The Seer of Shadows — 5 stars!

I’m not usually a horror type of person. I don’t like read or watch things that are bound to give me nightmares. But I have to admit that I do read some scary stuff. For instance, The Spook’s Apprentice series has some pretty frightening imagery in it, and The Screaming Staircase by Johnathan Stroud was a poor choice of reading material right before I went to bed. But I liked both of those series despite that, because although they scared me, they didn’t deliberately set out to terrify me permanently right from the beginning. A good scare was just part of the story.

I say this because recently I read another book that was good, but at the same time a little scary. The Seer of Shadows, written by award-winning children/YA author Avi, was a book I picked up for totally casual reading. It’s under 200 pages in hardcover, and I fully expected it to be a quick read on a rainy afternoon that would be forgotten in a few weeks.

Not so. The Seer of Shadows is a story told by Horace Carpentine, and despite his (I think) disastrous name, he’s actually a really good guy. Horace is apprenticed to a little-known photographer who thinks very highly of himself, Enoch Middleditch. One day, Middleditch is approached by a wealthy woman called Mrs. Von Macht who requests a photograph to be taken of her, and for some very curious reasons. Her claim is that she wishes to comfort the spirit of her dead daughter Eleanora by placing the photograph upon her tombstone. But the Von Macht’s black servant girl, Pegg, tells Horace just enough to make him wonder if her story is entirely true.

Strange things begin happening to Horace as soon as Mr. Middleditch is employed to take Mrs. Von Macht’s photograph. Horace is allowed to take his first photographs while at the Von Macht’s lavish home, and when he develops them, a frightening figure is revealed—Eleanora’s ghost! The more photographs he takes, the clearer her figure becomes. Worried, he seeks out Pegg to find out more about Eleanora, and too late they realize that his photographs are evoking Eleanora, allowing her to return as a spirit. And Eleanora’s spirit is bent on one thing—revenge upon the Von Macht’s! If she goes unstopped, she will murder them both. Horace may be the only one who can save them, if he can just find a way to send Eleanora back.

This story is set in New York during the year 1872, a time when photography was still a pretty young art. I really liked how Avi captured the mechanics of early photography in this story, right down to the chemicals that were used to develop the pictures, and even how those early cameras were put together. It was very impressive and very authentic to the time period, which is part of what made the story so easy to get sucked into. Photography was very important to the story, and by getting it right, Avi makes you feel like you’re there, in the story.

As for the scare factor, here’s what I have to say. Obviously, The Seer of Shadows is a ghost story, and some people are scared by that kind of thing. I didn’t think ghost stories could really get to me (then again, I don’t read many) but the last fifty pages of The Seer of Shadows were definitely scary. I can’t lie about that. There actually was a point where I had to shut the book and do something else for about five minutes before I could bear to go back to it. So, yes, I would say The Seer of Shadows definitely had some horror elements in it. Words are powerful. There are some books you just can’t read before bed.

But I still liked it—and I mean, really liked it. I think that has to do with the fact that Avi could scare me, using nothing more than words on a page and my own imagination. The fact that he could do that, and do it to the point where I had to remove myself from the story before I went on, is really a testimony to the quality of his writing and story-telling. Not many books can get you emotionally involved in the lives of completely fictional characters in completely fictional events. The ones that do are the ones that you’re not going to forget, and that you’re going to read and reread over and over again. And to me, The Seer of Shadows is one of those books.

That said, I will admit that The Seer of Shadows is probably not for everyone. The scare factor is very real, and for some people it would be overwhelming. It’s taken me a while to get over being scared enough that I could admire the fact that I was scared. It’s probably not the best book to give your twelve-year-old right before bedtime unless you want to give them nightmares. But for a mature reader who can handle it, I’d say: “Go for it. It’s worth it.” Horace and Pegg are great characters, and the mystery of who Eleanora really was and what happened to her adds a lot of depth to the story.

Link to Avi’s website: http://www.avi-writer.com/
Link to Avi’s blog (I’ve read it—great stuff for fans and writers): http://www.avi-writer.com/blog/

Mistborn: The Final Empire ~ 4.5 stars

Mistborn: The Final Empire is the first book in an epic fantasy trilogy by the same name, written by Brandon Sanderson. Normally I find epic fantasies to be a little too mature and just plain long for my tastes, but Mistborn was different. It wasn’t as mature as some I’ve read, and the first book was under 700 pages long, whereas most epic fantasy books that I’ve read approach 1,000 pages. With those two things going for it, as well as a plot and theme that were just plain awesome, Mistborn turned out to be the first epic I have really, really enjoyed.

The story centers around Vin, a skaa and a street urchin living with a crew of thieves in Luthadel, the capitol city of Luthadel. The skaa are the common people of the Final Empire, the peasants, the servants, the slaves, the ones who do the manual labor. They are treated like property by the noblemen, who relax in their opulent homes and casually execute any skaa who looks at them the wrong way. Vin has learned to distrust noblemen and everyone else. Then she falls in with a skaa named Kelsier, and slowly her shell of outer toughness begins to crack.

Kelsier is a man who has seen and experienced much. The scars on his arms mark him as the Survivor of what should have been a death sentence, and he has already tried once to defeat the Lord Ruler who has governed the Final Empire with a will of iron for a thousand years. Besides just being a visionary and a bold thinker, Kelsier has another advantage on his side. He is what is called a Mistborn, a person able to use Allomancy. Allomancy is the ability to harness certain powers through ingesting or “burning” metals. Unlike most of his crew, who can access one of the powers, Kelsier can use them all. And so can Vin.

When she joins his crew, Kelsier is preparing a skaa rebellion — one that he intends to be the largest skaa revolt in the history of the Final Empire. And this rebellion he intends to be a success. As he teaches Vin to use her powers, he and his friends begin the work of rousing the skaa and preparing them to fight the trained soldiers of the Lord Ruler and his ruthless killing machines, the Inquisitors. But rousing the skaa is no easy task. After a thousand years of subjection, most have forgotten what it is to feel any hope of freedom, and they have been beaten down and cowed for so long many do not dare raise their heads. Is being a Mistborn enough to accomplish all that needs to be done?

I enjoyed this book a LOT. As I said before, most epic fantasies that I’ve read have had too much mature content for my tastes. Although Mistborn does have some, it was mostly in a referring-to sort of way, and there was only a little. I was also really happy with the magic and world of Mistborn. There was detail, but not an overwhelming abundance. Brandon Sanderson is very good at creating unique systems of magic and describing them well. He also explained enough of the world for the book to make sense, but left plenty of questions unanswered. I still want to know what the kandra and koloss are, and there’s a lot I don’t know about the Lord Ruler. I am very much looking forward to reading the next two books in this trilogy.

I was also really impressed by the characters in this book. It was the characters who made Mistborn so appealing to me, actually, particularly Kelsier. It was hard not to get caught up in his vision just reading the book. And his character has many layers that are slowly peeled back as the book progresses. Vin’s character also goes through some changes as she goes from a timid, fearful, and very stubborn girl to a confident, brave, and very stubborn young woman with incredible powers. I can honestly say there was nothing I did not like about Kelsier and Vin, and Kelsier’s group of friends and allies were no less intriguing and well-written.

The theme of this book was really, really captivating, though, and is another big reason of why I was so impressed by Mistborn. In this book Brandon Sanderson brings up a very interesting question, especially when relating to books and stories, and that is: what if the good guys don’t always win? What if the bad guys come out on top? On the basis of that question alone, you can expect to find a very interesting story, but Brandon Sanderson also told a story with amazing characters, an intriguing world, and all those other things that make a book great. And for a final point in its favor, this book is less than 700 pages long, even though it’s definitely an epic. If you’re in the mood for a good, well-written fantasy but don’t have 36 consecutive hours to devote to just reading, Mistborn: The Final Empire is definitely one I’d suggest. In fact, I’d suggest the entire Mistborn trilogy, though I haven’t gotten around to reading anything but the first book yet. It was that good.

Dragon Slippers (series review) ~ 4 stars

     The Dragon Slippers trilogy by Jessica Day George consists of Dragon Slippers, Dragon Flight, and Dragon Spear. It's the story of an unlikely heroine who uses her dauntless spirit, courage, and embroidery skills(!) to save her country, save her friends, and save the dragons.

     Creel has never been what you might call a damsel-in-distress. After her aunt tried to foist her off on the local dragon in hopes that some prince would rescue her, Creel set off on her own to make her fortune as a dressmaker. Wearing a pair of slippers given to her by a dragon, she soon finds a job and seems about to realize her dreams. She even strikes up an unlikely friendship with Luka, prince of Feravel, as well as befriending another dragon named Shardas. When the normally peaceful and solitary dragons suddenly attack the people of Feravel, Creel is the only one who believes that they might have been forced to attack. Together, she and Luka discover that not only are Creel's slippers far from ordinary, but that the dragons are being controlled by a foreign princess who intends to conquer Feravel. It will be up to Creel to rescue her friends and point out the person who is really behind the Dragon Wars.

     Dragon Slippers happens to be my favorite of this trilogy. Creel is just getting started on her dressmaking business, and she still has a lot to figure out about dragons. I liked the atmosphere of Feravel, and in this book, you get to find out a lot about Creel and what she's like. In the other books, there's more focus on action and on dragons - and while I love dragons, I really liked Creel. Also, since the romance with Luka is just beginning and Creel's two friends Alli and Marta are more involved in this book, we get more interaction with people in this book.

     In Dragon Flight, everything has just returned to normal, and the humans are beginning to get used to living side by side with dragons again. Creel divides her time between her new dressmaking shop, her reward for ending the Dragon Wars, and spending time with her friend Shardas and his mate Velika, who were both wounded during the war. Then the neighboring country of Citatie declares war on Feravel, and Prince Luka learns that Citatie intends to use dragons in their impeding invasion. Creel, Feravel's resident expert on dragons, is sent to Citatie to find out what she can about this invasion force. Once there, she discovers to her horror that not only are the dragons enslaved and alchemically controlled by the king of Citatie, but that the king of Citatie is being controlled himself - by a white dragon. Before the two countries go to war, which would certainly result in Feravel being destroyed, Creel has to find a way to free the enslaved dragons and defeat the white dragon, who is none other than the brother of Shardas. The fate of dragons and of Feravel hangs in the balance.

     This book definitely concentrated on dragons quite a lot, as well as the strange culture of Citatie. I enjoyed this book because this time, although alchemy was used again, the villain wasn't a person. It was another dragon, and so this was more of a dragon civil war than a war between humans. That aspect lends a voice to this book that is different from the previous one. I really liked this book, but not quite as much as I liked Dragon Slippers.

     Peace between humans and dragons has been restored as Dragon Spear begins. The dragons have flown away to remote islands overseas where they no longer pose a threat to the human kingdoms, even if someone were to find a way to control them again. Creel and Luka, soon to be married, fly to these islands to visit their friends, and arrive just as Velika, Shardas' mate and the queen of the dragons, is kidnapped by rogue dragons. These dragons keep humans as slaves and believe they are the chosen followers of the true dragon queen. Though they consider Velika a pretender, their own queen has died and their eggs are poisoned by the fumes of the volcanic island where they live. Desperate, they have kidnapped the pregnant Velika and intend to raise one of her hatchlings as their new queen. Somehow Creel, Luka, and Shardas will have to find a way to rescue Velika and her eggs, and time is running short. The volcano is about to explode and when it does, no one on the island will survive - not the rogue dragons or their human slaves.

     As different as Dragon Slippers and Dragon Flight were from each other, Dragon Spear is even more different from each of them. I actually like that, because although I get the same characters back each time, I don't have to read a repeat of the last book. Every time I get something fresh. Dragon Spear was definitely a book about the dragons - only three humans really have any significant roles in the book: Creel, Luka, and Creel's brother  Hogan. But as far as dragons are concerned, a lot of the ones from the first two books have returned once again, and some new ones are introduced. I also liked getting a little bit of the background story of the dragons - where they came from, how they governed themselves, what things had happened in their past.

     This trilogy was a real gem. For those who like books about dragons but are having a hard time finding a good dragon book that they haven't already read, this is one to try out. I also want to point out that it's not just a dragon book, it's also a very good story as far as plot, setting, and characters go. Even if you're not one of those people who comb the library and bookstore for the latest books with dragons on the cover, this is a trilogy worth adding to your summer reading list.

     I've reviewed another series by Jessica Day George, the Castle Glower series. Dragon Slippers is more complex and detailed than that one, aimed at a slightly higher reading level, but both of them are definitely Jessica Day George series. She always has characters who aren't just characters, they're individuals. They always have plenty of attitude and spice, which keep the story moving even if it isn't action-packed. Also, I like her romances because for one thing, they never dominate the entire story, they just provide another layer to the plot. And for another thing, the guy character in the romance isn't just there to be the other half, he's a person with as much personality as the girl character. That's something that's missing in quite a lot of books, so its one of the reasons I like her romances.

     Another thing I like about Jessica Day George's books is that she adds that little extra touch to make her characters and her stories definitely different from the books they share the shelf-space at the library with. Yes, there are dragons, a country in peril, wars, and even a romance with a prince. But don't forget that Creel makes dresses for a living. That's her special skill. And actually, her talent for dressmaking and embroidery remains a constant and important feature of each of the books, so you never forget that she's more than just a friend of dragons. In other words, this is definitely a trilogy worth reading, especially for the dragon-loving readers out there.

Link to author website: http://jessicadaygeorge.blogspot.com/

The Books of Umber: Happenstance Found ~ 4 stars

I found P.W. Catanese's first book of The Books of Umber by chance. Part of the reason I checked it out from the library was the fact that Brandon Mull, the author of the Fablehaven series and The Beyonders series, had reviewed it. Our blog's motto is 'Never judge books-or people-by their covers', and I often stick to that rule. But this time I broke it. It just looks so cool!

I know I stay within my book genre preferences. I rarely ever venture out for something new. But going from author to similar author hasn't disappointed me yet, and Brandon Mull's name on this book's cover gained it access to my bookshelf. And gladly so! I was thoroughly pleased by this book. The characters were believable and relatable, though there was some tough love thrown in the mix.

Literally.

On the subject of romance, there is only about 5% out of the 100% goodness in here, and what is mentioned leaves you wanting to hear more. Yes, I said it. More romance. More details, specifically. I love the way Catanese adds mystery to the story. Every hint is subtle, but has a nuclear bomb impact on the reader. That, in my experience, is hard to pull off.

The book begins with a young boy, just awaking, blindfolded, and seemingly alone in a dark environment. As he searches his mind he finds that he has no memory of his past, nor his present, and then someone speaks. And Catanese whisks you away into a world full of mystery and adventure! The boy Happenstance (nicknamed Hap) meets Lord Umber, Sophie, and Oates first thing after he wakes and starts a voyage across the sea on a giant whale-like friend, Boroon, captained by Nima, a part fish, part human young lady. The best bits of the book are the tiny details, and so without giving way and telling the whole story, I cannot say much else.

I will say that Umber is easily my favorite character. His boisterous mood swings, playful attitude, and fun-loving nature catch my attention. But then there are also Sophie, Lady Truden, Happenstance, Balfour...And so the rest are all equals.

I rated this book a four because it held all I was looking for, but it added a sort of cliffhanger at the end, and I know that the next books will continue the mystery. I am trying to leave higher ratings for the future, in other words.

Beyonders trilogy ~ 3 stars

     The Beyonders trilogy, by Brandon Mull, is a story of action, adventure, and courage set in a fantastical world pulled straight from the imagination of the author of the wonderful Fablehaven series. It's one of those books where a kid from our world travels to another place and finds himself the answer to prophecy. That's what Jason is: the answer to a prophecy, the hero who could save the world of Lyrian or destroy it. But he's also just an ordinary, baseball-loving teenager and at heart he's just like every one else.

     Jason comes from the Beyond - that would be our world - and his sudden arrival in a place nothing like Earth couldn't be more startling to him. Lyrian is a place like no other - you won't find another book with a world like Lyrian, and around every corner you're discovering something new about it. It's populated by humans, yes, but there are strange races living there, too, races created years ago by wizards. The food is exotic and varied, and the places Jason adventures to are as diverse as a swampy jungle full of huge frogs to the Tavern-Go-Round, a spinning tavern. All these things provide the backdrop for the story Brandon Mull has prepared.

     Jason, together with Rachel, another teen who has traveled from our world to Lyrian, are set on a quest by the Blind King to find the syllables to a magical world that can destroy the evil, tyrannical wizard Maldor, who seeks to conquer and control the entire world of Lyrian and everyone and everything in it. This quest will be dangerous enough, but no less dangerous than confronting Maldor in his fortress and speaking the word that will save Lyrian. And because of the nature of this series, I can't tell you what happens beyond that. You'll have to read them to find out.

     Now, with this fairly glowing description, maybe you're wondering why I'm only giving this series 3 stars. Here's why.

     In Lyrian, Brandon Mull created an amazingly detailed, intricate, unique world, filled with things and creatures I'd never heard of before, including wizard-born races that you will not find the like of in any fantasy novel you've ever read. Usually that's a good thing. I like to find unique worlds in books, but in Beyonders there was just too much for me to handle. I got lost in all the imagery - and not in a good way. There was so much going on in the background that I had a difficult time following the thread of the story with all these strange names of creatures and things popping up every few pages.

     Secondly, I had problems with the cast of characters in the Beyonders. As far as creating unique characters, Brandon Mull did well, especially with his wizard-born races to draw from. I do have a certain attachment to Ferrin the displacer, and I dare you to read the whole trilogy and hate him. Jason and Rachel were also great people, and the Blind King was...blind, of course, but pretty awesome. The problem for me was that there were other people who would join Jason and Rachel as they set off on each new quest, not so much in the first book, but definitely in the other two. And there were SO MANY of them, each with such a special skill-set that whenever they ran into trouble - and they did - there was always someone perfectly equipped to save their necks.

     Now, having a large cast of characters meant that Brandon Mull could regularly kill a few to remind Jason and Rachel to keep moving, but I find that creating characters and adding them to the story for a bit-part before killing them as a casual reminder isn't a mark of good writing. So between the jack-of-all-trades aspect of Jason and Rachel's ever-growing group of questers and their frequent, sudden deaths just to prove a point, I found the story lacking something. I couldn't get genuinely attached to the characters when I knew they'd be dead in 150 pages or so, only to be replaced by someone just as good or better. 

     Those are my reasons for rating the Beyonders the way I do. Despite having a brilliantly imagined world and a story premise that I loved, technicalities in how the author executed the story just didn't live up to my standards. However, there are lots and lots of people who had loved these books to an insane degree. I've read the reviews on Amazon, and there are fans out there as diehard as any fans of Harry Potter. So if you did like Fablehaven, I think the Beyonders might be worth looking into. It just didn't work for me.

     To sum up my somewhat extended review, let me just say that the first book of this trilogy has already been reviewed on Under Cover Agents by Mountain Gal, my blogging buddy. Check out her review HERE, and hopefully between us we can give a less biased assessment of these books.

Link to author website: http://brandonmull.com/site/beyonders-books

The Dark is Rising (series review) ~ 4 stars

Review requested by Katie

     The Dark is Rising sequence, by Susan Cooper is a mix of Arthurian legends and Irish/Scottish/Welsh folktales where good battles evil in an epic battle that spans all time. Will Stanton is the youngest of the Old Ones, and he is vitally important to this fight. The three Drew children, Simon, Jane, and Barney, are also connected to the fight between the Light and the Dark in ways that even they don't understand.

     In Over Sea, Under Stone, the three Drew children are staying in the seaside village of Tressiwick with their Great-Uncle Merry, who, although he isn't actually related to them, has been a part of their family for as long as they can remember. When Barney finds an ancient map in the attic of the cottage they're vacationing in, it sets them off on a dangerous quest to recover something that will help the Light defeat the Dark forever: the grail. But agents of the Dark have learned about the map as well and they are closing in. I liked the atmosphere of this one - when I started I expected some fluffy story about three kids having a wonderful vacation on the seaside. What I got was just the tip of the iceberg of a very epic, fantastic story that just got bigger and better the further into the series I went.

     The Dark is Rising introduces Will Stanton for the first time, probably my favorite character. The youngest of the Old Ones, beings who wield incredible powers, Will is the last of the Old Ones, the Sign Seeker. It is his task to find the six signs that will be the second of the important tools that the Light can use to defeat the Dark once and for all. The Hunter, a fearsome champion of the Dark, has been assigned to stop Will and steal the signs for the Dark, and Will will need all his wits about him, as well as the help of the first of the old ones, Merriman Lyon. This book was the most complicated of the books. Will goes from a completely ordinary boy to something entirely different, and his journey involves a lot of far-fetched stuff that Susan Cooper somehow makes completely believable under the circumstances. This would be the book I'd reread the most times, just because so much happens.

     Book three of this series, The Greenwitch, is where Will and the Drew children meet for the first time. There's some tension at first as the four of them figure out how to work together, but they've got a very important job to do. The grail has been stolen by the Dark and they have to get it back. Also, a being that belongs to neither the Light or the Dark has possession of a clue that will help strengthen the Light. The Greenwitch is a creature of wild Magic, reborn every year by the women of Tressiwick in a ritualistic ceremony. Together will Merriman Lyon, also known as Great-Uncle Merry, Will and the Drew's have to retrieve the grail and strike a bargain with the unpredictable Greenwitch. What I liked about this book was that this time around, the Old Ones didn't hold all the answers, and the Drews played a very important part in the story, even though they were basically ordinary human beings.

     A new character is added to the group in The Grey King, a Welsh boy called Bran. Will has been sent to Wales for the summer to recover from an illness, and together he and Bran will go on a quest of their own to find a golden harp which must be used to wake the six Sleepers. In this book we get an entirely new setting with its own forces of High Magic, Light, and Dark. There were plot twists here, too, such as Bran's mysterious mother and a dog who can see the wind. What I enjoyed here was getting to see Will working mostly on his own. Merriman was busy elsewhere and wasn't able to help Will directly, unlike in the previous three books. As much as I liked having Merriman show up to save the day, it was good to see Will taking charge in this one, and really learning how to be both an Old One and an (almost) ordinary boy.

     The final installment of The Dark is Rising sequence is Silver on the Tree. In this book, the story takes a more fantastical turn as the allies of both Light and Dark start to gather. Will, Bran, and the three Drew's have a few final tasks to complete, but they are short on time and their enemies are everywhere. In this book, the adventures of Will and Bran are even more magical than before - not only are they stepping out of time, but they're also going to a new dimension in search of the crystal sword. Then the five of them, along with Merriman, have to finish what was started when the grail was found. The Dark is rising, but the Light has gathered everything they need to destroy it once and for all.

     The Dark is Rising sequence was a thoroughly interesting read. It was a pretty epic adventure, but didn't meander on for hundreds and hundreds of pages. It was to the point, which I appreciated because I could really get at the good parts of the story without having to read 2000 pages to get there. I also really liked Will, Bran, and the Drew's. Sometimes Merriman saved the day once too often, but he is the first of the Old Ones, so he has been around for basically forever and it would take a lot to defeat him. Also, the prominence of Arthurian legends and old folktales in the background of these stories was really intriguing. I've always loved mythology of any kind, and Scottish and Irish mythology isn't involved in stories as often as Greek mythology is, so it was a treat to find it here. And lets not even get started on Welsh folklore! After reading these books, I'd really like to see Wales and read some old Welsh stories.

     In other words, thank you, Katie! If you hadn't suggested this series I might never have picked it up on my own!

Link to author website: http://www.thelostland.com/works/yabooks/bk_dircollector.html

Rebellion Under the Stars ~ 3 stars

Review requested by Copper Dirt.


     Rebellion Under the Stars, by Katherine Marie, is another recent read for me. It's a story of adventure, rebellion, loyalty, and perseverance. The kingdom of Zaracor is about to be attacked by a mysterious and relentless force, led by a man driven by ambition and greed. Help must come if Zaracor is to survive the rebellion - and help is far away. An attack will soon be launched on the City, the home of the King of Zaracor.

     A varied cast of characters find themselves burdened with the task of saving the kingdom. Selena, a commoner girl, and her close friend, Prince Johnathan of Zaracor. Master Jolan, a man with many secrets, but still the closest and wisest advisor of King Charles of Zaracor. MacKenna, the daughter of a blacksmith, who has strange and frightening visions of the future. And Marzena, a powerful and mysterious woman who lives in the forest just outside the City. Working together and separately, its up to them to find out how Zaracor can be saved - or if that's even possible.

     Rebellion Under the Stars is a brand new book that was just published in December of 2014. In fact, it was self-published by Katherine Marie, a blogger and writer and now new author that I follow. The fact that Rebellion Under the Stars is a self-published book, and also the first book Katherine Marie has ever had published makes it more of a challenge to review than other books I've done, but I'll give it my best shot.

     First of all, as a self-published book, it was better than some I've seen. Often I find self-published authors to have poor spelling and punctuation or tons of typos which aren't in books published and edited by big companies. Also, I've read books where the self-published author was too lazy to make sure their formatting was consistent throughout the book - sometimes words are spaced widely in one place and indented from the page in another place. This is just confusing to read and jolts the reader out of the story. Rebellion Under the Stars had none of these problems - there were two or three typos, but formatting was consistent. 

     One other thing I noticed is that there were no chapter breaks. Instead, there would be a bit of a page break when the story switched narrators or an important event was completed. This was a bit exhausting to read after a while. I found that when I didn't have chapter breaks to mark my progress, the story would drag a little bit. Still, it was an interesting choice and gives the book a distinctive voice. But as self-published authors go, Katherine Marie did a good job making sure the outward appearance of Rebellion Under the Stars wasn't disruptive to the story.

     As for the story, I have a few comments to make about that, both positive and negative. The things that bugged me about Rebellion Under the Stars was partly the big cast of characters. In most books, there are lots of named characters, and sometimes more than one narrator. I've read books with as many as four narrators, and that can be hard to cope with. Rebellion Under the Stars had seven or more narrators, I may have forgotten one or two. With that many narrators, you have to use a somewhat omniscient style of writing, otherwise you risk blending the characters together in the story. Unfortunately, in a story the length of Rebellion, I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters very well, which is important. Primarily, though, my difficulty was that I couldn't decide who the main character was out of so many narrators.

     Also, each of these characters has their own story, and with seven or more to deal with, I as a reader wasn't able to discover much about their histories. By the end of the book, I was left with tantalizing hints of secrets and hidden pasts for several of the characters, but nothing concrete. However, Katherine Marie has talked about a sequel/prequel for Rebellion, so maybe another book will clear that up.

     The positive things I have to say about Rebellion Under the Stars have to do with the writing style of Katherine Marie herself, not specifically Rebellion. I enjoyed the story, don't get me wrong, but I just felt like there wasn't enough for it to be special to me. Her writing style and grasp of story mechanics: characters, scenes, dialogue, action - all the stuff that make a story stick with you - were good. She wrote scenes that made sense, she knew what her setting was and could describe it and the characters inside it. And although I doubt she had a professional editor paid to edit her story, Rebellion shows that she put the time and effort into editing herself and did a good job. If she writes more stories, which I hope she does, I'd definitely be willing to try them.

     In the end, Rebellion was a pretty good book from a first-time self-published author. It shows bravery from the author to be willing to make herself the face of her book, and not some publishing company, since she'll have to do all the footwork to get her book known (though maybe my reviews and other reader responses will help). I thought the story was interesting, and though it could have used a bit of tightening to clearly bring the plot together and showcase the characters ideally, it was a nice debut novel. Good job, Katherine Marie!

Link to author website: https://kmariecreativity.wordpress.com/
Links to Rebellion Under the Stars page: https://kmariecreativity.wordpress.com/rebellion/

The Screaming Staircase - 4.5 stars

Second edition cover

     The Screaming Staircase by Johnathan Stroud is another new book I picked up recently. Johnathan Stroud wrote the Bartimeaus Sequence - I reviewed the first book in that series earlier. I've liked most of what I've read from Stroud. A few of his stand-alone novels didn't appeal to me much, but I've always liked the Bartimeaus Sequence, so when I saw he was writing another series, I gave it a go.

     The Screaming Staircase is the first book in the Lockwood and Co. series. It could be only a trilogy, which would be a shame, but since it's not finished yet - the second book in the series, The Whispering Skull, only came out September 2014 - I don't know. But so far, I've really enjoyed the first two books, so I'm probably going to be getting myself any sequels he comes up with.

     This story is set in London. A sinister Problem has been troubling the world for nearly fifty years now. All manner of ghosts and spirits have begun to appear in rapidly increasing numbers, and they don't appear to be friendly. Unfortunately, only young people have the ability to perceive these spirits. Many different agencies have sprung up, employing hundreds of adolescents and children to find and destroy these Visitors, as the spirits are called.. Lucy Carlyle is a brave and talented young agent with the ability to hear the Visitors. When she teams up with clever, charismatic Anthony Lockwood and his mildly repulsive assistant George, they all have hopes that the agency is about to make its mark on the world.

     Unfortunately this is not to be, and after their latest case ends disastrously with a house going up in flames, Lockwood and Co. face the possible end of their new agency. To save it, they must brave the most dangerous haunted house in London, perhaps in all of England. Combe Carey Hall has a reputation of spirits and hauntings that stretches back several centuries - long before the Problem really began. Can the three intrepid agents survive the horrors of the Screaming Staircase and the Red Room? Can they put an end to the haunting of Combe Carey Hall, or will they be the next three lives the forces of that house have taken?

     The Screaming Staircase was definitely a page-turner. Stroud balanced the comfy relationship of the three-person agency with a lot of fast-paced action and really dangerous situations. I was also really captivated by the originality of the plot. The story is set in slightly post-modern London, but it wasn't sci-fi at all. Something else that I found was interesting was the fact that agents use rapiers to fight Visitors - what's not to like about some dashing teens with flashing, silver-coated blades? Furthermore, there was definitely a mystery element to this story, and although the clues were there, I was kept deliciously guessing the entire time. I think you can agree that that's a mark of very good story-telling.

First edition cover

     As for the characters of The Screaming Staircase, they display Stroud's trademark sarcasm and humor. If you're like me and couldn't get enough of Bartimeaus in the Bartimeaus Sequence then the characters in Lockwood and Co. have a taste of that same sharp wit and irresistible, careless charm. Lucy is a very plucky and extremely admirable young lady. I didn't expect her to be my favorite, but she is, hand's down. It's also hard not to be charmed into liking the irrepressible Lockwood, and though I still have my doubts about George, he turned out to be a good egg after all. 

     Another mark of Stroud's ability to write very, very good stories is the Visitors. The descriptions of ghosts, spirits, and other things not quite of this world that stem from the Problem are incredibly riveting, and though I really should say 'realistic' that's what I'm going to go with. I honestly wished I hadn't started to read the climax after dark, because what they encountered in the Red Room was actually pretty scary stuff. If you've got a problem with getting emotionally involved with a book and getting as freaked out as the characters are, then you'll probably want to save The Screaming Staircase for strictly daytime reading.

     Other than that, The Screaming Staircase was a captivating and fun read from an author I know and trust to write good, high-quality material and tell intriguing stories. I'm actually really impatient for the next book to be published.

Link to series website: http://www.lockwoodandco.com/

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (guest review) ~ 5 stars

Guest review by Eli Hansen

     Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is the title of an epic fantasy series by Tad Williams. The title is deceptive, since the name of the trilogy is not the name of the three books, which are titled The Dragonbone Chair, The Stone of Farewell, and To Green Angel Tower. My name is Eli Hansen, and epic fantasy is definitely my cup of tea – perfect for my guest review on my sister's blog.

     One thing we can all agree on is that this is an exceptionally long story. Altogether, the edition of the series that I own was about 2600 pages long. That's close to even the Harry Potter series, and I can assure you that Tad Williams' writing is much more complex than J. K. Rowling's early work. 

     In fair warning, this series was also one of the slowest series to "get in to" that I've ever read. Some reviewers say it takes 100 pages in to the first book to really get moving, others say 200 pages, and others say it takes half of the book before the story really get started. In my opinion the story really didn't get so exciting that I didn't want to put the book down until I was 600 pages in, almost all the way through the first book! Even for a seasoned reader, that's a long time to stick with a book that just doesn't seem all that great at first glance before you get to the good part. I would almost have to say it was poor writing. To me, the set up for the rest of the story was worth it, but I've had a hard time getting other readers (like my sister!) past the long intro to the rest of the trilogy without losing their interest. 

     Once you do get past the intro, however, you get to all the good things that I enjoy about Tad Williams' writing. For one thing, he keeps it real. The protagonist of his story starts out as a servant boy at the castle and over the course of 2600 pages, he develops from a simple adolescent who dreams of achieving great things, but would rather avoid responsibility, to being a strong leader and actually becoming the ruler of the human kingdom. But the development of this young man's character is never as if the author waved a magic wand and suddenly made him into a saint with all the virtues of a fairytale hero. Through the experiences he faces, the character actually comes to adulthood. I don't know any better example of character development in a piece of fictional writing.

     The other fantasy races that Tad Williams uses in his story also help to keep it real. He takes races like elves and dwarves and succeeds in making them really unique and distinct. Their motivations, their thoughts, and their culture are different and much stronger than the stereotypes that are typically portrayed for those races. 

     Another characteristic of Tad Williams' writing is that it's very dark. The situations his characters encounter can be very desperate, and you never actually know which ones will survive to see "happily ever after." Personally, I enjoyed the dark style of writing in the series; however, I know it can be offputting to some. Who wants to read about more suffering when there's already plenty of it to go around in the real world? As a sidenote, of all the books that Tad Williams has written, this is actually the least dark and grim.

     The plot of the series is definitely archetypical of the classic fantasy or fairytale type of story. It has some elements of mystery mixed in as well. I guess the reason I like it so much is that it is such an epic fantasy tale, but it does not resort to the kinds ofdeus ex machina and implausibilities that are so common in the genre, like waving the author's magic wand to change a formerly shallow and selfish character into a brave and self-sacrificing hero with no explanation for his change of heart. The characters, though, are the best part of the story – all very realistic in their choices and their motivations.

     The length of the story and the dark style of writing definitely make it a series for an experienced reader. There is some adult content; while it's not too overt, nor is it the focus of the story, it's there, so beware. The best thing I can say about the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series is that it will blow you away with its depth. It takes a plotline that really is a classic example of fantasy and makes it so much more than its stereotype. A piece of "easy reading" it is not, but if you like writing that challenges you and really makes you think to keep up with the author, you will really enjoy Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. I encourage you to give it a read!

     Noodle: Thanks, Eli! He has is own website and blog over at www.elihansenart.com which you should really check out. Eli asked me to review this series, but I really think we can all agree he did a better job of it than it than I would have.

The Grimm Legacy ~ 3 stars

     The Grimm Legacy, by Polly Shulman, was a spontaneous read for me. I've never heard of Shulman before, or read any of her writing, but when I stumbled across the book on Amazon, I thought it looked interesting, particularly the cover. The description also said that it involved the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales, like Hansel and Gretel, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and lots of the more obscure ones - ever heard of Jordina and Joringel? That one isn't exactly a bedtime story, I can tell you that. But I like fairy tales - even the obscure ones - so I decided to give The Grimm Legacy a go.

     The Grimm Legacy starts out like some sort of modern day mystery-and-magic story, with an ordinary teenage girl called Elizabeth going to an ordinary high school and having ordinary crushes on -- well, not on ordinary guys, but you get the idea. The story quickly takes a turn in a very interesting direction, however, when Elizabeth is hired to work at a library/museum call the repository. The repository contains the largest collection of items in the world. And not just any collection. Not only do they have one of nearly every kind of shoe, household item, tool, article of clothing, and even book that has ever been created, there are also special vaults that hold certain, important, powerful items.

     Items that appear to come straight from the pages of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales. And when Elizabeth is allowed to work in these vaults, she learns that some of them are actually really magical, just like in the stories. These magical items, along with anything else in this enormous collection, can be borrowed. But some of the magical items are losing their power or being replaced with fakes! It's up to Elizabeth and her coworkers, Anjali, Marc, and Aaron, to solve the mystery and return the items - without getting themselves caught, fired, or turned into statues by the thief. 

     For the first five or six pages of The Grimm Legacy, I was wondering if this was going to turn out to be another middle-grade level story about problems in school, witches and wizards, and teen romances. I've read a few of those, and they've never struck me as particularly interesting, or well-written. But The Grimm Legacy isn't one of those - it's amazingly unique. Although it does have elements of a middle-age story about a girl in high school with crushes on boys, it also has a dash of magic that spruces up that otherwise dreary concept and makes it something that's actually very entertaining to read.

     I was, however, a little disappointed by the romance. Elizabeth starts the book with a crush on Marc, a basketball player for her school's team. She also gets to know Aaron, who works with her at the repository. For most of the book, I was never sure which guy she'd end up with, because Marc sometimes seemed to be dating Anjali, who Aaron had a crush on. I know, confusing. And that was part of what turned me off. But the romances were also a little cookie-cutter - a little too perfect. Maybe that's just me, but they didn't really detract from the story.

     In the end, I liked it enough to be interested in how it ended, and I may check out the sequel, The Well's Bequest. It's not a book I'm going to reread frequently, but it was fun while it lasted. And it was a pretty well-written story, with an interesting plot, and just enough characters to be fun, without getting over-complicated. It's not really a boys' book, but my younger sister is reading it now, and I think she's going to like it at least as much as I did.

Link to author website: http://www.pollyshulman.com/

Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends--3 Stars

This particular story was intriguing to me. It wasn't too deep, but it drew me in because I wanted to read what happened. I enjoy books like that, especially when it includes fantasy.

Shannon Hale, the author of these stories, is one of my favorite authors in my book. She always makes me feel like I'm on a first name basis with her characters, and although The Storybook Of Legends gave a younger-reader vibe, I had no trouble feeling that way with this book.

I will continue this series out of curiosity, I think, but honestly, this series was initially geared toward the interests of, say, my little sister. It was amusing to read Madeline Hatter's energy as she talked and played with Raven Queen.
Raven has but one friend in her whole school, Ever After High, which is run by the brothers Grimm. Due to her mother's reputation for poisoning Snow White in her story, no one likes Raven, and everyone ignores her. Except when they feel threatened by her; then they run around screaming and panicking.

Apple White, on the contrary, is the most popular girl in school. Beautiful, smart, and heiress of the perfect story, everyone that runs from Raven runs to Apple. Her destiny and story is entwined with Raven's, so to her it is very important that Raven does everything right. But when Raven refuses to accept that her destiny is to be evil, the stories are mixed and it is up to the girls working together to fix them.

There is not one account that I can remember that included deep gore, and so that was a plus for me. Again, I believe it was geared toward younger children and their interests. I'll have my sister read it and see what she thinks as well!

Snow White and Rose Red ~ 4 stars

I’ve been a Patricia C. Wrede reader for several years now. She wrote a few Star Wars novels and I've also enjoyed her Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I’ve always liked the spicy, distinct characters in her books, so when I saw she had also written a retelling of the old fairy tale about Snow White and Rose Red, I thought I’d give it a go.

It wasn't quite what I expected from Patricia C. Wrede. I was used to reading her more recent publications, but Snow White and Rose Red was one of the first stories she had published, and her writing has changed a lot since then. Snow White and Rose Red follows the original fairy tale closely enough that I could see where the parallels were, but the characters had changed enough that the story was obviously "wearing new clothes" as I like to put it. It had been fleshed out and made more intricate. All the leaps of logic, typical of old fairy tales, had been ironed out and explained.

Patricia C. Wrede's Snow White and Rose Red is the story of two beautiful sisters, Blanche and Rosamund, who live with their widowed mother near the border of the world of the fay. When a half-fay, half-mortal man called Hugh is subjected to human magic and forced to take the shape of a bear, kind Blanche and Rosamund try to do everything they can to return him to his original shape. This means taking the considerable risk of being discovered and tried as witches by suspicious neighbors. In the end, they need the help of Hugh's brother John, another half-fay, to break the spell. In so doing, they discover that Hugh's transformation was the result of a plot to tear the human world and the world of the fay apart. 

The story concludes with the classic fairy tale ending: the fair maidens wed their new sweethearts, the half-fay Hugh and John. Usually I don't like these kinds of endings, because it makes the romances very unrealistic, but Patricia C. Wrede did an admirable job of making the relationships between the characters real enough that I could see them getting married.

I found Snow White and Rose Red to be a fairly entertaining story. It was written with a more reserved, strict style than other fairy tale retellings that I’ve read. It doesn't have the very personal style that most novels published in the past 5 or 6 years have, but this is mainly because Snow White and Rose Red was published in 1989, before that style of writing became popular. In fact, the style of Snow White and Rose Red is great for that story, because it makes it read more like a fairy tale and adds grace and elegance to it. I also enjoyed the way the original fairy tale was restructured for Wrede’s retelling, and I think that her revision of it added a lot of appeal to the story.

The biggest thing that I noticed about Snow White and Rose Red was the language. Wrede uses ‘thee’ and ‘thou’, in addition to the usual ‘you.’ Other changes to the language, such as some of the more archaic forms of words (forsooth, seemth), and even the use of ‘an’ in the place of 'if' in some cases, all make the language a little more challenging to less experienced readers. To me, these things just added to the unique style of the book, since it hearkens back to an older way of speaking. But for other, less patient readers, this might make it too difficult to be interesting. My twelve-year-old sister Jo also read Snow White and Rose Red, and although she enjoyed it, she did say that the language was sometimes an impediment.

So, in the end, I would just say this.

"An thou can read and understand it, thou’lt know why I sayeth that it seems a goodly book."

Link to author website: http://pcwrede.com/

Poison ~ 4 stars

Poison, by Bridget Zinn, is a new book to me. I first heard about it when I read a review posted on a blog I follow - Katherine Marie: Writer of Dreams. Find her review HERE. I decided to give Poison a shot after reading Katherine Marie's review, so here's what I thought of it.

Poison is Bridget Zinn's first and only novel - she died in 2011, two years before her book was actually published. Poison is the story of potions master Kyerra, a sixteen-year-old girl who specializes in making perfumes and potions - and poisons. She never imagined she would one day have to use her skills to kill her best friend, the Crown Princess in order to save the kingdom. But the poisoned dart she threw missed, and now Kyerra is on the run, trying to track down the missing princess without getting caught and thrown into the dungeon by the royal guards. With the aid of a magical piglet and a handsome stranger called Fred, Kyerra must find a way to save the kingdom from destruction and ruin. And if she can at all avoid it, she’d like to avoid having to kill her best friend.

I enjoyed Poison more than I expected I would. Going strictly by the title and the cover, I was expecting a more gritty, gut-wrenching story, but I actually found that the story had many similarities to the Castle Glower series that I just recently reviewed. Poison is comfortable, engaging, and funny, with plenty of laughs and moments of light-heartedness. It's a story that gradually reveals the backstory of each of the characters and the events that brought them where they are - a very engaging way to tell a story. There was plenty of action and adventure as well, and a strong mystery element that kept me guessing at every new chapter.

Poison is a book I picked up for fun, casual reading, not a deep, morally engaging story. It was fun, funny, and amusing. I actually laughed while reading it, and not every amusing book can do that for me. I found Poison had an interesting, well-written plot, fascinating and funny characters, and the right mix of charm. What could be more charming than Rosie, the magical piglet? It's unfortunate that Bridget Zinn died before she could write a sequel - I bet it would have been a barrel of laughs.

Poison website: http://bridgetzinn.com/index.php

Castle Glower series - 4 stars

     The Castle Glower series by Jessica Day George is a very charming story about a girl, a griffin, and a castle that is constantly changing. I wouldn't normally describe a series with the word 'charming', since that might give you the idea that it's just another 100 page kid story. But this series really is charming: pleasant, agreeable, and even lovable.

     The story throughout the three published books in this unfinished series is interesting in itself - first the Castle in ambushed, then Celie, the princess of Sleynth, secretly hatches a griffin, and finally she and her siblings are transported to the original home of Castle Glower. I always enjoy a good story about children solving problems bigger than themselves, and Princess Celie does a very good job of that in every book of the series. Also, I was intrigued by the concept the series is built around: the mysterious Castle Glower. It almost seems to be alive, creating new rooms every few days or taking away old ones. No one is sure why or where the rooms come from or where they go to when they disappear. 

     Besides the interest of Castle Glower, the characters are also fun. First of all is Princess Celie, who is a plucky girl of twelve years. She's a fairly practical princess, and she's mapped most of Castle Glower, and is always adding the new rooms to her map. Also, she's Castle Glower's favorite person, and she can count on it to help her in it's own way when she really needs it. When the Castle is under attack, Celie is the best person to help save it. And when the Castle starts to fall apart and no one knows why, Celie is the one who understands the clues the Castle is leaving for them. Besides her special connection to the Castle, Celie is also smart and cheerful even when things get bad.

     Her brother Rolf and sister Lilah are also enjoyable characters, and they're both sweet and act just like family would. Then there's the quaint, dog-loving Prince Lulath and Lilah's sweetheart, Pogue. And there's even a griffin that Celie names Rufus, which is a cute name for a griffin.

     Besides having a great story premise and fun characters, the Castle Glower series is a nice series in other ways. One thing I really enjoyed was that when Celie is in big trouble, she goes to her family for help. In lots of stories, this doesn't happen and the character has to rough it out on their own for various reasons. While there's no problem with this - and in fact, I enjoy it a lot - there's something refreshing and appealing about a character who gets some help for once. Another thing I enjoyed was Celie's sassy sense of humor. I always enjoy characters with a sense of humor.

     I bet the Castle Glower series won't build up a fan base like the Harry Potter series or Lord of the Rings, but they're still a fun, enjoyable read. Not every book has to be a hit series to be good, or even to be someone's favorite. The Castle Glower series isn't my favorite series, but it's one that I have had a good time reading. I'd definitely recommend it, especially to kids. It's about that reading level, is completely clean, and is a very fun series. It might not be entertaining to more advanced readers, but I found it worth reading and definitely worthy of four stars.

Link to author website: http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com/

Forest Born - 5 stars

     Forest Born, the last book in The Books of Bayern series, is my personal favorite. It is the story of Razo's sister Rin, the only girl in a large family from the Forest. Rin is a quiet girl, and everybody thinks of her as her mother's shadow. But Rin has secrets of her own that no one has ever guessed at.

     Rin has a connection to trees that goes beyond the ordinary understanding that all people who live in the Forest have. Rin can feel them in a way that is beyond her understanding. But after she does something terrible, something which makes her ashamed to be herself, the trees turn against her and she can find no comfort in the Forest. If Rin is ever going to feel right in her own self again, she must find out how to fix what is wrong inside. 

     But she can't do that at home in the Forest among her family, so she goes with Razo to the capital city to be a waiting woman for Queen Isi. Rin admires Isi's quiet strength and her confidence and wishes she could feel that way herself. When Isi learns that there are hostile fire-speakers in Bayern again, attacking her husband's soldiers, she sets out to stop them forever, taking Enna and Dasha with her. And Rin, who is determined to stay near Isi, follows them. 

     But it's not fire-speakers who pose the greatest threat to Bayern and to Isi. Selia is back, the girl who tried to have Isi killed when she first came to Bayern so that she could become the queen. Selia escaped from her death sentence and now she's revealed herself once again. Isi and her friends are her prisoners, and it's up to Rin to somehow break them free so that Selia can be defeated once and for all. That will be harder than it sounds, because Selia has Rin's brother Razo and Isi's little son Tusken in her power. Rin will need all the courage she has to be brave enough to do what needs to be done. And in doing so, she will realize why she feels broken inside.

     Forest Born resonated strongly with me. It's a story about a girl who feels lost inside herself and doesn't know who she is. Rin is afraid of what she could become, and doesn't realize the greatness of the gifts she has been given. I found myself identifying with Rin as I read this book because she reminded me of myself. One of Shannon Hale's greatest talents as a writer is to be able to create characters who the readers can identify with as if they were themselves, and that's something to be admired in an author. When Rin is afraid of herself and when she tries to be like other people to feel more right inside, I feel her pain. 

     Forest Born was written incredibly well. Particularly captivating to me was Rin's voice as a narrator. Growing up in a rustic, backwoods family who have a blunt, down-to-earth way of speaking, Rin describes things in a way that always harks back to her roots. She is a character who is more strongly rooted in her family than even she realizes, and it's those roots that make her strong. And once she finds the balance in her gifts, Rin can find peace and contentment within herself, something that she has been missing. 

     Its hard for me to describe how much I love Forest Born. As I said, its my favorite of The Books of Bayern series. I suppose I identify with it so much right now because of where I am as a person, but no matter what age you are it's still a rewarding, compelling story. Also, like all the other books in this series, it can stand alone, although it's a bit easier to understand if you've read the other books first. And since they're all worth reading, why not?

Link to author website: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html