Blog Change

For a long time I've wanted to change the name of my blog, so I finally went ahead and took the plunge. I also wanted the url to match the name, so I had to switch my blog over completely. So, I'd much appreciate if any of my blog readers and followers would head on over to my new blog, become a follower, update your subscriptions to the new link, and all that good stuff. Thanks!

http://readingfairytales.blogspot.com/

Oracle's Legacy: Dawn of Illumination

Book Details:
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Page Count: 448
Publication Date: Oct. 3, 2010
Why I read it: received for review
Grade: B

The plot:
The Board Is Set… The dying Oracle can no longer protect her Structure. Moon has exposed it from the shadows in hopes to bring ruin to the world. Thousands of years of lies and secrets have given birth to fear and mistrust. The cycle of Moon’s plots have only begun to spin. The Pieces Are In Place… Pillars want to recreate the world, but in order to do so they must first destroy it. The Structure looks to their new leader, Augustus Granger, to take over and stop the devastation. However, Demon’s Wrath refuses to let anyone stop his plan of total annihilation. The Game Has A New Player... The plots, misdeeds, and fighting gave rise to Chaos. Now no one can stop her. No one is safe. No one can hide.

My review:
This was a pretty good conclusion to the Oracle's Legacy trilogy. I have to say I didn't like it as well as the first two. In all of these books there have been times when I had no idea what was going on, but I felt like by this third book I should have a better grasp on the story and everything happening, but I just didn't. Also, as someone who goes as far as correcting the grammar of characters on TV, I'm still very annoyed with the editing here. There were commas all over the place where they shouldn't have been. It didn't make the reading as smooth as it could have been.

Still, I was satisfied with how the story ended. I still really like Ollie, as messed up as she is. The writing continues to have that "tough" feel to it, sometimes a little too much, to be honest. What I really liked about this trilogy, though, was that it's just so different. I'm not sure how the author came up with her ideas, but her world is very detailed and quite interesting. I haven't seen any other books like this, which is refreshing. I sometimes get tired of the same types of characters that you usually see in fantasy books.

The first book in this trilogy will always hold a spot on my list of favorites, and I would (with reservations) recommend this trilogy to fans of fantasy and science fiction. I look forward to seeing what R.B. Holbrook does next.

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

Book Details:
Genre: Christian Romance
Page Count: 226
Publication Date: Oct. 5, 2010
Why I read it: received for review
Grade: B+

The plot:
In a sleepy, snow-covered city, Cora Crowder is busy preparing for the holiday season. Searching for a perfect gift, a fortuitous trip to Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdad’s (a most unusual bookshop) leads to an unexpected encounter with co-worker Simon Derrick. And the surprise discovery of a ticket for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas Ball.

Every year, the matchmaking booksellers of the Sage Street bookshop host an enchanting, old-fashioned Christmas Ball for the romantic matches they’ve decided to bring together.

This year, will Simon and Cora discover a perfect chemistry in their opposite personalities and shared faith? Or will the matchmakers’ best laid plans end up ruining everything this holiday?

My review:
I've only ever read fantasy books by Donita K. Paul, and she's one of my favorite authors. This book was another hit for me. It was a sweet romance that was perfect for this time of year. The thing I love most about this author's books are that they are just so cozy. They're just right for reading while cuddling under a blanket with a cup of tea or cocoa.

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball wasn't very fast paced. It seemed to cover a very short amount of time, and honestly not a lot happened. I really would have liked to see the story a bit more fleshed out and more things explained. It was pretty short, and had a bit of an abrupt ending. We never really got to know exactly what was going on or why or how. That being said, I think that it was meant to be a quick holiday read, not a long detailed story.

I quite liked the characters here, and would love to read more about them. I didn't want to the story to end. There is definitely a Christian message in the book, and religion is sprinkled throughout. Pretty much what you'd expect from a Christian publisher and author. All in all, I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a sweet holiday read that you can squeeze in between all your busy times. This is an author that I'll continue to read.

Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones

Book Details:
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 322
Publication Date: Nov. 1, 2008
Why I read it: 2nd in series
Grade: B

The plot:
In this second Alcatraz adventure, Alcatraz finds himself on a mission to meet Grandpa Smedry when he gets swept up by a flying glass dragon filled with his unusual and mouthy Smedry cohorts.

Their mission? A dangerous, library-filled one, of course!

They are on their way to the ancient and mysterious Library of Alexandria (which some silly people think was long ago destroyed!) where they must find Grandpa Smedry, look for clues leading to Alcatraz's potentially undead dead father, and battle the creepy, dangerous soul-sucking curators who await them.

My review:
I think that my sense of humor meshes pretty well with Brandon Sandersons. It would have to, otherwise I'd find this book incredibly annoying. There is humor throughout, and sometimes I think it's almost trying too hard to be funny. But at the same time, I think that's part of the charm of this book.

There isn't a ton that happens here--it's really just one adventure, but I didn't feel like the book lacked plot at all. It was actually really interesting, and not at all predictable, which is nice. The story always seems to be going in one crazy direction after another. I honestly think it might be a bit much for some people. I can easily see how people could find the writing over the top, especially the humor. But it was right up my alley, and it was a quick fun read, especially for someone in a book slump.

I think if you had teen boys who wanted to find something to read, they would love this series. It would also be a fun bedtime story to read with your kids, if you like to do that kind of thing. This is nothing like Brandon Sanderson's other fantasy novels. It seems like whatever he writes is good, so as long as he keeps writing, I'll keep reading.

Divanomics

Book Details:
Genre: non-fiction/self help
Page Count: 247
Publication Date: April 1, 2010
Why I read it: review copy from Tyndale
Grade: C

The plot:
Once upon a time, Michelle McKinney Hammond’s lifestyle centered around the finer things in life—designer clothes, five-star restaurants, and bag after bag of high-end nonessentials. Then one day, like many people, Michelle awoke to find herself on the losing end of a most unwelcome and unexpected financial downturn. In response, she quickly went from “spoiled” to “fabulously frugal,” and with courage and a sense of humor, she made the necessary adjustments in her life.
Now, Hammond, a self-proclaimed DIVA (Divine Inspiration for Victorious Attitude), shares what she learned about her own spending, desires, and needs and how she adjusted to life during an unpredictable economy. Divanomics is filled with money-saving tips on fashion, beauty, home decor, entertaining, diet, housing, and more.

My review:
I'm not sure that I'm really the target audience for this book. Yes, I'd like to budget better and get tips for spending less money, but this book seemed to be more for people who had expensive tastes (something I've never had) and it seemed to be geared more towards single woman. Since I'm a married mother of three, my life looks a lot different than the authors.

I think if you're looking for a good book on budgeting and financing, check out something by Dave Ramsey. In fact, the author even suggests his books in Divanomics, so I think she's aware that she's not an expert on finance. What this book reads more like is sitting down for a cup of coffee with a girlfriend who found herself in financial trouble, figured out how to help herself, and wants to give you her advice and experiences.

I think what I liked best about the book were the little snippets at the end of each chapter called "What's a diva to do". These were basically a summary of the chapter, but in the form of a list of things you could try. Since I'm all about lists, these were good for me. This is a fun book about spending less, but a lot of the time I felt like she was too focused on getting stuff--like what she could get out of other people for free. There were times that it wasn't in a bad way, like trading clothes with your friends, but there were other times where it seemed like she was giving pointers for getting men (or others) to buy you things or give you things. It rubbed me the wrong way a little bit.

All in all, this was a quick read (when I actually picked it up and read it), but definitely not the best if you're looking to get your finances in order. If you're looking for something lighthearted about finances, though, this may be a good option. You can visit the product page for this book at Tyndale here.

Books for Review

I've received a couple of books for review in the past few days. Hopefully I can get to them soon. I think I've got at least 5 books I'm in the middle of reading (probably more), and I'm not making progress on any of them. And I've got a big stack of books from the library, too.

But anyway, here's what I got:

With OtherWorlds,you will learn to draw and paint fantasy scenery. Also disc over how to bring forth ideas more quickly, and communicate a sense of place that evokes a range of emotions, especially the thrill of taking an exotic journey to explore the unknown. Enjoy Tom Kidd's lively and personal step-by-step instruction that includes information on materials, observing nature, drawing, form, color, creating special effects and more. You will learn to create scenes so vast they take your breath away with exquisite skies and aircraft, rugged terrain, glittering cites, spectacular rock formations, stormy seas, magnificent forests and more.


In a sleepy, snow-covered city, Cora Crowder is busy preparing for the holiday season. Searching for a perfect gift, a fortuitous trip to Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdad’s (a most unusual bookshop) leads to an unexpected encounter with co-worker Simon Derrick. And the surprise discovery of a ticket for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas Ball.
Every year, the matchmaking booksellers of the Sage Street bookshop host an enchanting, old-fashioned Christmas Ball for the romantic matches they’ve decided to bring together.
This year, will Simon and Cora discover a perfect chemistry in their opposite personalities and shared faith? Or will the matchmakers’ best laid plans end up ruining everything this holiday?

Not Much to Report

I'm still around. I'm just not reading very much right now, because I've found something else to consume my time, which is trying to figure out a better budget and trying to eat healthier and buying more foods locally. So I guess I'm reading a little, because I'm reading two books on those topics now. One is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and the other is The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn (which is 976 pages!). Both are interesting, but they're not books I can sit down and read for hours.

So I really have nothing to report around here. I've also got the third book in the Oracle's Legacy Trilogy by R.B. Holbrook that I've started but not made much headway. It's good, but my focus has been on too many other things to read fiction. I hope to get back to it soon so I'll have something to talk about around here.

Double Cross

Book Details:
Genre: urban fantasy
Page Count: 336
Publication Date: Sept. 28, 2010
Why I read it: book 2 in a trilogy
Grade: A

The plot:
Justine Jones has lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she's lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard. He gifts her with extraordinary mental powers-dooming her to fight Midcity's shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now, serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard - and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity's new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men . . . one on a journey of redemption, and the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

My review:
You know how sometimes you read the first book in a series, and you really like it, but then you get book 2 in your hands and you're afraid it won't be as good, so you put off reading it? I did that a little bit with Double Cross. Lately urban fantasy series have been disappointing me. But I shouldn't have worried about this one. In fact, I would say that Double Cross is better than Mind Games. Which is good--authors should improve with each book. But if Carolyn Crane gets any better, I'm afraid I might have a heart attack while reading the next book. Or a vein star episode. Like my head might seriously explode.

The biggest problem with this book was that it ended. It was like I was on this really awesome ride with lots of twists and turns, and the ride got really intense, and I started getting worried, like WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING WITH THIS RIDE AND WHAT'S COMING NEXT? And then the ride comes to a sudden stop. And I know there's more ride, but I can't go on it right now. Logically, I feel like it was as good a place as any to end this part of the story, unless she was going to wrap up the whole story right now (but since it's a trilogy, that wasn't happening), it's just that I want to find out what happens right this minute.

So, I really like Justine. I like that she's conflicted, and that there are no easy answers for her. I even kind of like this love triangle, even though I normally hate love triangles. Both Packard and Otto are so horribly screwed up (as is Justine), but they've also got very attractive things about them. And maybe what I like about them is that they don't have everything going for them. Just about everyone in this book is flawed in some way, some a lot more than others, but the world somehow seems to stay believable. And I've grown to really care about some of these characters--maybe a little too much, judging by my reaction to the ending.

Double Cross has been enough to renew my faith in the urban fantasy genre. Before this I had gotten very burned out, and it seemed like there was nothing new there to find. This is different. It's emotional, heart-pounding, gray area all over the place wonderful. I would highly recommend this one! Any book that leaves you with an intense emotional reaction has to be doing something right. I'll leave you with what I facebooked right after I finished it:

Just finished a book that I want to punch in the face. Not because it was bad. It was excellent, but it's book two of a trilogy, and it was very cruel of the author to end it where she did.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Floating Islands

I don't usually participate in memes, but I like this one just for the fact that I find more books to add to my TBR list. And I don't care if I'm coming up on 700 books on my list, I can always use more. So, here's one that I'm waiting on:

The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier
When Trei loses his family in a tragic disaster, he must search out distant relatives in a new land. The Floating Islands are unlike anything Trei has ever seen: stunning, majestic, and graced with kajurai, men who soar the skies with wings.Trei is instantly sky-mad, and desperate to be a kajurai himself. The only one who fully understands his passion is Araene, his newfound cousin. Prickly, sarcastic, and gifted, Araene has a secret of her own . . . a dream a girl cannot attain.Trei and Araene quickly become conspirators as they pursue their individual paths. But neither suspects that their lives will be deeply entwined, and that the fate of the Floating Islands will lie in their hands.

If you'd like to see more Waiting on Wednesday posts, visit Breaking the Spine.

Allegra Fairweather

Book Details:
Genre: Paranormal
Page Count: 209
Publication Date: May 26, 2010
Why I read it: netgalley review copy
Grade: B-

The plot:

Allegra Fairweather here. Paranormal investigator. Got problems with specters? Shapeshifters? I'm the woman to call. Just don't call me a Ghostbuster. The last guy who did that ended up flat on his back with my boot at his throat.

With my 99.5% success rate, solving the mystery of a bleeding rose that has sprung up on the shores of Loch Furness should have been an easy gig. But already I've heard the shriek of the local banshee, discovered two bodies (and then lost two bodies), and had a near-death encounter with a three-hundred-year-old ghost. And perhaps most dangerous of all, the hot pub owner who hired me now wants to show me exactly what's under his kilt.

Luckily, I'm ably assisted by my very own guardian angel. I'm grateful for his help-but he's also drop-dead gorgeous. A bit distracting when I've got a mystery to solve, and the clock is ticking...

My review:
Let me tell you right up front that I think this book is only available in e-book edition. I enjoyed this one, but it was really nothing more than a fun, easy read; a good way to pass a couple of afternoons. What I liked best, I think was the setting. I would love to travel to Scotland. Forget the handsome men in kilts, I'm jealous of Allegra just for the scenery. And it was very much a part of the story, so that's good.

Allegra is a fun character, even though she seemed to have a bit of a hard time figuring anything out. If she really does have a 99.5% success rate, I don't know how she did it. She kind of bumbles around and figures things out only with luck. But still, she's fairly tough (although it does help that she has a guardian angel to get her out of all kinds of scrapes), and definitely likable.

There was a little bit of romance here, but not too much. It didn't overshadow the story, at least. It seems that this is the start of a series. Book two is already written and has been acquired by the publisher. So that's good news for those who liked this first one, but I'm afraid of the direction it'll take. I didn't think her romantic interest in her guardian angel was all that great, but I think it'll become more and more the focus. We'll see, it could be done well. I would recommend this to fans of paranormal romance, especially if you're not as interested in the romance. If you're looking for a hot and heavy bodice-ripper type novel, this isn't it.

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians

Book Details:
Genre: Juvenile Fantasy
Page Count: 308
Publication Date: Oct. 1, 2007
Why I read it: I like the author
Grade: B

The plot:
A hero with an incredible talent...for breaking things. A life-or-death mission...to rescue a bag of sand. A fearsome threat from a powerful secret network...the evil Librarians.

Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. Alcatraz must stop them!...by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutziness.

My review:
Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors. So I was curious to see what this childrens fantasy series would be like. I can't say I like it as well as his adult fantasy, but it was highly enjoyable for sure. It's written in the style as if the main character is writing his story, and there are a lot of instances of the character (as the author, or is it the author as the character?) talking to the reader. This type of thing can be done well or it can be incredibly annoying. Fortunately, it was done well and was very fun.

Alcatraz is a great character, and I think one that older children especially will love. The whole book is very clever and creative. Here's a quote that I particularly liked:

Now, actual torture is frowned upon in civilized society. Fortunately, the authorial community has discovered in storytelling an even more powerful--and more fulfilling--means of causing agony in others. We write stories. And by doing so, we engage in a perfectly legal method of doing all kinds of mean and terrible things to our readers.
Take, for instance, the word I used above. Propondity. There is no such word--I made it up. Why? Because it amused me to think of thousands of readers looking up a nonsense word in their dictionaries.

This is the writing style of the book, so if the above quote sound fun to you, you'll probably like it. If it seems annoying, steer clear. This is not a book for everyone. I would say that just because you enjoy Sanderson's adult fantasy does not mean you will like this. It's completely different in style. But if you like silly, fun children's fantasy, or you're looking for something fun for your kids to read, this is a great choice.

Hunger

Book Details:
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 180
Publication Date: Oct. 18, 2010
Why I read it: netgalley review copy
Grade: C-

The plot:
Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

My review:
This book felt pretty depressing all the way through. I guess, given the subject matter, that's not surprising. It's just that reading so much about the mind of an anorexic girl isn't my favorite thing. Probably not anyone's favorite thing, but that's beside the point. The whole book just made me feel sick and uneasy.

The reasons behind things were also pretty unclear. It was never really clear why Lisa was chosen as famine, what she was supposed to do, what her requirements were, etc. Could be because the book was only 180 pages, which makes it hard to pack in a lot of detail. Especially when the focus is on graphic details of a girl who won't eat, and everything going on with her body (including details about a bout of constipation). I was also subjected to a very, very detailed scene of Lisa bulimic friend in the bathroom. I'll leave any more of that to your imagination, which I wish the author would have done.

I understand the author suffered from these diseases at one point in her life, and maybe her goal was to help girls who are also suffering. Maybe it will inspire them to get help. I don't know, because I'm not one of those girls, and have never been close. So it's really hard for me to say if the author accomplished what she was going for or not. I almost feel like I'm not the target audience for this one.

There were a few scenes that I thought were pretty cool, and I felt I could have liked the story if it were focused on those things instead of eating disorders. I can't really fault the book for not being what I would have liked. I just realize it wasn't the book for me.

DragonArt Evolution

Book Details:
Genre: instructional book
Page Count: 144
Publication Date: Sept. 30, 2010
Why I read it: review copy
Grade: B

The plot:
Inspiration, instruction, and entertainment - you will get it all in this book filled with all-new dragons and detailed anatomy instruction. As seen in J “NeonDragon” Peffer’s first book, DragonArt: How to Draw Fantastic Dragons and Fantasy Creatures, this book features a combination of beautiful, inspiring art, easy-to-follow instruction with DragonArt™ Evolution. You will be able to draw every part of dragon anatomy book and be able to assemble those pieces into dragons of your very own.

My review:
I've always liked to draw, and fantasy pictures have long been my favorites. The problem was, I could never draw a dragon. I didn't even know where to start with getting the body rightly proportioned, or making the head look right. So I was kind of excited to get this book for review. I'll be honest, I haven't actually tried drawing any of these dragons yet. I haven't actually picked up a drawing pad and pencil for years, if you want to know the truth.

I do really like the pictures, though. The illustrations are beautiful, and the instruction seems to be pretty good. My seven year old sat down with the book and tried to draw a dragon. He worked at it for quite awhile, and while you'd never know it was a dragon from looking at it, he sure had fun. I don't think he realized you're not supposed to draw and keep every line in the instructions.

If you're already a great fantasy artist, this book may not be helpful to you. But if you like to draw, and need a little help, or if you just want to look at great illustrations of dragons, check out this book.

Still Forms on Foxfield

Book Details:
Genre: Science Fiction
Page Count: 213
Publication Date: 1980
Why I read it: I like the author
Grade: C

The plot:
Fleeing the final war that would destroy Earth's civilization, a small group of Friends--Quakers--found refuge on the uncharted planet they named Foxfield. Somehow they managed to survive, with the aid of the bizarrely gifted native life-form, the Commensals--and, even more extraordinarily, they kept up the practice of their gentle but demanding beliefs. Then, after nearly a century of silence, Earth contacted them--human civilization had miraculously survived the war and had spread out to the stars, flourishing to an undreamed-of richness. And the Friends of Foxfield were a part of it--whether they agreed or not.

My review:
I've read a couple other books by Joan Slonczewski, and really liked what I've read so far. So since I've had this sitting on my shelf for a few years, I figured I'd better pick it up. I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I believe this was her first novel, and she has definitely improved (although she hasn't written anything recently), but Still Forms on Foxfield left a lot to be desired.

To start with, I just kept waiting for something big to happen, something that would surprise or excite me, and it never came. The ending kind of fizzled out, and I was left feeling like I had just wasted my time. There were times when I found my attention wandering, specifically when dealing with the Commensals, who I just never understood. They were the planets indigenous, alien (at least to the humans) lifeform, and I couldn't get a feel for them. I couldn't picture what they looked like, the science behind what they were doing, how they lived. None of it made any sense to me, and it felt like the author kept going into detailed scientific descriptions about them, which is fine if you're a biologist or really into science, but I'm neither of those things. It really took me out of the story.

I also didn't feel like there were any characters to root for. Allison, the main character, was okay, but it seemed like she always just went with the flow. The whole thing was just so blah, with very little excitement for being a clash of the cultures type novel. There were some interesting things, but they seemed to be few and far between, and I just wish they had been explored further. I don't think I would recommend this one, but I would very highly recommend A Door Into Ocean by the same author. It's one of my favorite science fiction novels.

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1.03.01

Mind Games

Book Details:
Genre: Paranormal
Page Count: 371
Publication Date: March 23, 2010
Why I read it: wanted to
Grade: B

The plot:
Mind Games follows the adventures of Justine Jones, a hopeless hypochondriac who longs to be normal. Instead, she is recruited to join a psychological hit squad in a city terrorized by criminals with strange powers…only to fall for her most dangerous target!

My review:
I wasn't expecting to like this as well as I did. I'm not sure why. Carolyn Crane's blog is highly entertaining, so why would I expect any less of her book?

I liked the concept of the disillusionists (the psychological hit squad), which is different from anything else I've read. There were a few things that were predictable, but the plot was complex enough that I was interested in what was going on throughout the whole book.

I thought Justine was a great character. I don't remember reading anything else with a hypochondriac as the main character, and it definitely added an interesting dimension. I like that she wasn't a pushover, and she had quite a strong personality. She was maybe a little too quick to jump into bed at times, but I guess it's forgivable, since I liked her in every other aspect. I also really liked Shelby, who was also a disillusionist. There's something about characters with Russian accents that I like.

I would recommend this to fans of the urban fantasy genre. It wasn't too heavy on the romance, and it didn't use the same old plot ideas that you'll find in a lot of urban fantasy. I'm very much looking forward to the next book, which I've already got on hold at the library.

Queen in Exile

Book Details:
Genre: Fantasy
Page Count: 373
Publication Date: March 23, 2010
Why I read it: sounded good
Grade: DNF

The plot:
Rumors of war hang over Princess Jeniah's peaceful country of Arden, a land that shuns both magic and warfare. Following a lifelong dream, Jeniah forms a telpathic bond with a revered creature called a chayim, who is prophesied to save her kingdom. But when a Darborian knight comes upon Jeniah with her chayim, he sees only a vicious monster about to devour a maiden, and he slays the beast.

Devastated by the loss of her chayim, and fearing that her own magic is evil, Jeniah doubts her destiny. When an enemy invades Arden City, they slaughter the people, storm the castle, and execute the entire royal family except the princess. Rescued by the knight who slew her chayim, Jeniah is now heir to the throne of Arden and the only hope for freeing her people from tyranny.

On the run and hunted by enemy soldiers, Jeniah must place her life and the fate of her kingdom in the hands of this trained killer. Torn between embracing her destiny as queen of Arden, and her love for a mere knight, she must ultimately rely on her magic to save herself and her people from death and tyranny.

My review:
I think unless I pick up a romance novel, I really don't want very much romance in my book. If it is very, very secondary I don't mind, but if it's the main point of the story, I'm not interested. I think I've grown less tolerant in this area than I've been in the past. It seems like the romance here was a little too sickeningly sweet, and I don't want that in my fantasy novels.

The characters just didn't do it for me here. I might have been able to get past the romance if I had really liked the characters, but I didn't connect with them. Jeniah seemed like a typical YA heroine who chaffed at the roles she was given. There didn't seem to be anything particularly original about her. The chayim thing was different, but I didn't get into the book enough for me to care.

There was one point in the story, a couple of sentences, where I knew that I couldn't read any more. It was just too much:

As she gazed at him, she realized that her feelings for him had surpassed friendly affection. At that instant, she freely and willingly gave him her heart, even sensing that he still shielded his against her.

I think someone who enjoys fantasy romance might really like this one, but it just wasn't my style at all. I'm not sure that I'd read any more by this author, especially with my TBR pile being what it is. I gave this one over 100 pages, but at that point I still wasn't interested, and could easily put it down without caring what happened, so I took it back to the library.

The Last Unicorn

Book Details:
Genre: Fantasy
Page Count: 212
Publication Date: 1968
Why I read it: Beyond Reality group
Grade: B

Cover thoughts:
The cover to the left was not like the one on the book I read, but I liked it best. It's so pretty!

About the author:
Peter Soyer Beagle is an American fantasist and author of novels, nonfiction, and screenplays. He is also a talented guitarist and folk singer. He wrote his first novel, A Fine and Private Place , when he was only 19 years old. Today he is best known as the author of The Last Unicorn, which routinely polls as one of the top ten fantasy novels of all time, and at least two of his other books (A Fine and Private Place and I See By My Outfit) are considered modern classics.

The plot:
I can't believe that I've never read this before. It's about a unicorn who finds out she is the last of her kind. She sets off to find out what happened to the others. She meets up with a magician (who really can't do any magic) and a young woman who both help her on her way. This story is absolutely beautiful and magical and could be enjoyed by all ages.

Characters:
I'm having a hard time with this portion, because while I think the characters are very central to the story (the story is about the unicorn, after all), I really don't think the characters were that important. Is that weird? I just felt like the flow of the story, the poetic writing, and getting lost in the fairy tale were what it was all about.

Setting:
I didn't really get a good sense for the world in this story. There wasn't a whole lot of world-building, and even the kingdom of King Haggard that was described, I had a hard time picturing.

Notable quotes:
We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream.

Read this if you're in the mood for:
A classic fairy tale. It really is a sweet little story.

Continue or part ways?
I'm not sure if I would read more by this author or not. I really liked this one, but not in a way that I would run out and try to find other books by the author.

War for the Oaks

Book Details:
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Page Count: 336
Publication Date: 1987
Why I read it: bookclub on goodreads
Grade: C-

Cover thoughts:
There are other cover images for this book, but the picture to the left is what my cover looked like. I'm not a huge fan, but I guess it fits the story well enough.

About the author:
I couldn't find a website for Emma Bull, but here is her livejournal, if someone were interested. She's written quite a few books, but this is the only one of hers I've read.


The plot:
Music and fairies. If you're really into either of those things, especially music (to an obsessive point), you'll probably really like this book. Eddi is a musician who is recruited by a phouka (a man who can turn into a dog) to help the Seelie court in their war against the Unseelie court. She has also just left her old band, and is in the process of putting together a new one. I actually thought the first half of the book was pretty good, but then I got really bored and started skimming. And the end was so blah that I could have put the book down and not even cared what happened. I very heavily skimmed the last few pages. I just couldn't take it anymore.

Characters:
You know, I never really connected with the characters. They all seemed a little too "these characters are SO cool". Even with the book being quite dated, it felt like the author was trying a little too hard to make her characters hip (best word I can come up with at the moment). I thought the phouka was pretty funny to start off with, but he got less funny as the story went on. The rest of the characters, besides Eddi, just seemed so one-dimensional, and I really couldn't see what was so great about Eddi, except that we were constantly told she was great.

Setting:
This novel is set in the 80's in Minneapolis. And you very much know that it's happening in the 80's from the clothes (which are described in great detail) to the music (which is described in ever greater detail).

Notable quotes:
She could see the seams of the world around her begin to ravel and part, and the things waiting outside to pass through the holes were at once terrible and ridiculous. It was like being tickled--an unpleasant feeling that by some perverse reflex brings on laughter.

She peered past him to the stove top. There were what looked like pancakes in her largest frying pan. "What are they?" she asked.
"Flapjacks." He rolled the word off his tongue, clearly pleased with it.
She scowled suspiciously. "Anything in 'em?"
"Why no, they're made of air and dew. Of course there's something in them, or they wouldn't be there."

Read this if you're in the mood for:
A book that was one of the pioneers of the urban fantasy genre. Also, if you like to read page after page of detail about how the music sounded when the band played. How the bass sounded, the drums, how it all came together, how the main character felt when she was playing, how everybody else felt, ad nauseum.

Continue or part ways?
I'm not sure if I'll read more by this author or not. I think the writing had potential, and there were parts that I liked (the very few that weren't so music centered), I just didn't care for this particular novel very much. I may try another one of her books some day, but I won't be in any rush.

Shadow's Son

Book Details:
Genre: Fantasy
Page Count: 278
Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Why I read it: looked good
Grade: B

Cover thoughts:
I like this cover pretty well. It seems to go along with the story good, too.

About the author:
This is Jon Sprunk's first novel. You can find his website here.

The plot:
Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot. Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last victim, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see.

Characters:
I'll be honest here. I don't think Caim is a particularly likable character. He's an unfeeling assassin, after all. He does get better as the book goes on, but I have a hard time connecting with him. Our lives don't exactly have a lot in common. :) Josephine (Josey), on the other hand, is one of those strong female characters that I really like. Maybe even a little too strong, at times, because there is a scene in particular that she seemed to barely have a reaction to, and her reaction should have been much stronger. Kit flutters in and out of the story to the point where we really don't know much about her. We just get banter between her and Caim, mostly. I would be interested to find out more about her.

Setting:
The worldbuilding seems to take a backseat here in this character and action oriented book. Thinking back on the story, I don't really know a whole lot about the world or the way it works, except that there is a bunch of political strife going on. There are a lot of fight scenes, though, with play by play descriptions, so if you're looking for action, you'll find plenty here.

Read this if you're in the mood for: a pretty straightforward action-packed fantasy. There's not a whole lot here that's new. It's also not one of those that's so hard to read that you have to concentrate hard every second. It's just a nice, quick fantasy.

Continue or part ways?
I'll definitely continue on to the next in the series. I'm curious to see where the story goes from here.

My Fair Godmother

Book Details:
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 311
Publication Date: Jan. 6, 2009
Why I read it: sounded cute
Grade: B

Cover thoughts:
This cover is pretty fun, and it goes along with the story well. I would have liked to see a picture of Savannah and Tristan in the middle ages, maybe, but this one works well, too.

About the author:
Janette Rallison has written quite a few young adult books, although I don't remember ever hearing of her. This is my first book by her.

The plot:
After a breakup with her boyfriend (who, incidentally, starts dating her sister), Savannah is heartbroken. Plus, she needs a date to prom. Enter her fairy godmother. The godmother who kind of sucks at her job. She misunderstands just about everything Savannah is asking for, first sending her back as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Then finally sending back to the middle ages a boy from her school, Tristan, who Savannah has to go save.

Characters:
Savannah may not be my favorite young adult character, but I really liked her a lot. Sure, she's not extremely bright, and she makes mistakes, but she's brave, she's caring, and she tries hard. Tristan was a very likable male lead, although not perfect, which is a good thing. The perfect looking, bad boy type characters are way overused.

Setting:
I really love books that are set in the middle ages, and it's always fun when people from our time travel back to the middle ages. My favorite example of this was Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux, but My Fair Godmother was done well, too, and was very fun.

Notable quotes:
"Sometimes love not only lifts you to the ceiling, it also keeps your eyes there."

Read this if you're in the mood for: a young adult book that is not about a girl who finds out she has some magical power/is a magical being. It's also not about a girl who falls in love with a guy who is a vampire/werewolf/fairy. It's also not about a love triangle. This means it's not like 95 percent of the other YA paranormal/fantasy books that are out there right now. It's different, and it's a fun, quick read.

Continue or part ways?
I will definitely read more by this author, and I've got the second book on my TBR list. Can't wait to read it!