Review: Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

May 162012

Throne of the Crescent Moon is the debut novel from Saladin Ahmed, who has been a finalist for both the Nebula and Campbell awards. It was released February 7th, 2012 by DAW books.

The Blurb

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, land of djenn and ghuls, Khalifs and killers, is on the brink of civil war. To make things worse, a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. And it’s up to Doctor Adoulla Makhslood to solve them.

“The last real ghul hunter in the great city of Dhamsawaat,” Adoulla just wants a quiet cup of tea. But when an old flame’s family is murdered, he is drawn back to the hunter’s path. Recruiting old companions and new, Adoulla races against time–and struggles against his own misgivings–to discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn Dhamsawaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin. [On Goodreads]

The Review

Y’know. I had this whole 2,000 word review all typed up where I ranted about a review of this book that, essentially, called it misogynistic and shit writing. But I don’t feel like editing that crazy rage-fest.

So here’s what I’ll say instead: that review was wrong. So very, very wrong. I admit, there was one moment while reading this book where I had a fly-off-the-handle-feminist moment. Then, I took a step back, a deep breath, and realized that one stray thought by a character balanced against the incredible ass-kicking action of all the females in this book makes my initial knee-jerk invalid.

Does this novel fail the Bechdel test? Erm. Without double checking to be 100% sure, I’m gonna say – yeah, it does. Are there about a bajillion other fantasy novels out there that are also Bechdel fails but that are just as worthy of a read? Also yep.

So why read this one? Because it’s worthy in a different way. Ditch your European-grown fantasy roots and saddle up for something a little more “birthplace of civilization” flavored. Did I fall in love with this novel? I have to admit that, no, I didn’t. Did I enjoy it? Yep, quite thoroughly actually and I found it completely worth the time I invested in it.

There’s just one piece of my rage-fest rant that I have to relate here. One of the beefs the review I read had (and to which I am not going to link to here) was that one of the main female characters is a sort of were-lion and her powers are inaccessible to her during menses. So, of course, there was a bit of feminist rage about “OMG why does she have to be powerless three days out of the month simply because she’s a woman that’s so misogynistic!!!1!one” (paraphrasing, not a direct quote).

To which I say:

1) Traditional mythology, fable, and even other fantasy books all have tons of references to a woman’s power being tied to her menstrual cycle. This is not new, and ranting simply because a MAN dared to use it as a plot device is, frankly, in my opinion very silly.

2) Why do we even have to look at it as “She’s being stripped of her power for being a woman!” at all? For one: her power is being limited, which can only be a good thing. She is still a bad-ass, shape-shifting lion who kicks ALL KIND OF ASS during all the crazy fight scenes. (Seriously – super exciting fight scenes!) Remember “absolute power corrupts absolutely”? How about, “unlimited power makes for a boring fucking character”? (Hm. Sounds like something Chuck Wendig would say, but I digress.) Her power is being limited in a way that not only makes sense within the confines of the world, but it’s being done in such a manner that she’s forced to look at the world not as an animal but as a human being and, yes, a woman. Which brings me to my next point…

3) Why is it okay for other fantasy writers (even men) to write werewolves as creatures who are tied to the same sort of lunar cycle but not in this case? Because this author came right out and tied it to menses instead of being coy about it? Honestly, I’d rather have it this way. At least it gives some sort of vaguely scientific reasoning – more so than “the moon made her turn into a monster!”.

Creating a strong feminine character doesn’t mean stripping her of everything that makes her a woman. In fact, that’s quite the opposite. I see the author here creating a character who, while being constrained by the fact that yes, she is actually female, works within those limitations to become that much more powerful. Which is how it works in real life, isn’t it?

Bottom line: do you want another cookie-cutter, leather-wearing, bed-hopping Bond knock-off with an X chromosome or would you like to maybe see an actual girl dealing with all the things a girl has to deal with? Which includes, for those unwilling to face it (both in fantasy reviews and in modern politics!), menstruation and thinking about child-bearing.

Argh. I swore I wouldn’t rant, and I did it anyway.

One of my favorite things about this book is that our heroes are mostly old people (there are a couple of young ones, a displaced youth and an apprentice, but they are rash and young and smartly idiotic in the way that only teenagers really can be). It’s refreshing to see a fantasy that ISN’T a coming-of-age story. Our hero, Adoulla, is around sixty and world-weary and feeling ready for his long-overdue (at least in his opinion) dirt-nap when we meet him. There is a charm to the elderly in that they are fearless and unafraid of looking foolish (whether it is being overly sentimental about worldly possessions or absurdly proud of their own flatulence). This book captures that perfectly, and I hope to have 1/10th the sass at that age that any of these characters do.

Just read this book. Especially if you enjoy unique fantasy settings, such as N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms or Brandon Sanderson’s A Way of Kings. It’s worth it, and it’s a fraction of the size of other door-stopper fantasies written by the likes of Rothfuss, Jordan, Sanderson, et al. You can read it in a weekend, form your own opinion, and wedge your mind open just the tiniest of fractions. It’ll be good for you. But don’t take it from me. Read the damned book already and stop taking advice from opinionated strangers on the internet!

Review: Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig

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Apr 232012

This book will be released April 24th, 2012 from Angry Robot. It is the first in a new series from Chuck Wendig, the foul-mouthed penmonkey behind the website Terrible Minds.

The Blurb

Miriam Black knows when you will die. She’s foreseen hundreds of car crashes, heart attacks, strokes, and suicides.

But when Miriam hitches a ride with Louis Darling and shakes his hand, she sees that in thirty days Louis will be murdered while he calls her name. Louis will die because he met her, and she will be the next victim.

No matter what she does she can’t save Louis. But if she wants to stay alive, she’ll have to try. [Goodreads]

The Review

Blackbirds is a hauntingly macabre book. It was so intense that I read it in two nights, which I spread over three days. I had to take a night off in the middle just to recover from all the violence. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is ugly and vicious and cruel, actually, and that fingernail’s edge of hope that Wendig gives us may not be enough for some readers.

The prose is visceral and brutally beautiful. Miriam is a wonderfully flawed character who moves through her life like a tidal wave. Her path rains destruction down on everyone around her, but she is helpless to stop it. Imagine knowing that the people kindest to you in your life are destined to die horribly and the more you try to stop it, the more inevitable that death is. Now imagine living with that for a few years.

Miriam’s story is a disturbing and fascinating look at the fatal romance of inevitability and finality. In fact, “fatal” is the perfect word for Miriam. She’s caught in the twin grips of fate and death. No. Not death, but dying. That’s an important distinction. Miriam’s “gift” is not concerned with what comes after life, but only with those final, horrifying moments of leaving it.

Wendig does dark and brutal very, very well. His Atlanta Burns novella, Shotgun Gravy was similar in tone. I now find myself perversely wishing that I could read a light-hearted Wendig story, just for contrast sake.

Rating:

Review: White Horse by Alex Adams

Reviews 1 Response »

Apr 162012

White Horse is the debut novel of Alex Adams and will be published from Atria/Emily Bestler Books on April 17, 2012. It is the first in a trilogy.

The Blurb

Thirty-year-old Zoe leads an ordinary life until the end of the world arrives. She is cleaning cages and floors at Pope Pharmaceuticals when the President of the United States announces that human beings are no longer a viable species. When Zoe realizes that everyone she loves is disappearing, she starts running. Scared and alone in a shockingly changed world, she embarks on a remarkable journey of survival and redemption. Along the way, Zoe comes to see that humans are not defined by their genetic code, but rather by their actions and choices. White Horse offers hope for a broken world, where love can lead to the most unexpected places. [GoodReads]

The Review

This book was a little more “literary” and a lot less fun then most stuff I’ve read lately. Sure, the end of the world isn’t exactly an uplifting subject, and the story does say a lot about human nature, hope, love, and despair. But Laura Anne Gilman’s Dragon Virus touched all those points, too, and she did it better, to boot. You may recall me saying that Gilman’s story was pretty bleak. Well, Dragon Virus was a beacon of hope compared to White Horse.

That’s not to say there’s no value in this. If you are less fond of the fantastic then you are of realism, Adams’ book is not much more far-fetched then a near-future imagining. If you need allegory in your novels, or haven’t been able to quite leave your college literature classes behind, then you may enjoy this one better than I did. Some of the blurbs accompanying it have compared it to Cormac McCarthy – and since I’ve never read him, I have no reason to think they’re lying. Which explains why McCarthy has never crossed my radar before.

The book is well-written, and though I found Zoe a dry character, she’s not an unsympathetic one. The way the narrative jumps back and forth between “then” and “now” until the two time-lines coincide was obviously done so for impact. Unfortunately, it also kept me from becoming really engaged with Zoe’s character. Further, some of the events in the book seem almost more for shock value then to move the plot forward. They do do that, but they seem sort of shoe-horned in, not having evolved naturally.

I didn’t hate it, but I did find it disturbing and depressing. If you like your literature fantastic and with more prose than plot, you may enjoy this one better than I did.

Review: The Gathering of the Lost by Helen Lowe

Books, Reviews 6 Responses »

Apr 092012

This is the second book in Helen Lowe’s The Wall of Night series. It was released March 27th in the US.

The Blurb

Garrisoned by the Nine Houses of the Derai, the towering mountain range called the Wall of Night is all that separates the people of Haarth from the terrible Darkswarm.

Five years have passed since the Wall was breached and the Keep of Winds nearly overrun. Five years since the Heir of Night, Malian, and her friend and ally Kalan went missing in the wild lands of Jaransor.

Now, in Haarth’s diverse southern realms, events are moving. From the wealthy River city of Ij to the isolated Emerian outpost of Normarch, rumors of dark forces and darker magics are growing. As the great Midsummer tournament at Caer Argent approaches, Haarth will have one opportunity to band together against an enemy in which few believe . . . or be lost forever. [Barnes&Noble]

The Review

Lowe writes in jigsaw puzzle pieces. Each book is a story unto itself but also reveals only a small, tantalizing bit of the larger story. I thought I knew what that larger story was after the first book. I was sure I knew the ultimate goals, and after finishing book two the only thing I’m sure of is that I knew nothing. I both admire her technique (as a writer) and hate it endlessly (as a reader). Her books are tidbits, small tastes of a glorious feast and it is torture to wait so long between mouthfuls.

I admit that I read the first few chapters of the book completely bewildered by everything. Here was a whole new set of characters that had never been mentioned before. I started to wonder if I had even remembered the earlier book’s plot correctly at all. After awhile, I was nearly frustrated enough to put the thing down. Where was Malian, the Heir of Night, our heroine from the first book? Dead, came the rumor, whispered through the pages. I was horrified that perhaps the rumor was correct and the series would now go in a completely different direction.

Then, just before I decided to throw the thing down forever, there trod back onto the pages the Heralds from the previous book: Tarathan of Ar and Jehane Mor. Okay, I thought to myself, maybe this is going somewhere after all. I’ll give it just a little while longer. The new story was fascinating, after all, even if it wasn’t what I had expected. Even if I had no idea how it related to the previous book at all.

Just as I had settled in to reading about nearly a whole new set of characters, the sucker punch came flying. I would like to say that I saw it coming, but that would be a lie. It knocked me on my ass! I won’t tell you what it is, because that would ruin the surprise (and hey, I don’t want to be the only one sitting here all stunned and dismayed and delighted, now do I?) Suffice to say that things are not what they seem in this book. Not at all.

From that moment, I was committed to finishing this book that I had thought I would put down forever. When I first finished it, I felt like the story hadn’t advanced at all, and I was a bit disappointed. What had they accomplished of the original goals of the story? It didn’t feel like very much. More and more obstacles were thrown in the paths of our heroes, and it seemed like they were worse off than ever.

After having some time to dwell on it, I have to say… That I was absolutely correct. Our heroes are further from accomplishing their goals than they ever were. Instead of going forward, the story has progressed in a direction that I hadn’t expected. But I’m no longer disappointed by that. It has grown deeper, wider. What we have now is no longer simply a traditional hero’s journey with a new twist. The Heir of Night was a book all about seclusion, isolation, and walking lonely paths with few allies.

The Gathering of the Lost is completely different and new. It is a book about companions: friendships and everything that those things entail. We see loyalty, betrayal, lust and love. The story didn’t go as far forward in length as I would have liked, but what it did not it made up for in sheer breadth and scope. The more I consider it, the more I realize that this book completely changed the game. And that is amazing. Lowe has managed to shake the very foundations of her world (for the reader, at least, as presumably she knew this was coming all along), while paradoxically remaining true to the expectations she laid out in the very first book.

I honestly don’t have any idea how she managed it, which just goes to show that as a writer I have much to learn. As a reader, I will be gnashing my teeth in wait for the next volume. That is the trouble with reading advanced copies of things. It seems like you have to wait even longer for the next one!

Review: Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells

Books, Reviews 2 Responses »

Mar 262012

Silver-Tongued Devil is the fourth volume in Jaye Wells’ Sabina Kane series. It was published January 5, 2012 by Orbit Books.

The Blurb

Now that the threat of war has passed, Sabina Kane is ready to focus on the future. Her relationship with Adam Lazarus is getting stronger and she’s helping her sister, Maisie, overcome the trauma of her captivity in New Orleans. Even Giguhl is managing to stay out of trouble thanks to the arrival of Pussy Willow and his new roller derby team. But as much as Sabina wants to feel hopeful about the future, part of her doesn’t trust that peace is possible.

Her suspicions are confirmed when a string of sadistic murders threaten to stall treaty negotiations between the mages and the vampires. Sabina pitches in to find the killer, but her investigation soon leads her down dark paths that have her questioning everyone she thought she could trust. And the closer she gets to the killer, the more Sabina begins to suspect this is one foe she may not be able to kill. [GoodReads]

The Review

The first 90% of this book was soap-opera drama that didn’t move the story forward much at all. If you’ve read the earlier books in the series, you already know that Sabina set herself up for failure in her relationship from the beginning and in this book it finally came home to roost. With no clear enemy this time, Sabina is instead pitted against the new head vampire’s right-hand girl – a girl who has essentially taken Sabina’s original place. That leads to a bunch of posturing and threats and not a lot else.

The real goal is to find the person – vamp, mage or other – who is driving a wedge with grisly murder through the fragile peace Sabina created. Instead, Sabina bungles the investigation, spending time dealing with the relationship issues of herself and her friends, and letting those distract her even from watching out for her sister’s mental health.

As I said in my last review, I’ve been waiting for a reason to drop this series off my shelf. I’m not really sure what it is about Sabina that irritates me so, but it’s there nonetheless. Unfortunately for my book shelf, the last 10% of this book pulled off a complete turn around and a sucker punch that was way better and less predictable than that crappy movie of the same name.

As much as I would like to strangle Sabina and re-enact the very first scene of the series myself in some deep, dark wood, I’m still invested in how all this is going to turn out. I can’t give you a better endorsement then, “this series keeps me reading even against my will.”

Non-Fiction Review: Knits for Nerds

Reviews 4 Responses »

Feb 192012

In which Kia reviews a non-fiction book. This doesn’t happen often. But when she found this book, that is such a cute point on the knitting/nerd fandom Venn diagram, she just couldn’t resist requesting it from NetGalley and thus giving you, reader, a review.

Knits for Nerds is a non-fiction book of nerdy knitting patterns by Joan of Dark, aka Toni Carr. It will be available for purchase on 2-21-12. Buy it. You will want to MAKE ALL THE THINGS.

The Blurb

[via NetGalley]

The best of science fiction, manga, and animaguiri meets knit one, purl two as knit siren and part-time roller derby girl Joan of Dark offers up an out-of-this-world assortment of knitting nerdiness inside Knits for Nerds. The patterns for 30 iconic clothing and accessory items inspired by popular TV shows, books, films, comics, and more—including Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Firefly—are presented alongside full-color photographs showcasing completed projects, such as:

Lieutenant Uhura’s sexy Star Trek minidress

Hobbit feet slippers

Firefly-inspired scarf, socks, hat, and jacket

Tank Girl socks

Hermione Granger’s secret beaded bag

Manga-inspired leg warmers

The Big Bang Theory-inspired his and hers sweater-vests

Lord of the Rings-inspired shrug

In addition to a wardrobe of costume finery, hobbyists will also find instructions for practical projects such as an e-reader cover or a laptop bag crafted of checkered fabric that serves double-duty as a chessboard and carryall, as well as patterns for plush toys inspired by Star Trek, robots, and the comic book Squee! Wear (and knit!) your nerdiness on your sleeve with Knits for Nerds.

My Review:

The introduction to this book says, “[T]hese patterns have something for every kind of nerd!” and that’s no lie. This book has knittables from Star Trek to Firefly, from American Gods to Tank Girl - and, of course, The Lord of the Rings.

Honestly, all they had to say was “Tank Girl,” and I was sold. Sadly, this is one of the patterns that is “inspired” by the original instead of being built straight from it. That will not, however, stop me from knitting them… just as soon as I finish a couple of other projects!

In fact, there are several things I’d like to complete from this: the “Secret Beaded Bag,” based on Hermione’s magic purse from the last Harry Potter films; the “Aim to Misbehave Brown Jacket” is gorgeous, even while I’m not a Firefly fan; the “Creepy Bunny” is both cute and creepy, as promised; and – of course! – the Tank Girl socks! In this book, I see lots of projects to make for friends as gifts, and several more I’d like to have all for my own!

The only project I’m not interested in making would be the hobbit slippers. Because knitting up something that looks like big hairy feet? Ew. Just – ew. As funny as the idea is, I can’t imagine a single person who would want that. At least, that’s what I keep repeating to myself. (I think the thing really freaking me out is that I probably DO know people who would be excited to receive a pair of these and that’s just… It freaks me out, okay?)

In short: Awesome book. Great patterns. Useful tool in the arsenal of all nerdy knitters out there. And fun, too. Which is really the whole point of the thing, isn’t it?

I plan to buy a hard copy of this as soon as it releases, because I’ve found that working patterns from an epub file is not as easy as it might sound! To facilitate my getting started on all the great projects that I’m planning because of this book – and to celebrate ~~my upcoming birthday~~ Kiaras Festivus, I’d like to do a giveaway of something made from one of these patterns. In the “Science Fiction” section, there’s a pattern called Troublesome Toy. The resulting object looks something like this:

Photo from pg 59 of text.

Kind of looks like a tribble, doesn’t it? It also looks like a quick and fairly easy pattern to make, so I’m offering up two of these, made by my own two little hands (in varying colors that probably won’t match the photo at all) to those who enter by commenting on this post. Sadly, I will have to offer these to US-only mailing addresses, as international packages cost more than I make on this website. (P.S. – For the record, I don’t make anything on this site.) Comments will be closed at midnight in the US Eastern time zone on 2/24, after which I will choose two winners.

So get to commenting. This may be your only opportunity to win something this rare.

Review: The Dread by Gail Z Martin

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Feb 092012

The Dread is the concluding volume in The Fallen Kings duology, which in turn is companion to The Chronicles of the Necromancer trilogy. It was published in February 2012. I read the Nook version.

The Blurb

War has come to the Winter Kingdoms. The Dread will rise. Kings will fall.
Summoner-King Tris Drayke takes what remains of his army north to fight a war he is ill-prepared to fight, as reports from spies confirm Tris’s worst fear. A new threat rises across the sea: a dark summoner who intends to make the most of the Winter Kingdoms’s weakness. And in Isencroft, Kiara’s father is assassinated and she will now have no choice except to return and claim the crown. But she must leave behind her husband Tris and their infant son and face the dark power that threatens her rule. THE DREAD is the epic conclusion to the Fallen Kings Cycle. [GoodReads]

My Review

Oh, this book and I have such a love-hate thing going on here. Except I don’t hate it. I just mildly dislike some of it. Oh, but I love it, too!

You see, I love the characters. I have had such hopes for the Warrior-Queen Kiara (no relation), ever since The Summoner. However, she never really lives up to her potential. For the first couple of books, she was fabulous. Then she ends up married, pregnant, and stuck as far from the battlefield as she could possibly get “for the sake of the heirs”. Sigh. Tris is a great character. Summoner and King, he is forced to balance his power against his morality. My favorite character, I think, has always been Jonmarc. He is quite the rogue, an ex-slave, and an excellent fighter. In this particular part of the series, though, I think my favorite is Aidane. She’s a serroquette – what is known as a “ghost whore” or one who can speak to and be possessed by ghosts. She reunites lovers parted by death for one last night together. In her homeland, she is hunted and if caught would be tortured and killed. She’s a remarkably complex character and one who stands up admirably under pressure.

The world is fascinating and filled with compelling characters that I would love to sit down with for a drink. I love them to pieces. It’s the plot I find myself scratching my head over. Take your pick: the enemies of the last two volumes are either a) a group of supernatural creatures b) foreigners compelled by a spell or c) Isencroft (domestic) traitors. Except, somehow, the answer is really some strange combination of all three. Plus, there’s a Ripper-esque serial killer, some rogue vampires, and an evil Summoner all seemingly working in collusion with each other for the downfall of all of the myriad heroes who’ve been introduced to us over the course of five books.

If you’re scratching your head about now, don’t feel too badly. So was I. It all sort of makes sense in context as you’re reading, but I really don’t understand the motivations of the bad guys here. I think it’s a matter of the opposition being underdeveloped. You see what they wanted, but not why they wanted it, and it leaves something essential lacking that would push the story from good to great.

That said, Martin is just as adept at epic, sweeping battle scenes as she is at brief, poignant glimpses into ones that tugs at the heart strings. Jonmarc’s thoughts at being off to war during the birth of his twins comes to mind, and likewise Tris’ reasoning for walking into death and also for effectively damning his own soul. You can see how Talwyn and Jair’s story will go, but that doesn’t make the ending any lighter for the reader. The poetic beauty of the words is so haunting that you can forget, for a time, that a lot of the plot doesn’t really make sense.

So. I love it. But it confuses me. I don’t regret reading it. Nor do I feel entirely comfortable recommending it to others. This is one you’re going to have to make your own decisions about, readers. I’m giving it 2 and 1/2 stars.

Rating:

Review: Cold Fire by Kate Elliott

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Jan 112012

Cold Fire is the second book in the Spritwalker series. It was published by Orbit books on September 26, 2011.

The Blurb

Only one thing is certain: when Hallows’ Night comes, the Wild Hunt will ride – and it feeds on mortal blood.

Cat and her cousin Bee are caught in a maze of intrigue, treachery, and magic. Everyone seems to want something from them: the Cold Mages are trying to take them prisoner, and the warlord who wants to conquer all of Europa seems sure they have a special destiny to aid him whether they want to or not. Worse, hidden powers deep in the spirit world are rising, and they are the most dangerous of all. Cat must seek allies and figure out who she can trust in order to save the ones she loves. For if she doesn’t, everything will be lost.

My Review

I really wanted to like this book. I wasn’t thrilled by the characters in Cold Magic, even though I found the premise of the world and magic system fascinating. Unfortunately, it wasn’t any better this time. Cat is still a silly, vain girl and I still can’t stand to read about her.

The characters, filtered through Cat’s point of view, have no clear goals. They go somewhere and then some stuff happens and then they’re shuffled off somewhere else, where the whole thing repeats. They never really sit down and talk it out and say, “I think we need to do this and in order to do that we need to go here.” They have no allies; they don’t know what is going on; there is no indication of where they could go to find out.

I have no idea what the purpose of this book is. I don’t know what the characters want, and watching them stroll around aimlessly kind of pisses me off.

As much as I wanted to love this, I found the characters irritating and the lack of “big picture” annoying. It’s completely plausible that, were I put in Cat’s situation, I would end up in the exact same place(s) that she seems to. Maybe that’s the problem. I like my heroines to be larger than life, and Cat is just… average.

If this book were written about someone – anyone – else, I’d be thrilled. But it’s not, and I’m not, and I don’t know what to do about it. I couldn’t even finish it, despite giving myself extra time. The only reason I’m going back on my “No Finish – No Review” policy is that it was a NetGalley read, and I promised to do a review.

The one great thing is the fabulous world building. I wish I could see more of it, but I don’t think I can stand the characters long enough to do so. Life is too short to force myself to read something that just doesn’t work for me. Will it work for you? I don’t know. This is just one girl’s opinion.

Rating:

Review: Blood Rights by Kristen Painter

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Dec 212011

Blood Rights is the first book in The House of Commaré series by Kristen Painter. It was published on October 1, 2011. There are three books currently available in this series.

The Blurb

The lacy gold mapped her entire body. A finely-wrought filigree of stars, vines, flowers, butterflies, ancient symbols and words ran from her feet, up her legs, over her narrow waist, spanned her chest and finished down her arms to the tips of her fingers.

Gothic fantasy meets vampire fiction in this debut novel from Kristen Painter – full of politics, intrigue, and blood.

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré — a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

My Review

If you’re not burned out on vampire books yet, Painter gives us a nice, unique twist on the genre with Blood Rights. Our main character, Chrysabelle, is a comarré, which is basically a fancy term for a certain species of human that is born as food for the vampire nobility. Because doesn’t every girl want to grow up to be a pampered trophy and gourmet meal? Yeah, me neither – and apparently neither did Chrysabelle, as she was planning to leave her rich patron and luxurious life for a normal one in the mundane world.

Before she can, of course, her patron is murdered and Chrysabelle is forced to run for her life. She runs to her aunt (who is not really her aunt, as no comarré knows who her biological family is), who has been living a mundane life as the handicapped owner of a cosmetic company in what we are told is New Florida. This designation puts a near-future spin on the tale, but we’re told no real details of Florida – either the old or the new.

Mal, the conflicted outcast vampire who has been cursed to kill every human he drinks from, is a welcome addition (and contrast) to Chrysabelle’s story. I was ready to like Chrysabelle when she stabs Mal in the bar at the beginning of the story, but this was before we find out that not only is she apparently ambrosia to vampires but she also has been trained from a young age in combat skills. In fact, Chrysabelle apparently has no flaws whatsoever, except for the fact that she seems alarmingly (and conveniently) attracted to the outcast Mal for someone who is supposed to be keeping herself – and thereby her blood – “pure”.

I’m being kind of snarky here, so let me reassure you that the story was gripping enough that I didn’t think about any of these annoyances until I sat down to write this review. The only thing that bothered me at the time was the obviousness of [character] being [this other character] from [first character's] past. Twice. Sigh.

Personally, I found the supporting characters more engrossing. Mal is haunted by the voices of the people he’s killed, but only one of them can manifest herself as a real ghost. She’s interesting, as well as the cat shapeshifter who happens to be in love with her. This gentleman kitty is cursed [Cursed again? Everyone is cursed in this book...] to only be able to shapeshift into the form of a house cat. I will most likely continue reading the series simply to find out what happens to those two, and to the noble vampire villainess who has allied herself with a creature who is described – but not named as – what can only be some sort of demon.

This book is listed on NetGalley as being adult fantasy, but it looks and reads more like a young adult novel to me – and apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so. The cover is gorgeous, the writing is sensual, and for those who don’t mind a little predictability in their stories, it’s overall a pretty nice tale. I’d recommend it for voracious readers, vampire fans, and older teens. I’m luke-warm about this one myself, but I will continue reading and I suppose that’s all that matters, yes?

Rating:

Review: Midnight by Ellen Connor

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Dec 142011

Midnight is the second book in the Dark Age Dawning trilogy from Ellen Connor. Ellen Connor is the pen name of dynamic writing duo Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty. Dark Age Dawning is an apocalyptic paranormal romance. This book was published September 6th, 2011 from Berkley Sensation.

The Blurb

Their desire destroys her defenses.
Their love gives him a reason to live.

Three years of wandering the post-apocalyptic wasteland has stripped Dr. Chris Welsh of humanity and hope. He’s a dangerous man now, full of dark energy and yen for violence. A harrowing loss drove him from his home, and he hasn’t stopped moving since. Grim and sardonic, he never found anything worth sticking around for – until now.

Rosa Cortez runs Valle de Bravo, a haven of civilization amid the chaos of the Change. Soldiers take their orders directly from her–the iron hand within a velvet glove. The last thing she needs is a feral loner upsetting the town’s tentative balance. However, for the good of her people, she lets the sexy doctor stay. He evokes a delicious new longing, but she won’t submit to any man.

Tension rises as bloodthirsty raiders strike again and again, bent on possessing Valle and its resources. Together Chris and Rosa battle hellhounds and dust pirates while also fighting desperate attraction. To save them, love must overcome the pain of the past–and build a future in this brutal Dark Age…

My Review

Let me as blunt as I can about this: I only volunteered to review this book because I saw Ann Aguirre’s name attached to it and hadn’t had the privilege of reading her work yet. I had no idea, at the time, what this book was about. I didn’t even know what genre it was in.

If I had known it was a paranormal romance novel – even a post-apocalyptic one – I probably would have passed on it. And that would have been a crying shame, because this is one damn fine novel. I plan to look up the books that came before and after this one so that I can find out more about the world. It’s fascinating. (Note: It is not at all necessary to have read book 1 prior to reading this one.)

Chris and Rosa are brave people doing their best to live in a brutal new world. Make no mistake that this is a romance novel. You will need the customary relationship suspension-of-disbelief and there is indeed a “happily ever after” of sorts. However, the setting is also fully realized (in vivid, blood-spattered technicolor) and the romance doesn’t overwhelm the other elements of the story.

Overall, I was surprised and pleased with how wonderful this novel is. In fact, I might just be re-evaluating my ban on romance novels, based solely on how well I genuinely enjoyed this book. Shocking, I know. Midnight has totally reset – and raised the bar for – my opinion of romance as a genre, something I never expected to be saying at all.

Rating:

Review: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

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Dec 072011

Darker Still is a paranormal young adult novel published on November 8th, 2011 from Sourcebooks Fire. It is the first entry in the new Magic Most Foul series.

The Blurb

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart’s latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing…

Jonathan Denbury’s soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

My Review

Leanna is careful to use authentic Victorian vernacular in her novels, and this book is no different. The rhythm and poetry of the language is almost like meditation: it forces you to slow down and breathe and savor. That’s what I like so much about her work – even when there’s a killer on a rampage, there’s a tranquility to it that somehow serves to heighten the tension even more than if the pace were frantic instead. To give an era-appropriate example, it’s a technique that Poe used well and it’s similarly effective here.

If I could ask the author one question, though, I would want to know why Natalie needed to be a mute. Maybe that’s a factor that comes to play more of a role in the sequels, but our heroine’s background at a Victorian-era “school for the deaf” is mentioned several times but seems not to make much of an impact on the story line itself. (Natalie struggles, but is able to talk eventually when she needs to.) It’s not that I don’t like to see diversity in my reading (I do). It’s more that I’d like my diversity to have a purpose rather than be a “token”. I honestly don’t think Leanna has put this in as a token gesture, though. I just don’t understand her motivation yet.

I will say, though, that if the only purpose was to give Natalie another tie to Denbury and his painting (she can talk there but not in the real world), then that’s kind of weak. It works, but it’s a poor psychological trick to play on a supposedly strong female protagonist. On the other hand, she’s a teenager. Natalie does have more sense than some recently-in-the-news female protagonists inhabiting YA novels (who will remain nameless). So there is that. It’s always a good sign with a YA when I have to stop and remind myself that the characters’ motivations annoy me because they’re being written effectively as teenagers.

In short, Leanna has me hooked. As usual. If you’re a YA or paranormal (or both) fan, then you can do worse than spend an evening or two reading Darker Still.

Review: The Death of Torberta Turchin by Shannon Mawhiney

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Sep 272011

The Death of Torberta Turchin

Written: Shannon Mawhiney

Published: 03/11/11

Publisher: Createspace

ISBN: 1460937902

Obtained via: Author

Blurb:

Torberta Turchin, or Torby for short, is a 14-year-old girl who has spoken to the dead ever since she can remember. After her parents’ death in a tragic car accident when she was very young, her relatives sent her to St. Christopher’s boarding school for the mentally ill, where she lives a relatively normal and happy life. Short of some demanding and needy ghosts, Torby has never been much bothered by the voices, especially because her best friend, a musician named Charlie who died in the 1930s, is among them.

When she becomes the target of strange events at the school though, she needs Charlie’s help, and the help of a new boy who not only can hear Charlie… he can see him. Together they must figure out who is behind the attacks, before it’s too late, for Torby and for her classmates.

Will she survive to another year? …or will she join Charlie on the plane of the dead?

My Review:

The Death of Torberta Turchin is a surprisingly well-written and engrossing YA novel. The kids at St. Christopher’s have so many problems that it’s easy to sympathize and feel sorry for them. The mystery is intriguing, even if it is easy to puzzle out.

The ending, though, seemed a bit sudden and had a tacked-on-with-glue feeling. You know by the title how the story will end, but the author’s vision of the afterlife seems not nearly so fleshed out as that of the living world. There is an obvious allusion to a sequel, however, so the author should have ample opportunity to expand that later – though that’s not an excuse for leaving even the bit we do see here lackluster.

I admit to being a bit put off by what seems to be the “moral” of this story. Torby’s fate seems to say, “All my problems were solved by dying!” My guess is that this isn’t what the author meant to say. At least, I hope it isn’t. That would be a very poor lesson to give teenagers who have enough pressures in the current day.

My biggest concern is that, if the author isn’t trying to tell teenagers that death is preferable to living with a mental or emotional problem, then she failed to get her real message across. This is bad. Still, a book can be just a book and not a life lesson, so I wouldn’t recommend readers avoid this story on that alone.

The book touches on serious things that are real life problems: schizophrenia, pyromania, trichotillomania, and bulimia are a few. Though it doesn’t truly address any of these things, they are depicted as treatable conditions that one can adjust to and live with – encouraging if you’re a teen who is dealing with one of them.

If you’re a YA paranormal fan, I’d recommend it. Though, as should always be a given, I recommend adults who are unsure of the themes to read it before, or along with, their kids.

Rating:

Review: In the Dead Volume 1 by Jesse Petersen

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Aug 152011

In The Dead: Volume 1

Companion to Living with the Dead Series

Written: Jesse Petersen

Published: July 2011

ISBN: 0012768200

Obtained via: Author

Blurb:

When the Zombie Apocalypse began in Seattle and spread within days to almost the entire western half the country, the survivors had to figure out how to deal with the plague and live one day at a time. These are their stories.

If you liked Jesse Petersen’s zombie comedies Married With Zombies, Flip This Zombie and Eat Slay Love, these nine stories are set in the same world, but from the perspective of other survivors.

My Review:

This is a collection of shocking and compelling stories telling of the human condition during and after a zombie outbreak. Some are tender, some filled with the resilient human spirit of hope… and just a few end in despair. All of them are likely to break your heart at one point or another. This volume is an excellent introduction to Petersen’s work, or a must-have addition to a fan’s shelf. And, this digital edition is easy to carry in case of Zombie Apocalypse!

It also has a wonderful price point — only $2.99 over at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

(And my deepest apologies to the author. I thought I’d posted this review two weeks ago, and turns out it hadn’t gone up as planned. Oops!)

Rating:

Review: The Mumbo Jumbo Circus by Jane George

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Jul 262011

The Mumbo Jumbo Circus

Written: Jane George [website]

Published: April 15, 2011

Publisher: Red Willow Publishing

ISBN: 9781936539086

Obtained via: Author

Blurb:

Magic. Mystery. Mayhem. The MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS…

When the enigmatic Ringmaster asks 15-year-old Evanja (Evan) Leane to run away and join the circus, she says yes. Anywhere’s got to be better than foster home Number Eight. Evan learns that this ragtag circus, a haven for throwaway teens, relies on more than spectacle and illusion. This circus is built on magic. Each of the teens possesses a donvrai, a true gift, that manifests only in the presence of the Ringmaster’s mysterious Ju-Ju. Unlike many of the other teens who must wait for their donvrai to emerge, Evan’s gift surfaces on her first night: she can read horses’ minds. This would be totally awesome except she has been deathly afraid of horses since foster home Number Three. But circus is a dying art. If Evan wants to save her beloved new-found home, she must concoct a brilliant horse act that will bring in the crowds. And she’d better get over herself and get on with it fast; there’s a traitor close to the Ringmaster who will stop at nothing to make sure she doesn’t succeed.

With B&W illustrations.
Contains: some swearing. Recommended for age 14 and up.

My Review (Which Contains Vague Spoilers, If You Care About Such Things):

The Mumbo Jumbo Circus is a sweet and eccentric coming of age story filled with all the strangeness a circus story should have. I haven’t had this much fun with a circus novel since Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus. The writing is lovely and the story is a breath of fresh air. I really like it, and am looking forward to buying a copy for my niece in a few years.

I only have one or two beefs with the book. Jacques and his henchmen kidnapped Evan, and she was rescued — but there was no final confrontation. The good guys didn’t “win” so much as the bad guys were put off for another day. That plot line just kind of petered out and never resolved itself, leaving me feeling vaguely cheated. And what about Chandi the Tiger Tamer? Are she and her tigers stuck being tormented simply because the Mumbo Jumbo “ju-ju” said so?

Happily, I sent off a question to the author, and discovered that Mumbo Jumbo *is*, in fact, the beginning of a series. There are six books planned, each with a different POV. This fixes most of my issues – namely, the unanswered questions. It still feels a bit like the big climax happened in the middle of the book, but since this is just the beginning of things I’m much more willing to forgive that.

Honestly, I was quite pleasantly surprised* and pleased with how well this book was written, and its deft exploration of significant teenage themes like fitting in, contributing to society, teamwork, and standing up to bullies. The illustrations were lovely. (Why don’t more books do that?) I recommend this for teenage readers who don’t mind a bit of whimsy; it’s certainly a nice change from the very necessary but fairly dark turn that some YA books have taken lately.

*The surprise wasn’t really this author’s fault. I’ve just had a bit of a bad run lately with the quality of books I’ve been asked to review.

Rating:

Review: Dead Iron by Devon Monk

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Jul 052011

Dead Iron

Age of Steam #1

Written: Devon Monk [website]

Published: July 1, 2011

Publisher: Roc

ISBN: 9780451463968

Obtained via: Author

Blurb:

Welcome to a new America that is built on blood, sweat, and gears…

In steam age America, men, monsters, machines, and magic battle for the same scrap of earth and sky. In this chaos, bounty hunter Cedar Hunt rides, cursed by lycanthropy and carrying the guilt of his brother’s death. Then he’s offered hope that his brother may yet survive. All he has to do is find the Holder: a powerful device created by mad devisers-and now in the hands of an ancient Strange who was banished to walk this Earth.

In a land shaped by magic, steam, and iron, where the only things a man can count on are his guns, gears, and grit, Cedar will have to depend on all three if he’s going to save his brother and reclaim his soul once and for all…

My Review:

This book is the steam punk story I’ve been waiting for since my husband forced me to watch Full-Metal Alchemist. Lots of authors seem to think that if only they throw a couple of gears into the story that it will qualify as steam punk. Dead Iron, though, is the only story I’ve found that manages that same creepy, brass-plated, “playing with powers beyond mortal ken” kind of feel that FMA had. But it is the human elements of both stories that call to me: among the steam-powered robots and creepy alchemical creatures is a tale of sorrow, loss, and love. Of course, there are also some kick-ass fight scenes and incredibly funny moments, too.

With werewolves, witches, fey creatures, steam punk robots, and railroad tycoons all mixing it up in the Old West, one would think that the story would be jumbled with too many disparate elements. It isn’t. I don’t know how the author does it, but she does it well. If you are of the inclination that Dead Iron might be a fluke – you need to read her short story collection, A Cup of Normal. Monk does strange as naturally as breathing, and just as practiced. The only disappointment I have with the story is that there wasn’t another 3,000 or so pages of it. I can’t wait for the next volume so I can see what happens next!

Rating:

Review: Eat Slay Love by Jesse Petersen

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Jun 272011

Eat Slay Love

Living With the Dead #3

Written: Jesse Petersen

Published: 07/01/2011

ISBN: 1849835292

Obtained via: NetGalley

***************************

The blurb for this book has what some may consider spoilers for the previous two volumes. Please continue with caution.

****************************************************

Blurb:

Sarah and David have survived the zombie apocalypse. They stood side by side and fought the undead, mad scientists, and even bionic monsters until the unthinkable happened. A zombie bite. But not even that could stop them. Now, with a possible cure in hand, they’re headed east, looking for a safe zone behind the rumored “Wall.” They’re feeling pretty optimistic.

That is until Dave stops sleeping and starts lifting huge objects.

Eat. Slay. Love.

Because they haven’t got a prayer.

My Review:

This series is my favorite recent zombie tale. I love that there’s a stable romantic couple in the lead. I love the crazy gross zombies and the weird surprises of the story. (Cult leaders! Mad scientists! Investigative reporters!) I especially love the snarky narration of the main character, Sarah.

I just enjoy this series to pieces. Each book has been more enjoyable than the last, and I can’t wait for the next (and concluding… for now) volume. They’re fairly short works, compared to some of the monster fantasies I’ve read in the past (I’m looking at you Pat Rothfuss!), only 250 – 300 pages. That means you can read each of them in a day or a weekend – making them wonderful beach reads or a great way to spend a lazy summer weekend.

If you’re already reading this series, you don’t need me to convince you to buy this book. If you’ve not yet picked this up, go back to Married with Zombies and get started!

Rating:

Review: The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess

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Jun 082011

The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess

Strangely Beautiful #3 (Prequel)

Written: Leanna Renee Hieber

Published: 5/3/2011

ISBN: 9781428511163

Obtained via: NetGalley

Blurb:

The Goddess: In the beginning, there were lovers: a winged deity of power and light, and a queen of graceand beauty. Phoenix was murdered, his beloved stolen away to the Whisper-world. But their passion inspired the Muses. Through great sacrifice, it could live again.The Guard:

There are always six, mortal hosts for the divine. Battling spirits through the ages, they defy Darkness, Lord of the Dead. In 1867, a shadow rises. The tide turns against them, and all hope falls on a child of prophecy, an eerie, snow-white girl yet to be born. But her path must be cleared. A Great War is coming, and song, wind and stars whisper that the eighteen-year-old Beatrice Smith must give everything to prepare.

My Review:

Beautiful and elegant as ever, this is probably my favorite book in the trio so far. We learn much more about the history of the Guard here, and see their immortal patron goddess in her original flesh. I enjoyed the further glimpses into Darkness, Persephone’s underworld captor. This series is certainly a unique twist on the old myth, and I always enjoy those.

We get to meet the members of the Guard who were active before Percy and Alexi’s group, and I loved seeing the Muses in new bodies. It was like meeting old friends with new faces (except less creepy than that would be!) I had no idea that these Guard had such a brief time together as an active group. I wonder if I missed a hint in one of the previous two volumes.

Of all the great loves among the guard, it is that of Beatrice and Ibrahim that touches me deepest. Their love, the one that took years to build as a bridge over a gulf of pig-headed stubbornness, the love that crosses racial and cultural divides, is the one that most closely mirrors my own. New York and Ohio are not so far apart as London and Cairo…. But only just.

Prophecy is the volume that will break your heart, the story that weaves a wondrous foundation for the previous pair. It gives the world a strength and depth that fans just can’t miss.

Rating:

Review: The Neon Graveyard by Vicki Pettersson

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May 282011

The Neon Graveyard

Signs of the Zodiac #6

Written: Vicki Pettersson [website]

Published: May 31, 2011

Publisher: Harper Voyager

ISBN: 978-0061456794

Obtained via: NetGalley (& Purchase)

Blurb:

Once she was a soldier for the Light, the prophesied savior who would decide the outcome of the eternal conflict raging unseen in the dark corners of her glittering hometown. Now Joanna Archer is just another mortal—still born of an impossible union of Shadow and Light . . . still hunted by both—and carrying the unborn child of a lover held captive by a depraved demon goddess. Joining forces with a band of rogue Shadow agents, Joanna’s ready to storm the stronghold of her demonic foe, risking everything to enter this ghastly, godforsaken realm where the price of admission is her eternal soul. Because in a world that has stripped her of her power, identity, and fortune, Joanna has nothing left to lose—except her baby, her future, and the epic war poised to consume the city.

My Review:

If you’re a fan of this series, I don’t need to try to persuade you to read this book. If you’re not a fan – what are you waiting for?

This series has more goodies than a reader knows what to do with: debutantes and superheroes; villains; cool weapons; casinos; the sweaty, sunny Las Vegas desert; a comic book store complete with preternaturally creepy pre-teens; defenestration; sex; violence; mystery; astrology. It’s an awfully good thing that our author does in fact know what to do with it all!

The Neon Graveyard is the absolute perfect end to the series. Joanna has been built up and torn down over and over (and over) and this ending is just as ugly and messy and visceral as her life has always been. Things do not fit together in a tidy package with a cute little Olivia-worthy bow. No. It is put together like when I try to wrap a gift: the edges of the paper are cut crooked and folded in too many places to be pretty, the bow is mangled and has too many frayed ends. But the paper is unique, providing its own entertainment, and there is enthusiasm and care wrought into every crinkle and excess line of tape.

This story has always been messy, tangled, bloody and real. This ending gives us satisfaction and hope. Happiness? Well. That’s really for the reader to decide.

Now that the story is complete, new readers can take it all in one go. I imagine that reading all six books at once is sort of like having incredible sex in the middle of the southwestern desert: fantastically freeing, exhilarating, and absolutely unique. You’ll be completely emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted by the end of it. You’ll be wrung out, sweaty, and utterly satisfied. And — if you don’t manage to die from thirst, sand abrasions, heat stroke, sun burn, or a stray scorpion — it’ll be totally worth it. Just imagine the orgasm.

I can’t wait to try it myself! (The complete read-through, that is. I am much too much of an old married woman now to even want to attempt outside nookie in the middle of a desert. Imagine the chafing! Not to mention the sunburn….)

BUY IT!*

Rating:

*This is an affiliate link.

Review: The Diva Doctrine by Patricia V Davis

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May 092011

The Diva Doctrine

Written: Patricia V. Davis

Published: 05/01/2011

Publisher: Bonneville Books

ISBN: 1599554801

Obtained from: Netgalley

Blurb:

Patricia V. Davis may be the first to tell you she’s an expert in failed relationships. But ask any of the readers who helped a post on her advice blog go viral, and they’ll say that whether you’re wide-eyed twenty-something dreamer, the world’s grooviest grandma, or something in between, there’s no one better able to help you on your way to becoming aTrue Diva!

My Review:

This is a non-fiction interlude to our (ir)regularly scheduled SF/F reviews. I saw this book on NetGalley and was intrigued. How does a single blog post become a book contract? What kind of advice does Ms. Davis have that is so applicable to the rest of female kind?

The problem with most self-help books is that they very rarely tell you anything that you couldn’t figure out for yourself. They may present them a little better, and they’re great at giving you little blurbs and quotes to chant to yourself in times of stress — but they even more rarely have anything to say that’s of tangible value.

The Diva Doctrine doesn’t really contain any information that a woman can’t learn from experience. Nearly every woman will eventually have a bad relationship, a dead-weight friendship, or a disagreement with family. And nearly every woman will eventually learn how to take care of herself inside and out. Some of us end up taking a bit longer than others to learn these lessons, though. Some women even need to learn them over and over again.

The author’s goal here is to lay out these learning experiences in terms that someone who hasn’t lived them can understand. If you haven’t yet figured out confidence, how to say no, where to draw the line, or how to take care of yourself – then you are in the target audience for this book. The original blog post that inspired the book was framed as advice ‘From an Older Woman to a Younger One’.

If the author wasn’t so warm and funny, it might have sounded pretentious. So it’s a good thing that she manages to sound self-effacing: matter-of-fact about her mistakes and like she is genuinely writing to help people, and not to simply create a book that those desperate for help will buy.

Will the advice in this book be life-changing? Ehhhh… I’m not so sure about that. Maybe if I’d had it at fifteen and been willing to accept and follow it. Are the author’s words personable, endearing, and entertaining? Yes, absolutely. Sometimes we all need reminders about being good to ourselves, how to banishing negativity (both internal and external), and how to find but not force love.

This is a perfect commiseration book. If you’re feeling down and want some sympathy from a woman who’s “been there” (or done worse), this book can certainly provide it.

Rating:

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

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Apr 242011

The Goddess Test

Goddess Test #1

Written: Aimée Carter

Published: April 26, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 0373210264

Obtained via: NetGalley

Blurb:

It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

My Review:

I had a long statement here before about how much I’ve always loved the Persephone myth, how I always thought something was missing, that I believed that Persephone might have been almost grateful for the things her kidnapping allowed her to become.

Then I realized that’s not what this book is about, so my review shouldn’t be, either. This book wasn’t the way that I had envisioned a retelling of this mythology – but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have merit in its own right.

In The Goddess Test, the original Persephone became Queen of the Underworld due to a political alliance, not through a kidnapping. Her husband loved her to distraction, but she did not return his favor. She loved a human, and gave up her status and power to follow him into death itself.

Now, the Underworld has been without a Queen for many years. Girls have been tested repeatedly, but all have failed – been murdered, actually, and the murderer has never been found. Now, in the last few years before a deadline that would force him to give up his life and his place, Hades has found his last chance: Kate.

Not only does she have to survive the testing, but she also has to be accepted by the other gods. Neither of these is an easy task. Worse, to Kate’s mind… What’s the point of becoming immortal if you’re forced to marry a guy who could never love you, because he’s put the memory of his former wife on a pedestal higher than any girl could ever reach?

This book is the ultimate in teenage wish fulfillment – which is good, because it’s a young adult novel. Ordinary girl Kate, who’s mother is dying and who hasn’t had a real friend in years, is snatched out of the mundane and given everything she could ever want. Her mother’s cancer is held back by a promise from Hades. A girl who started out hating her is suddenly her best friend. Two different gorgeous boys are vying for her favor. She’s also given a beautiful room, servants to dress her, all the food she could want, and a closet full of clothing from every time period known to man. Oh, and she also has the chance to become immortal: a goddess, with powers beyond imagining.

What teenage girl wouldn’t want all of that?

Persephone’s myth is a perfect story to be adapted for teen readers: forbidden love, a rich and powerful guy, the change in perception from girl to woman. What teenage girl wouldn’t swoon at that? It’s a classic. Even so, there’s always a chance that it could be handled badly.

I have to admit, though, that in this case it was handled very well. Even if the adult in me was rolling her eyes at the obvious wish-fulfillment, the teenage girl I still remember was fascinated by the tale. Yes, sometimes it even gets to me: clothes, food, friends, immortality (read: eternal youth and beauty), and the true love of an honestly decent guy. Now that I think about it, maybe even the adult woman in me had more fun with this than she’d care to admit.

If you’re a Greek mythology fan, especially if you like Persephone’s tale, and if you don’t mind a bit of teenage angst, then you should give The Goddess Test a try.

Rating:

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