Tag: Book review

Posted on by

The Runestone Saga: Children of Ragnarok by Cinda Williams Chima

The midlands is home to humans, stuck between the worlds of gods and demons. Odin gave much to learn the future and spent his life trying to avoid it. But the end of his world came anyway. Now the midlands is a barbaric place with very little magic and even less hope for the future.

Reggin Eiklund is a thrall, or slave, to Asger Elder, a demon stranded from the fiery world of Muspelheim. She works as a singer, healer, and seer while Asger travels nearby, always watching. He abuses her and draws out her magic to strengthen his own. She is offered a chance to escape to the mysterious Temple at the Grove, promised safety and a chance to learn about the magic she didn’t realize she had.

Eiric Halvosen is an angry young viking, falsely convicted of murdering his mother and step-father. A rich jarl offers to pay the blood fee if Eiric takes on the job of locating the Temple. As he prepares to leave, his half-sister demands to go with him across the sea, along with an untested stranger willing to learn to sail in return for adventure. And it appears that only with her help will Eiric be able to locate the hidden island where the Temple is located.

This is the first in a series, so much of the book is spent worldbuilding. It is a complicated world, especially for those less familiar with Norse Mythology. (Even the movies about Thor barely touch on the information crammed into this book.) It is slow going. Very slow. As a fan of Chima, I pushed on but I don’t know if my high school students will do the same. The story could be tighter and would appeal to many more readers. It is a slog, even for fans of Norse mythology – and Cinda Williams Chima.

Posted on by

The Queen’s Assassin

By Melissa de la Cruz

Book cover

Caledon’s father swore a blood oath to the queen of Renovia and it has passed to him. It will continue through his line until the oath is completed. The queen’s daughter, Lilac, has been raised by retired soldiers in a rural village and has taken the name Shadow. She has some magic but is not highly trained; she also has a crush on Caledon. When he is thrown into the worst dungeon, she makes plans to rescue him and tag along on his real mission. Together they travel to the neighboring kingdom, Montrice, to find those who are plotting war against Renovia.

The world-building is incomplete as this is the first of a series. Plenty of questions are left open, particularly the queen’s motives. Definitely for a less sophisticated reader (middle school) as it is fairly predictable. There is high-class flirting, and most likely off-page sex (a young reader wouldn’t catch it) and no swearing.

Posted on by

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass

By Mariko Tamaki, Illustrated by Steve Pugh

Book Cover
Harley Quinn Breaking Glass

Teen Harley Quinn arrives at her grandmother’s apartment only to find out that grandma has died. The apartment manager, Mama, takes her on and envelops her into his lovely group of drag queens (and surrogate moms). She enrolls in the local high school, makes friends with a passionate activist, Ivy, and enemies with the local little-rich-boy, John Kane. Harley soon finds her friends at odds with the wealthy Kanes who are destroying the neighborhood by tearing down homes, including Harley’s, and building towers.  Harley has a history of violence and retribution, is easily agitated, and has not yet figured out angels from devils. She gets roped by with the enigmatic Joker not realizing he is one of the devils her mother warned her about and manages to get herself in so much trouble that she is forced underground.

As I am not familiar with the Batman universe, I did not know that “historically” Harlequin was the Joker’s girlfriend until they had a falling out. In this rendition of the story, Harley was never friends with the Joker and quickly becomes his enemy. She is a complicated character with a weird vocabulary (booger is often repeated) and a firm sense of loyalty and willingness to fight for what she perceives as right. The title will appeal to younger teens as well as adult graphic novel readers and Gotham fans.

Preview copy provided by NetGalley

Posted on by

Cory Doctorow writes a graphic novel

In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang 

An internatCover of In Real Lifeional industry has developed where people with more time than money are paid to play for hours on massive multiple player online (MMO) games to earn virtual wealth that can then be sold to people with more money than time. The ethics of this are debatable but the reality is that the “farmers” are often poorly paid and have very little influence on their working conditions. It is this that Doctorow addresses in this graphic novel collaboration with illustrator Jen Wang.

Anda is a socially awkward girl who joins the Fahrenheit Clan, an all-girl team in a virtual world. She distinguishes herself quickly as a fierce fighter and is recruited by another to track and kill virtual “gold farmers”.  Anda doesn’t really know what she is doing but she is getting paid real money for the “work” and continues to earn the respect of other fighters in this alternate reality. When she actually meets and talks to one of the virtual farmers, she finds a real person with real problems. Her perspective changes but her attempt to correct a wrong might create a bigger problem.

I have been a Doctorow fan since “Little Brother” and like his ability to bring up real world problems in young adult stories without hitting them over the head. The graphic novel format complements the storytelling and makes this complex problem accessible to young and older readers alike. It is a worthy purchase for all libraries.

Posted on by

Heir of Fire

Heir of Fire book coverThe King’s Assassin, Celaena, has traveled to Wendlyn to kill the King and Queen on her employer’s orders. Once again, she finds that she cannot; the rulers of Wendlyn are beloved by their people because they are good. Celaena spirals into a self-pitying depression that lasts and lasts, even when the Fae warrior, Rowan has dragged her to the edge of her aunt Maeve’s Fae kingdom and proceeds to train her to control the magic within her. She will not forgive herself for letting down so many people nor will she accept her true name, Aelin, Queen of Terrasen.

Moran, a Blackbeak witch, enjoys killing. Enjoys the hunt, the fear, the screams, the taste of blood, human blood. She is the heir to the Blackbeak coven and proud leader of the Thirteen, a tight-knit fighting unit of witches. She is heartless, soul-less, and proud. She is training to compete in the War Games on the back of a wyvern but surprises herself by caring about her animal, and quite possibly, other beings.

Aedion, cousin and childhood friend to Aelin, has been outwardly working for the evil King of Adarlan while secretly protecting the rebels and working towards freedom. He meets with Chaol, Aelin’s former lover and captain of the guard, and Dorian, heir to the throne of Adarlan and possessor of forbidden magic. Individually the three have secrets that may help each other but their distrust prevents sharing and might possibly cost all of them their freedom.

Maas has once again created compelling characters and woven their stories into the fabric of Erilea. There are several newly introduced characters which limits the voices of some of the others. The relationship between Chaol and Dorian has unfortunately deteriorated and their interactions have none of the easy banter that made them irresistible in the first books. While it is easy to despise Moran, she is complex and worth watching. The same with fae warrior, Rowan. Celaena/Aelin struggles to deal with her inner demons (but personally, it was tiring hearing her whiny voice for so long.) All in all, an exciting read that will be snapped up by those following the series. Just a little disappointing to find out that instead of a trilogy, the series will encompass six titles. It is just so difficult to sustain interest for that long.

Sarah’s webpage: http://sarahjmaas.com/

Posted on by

Laughing at My Nightmare

Book Review:Laughing at my nightmare book cover
Always on the lookout for biographies to pitch to teen readers, I jumped in to a galley of Laughing at My Nightmare. I couldn’t put it down. Shane Burcaw is a 21-year-old writer who has amassed a following for his LAMN blog on Tumblr in the short time it has been on. He writes quirky observations on random stuff, answers real and ridiculous questions, and lays it on the line on how it is to live with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, his own personal Nightmare. SMA is a degenerative disease that doesn’t allow his body to create muscles, making his life one of depending on others for help. And he lives with the knowledge that it might take one respiratory infection to overwhelm his ability to clear his lungs enough to breathe.

In spite of that, Shane spends his days laughing.

Shane’s irreverent sense of humor rings clearly through his writing. While wincing at the indignities he has to endure, you laugh at the way he views them. The book is a collection of moments that have made him who he is, self-perceived warts and all. From playing football with his neighborhood friends, to the rides in the “short bus”, to the realization that he isn’t as strong as he was ten years ago, to finding a girlfriend, Shane comes through as a funny kid with lots of friends, a gift for writing, and a mission to make others laugh.

I joined Tumblr just to be able to follow his blog and the book will be on my library shelf as soon as it is published in October.

Read his blog here: http://laughingatmynightmare.tumblr.com/

Posted on by

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix

Nix, Garth. A Confusion of Princes.

A treat for Sci-Fi fans. No dragons! or vampires!

Khemri was taken from his parents as a baby, trained to be a leader, and enhanced with super-capabilities. He is now one of a million princes in line to replace the Emperor. His biggest obstacle is staying alive. As part of his trials to prove himself worthy as an emperor, Khemri is stripped of his enhancements and sent to live in several different environments where he must learn to adapt quickly or die. His mysterious Master of Assassins councils him in more ways than just avoiding death and helps him to mature from a selfish teen to a young man who must choose how he wants to live his life. Raine lives on a far planet and it is through her and her family that Khemri learns what the empire means to the average citizen. There is no on-screen sex but references to courtesans might make this for older teens in some communities. Highly recommended.