Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

Sixteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured and brought before him. Eager to hide her own canny skill—a uniquely powerful ability to communicate with the fairy-like Good Folk—Neryn sets out for the legendary Shadowfell, a home and training ground for a secret rebel group determined to overthrow the evil King Keldec.

During her dangerous journey, she receives aid from the Good Folk, who tell her she must pass a series of tests in order to recognize her full potential. She also finds help from a handsome young man, Flint, who rescues her from certain death—but whose motives in doing so remain unclear. Neryn struggles to trust her only allies. They both hint that she alone may be the key to Alban’s release from Keldec’s rule.

Homeless, unsure of who to trust, and trapped in an empire determined to crush her, Neryn must make it to Shadowfell not only to save herself, but to save Alban.

It's odd, because I usually adore Juliet Marillier's books, and yet this one wasn't a slam dunk for me.  It was certainly better than most, but it just didn't have that absorbing quality I've come to expect.  Perhaps that's from the romance.  It hung on such tenuous assumptions I often wanted to shake Neryn and say "Just talk to each other darnit!"  I mean, I know Neryn is young, but you'd think after a few times she'd get the point.  She just kept making the same dumb mistake, though, while skating through all the other challenges presented to her (another slight problem, she seemed a little overpowered in the virtue department, her 'tests' didn't give her much problem).  This was really the only character issue I could see.  The other characters we meet are well developed for their time on stage.  The pacing was slow in spots, but not too bad.  I could probably have overlooked the pacing issues if it weren't for the repetitiveness of the plot.  Neryn's relationship I trust him / I don't trust him / I trust him flip-flops probably accounted for a lot of that feeling.  It got a little better towards the end when there were new characters other than Flint to interact with, but the issues were still there.  I think the biggest problem, though, is that Marillier is too used to writing for adults.  The book felt like a good START to a great novel, but it didn't really have time to develop into something really juicy, and it didn't tighten up like a YA usually does.  I think fans of epic fantasy will like this one, especially if they can read the whole series at once.  As for me, I'll pick up the next book in the series to see if the spark of promise pays off.

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love.

Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.

Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.

The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.

I really cannot write enough good about this book.  It was amazing.  I was engrossed from the first page to the last.  Liyana is a great character, and I love how she grows and learns and develops her own viewpoint and uniqueness.  Her endpoint is a far cry from her start as a willing sacrifice for her clan, even if the same moral compass guides them both.  I also liked the development of Korbyn.  He was an interesting concept, a human shell being used to house a god, and he really is torn by the duality of it and how to help people best to make his shell's sacrifice worth it.  The plot of this book is great, always moving with just enough rest periods that you're not barreling through action the entire book.  It builds suspense well, and the romance is a tiny counterpoint (and although the villain is pretty obvious I love how I couldn't predict the end but once I saw it it totally made sense!).  The worldbuilding is where this book really shines, though.  From the magic of possession to the world of the gods to the small creatures living in the desert, Durst has filled her new world with a rich history and all the tiny details that make it really worth immersing in.  If I had to complain about anything it would be that there were secondary characters that felt underdeveloped, however, there really wasn't a lot of time to work with them either so I forgive it pretty easily.  Overall this book has become a favorite and will earn an honored spot on my shelf.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a non-biased review. 

Mothership by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal

Elvie Nara was doing just fine in the year 2074. She had a great best friend, a dad she adored, and bright future working on the Ares Project on Mars. But then she had to get involved with sweet, gorgeous, dumb-as-a-brick Cole--and now she’s pregnant.

Getting shipped off to the Hanover School for Expecting Teen Mothers was not how Elvie imagined spending her junior year, but she can go with the flow. That is, until a team of hot commandos hijacks the ship--and one of them turns out to be Cole. She hasn’t seen him since she told him she’s pregnant, and now he’s bursting into her new home to tell her that her teachers are aliens and want to use her unborn baby to repopulate their species? Nice try, buddy. You could have just called.

So fine, finding a way off this ship is priority number one, but first Elvie has to figure out how Cole ended up as a commando, work together with her arch-nemesis, and figure out if she even wants to be a mother--assuming they get back to Earth in one piece.

It's been a while since I read some comedic sf.  Usually SF takes itself much too seriously.  This book, however, is anything from serious and totally perfect.  The plot of this book is barely plausible.  Alien pregnancies multiplied to the nth is always kinda crazy.  The protagonist, however, injects a measure of seriousness and life to the plot while remaining a snarky teenager able to make us laugh.  It's a tenuous balance, but the authors walk it very well.  The beginning was full of flashbacks, so it was a little hard to keep track of where you were in the timeline, but as the book went on it really hit its stride.  The plot, though, is really secondary to the narrator.  Elvie really carries this book with her sarcastic wit and her drive to survive.  She has to deal with some very heavy stuff as the book goes on, but somehow her attitude and humor pull us past it.  If I had a complaint about the book it would be related to this: we see so many pregnant teenagers die in this book, but there is little emotional impact because the writing keeps things light a little too much.  Cole is a big part of this, and his dim-as-a-fireplace-poker intelligence takes us through many things with an amused atmosphere of "how will he screw up next?"  In all this is a great book, and I'd recommend it as a palate cleanser for some of those heavier, horror filled sf novels. 

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a non-biased review. 

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.

Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can’t dodge is each other.

Blackwood is a dark, witty coming of age story that combines America’s oldest mystery with a thoroughly contemporary romance.

I think the real hook in this book is its premise.  I loved the idea of the people of Roanoke disappearing again.  The thought of Miranda and Phillips having complimentary powers and needing to help each other intrigued me too.  In the end, though, this was really a love story with the rest of the mystical plot as complications and road blocks.  It was well done, though, so I didn't really care.  I think that's at least partially because the missing people plot goes off into strange and sometimes nonsensical directions.  There was little I could predict about it, but that's because it was completely unexpected at many turns and often things came out of nowhere, while other things were completely stereotypical.  I think the author did a little too much to maintain the mystery and didn't build a solid base for her plot twists.  It didn't matter much, though, because the book flowed really well and the romance plot served to really bind everything together.  I thought Miranda and Phillips were well written, and they grew into their romance pretty organically, even if it was a bit quickly.  There were logical progressions to their feelings and they didn't have any strange insta-love issues or nonsensical triangles.  In the end it really kept this book going, and I'd be happy to read a sequel or other book by Bond.

Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole?

I read this right before Outpost by Ann Aguirre and the similarities made the books clash a lot.  Where Outpost was boring in its description of an overly-religious post-apocalyptic isolated society, Prized was full of action.  The interpersonal conflict and defiance really made the story clip along.  Gaia had a good bit of character development, and we meet a lot of great new people for her to interact with.  On the other hand, the romantic tension and issues between Gaia and Leon seemed a little contrived and was harder to get behind.  However, I was okay with the love triangle (square?  pentagon?) because in this case it seemed to make sense and worked out well and without the usual drama-angst.  The climax of the book is great, and the ending is closed but with enough promise that the next book will be amazing!  I can't wait to get my hands on it!

The Kairos Mechanism by Kate Milford

September, 1913. The crossroads town of Arcane, Missouri, is a place where strange things happen, and lately those strange things have a habit of happening to thirteen year-old Natalie Minks. It's Natalie who first encounters the two boys who arrive in town seemingly out of nowhere, carrying a dead man between them. Odder still, a few of her older neighbors immediately recognize the dead man as a fellow citizen who's been missing for fifty years--and who doesn't appear to have aged in all that time. When another newcomer, a peddler called Trigemine, arrives in town, Natalie learns why the two boys and the peddler have really come to Arcane. And, of course, she realizes she has to stop them.

Like The Boneshaker and The Broken Lands, The Kairos Mechanism is a moderately frightening folklore-based fantasy. If you have read The Boneshaker, you'll find the novella full of clues as to what's coming and bits of history about characters you've already met. If you haven't read it, don't worry. You'll fall in love with Natalie and Arcane right away.

The paperback edition of The Kairos Mechanism is available directly from me (http://clockworkfoundry.com), from McNally Jackson Books (http://mcnallyjackson.com), and Word Books (http://wordbrooklyn.com). Digital editions are available from Vook.com, BN.com, iTunes, and Amazon.

This novella is apparently a connector book for Kate's other works.  Unfortunately it is the first work of hers that I've read.  It leaves me wanting more, but in both good and bad ways.  The character development is solid, especially for the length.  I liked Natalie's growth through the book and how she learned to deal with the situations around her.  Ben and Amory are also good, showing a good amount of historical attitudes as well as individuality.  The plot was tight, with some good twists and turns and a great enigma tying everything together.  Some of the turns, though, and especially the climax left me feeling somewhat confused.  There were lots of clues to things lying around, but since I haven't read Boneshaker or The Broken Lands I really couldn't pick them up and use them.  I felt like there was just something missing for the people who hadn't tuned in earlier.  I did, however, get a real desire to read more of Milford's work.  I just hope that Boneshaker isn't too spoiled for me now.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a non-biased review. 

The Half-Blood by Janine K. Spendlove

~~~“Spring has something of mine; he knows what it is.” She smiled coldly. “I need you to bring it to me.”

“And why would I do that?” Story folded her arms over her chest.

A branch from the sidhe’s hair glided out in front of her, bearing a single, small acorn. “Because I poisoned Eírnin.”

One of the tattoos on her shoulder coalesced into a live oak leaf, and she plucked it before standing up and holding it out toward Story. “And if you want the antidote, you will bring me what I seek.”

Story lunged for the leaf, but the Autumn Princess was too quick and crushed it in her hand. “You have until winter’s first frost reaches him. Then, he dies.”

Without waiting for a response, Metirreonn disappeared in a scattering of red-gold leaves and sparks. ~~~

Six months after arriving in the world of Ailionora, Story finds herself once again on a quest; only this time it is not to save a dying race but the life of the elf she loves. Along the way, she must face the consequences of her previous choices and battle with enemies both old and new while she races against time.

“Engagingly demonstrates that readers of all ages can get drawn into a world of magic and adventure.” — Karen Lyon, The Hill Rag

Another great adventure for Story!  Just like the last book the Half-Blood was packed full of Tolkienisms, great worldbuilding, and some wonderful character development.  Although the story twisted a knife in my heart I ended up liking that Eirnin was out of the picture for most of the time because it really helped to develop some of the other characters.  Story especially shines without him, becoming even more independent and standing well on her own.  In Eirnin's absence Morrigann also develops a lot, becoming more of a sympathetic character rather than just a plot device and evil force.  Eachan also has some excellent scenes towards the end.  As to the plot, it is a continuation of the great adventure.  We get to see more of Ailionora, and we meet the Dwarves and Trolls as well as some new monsters.  We also learn a lot about the seasonal fairies and what their duties and powers are.  The scope of Ailionora continues to grow, and it is put together with great skill and shows few cracks.  If I had to complain about something it would be that the plot has its usual pacing issues, however, the slow gait makes the book read more like Tolkien and can also be viewed as a plus if you like the old-fashioned style of epic fantasy that lets you see the craft behind the plotting.  The pace also picks up more in this book than it did in the last, becoming closer to what modern sensibilities like towards the middle and end.  It's enough to make me hungry for more, even without a typical cliffhanger ending!

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

I had a few problems with Girl of Fire and Thorns, so I was a bit hesitant to read this book.  It's hard to have such a good thing destroyed by a blatant prejudice.  Fortunately this book was much more enjoyable.  The issue of Elis being fat was hardly mentioned and never mocked like it seemed the author was doing in book 1.  In the absence of fat-phobia Elisa actually became a delightful character.  She started out a little unsure of herself, a backslide from the last book, but an understandable one.  As the book goes on she manages to grow into herself and her role.  Of course, she has a lot to experience to change her!  This book is a plot gem, with intrigue and diabolical plots, spies and double agents, action and adventure.  There is a cast of thousands who move around each other in a ballet of suberfuge and power plays.  I think if I had to come up with a problem in this book it lay in the cast of thousands.  So many people were introduced with such little description or significance that I sometimes could not keep them straight.  And, of course, underneath it all is Elisa's romance!  The romance in this book was perfect.  It felt like it really built on respect and familiarity, not animal attraction, and the two players really seem like they've got the other person's best interests at heart even when they do stumble and fumble.  Lovers of the romance beware, though, the stumbles and fumbles will come, Elisa does not have an easy path, especially when combined with the rest of the plot.  This all leads up to a climax that is breathtaking and a denouement that will rip your heart out and throw it in the dirt.  In a good way, though.  The ending leaves just enough open for the sequel without being a huge cliffhanger, and it wraps up the plot in a satisfying way that middle books rarely get. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

This is a delightful book set in a industrial~ish, magical~ish Russia~ish.  Russia~ish is probably the best description of this book, because the truly beautiful parts are in the worldbuilding.  Bardugo takes some standard fantasy tropes: an orphan is discovered to have The One Power to save the world, Evil People want to use the power for bad, who to trust; and gives them some truly excellent packaging which transforms it into something that is truly delightful to read.  The other bright spot is the lead character, Alina.  Alina is stubborn, loyal, nit-picky, and not really pretty, and I really liked how all her traits became negatives and positives in turn, making her feel like a rounded character.  The cast of characters surrounding Alina was great, too.  I wasn't even bothered by the "love triangle" setup since Alina seemed so against one of the choices even if she was dazzled by power and beauty.  In the end, Shadow and Bone is about making your own choices and following your own path, which I heartily endorse, and I dare you to not get overwhelmed by the unique voice and come to love this book.

Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Jonah and Katherine come face to face with Albert Einstein in the fifth book of the New York Times bestselling The Missing series.Jonah and Katherine are accustomed to traveling through time, but when learn they next have to return Albert Einstein’s daughter to history, they think it’s a joke—they’ve only heard of his sons. But it turns out that Albert Einstein really did have a daughter, Lieserl, whose 1902 birth and subsequent disappearance was shrouded in mystery. Lieserl was presumed to have died of scarlet fever as an infant. But when Jonah and Katherine return to the early 1900s to fix history, one of Lieserl’s parents seems to understand entirely too much about time travel and what Jonah and Katherine are doing. It’s not Lieserl’s father, either—it’s her mother, Mileva. And Mileva has no intention of letting her daughter disappear.

I picked this book up and read it in one setting because I could not put it down, but that's par for Haddix's books. I loved every second of it, too. Like the rest of the Missing series the book was very fast paced and the plotting was superb. I loved the idea of Einstein's wife being just as smart (or maybe smarter) than he was and her being the first person to truly outsmart the kids and the timekeepers. ((I thought of putting in a spoiler warning, but I figure it's in the blurb up top, so it's kinda obvious.)) The characterization did not move along too much in this book, the kids' characters are pretty established and they don't have a lot of time for growth (although they do show a little in relation to love and relationships), but the time is spent on establishing the charaters of Einstein and Mileva, which is done excellently. In all this is a quick read and a worthy sequel to the series, and I highly recommend you take a weekend and start at the beginning and read them all through!

Girl Power in YA Literature Handout

Books with a strong female lead:

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Starcrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner

Eon by Alison Goodman

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Warped by Maurissa Guibord

Destined by Jessie Harrell

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

XVI by Julia Karr

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Liar  by Justine Larbalestier

Wolf Tower by Tanith Lee

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine l'Engle

Legend by Marie Lu

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Wake & Fade by Lisa McMann

Libyrinth, by Pearl North

Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy) by Garth Nix

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

The Demon Trapper’s Daughter / Forsaken by Jana Oliver

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The Darkangel (The Darkangel Trilogy) by Meredith Ann Pierce

Alanna: The First Adventure (The Song of the Lioness, Book 1) by Tamora Pierce

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Summers At Castle Auburn by Sharon Shin

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

The Human by Janine Spendlove

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Heir Apparent by Vande Velde

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Dealing with Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book One by Patricia C. Wrede

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

all these things i’ve done by Gabrielle Zevin

Girl Power in YA Literature Panel Notes

This list has not yet been checked for spelling or accuracy.
Panelist books:
Edge of Time by Susan MacDonald
Insignia by SJ Kincaid
Down a Misterly River by Bill Willingham
Books mentioned:
Vampire Academy
Narnia
Podcane of Mars by Heinlein
Green Glass Sea and White Sands Red Menace by Ellen Klages
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Doris Bizarchia
The Witches of Karys by James H Schmidt
Timepiece by Myra McIntire
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
Matched by Ally Condie
Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Gulf Struck Island by Frances Hardinge
Partials by Dan Welles
Seven Against Mars
The Freedom Maze by Delia Shermann
Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L.A. Meyer
City of Angels by Cassandra Claire
Sisters Grimm
Gulf Struck Island
Tender Morsels
Shadow Children by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Skyship Academy
Unwound by Neil Schustermann
Patrick Ness
Ash by Malinda Lo
Helper 12
Robin McKinley
The Clone Codes

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

Callie LeRoux lives in Slow Run, Kansas, helping her mother run their small hotel and trying not to think about the father she’s never met. Lately all of her energy is spent battling the constant storms plaguing the Dust Bowl and their effects on her health. Callie is left alone when her mother goes missing in a dust storm. Her only hope comes from a mysterious man offering a few clues about her destiny and the path she must take to find her parents in "the golden hills of the west": California.

Along the way she meets Jack, a young hobo boy who is happy to keep her company — there are dangerous, desperate people at every turn. And there’s also an otherworldly threat to Callie. Warring fae factions, attached to the creative communities of American society, are very much aware of the role this half-mortal, half-fae teenage girl plays in their fate.

If you’re looking for a sweet, quick read I recommend you pick up this book. Although it doesn’t have a lot of deep thinking or commentary on society Dust Girl does have a lot of history and a good bit of magic to keep things going.

The best thing about this book is the worldbuilding. From the research of the depression and the dust bowl in Kansas to the careful inclusion of the fairies, Zettel has built a wonderful world for her book to live in. Callie is a delightful character and manages to encompass all the complications of her age and race in such a difficult time. Jack also has problems with his age and his race, and he also has a harsh past, but he manages to care and is a great tour guide for Callie on her journey. The lack of romance is nice, although there is a foundation laid for a future spark to grow between them. The rest of the characters are well-written, from the Hoppers to Shake and Shimmy, but I won’t spoil them for you.

The plotting was good but not great. I liked the introduction, but it did move a bit slow. I think the reader could have caught up on things had the book started with the big dust storm. The middle of the book was great, with action happening right where it needed to and not bogged down by too much exposition. The ending, though, felt very rushed, the denouement was a bit disjointed and not in the flow of the rest of the book, and the cliffhanger was maddening.

The cover of this book, though, makes me sad. I was extremely surprised when the narrator declared that she had an African American father because of the picture on the cover. I really wish they had used a girl who was the same ethnicity as the narrator of the book, especially one that talks so much about racial issues and segregation. It’s a sad commentary on the book’s publishers.



I received a copy of this book free through NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

On the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--Ai Ling discovers a power welling deep within her. She can reach into other people’s spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams…and that’s just the beginning.

Ai Ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor’s palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. She must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. and then she meets Chen Yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. Here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.

The plot of Silver Phoenix is really the center-point of the book. Like most classic fantasy it revolves around the quest Ai Ling is on and the people she meets and travels with. There has been a great deal of work put into the worldbuilding, and the connections with real Chinese culture through its religion, customs, and even food are bountifully evident. The characters deal with a lot of trouble, too, and Pon isn’t shy about putting her characters in danger. There never seems like an obvious way out, which I liked. The characters had to think, and I did too, but the way out was always a result of their cleverness and reaction, not coincidence. These fights do serve to disconnect the book, though. Like a lot of epic fantasy the story can seem like a series of side quests unrelated to the overall arc for a great part of the book. I think that fans of the genre will find the plotting excellent, though, because the side plots are enjoyable and do bring the protagonist closer to her final battle.

Ai Ling is the definition of a strong female character imo. She has flaws and strengths that are realistic, and her powers have pluses and minuses as well. She makes decisions based on logic and her gut, and everything seems to follow her characterization well. With such a strong lead it is harder to develop the people around her, and some of the lesser characters fall a bit flat because of it. Chen isn’t one of those, though. Chen is a great male role model, supportive without being overbearing or overprotective but still flawed. The romance that develops is realistic and lasting, not a love-at-first-glance surface relationship but a true partnership that strengthens both of them. However, they are still individuals as well, and the ending only served to underscore their connection as well as their individuality. If I had to find a flaw in the book, though, it would be with Zhong Ye. His motivations weren’t always apparent, and I was left feeling that his actions were a little off from his characterization. He needed some more time in developing who he is and why he acts as he does.

The Human by Janine K. Spendlove

Eirnin's silver eyes, now showing hints of bright yellow, widened in astonishment as he stared, transfixed, at the red blood dripping from the wound on Story's foot.

"What are you?"

----------

A simple question with a not-so-simple answer for seventeen-year-old Story, who finds herself, a lone human, thrust in the middle of a war between creatures she once thought only existed in faerie tales.

I’m not usually one to read a self-published work, but I made an exception for The Human, and I’m glad I did. The book felt a lot like old Tolkien High Fantasy, with a vast sprawling world and epic races of characters. Add in a good dash of good old fashioned Wizard of Oz with its ‘need to get home’ premise and its throngs of characters centering around a naive central figure and you’ll be pretty close to the feeling of this book and its world.

The characterization in this book is a little wonky. Story is not consistenly written, feeling at times like a little girl with her “it’s not fair!” exclamations and at other times a seasoned adult. To be fair I feel this is a ‘Tolkienism’ so it wasn’t too annoying. I liked how the author took a common Mary Sue trope of ‘eyes changing with mood” and worked it into a raceo f characters in a way that didn’t make them seem overpowered. It’s something that’s pretty easy to get annoying quickly but I thought Eirnin skirted the line very well. The romance is set up pretty much from the beginning, and although it’s telegraphed with a big shiny neon sign the journey seemed pretty realistic and healthy. The other characters are fun and given enough characterization to serve their purpose. The plot has the pacing of Tolkien (glacial) but it works along with the feel of the world and the book. The major plot twist is telegraphed well in advance but it comes with a twist that works well.

In all I recommend this book to anyone who’s longing for the golden age of high fantasy with all its tropes and highlights but yearns for strong female characters to take center stage. If Tolkien annoys you, though, you may want to give this a pass. Myself, I’ve already pre-ordered book two.

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

Happily ever after is a thing of the past.

A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.

When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape.

Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become... The Last Princess.

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a very long time. I love the premise of following a monarchy through a disaster instead of everyday people. It has a different flavor than your everyday post-apocalyptic dystopia. Although The Last Princess was nothing like I expected I was not disappointed in the least in how things turned out. The book is full of predictable twists and turns, but the author’s fresh take on things made me not mind so much.

The plot charges at a breakneck pace, using lots of action and drama to keep things moving. Towards the end of the book it seems too fast, though, as if you’re going so fast you’re about to fly off the tracks. I think it needed a few more pauses and lulls for the reader to catch up and absorb what’s going on. It’s almost as if the book could have benefited from another 50-100 pages even though it’s not short to begin with. Although the book had a nice wrap up it also neatly set up the sequel without leaving a huge cliffhanger, which I like.

The characters are well written. I loved Wesley and how he was presented as a complicated individual almost as much as I loved Eliza and her headstrong will to survive and save her family. I do wish we saw more of both their motivation, though. Not that either seemed to act illogically, just that the book could have benefited from some more inner monologue. Cornelius Hollister is a perfect villain, and my only beef with him is “why in the world would anyone follow him?”

In all The Last Princess was enjoyable, and I will be looking for the sequel. If you can handle a little predictability and slight pacing issues then I recommend it to you as well.

Sirenz: Back in Fashion by Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman

It's Hell on heels--again

When Shar tries on a ring from Hades, it activates an obscure contractual clause that puts Shar and former-frenemy-now-friend Meg in Hades' service once more. Shar is whisked away to the Underworld to prepare a ball for Persephone, while Meg is sent to retrieve the errant soul of spoiled rich girl Paulina Swanson and send her to the abyss. Just when it appears the girls will be doomed to serve Hades for eternity, Shar meets two possibly helpful demi-gods who also happen to be gorgeous. Can the girls finally ditch the Lord of the Dead once and for all?

Another great book in the Sirenz series! Back in Fashion is a quick read full of sarcasm and banter. I didn’t feel that there was as much character development as the first book, but Shar and Meg are faced with much more plot than they had before. They’re also given choices and realizing that maybe Hades isn’t the only one who can have selective dealings. I liked seeing the girls work things out in a logical and plausible way and trying to help themselves and follow their consciences rather than just doing as Hades says to get the contract over with. Although the major plot does hinge on something very . . . odd and rather implausible, and the setup for book 3 is a bit heavy handed, if you can just go with the story and ignore them the book is very satisfying. In all Back in Fashion is a quick summer read that I recommend you forget the world with!


I received a copy of this book free through NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Spirit’s Princess by Esther Friesner

Himiko the beloved daughter of a chieftain in third century Japan has always been special. The day she was born there was a devastating earthquake, and the tribe's shamaness had an amazing vision revealing the young girl's future—one day this privileged child will be the spiritual and tribal leader over all of the tribes. Book One revolves around the events of Himiko's early teen years—her shaman lessons, friendships, contact with other tribes, and journey to save her family after a series of tragic events. Once again, Esther Friesner masterfully weaves together history, myth, and mysticism in a tale of a princess whose path is far from traditional.

I have loved Esther Friesner’s series on historical figures (Cleopatra and Helen of Troy) and I was very excited when I heard she was doing Japanese history next. However, after having read the books I’m not exactly sure I’d put Spirit’s Princess alongside Nobody’s Princess or Sphinx Princess. Not that it’s bad. On the contrary, Spirit’s Princess is excellent. It’s just not similar. Where Sphinx and Nobody were about girls being repressed by being forcibly married and having romance, Spirit’s Princess is about a girl learning to live in her family and her repressive culture. Spirit’s Princess also covers a much broader set of time (by my guesstimate it’s about a decade?) so there’s much more character growth and adaption.

 I loved watching Himiko learn to work with and around the rules her father and society create for her rather than fighting against them all the time. Himiko’s relationship with her mother and her father’s other wives was interesting, and I like how even-handed Friesner was with the traditional relationship and not judgmental over something that was done and made to work in the past. Instead we are shown the ups and downs of living in a family that has more than one wife and many children. I also very much liked Himiko’s relationship with her brother, Aki, but I wasn’t too happy with the portrayal of the other village girls as only jealous, conniving waifs with no interest in anything other than marriage and family. It does give the book an air of classism, as if only the ruling elite are able to broaden their minds beyond their daily life. However, this is a small complaint, and I was able to overlook it in the grander narration. I loved diving into Himiko’s life, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

A copy of this book was provided to me through NetGalley for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's persuasion, "For Darkness Shows the Stars" is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Reading this book was a complete joy.  I loved it from the first minute to the very last page.  It was a great modern update on the Austen classic, making it understandable and relatable.  Elliot was less passionate a narrator than Kai, but more steady and reliable.  Kai was less mature and more volatile, and I liked the differences between them and how they complimented each other nicely.  It was great to see this grow and develop not only in the narration but also in the past letters.  The letters fit nicely into the world Peterfreund built for us.

And what a world it is.  I loved the backstory of genetic manipulation and uncertainty about the world.  It fit well into making a futuristic world that had science and yet didn't choose to use it, something that many authors try to create and fail at.  Rather than use dry paragraphs telling about the new world Peterfreund expertly used characters to show what the world was, from Reductionist Ro and her amazing abilities for her kind to the Luddite Baron North and his disdain for the Reductionists and "CoR"s on his farm.  In fact, if I had to find something wrong with this story it's that the worldbuilding is so amazing I'm disappointed to know that there's nothing more coming from it.  Peterfreund has said that this is definitely a one-off, and yet I really want to know what is beyond the islands and what is found on the long voyage.

I will caution readers that there's no deep meaning to the story.  It seems as if it could be a treatise on the dangers of science and genetics, or how we need to take caution with our experiments, or how science can fix what it hurts, or even where the line should be drawn between religion and science in lawmaking; but in the end Elliot seems to flip back and forth between beliefs before she seems to throw her hands up in the air and ignore the whole issue.  I don't know if this is good or bad, I was left wanting a bit more but it is a hard subject to have a definite "side" to fall on.

Forgiven by Jana Oliver

For Father's Day I review the latest book in my favorite father-daughter relationship series.

Jana Oliver's third spellbinding Demon Trappers novel - following The Demon Trapper's Daughter and Soul Thief - brings all new thrills, as Riley Blackthorne takes on demons, love... and the future of the human race.

The days are growing darker for 17-year-old demon trapper Riley Blackthorne. With her father’s reanimated body back safely, Beck barely speaking to her because of a certain hunky Fallen angel, and a freshly-made deal with Lucifer, she has enough on her hands to last a normal teenage lifetime. Though she bargained with Heaven to save his life, her ex-boyfriend Simon has told the Vatican’s Demon Hunters that she’s working with Hell. So now she’s in hiding, at the top of everyone’s most-wanted list.

But it’s becoming clear that this is bigger than Riley, and rapidly getting out of control: something sinister is happening in Atlanta… or someone. The demons are working together for the first time ever and refusing to die, putting civilians in harm’s way. Riley thinks she might know who’s behind it all, but who’s going to believe her? Caught between her bargain with Heaven and her promise to Lucifer, Riley fears the final war is coming – and it may be closer than anyone thinks…

Oh, Riley! Break my heart again why don’t you!?! When I said that book 1 was a love story, not of romance but of the love between a father and a daughter, I didn’t know that it would rip my heart out and stomp on it a bit after. This book really had me feeling for Riley and her grief over losing her father. Riley has a great character arc and follows a realistic grieving process while still dealing with other plot points, and her friends are supportive without being crutches or pure plot devices. Riley’s relationship with Beck is nice, solid and grounded in something other than lust, but also realistic and only as perfect as the two people in it (which is to say: not very). Throughout everything Riley and Beck have to deal with a doozy of a plot. Things in this book go at breakneck pace, which makes the character development even more remarkable because it uses so few introspective lulls. I like how the plot ties up things from previous books and yet opens even more questions for the future. It always seemed natural and yet unexpected which is very hard to do. I burned through this book very quickly due to the pace, and now I can’t wait for book 4!