Shiver by Maggie Steifvater

Since yesterday was Memorial Day, I took the day off and spent it with friends.

Hence the review being moved to today.

Shiver enchanted me.  As you know, I don't usually read romance (at least, not willingly).  But Shiver is a romance, a fantasy romance at that.  With werewolves.

But it's not what you're thinking.  It doesn't read like a contemporary romance (say, like Twilight).  It's magical.  Mysterious.  Much more akin to a Grimm fairytale than a modern story.  It was beautiful.

Haunting -- that's the word for this story.  A young girl was bitten by wolves and saved by a wolf.  She remembers, and every year waits for the one who saved her, the one with yellow eyes.  There's a draw she can't explain.  Something calls to her.

And then she meets him.  The wolf-who-is-a-boy.  Sam Roth is only a boy when it's warm.  The two have been in love for quite some time, and when they finally meet when both are humans, the love deepens, irrevocably.

They're sweet.  Innocent.  Charming.  Sam and Grace are unique, each struggling with family, identity, and destiny.

What will happen to them when it gets cold?  Sam only has so many years he can change.  After that...he'll be a wolf forever.

I thought the development of the werewolf mythology in this book was particularly original.  I won't spoil it but there is more going on than a simple fairytale.  There's something else just on the edge, a blend of science and magic that's almost tangible.

There are certain authors who have ways of stringing words together that create effortless landscapes, feelings, smells, sounds...Maggie is one of them.  She really does write magically well.  If I was dropped in the little town where Grace and Sam live, I could find my way to the bookstore, Beck's house, and Grace's. I could spot the school, the candy store, and Grace's car, and all of it is tinged with that "once upon a time" aura.

There's an eerie feel throughout the book, almost as if you're being swallowed up in the story.  You become part of it.  You become just as fascinated as Grace by the wolves.

I thought it would be a one shot, but the ending was so abrupt that I ached for more.  I needed resolution.  And then I found out it was a series.  I still think the writing could have been less abrupt, but I'm thrilled to see we're getting more stories from The Wolves of Mercy Falls.

It isn't summer reading, so maybe once Autumn arrives, pick this one up and enjoy.

Croak by Gina Damico

I do apologize for the last two weeks -- amidst Finals Week here at uni, two weddings, birthday and graduation parties and art/writing projects...I've done some reading but haven't done any blogging!

So I'm going to share a review today and then put up a link to a review I did for CultureMass.com when it's published!

Gina Damico's Croak is one of my new favorite books.  If you can tolerate a little language, and you love goth, punk, motorcycles, adrenaline, fantasy, wit/sarcasm, word humor, or badassery, then you need to read this book.

It was the word humor that got me from the very beginning, when Lexington and Concord Bartleby, the twins, were introduced.  Their mom's kind of into American History.  Just a wee bit.

I cackled even harder when I realized where Ms. Damico was going with the word humor, but I won't ruin the surprise for you.

Lex is sixteen, a troublemaker, and her parents are over it.  She's sent away to live with her crazy uncle for the summer, presumably to work on a farm.  Lex's uncle definitely does NOT own a farm, but is rather the mayor of a small town comprised of Grim Reapers.  And he's going to train Lex as one.

What follows is Lex's understandable shock that people have this job, and her horror as the town is targeted by a wild Grim Reaper who's on an unsanctioned killing spree.  Can Lex and the other Junior Reapers solve the mystery?  What happens when they do?

I laughed through most of the book, although there are some really sad scenes (that I did not laugh at).  Lex is quite believable as a rebel without a cause (a little bit like John Bender from The Breakfast Club, which meant I loved her immediately), and I am dying (oh dear) to read Scorch, the next book in the Croak trilogy.

I even went around in a black hoodie the other day to pretend I was Lex.

That's how much I freaking loved this book.

Go read it now so we can talk about it!

The Legend of Eli Monpress (Books 1-3) by Rachel Aaron

Well!

I have finally finished reading the epic (I'm going to use that word a lot in this review) 3-book collection The Legend of Eli Monpress (and there's still two more books to go!  I'm currently reading the next one, No. 4 -- The Spirit War).

And may I just say...

Well done, Rachel Aaron.  *slow clap*  Well done.

The first book, The Spirit Thief, is a great heist story.  It's full of epic sword fights, kick-butt characters, witty repartee, etc.  The ending is a big finish, a grand finale, and you think, "Oh, wow, that was really cool!" and then you go on to the next book, unaware of the depth of epic-ness that is to come.

Then you start in on The Spirit Rebellion.  Really cool, thriller-type story with sneaking around, some character background, and a tyrant that *really* needs to be overthrown.  Epic fight at the end that raises the stakes even more.  We begin to see twists and turns in characters' stories, and the tangled relationships they're involved in.

And then you read The Spirit Eater and start to understand just what exactly is going on.  It's waaaaaay bigger than you've imagined and things are getting pretty serious for our beloved trio.  This one has more...darkness involved.  An inkling of the danger our characters are in (pretty deep) starts trickling into your brain and you start worrying that one of them (any of them!) might just keel over and die.  It's a mystery -- shadowy, with more threatening villains, and the answer to a question we never thought to ask.  It's almost a throwaway conversation -- but it *isn't* and that's where Rachel's brilliance appears (like it has everywhere through the books) -- we've built up to this point and have barely noticed.  And then WHAM!  There it is.  And then the stakes are raised EVEN HIGHER.  FOR EVERYONE.

I kept reading each book and thinking, "HOW IS RACHEL GOING TO TOP THIS?!?!?!"  And you know what?  She topped each ending.  Every. Single. Time.

I don't even know what could happen in books four and five.

Let's just say I scrambled to find a copy I could beg, borrow or steal so that I could finish the series stat.

I'm serious -- I literally begged friends for a copy of book four, The Spirit War, so that I could keep going.

What I love about Rachel Aaron is that she knows how to keep an epic story light while at the same time explore the depths of a fantasy world (and to some extent, the characters' backstories).  She also handles multiple main characters extremely well -- I feel like I know the trio.  I could travel with this group.  I also know the person chasing them, and I can't help but sympathize.  They are a slippery bunch to catch (and hold onto).

Her books feel big, expansive -- the universe she's created feels real.  I can picture the countryside the trio travels through, I know what they look like, I can see the castles and buildings they thieve from, and I can feel the food they eat in my hands.  I can see their world so clearly.

While the series isn't YA or middle-grade, it hits a nice medium -- it isn't 'adult' in theme.  It's a really epic fantasy with elements of several genres mixed in (and is low on the romance scale, which of course you know delights me).  It's a saga, a story whose scope is far greater than what you first see.

I think this series would be perfect reading for a long summer or winter.  I'm already sad that it's more than halfway over.  While I'm trying to rush through and see what happens, I'm also lingering because I know once I read the last book, I have to say goodbye to Eli, Josef and Nico (and Miranda and Gin).

And that's just gonna be a sad, sad day.

Storybound by Marissa Burt

It seems I have been inundated with middle-grade novels to read.  While I do prefer YA in terms of subject matter (I am more drawn to the themes discussed in YA), the middle-grade books I have been reading are strong, appropriate, and fun.

Storybound is no exception.

The book started out slow, carefully world-building, introducing characters and spinning the beginning of a mystery, but as I reached the middle it began to pick up pace.  (Much appreciated.  An earlier middle-grade novel, while strong, was much too slow for my taste)  Then came a GIGANTIC surprise twist that I didn't see coming until it was right up on me, but it was so ingenious that I instantly became a huge fan of the story and wanted the sequel immediately.  Seriously.  This new author has some guts.

Another thing I really liked was that I was able to tell what the author's influences were without the author having to spell out what type of books she read as a child.  Multiple descriptions of food, references to other stories, and types of characters let me know that this author must have read Anne of Green Gables or Redwall as a child (I think her site mentions Anne of Green Gables).

The story focuses on Una Fairchild, a lonely orphan who often escapes her dreary life by delving into storybooks.  Until one day she literally jumps into the pages of a mysterious book and enters the world of Story.  She begins attending classes (Villainy, Heroics, etc.), attempting to figure out who brought her here and why.  As the story unfolds, we realize that no one, not even Una, is who they seem.

There's a sly twist of Snow White's character (quite amusing and somewhat sad at the same time), a villain-who's-actually-a-hero, Muses, a talking cat, and two handsome boys.  And then there's Una, with a backstory as mysterious as everyone else's.

Trust me -- this book (and its sequel) is well worth the read.  I can't wait until Story's End appears on the shelves!

First Line Friday No. 28

Because I recently won the Beautiful Creatures series, I thought today we'd take a peek at the first page.  It's most intriguing.

"There were only two kinds of people in our town.  "The stupid and the stuck," my father had affectionately classified our neighbors.  "The ones who are bound to stay or the ones too dumb to go.  Everyone else finds a way out."  There was no question which one he was, but I'd never had the courage to ask why.  My father was a writer, and we lived in Gatlin, South Carolina, because the Wates always had, since my great-great-great-great grand-dad, Ellis Wate, fought and died on the other side of the Santee River during the Civil War.

Only the folks down here didn't call it the Civil War.  Everyone under the age of sixty called it the War Between the States, while everyone over sixty called it the War of Northern Aggression, as if somehow the North had baited the South into war over a bad bale of cotton.  Everyone, that is, except my family.  We called it the Civil War."

--from Beautiful Creatures by Kami Marcia and Margaret Stohl

My reasons to keep reading:

1.  What is the character's relationship with their father like?
2.  What does their father write?
3.  Was the greatx4 relative a Northern soldier (dying on the other side of the Santee)?
4.  What is the family's feeling on the Civil War?
5.  Why are they the only family to call it that?

Another interesting thing about this story is that the two writers wrote these books on a dare.  They wanted to prove to their kids that books could be interesting without vampires or werewolves.

And now the first book is a feature film!

I can't wait to start reading these.

Happy weekend!

First Line Friday No. 23

A Morning in Vermillion

2.4.16.55.021: Males are to wear dress-code #6 during intercollective travel.  Hats are encouraged, but not mandatory.

It began with my father not wanting to see the Last Rabbit, and ended up with me being eaten by a carnivorous plant.  It wasn't really what I'd planned for myself.  I'd hoped to marry into the Oxbloods and join their dynastic string empire.  But that was four days ago, before I met Jane, retrieved the Carvaggio or explored High Saffron.  So instead of enjoying aspirations of Chromatic advancement, I was wholly immersed within the digestive soup of a yateveo tree.  It was all frightfully inconvenient.

But it wasn't all bad, and for the following reasons: First, I was lucky to have landed upside down.  I would drown in under a minute, which is far, far preferable to being dissolved alive over the space of a few weeks.  Second and more important, I wasn't going to die ignorant.  I had discovered something that no amount of merits can buy you: the truth.  Not the whole truth, but a pretty big part of it.  And that's why this was all frightfully inconvenient.  I wouldn't get to do anything with it.  And this truth was too big and too terrible to ignore.  Still, at least I'd held it in my hands for a full hour, and understood what it meant.

-- from Shades of Grey: A Novel by Jasper Fforde

I've never read Jasper Fforde's books, but I'm quickly becoming convinced I'd love them.  If you remember, we did a First Lines a few weeks ago about Fforde's newest book, The Last Dragonslayer.  From reading the first lines of these two books, I feel as if Fforde is what would happen if Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) wrote fantasy.  With a little more order thrown in, perhaps.  It also recalls to mind P.G. Wodehouse (Jeeves & Wooster) and just a tad of Oscar Wilde.  A winning mix if I ever saw one.

Here's why I'd keep reading this book:

1. What/who is the Last Rabbit?
2.  Are we reading this story after the main character's death, or does he escape?
3.  Who is Jane?
4.  How did he 'retrieve' a Carvaggio, and from whom?  Why?
5.  What is the truth that he discovered?

I found out this book was available as a Kindle book through my library, so when I go away next weekend (visiting some friends for Superbowl weekend!), I'm hoping to take a copy with me.  (Although I'll have to read it away from everyone else because if I laugh too loudly during the game I might get booted out!)

What do you think of Jasper Fforde's writing?  Have you read anything by him?  Would you?

First Line Friday No. 22

Welcome to First Lines!

There aren't many authors that I'm willing to read anything from.  There are several who have written fantastic books and then written some that either I just can't get through or that don't appeal to me, or whatever the reason may be, I don't read them.

Anne Rice has written several books that don't appeal to me, but the books that I have read...I've never read anything like them.  Her writing style is very distinct, and the depths she plumbs to create these tales astonishes me.

So today I'm giving you a peek into one of the books she's written that I love.  I hope you enjoy it.

"There were omens from the beginning.

First off, I didn't want to do a job at the Mission Inn.  Anywhere in the country, I would have been willing, but not the Mission Inn.  And in the bridal suite, that very room, my room.  Bad luck and beyond, I thought to myself.

Of course my boss, The Right Man, had no way of knowing when he gave me this assignment that the Mission Inn was where I went when I didn't want to be Lucky the Fox, when I didn't want to be his assassin."

--from Angel Time by Anne Rice

Isn't that intriguing? 

1. What were the omens?
2. What is the job he has to do at the Mission Inn?
3.  Why does he always stay in a particular room?
4.  Who is The Right Man?
5.  How did this guy become an assassin? (And why the moniker Lucky the Fox?)

The story unfolds into a beautiful tale of grace, redemption, and healing.  It's mind-bending, thought-provoking and sympathetic.  I won't say any more.  I hope this piques your interest enough for you to read it, and I'd love to hear your thoughts afterwards!

See you Monday -- I'll be reviewing The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness (!!!).

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

Sorry the review arrives so late today...

I was working a wedding with my husband today (video).  :D

I always try to read everything Gail Carson Levine writes because:

a) she writes strong heroines
b) she infuses her story with magic
c) and she always includes a surprise

(If you haven't read her, she's written such brilliant re-tellings as Ella Enchanted and Fairest, as well as a fantastic book on writing called Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly)

A Tale of Two Castles is about a young girl journeying to a new land in hopes of being a 'mansioner' (actor).  She arrives and through several misfortunes, loses her opportunity to apprentice to a troupe.  Instead, she's given an opportunity to work with a rather large and formidable employee -- what she doesn't know is that this will lead to the greatest acting challenge of her career...if she doesn't die first.

Ms. Levine is a fantastic author because she understands the need for conflict, especially internally.  She builds it up slowly, smoothly, seamlessly, and then WHAM! A finale with gain and loss (bittersweet endings are the best, I believe) and a new perspective.

I really appreciate the amount of work she's put out (a funny series of absurdist re-tellings, interesting takes on old stories, etc.) and this book, while still retaining the flavor of a Gail Carson Levine book, is her own fairytale.

The story of a girl who knows what she wants and tries her best to reach out for it, in a world where people looked down on her because of who they thought she was...it recalls to mind the great fairytales -- Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.

Also, you know what a sucker I am for beautiful illustrations, and the front cover is just...spectacular.

Have you read anything by Gail Carson Levine?  Did you enjoy it?

See you on Wednesday -- we'll be discussing the differences between writing screenplays and novels!

First Line Friday No. 20

I have returned!  I know you all were just dying to read more of my garbledygook.

Hence, I have brought some awesomesauce words (from someone else) and present them here for you as a belated holiday present.

Enjoy.

"I didn't know how long I had been in the king's prison.  The days were all the same, except that as each one passed, I was dirtier than before.  Every morning the light in the cell changed from the wavering orange of the lamp in the sconce outside my door to the dim but even glow of the sun falling into the prison's central courtyard.  In the evening, as the sunlight faded, I reassured myself that I was one day closer to getting out.  To pass time, I concentrated on pleasant memories, laying them out in order and examining them carefully.  I reviewed over and over the plans that had seemed so straightforward before I arrived in jail, and I swore to myself and to every god I knew that if I got out alive, I would never never never take any risks that were so abysmally stupid again."

-- From The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

The Thief is one of my all time favorite books.  I didn't care as much about the rest of the series (it was a superb standalone novel) but this book turned me on my head and taught me a thing or two about how to tell a good yarn.

Reasons to keep reading:

1.  Who is our mysterious narrator?
2.  Why is the narrator even semi-sure about the chance of getting out of prison?
3.  What did the narrator do?
4.  What are the narrator's pleasant memories?
5.  Who are these gods the narrator is talking about?

This book got its inspiration from the sunny lands of Italy and Greece, the rolling hills full of olive trees, the dusty roads full of travelers, the simple food, the old pantheons, and the stories we tell ourselves and others that might be true or might be...embellished (or bereft of helpful information).

The story of Gen is one I return to time and again, even though I've read it dozens of times.  The surprises are shocking (I mean, you have no idea and then BOOM!  Something you NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED happens!), the action jarring, the mystery astonishing, the characters (some of them) endearing.  You feel as if you're a comrade by the end of it, sharing in this tale of adventure.

There's something legendary about this book...it belongs with the old tales, when faith and magic and mystery were all shrouded together. 

You should read it.

See you on Monday for a review!

First Line Friday No. 15

This is a book that I have read several times, but every time I try to find it I invariably forget the name and can only picture the front cover.  Time and again I've described it to librarians and finally, last time, there was an invention that let you search the subject/main character's name/objects in the book instead of the title.  It might have been invented for those librarians who had to deal with me.

The front cover is gorgeous, inviting, mysterious and I'd just love to have a print of it.  It's a perfect cover for such an enchanting story.

Here's a glimpse of the first page:

"Phew!  Made it."  Copper collapsed into her train seat.  The train was due to leave in three minutes.  "Made it, made it," she repeated breathlessly.  "Now please, train, go!"  

The train carriage alongside hers shifted slowly past, and for a second Copper's heart raced expectantly, thinking she was moving, but then the platform across the rails came into view and she realized what had happened.

Hurry, hurry, she urged.  We must go.  We must get away.  She stared nervously through the train window at the grey mass of people and suddenly she saw them: even though she'd never seen them before, even though she didn't know what they looked like, she knew it was them. 

--from Copper by Rebecca Lisle

Isn't it thrilling?  5 Reasons to keep reading:

1.  The urgency.  Why is Copper trying to get away?  And from whom?
2.  Copper.  I love it. I love the color, the sound of the word, I love it as a name.
3. You're dropped right in the middle of the action -- no backstory to wander through -- will Copper get away, or won't she?
4. I like that Copper apparently talks to herself.  Or is she talking to someone?  I want to read further and discover which it is.
5. Who are "them"??

What do you think?  Have you read this one?

Next week I'll have a review of James Patterson's last Maximum Ride book, Nevermore.  If you've ever heard me gush about that series, prepare yourself.  I have ALL THE FEELS from reading this one -- it is tearing me apart!

Since Thanksgiving is next week, I will not be doing Write Wednesday or First Line Friday.  Keep eating your bountiful feasts and I'll see you the Monday after.

Storm Front: Book 1 of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

I'm continuing to branch out on my reading list -- last week I delved into a non-YA fantasy, the first of a series -- book one of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

I might call it Crime Fantasy (for adults) or Adult Crime/Fantasy Fiction but whatever genre it's in, it's kind of what you'd get if Harry Potter was an American and moved to Chicago after fighting Voldemort without any of his friends.

Hard-boiled crime, intriguing/dangerous magic, and otherworldly creatures thread through the story of Harry Dresden, a somewhat cynical (caustic?), very romantic (his descriptions of women/his Gentleman's Code), intelligent wizard who's just trying to keep everyone off his back -- the police, the White Council, and a mob boss.

Harry simply wants to keep to himself, but between trying to help people and working for the police department, he becomes a target -- as a suspect and the real killer's next move.

This is a great book about what it is to have to rely on only yourself -- it was a sort of insight into what it's like being an adult (thankfully we don't have to worry about the magic so much).  Harry doesn't have a lot of friends, he's just trying to pay his bills, and it seems like everyone's against him.  Luckily, Harry's a tough and determined individual with just the right mix of bravery, panache and guts to get the job done, regardless of who is on his side.

I'm curious to see how a series that starts with such a BANG will continue.  I've watched some of the TV show (like a lot of good TV, it got canceled right as it started getting great) and liked it so I wonder how much they took from the books.

Caution: This is an adult (not 'Adult' but 'adult' -- believe me, there's a huge difference) novel so there are some...scenes/descriptions (nothing extremely detailed, just a general idea of what's going on), including a murder scene that you might want to skip over.

That being said -- I love Jim Butcher's style, I ADORE Harry Dresden (excellent, excellent dialogue/zingers/internal monologue) and I can't wait to read more. 


Up next:

I'll be discussing a writing book on Write Wednesday, plus some great worldbuilding stuff I learned at the online NaNoWriMo group chat last night

First Line Friday

Next week -- I'll be posting an autobiography review along with the usual suspects, WW & FLF.

See you Wednesday!

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

There's a trend I've discovered whilst reading new books -- a detestable trend wherein you build to the climax and...STOP.  No denouement.  No wrap-up.  No tying up of loose ends.  Nothing.  You simply build until you reach the most exciting part and then you leave off, making your readers wonder if you just got tired of the story or didn't know where it was going and decided to let the readers do the rest of the work (here's looking at you, Chuck and LOST).

Shame on you, Robin McKinley, for falling into this trap!  Your book, Beauty, is the best re-telling of a fairytale anyone could ask for (besides Cameron Dokey's brilliant Golden and Beauty Sleep)...and then you had to go and buy in to this faddish lit trend of leaving off the resolution...

I admit, the beginning of this book was a slow burn.  It took me so very long to get invested in the character -- three chapters!  But then -- THEN, oh then!  Chapter four took my breath away.

I was hooked.  And I kept reading with astonishment.  Beautiful, beautiful fantasy!  Wondrous descriptions, taking me to another world.

WHY, then, for the love of ALL that is good, did you choose to end right at the point where everything comes crashing down around the characters?  That is NOT an ending!  It is the CLIMAX, which is then followed by THE DENOUEMENT.  EVERYONE KNOWS THIS.

The sickening part?  Robin doesn't write sequels (she has averred).  So, we are left with a pile of ashes that began life as a masterpiece.

I am highly disappointed.  I am outraged.  I am hurt.

And seeing other readers' reviews has hardened my resolve.

I shan't read McKinley's other books (she has plenty of other fans who will buy and read -- she won't be missing out because of me) because I absolutely cannot BEAR to love a book so much only to see it poop out right at the crux of the matter.

I just can't.

Ever been cruelly disappointed by a book?  Tell me which one so I can avoid another heartache.

The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere, Book 1 by Jacqueline West

I believe in the power of editing.  I think one of the most important things for a story is to be paired with a solid editor.  There are several new and popular stories that could have been classics...if only they were in the hands of an editor for any (longer) period of time (certain Heroes and Vampires come to mind).  Instead, they were rushed through the process because they were destined to be "hits" and instead of being classic literature, they were relegated to faddish, pop fiction.

I also think that no matter if it is your first book or your fifty-seventh, if you have a great editor, the quality will be high.

Such is the case with "The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere" (Book One).  I was astonished, upon finishing it, to discover it was the author's first novel.  The quality of the work was much higher than most beginner novels.

There were other things going for it, of course:  I was hooked from page one.  (Although, again, that could have something to do with the editing)  The thing that really stuck out to me, however, was the villain's monologue.

Most villain monologues are old hat by now -- I am here to destroy the world, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah...only you stand in my way, blah, blah, blah...the typical "I-am-so-powerful-until-you-stick-me-through-with-a-sword" nonsense.

THIS villain's monologue was BRILLIANT and made me think about my favorite villain monologues -- the ones that really ring true and hit home and make you more aware of what's going on.

A few key components:

1. Knowledge of the (heroic) main character's desires
2. Temptation (in order to gain said desires)
3. Intimate conversation (which makes the first two creepier, personal, and harder to say no to -- true colors come out when no one else is around to watch)

Way back in the garden of Eden, the greatest villain knew Eve's curiosity would get the better of her, and so he tempted her with fulfilling her own desires.  Clever.

In The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere, the confrontation between heroine and villain is intimate and scary as HECK because the villain draws out the feelings the heroine never knew were there.  The dawning realization of her personal issue tied up with her desire and the villian's plan is incredible.

I loved this book with every fiber of my being.  I was thrilled to find out there will be five volumes to complete the series, and the third will be coming out around my birthday this year!

Again -- I really think a great editor had something to do with how great this book was -- the author, of course, put in most of the work crafting the story, but the editor tightened it up so that it was pretty much flawless.

Have you ever read a book that thrilled you all the way down to your toes?  What is your favorite villain/hero moment in a book?  Got any recommendations for me?

Chalice by Robin McKinley

Robin McKinley is hit-or-miss for me (as are many authors -- Avi and Madeleine L'Engle come to mind.  I love them, and a lot of their stories, but some are just mind-numbingly boring.  What can I say, my heart is for fantasy).  My favorite Beauty & the Beast retelling is her story Beauty, which is beautiful and lovely and pretty near perfect.  But trying to read some of her other work was like pulling teeth.  Which is much more a reflection on me than it is on her, since most of my friends adore her other books.

That to say, I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Chalice from my library (I can't keep quiet about how much I LOVE that our public library lets me check out Kindle books via a Wi-Fi connection and Amazon account.  It's brilliant and I've read so much more than usual, and for a book addict, that's fan-freaking-tastic).  Luckily, reading Chalice was similar to my experience of reading Beauty -- I was hooked.

It drew me in from the start -- McKinley's done a wonderful job of world-building in this story, original and breath-taking. There's a bit of medieval with a lot more fantasy mixed in -- and it feels completely new.  The heroine is someone I can sympathize with -- she's unsure of herself (a by-product of being young, unfortunately), thrust into a position with huge responsibility, and left to her own devices.  It's the harrowing tale of growing into adulthood and learning to stand on your own two feet.  Excellent character development in that aspect, and much appreciated.

There's a bit of a romance angle also, which had me guessing at every turn -- which, in the end, was the only thing I was disappointed with -- McKinley developed it beautifully and then kind of dropped the ball right at the end. I wanted to see more of a build-up to the end and instead she just treated it like a given and didn't stop to acknowledge that it was actually a thing.

I really did love it, though -- so much that I'm going to be reading her book Pegasus -- the title alone excites me!

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

This story brings to mind the works of Edgar Allen Poe (the creepy, yet ethereal beauty of the macabre), Tim Burton (more of the same but with a stronger love story) and a hint of Lemony Snicket (children must solve the riddle, because adults are mostly useless).

It is quirky and just a little bit terrifying.  

 It's a story about a young magical being (a changeling!) with a supportive family (original) who is trying to find his place in their/his world.  It's bittersweet with a hard edge about it -- the grit of real life, I think.

There is a lot of lore, explored very organically, which I appreciated.  It was a weird, fascinating tale that's just a little too creepy to be reading late at night.

The only thing I would say I wanted more of is characterization.  I wanted to explore more than one or two feelings from the main character, and I wanted to really understand his psyche.  I wanted to dig in and get to know the person the entire story revolved around. 

So I liked it, but I didn't love it.

That being said, I think it would make an excellent movie.  What the characters lacked in "real-ness" would be made up for in the actors' facial expressions and body language.

Bringing it to life on the big screen would, in a way, enable the story to realize its full potential.