Book Review – Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George January 27, 2010
Posted by realitybypass in Book Review, Fantasy, Young Adult.add a comment
It’s another blustery snowy day in the mountains of Utah and I’m wishing I could be at home reading instead of at the day job, but I like getting a paycheck so here I be. 
Today we’re talking about Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. This is a fairytale retelling…well…a fairytale fleshing out is likely more accurate. She follows very closely the traditional lines of the East of the Sun, West of the Moon fairytale, fleshing it out by adding more breadth to the characters and some detailing. All in all it’s an enjoyable read. George has a good knack for fairytale language and the book flowed well. I found that I liked the ‘lass’, since she doesn’t have a name, for the most part. I liked that she was industrious and generally sensible, for example when she finds she needs new clothing she doesn’t ask for clothing from the servants but rather cloth so she can make clothing herself. Her prince suffers from what a lot of prince’s suffer from which is a lack of real character development. He’s handsome and falls in love with her and was a third son but doesn’t feel particularly lucky, so ideal for a fairytale love, but leaves me wondering if they’ll get home to his golden palace and she’ll discover he still farts like a bear.
There are a few other places where the author sets up a clue which didn’t get the pay off that I was expecting. I found this a bit disappointing, since such a big deal had been made through the whole book and in the end it didn’t matter. I’m trying not to be spoilery here, but that’s a tall order. Let’s just say the power of naming should have been more important in my opinion.
All in all I’d read another of Ms. George’s book, but I definitely consider it fairly light reading.
Jana
Genre: Fairytale
Age: 10+
Content: True lurve, adventure, romance
Overall: 3/5 paws
Book Review: Book of a Thousand Days August 21, 2009
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This wasn’t the book I was going to review, but it’s sticking in my brain, so there you have it.
Book of a Thousand Days is a young adult book by Shannon Hale. I’ve long loved Ms. Hale’s books and this was no exception. Book of a Thousand Days is written journal style from the point of view of a lady’s maid who is bricked up in a tower with her Lady, who has refused to marry the man her father has chosen. The two are to stay there for seven years or until the Lady comes to her senses. So the book is split into two. The time in the tower and what happens afterwards.
This is a charming book with a lot of fun fairy tale aspects and some twists which keep you guessing as a reader. There are some fun cultural aspects built into the story which give it a feel of being something very foreign, not simply the Westernized fairy stories most of us are accustom to.
I got this one from the library, but it’s on my list to purchase the next time I’m at the bookstore.
Genre: Fairy Tale
Age: Young Adult
Content: mild violence, mild romance, mild scares
Overall: Buy
Book of a Thousand Days
Movie Musings: The Librarian August 17, 2009
Posted by kmcalear in Fantasy, Movies, Musings.add a comment
Happy Monday!
Jana is right, we really should keep up more with this blog. There are days though I feel like I don’t have all that much to say about me. Not to mention, I’ve been so busy grading tests, essays and working my 3 part time jobs that it’s been hard to find time to sit down and watch anything straight through or finish anything I’m reading. I’m currently in the middle of a couple books and will talk on them soon, but I have managed to watch a couple movies from Netflix.
I rented The Librarian: Quest for the Sphere because I often like cheezy adventure movies. Unfortunately the Cheese factor on this one was very high and the “Ability to Act” factor was very low. It’s designed to be a spoof/tongue-in-cheek and so it has some genuinely funny moments, but for the most part it’s far fetched to the point of unbelieveability and the character interactions simply leave the series wanting. I wouldn’t reccomend it.
Wednesday Book Review: The Ribbajack July 15, 2009
Posted by kmcalear in Book Review, Children Books, Fantasy, Young Adult.add a comment
Genre: Short Story/Mild Fantasy/Spooky
Age: Adolescent/Young Adult
Content: mild violence, mild romance, mild scares
Overall: Buy or borrow
I really enjoyed The Ribbajack, both because Brian Jacques is one of my favorite authors and because the short stories are engaging and easy to read. Most of them have some sort of classic moral or didactic purpose to them which shows they’re classic cautionary tales with an interesting twist on them. They range from “the Ribbajack”, which is a cautionary tale about the danger of revenge, to “The Mystery of Huma D’Este” where a bully gets his comeuppance and ”Rosie’s Pet” where a girl only learns to behave once she becomes a werewolf. The stories touch on themes children will face from bullying, abuse, and disobeying parents. The language is very regional British, which may give trouble to some readers, but the book would be a delight to read out loud. I think the tales would also be great fresh stories for any storytellers to use.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Jacques offers six original ghost stories to follow up on Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales (Putnam, 1991). The title story is more grotesque than scary, and the ghost in “A Smile and a Wave” is inexplicably evil, existing only to scare the main character into wearing her detested coat. The most satisfying selections are “Miggy Mags and the Malabar Sailor,” in which a mongoose champions a young girl against her abusive uncle, and “Rosie’s Pet,” a preadolescent werewolf love story. The heavy northern English dialect used in the tellings would work well in an audio book, but may deter some readers. While this is an acceptable addition to general collections, true fans of the scary and strange will find more satisfaction in the short-story collections by Australian writer Paul Jennings, such as Unreal! (Formac, 1992).
Farida S. Dowler, formerly at Bellevue Regional Library, WA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Wednesday Book Review: The Trickster Series May 20, 2009
Posted by kmcalear in Book Review, Book Series, Children Books, Fantasy.add a comment
Today’s review is Trickster’s Choice and Trickster’s Queen by Tamora Pierce, one of my favorite authors. Tamora Pierce’s tales always feature a young heroine who needs to come into her own as an independant woman professionally and personally and the Trickster series is no different. Aly is the daughter and niece of famous and powerful people and needs to find her own way in the world and learn to respect those who gave her the tools to find it. The book masterfully shows the growth of the young character and serves as a good heroine for teens and pre-teens. One of the strengths of the entire set of Tortall books is the clever near-medieval world created in them, with Knights and spies, pirates, monsters and Mages. Her Wild Magic series is a favorite of mine and is tattered on my shelves from many re-readings. The characters are engaging, the plot is fascinating and the series reads well. My only disagreement with it are personal, I disliked Aly’s love choice for not being three dimensional. Fans of the series will appreciate the cameos from other beloved characters that came before Aly, as they are referred to both as teachers and assist in their own ways, without overshadowing the young protagonist.
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Young Adult
Content: mild violence, mild romance
Overall: Buy or borrow
Grade 7-10-Alianne, daughter of Alanna (Alanna: The First Adventure [Random, 1989]), is ready to create her own legend. As the book opens, Aly, 16, longs to follow in her father’s footsteps as a spy, but her parents refuse to allow it. Annoyed, she sails off in her boat, only to be captured by pirates and sold into slavery, fortunately to kindly Duke Balitang. She meets Kyprioth, the Trickster, and strikes a bargain: if Aly keeps the Duke and his family safe for the summer, Kyprioth will return her to her family and persuade her parents to let her be a spy. With magic, spells, winged horses that are part human and part metal, crows that take human form (and provide a romance for Aly), brutal fighting, treason, and attempted kidnapping, this fantasy has plenty to hold readers’ attention. It also offers an interesting examination of race, as well as a look at an adolescent’s finding her independence, an especially difficult task with such a powerful mother. Aly is a strong, intelligent, and resilient feminist who stretches this fantasy to a parable of girl-power. The book at times bogs down in the sheer number of characters and relationships, and in the author’s zealous attention to descriptive details, but Pierce’s fans will enjoy it.
Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Wednesday Book Promo – Magic Strikes! April 15, 2009
Posted by realitybypass in Book Review, Book Series, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.Tags: Illona Andrews, Kate Daniels, Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Strikes
1 comment so far
It’s a miserable rainy day in Utah, and all I can think about is how much I’d rather be home curled up in a blanket and reading a book. Not to say I don’t love my job – Any boss type people reading this note I love my job – but rainy days seem to call for books and blankets and hot chocolate. I find it ironic that most creatures are smart enough to spend rainy days in their dens. Human beings pull out the umbrellas and keep chugging along. Who says we’re the smartest species?
Anyway, complaining aside I’m excited to talk about Magic Strikes today. I found my copy on release day and devoured it in about 6 hours. Then I went on vacation and didn’t have much time to write about it. So, here we go. I love this series and this book in particular. For the uninformed Magic Strikes is the third Kate Daniel’s book by Ilona Andrews.
The Magic series takes place in a magic ravaged Atlanta where magic and technology flow back and forth in sudden unpredictable surges. I love all the options this provides as people try to decide if the tech will be up long enough for them to drive somewhere, or if it’s all about riding a mule. Weapons can range from guns to swords to paranormal fists, each having greater or lesser strength depending on what’s going on with the magic surge of the moment.
I also like Kate a lot. Yes, she’s an urban fantasy butt kicking heroine, but what I love is that she’s well rounded and a character who grows from book to book. She has female friends without the jealousy and vain stupidity which is often seen in UF books. She has a ward who is a smart kid and, surprisingly, often does what she’s told and for the right reasons. Kate has a past which she’s protecting, but she’s also trying hard to relate to the people around her, and that’s really what this book is about. Yeah, there’s a supernatural cage fight aspect, but the heart of the story is about Kate protecting those she cares for and them doing the same in return. I buy her emotional attachment and I think I’d like to go to lunch with her.
I also much love the Kate/Curran interactions in this book. They’re this funny mix of playful and aggressive and there are some really nice moments here of sweetness and humor. He does one of the things which I think all women dream their man will do and that’s to come for her when she’s really in trouble, against all odds and against all conventional wisdom. So, yeah…le swoon.
Love this book. Love this author. And she has a new series coming out in October which I suspect will also have to come visit my shelves.
Jana
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Age: Adult
Content: Brief sexuality, LOTS of violence and gore, some language
Overall: Buy
Magic Strikes Release Day March 31, 2009
Posted by kmcalear in Book Debut, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.add a comment
It’s time for “Magic Strikes” by Illona Andrews, the wonderful husband-wife writing team of the Kate Daniels series. I can’t wait to get more of the Atlanta paranormal team. Illona is particularly good with her (their?) world building, I find the setting fascinating and the magic well done. The writing is quick and easy to read and Magic Strikes has earned 4.5 stars on the Romantic Times review. The balance between action, romance, mystery and character development is well done.
–Jill M. Smith, Romantic Times, 4.5 Stars, Top Pick, GOLD standard
“Andrews’ crisp dialogue and layered characterization make the gut-wrenching action of this first-person thrill ride all the more intense. … Place your book orders now; it’s worth every penny!”
Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot.
But when Kate’s werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet. As her investigation leads her to the Midnight Games – an invitation only, no holds barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament – she and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.
“Wednesday” Review: Airs of Night and Sea March 19, 2009
Posted by kmcalear in Book Review, Fantasy.Tags: Airs of Night and Sea, Fantasy, Horsemistress Saga, horses, pegasus, review, Toby Bishop, winged horses
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Well it turns out this is actually the last book of a trilogy, which I didn’t realize when I picked it up off the shelf. Regardless I didn’t find it difficult to get into the plot or follow the story, but I might have understood the motivations of the villian a little better. Airs Beneath the Moon and Airs and Graces are the first two novels of the series, and I’ll certainly be reading them. The strengths of Toby Bishop’s novel are an engaging writing style and a swift moving plot. There’s the intrigue of kidnappings, political problems and near war. Also the idea of incorporating flying horses into an otherwise classic fantasy world is a unique and interesting twist. The protagonist, Larkyn, is intriguing and likeable. Some of the characterizations feel a little flat, particularly with the Ultra Evil Duke Villian. His motivations and cruelty are a little hard to take, because there’s little redeeming to his personality. He’s motivated with power lust and hatred, and often acts irrationally. Another secondary character, Amelia, seems to have inconsistent characterization but as the book progresses she becomes more likeable; and fits her persona as the calm and wise daughter of a politician. All together it’s a good series, and I wish I had read them in order. Take some of the reviews with a grain of salt because I may have missed back story. Bishop is good at hinting at previous events but not leaving readers lost who do not pick up the trilogy in order.
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Preteen, teen, adult
Content: Mild Violence, obscure references to a rape/incest
Overall: Buy or Borrow
Driven by insane jealousy, Duke William is determined to found his own flying school, where the valuable flying horses of Oc will learn to bond with well-born young men—instead of arrogant women. Now, Larkyn Hamley and her beloved Black Seraph must gather all of their allies from the air to the ground. For if they do not soar now, none will ever see the skies again.
Irish Faery: The Wee Folk March 14, 2009
Posted by realitybypass in Fantasy, Inspiration, Poetry.2 comments
“…when the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.” J. M Barrie
The Irish Pantheon is very rich with faeries, monsters, demons and other denizens of the imagination. When I was little I remember going on Leprechaun hunts when my friends and I would see a rainbow, although I haven’t found that pot of gold yet!
My first faerie, of course, was Tinker Bell who was a benign sort of sprite. It wasn’t until later when I learned more about the fair-folk and how some are good and others are dark and dangerous.
A few of the faeries, and I’d love for readers to add their own descriptions or describe their favorite faeries:
Changeling: The child of a Faery, usually left in the bed of a human baby when the human baby is taken away to live in the land of faerie.
Brownie: Helpful house hold spirit, who fixes things. (Think of the shoemaker’s elves)
Boggart: A brownie who has gone to The Dark Side. He breaks things and causes mischief. (Mugwai after the water drops on them!)
Banshee – Sometimes considered ghosts, these are the harbingers of the dead and often appear to people just before they die. They have a scream that when heard lets the village known that someone died.
Leprechaun – Traditionally they used to wear red, not green. They were also known as cobblers (shoe makers) and were said to hide their pots of gold from their earnings, because they are very hard working spirits. The Leprechaun would reveal where his gold is, if you hold his gaze without blinking. If you look away, the Leprechaun can escape.
Sidhe/Esidhe: These are the Queens and Kings of Faeryland, or Elfland, usually the most beautiful and bewitching creatures that mortal man can behold. Many of the dark sidhe use this beauty to bewitch and entrap men for nefarious purposes.
“True Thomas lay oer yond grassy bank,
And he beheld a ladie gay,
A ladie that was brisk and bold,
Come riding oer the fernie brae.
Her skirt was of the grass-green silk,
Her mantel of the velvet fine,
At ilka tett of her horse’s mane
Hung fifty silver bells and nine.
True Thomas he took off his hat,
And bowed him low down till his knee:
‘All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!
For your peer on earth I never did see.’
‘O no, O no, True Thomas,’ she says,
‘That name does not belong to me;
I am but the queen of fair Elfland,
And I’m come here for to visit thee.”
From FAERIES By Brian Froud and Alan Lee
(-Kristen)
