Review: Invisibility

Invisibility

Author: Andrea Cremer & David Levithan
Pages: 358
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Source: Publisher for review

Description from Goodreads:
Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.

First Sentence: "I was born invisible."

Review:

Oh, expectations, you turncoats. Always there when I start out, and off who the fuck knows where as I suffer through an uninspired book. Before you start telling me I shouldn't have finished this book, believe me, I know that was an option. However, by the time I was sure I wouldn't like it, I was too far into the book to DNF. Once I've read twenty percent or so, it's happening, and that's all there is to it. Invisibility isn't necessarily a bad book, but it's certainly not what I was hoping for, and will likely only please those who have not yet tired of the standard paranormal romance formula and tropes. Warning: this review will contain some spoilers.

My mistake, and I will admit it was mine alone, was that I assumed Invisibility would be something like Levithan's Every Day. Admittedly, I have yet to read that book, but the premise blows my mind, and, based on friends' reviews and recommendation, I will love it. In that book, I understand that Levithan takes a sort of metaphysical and philosophical look at a unique way of existing, and uses that to reflect on sexuality and love. With Invisibility, I hoped for something similar. What I wanted was the tale of an invisible boy, born that way for no rhyme or reason, and how he comes to find meaning in his existence. Again, this was solely my mental creation. If you had similar hopes, quash them, because Invisibility is just a paranormal romance of magic and curses.

This is why I'm honest.

To give Cremer and Levithan their dues, the world building for the magic is unique, if strange. They did at least expend the effort to come up with something a bit out of the box. The curses, especially, are very cool, and some of them legitimately freaked me out, so that was well done. Unfortunately, their hearts weren't in that aspect of the book, so the world is uncovered and explained through a series of chapter-long infodumps. The teens go to an adult, ask for information, and receive and infodump. Then they go to another adult and repeat the process. It's a dulling way to receive information.

All of that could easily have been saved with well-done characters, though, since characters are where my true love lies as a reader anyway. Sadly, Stephen and Elizabeth are static, with no motivations except the ones given to them by their romance. Elizabeth does have a second motivation in protecting her mother and brother, but, when push comes to shove, she always chooses Stephen over them, so that hardly counts to me.

When two authors team up to write a novel in dual perspectives, I generally assume that they both take a perspective to write. Thus, I'm excited to read books composed in this way, because I love dual perspective done well, and it should be so easy for two separate authors to create two distinct perspectives. Somehow, though, I found that I had a lot of trouble distinguishing whether I was reading an Elizabeth chapter or a Stephen chapter until one of their names was said.

Perhaps, though, Elizabeth and Stephen are so indistinguishable because they lack individual interests and personalities. Very little effort is expended to make them feel like real people. Stephen, for example, has been on his own since his mother's death, but he apparently does nothing but order food to eat, angst, and people-watch. Though he has absolutely no one to talk to, he has no solitary hobbies to do while alone in his apartment. Um, Stephen, may I suggest the internet? I'm in my home alone right now, but, if I break from writing this review, I can go on Twitter and talk to any number of friends. Though no one can see him, he could make a network on the internet, where no one can see your physical form anyway, unless you choose to share a photo. Or, Stephen, how about reading? No wonder he's so miserable, since he doesn't ever do anything.

Then there's Elizabeth, who Cremer and Levithan really tried to make cool and nerdy. Her dream in life is to be a comic book writer and illustrator, both because doing just one is lame to her. Awesome, right? I should totally love this girl. And yet. For all her supposed love of comics, her interest in comic books has been added solely as a plot device by which she can realize her own special powers, which she has been secretly using to create the world in her comic book. When her brother, Laurie, introduces her to another comic book fan, she shows no interest in ever talking to him about them. When the group ends up going several times to a really bitching comic book shop with tons of special editions, Elizabeth never once stops to peruse the selection. Yeah, she's dealing with some serious stuff, but there is no universe where I would be able to walk through a bookstore without noting titles as I walked through or trailing my fingers along the spines. Don't try to connect to nerds with such a shallow attempt, because we do see through that.

The only characters I liked and cared about at all were Laurie, Elizabeth's brother, and Sean, a boy in the building Laurie is crushing on. After her parents' divorce, their mother moved the three of them to New York City to escape homophobia so severe that Laurie was hospitalized with multiple broken bones. The father basically blamed Laurie for provoking the attack, so the dad's obviously scum. Briefly, Laurie is a real plot point with a burgeoning romance, but we never get to find out how that's going for him, and he becomes just a pawn to be manipulated by the bad guy. Even then, Laurie's still more useful than Stephen. Laurie gets shit done.

Worst of all is the romance. First off, we have the invisible, personality-less boy and the pretending-to-be-a-nerd girl. Shock of shocks, she is the only person in the whole wide world who can see him! They touch and feel things. Their connection is made of magic and wondrousness and they fall in love in an unclear amount of time. However, their romance cannot have gone on for long, since she's still a ways from school starting and summer is not that long. Hello, instalove.

It gets better, though! Without establishing any real emotional connection between these two, which would be difficult, since they don't actually have personalities, they declare their love and begin arguing about who gets to die for the other one. Is anyone else sick of reading books about teens who are desperate to sacrifice themselves for someone they've only known for a month? Going back to what I mentioned earlier, Elizabeth is already willing to save Stephen's life over that of her brother's when forced to choose, though, obviously, she'll manage to save both. No, bitch, your brother comes first, not the invisible kid you've known for a month or less. Also, and here's where things really crossed the line, Cremer and Levithan never offer a convincing excuse for why Laurie can see Stephen, since her own powers don't explain shit. It was a convenient way to make them feel like they must have some mystical connection.

The ending did manage to surprise me just a bit, so I will give some credit for that. Cremer and Levithan didn't go for the obvious, easy ending that I'd predicted, so I will applaud them for finally stepping outside of the box, though I would have been grateful if it had happened 340 pages sooner.

If paranormal romances relying heavily on baseless instalove still work for you, by all means procure a copy of Invisibility. If, on the other hand, you were hoping for something deep and meaningful along the lines of Levithan's Every Day, you might want to spare yourself the disappointment. For some samples of the writing and further insights, you can check my status updates on Goodreads, which include a sampling of quotes.

Rating: 2/5

Favorite Quote: "'Lovebirds?' Laurie interjects. 'Can we put off the mating call for a sex? Methinks we have some bigger issues on the table.'"

Audiobook Review: House of Secrets

House of Secrets
House of Secrets, Book 1

Authors: Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini
Narrator: Daniel Vincent Gordh
Duration: 11 hrs, 48 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Source: Publisher for review

Description from Goodreads:
From legendary Hollywood director Chris Columbus (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and bestselling author Ned Vizzini (It's Kind of a Funny Story) comes this first book in an epic new fantasy series.

Brendan, Eleanor, and Cordelia Walker once had everything: two loving parents, a beautiful house in San Francisco, and all the portable electronic devices they could want. But everything changed when Dr. Walker lost his job in the wake of a mysterious incident. Now in dire straits, the family must relocate to an old Victorian house that used to be the home of occult novelist Denver Kristoff—a house that feels simultaneously creepy and too good to be true.

By the time the Walkers realize that one of their neighbors has sinister plans for them, they're banished to a primeval forest way off the grid. Their parents? Gone. Their friends? A world away. And they aren't alone. Bloodthirsty medieval warriors patrol the woods around them, supernatural pirates roam the neighboring seas, and a power-hungry queen rules the land. To survive, the siblings will have to be braver than they ever thought possible—and fight against their darkest impulses. The key may lie in their own connection to the secret Kristoff legacy. But as they unravel that legacy, they'll discover it's not just their family that's in danger . . . it's the entire world.

Review:

Alright, audiobook reviews can be sort of tricky to review, since the experience can be so different from reviewing a print book. I notice such different things and don't tend to remember super specific details as well. I'm going to try borrowing (with approval, of course) April of Good Books and Good Wine's format she's been using lately.

Why Did I Read This Book?
Okay, this may not reflect particularly well on me as a person, but the allure was equal parts the famous name and the awesome cover. Basically, I was curious about whether this would be any good, and whether it would live up to the cover. Obviously, I was skeptical, because Chris Columbus isn't an author, but Ned Vizzini's written things of which I have had good report, so I thought maybe it would pan out well.

What's the Story Here?
The Walker family lost most of their money and their reputation when the surgeon father did something totally whack during a surgery. They've moved to San Francisco in hopes of getting far enough away from the lawsuit that he can find employment in a hospital (good luck, buddy). Though they lack much money for a house, the realtor show's them this totally insane house, Kristoff House, and they can have it for pretty much nothing. Obviously, they are stoked and ready to move in immediately. Then, the inevitable drawback: Dahlia Kristoff, the daughter of author Denver Kristoff, who built the crazy house is like totally evil and she kills the parents and sends the three kids to a magical world that continually tries to kill them. They face, among other things, barbarians, pirates, skeletons, sharks, witches, and giants. Basically, action, action, action. Oh, and there's a surprising amount of violence. Pretty much everyone gets injured throughout the course of the book and a few die.

How Are the Characters?
Characterization is totally not what this book is about, so they're pretty flat mostly. Elinor, the youngest walker, tends to actually be the most useful, even if she does tend to run into things without a plan, like when she stabs the leader of the barbarians with a fork. Brave, but ill-considered. Brendan is a teen boy, and he's pretty typical. He doesn't like to read much, and constantly has his eyes on a video game, but he steps up to defend his sisters. Cordelia, the eldest, should be my favorite, because she's all about reading and vocabulary, but she ended up annoying me because of her blindness with regards to boys. Oh, one touch I did like is that both teens actually had acne. That is so rare in books, and, seriously, how many teens don't have pimples now and then? Or, you know, all the time?

What About Romance?
So, like I said, Cordelia desperately wants a certain boy within this book. He's an aviator named Will, and he's British and handsome. Like, I do not blame her for crushing on him, because British and hot, however, he regularly says seriously sexist things and pisses her off. Yet, she will quickly brush that off and reset to swooning all over the place and being jealous, which only reinforces his negative attitudes towards women. He is totally not a candidate for romance right now, because that is not cool. Overall, though, Cordelia would rather have him as a boyfriend, even if he is sexist, than NOT have him as a boyfriend. Brendan has a couple of little crushes too. I will say, though, that mostly there's not much romance, and that the authors seem to delight in crushing their hopes for the most part, which was a pretty nice change from the romance heavy books I usually read.

Am I Going to Continue with the Series?
Probably not. It's not character-based enough to be an ideal read for me. I'm glad I satisfied my curiosity, but I'm not interested to continue on for more, especially since the direction it's going in at the end annoys me. I feel like this could have been a standalone, but those aren't all that popular right now.

How Was the Audio?
Daniel Vincent Gordh does a pretty good job. His lady voices are a little bit weak, but that's not uncommon. His little girl voice for Elinor was really obnoxious, though. Otherwise, he was easy to listen to, and the audiobook was an enjoyable way to pass the time. I don't think I would have been able to three star this in print, because it's just not really my thing, but it was fun on audio.

Sum It Up with a GIF:

I totally pictured the creepy Dahlia Kristoff as Ursula from The Little Mermaid, only missing a hand. And she totally magics the kids and then distracts a couple of them with romantic temptations, so this totally works. Oh, and also the kids are slightly transfigured by the experience, maturing a bit.

Rating: 3/5

Review + Giveaway: The Midnight Spell

The Midnight Spell

Authors: Rhiannon Frater & Kody Boye
Pages: 254 according to the Nook version
Publisher: self-published
Source: ecopy for blog tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours

Description from Goodreads:
Best friends since kindergarten, Adam and Christy have always been the perpetual outsiders in their small town in Texas. The other kids call Adam gay and Christy a witch.

On both counts the bullies are right.

Their junior year in high school seems destined to be the same old same old until Christy decides to cast a love spell for Adam at the midnight hour. The next day an alluring and mysterious boy enrolls at school and sets hearts a flutter, including Adam’s. Meanwhile, Christy’s mad crush on the handsome football player Ian seems to be going nowhere fast and her witch puberty is making her life miserable.

When a great evil arrives in town that threatens everything they hold dear, the best friends realize that finding a boyfriend is the least of their worries. Soon Adam and Christy will have to battle a force of darkness that has killed in their town before, and will again.

First Sentence: "It all started with a spell."

Review:

As a book blogger, especially one who reads Giselle's reviews, it's hard to miss Rhiannon Frater. She apparently writes super awesome vampire and zombie books, but I haven't gotten around to those yet. When the tour came up for Frater's paranormal co-written with another author, I couldn't resist. Joining The Midnight Spell tour was a good choice. Frater and Boye's novel is light, humorous, and fun all the way through.

Like Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Christy is approaching the age of her powers awakening. Christy desperately wants her full-blown witchy powers, and keeps trying to perform spells in hopes that they'll turn her powers on full blast. Her latest plan is a spell at midnight to bring her bestie Adam's perfect guy to town. Adam doesn't wholly believe in Christy's magical abilities, but he hopes, tired of being alone and picked on for his sexuality.

Adam and Christy both really stick out in their whitebread, small town. Christy's been called a witch since she was young, her tendency to wear dark clothing not really helping matters. Red-headed Adam has been picked on for being gay for years too, even though he hasn't actually come out. They're lucky to have each other, though, and their social butterfly friend, Drifter. I would have liked to see a bit more of Christy and Adam's friendship before the midnight spell kicked the plot into motion, but I love their bond, and that the story is told from the POV of a straight girl and her gay best friend.

The plot includes some paranormal mayhem, but definitely keeps more to the funny than the creepy, which is a nice change of pace from paranormal stories that take themselves super seriously. There are some paranormal creature reveals at the end that definitely made me chuckle. The focus, though, is really on the romances: Adam's with mysterious new hottie Mark and Christy's with her long-time crush Ian.

The one thing that cut down on my enjoyment a little bit was my indifference towards Mark and Christy. I don't dislike either of them, but I never got a real sense of them as people. I would have assumed that Boye and Frater each took one of the perspectives to write, but Christy and Adam read too similarly to me. I had a bit of trouble keeping whose section I was reading straight.

On the other hand, I loved the secondary characters. They are made of sass and awesomeness. Callie, Christy's cat familiar, and the broom really steal the show. They're also super dependable and a bit snarky. Yes, a broom can be kind of snarky. Oh, and both Adam and Christy have super caring, present parents, with the exception of Adam's dad who's gone months at a time for work but who obviously loves his family a lot. The three parents are all a hoot. Oh, also, there's Drifter, who I totally want to hook up with Christy, because he's way smarter and more interesting.

The Midnight Spell is a highly fun paranormal self-pub. The ARC version I read had very few errors, so I imagine the finished copy will be pretty spotless, so, if you're interested, feel no fear! I'm definitely looking forward to reading some of Frater's darker novels.

Rating: 3/5

Favorite Quote: "'You're never to come here again. You will never touch Adam. You will never so much as even look or talk to him, because if you do, I swear I will shoot you dead. And if you try anything at the school, I swear I will bring holy hell down upon you, because when you fuck with the cub, you mess with the fucking mama bear. Get out. Now.'"

Giveaway:
As part of the tour, I have one e-copy of The Midnight Spell to offer to a reader. Just fill out the Rafflecopter! 
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Review + Giveaway: Firebrand

Firebrand
Rebel Angels, Book 1

Author: Gillian Philip
Pages: 368
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: Unsolicited Copy for Review

Description from Goodreads:
At the end of the sixteenth century, religious upheaval brings fear, superstition, and doubt to the lives of mortals. Yet unbeknownst to them, another world lies just beyond the Veil: the realm of the Sithe, a fierce and beautiful people for whom a full-mortal life is but the blink of an eye. The Veil protects and hides their world…but it is fraying at the edges, and not all think it should be repaired.

Discarded by his mother and ignored by his father, sixteen-year-old Seth MacGregor has grown up half wild in his father’s fortress, with only his idolized older brother, Conal, for family. When Conal quarrels with the Sithe queen and is forced into exile in the full-mortal world, Seth volunteers to go with him.

But life beyond the Veil is even more dangerous than they expected, and Seth and Conal soon find themselves embroiled in a witch-hunt—in which they are the quarry. Trapped between the queen’s machinations at home and the superstitious violence of the otherworld, Seth must act before both of them are fed to the witch-hunters’ fires…

Brimming with intrigue and rebellion, Firebrand is the first book in the Rebel Angels series by Gillian Philip, the Carnegie Medal–nominated author of Crossing the Line and multi-award-nominated Bad Faith.

First Sentence: "The courtyard stinks of animals and much and human waste."

Review:

What I'm realizing lately is that I have different requirements for fantasy than for most other genres, particularly fantasy of a more classic, epic vein. Where I don't mind essentially plotless books in realistic fiction or science fiction, characters drifting and just living out their lives, it really doesn't work for me in fantasy. Now, I don't mean that nothing happens in Firebrand; in fact, a lot happens, much of it exciting, but there's no driving, overarching plot. When I read fantasy, I want there to be a clear goal from the outset, whether it be a quest or a villain to defeat or whatever. Firebrand does not follow this style and, thus, I enjoyed it less than I'd hoped, though it's a well done novel.

Since the hero is 16, Firebrand has been getting some attention as possibly being YA, though its imprint is not. Though Seth is 16 through most of it, the story is told like he's an old man looking back on his life. This removes some of the immediacy and means that he comes off more like a grownup than a teen. He occasionally reflects on things he would have done differently had he known then what he knows now, making sure the reader remembers this. I really wouldn't call Firebrand YA.

The world itself is very cool. There's a sort of parallel universe vibe. Basically, Seth and his people live in one world and beyond the Veil lies another, the land of the full-mortals, our distant, unwashed ancestors. They can pass between the Veil, but they are persecuted for witchcraft there, not being normal by full-mortal standards. I love stories about a world of magic hidden within the ordinary one, and I love how it ties into history here.

Seth and his half-brother, Conal, have an interesting relationship. Seth, not by nature especially trusting, assumes that his brother will want his death, but Conal is actually the sweetest guy, and essentially raises Seth. Their love for one another, even when they very much do not agree on important matters is touching, and not the sort of relationship I've seen much of in fiction. None of the other connections rang as true or mattered as much as this one. Seth does fall in love, but he would still choose his brother over his woman any day.

One thing I do need to mention about the romantic relationships is that I like that Philip didn't use a cop-out. The Sithe can essentially live forever, so long as they don't get killed (or at least so long that it feels like forever compared to our lifespans). The full-mortals have lifespans of 16th century humans, so not long. One of the Sithe falls in love with a human, and I love that Philip didn't come up with some loophole that would let their love last forever.

If action-based fantasy is your thing, there's a good bit of sword play and fighting. As I said, there's a lot that happens, but I just couldn't get especially caught up in the story, a combination of the lack of driving plot and the storytelling method, which means you know Seth will survive ultimately. I was, however, entertained and I didn't have to struggle through the 364 pages. It's good, but not necessarily the ideal book for me.

Firebrand is well-written and has a fascinating concept, but is more ideal for a different type of fantasy fan. I probably will not be reading the next book, just because there are so many other books out there I would probably like more, and I'm okay with where Firebrand ended.

Rating: 3/5

Favorite Quote: "'A woman can admire a man without being in love with him,' she told me acidly. 'A woman can be grateful to a man, and think he's a good and brave and decent human being, without being in love with him.'"

Giveaway:
I'm passing my copy along to one of my readers. US/CAN only, since I'm shipping, sorry. Just fill out the Rafflecopter.

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Audiobook Review: Stardust

Stardust

Author: Neil Gaiman
Narrator: Neil Gaiman
Duration: 6 hrs, 38 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Source: Digital Copy for review from Publisher

Description from Goodreads:
Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria Forester - even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that stone barrier, Tristran learns, lies Faerie . . . and the most exhilarating adventure of the young man's life.

From number-one New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman comes a tale of the dark and miraculous - a quest for true love and the utterly impossible.

Review:

This is my third format for Neil Gaiman's Stardust, having first seen the film and then read the physical book. Thus far, Stardust has been my favorite Neil Gaiman work, perhaps in great part because of my love for the movie. The book has a few key differences from the film, but I do like it quite well. I find, however, that Stardust as a book works so much better, for me at least, as an audiobook.

Fairy tales were passed down through generations as part of an oral tradition, captured on paper eventually by enterprising souls like the Brothers Grimm. As such, Gaiman's fairly tale comes alive on audio. The format just seems so utterly appropriate for the story. I've also listened to the audiobook of The Graveyard Book, narrated by Neil Gaiman, and this one feels much more intimate, more like he's telling you personally a story. There's just something about this book read aloud.

The strength of Gaiman's writing lies in his world building and his writing, both of which I think are phenomenal. Neil Gaiman, much as I admire him, is not among my very favorite authors because I do not think he does quite so well with characterization, which is my favorite aspect of books. This is most definitely the case in Stardust, but, in audiobook format, this did not bother me or particularly diminish my enjoyment of the story the way it did when I read it myself. This format also really allowed me to appreciate the beauty of Gaiman's prose.

I'm not precisely certain how the Gift edition differs from the other Stardust audio, but it may be the inclusion of a few extras, like an interview with Neil Gaiman. In this interview, Gaiman made some clever observations on audiobooks and how different a reading experience they are. He observed that they can really make a person listen to every single word of the text, rather than skimming through description-heavy passages in favor of action scenes and dialog. This is so true, and precisely why I could develop a slightly stronger appreciation for his writing talent.

So far as the story of Stardust goes, I really enjoy parts of it, like the concept and the wall separating faerie from the human world. Other things are less well done, and, to be entirely truthful, I largely prefer the changes the film made to the plot. The characters come alive on film in a way they don't, and the romance is believable where it really isn't here. I also feel the ending is rather anticlimactic and rushed in the book.

What it really comes down to, though, is that having Neil Gaiman read you a story is a beautiful thing. He has a lovely voice, and he does a great job narrating his stories. If you've struggled with Gaiman in the past or been hesitant to try his books, I would highly recommend the audio versions as perhaps a bit more accessible.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: Eyes to See

Eyes to See
Jeremiah Hunt, Book 1

Author: Joseph Nassise
Pages: 320
Publisher: Tor
Source: Publisher for review

Description from Goodreads:
In an urban fantasy that charts daring new territory in the field, Jeremiah Hunt has been broken by a malevolent force that has taken his young daughter and everything else of value in his life: his marriage, his career, his reputation. Desperate to reclaim what he has lost, Hunt finally turns to the supernatural for justice.

Abandoning all hope for a normal life, he enters the world of ghosts and even more dangerous entities from beyond the grave. Sacrificing his normal sight so that he can see the souls of the dead and the powers that stalk his worst nightmares, Hunt embarks upon a strange new career—a pariah among the living; a scourge among the dead; doomed to walk between the light of day and the deepest darkness beyond night.

His love for his departed daughter sustains him when all is most hopeless, but Hunt is cursed by something more evil than he can possibly imagine. As he descends into the maelstrom of his terrifying quest, he discovers that even his deepest fears are but prelude to yet darker deeds by a powerful entity from beyond the grave…that will not let him go until it has used him for its own nefarious purposes.

First Sentence: "I gave up my eyes in order to see more clearly."

Review:

Receiving an unsolicited review copy generally feels a bit terrifying, because there are a couple different ways that it can play out, several of them unfortunate. When I received King of the Dead, an unsolicited copy of the second book in a series I'd never even heard of, I was a bit concerned to say the least, as one of the issues with unsolicited books is squeezing them into an already fairly tight review schedule. Well, the publisher did contact me and offer me book one as well, if I didn't already have a copy, and, after looking at reviews, I accepted. Luckily, I enjoyed Eyes to See, and will not have to force myself through the sequel.

The opening chapters really snared me. Hunt lost his daughter Elizabeth, kidnapped away from him while she was playing the floor above. He never stopped searching for her or believing that she was still out there somewhere, waiting for him to find her. The experience completely changes him, taking him from some man that the reader only gets hints of into the man in this series. He now has the much more world-weary attitude that I've seen in other male-targeted paranormals.

So desperate was Jeremiah Hunt to locate his daughter that when he had a chance, however slim, that he might be able to locate her, he took it. As such, he sacrificed his eyesight, gaining instead a new kind of sight. He can no longer see anything in the light anymore, but has vision in the darkness, which is why he lives in a house with every window boarded up. With his new eyes, he can also see ghosts, and other paranormal creatures. Pretty much everything with his eyes was seriously fascinating to me, and, I thought, quite well thought out.

At the outset of the novel, Hunt has taken a job as an exorcist, something he does whenever he needs more money. He faces down a creepy poltergeist and establishes his snarky, people-hating tone here. I really like Jeremiah. He's sort of a mild guy, but still not a good person to mess with, mostly because he's resourceful and not quite as blind as everyone seems to think. Unlike most male protagonists in paranormal fantasy, he isn't much of a fighter; in physical confrontations, he generally comes off the worse for wear, which made him a much more unique character, I felt.

Of course, he quickly gets entangled into a murder investigation which ties in to Elizabeth's disappearance. Eyes to See clearly feels like the set up to a series, though it does wrap up nicely. I'll be really curious to see what direction Jeremiah goes in from here, as to whether the plot arc from this one will continue or if he will now wander around solving individual paranormal cases from book to book. Either could be great, I think, given Nassise's delightful writing style and strong characters.

For the most part, the narrative style worked quite well. The reader mostly gets Hunt's first person perspective. I found my attention waning a bit when the perspective shifted from him, however. Much as I might like Denise, I didn't feel that the one or two brief chapters from her third person limited perspective were entirely necessary. I felt that way even more so about the chapters from the killer's perspective, as well as from Stanton's. Has Nassise stuck to Hunt's past and present perspectives, I feel this might have been a stronger whole.

Fans of paranormal fantasy who don't want a focus on romance will delight in Nassise's Eyes to See. Though I haven't read them, so take this with a grain or cellar of salt, I suspect these might be a good read-a-like for The Dresden Files series. I shall be happily embarking on King of the Dead sometime within the next week.

Rating: 3.5/5

Favorite Quote:

"He was clearly nervous; his palm was damp with sweat, and it didn't take a genius to recognize that I unnerved him almost as much as did the events that had forced him to seek me out in the first place.
   Frankly, I didn't give a shit. Miss Congeniality, I was not."

Review + Giveaway: Full Blooded

Full Blooded
Jessica McClain, Book 1

Author: Amanda Carlson
Pages: 322
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher for review

Description from Goodreads:
Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

But not everyone is on board. The werewolf Rights of Laws is missing text and the superstitious werewolves think that Jessica means an end to their race. It doesn’t help when Jessica begins to realize she’s more. She can change partway and hold her form, and speak directly to her wolf. But the biggest complication by far is that her alpha father can't control her like he can the rest of his wolves.

When a mercenary who’s been hired by the vampires shows up to extract information about the newly turned werewolf only days after her change, they find themselves smack in the middle of a war and there's no choice but to run together. When it’s up to Jessica to negotiate her release against her father’s direct orders, she chooses to take an offer for help instead. In exchange, Jessica must now swear an oath she may end up repaying with her life.

First Sentence: "I drew in a ragged breath and tried to surface from one hell of a nightmare."

Review:
It has been ages since I read a straight up paranormal romance, and, though they may not be literary brilliance, I have missed them. Amanda Carlson's Jessica McClain series focuses on shifters, but has just about every paranormal you could hope to find. Full Blooded reminded me heavily of Bitten, the first book of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, so, if you enjoyed that, you will likely enjoy the drama of Full Blooded.

Jessica has fought long and hard for her independence from the Pack, but all of that effort goes up in smoke the moment she shifts into her wolf form. Women aren't supposed to shift; in fact, she's the only female werewolf in the world (baby wolfies are bred on human women). No surprise there, right? What's a paranormal romance without a heroine who is a super special snowflake? Since being the only female werewolf in the whole world isn't enough, she also has some other powers too.

All of that, of course, is very unoriginal ground, well-tread in the genre. What I enjoyed, though, was that Jessica was not running from her family because they were abusive or controlling or didn't respect her, but because she wanted to live a different life. Her father Callum, the pack's Alpha, and her brother Tyler support her in everything she does, unless they're positive she'll be seriously hurt by what she's planning. When in doubt, though, they always help her, let her have what she wants. Like, her father could use his Alpha powers to order her to behave a particular way, but he doesn't, except in extreme situations when her life is legit on the line. In fiction, there are a lot of neglectful or abusive families, so I am always so glad to see that, especially in paranormal romance, where it usually takes a back seat to romance.

Anyway, being the only female werewolf is complicated, and, thankfully, not because all of the men think they should be able to get into her pants. Actually, there's a prophecy that says a lady werewolf will destroy all of their kind, so some factions are seriously concerned at her emergence. Her father's first instinct is to lock her up and keep her safe, but he wants her to be happy, so they try to let her just go on with life. Of course, that doesn't work, because there would be no book.

Jessica was mostly a likable heroine. She's strong, brave, loyal, and practical. Even when she meets her mate (hello obvious instalove), she doesn't get gross about it, thank goodness. The only thing I didn't like about her was the way she would refer to things as 'slutty' that didn't seem to be at all. Like, she would worry that as a wolf she would be a slut, and sleep with everyone. *headdesk* Embrace it, girl. Slutty is something society imposes on you; don't let it and you can have way more guilt-free fun.

Oh, also, Jessica loves to eat. Her change makes her ravenously hungry at all times. She eats constantly in the book. Hurray for a heroine that EATS. She has a hunger beast and I thought that was fantastic. Even better, there's a scene where she's talking to this super sexy guy with a big old mouthful of food. Her words come out all unclear, because of how much food she has stuffed in there. This scene was probably my favorite, since Jessica really doesn't care most of the time if she looks hot and that was refreshing.

Thankfully, she doesn't let her somewhat prudish mind stop her from having fun entirely, because the wolf-y side of her convinces her getting some is an awesome idea. Good sexy scenes happen rarely in YA, so this was very enjoyable. The wolfish side of her brain needs to win arguments more often.

Except...I didn't really like the wolfish side of her brain. Basically, this was the thing I liked least, I think. The wolf reminded me a lot of the 'inner goddess' thing. It's all 'my wolf growls' or 'my wolf barks' or 'my wolf is in a frenzy,' encouraging her to fight or to stare someone down have some sex. I don't know. I guess I just didn't like how silly that seemed or how compartmentalized the wolf was, like an entirely different being inhabiting her body. She and the wolf are one, right?

Full Blooded met my expectations just about, a fun paranormal romp. Not much is accomplished plot-wise, and the ending has some insane cliffhangers, so I'll be sticking around for Hot Blooded, the next book in the series.

Rating: 3/5

Favorite Quote: "'I don't want to go, I want to stay and fight. My place is here fighting alongside my Pack, not being protected like some breakable object.'"

Giveaway: I'm giving away my finished review copy to a reader, since my book shelves are overflowing. Since I'm mailing it out, US only. All you have to do is fill out THIS FORM by October 26 at 11:59 PM.

Audiobook Review: Carnival of Souls

Carnival of Souls
Carnival of Souls, Book 1

Author: Melissa Marr
Narrator: James Marsters
Duration: 8 hrs, 5 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Source: Harper Audio for review

Description from Goodreads:
In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series and "Graveminder," comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny.

Review:
I've been a Melissa Marr fan since Wicked Lovely, though I admit that I've gotten way behind, having missed reading several of her more recent books. This one, though, I simply knew that I had to listen to, because James Martsters, so I made time. Melissa Marr's newest differs quite a bit from her Wicked Lovely series, but shares the dark romance and gritty world building that I enjoyed so much in those books.

Mallory has been raised knowing that daimons and witches exist, that her father, Adam, is a witch. Because of something he stole from the daimon ruler, she and Adam move constantly, and she's never had the chance to get close to anyone but him. What the reader knows and Mallory does not is that what Adam Stole is Mallory, the daughter of the daimon ruler, Marchosias. She is a daimon, but has been trained how to kill them, tutored on the use of firearms.

Witches and daimons do not get along. They fought wars over The City, and the daimons won, thanks to the leadership of Marchosias. The witches live hidden in the human world; the daimons live in the demon world, comprised of The City and the Untamed Lands. The City is dark, violent, sordid, and built around a rigid social hierarchy. In an effort to provide the slightest chance of social mobility to his citizens, Marchosias hosts a competition, wherein daimons can sign up to battle, the winner obtaining high rank and a position in the government. It's rather like The Hunger Games, only made up of a series of individual battles during a long span of time, and the battles do have the option of ending in forfeiture, though forfeiting, for those in the lower castes, ends in fates worse than death.

The story opens with Mallory, in the throes of her first real crush upon a boy named Kaleb. Reality strikes a blow when her dad announces that they have to move yet again. However, she runs into Kaleb unexpectedly before the move and they bond. What she does't know is that Kaleb is a Cur, the lowest of the daimons, and that he is fighting in the competition in pursuit of higher social status for himself and his pack mate. Even more, Kaleb has been contracted to murder Mallory, and he has been befriending her to that end. Their romance, while initially disgustingly saccharine recovers itself in Mallory's sane reactions to knowledge when she obtains it. Though I do feel bad for Kaleb's status and the life he's had to live, I still cannot like him because of how he behaves. Mallory, again, I sympathize with, but feel no real bond to because she's not had enough life experience or self-awareness to really have a personality yet.

I have to say that I was really confused at first when the story switched away from Mallory to other characters. The transition was awkward and, on audio, you always wonder if you've missed something, accidentally skipped a chapter somehow. Furthermore, all of the Melissa Marr novels I've read followed one particular character and I expected this to do the same. Anyway, Aya and Belias, the other two main character, ended up being my favorites and I'm so glad she included them, even if it did make the story a bit harder to follow.

Aya, a high caste woman, signed up to fight in the competition, the only woman ever to do so. That she did this is scandalous, both because women are for breeding and because, as a high caste woman, she already has high status. Her reasons are twofold: 1) she does not want to breed ever 2) she wants to be part of the government to improve life in the daimon world. Her situation is further complicated by her ex, Belias, who would have been her marriage partner and whom she does love (marriage without breeding is not an option for daimons), who enters the competition in a misguided attempt to save her and win her back. The tensions between these two delighted me. Aya, of course, I love because she doesn't want children and refuses to fall into gender roles. Holla!

Though the characterization could use work, I still highly enjoyed Carnival of Souls' plot and world building. I have hopes that the characters improve in the next book in the series.

Rating: 4/4

Narration:
I probably wouldn't have gotten around to reading this novel for a while had James Marsters not done the narration. Who doesn't want Spike to read to them for hours? Of course, I was expecting the British accent he used on Buffy, but he doesn't talk like that here. This turns out not to be a hardship, though, because James Marsters voice is marvelous to listen to in any incarnation, and I do mean any, since the Curs talk in annoying southern accents.

Marsters has serious talent for audio narration, and I sincerely hope he continues to narrate this series and other audiobooks. He really is, Spike fangirling aside, one of the best narrators I've had the good fortune to listen to thus far. He even does a good job with the voices of the girls, even though many professional audiobook narrators struggle with the voices of the opposite gender. His narration for Carnival of Souls was all that I hoped and more.

Rating: 5/5

Audio or Print?:
Did you not read all of that about how James Marsters is the freaking best? LISTEN TO THIS BOOK.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Review: Wicked Sense

Wicked Sense
Singularity, Book 1

Author: Fabio Bueno
Pages: 308
Publisher: Booklings
Publication Date: August 9, 2012
Source: e-copy for blog tour

Description from Goodreads:
Witches inhabit our world, organized in covens and hiding behind a shroud of secrecy—the Veil.

Skye’s London coven sends her to Seattle’s Greenwood High to find the Singularity, an unusually gifted witch who may break the Veil and trigger a dangerous new era of witch-hunting. Things get complicated when Skye meets a charming new classmate, Drake. Skye’s job becomes even trickier when she clashes with Jane, an intimidating rival witch.

Drake falls for the mysterious Skye, but odd accidents, potion mix-ups, and the occasional brush with death kind of get in the way of romance. Once he discovers Skye is a witch, he goes to war for her, even though his only weapons are a nice set of abs and a sharp sense of humor.

Fighting off wicked Jane and the other dark forces hell-bent on seizing the Singularity's immense power, Skye and Drake will risk everything to save the covens.

Going on a date has never been harder.

First Sentence: "I don't buy into the high-school-is-hell theory."

Review:
As is probably pretty obvious, I do not review too many indies here on A Reader of Fictions. With all of the drama with authors recently and the fact that I can't pick the up from the library, I just gravitate towards more traditionally published books. I decided to read this one, however, after I included the cover in one of my Cover Snark posts. In traditional Cover Snark fashion, I proceeded to make fun of Fabio's name, all in good fun of course, but still. Well, he found this post and commented, taking everything in good humor and letting inquiring minds know that Fabio Bueno is in fact his real name. Since he's such a nice guy and a good sport, when I had the option of joining the blog tour, I decided to take a chance on him.

First things first, I need to make the typical indie disclosure: though I found a couple of errors (no more than can be found in many Big 6 published books), Wicked Sense has definitely been edited and is not a hot mess.

I've got to be honest with you, dear readers, at first I was seriously concerned. I didn't want to dislike this book, but the opening was rough and uneven. I feared I might have to back out of the tour or something because I would want to rate it too low. The characters were uninspired, the dialogue stilted, and some of the circumstances laughably strange. Before you write the book off, I want to say that it definitely improved, but I do want to discuss some of these factors in a bit more detail.

Drake starts out as a pathetically awkward figure, desperate for affection from everyone to the degree that he only appears more foolish. In and of itself, I have no issue with that, because, heck, that's high school. However, some of the things he said were so weird, like when he's trying to ask out the mysterious, hot new girl Skye and ends up saying this in their first conversation: "Awkwardness is one of the biggest threats to our society. We should do something about it, create an organization, mobilize people. Raise awareness, you know? I'm all for social issues. Maybe we should hang out and discuss our plan of attack?" This does not strike me as a method anyone would use to ask someone out. I also rolled my eyes when he asserted that "Awkwardness awareness" would be a catchy name for said organization. Calling something catchy does not make it so, dear heart.

As such, I was a bit bemused by Skye's interest in him, given her otherwise level-headed nature. Drake's character goes from an awkward loser to a guy all of the girls wouldn't mind getting their hands on. Under that shield of awkwardness, it turns out he's hiding a hot bod. Of course. I really just had issues with Skye's attraction to Drake early on. They have little in common and he generally just makes himself look like a fool in front of her in a thousand different ways. Whatever, she is on the rebound, I guess.

To be fair, though, Drake's character does improve as the novel continues. Much of his odd personality stems from a lack of self-confidence, and, as he gains that, he becomes more sure of himself, meaning that he spends less time tripping such that his foot winds up in his mouth. His self-esteem comes from a girl friend, not from himself, but oh well.

Another factor that bothered me initially is the way that Drake and his friends, Seth and Boulder, talk about girls. They're all about objectification and the like. Most objectionable is their treatment of Priscilla, also known as Predator because of the way she worked her way through almost every single guy in the high school. Drake is one of the few guys she apparently has not had a sexual relationship with. Their judgment of her set my nerves on edge. However, the tone shifts, and I feel like the ultimate message is one of acceptance of how people choose to live their lives; see my favorite quote for more on that. Priscilla actually ended up being my favorite character; I think she's the deepest, kindest person in the book, and I hope Fabio gives her a larger role in the future.

The witch mythology depicted in Wicked Sense differs from anything I've ever read in the way the magic functions. Each witch has two major powers, referred to as charms, but they also have some basic other magical talents. The idea of the Charms really appealed to me. The crux of the book revolves around Skye's search for the Singularity, a witch who has more power than pretty much any witch ever, whose magic apparently functions differently. The fantasy elements were fun and entertaining.

If you pick up Fabio Bueno's Wicked Sense, I highly recommend sticking with it through the clunky initial chapters. I ended up enjoying this one, and wouldn't be opposed to reading on in the series at some point.

*Thanks to The Readiacs for hosting this tour and allowing me to be a part of it.*

Rating: 3/5

Favorite Quote:

"She eyes me. 'What is this all about?'
   It's my turn to shrug, upsetting the rocks on my back. 'I don't know. Girl talk. I mean, you can have any guy you want, so why don't you just pick one?'
   Priscilla doesn't answer at first. I'm glad I chose this moment: she's actually pinned down and cannot run away. Finally, she says, 'If I can have any guy I want, I'd like to have every guy I want.'
   'What do you mean?
   She gives me an exasperated look. 'I'm only seventeen, Skye. I'm not looking to settle down just yet.' She probably misunderstands my shocked expression, because she adds, 'I mean, I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, but it's just not me, you know?'"

Witchy Woman - The Eagles

Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft
Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft, Book 1

Author: Jody Gehrman
Pages: 294
Publisher: Magic Genie Books
Source: Jody Gehrman

Description from Goodreads:
Falling in Love, baking a magical cake, fighting an evil necromancer—it’s all in a day’s work for Audrey Oliver, seventeen-year-old witch-in-training. When her mother goes missing and her twenty-one-year-old witchy cousin shows up out of the blue, Audrey knows something’s gone horribly, dangerously wrong. Now it’s up to her to get her own magical powers up to speed before everyone she loves is destroyed by the sorcerer intricately connected to her mother’s secret past.

First Sentence: "That first Friday in September, barely a week into my junior year, I knew Mom had gone missing."

Review:
I'd heard good things about Gehrman's Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, so, when I had the option to review her newest title, I jumped on it. I certainly don't regret that choice, as this was a sweet, funny read, despite the rather horrendous cover.

Something about this book and the humor in it really takes me back. This reminds me of 'classic YA,' as in the few YA books I read back when I was closer to teenage years or actually in them. I'm not really sure why, and I don't think I can quantify it. Some part of that, though, is that it's such a simple witch story, and there's a lightness to it that's not found in most of the paranormals coming out these days.

Audrey is a quirky, cute MC, if not one that particularly stands out of the crowd. She has jealous issues, desperately wishing she were as cool or alluring as her younger sister. Though not popular, she has a best friend, Bridget, who she constantly defends from popular Dallas. Audrey's favorite activities are chemistry, like her late father, and baking, like her mother. There are even some recipes, some tongue-in-cheek, throughout the book for those who like making food (unlike me, who just likes eating it).

The drama of the book begins with Audrey's feeling that her mom is in trouble. Well, with that and some weird things that have been happening around her all day. When she gets home from school, she and her sister find their mother not there and an older girl, Sadie, shows up claiming to be their cousin and temporary guardian while their mom helps with a family problem. Oh yeah, and it turns out Audrey's a witch; I bet you never saw that coming what with the title and everything.

What paranormal YA would be complete without some romance? Our love interest is Julian, who is a couple of years older than Audrey. They meet at a house party, thrown by younger sister Meg as soon as she discovers the house is momless. He wants to be a manager and immediately signs Audrey's sister's band, Cherry. Audrey suspects he likes Meg, so, of course, miscommunications ensue.

We are told how palpable Julian's connection with Audrey is, how it crackles and pops, but not made to feel it. They rarely seem to have any chemistry at all, aside from the physical witchy stuff that he inspires from Audrey. Their conversations are stilted and awkward, without any sort of natural flow. There's a weird (and unnecessary) plot line where Sadie actually removes Audrey's memories of Julian, just to slow down the course of their romance. It was awkward. The romance was definitely the big detractor for me, because I just really didn't see any reason for them to be attracted to one another, especially since Julian seems to have no interests besides the music industry. Julian is boring.

If you're looking for a light paranormal with recipes and witchery, Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft could be a fun choice. Also, if you watch for it or follow moon cycles, you can get it for free, since they're giving away e-copies on Dark of the Moon every month!

Rating: 3/5

Favorite Quote: "‘The right song can change everything.’"

"Raven hair and ruby lips
Sparks fly from her finger tips
Echoed voices in the night
She's a restless spirit on an endless flight
Wooo hooo witchy woman, see how
High she flies"

Season of the Witch - Donovan

Burn Mark

Author: Laura Powell
Pages: 403
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Bloomsbury via NetGalley

Description from Goodreads:
Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition—the witches’ mortal enemy—and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside.

And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae—the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not . . .

First Sentence: "The walls of the Burning Court were high and white-tiled, its ceiling one giant chimney."

Review:
Looking at this book on Goodreads, I noticed that the average was lower than I expected. Apparently, most people didn't like this much; it seems to have largely received a resounding meh. Well, I do so love to have a different opinion on a book, even if it makes me feel weirder than I thought I was, but I really enjoyed Burn Mark.

First off, I totally dig stories set in alternative universes. There's something about it that calls to me. In Burn Mark, everything about the world is the same (facebook, cell phones, cars, politicians, etc), except that witches are truly known to exist and have been. Witchy powers, known as the fae, are persecuted, just like the suspicion of them was in history. Powerless people fear the fae, and hate what they fear. Set in Britain, Burn Mark portrays the life of a witch in a Britain controlled by the Inquisition. Witches are still burned, dunked and blamed for everything.

Our main characters are Lucas and Glory. Lucas is a son of a Head Inquisitor, raised in privilege and the product of a quality magic-less lineage. Surprise, surprise, he develops the fae, and, not only that, he's a very powerful witch. Through his view, the reader can see the very few options open to a witch, and the mercurial nature of the power, the fact that it does not merely pass from parent to child but can spark up at random. Glory, on the other hand, is a bit of a street rat. She comes from a long line of powerful witches and has been waiting impatiently for her fae to come. Through her, the reader views the life of an unregistered witch, living in a rather seedy criminal coven.

While I wasn't especially emotionally attached to Glory and Lucas, I still liked them and was rooting for them to uncover and destroy the corruption in the Inquisition. (Seriously, the Inquisition? Come on, guys. Almost any other word would make you sound less like prejudiced bastards, but whatever.) Though there is some romantic tension between Glory and Lucas, this stories focus is not on romance. Instead, Burn Mark focuses on the political and ethical questions inherent in a world populated by people with powers and a jealous majority without.

For some, this book was slow-moving and boring. I recommend it to readers that enjoy considering sociological questions. This one focuses on world building more than characterization. If the idea fascinates you, I definitely think you should check it out. If you're looking for a YA paranormal romance, Burn Mark is not the book you want.

Rating: 3.5/5

Favorite Quote: "'A secret boarding school for teen witches? No thanks.'"

"When I looked over my shoulder
What do you think I see
Summer cat looking over
It shoulder at me
Any strange, sure is strange
You got to pick out every stitch
You got to pick out every stitch
Beat me its eye to make it rich oh no
Must be the season of the witch"

Under Your Spell - Amber Benson

Shadow of Night
All Souls Trilogy, Book 2

Author: Deborah Harkness
Pages: 577
Publisher: Viking Adult
Publication Date: July 10, 2012
Source: Review Copy from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

Description from Goodreads:
Deborah Harkness exploded onto the literary scene with her debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, Book One of the magical All Souls Trilogy and an international publishing phenomenon. The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.

Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.

Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season.

First Sentence: "We arrived in an undignified heap of witch and vampire."

Review:
Last year, I received a review copy of A Discovery of Witches, and I drank it down like a savory zinfandel. Despite its length, I read book one of the All Souls Trilogy while suffering from a pulled muscle, and finished it in about two days (srsly, these books are mad long, yo). I was completely captured by book one and super duper impatient to read the next one.

Starting out, I was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to follow this one, since it had been long enough that I wasn't sure if I would be able to remember who all of the characters were. I needn't have worried. Harkness does a good job making the cast and plotting clear without too big of an info-dump. However, I read this one over the course of a week, and it didn't go down quite as smoothly that way. I still enjoyed myself quite a bit, but I think these are books to devour on a reading bender, rather than slowly and calmly.

There will be spoilers for book one in the rest of the review, although nothing overly surprising; still, continue on at your own discretion.

In Shadow of Night, Diana and Matthew travel back to the past in an attempt to find Ashmole-782 in full. Mostly, though, this seems an excuse to belly up with famous figures from the past. There is name dropping like whoa in here: Christopher Marlowe, Walter Raleigh, Queen Elizabeth I, William Shakespeare, and on like that. I have a sort of love/hate relationship with this kind of time traveling. As a historian, I am not surprised Harkness couldn't resist the temptation, but I wish it had been done a bit more subtly.

Two factors made this a lesser book than the first in my opinion. First, I definitely felt the middle book syndrome. Diana and Matthew spent a lot of time doing things that weren't particularly essential to the plot. The plot-like things they did do were relatively anti-climactic. That's just not cool. Second, while I love time traveling, I'm seriously picky about it, and Harkness did not do it in a way I approve of. Either time accounted for them being back there and they create the future they left by being in the past OR they change the future and shit is different. You can't do both. Except Harkness thinks you can. Diana and Matthew run amok in Elizabethan England and change the past without having a massive effect on the future. RIIIIIGHT.

Here's where my review gets a bit less focused. I'm somewhat reluctant to say this, since it opens up a whole can of worms, but, what the heck, I'M DOING IT: All the folks looking for something else to read after Twilight, put down 50 Shades of BDSM and read the All Souls Trilogy.

The relationship between Matthew and Diana is straight up Bella and Edward, only Diana is much more capable of taking care of herself. Matthew, however, is the stereotypical vampire male lead that makes 50 percent of the female population swoon copiously. That is to say that he is SERIOUSLY OVERPROTECTIVE and occasionally downright terrifying. Oh, yeah, and moody. Every fifty pages or so Diana had to be all like 'yo, you're worthy of love, and I love you, and you can't tell me I don't.' *facepalm*

Adding to the similarities, pretty much everyone around them wants to keep Diana and Matthew apart, because vampires and witches aren't supposed to be together. Oh, and they're not supposed to have babies either! On top of that, they make some people homicidal (can't think why) and make all of the rest incredibly jealous, because everyone wants Diana and Matthew.

These things I am not a big fan of, but I definitely recommend this over the other two series. Why? It's well-written for one thing. Harkness may be spinning out a questionable, slightly horrifying tale of true love, but she also knows how to write sentences. Hurrah! On top of that, the All Souls Trilogy has a plot! You can have your wealthy vampire melodrama AND an overarching plot!

The All Souls Trilogy is most definitely not for everyone, but I think there are a lot of women out there who are missing out if they have not found this series, because they will love it. Remember: read it in as few sittings as possible, curled up in bed with some wine and chocolate.

Rating: 3.5/5

Favorite Quote: "‘Stop trying to be perfect. Try being real for a change.’"

"I’m under your spell
Nothing I can do
You just took my soul with you
You worked your charm so well
Finally, I knew
Everything I dreamed was true

You made me believe

The moon to the tide
I can feel you inside

I’m under your spell
Surging like the sea
Wanting you so helplessly
I break with every swell
Lost in ecstasy"

The Bad Beginning - Thomas Newman (from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things
Courtney Crumrin, Volume 1

Author: Ted Naifeh
Pages: 128
Publisher: Oni Press via NetGalley

Description from Goodreads:
Presenting the initial Courtney Crumrin miniseries in a new digest-sized format. Courtney's parents have dragged her out to a high-to-do suburb to live with her creepy Great Uncle Aloysius in his spooky old house. She's not only the new kid in school, but she also discovers strange things lurking under her bed.

First Sentence: "'Careful now.'"

Review:
The Courtney Crumrin series reminds me a lot of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Of course, Courtney's an only child and her parents are still alive, only they're completely useless, which is why they move in with the creepy as hell old uncle. Another difference, too, is that the uncle, so far at least, does not really appear to be evil. Everyone else in the series sure does though. Oh yeah, and there are monsters, but some of them are nice.

You may be thinking 'hey! that really doesn't sound too much like the Lemony Snicket books,' which would be somewhat justified based on that description. However, there's something about the tone and even the illustrations that called it to mind constantly. From the creepy tower Uncle Aloysius lives in to the dark humor, I would definitely recommend this to fans of that series.

While I was definitely entertained by the story, I wasn't a fan of the artwork. Well, I mean, the buildings and stuff were fine, but the people. They just were not working for me. They all look like something out of a dream, perhaps one inspired by The Scream. Here's a sample image, just so you know what's I'm talking about.

Here's what bothers me about this. Let's start with Courtney, the girl in the middle, who's probably the most normal looking character in the series.  She actually doesn't inspire nightmares and is, in some scenes, almost cute looking, in a moppet sort of way. However, she doesn't have a nose, not just in this picture, but in any of them. Where did it go? Then on the left, you have a boy (I can only tell the gender by the uniform), we have a guy with empty, soulless eyes. Many of the characters have eyes like that, like she attends a school of zombies or brainwashed kids. On the right is a guy, who is supposed to be Mr. Hottie-Face, and he does somewhat resemble Spike from Buffy, but he also looks like an alien or a snake. I mean, his ears...they are pointy, even more so in some other images. I expect that if he opened his mouth, he would have sharp teeth with which he will chomp on your soul, which is probably what happened to the kid on the left.

All of that said, the art totally fits the story, since it does have a vague nightmarish quality to it, and real monsters do abound. However, it just seems odd that the monsters are so much less intimidating than the humans, which may in fact be the point. Actually, that's a message I can get behind, since so many people suck.

This was fun in a very creepy way. This appeals to the kind of people amused by children getting eaten or babies being replaced with a changeling. If you like Neil Gaiman's work for children, especially Coraline, you may want to give Courtney Crumrin a try. I think I'll be checking out volume two. Who knows, we might even find out what monster took Courtney's nose!

Rating: 4/5

Favorite Quote: "Courtney didn't like babies at the best of times. As far as she was concerned, anything that existed solely to emit drool, vomit, ghastly odors and loud, annoying screams was more trouble than it was worth."