Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Exiled Queen: By Cinda Williams Chima

THE EXILED QUEEN

SUMMARY

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa
ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

REVIEW

With teens turning to vampires, angels, and whatever other craze is out there it’s refreshing to read an author who’s not succumbing to the popular crazy of the day.

Cinda Williams Chima is such an author.

Cinda Williams Chima is a fantastic writer who improves with each novel she writes. Her Heir series was a New York Times Children’s Series Bestseller, as well as appearing on a number of distinguished lists including the USA Today and Indie Bestsellers lists. Her most recent series, The Seven Realms Series, has also received much praise and thus far includes The Demon King and The Exiled Queen.

In The Exiled Queen Chima starts the story immediately where The Demon King leaves off. (If you haven’t read The Demon King yet, let me first say you should, and second that you shouldn’t read the next few paragraphs, but should just know this is a great series that anyone looking for a great book should read.) For those who have read the first book in this epic series The Exiled Queen begins with all the main characters traveling to Oden’s Ford to study wizardry, military training, and hide from their enemies. Where the first book sets up the story be introducing the characters to one another, the plot really thickens in The Exiled Queen. Different and strange alliances seem to develop and new and powerful characters are introduced to the story. Besides that more divisions and plots to overthrow the government and current standing are discovered as the plot thickens in this captivating book.

And yet while the plot is incredibly intricate and detailed one of my favorite aspects of The Exiled Queen are the characters that are developed in the book. Fire Dancer, a character who could by all rights have a book all of his own, is given a greater part in the story. The Bayer twins (especially Fiona) are allowed to room to develop their own plots and schemes. And new characters such as Crow are introduced to the fray.

All in all The Exiled Queen is a fantastic book that I just couldn’t put down. The action swells with each successive chapter, the already vibrant characters grow even richer, and the plot is full of intricate and complex schemes that just make the book so captivating that anyone who picks it up wont be able to put it down until the very last page. Making The Exiled Queen a must read in this season of sequels.

RAITNG
9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Published: September 28, 2010

Price: $17.99

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Behemoth: By Scott Westerfeld

BEHEMOTH

SUMMARY

The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.

REVIEW

After reading Behemoth, I have to say Westerfeld truly is a master of his genre.

Westerfeld who’s shown impressive versatility in writing through numerous other bestselling young adult novels including The Uglies and The Midnighters series, is back again with this sequel to his hit book Leviathan.

Leviathan and Behmoth follow the actions and timeline of World War I, but with a few changes. First the Allies use bestial technology, creating large warships and other war technology by splicing together different animal DNA. And the Axis have developed mass war machines, far superior to even the machines we have today.

Behemoth starts up right after the events of Leviathan, but with a bang! Literally that is, as the Axis has created a sort of lightning cannon, that can literally tear the airships like the Leviathan apart, and tries to demonstrate on the Leviathan in the first few pages of the book. Alex manages to save the Leviathan but in the process gets himself shot and put under arrest. From there he and his crew plan an escape. But before he can escape one of Dr. Nora Darwin Barlow’s (Darwin’s granddaughter) mysterious creatures hatches and makes an impression on him, forcing him to carry the creature with him as he escapes.

All this excitement happens in the very beginning of the book, giving potential readers just a taste of how just how action packed this book really is. Of course the excitement isn’t even the best part of Behemoth. Westerfeld does a fantastic job of growing the characters in the fantastic sequel. Fans will rejoice as they’re able to see Alex’s character evolve from a spoiled rich kid, to that of one of self sacrifice willing to do what’s best for the people.

It’s these sensational details that have allowed Westerfeld to create another New York Times bestselling novel in Behemoth. The plot twists are exciting and intricate, the characters are well written and filled with exquisite imagery, and the excitement never stops in this fantastic sequel to Leviathan, making it a must read in this year of sequels.

RATING
9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Published: October 5, 2010

Price: $18.99

Kill The Dead: By Richard Kadrey

KILL THE DEAD

SUMMARY

James Stark, a.k.a. Sandman Slim, crawled out of Hell, took bloody revenge for his girlfriend's murder, and saved the world along the way. After that, what do you do for an encore? You take a lousy job tracking down monsters for money. It's a depressing gig, but it pays for your beer and cigarettes. But in L.A., things can always get worse.

Like when Lucifer comes to town to supervise his movie biography and drafts Stark as his bodyguard. Sandman Slim has to swim with the human and inhuman sharks of L.A.'s underground power elite. That's before the murders start. And before he runs into the Czech porn star who isn't quite what she seems. Even before all those murdered people start coming back from the dead and join a zombie army that will change our world and Stark's forever.

Death bites. Life is worse. All things considered, Hell's not looking so bad.

REVIEW

Darker, grittier, and more violent than almost any other urban fantasy out there Kill The Dead is not for the weak of heart.

Urban fantasy fans looking for the next Dresdan or John Taylor (Simon R. Green’s Nightside series), will be slightly disappointed when confronted with Stark. Stark is a depressed alcoholic with a propensity towards violence, that fans might have trouble becoming inspired with. Unlike Dresdan, Stark wont help you when you’re down, in fact he’s just as likely to kill you as he is to ignore your desperate calls for help as he walks past you. This lost and violent protagonist disappointed me a little in this book, as Stark had so much drive and purpose in the first book, Sandman Slim, he was back and out for revenge. Now in Kill The Dead Stark doesn’t know what his purpose is, he’s been drunk for the last 6 months, and for most of the book he just goes from disaster to disaster feeling sorry for himself. In fact, it’s not until the end of the book that Stark gains any sense of purpose at all, which does give me hope for the third book in the series, but for this book I wish he had found a purpose earlier.

Of course, after reading Kill the Dead I felt the real star of the book wasn’t Stark but the devil himself. I thought Lucifer was funny, smart, and incredibly well written. He doesn’t come across as the stereotypical interpretation of the devil, but instead comes across as a humanistic character who’s tired of carrying the wait of the world on his shoulders. He’s tired of handling Hell and is here to do something about it. Kadrey does a fantastic job of blurring the stereotypical lines between good and evil in this book, allowing typically good characters to come across as stuck up assholes, and allowing others such as Lucifer to come across as a likable and charismatic character who you want to follow.

All in all Kill the Dead is a bloody fun read. It’s filled with fantastic action sequences that zombie fans will absolutely eat up, likable and endearing characters (such as Lucifer), and a sense of sarcasm that will lighten the mood in times of depressing distress. That said, this book is not for everyone, it’s incredibly violent, dark, the second book in the series acts as a meandering lost sort of plot that could annoy some readers. Making Kill The Dead a fun read for the more hardcore fans but not for those looking for a light happy book.

RATING
8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Eos

Published: October 5, 2010

Price: $22.99

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Mockingjay: By Suzanne Collins

MOCKINGJAY

SUMMARY

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

REVIEW

Not since Twilight and Harry Potter has a book received the kind of build up and press that Mockingjay received.

When it came out people raved that it was both amazing and horrible, that Collins had ruined the series with her ending, and that she ended it the only way that made sense.

As you can see there was quite a bit of disagreement over how to receive it.

So being a fan of the series I tried out the book myself, and I have to say I liked it.

It’s not the breathtaking novel that was The Hunger Games. Nor does it hold the level of intrigue and excitement that Catching Fire had. And yet it’s a novel of its own. There are not hunger games to experience in this book, it is primarily a book of war, filled with blood, deceit, and death. And yet it’s more than just action and murder, Mockingjay instead seems to focus on how destructive the force of war really is. How no matter the victor every side seems to lose. In the interviews that Katniss and Gale gave when making the war videos readers are able to see the tortured state of their souls, how the war has forever changed them into beings they would not wish upon their enemies.

Mockingjay is filled with moments like this, leaving the story with a sad and sullen undertone. And with the death of many significant characters it’s easy to understand why readers were disappointed with the book. But like most things, Collins reminds us that all things do not end up happily with perfect endings, and her tale of The Hunger Games in this dystopian world is anything but happy. Making, in my opinion, Collins’ end to Mockingjay one of the only true options available for the story, whether it makes readers happy or not.

RATING
8 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Published: September 1, 2010

Price: $22.99

The Way Of Shadows: By Brent Weeks

THE WAY OF SHADOWS

SUMMARY

For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist.

For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.

But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.

REVIEW

The Way of Shadows reminded me quite a bit of Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. They both contain engaging and morally conflicted protagonists who rise up from nothing to the strongest characters in the story. They each depict a society run rampant with the selfish and greedy decisions made by the upper class. And they each offer exciting epic long stories that allow the reader to familiarize themselves with the world in which these characters live and relate to the characters predicament however dissimilar it is to the readers situation.

And it’s because of all these factors and more that make The Way of Shadows one of the best fantasy books, and Brent Weeks one of my favorite authors, I’ve read this year.

Of course The Way of Shadows isn’t just an exciting story filled with magic and death. Instead it is novel of epic proportions filled with engaging and endearing characters such as the street rat turned assassin Azoth/Kyler, Durzo, the killer with a conscience of sorts, and Momma K, the whore with a heart. Of course besides creating characters that will draw you into the story, Weeks has also created an intricate and captivating plot that is so engaging and seeped in mystery that readers wont even realize they have barely scratched the surface until the end of the first book. Making the second and third books a must read as well.

All in all I was very impressed with The Way of Shadows, it’s not often that you’re able to find a book that is able to live up to expectations as high as Weeks has received, but The Way of Shadows really pulls it off. Making this fantastic series a must read book that you’ll want to have the sequels on hand when you start.

RATING
10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: October 1, 2008

Price: $7.99

Death Most Definite: By Trent Jamieson

DEATH MOST DEFINITE

SUMMARY

Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and lots of exercise are the last thing he wants. But that's exactly what he gets when someone starts shooting at him.

Steven is no stranger to death-Mr. D's his boss after all-but when a dead girl saves him from sharing her fate, he finds himself on the wrong end of the barrel. His job is to guide the restless dead to the underworld but now his clients are his own colleagues, friends, and family.

Mr. D's gone missing and with no one in charge, the dead start to rise, the living are hunted, and the whole city teeters on the brink of a regional apocalypse-unless Steven can shake his hangover, not fall for the dead girl, and find out what happened to his boss- that is, Death himself.

REVIEW

Death.

Seriously that’s what this book is about.

Well Death and the company that runs it.

You see death doesn’t just take care of its self, when you die your soul has to go somewhere, and that’s where the company comes into play. They, pomps, act as gateways to the afterlife and it’s them that keeps everything in a natural order of sorts.

Of course now that someone is killing all the pomps, it’s certainly making life harder for Steven de Selby, one of the only pomps left in Melbourne. Between trying to find out who’s killing his family, trying to locate his boss, Mr. D, and avoiding dying himself life is just a little bit harder than it used to be.

I will say this before I review this book, I’ve always had a fondness for books that personify Death. And Death doesn’t get any more humanistic than this.

I felt like the story started off odd and at certain points I got bored with the characters but overall I liked the pace and feeling of the story. De Selby is not the most endearing of characters and Jamieson (the author) could have done a better job creating better support characters. But de Selby and the others not horrible and by the end, the story is interesting enough that I’d be curious to read the sequel Managing Death.

All in all Death Most Definite is not the best book in the world, but nor is it the worst. It’s a comfortable middle ground that offers up enough excitement and entertainment to keep the reader engaged and happy for a rainy day, but certainly not a must read book.

RATING
6.5 out 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: August 1, 2010

Price: $7.99

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Beat The Band: By Don Calame

BEAT THE BAND

SUMMARY

In this hilarious sequel to Swim the Fly,told from Coop’s point of.,view, it’s the beginning of the school year, and the tenth-grade health class must work in pairs on semester-long projects. Matt and Sean get partnered up (the jerks), but Coop is matched with the infamous “Hot Dog” Helen for a presentation on safe sex. Everybody’s laughing, except for Coop, who’s convinced that the only way to escape this social death sentence is to win “The Battle of the Bands” with their group, Arnold Murphy’s Bologna Dare. There’s just one problem: none of the guys actually plays an instrument. Will Coop regain his “cool” before it’s too late? Or will the forced one-on-one time with Helen teach him a lesson about social status he never saw coming? With ribald humor and a few sweet notes, screenwriter-turned-novelist Don Calame once again hits all the right chords.

REVIEW

I was lucky enough to have gotten an ARC of Swim The Fly back when it first came out a little over a year ago. It was fun, exciting, well written, and really connected with its audience.

Since then I’ve been waiting for Calame to come out with another book, but I have to say I was a little scared when I heard Beat The Band was going to be a sequel to Swim the Fly as I thought the Calame had finished the story of the three friends.

But after reading Beat The Band I should have never doubted Calame.

As opposed to Swim the Fly which comes from Matt’s point of view, Beat The Band follows Coop, the rowdy loud mouthed friend who seems to have nothing but sex, girls, and mischief on his mind. Calame really shows off his writing skills in this book as he retains Coop’s persona form Swim The Fly as well as creating a softer more emotional side to Coop, that ultimately makes the character much more likable.

But Coop isn’t the only character that’s engaging in this book. Matt, Sean, Coop’s father, and even Helen are all incredibly well developed and engaging. But the real impressive feat Calame pulls off is by making these characters imperfect. They aren’t angels, nor are they typical teenage stereotypes. Instead they’re strong, well built characters, who have clear flaws that make them human. And in my opinion it’s Calame’s ability to create these engaging realistic characters that make Beat The Band such a fantastic book.

All in all Beat The Band is funny, engaging, and has fantastic characters. Calame does a great job crafting the story and his impressive writing ability really shines through in this book, making this humorous young adult book a great addition for anyone looking for a great book to read.

RATING
10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Candlewick

Published: September 14, 2010

Price: $16.99

Immortal Beloved: By Cate Tiernan

IMMORTAL BELOVED

SUMMARY

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

REVIEW

I have to say Immortal Beloved is not for everyone.

I personally feel like I was not the target audience, but I think I know a lot of people who would fit the description for the target audience.

That said the narration was not bad, in fact I felt like the tone of the protagonist was fun and interesting to read. There was mystery and excitement in the plot and readers legitimately will be curious in what was going to happen.

But (and again I mention I don’t think I was the target audience), but I felt like it was filled with to much drama for me. Especially whenever the character Reyn was mentioned (which was quite a bit.)

All in all Immortal Beloved has some secrecy, mystique, and even some action. But at other times it felt slow, overly dramatic, and a little bit like a teenage soap opera. Granted if you feel like a book that’s part Twilight part Degreassi then you’ll love Immortal Beloved.


RATING
7 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Published: September 7, 2010

Price: $16.99

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

'Smart Chicks Kick It' Tour Hits Austin

'Smart Chicks Kick It' Tour




Kelley Armstrong, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Alyson Noel, Rachel Caine & Melissa Marr


Dudes and Dudettes – tonight at BookPeople, we’ll be welcoming six of the best, most charming, most intelligent, coolest women writing for teens today – Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires), Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers), Holly Black (The Curseworkers & Spiderwick Chronicles), Cassandra Clare (Infernal Devices series) and Alyson Noel (The Immortals series). Come meet them all, listen to their panel discussion, and get some books signed.

WHERE?
BookPeople
603 N Lamar Blvd
Austin, Texas 78703-5413

WHEN?
Monday, September 13th

MORE INFO?


Thursday, September 2, 2010

Half Brother: By Kenneth Oppel

HALF BROTHER

SUMMARY

For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan -- an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben's father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben's parents tell him to treat Zan like a little brother. Ben reluctantly agrees. At least now he's not the only one his father's going to scrutinize.

It isn't long before Ben is Zan's favorite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more

than just an experiment. His father disagrees. To him, Zan is only a specimen, no more, no less. And this is going to have consequences. Soon Ben is forced to make a critical choice between what he is told to believe and what he knows to be true -- between obeying his father or protecting his brother from an unimaginable fate.

Half Brother isn't just a story about a boy and a chimp. It's about the way families are made, the way humanity is judged, the way easy choices become hard ones, and how you can't always do right by the people and animals you love.

REVIEW

I’ve heard Kenneth Oppel’s name before in association with his award winning Arborn. He’s written numerous other books as well, including his bestselling Silverwing series as well as his follow up sequels to Airborn, Starclimber and Skybreaker. But Half Brother is the first book that I personally have read of his.

And I have to say he is one talented writer.

Half Brother tells the story of Ben and his parents experiment, Zan. Zan is a chimpanzee, who was brought to Ben’s house when Ben’s parents decided to conduct the experiment to try to train Zan to speak via ASL (American Sign Language). They raised Zan as a human and as part of their family. But as the experiment starts to receive criticism for a lack of results, (a situation that Oppel makes abundantly clear is at the fault of the experimenters recording rules and mechanisms) the family is forced to make some difficult decisions. But after two years living as Ben’s family, how can you just toss away your own half brother.

I was expecting Half Brother to focus on an issue such as animal cruelty to a fault, but in fact Half Brother was an incredible mix of different issues and story aspects. The setting takes place in early 1970’s Victoria, Canada, and it is here that Oppel does an amazing job of introducing us to the characters. Readers will love and relate to Ben and his struggles with his friends, family, and morals, and they will feel anger, frustration, and angst whenever he deals with his control freak of a father.

But what is most impressed me about the book was the level of writing Oppel demonstrates. I found myself emotionally charged by the book. I was ecstatic when Zan started signing, and I felt my chest tighten in fear and sadness when Ben and Zan had to say goodbye.

All in all I couldn’t put the book down. I finished it in a day and felt content and happy. Oppel does an amazing job crafting the story and creating the characters readers will learn to love, making this an unforgettable tale. Because of all these aspects and more, I personally plan to read Oppel’s past works and would have no qualm recommending this book to anyone looking for a fun engaging read.

RATING
9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Published: September 1, 2010

Price: $17.99

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Payback Time: Carl Deuker

PAYBACK TIME

SUMMARY

Through the eyes of a distinctly non-athletic protagonist—a fat high school journalist named Mitch—veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football player named Angel. When Angel shows up Lincoln High, he seems to have no past—or at least not one he is willing to discuss. Though Mitch gets a glimpse of Angel's incredible talent off the field, Angel rarely allows himself to shine on the field. Is he an undercover cop, wonders Mitch? Or an ineligible player? In pursuit of a killer story, Mitch decides to find out just who this player is and what he's done. In the end, the truth surprises everyone.

REVIEW

From the moment I picked up Payback Time I couldn’t put it down.

Payback Time is a fantastic book that allows its readers to relate to the protagonist in a number of different ways. Including his demeanor and struggles with weight and recognizing what he wants to do in his life. And it is through these struggles that we are able to see the protagonist, Mitch, grow.

Payback Time is an interesting mixture of a young adult, sports, and mystery novel. It is this unique combination that allows Deuker to completely capture the audience’s attention. Whenever the story starts to slow down readers will be swept up into an action packed description of a fourth and out play that Mitch is reporting on, bringing a fresh sense to the book and reviving this adrenaline charged book.

But the real excitement of the story is centered around Mitch, the protagonist, snooping around Angel, the mysterious football player who seems to old and is sensational, yet downplays how good he on the field. Angel’s past slowly unfurls in front of Mitch, but when the mystery is solved, and the worst happens, it’s up to Mitch to see what kind of person he really is and try to help fix the problem that he created.

While most authors would flounder about with this kind crisis, and try to have the character make decisions that don’t make any sense or have them have unrealistic conclusions. Deuker’s characters are true and accurate. And it is through his sensational character development that he is able to show the change that Mitch makes, allowing his conclusion to really end with a bang.

Between the exciting football games, the unfolding mystery of Angel, and Deuker’s engrossing characters this is a great book. I personally couldn’t put it down, and I would recommend it to fans of young adult sports books, mysteries, and anyone just looking for a good book.

RATING
9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Published: September 6, 2010

Price: $16.99