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The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell

Posted on February 2, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • I’ve been hearing great things about this one – and the cover is fantastic!

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Twelve-year-old Clara Dooley has spent her whole life in the Glendoveer mansion, where her mother is a servant to the kind and elderly matron of the house. Clara has never known another home. In fact, she’s confined to the grand estate due to a mysterious heart condition. But it’s a comfortable life, and if it weren’t for the creepy squawking birds in the aviary out back, a completely peaceful one too.

But once old Mrs. Glendoveer passes away, Clara comes to learn many dark secrets about the family. The Glendoveers suffered a horrific tragedy: their children were kidnapped, then drowned. And their father George Glendoveer, a famous magician and illusionist, stood accused until his death. As Clara digs deeper and deeper into the terrifying events, the five birds in the aviary seem to be trying to tell her something. And Clara comes to wonder: what is their true identity? Clara sets out to solve a decades-old murder mystery—and in doing so, unlocks a secret in her own life, too. Kathleen O’Dell deftly weaves magic, secret identities, evil villians, unlikely heroes, and the wonder of friendship into a mystery adventure with all the charm of an old fashioned classic.

My Review:

This is what I love about literature.  That I can pick up a book like The Aviary and enjoy the story, smile and put it down.  Then, I can pick up a book of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and see very, very interesting parallels between The Aviary and a story about seven ravens.  And all of the sudden, The Aviary takes on entirely different overtones.

So this story is, unfortunately, predictable – but in spite of that, it’s fun.  It’s a fantastic story for middle-graders, and even though I guessed everything that was happening just before it was revealed, I still enjoyed the revelation when it happened.  There’s elements of The Secret Garden, the Grimm’s Fairy Tale mentioned about, and some other bits and pieces of childhood favorites, and everything meshes together to create a thoroughly enchanting world – I mean, what little girl or boy wouldn’t love the thought of a secret child locked away in an old mansion? (Although, now that I think about it – the story was on par with the Grimm’s Tales in a way!)

This is one I recommend if you are looking for a fairy-tale-like story with a bit of a darker tone to it.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Chicks Dig Books

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Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt

Posted on January 27, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • The cover looked interesting.

I recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Eden Newman must mate before her 18th birthday in six months or she’ll be left outside to die in a burning world. But who will pick up her mate-option when she’s cursed with white skin and a tragically low mate-rate of 15%? In a post-apocalyptic, totalitarian, underground world where class and beauty are defined by resistance to an overheated environment, Eden’s coloring brands her as a member of the lowest class, a weak and ugly Pearl. If only she can mate with a dark-skinned Coal from the ruling class, she’ll be safe. Just maybe one Coal sees the Real Eden and will be her salvation her co-worker Jamal has begun secretly dating her. But when Eden unwittingly compromises her father’s secret biological experiment, she finds herself in the eye of a storm and thrown into the last area of rainforest, a strange and dangerous land. Eden must fight to save her father, who may be humanity’s last hope, while standing up to a powerful beast-man she believes is her enemy, despite her overwhelming attraction. Eden must change to survive but only if she can redefine her ideas of beauty and of love, along with a little help from her “adopted aunt” Emily Dickinson.

My Review:

I don’t do pure negative reviews very often – usually there’s some sort of saving grace in a book, a storyline I like, a character I admired, something I can pull from the book, but I can’t do it here.

Let’s look at the list of things that got to me:

1. Reverse racism.  Foyt tried an experiment and, in my opinion, failed.  Something that is a basic cornerstone of good writing is show, don’t tell.  Don’t include a word and then reference it as being a “racist” term, in those exact words!  There’s no need to turn history around to prove a point either.  White-face bands?  Reverse slavery/abuse?  The whole idea just rubbed me the wrong way – especially since the idea for her earth was actually a good one, and so much could have been done with it that was fresh and new.

2. Beastiality.  Have we gotten to the point that we’re angel/demon/vampire/werewolf/witch/mermaid/fairy -’d out?  Do we really need to turn to beastial creatures to get that hot, romance-y, steam fix?  I cannot tell you how much times “tail” was mentioned that seemed to get Eden all hot and bothered, and oh my goodness, it gave me the heebie-jeebies.

3. Plot.  I couldn’t really find one.  I mean, I could find a spoiled brat of a girl, but .. was the plot her intention to actually get away? or was it that she protests too much? or was it that.. you know, I don’t know.  If you read this book, and like it, please tell me what the plot was?  75% in, I was talking about this book to a friend, and she asked what the plot was and it blew me away that I couldn’t articulate it.

I love dystopia books, I love science fiction, I love a good story with racial tension in it, it gets my mind working (Go read Tankborn by Karen Sandler).  But, other than a spark of what could have been, I just didn’t find much of anything to like in this story.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Books Glorious Books

The Aussie Zombie

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Double Feature – Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith

Posted on January 19, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • I’ve had this on my TBR for two years, figured it was time to get around to it.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

A deathbed promise to their father sends a daring girl and her brother off to war. Filled with intrigue, romance, and magic, this spellbinding novel is a dramatic coming-of-age story about a girl who rises from impoverished beginnings to take command of her own fate.

My Review:

Sherwood Smith, why oh why are your covers so horrifically bad?  Because girl… you can write oh so good.  Seriously, as I read this fantastic gem of a young adult fantasy duo I felt like pumping my fist and shouting GIRL POWER quite happily.  Because this girl, this Meliara, she knocked my socks off.

So basically this story starts with an impoverished member of the court and his two kids, a boy and a girl.  The girl has been left to her own devices, she’s run wild, and she does not have a good impression of the finery and snobbery of the court off in the distance.  But now.. her father is dying and the duchy is left to both girl and boy.  And to make matters worse – it appears they are going to war.

Meliara is gutsy in a very good way.  She doesn’t have magical powers that allow her to pick up a sword and kick some butt, she’s too petite for that, and Sherwood realistically portrays that weakness.  Instead, she sneaks, she spies, and she does what she firmly believes to be best.  From captures to escapes, double-crossings and alliances, and then to the scene at court and the flirtations, parties and secrets, this story moves quickly and had me flipping pages and very grateful that the edition I read had both books combined.

This is a satisfying, little gem of a fantasy that is the perfect solution for those of you out there who are tired of cliffhangers and want to read a good, solid story that will have you cheering and maybe even tearing up a little bit at the conclusion.

Check out these reviews!

Steph Su Reads

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Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Posted on January 13, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • I love reading Maria Snyder’s books.  This one was no exception.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life…

My Review:

I’ve come to expect awesome things from Maria Snyder.  She writes about strong females, the perfect touch of magic, action, a little bit of romance – basically everything that makes the teenager in me giggle with delight.  Her latest book, Touch of Power, provided all those things.

Seriously, if you want to lose yourself in a good book, and know you have an entire day to allow yourself to get lost in it, you cannot fail with picking up one of Snyder’s books.  With Touch of Power, I found myself trapped away in this world where healing is not considered to be a good thing, and the young heroine is on the run…constantly.  So much so, in fact, even I was out of breath reading it!

The imagination of Snyder is to be envied.  The Death Lilies were magnificent – so incredibly interesting. The choice having to be made by Avry was heart-breaking .. how would you choose?  The combination of interesting characters, rough situations, and action scenes kept me reading from beginning to end in one sitting.  And that, my friends, is fun reading.

Check out these reviews!

In the Good Books

Bookalicious

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The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams

Posted on January 4, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • I read a fantasy book years ago, and after wracking my brain (and my friend’s), we thought this might be it.

I also  recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

In the peaceful land of Osten Ard, the good king is dying-and a long-dreaded evil is about to be unleashed. Only Simon, a lowly castle scullion apprenticed to a secret order dedicated to halting the coming darkness, can solve the dangerous riddle that offers salvation to the land.

My Review:

I am not gonna lie to you – this is some hardcore fantasy.  I mean, I consider myself to be fairly well-read at this point in the whole fantasy genre thing… but this was nearly out of my league.  It was like stepping into this room filled with all sorts of fantastic, historical facts and then made to watch a movie that assumed you had a passing knowledge of at least 50% of those facts.  History lessons filled the pages in this first novel, and add into that a fair amount of world-building, in addition to some pretty heavy politics happening and it makes for a book that packs a helluva punch.

What kept me going though was Simon.  I loved that moonfaced boy, and I wanted to know what will happen to him.  I loved the myth of the three swords, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn – for whom the series is named after.  And I ABSOLUTELY adored the Sithi – seriously, I haven’t felt that much love for a race of fantasy creatures since I was introduced to Tolkien’s elves.  Loved, loved, loved them.

If you are a fantasy reader, and want a definite challenge – but one that is worth the challenge just for the Sithi and Simon alone, I recommend this series.  I do plan to finish it – but first.. I need to recover a bit.  I’m telling you, this was a helluva read.

Check out these reviews!

Riotous Reading

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The Hermetica of Elysium by Annmarie Banks

Posted on December 28, 2011
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Reason for Reading:
  • Medieval adventure? Sounds fun!

I also  recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

1494 Barcelona. As Torquemada lights the fires of religious fervor throughout the cities of Spain, accused heretics are not the only victims. Thousands of books and manuscripts are lost to the flames as the Black Friars attempt to purge Europe of the ancient secrets of the gods and the bold new ideas that are ushering in the Renaissance.

Nadira lives a dreary life as servant to a wealthy spice merchant until the night a dying scholar is brought to the merchant’s stable, beaten by mercenaries who are on the hunt for The Hermetica of Elysium. To Nadira, words are her life: she lives them as her master’s scrivener and dreams them in her mother’s poetry. She is pursued as passionately as the fabled manuscript for her rare skill as a reader of Ancient Greek, Latin, Arabic and Hebrew that makes her valuable to men who pursue the book to exploit its magic.

Kidnapped by Baron Montrose, an adventurous nobleman, she is forced to read from the Hermetica. It is soon revealed to her that ideas and words are more powerful than steel or fire for within its pages are the words that incite the Dominicans to religious fervor, give the Templars their power and reveal the lost mysteries of Elysium.

My Review:

I. loved. this. book.

Gutsy heroine? Check.  Intelligence? Check.  Action and Adventure? Check.  A touch of romance? Check. Fantastic setting? Check.

Seriously – everything needed to make a very interesting, historical novel that is very, very, very difficult to put down.

Nadira is a special creature.  Yes, she’s bartered about the men in her life, but it isn’t for her body – oh no, it’s for her mind.  You see, she speaks quite a few languages, and has been called upon to help with translation.  She is treated well by each one of her “captors”, and as the story unfolds it becomes apparent that, indeed, she is something special.

I ended up reading quite a few historical novels, set in medieval times this year.  There have been a few disappointments, a few surprises, and some books that end up being the best books I’ve read in quite some time.  While The Hermetica of Elysium doesn’t really rank that high, I will say it’s one of the best medieval books I’ve ever read.  I really enjoyed strong Nadira, I loved that the book could be so clean without seeming unbelievable.  This author is a definite “must watch” on my list of authors and I cannot wait for book two to be released next year.

Check out these reviews!

Layers of Thought

A Bookish Affair

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The Charlatan’s Boy by Jonathan Rogers

Posted on December 22, 2011
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Reason for Reading:
  • This was a finalist for the 2011 INSPY awards.

I also  recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

As far back as he can remember, the orphan Grady has tramped from village to village in the company of a huckster named Floyd. With his adolescent accomplice, Floyd perpetrates a variety of hoaxes and flimflams on the good citizens of the Corenwald frontier, such as the Ugliest Boy in the World act.

It’s a hard way to make a living, made harder by the memory of fatter times when audiences thronged to see young Grady perform as “The Wild Man of the Feechiefen Swamp.” But what can they do? Nobody believes in feechies anymore.

When Floyd stages an elaborate plot to revive Corenwalders’ belief in the mythical swamp-dwellers known as the feechiefolk, he overshoots the mark. Floyd’s Great Feechie Scare becomes widespread panic. Eager audiences become angry mobs, and in the ensuing chaos, the Charlatan’s Boy discovers the truth that has evaded him all his life—and will change his path forever.

My Review:

I loved this book.  I found it to be charming, loveable, delightful, inspiring, giggle-worthy, heart-breaking, tender, sweet, and perfect.  I loved everything from the face plate introducing each chapter, to the sweet boy who thought he really was the Ugliest Boy in the World.

As I read this book for the INSPY awards, I was a bit confused as to its inspirational merit, I found it to be extraordinarily well-written, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a “Christian” book.  More of a fairy-tale – think The Ugly Duckling.

Every adventure, every hoax had me groaning and laughing, and all I can really say, because this review is turning into a rave over how wonderful the book is, is that you should read it.  You really should.  But set aside time to curl up on a sofa and really devote yourself to the story, because it deserves that.

 

Check out these reviews!

Acorns or Nuggets of Gold

Candace’s Book Blog

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Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Posted on December 16, 2011
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Reason for Reading:
  • This was a finalist for the 2011 INSPY awards.

I recommend:

Summary from Goodreads:

The Dragon King Seeks His Princess–

Who Dares to Stop Him?

Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon marry. She dreams of a charming prince, but when her first suitor arrives, he’s not what she’d hoped. Prince Aethelbald of mysterious Farthestshore has travelled a great distance to prove his love–and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be on the hunt and blazing a path of terror.

Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald’s offer–and ignores his cautions with dire consequences. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in his sights. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

My Review:

Out of the five finalists for the INSPY Speculative Award for this year, this one was my least favorite.  While it wasn’t nearly as awful as another book I recently read, it still walked a very fine line between preaching (and the subsequent talking down feel) and storytelling.

I had high hopes – dragons, princesses, strange names – all were in abundance and can usually equal the ingredients for an interesting, if not thrilling story.  Instead I got a very tame fairy-tale that seemed to be catering to 12 year old girls and not the adults it appeared to be marketed for.

There are so many issues today with Christian fiction.  With the exception of a few authors, most books are like this – watered down stories that instead of conveying a powerful message, instead give a simplified message for fear of offending one of the readers.

Bring on the offense – I crave strong reactions that test my belief and make me constantly examine them to determine whether they are made up by myself or truly beliefs given to me by God.

Check out these review(s)!

Live Simply, Simply Love

Book Whispers

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The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

Posted on December 10, 2011
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Reason for Reading:
  • Lots, and lots of five star reviews on GoodReads.

I recommend:

  • Tales of the Kingdom by David R. Mains

Summary from Goodreads:

An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice.Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf’s bailiff—a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff’s vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf’s future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.

My Review:

I’m going to begin this review of a warning and a list.  Here’s the warning: This review is a negative opinion of this book.  If that troubles you, move along.

Here’s the list:

1. I love fairy-tale retellings.

2. I love a good, solid inspirational read.

3. I love strong heroine’s.

Unfortunately, this book was only one of the three.  It was a fairy-tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  While it was a Christian retelling, it bordered more on the preachy, in your face side of Christianity, and the heroine… well… I’ll talk about that in a bit.

First of all – here’s something that really annoyed me – as in, made me so angry I couldn’t sleep last night in thinking about it.  I felt as if Annabel was being used as a pawn, or rather – her “calling” to be a nun was just a set-up to make it seem as if she wasn’t going to actually end up with the “Beast”, Ranulf.  It felt forced – all her speaking of the Holy Writ, the huge passages of Bible verses being read, the constant protesting, and yearning to be a nun.  It felt forced, unrealistic, and made me uncomfortable to read.

Now, as for Annabel herself – seriously, I’m amazed the girl can even stand up straight enough to walk in this story. No. backbone. at. all.  Her one method of standing up for herself is to carry a knife around – but when push comes to shove, she can’t even use it – and THEN.. she carries that martyrish guilt around when something bad does happen to the guy she intended to use it on, thinking it was her fault for wanting to defend herself in the first place.

HELLO. THIS IS NOT THE MESSAGE WE WANT TO SEND TO YOUNG WOMEN OUT THERE.

What happened to having a good, Christian woman with strength, character, and integrity?  If she wants to be a nun, follow through!  If she wants to protect herself, have her do it – why does she need to hide behind the britches of a man who has to do her dirty work for her?  And furthermore – what is the big deal about telling someone what happened?

(I’m not even going to talk about the bait and switch pulled here because, God-forbid, a bad guy actually get his just desserts in a book)

Oh my gosh, I’m angry just writing this review, and I swear I was finally calmed down when I started to write it.  Y’all,  I tossed and turned last night, railing against the messages being broadcast in this book.

Basically – if you want your daughter/sister/cousin/niece to believe that she must be protected by a man, that she should feel guilt for wanting to defend herself from being RAPED, that she should be wishy-washy in her goals for herself, because who knows – the right guy might just come along! Then this is the book to give them.

As for me – I’m going to find a Christian book that treats women with respect.

For a more positive review of the book, check out:

What’s Beyond Forks

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The Realmsic Conquest by A. Demethius Jackson

Posted on December 8, 2011
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Reason for Reading:
  • Neat cover and it’s a book in verse!!

I also recommend:

  • Beowulf by Unknown

Summary from Cover:

Throughout its history, the kingdom known as the Realm has never known peace.  From its establishment, it has possessed the gift of magic, which is a treasure that exists no other place in the world!  As a result, the Realm has endlessly defended itself against conquerers, but now faces it’s greated peril.

As our heroes battle the wicked and unlock mysteries, they must also face overwhelming circumstances as they are guided by ancient lore on a quest to find the greatest treasure their kingdom will ever know…peace.

 

My Review:

When I received this small book in the mail, I set it aside after making a note on my calendar to get it read.  I didn’t notice it again until a few days later when my dad picked it up and exclaimed – this book is in verse!

I was excited to get to it then.  This semester in British Literature, I was introduced to my very first epic poems in Beowulf, Paradise Lost, and other fun, old English tales.  Then, when I read the introduction to The Realmsic Conquest, I felt a kinship with the author because, like he, I also had a friendship that thrived through letters – although we never wrote stories to each other (why didn’t we think of that, Chris??).

That all said, while The Realmsic Conquest was clever and amusing, it fell short of being a “true epic”.  I feel as if Jackson could have done more with less attempt to rhyme – which, in a way, cheapened the story.  I’ve read books in verse that ended up being very powerful because their lack of rhyme – and I really think that the potential existed in this story to make an “modern epic fantasy tale”.

The idea was good, putting it into practice fell short – in short.  Still, I think if you are wanting to give something different to a young boy for a gift – this might be something you’d look toward.  The story has a great message, there’s magic and bad guys and bad guys turning good – and it’s in verse!

Check out these reviews!

Splash of Our Worlds

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