Book Review: The Kingdom of Gods by N K Jemisin

Title:  The Kingdom of Gods

Author: N. K. Jemisin.

Publisher/format:  Orbit, Kindle Edition

How I got this:  Downloaded from Amazon UK Kindle Store

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):For two thousand years the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now the gods are free, and the Arameri’s ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war.

Shahar, last scion of the family, must choose her loyalties. She yearns to trust Sieh, the godling she loves. Yet her duty as Arameri heir is to uphold the family’s interests, even if that means using and destroying everyone she cares for.

As long-suppressed rage and terrible new magics consume the world, the Maelstrom — which even gods fear — is summoned forth. Shahar and Sieh: mortal and god, lovers and enemies. Can they stand together against the chaos that threatens the Kingdom of the Gods?

Review:

Those of you who have read my blog before, even slightly, know I’ve been waiting for this book, and that I love the series and what N K Jemisin has done with it.  I admit, I’ve been a little slow off the mark getting my hands on this and actually reading it, but you know, real life happens. 

Basically, whilst this book is part of a series, like it’s predecessors, it could pretty much be read as a standalone novel.  Each book of this series has focused on a different character in a different time, and this is no different. 

It’s set a couple of generations after the last book in the series, and this time focuses on Sieh (which I was really excited about) as well as a host of supporting characters.  As usual with Jemisin’s work, the characters were well developed and interesting, and the links with the previous books were well executed without being overpowering, and the characters remain consistent, which seems to be no mean feat in series writing.  My only small criticism was that the true danger of Nahadoth was not portrayed in this novel as it had been previously, and that Yeine seemed more passive somehow, though that may just be my perception.  Itempas was better in this novel as well – and by better I mean more likeable – less whiny, and finally starting to see things differently. 

The new characters in this book were interesting, as was the ‘new’ generation of the Arameri.  Shahar and Dekarta Arameri are portrayed as being the Arameri ‘with heart’, and this really works for the story.  It’s nice to see that the Arameri have changed with the times, and they seemed more human this time – with the occasional displays of emotion.  This isn’t mentioning the myriad of godlings mentioned, as well as the humans that Sieh encounters during his time in the mortal realm. 

As usual, the story in this was fast-paced and interesting, and I found myself completely lost in the world created.  Whilst this book was a lot longer than the previous two in the series (I blasted through both of those in one day) I didn’t find myself losing interest. 

I have to admit, I thought there was going to be a sad ending in this one, and again, I have to admit I was relieved when I found otherwise.  Obviously, I don’t want to put out any more spoilers than that, but yeah, not as bad as it seems. 

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this, and it was worth the wait between the Broken Kingdoms and this novel.  Again, I don’t often give out 5* reviews, but this was worth it. 

Overall rating:5/5

Writing: 5/5

Style: 5/5

Originality: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Top Ten Tuesdays - Books to read around Halloween

Top ten tuesdays is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

1.  It by Stephen King.

Also featured in my Scary Books Post, this is probably one of my favourite ‘scary’ books of all time – and also one of the first ones I ever read.  Pennywise scares me to this day (possibly because of the Tim Curry outfit, again mentioned in the previous post) and yeah, this is probably why I’m not so fond of clowns.

2.  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

I only recently read this one myself for a Halloween book challenge, but it was good.  And short.  You could quite literally hole yourself up and read this all on Halloween night if you wanted to (though quite frankly, I’m usually at some sort of party/other function).  Also, the language use, this being a classic, adds to the creepy air of this book. 

3.   Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan. (The Saga of Darren Shan)

One of my favourite vampire-centric series of all time.  There’s a lot of blood and gore in these books, and I think that was what drew me to them in the first place.  The vampires in this can be frightening – in places they display little to no mercy, which for me is what vampires should be like. 

4.  Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk.

This one, whilst having a scary title, isn’t traditionally scary – or at least, I don’t think it is.  Whilst there’s guts and gore in this, too, it’s more about the nature of humans, and how we can sabotage ourselves, and that’s what I find more scary about it. 

5.  Lord Loss by Darren Shan.

Yeah, okay, showing my Darren Shan love here, but again, this is well written and in places makes your heart race, but this one is on the subject of demons instead of vampires.  I have to admit, I haven’t read the rest of the series (which should probably be added to my seemingly endless TBR pile…) but this was definitely a promising start. 

6.  The Exorcist by William Blatty.

Okay, again, the film version of this was messed up, but it was pretty closely based on the book.  And this book gave me shivers, and it was one of those things that I sat thinking about late at night… and yeah, okay, not such a good idea.  This is one of those notorious books, and I can fully see why.  I’d only advise this one for people who aren’t particularly easy to shock. 

7.  Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.

This is one of those defining books about vampires.  It’s one of the first times vampires were described as somewhat human rather than completely monstrous in literature.  Whilst that doesn’t sound very Halloween-centric, it’s kind of within the genre, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it worth a mention.

8.  Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark side by Beth Fantaskey.

Again, this one isn’t scary, but it’s a nice alternative to Twilight vampires – though you don’t see much of the vampire side of life in this one. 

9.  Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan

Again, keeping in with the theme of my love for Darren Shan – this one links into the Saga of Darren Shan, but it’s kind of retelling the entire thing – from Larten Crepsley’s point of view.  I know that sounds kind of like a cop out, but there’s enough difference between Darren’s story and Larten’s  to make it interesting.  And besides, what’s better around Halloween than a story told from the POV of a vampire?

10.  The Sookie Stackhouse Novels by Charlaine Harris

More vampires.  I like vampires, in case you hadn’t got that one already.  But this is another good series of vampire books to enjoy around All Hallows Eve! 

Book Review: Darklands by Emma Woodcock

Title: Darklands

Author: Emma Woodcock

Publisher/format: Kindle Edition

How I got this:  Free Copy in Return for fair review.

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

Fifteen year old Sophie is not the most popular girl at school. She's not thin enough, she's not pretty enough, and she's way too interested in maths and physics to be even remotely cool. So when she finds herself mysteriously transported into another world where it never rains, the sun always shines, the people all think she's fantastic and their impossibly handsome king dotes on her, she can barely believe her luck.
But Sophie gradually begins to realise that all is not as well as it seems in the Darklands. Why are all the visiting delegations so angry with the King? What is the mysterious millenniversary everyone keeps talking about? And quite what is Sophie's role in it all?
Drawing on fairy tale folklore as well as ideas of parallel universes, Darklands imagines a world similar to our own, but in which technology is viewed as outlandish and miraculous, while people routinely use magic to do everyday things. Sophie finds both alarming differences and uncomfortable similarities between the two worlds as she struggles to find her way back home - preferably without turning the universe inside out...

Review:

The basic storyline is a through-the-rabbit-hole type story about a girl who is kidnapped to a parallel universe – The Darklands – ruled by a tyrannical, if charismatic King, who has just decided he is going to marry Sophie, and that she will go along with it. 

I have to admit, when I started the book, I felt like I was reading something I’d read before.  Lately I’ve been given a lot of books to review that feature girls being sucked through (or going willingly) into other worlds, and becoming royalty, either voluntarily or not.  However, unlike some of the other books, this one had some good twists, especially near the end of the book, which is what pushed this book, ratings-wise, from a 3 to a 3.5. 

Talking about characters within the story, Sophie was a strong lead, however, I felt very much like she switched between acting like a spoiled brat (then again, so would I had I been kidnapped in the manner she was) and a very resourceful young lady.  I’d also have liked a few more personal details about Sophie, just so I felt like I really knew her.  This said, the various family and home tie-ins between Sophie and other characters seemed well thought-out and again, that made the whole story seem more rounded.

King Thorne was very consistent, and actually quite chilling at times, which made him a very good villain.  This said, my personal favourite character within the books was definitely Nettle, who was again consistent, defiant, and a general pain, really, but that was all part of her charm, especially when she ends up saving Sophie and the other ‘otherworlders’. 

The world of The Darklands felt very well developed, with even humans from our world having their own set place within things, and there even being a religion within the place, and whilst I think this book is probably a stand-alone novel, if there were going to be more, it would be interesting to see more of the actual lands, and maybe hear more about the neighbouring kingdoms  - though that may just be the epic fantasy reader in me needing to know everything about everything. 

The pacing of the story was fairly good – though at times I did feel as if I were waiting for something to happy whilst the story just wandered along around me. 

One of my only other criticisms of this book would be that at times, there were some strange formatting issues, with the font changing sizes from tiny to massive, but that may have been because I received a review copy. 

Overall, this was a very good debut, and the twists at the end definitely made the story for me. 

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Writing: 4/5

Style: 4/5

Originality: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Book Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Title: Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Author: Beth Fantaskey

Publisher/format: Graphia, Paperback

Challenges: 2011 Spooktacular October Reading Challenge

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com): The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war — and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

Review: 

Looking at the cover of the book, I couldn’t help think Bella Swan.  I know that it’s always going to be easy to compare EVERY LAST teenage vampire novel to Twilight, and whilst I avoid doing it, it’s really difficult.  Because of that association, I was thinking “teenage girl falls into an ill-fated love with hot vampire guy, bad stuff happens, good prevails, girl probably becomes a vampire”.  Yeah, exactly, the same sort of story we’ve all read before.  Whilst I can’t say it wasn’t at all like that (trust me, the similarities were there) it wasn’t exactly the book I was expecting to read, and that was in a good way. 

Basically, the story centers around Jessica Packwood, a normal high school girl who is adopted.  Everything is normal, until her senior year, where Lucius Vladescu, a foreign exchange student shows up.  Unfortunately, he’s not the nice normal human boy you’d hope for – he’s a vampire prince.  And he’s come to claim his fiancé – enter Jessica Packwood, aka Antanasia Dragomir, vampire princess who just hasn’t come of age yet. 

I have to admit, at that point in the novel, I wasn’t too hopeful I’d enjoy it.  But what made it enjoyable for me was the characters – unlike certain other vampire girlfriends, Jessica doesn’t immediately fall in love with Lucius, she’s (understandably) rather hesitant, and thinks he’s a nut job.  I liked this aspect to her, and even when she did fall in love with him, it wasn’t hesitant – it felt organic.  Lucius also didn’t immediately love her – he pursued the courtship out of a sense of duty to his family and the blood pact between them, and it was good to see the feelings gradually change, until there was genuine care and affection. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  Very little of the story dragged for me, and it was a nice break from reading more ‘serious’ books.  The supporting characters in this were almost as good as the main characters, and for me, this was the perfect book to sit down and ‘escape’ with.  If you’re into your vampire romances, this is definitely worth a read, especially as it actually has palpable tension. 

Apparently this book is going to become the start of a series, which is good, because I really need to hear more about Jessica and Lucius and what happens next! 

Overall rating: 4/5

Writing: 5/5

Style: 4/5

Originality: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Top ten Tuesdays - books I read because of the cover.

Top Ten Tuesdays is an original feature, hosted by the lovely people at The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Tuesdays – Top Ten Books I have read because of the cover

Whilst we’ve all been told not to judge books by their covers, we’ve all done it anyway.  So here’s the list of the top ten books I’ve bought because of their cover and/or title. 

1. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin.

I love this one completely – I think I preferred the colours on The Broken Kingdoms (The second book in the trilogy) but this one seemed so much more dramatic.  I can remember wondering why there was a castle on such a weak looking tower, and what was going on with the creepy looking guy in the background.  What was even more satisfying though, was that the story also turned out to be awesome. 

2.  The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Firstly, I love the font on this – I don’t know why, I just do. That, and the composition, to me, is so good.  Besides, what screams good fantasy novel if not a cloaked man in the shadows?

3.  The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

This one, I had no idea about until I picked it up, and it was completely the cover that drew me in.  It just looked really interesting, and at the time, I was going through a sort of ‘steampunk’ phase, and this just appealed to that interest at the time. 

4.  Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki

This one, I know, is just a picture of a Geisha sitting down between performances, but as we all know I tend to love all things Japan, and that’s why this appealed to me.  On reading the book, I actually found that the picture on the cover is an image of the author, Mineko Iwasaki, resting between dance performances in her Geisha days. 

5.  The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebears by Walter Moers

Okay, okay, bear with me on this one.  I was drawn to it in my local Waterstones because it’s a ridiculously thick book which just happens to be bright yellow in colour, and feature a cartoon blue bear on it.  I was definitely intrigued, especially when I realized that it’s not actually a kids book (as I’d first assumed) but aimed at an older audience.  The crazy drawings feature throughout, as well, which is an added bonus.

6.  Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk

Okay, no book named after something read to small children should have the image of a dead bird with human lips on it.  That’s what drew me to this book.  I hadn’t even read Fight Club when I read this one – it was my first Palahniuk novel, and I think it’s actually still my favourite.

7.  A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin

This is another strange one – but this cover is typical of older epic fantasy books.  And that means that they keep on reprinting it.  And if they keep reprinting it, it means that people keep on buying it, which suggests that the book itself can’t actually be all that bad. 

8.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I haven’t actually read this one, but I own  copy.  I like the feathers on it -  it makes the whole thing look fairly dark and mysterious from the offset, and I’m looking forward to reading it as soon as possible! 

Book Review: Raven by Nuayma Jeggels PLUS GIVEAWAY

Title: Raven (The Violet Jewel, 1)

Author: Nuayma Jeggels

Publisher/format: Kindle Edition

How I got this:  Received a free copy in exchange for a fair review

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

A girl, a coma, a Plague, and an empty grave.

When Shardaie wakes up, she doesn’t know who she is, why she can’t understand emotions, why she has been unconscious for nearly nine of her thirteen years, or why the dead just won’t stay dead. The only clue to her past is a locket, but the Plague, which finally stretches its unnatural hand to her village, forces her to leave and to learn to protect herself. But everything has a cost: the protection against the undead reveals a secret that Shardaie and her classmates just don’t want to accept, and at the end, Shardaie realises that some secrets shouldn’t be revealed. Secrets have the power to destroy, and the power to change her view on humanity for ever.

Review:

Firstly, I’m going to say that overall, I enjoyed this book.  It took me a little while to read – it’s one of the longer books I’ve read recently.  The characters developed well, and I enjoyed this aspect of the book.  Another positive point of this book was the way that locations were distinct – the various planets described were all distinct from one another, as were the people inhabiting them.  For example, the Cantchi people, like Chiyo, for me, seemed very similar to the Japanese, and I’d be very surprised if they weren’t modeled on them, and this made them believable and enjoyable.

I feel that the Temple, and those within it were also well developed, with the teacher-student relationship between the Celestials and the Initiates being consistent and authoritative.  It was nice that the Celestials weren’t as distant from their pupils as I’d originally worried they would be – it was almost like there was a sense of community within the place, despite the distance that there seems to be within this world between the Celestials and the Mortals. 

One thing that did stand out to me, and I don’t know if it was just my opinion or not, but Lord Ichiro sort of stood out to me as Shardaie’s version of Dumbledore – a sort of mentor figure, who is a natural respected leader, and knows more about Shardaie’s life than she herself does.  I don’t think this was necessarily a bad thing though. 

As for the storyline itself, I mainly enjoyed it.  However, at the beginning of the book I quickly found myself confused because the story seems to jump around a lot to begin with.  I think this is mainly to introduce the reader quickly to both the characters and the back-story, but I have to admit it left me feeling slightly disorientated, and it took me a little while to get back on track with the story. 

This was one of my only criticisms of this book, and whilst it made the start of the book a bit difficult, it doesn’t really impact on anything.  One of my only other ones was that it felt towards the end like the gun that is loaded throughout the book (mainly the mystery surrounding Raven’s life) was not going to be fired in this book, and instead the reader would have to wait for subsequent books.  However, this turned out not to be the case.  The reader finds out some of Raven’s past, as does Raven herself, but enough is left unsaid that there is something left for the next book. 

There’s also a good amount of build up for the events in the world – I want to know what happens next because this is something that none of the characters can predict.   

Overall, I enjoyed this as a read, but there were some points that I found difficult.  That said, it’s another good indie title which I am glad to have had the privilege to have read.

I also have two ebook copies of this book to give away!  It is open internationally, and will be open until the 14^th November.  To enter, comment here with your email address, and follow the blog. 

For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway and leave me a link J 

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Writing: 3.5/5

Style: 3.5/5

Originality: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

Book Chat - Scary Reads

So, it’s getting near Halloween, and because of that, it’s time to talk about all those scary books that we love, and that get us into the spirit of the holiday.  Book Chat is a feature run by Misty over at The Book Rat.

I can’t write this post without talking about It by Stephen King.  I think that as a kid, I saw the movie before I read the book, and even when I eventually read the book, the clown, in my mind, was always Tim Curry.  I can’t even explain how terrifying that clown was to me as a kid, especially when I’ve never been particularly fond of clowns anyway.  

 Tell me that clown isn't creepy.  Seriously.  Pennywise will always look like this in my mind.  

This is also probably one of the first ‘adult’ horror stories I read, which is another reason it sticks in my mind. 

This is another book – a bit of a weird choice, maybe, especially as I normally tend to read a lot more YA than anything else, but Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk is another one of those reads that really messes with your head. 

Anyone who has ever read any of Palahniuk’s work will know that it tends to be somewhat… grim, or tries to teach a lesson using very, very graphic analogies, and this book does exactly that.  Pretty gorey stuff, really. 

Moving on to the more YA aspect of things, my favourite vampire series of all time has to be the Saga of Darren Shan.  The vampires are bloodthirsty, but honorable, there’s real violence but it’s not everywhere in the novels, and yeah, okay, it’s brilliant.  Also, there are aspects in the book where things are really tense and quite scary, so ideal for Halloween! 

I also remember as a kid reading a lot of books like the Goosebumps books and another series, which seemed to be a Goosebumps rip-off called the Bonechillers - does anyone else remember those? 

I don’t really have any way of making horror books more scary – reading them at night doesn’t bother me or anything – or no more than the books bother me anyway. 

Also, does anyone have any recommendations, especially as I still have books to read towards my spooktacular challenge? 

Top Ten Tuesdays - books I wish I could reread for the first time.

Top Ten Tuesdays is an original feature hosted by the lovely people over at The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Tuesdays – Top Ten Books I wish I could Read again for the first time. 

1.  The Entire Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling.

I still reread the Harry Potter books occasionally, and whilst I still enjoy them ridiculous amounts, I don’t think you’ll every quite beat reading them for the first time, and wondering what will happen – as well as in my case, reading them fairly quickly to make sure nobody has time to feed you spoilers before you got there! 

2.  The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  

Again, another book I love, and enjoyed the twists in, and a book that no number of rereads will ever compete with the first time I read it.

3.  Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan. 

I adored the saga of Darren Shan – I think it’s the longest series I’ve read to date, with 11 books in it.  I’ve read this book a ridiculous amount of times by now, to the point where my copy is pretty damn battered.  Whilst The Vampire’s Assistant was probably my favourite book of the series, this is the one that started it all for me, and I’d love to ‘rediscover’ the series as a whole really.

4.  Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce.

This was one of the books that properly got me into fantasy, and I’ve always loved it for that.  I remember getting my head around Alanna’s struggles for the first time, and truly getting her as a character. 

5.  Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.

Okay, I’m not a Twilight fan, but I have read all the books.  And the first time I read them, I enjoyed them, mainly because that was before I thought about it, and therefore before I started picking holes in the story.  Twilight was my favourite of the series, if I have to have one, and if I read it for the first time again, I daresay I wouldn’t be looking for problems like I do when I read them now.  

6.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

Alright, so I only read this one recently, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be the same if I reread it as it was the first time!

7.  Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare.

Okay, slightly weird choice, I know, but the first time I read this it was for a school project, and because of that my first reading was marred by seriously overanalyzing the book.  If I had a choice to read it again for the first time, I’d like to just enjoy it, without thinking about all that stuff!

8.  The Forestwife by Theresa Tomlinson

This is the book that started me off on ‘mythic fiction’ or whatever you want to call it and my obsession with books about Robin Hood/King Arthur etc.  I loved this book when I was in about year 6, but I still think I’d adore it now. 

9.  It by Stephen King

The first time I read this, I didn’t finish it, so I’d like to go back and do it again – especially as I count this as the single most scary book I’ve ever read.  When I did reread it and finish it, I watched the movie after, and I’m pretty sure it resulted in some Tim Curry-related nightmares.  But I’d still like to do it again!

10.  The Painted Man by Peter V Brett. 

We all know how much I adore this book completely.  I don’t think I need say much more than that! 

Book Review: Leftover Shorts by Amy Neftzger

Title: Leftover Shorts

Author: Amy Neftzger

Publisher/format: Fields of Gold Publishing Inc. Kindle Edition

How I got this:  Received a free copy in exchange for a fair review.

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

A diverse collection of three short stories: The Marshmallow War, Peripheral Witches, and Parson's Song.

The Marshmallow War is a humorous look at how organizations sometimes push aside older workers and their accumulated knowledge in favor of younger workers with "fresh perspectives." The story is set inside the Merryman Marshmallow Corporation's research and development department where management confuses youth with innovation.

Peripheral Witches combines elements of a fairy tale and the paranormal as a young working mother struggles to discern whether or not she's losing her mind. A trip home at the end of a long, stressful day has Miriam seeing witches that disappear whenever she looks directly at them. The witches reappear in her peripheral vision.

The last story in the collection, Parson's song, is based loosely on the legend surrounding the folk tune "MacPherson's Lament." Set in the rural south, a small town speculates on whether or not a young gentleman named Billy Parson will be a great man or great criminal. According to their superstitious beliefs, he would be legendary whether for positive or negative reasons. Billy also struggles to come to terms with the local superstition surrounding his fate.

Review:

Normally, I don’t read short stories.  Collections of short stories just aren’t my thing – they don’t give me enough time to get into the story, much less start enjoying it.  However, when I was approached with a review copy of this book, I thought I’d give it a go – variety is the spice of life, after all.  I’m actually glad I did – the three stories in this collection are all very different from each other, and written in an interesting way. 

The first story, The Marshmallow War focuses on office politics in a humorous way – looking at the way companies tend to confuse youth with innovation.  I appreciated the somewhat crazy ideas that the marketing company in the story came up with, especially the marshmallow guns, and the sticking marshmallows together – and their way of getting rid of their co-workers in the process.  This story had a lighthearted feel, though the ‘message’ was fairly obvious, right from the offset.  This was the longest story in the collection, and therefore probably the most complex, but it was an enjoyable read, and I’m pretty sure I was grinning like an idiot throughout. 

The second story, The Peripheral Witches, looks at how our own negative thoughts can be demonized  by looking at Miriam, a young single mother, who keeps seeing witches in her peripheral vision, though they disappear when she looks directly.  It’s an interesting little story, though this is the one, I think, that I personally enjoyed the least in the book. 

The third story follows the execution of a criminal, Billy Parsons, and how the townspeople who convicted him eventually saw (too late, unfortunately) that there was more to the man than his crimes.  I enjoyed this one, despite the melancholy tone, and I almost wish this had been written into something longer.  It’s the shortest in the collection, but it’s almost like there’s a novella or even a whole novel in there somewhere. 

Overall, these tales were all very different from each other, and after finishing each I found myself thinking about what the meanings were behind them.  I don’t know if I was reading into them too deeply, or maybe even not enough.  This book made a nice, quick read, and it was refreshing, because it’s very different to what I’d normally read.  I enjoyed this. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Writing: 4/5

Style: 5/5

Originality: 5/5

Characters: 3/5 – only because there wasn’t too much to go by. 

Book Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron King

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher/Edition:  Harlequin Teen, Kindle Edition

How I got this book: Purchased from Amazon UK kindle store. 

Challenges: 2011 Spooktacular reading challenge

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny--one she could never have imagined...

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth-- that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review:

The first thing I want to say in this review is that I can see now what all the fuss is about!  Obviously, this book has been talked about repeatedly in so many of the blogs I read, and I’ve just never got to it. 

Another initial point is that in this, the cover is really quite striking – I like the colours and the font, even though there is a pretty much massive trend for pictures of faces on the covers of books out right now. 

Anyway.  I was actually surprised with the direction that this book went in – it was really, really good.  I’m not normally the sort of person who reads books about the ‘Fey’, but I figured I’d give this one a go – I’m so, so glad I did. 

Whilst there are strong references to existing ‘Fey’ Stories’, (e.g. Midsummer Night’s Dream, anything involving the Seelie/Unseelie Courts) Kagawa totally makes the entire thing her own, and gives the Fey some weaknesses – the weakness to iron mainly, but also their emotions, and the fights they’re having amongst themselves.  And that’s not to mention the world that Kagawa creates – there are distinct regions, places and races/people populating them.  

I have to admit, I don’t always like high-school-girl characters, but I liked Meghan, and I genuinely wanted things to work out for her.  She was strong, she kept to her convictions, her character was consistent.  The other characters were also good – I loved Grimalkin.  I can’t explain why, particularly, but I did.  And Puck – Puck amused me beyond belief.  I need to read the next book to see what happens to Puck.  He’d better be okay, just saying.  Anyway, moving on, there’s also Ash.  Yeah, okay, I get what all the fuss is about there, too.  Tall, dark, handsome and brooding.  Yes please.  That’s all I’m going to say. 

The ending of this book sets up perfectly for the next book in the series, and I’m looking forward to treating myself to it sometime in the near future.  

Overall Rating:4/5/5

Writing:  5/5

Style: 5/5

Originality:4/5

Characters: 4/5

Book Review: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.

Title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Author: Washington Irving

Publisher/format: Kindle edition

How I got this:  Downloaded for free from the UK Kindle Store.

Challenges: 2011 Spooktacular October Paranormal Reading Challenge

Show me the Free 2011

Review:

This book follows the story of Ichabod Crane, a schoolmaster living in the quiet (yet strangely creepy) town of Sleepy Hollow, and gives an insight into their (seemingly true) somewhat macabre folklore. 

I have to admit, all the way through reading this one, I was mentally cross-referencing it to the movie, which I have to admit, made me jump way too much when I was a kid.  I have to admit, I was impressed by the movie following reading this, because it actually sticks quite closely to the story, though in my opinion, in the movie, the ending is better. 

The book didn’t really scare me, nor give me goosepimples, but it was an enjoyable read.  As some of you probably know, I’m trying to actually read some classics, because I feel hideously under-read in that department, and this counts towards that, too. 

Overall, a very good bargain, given it was free, and it’s a nice short read, which will probably get you in the spirit for Halloween.  It isn’t the easiest read, but that’s due to the old-fashioned language, which quite frankly, I was expecting given the age of this novel. 

I’ve refrained from using my normal rating system, because it doesn’t really seem applicable for the novel, and instead have just given it an overall 4* mark. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Author Interview: David Prosser

David Prosser is the author of The Queen's Envoy (The Barsetshire Diaries) which will be one of the prizes in the Xmas Bloggerthon event, which you can enter here to win 24 ebooks! 

 

Where were you born and where do you call home?

I was born on a British Forces base In Germany and my home is in Wales along with my heart and all the other bits and pieces of me.  

What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 30 or less words, what would you say?

More Barsetshire Diary is the latest. A look at the continuing life of a member of the British Gentry keeping a tenuous hold on reality while his cat rules his life first and wife second.  29 words...will that do?.

If you gave some of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?

My lawyer will call your lawyer!

Do you have plans for a new book?   Is this book part of a series?

The new book will be part of the series The Barsetshire Diaries and is a sequel to the second book which introduces my occupation after receiving my Title. The second book is The Queen's Envoy, this one may be imagintively called More Queen's Envoy.

What or who inspired you to write?  And how long have you been writing?

I've been a great reader all my life and like most people have probably started a best seller that never got finished. I actually started writing about age 2 but my parents took the crayons away and moved me away from the wall. I only found them again this year ( aged 60)

and decided to give it another go.

Would you like to giveaway a copy of your book on this blog?

Explain the word 'Like'. Yes, I'll happily give one away (just so I can say I have a reader.)

How did you come up with the title and cover design?

The title for The Queen's Envoy was thunk out by me as it was the job the character in the book has (ME !!) The cover design may have been a mistake as it was mine when playing about with some clipart discs. The first cover was professionaly done and the third was done by a talented young illustrator Sara Japanwalla. 

Have you based any of your characters on someone you know, or real events in your own life?

Both. But I'll deny it to the lawyers. 

What books have most influenced your writing most and why?

Probably P.G.Wodehouse for the style of writing and because he was able to write without sex, violence and bad language. I wanted to make my book available for all age groups though there is innuendo sometimes. 

Is there an Author that you would really like to meet?

I'm sorry never to have met Edith Pargetter whose Brother Cadfael books were good but whose books on the Brothers of Gwynedd were GREAT. From today I'd like to meet someone like Harlen Coben who's books I hate to miss, Terry Pratchett who's humour is fantastic or maybe Sue Grafton.

Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcover?

paperbacks or hardcover for me as I like to have something in my hands when I read.

Where do you prefer to buy your books?

Anywhere I can find the ones I want from E.Bay to Superstores.

Are you a self published (Indie) Author?

Indie as I haven't enough time to wait for agents and publishers to make up their minds ( But don't let me stop you beating my door down guys, and that includes producers too)

Have you ever read a book more than once?

Yes, I regularly reread favourites.

Is there a particular movie that you preferred over the book version?

The LOTR films brought the books to life better than I could have imagined.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (ebook/paperback/hardcover)?

Empire of Silver by Conn Iggulden in paperback.

What book do you know that you will never read?

The Silmarillion. I just couldn't get my head round it.

Is there anything you would change in your last book and why?

I should have brought the story of Dreaded Edna's attempt to become a Councillor to an end in case I don't go for a sequel to it.

 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

If you honestly think you have a story in you, write it. Then lat someone read it like an editor who can tell you whether it's worth tidying up  and pursuing. 

What is the best advice that you have ever been given when it comes to writing?

Write some more! Only because it's proved to be great therapy and cheaper than a therapist.

Do you write under a pen name?

Not so far but who knows what the future holds if I decide to try a different genre.

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?

Yes but it's a begger trying to get the ink out.

What are your pet peeves?

People who rely on bad language to sensationalise a book. People with no manners and the latest craze of wearing jeans so low that I can view the bum crack.....not a pretty sight.

Cats or dogs?

Like dogs but a cat has me.

White wine or red?

Sorry, don't drink these days.

Coffee or tea?

Prefer tea but too lazy to make a pot for one so drink coffee instead mostly.

Favorite food?

Titterton's Pork Pies !! No sponsorship honestly. I like plain homecooked meals like bangers and mash.

Vanilla or chocolate icecream?

An orange juice lolly.

What do you normally eat for breakfast?

I have cereal when I'm watched but crumpets with jam if I'm not. ( Diabetic).

What are 4 things you never leave home without?

Keys, cash, glasses and crutches ( without which I'd fall over).

Laptop or desktop for writing?

Paper first then onto desktop.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

In a morning when there are no distractions or in bed at night for the same reason.

If you were deserted on an island, who are 3 famous people you would want with you?

Stephen Fry to entertain, Delia Smith to cook and Lady J to tuck me in at night.

One of your favorite quotes -

All the world's queer save thee and me, and even thee's a little queer.  

List 3 of your all time favorite movies?

The Lion in Winter, On Golden Pond, Guess who's coming to dinner.

An actress you have a crush on -

Find a common thread in the last question. ( and perhaps Sandra Bullock). 

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?

I adore The Big Bang Theory.

Where can your readers stalk you?

My blog: http://lorddavidspage.weebly.com   http://barsetshirediaries.wordpress.com

My facebook page: Author Lord David Prosser   ordinary page David Michael Prosser

My Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5262393-david-prosser

Twitter: @Davidmfprosser

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Queens-Envoy-Lord-David-Prosser/dp/1447511816/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317330381&sr=1-1

Is your book in Print, ebook or both? 

This book is in both formats as is the first book but as yet book 3 is paperback only.

Book Review: Beckoning Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Title: Beckoning Light (The Afterglow Trilogy)

Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Publisher/format: Alyssa Rose Ivy, Kindle Edition

How I got this:  Received a free copy in exchange for fair review.

Synopsis (From Goodreads.com):

As Charlotte steps through the gate, she has a strong feeling that nothing will ever be the same again

Moving back to South Carolina after three years away, Charlotte knows she's going to have to face people from her past and adjust to a new high school, but she's completely unprepared for what else waits for her in Charleston.

Drawn through an old garden gate, Charlotte discovers a hidden world where she meets Calvin, a boy to whom she is inexplicably attracted. As Charlotte is pulled deeper into this hidden world, it's up to her older brother Kevin to rescue her. No matter how hard Kevin tries, the rescue depends upon Charlotte fighting her intense feelings for Calvin while mastering a set of abilities that she has only just discovered she possesses.

Review:

I have to admit, when I received this book, I approached reading it with trepidation.  From the synopsis, I could imagine it being a mish-mash somewhere between The Secret Garden and Narnia.  And I have to admit, after being forced to read it an over-analyze it in school, I’ve never really liked The Secret Garden.  However, you should never judge a book by it’s cover, and when I got around to reading this, I actually really enjoyed it. 

The story follows Charlotte, a girl who has just moved back to her hometown of Charleston from Alaska, and is once again living in a house that has been in her family for years.  She and her brother Kevin (the other main focus of the story) have moved in with their Uncle Monty (their dead Mother’s brother – this is important later) after their Father got relocated for research (he’s a Geologist). 

Everything in Charlotte’s life is fairly normal – she attends a normal high school, meets guys and has friends – except for a locked gate that the bottom of her garden.  Charlotte has noticed it before, but never as she is noticing it now, and is somehow drawn to it. 

Beyond the gate is the world of Energo, where it turns out her Mother’s family line is the royal family, and produces The Essence – a female of great importance and power in Energo’s society.  Charlotte finds herself on dangerous territory in Energo, and it’s left to Kevin and Monty to save her. 

One thing I will comment on with this novel is how well it was written – especially for an independent release.  I was really impressed with this, as I was with character development.  The Charlotte you see at the end of the novel is very different from the Charlotte at the beginning of the book, however, she doesn’t snap-change – it’s very gradual and organic. 

I also enjoyed the relationships between the characters in the novel.  I want to know what’s actually going on with Charlotte and Liam, and what will happen with Charlotte and Calvin.  I don’t even know which one of them I prefer right now if I’m honest! 

I have to admit, I did feel like there were references to both The Secret Garden and Narnia within the book, but it wasn’t overpowering.  I’m actually looking forward to the release of the second book in the series, Perilous Light which is due for release in 2012. 

I’d recommend this as a good bargain read on Kindle, and as a good relaxing read.  Definitely worth a look! 

Overall rating: 4/5

Writing: 5/5

Style: 5/5

Originality: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

This book is also a prize in the Xmas Bloggerthon - see my giveaways page for further details! 

Giveaway! 2x ebook copies of Ripple in Time - Angel of the Titanic by Julia Hughes

As some of you will know, I recently read and reviewed ‘A Ripple in Time – Angel of the Titanic’ by Julia Hughes, and I really did enjoy the book.  My review can be found here. 

Julia has now kindly given me two ebook copies of this to give away to readers here at my blog! 

As I said, the attention to detail in this is fantastic, and it should appeal to several groups – plus you might just learn some things about the Titanic!  (Though, no Titanic knowledge necessary, trust me, I’m a testament to this!) 

So, this will run between now and the end of the month, and it is open Internationally. 

How to enter: 

1.  Follow my blog.

Yes, I will be checking! 

2.  Comment on this post with your email address.

It’s that simple! 

I will put the email addresses into random.org to draw winners, and I will notify them via email and announce it here on the blog. 

Good luck, and I hope you all want to enter!