist is a girl, and the prejudices she encounters reflect many a young girl’s dream to break into a male dominated industry. Quenelda’s character is refreshing since she too is flawed, and over the course of the book begins to overcome her personal biases. Ms. Hare does an excellent job balancing her world of fierce dragons and rabid hobgoblins with a more whimsical side, such as naming Quenelda’s battledragon Two Gulps and You’re Gone.
The sequel, Dragon Isle will be published in 2010. Quenelda’s special talents hint at a much larger destiny for her, and I’m guessing we will see our slowly maturing heroine overcome ever more drastic situations with Root’s help. The Dragon Whisperer is an excellent debut novel, and can be enjoyed by all ages!
Josh Bazell’s Beat the Reaper tells the story of Dr. Peter Brown, aka Pietro 
“Bearclaw” Brnwa, who used to be a mob hitman and enforcer. Currently in witness protection, he knows that he can be recognized and ratted out while working at Manhattan Catholic, so he it’s only a matter of time before he has to “beat the reaper”.
Dr. Peter Brown is a cynical, dark, and deeply flawed protagonist, which is what makes Beat the Reaper such an exciting read. The book’s action takes place over the course of one day, though it recounts many events from Peter’s (Pietro’s) sordid past. A mobster recognizes him and makes a deal: keep him alive through his harrowing surgery and recovery, and he will never breathe a word about Dr. Brown’s real identity. Should he die at the hospital, Dr. Brown’s identity will be made known to all the wrong people. What happens after this is a messy, gory line of events that is even comical at times. For example, a clandestine meeting at the Russian Baths:
“I thought the idea was to keep Adam out of the mafia,” I said.
At the word “mafia,” Locano looked around.
“Don’t be a Chatty Cathy,” he said. “Even in here.”
“Mafia mafia mafia,” I said.
Dr. Brown’s narcissistic attitude (in addition to popping pills like candy) occasionally reminded me of the infamous Dr. House from House, M.D.
Overall, it was an action packed read, though not always believable— Dr. Brown’s ability to get out of every tight situation is mythically MacGyver-esque.
Note: You will eventually learn the difference between femur and tibia. Beat the Reaper is a fast paced game of Operation, and it will make you jump.
There is also word that Leonardo DiCaprio will be playing Dr. Brown in the cinematic remake. I’m wondering how the shark tank will go over.
