Shawscribbles

Exciting First Book to a New Series

Reviewed: 01-23-20

High fantasy is a genre that people either love or hate. I happen to love it! One of the limitations of the high fantasy genre is the length and detail/backstory of these books (along with the multitude of characters ... LOTR is the classic in this genre). Furyborn struck the right balance between detail and adventure making it a high fantasy novel that appeals to readers whether they are true fans of this genre or not.

The biggest win for me as a reader is character development. I'm looking for books that have strong protagonists. Because traditionally high fantasy has male protagonists, I really love books that focus on strong female characters. Claire Legend did not disappoint. Both Rielle and Eliana are characters with enough depth to hook me.

Legend weaves an complex, engaging story in this opening book to her trilogy. This is a truly epic novel. The book ends with enough closure to satisfy the reader but also to spark a desire for the next book in the series. A great start to what may be a new classic in the fantasy genre.

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Unique Book!

Reviewed: 01-13-19

With both fictitious characters and those based on real historical characters (including Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots), this is a creatively imagined twist on the history of witchcraft in 16th Century England.

The main character, Alyce, is thrown into a dangerous adventure when her mother is hunted down and burned at the stake. Evading the witch hunters, coming to understand what she really is, and unraveling the mystery related to her birth, keeps Alyce reeling through the entire book.

This is a fast paced read that blends historical facts with fantasy and magic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to readers young and old.

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5 people found this helpful

HIghly Recommend!

Reviewed: 09-06-18

This is very unique and unusual tale. Shifting points of view through a myriad of characters, Parry tells a story full of mystery and intrigue centred upon a circus family.

Odile and Belle are the twins daughters of the mother who started the Church of Marvels, a Coney Island sideshow. And they are both performers in her show. But when an accidental fire destroys the Church of Marvels, killing their mother, her beloved tigers, and the girls' childhood friends, Belle packs up and leaves while Odile is left to cope with the details.

After a mysterious letter arrives for Odile, she goes in search of her sister, unsure of what she will find. At the same time, Sylvan - a nightsoiler - finds a baby girl from a privvy he is cleaning out. The infant appears dead but revives after a few minutes. Unable to simply drop her at an orphanage, he sneaks her home and starts the search for her family, certain that no mother could abandon a baby like that.

What follows is a surprising action-packed adventure. The pacing in this book is perfect. And the characters are fully developed individuals with their own unique perspectives on what is happening in their lives. Parry doesn't shy away from difficult subjects and approaches them with a clear and authentic voice. The intertwining of narratives and the interconnectedness of the plotlines are brought together masterfully in the finale.

The only weakness in this novel is its dark tone. This is not a happily-ever-after, feel good novel. But that's what makes it so real.

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Great second book in this series!

Reviewed: 08-18-18

This is the second Shards of Excalibur book I’ve read. I love the premise of this series – a female protagonist on the quest for the lost pieces of the famous sword. Ariane has been given her mission by the Lady of the Lake and in this incarnation the Lady’s brother is the evil Merlin. Wally, Ariane’s best friend and sidekick, is ever faithful but in the second book in the series things begin to change.

First, Ariane is more impulsive and aggressive in this book than the first installment of the series. She knows who she is now and isn’t going to let the school bullies push her around any longer (even if the leader of the bullies is Wally’s older sister). When the girls don’t back off, they find themselves in the hospital.

Wally, on the other hand, is starting to have his doubts about Ariane. She is still his best friend and it is obvious he loves her but she also put his sister in the hospital. Merlin, seeing something of Arthur in Wally, manipulates the doubt Wally has to sway him away from Ariane.

When Ariane locates the second shard of Excalibur (in rural France) the only way she can travel there is through the clouds … and she can’t take Wally with her. Wally must travel the traditional way via airplane. Seeing the two separated, Merlin doesn’t miss his chance and moves in to convince Wally that for Ariane’s own safety, he must help Merlin.

I’ve said before that the second book in a YA series is often the make or break book. Following up a strong debut novel in a series is difficult and many authors struggle with it. But Edward Willett comes through with Twist of the Blade. This was a fast paced, entertaining second book in this series, which also incorporated character development and a depth to the story that was missing in Book 1.

Twist of the Blade ends with the perfect cliffhanger … Ariane is alone at the end of the book making decisions as to her future course of action. Wally, meanwhile, is with Merlin in Toronto. I can’t wait to see what is in store for our young characters in Book 3.

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A deep and moving narrative!

Reviewed: 08-12-18

Ellen Meeropol's Kinship of Clover is a book that is far more than the blurb (cited above) reveals. Told from a variety of characters' points of view, this book touches on complex real topics. Kinship of Clover is a deep and moving narrative that engages the reader from start to finish.

Jeremy, the character described in the blurb, is only one of several main characters. There is Zoe, a 17-year old girl tied to her wheelchair due to her spina bifida, whose intellect and passion infuses the pages. Then there is Flo, Zoe's former activist grandmother, who is struggling with the terrifying experience of losing her memories, her freedom, and her life to her rapidly progressing Alzheimer's. And there is Zoe's father, Sam, who is coming to terms with his mother's declining health while watching his only child fall in love and dealing with his own pervasive loneliness.

The strengths of this novel are twofold. First, the character development is truly masterful. Meeropol draws the reader into the lives and minds of not just one character but a whole cast. One can't help relating to the heartbreak of Flo's memory loss and declining health or the excitement of Zoe's first romance. If the book just stopped at a cast of well developed characters, it would be good but would not come close to the depth Kinship of Clover reaches. The second successful ingredient that makes this book outstanding is Meeropol's willingness to touch on rarely discussed topics, especially when put together in one text. The real challenges of mental illness, environmentalism, living with a complex disability, dementia, activism, interracial relationships, parenting, and family dynamics are discussed in an authentic and powerful manner.

This was the type of book that keep you thinking long after you finish it and make you want to go back and read it again. I highly recommend it!

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1 person found this helpful

Awesome New Young Adult Adventure

Reviewed: 07-13-18

When the author contacted me to see if I would review the audio version of this book, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. But I was pleasantly surprised with this young adult spin on the King Arthur legend.

As the blurb notes, the protagonist in this book is Ariana, a girl who has had a rough start to her life. Her father is not in the picture, her mother mysterious disappeared years earlier, she was then placed in foster care because her aunt had been going through cancer treatment. Now her aunt is well and able to care for her, she finds herself in a new school that is ruled by a group of mean girls who have singled her out to be bullied. When she fights back she finds herself suspended. Then things take an interesting twist.

Ariana befriends Wally, and unexpected nerdy sidekick, who looks younger than he is. Wally is still waiting impatiently for his adolescent growth spurt to kick in. As they both try to evade Wally's older sister (ringleader of the mean girls), they find themselves in the woods where they encounter a supernatural presence who identifies as The Lady of the Lake and who claims Ariana is her heir. She then tasks them both with a quest to find the broken pieces of Excalibur before the evil Merlin can do so.

This was the type of book my kids would have loved when they were younger. The characters are believable and real, the story is full of adventure and danger, and the re-imagining of the Arthur legend is entertaining. In addition, Willett has set his series in Canada, which was a nice bonus to the book. Song of the Sword has a Harry Potter-like feel to it. Willett has a real gift for capturing the young adult voice.

I really enjoyed this novel. I'm looking forward to seeing where Ariana and Wally go on their next adventure in Book 2.

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Terror on Hurricane Island

Reviewed: 07-09-18

Hurricane Island is the location of a detention centre in Maine, where US citizens suspected of terrorism are taken. As one of the largest hurricanes in recent history bears down on the island, a storm of another kind is taking place inside the facility.

I'm not usually a big suspense novel fan and I wasn't sure about this novel when I started it. First, one of the main characters is a woman named Gandalf. I am a huge LOTR fan so I wasn't really taken with the naming of the character but I went with it. This story is told from the POVs of several main characters. Meeropol does a good job of shifting between characters without disrupting the flow of the story. And the characters themselves are quite well developed, although at times stereotypical, particularly the male characters in the story (Henry Ames and evil Tobias).

The suspense and pacing of the novel are its greatest strengths. Meeropol has a intrinsic gift for knowing when to jump to another storyline and keep the reader engaged. This makes for a relatively fast read (or listen if you prefer the audiobook version of the novel, which I listened to). In addition, there is the mystery of Austin's great-great grandmother. A family secret that is linked to old letters she steals and a hidden cave on Hurricane Island. While not directly involved with the main plot of the story, this subplot adding a richness and depth to the book.

I mentioned the stereotypical male characters already. The antagonist in the book, Tobias, is almost too evil. A man who is determined to climb the ladder of power, he also is obsessed with interrogation methods, torture, and at the same time is lusting after young Austin. While any one of those things could have made Tobias an effective "bad guy," throwing them all into one character was a bit much. Henry Ames is more developed. While he hides a proclivity for women's clothing and a suspected heart condition, overall he is a likeable character.

Without giving away any spoilers, I did find the climax of the story built well to a satisfying finale. However, the actual ending of the book seemed a bit abrupt. Perhaps it was the narration of the audiobook but I actually said aloud "Oh, that's the end?"

Overall I would recommend this novel. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters and will be checking out more Ellen Meeropol novels in the future.

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1 person found this helpful

Great start to a new fantasy series

Reviewed: 07-04-18

The Smoke Thieves is an epic fantasy novel that is told from multiple points of view. Set in a land with multiple kingdoms, the story line follows five main characters' stories, all of which will converge on a battlefield at the end of the novel. Filled with royalty, thieves, mystery, and magic, The Smoke Thieves, seems to have it all but can it stand up to the hype?

If you are not a fan of epic fantasy novels, you shouldn't attempt this book. For me, who has read LOTR, Robert Jordan and Brooks' Shannara series since adolescence, epic fantasies are a favourite genre (hence my own Marked Ones series). Green definitely is attempting a Game of Thrones feel in this young adult novel. The story opens with Tash, a tiny 13-year old demon hunter, who has an attitude larger than her stature and a fetish for boots. Her feisty personality pulls the reader right into the story.

Princess Catherine, soon to be married to a prince in a far off land, is another character that drew me in. Green does a good job of developing strong female characters. However, the princess's conflicted love interests started to feel a little cliched to me as the novel progressed. I liked Catherine best when she was pursuing her role as a future queen rather than as a future wife or lover.

And another positive was the budding relationship between Eydon and March, one a bastard who doesn't know who his father is and the other the son of a destroyed nation who has acted as a servant to the prince who destroyed his life. Their growing love seemed to an underdeveloped plotline in the story that, perhaps, Green will further develop in Book 2.

With all these positives, I did find some parts of the novel awkward and difficult to follow. First, having five different points of view, which is fairly typical in high fantasy, was frustrating for me at times. When done right, the reader follows one character's POV to a cliffhanger and then is thrust into another story line with the original one left on pause. This is an effective tool for moving the story forward and the reader understands (if only subconsciously) that these different threads will come together at the climax of the book or series. In The Smoke Thieves, however, the sudden shifts in POV left me irritated.

The second weakness was the incorporation of graphic violent scenes. This is where the Game of Thrones mimicking became most apparent. While Green is attempting to illustrate how cruel Catherine's father is, the descriptions of his victims and their untimely ends really seemed forced at times.

Overall, I enjoyed The Smoke Thieves and am looking forward to seeing where the story goes in Book 2. The climatic ending of Book 1, leads me to believe that Princess Catherine and Tash will both further develop as strong main characters as the series continues and I'm eager to read the next installment.

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1 person found this helpful

A fun read!

Reviewed: 06-30-18

I was asked to review this by the author. When I first started the book, I wasn't sure what to think. It is very different from anything I've reviewed lately. In fact, I would say that's one of the strengths of Bob: its uniqueness. But at times the story line seemed a bit too forced. I'm not sure I would have stuck with the entire book except ... the strange and funny characters kept me reading to the end. I was eager to find out what they would do next.

There are plenty of twists and turns in Peter Anderson's adventure. But the biggest one comes at the end of the book. The reader is left wondering what is truth and what is fiction. A fun read!

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A nice start to a new series ...

Reviewed: 06-30-18

An arranged marriage to save her family's lives is not the stage for a successful relationship. But that is the position Shalia finds herself in when Reign the Earth opens. While her new husband is not hideous, he's also not what she had hoped for in her heart. Immersed in culture shock, she faces another hurdle when her own magical abilities begin to emerge. Knowing she must hide those powers from her new husband for her own safety, she finds herself in the middle of a rebellion, stuck between the marriage she agreed to and her true feelings. A further complication is the fact that her new husband's brother is too available and easy for her to talk to. As her feelings for her brother-in-law grow, her husband's irrational hatred of her people also grows. It soon becomes obvious that Shalia can't hide her powers (or her feelings) any longer.

I really enjoyed this book by A.C. Gaughen. Fast paced and filled with adventure and danger, it was an easy read and a nice opening book to a new series. I'll be looking for the next book when it is released.

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1 person found this helpful