Book Review: The Keeper's Shadow

The Keeper's Shadow
The Longlight Legacy, book 3
by Dennis Foon

In this exciting and powerful conclusion to The Longlight Legacy, time is running out as Darius, Master of the City, begins to accelerate his plans towards an unknown purpose. People are dying, victims of a new technology that seems to rip out their very life force. And Darius appears to be building a new Dreamfield construction that just may make his power unstoppable.

Roan has found the mountaintop sanctuary of the Apsara, a secret group of warrior women descended from one of the four original rebel armies. There, he attempts to forge an alliance between the Apsara, the Brother - the religious sect responsible for the destruction of Roan's village - and other diverse groups both inside and outside the city, to fight the growing power of Darius. But Roan knows that half the battle will be fought in the Dreamfield, so Roan and Lumpy set off on a quest to find the abandoned Foresight Academy, a school founded by the Dirt Eaters, in hopes of finding a map of the Dreamfield in the library there.

Meanwhile, Stowe has escaped the City, but is alone and in bad shape, possessed by a Dirt Eater bent on using or destroying her. Willum and Mabatan find her, but exorcising the Dirt Eater possessing her could kill her or damage her psyche. While Willum tries to save Stowe, Mabatan works to help Alandra, Roan's Dirt Eater friend, as she suffers Dirt withdrawal.

As the various groups converge on the camp of the Brother for a conference of war, Roan tries to find a way to bring the disparate, and sometimes contentious, groups together. Because only by uniting their diverse abilities do they have a prayer of defeating Darius.

The Keeper's Shadow is not only a worthy conclusion, it's probably the best book of the series. Foon masterfully brings together all the elements that he set in motion in the previous books. Roan really comes of age in this book as he struggles to learn how to be a leader, a role he is reluctantly thrust into. All the other characters are wonderful - deep and complex and often more than what they appear to be. Lumpy really comes into his own, showing a keen intelligence and insight coupled with an empathy that gives him a unique ability to bring people together.

While religious and mystical themes play a role in all the books, they really come to the fore in The Keeper's Shadow. The book probes deeply into questions of faith and belief, as Roan struggles to figure out how to lead a religion he doesn't personally believe in, and other characters are shown to have a surprising faith even in the face of personal knowledge. (I can't say more than that without giving away some plot points). Questions are raised, such as, if a religion or a prophecy is "made up," does that mean that it can't also be true? And, of course, the Dreamfield itself, that mystical "other world" of the psyche, plays a key role, as Roan encounters the living, the dead, and even a god there.

Read my reviews of book 1, The Dirt Eaters, and book 2, Freewalker. You can also read my interview with author Dennis Foon here.

Book Review: Ratha's Creature

Ratha's Creature
The First Book of the Named
by Clare Bell

What if there were prehistoric cats who took the first steps towards civilization? That's the premise behind Ratha's Creature and The Named series. The Named are a tribe of large prehistoric cats who have learned to keep herds of prehistoric herdbeasts. Ratha is a yearling in training to be a herder. Females are discouraged from becoming herders under the dictatorial rule of clan leader Meoran, but Ratha's teacher Thakur believed she had promise and convinced Meoran to allow him to train her. In addition to keeping the herdbeasts from wandering, the herders have to protect them from the Un-Named, cats who have no clan and no name and who live by preying on the herds of the Named.

When a forest fire temporarily drives the Named from their home, Ratha discovers that fire is not just an enemy: it's a tool that can be used and controlled. Her discovery frightens the clan and threatens Meoran's leadership, and Ratha is driven out of the clan. Exiled and alone, Ratha lives on the edge of survival until she meets one of the Un-Named, and discovers that not all of the Un-Named are as dimwitted as she has been led to believe.

Ratha's Creature is an intense, emotional roller coaster of a book. It's the coming of age story of a remarkable adolescent, but it's also a story of the eternal battle between social status quo and social change. Ratha is the perfect change agent: she's impulsive, rebellious, and stubborn, but also creative, courageous, and determined. She's a remarkable character that you can't help but like in spite of her shortcomings, and teens will identify with her struggle to make sense of the world around her and find her place in it.

It's the characters - and the interaction between them - that really make this book. Besides Ratha there's Bonechewer, appealing arrogant and sardonic, yet amazingly patient with Ratha's occasionally irascible nature. Then there's Fessran, courageous and loyal, who stands by Ratha even when Ratha loses faith in herself. And finally Thakur, who loves Ratha in his own way, yet fears the change that she represents.

Ratha's Creature is a fast read - I think I read it in less than 24 hours, which is fast for me, because I couldn't put it down. Yet there's a lot to chew on here, too, with an emotional depth and a complexity of social and psychological situations. And here's a remarkable thing: the book has 42 reviews on Amazon.com, and EVERY ONE of them is a five star review. How often do you see that happen?

This book is more appropriate for mature teens than for younger readers; there's a fair bit of graphic violence, and a mating scene which is quite intense, although not overly explicit in language.

Ratha's Creature was first published in 1983 and has long been out of print. It was just republished in 2007 by the Firebird Books imprint of Penguin. They also republished books 2, 3, and 4 of the series. The new edition of Ratha's Creature is available from Amazon.com here.

A brand new book in the series, Ratha's Courage, was originally scheduled for publication in 2007 by Firebird, but publication of this eagerly awaited sequel was inexplicably cancelled. Ratha's Courage is available as an e-book from Baen Books here and should be in print soon.

There's an interesting collection of Ratha's Creature fan art here.

Book Review: freewalker

freewalker
by Dennis Foon
The Longlight Legacy, book 2

In The Dirt Eaters, Roan and his sister Stowe were the only survivors of Longlight, a town living by principles of peace and hidden away from a world devastated by war and toxic waste, until it was destroyed by raiders and its inhabitants massacred. Roan escaped, but he was unable to save Stowe, who was captured and taken away to the city.

Now Roan is living in Newlight, a sanctuary where he is attempting to start a new life, along with friends he met in his travels: Lumpy, a Mor-Tick survivor, and Alandra, a healer. The three of them are caring for fourteen children that they rescued from being sent to the city to be used by the Masters of the City. Like Roan and Stowe, the fourteen children have special abilities, which Alandra has cautiously begun to explore. Alandra has been taking the children to the Dreamfield, a dimension of the spirit that can be reached by eating Dirt, a substance mined from an asteroid impact site which conveys special mental powers to those who eat it. Then disaster strikes, as all fourteen children simultaneously fall into a coma. When Alandra is unable to awake them, Roan and Lumpy set off to try to find a way to save the children.

Meanwhile, Stowe has been deified in the city as "Our Stowe," an idol created by the Masters to control the population through worship. Stowe is no longer the frightened child she was when she was brought to the city; her training and her experiences have made her wise beyond her years. She plays her roles well - loving adopted daughter to Darius, the Eldest, as well as the idol Our Stowe, but she knows that she is being used and manipulated by Darius. Stowe's growing powers are formidable, but she is as yet no match for the Masters and Darius, so she meekly bides her time until she can find a way to escape.

It's impossible to try to describe these books in a few paragraphs, and my description above barely scratches the surface of this rich, complex book. As I was reading this book, it struck me that it reminds me in some ways of one of my all-time favorite books, Frank Herbert's Dune. Beyond the obvious similarity between The Longlight Legacy's Dirt and Dune's melange, both addictive substances with mind-enhancing abilities, there's a complex web of politics and shifting allegiances and secret orders and spies and traitors and mysticism here that evokes a sense of Dune without being derivative.

In spite of these similarities, The Longlight Legacy is a highly original series. Foon has done an amazing job of creating a richly detailed world populated by a variety of cultures and characters. In this second book of the series, we finally get to know Stowe, and she's quite a compelling character - in some ways she's still a young girl, and a girl wounded by her experiences, in other ways, she's as wily and manipulative as the Masters who trained her. Stowe is also addicted to Dirt, an addiction that sometimes drives her to extremes.

Then there's Roan, who is wrestling with both the demons of the past and prophecies of the future. Roan must confront his own demons of guilt and loss before he can help the children. Along the way, his preconceptions, and those of the reader, are shattered time and again, as people turn out to be different than Roan has come to believe.

The story is intense and holds your interest, although I did find Stowe's story to be the more compelling of the two in this book. This is definitely a series that I'm going to want to go back and read again.

There are some horrifying things in the book, such as organ harvesting from children to keep the Masters alive, so this isn't a book for sensitive readers. Although there is a summary of the first book at the beginning of this one, I highly recommend reading The Dirt Eaters first because of the complexity of the series.

Book Review: The Key to Rondo

The Key to Rondo
by Emily Rodda

It all started when Leo inherited Aunt Bethany's music box. The music box is beautifully painted with tiny, detailed scenes that Leo loves examining with a magnifying glass. It also comes with rules: never wind the box more than three times; never turn the key while the music is playing; never pick up the box while the music is playing; and never close the lid until the music has stopped. Aunt Bethany left the box to Leo because she knew that Leo is the responsible type who will follow the rules. But when Leo's obnoxious cousin Mimi Langlander comes to stay, the rules get broken and the unexpected happens.

Mimi and Leo discover that the music box is the gateway to the land of Rondo, and together they travel to Rondo to rescue Mimi's dog Mutt, who has been kidnapped by the evil Blue Queen. Leo doesn't even want to be in Rondo. He doesn't want to risk his life to help Mimi find her annoying dog. But Mimi is determined to rescue Mutt, and Leo can't just abandon her. But what Leo learns in Rondo convinces him to stay; he realizes that they must do more than just rescue Mutt. Rondo needs their help, and Leo isn't leaving until they do what needs to be done.

Accomplishing this won't be easy. Leo and Mimi are in an unfamiliar land, and knowing whom to trust is as difficult as navigating the dangers of Rondo. But the two children find friends and help in unexpected places, and, more importantly, learn to trust and care for each other.

The Key to Rondo uses many standard fantasy elements, but it's saved from being cliché by the imaginative way that Rodda develops those elements. The land of Rondo is beautifully detailed and peopled with interesting characters who sometimes turn out to be more than they seem. There are many imaginative details that make the book a delight to read, from the cameo appearances by fairy tale characters, to the infestation of "dots," a pest species in Rondo that look exactly like Aunt Bethany's gingerbread men. (Although I loved this latter detail, I admit to also being annoyed that it wasn't more fully developed; I wanted to know how this obviously invasive species was introduced to Rondo, and if they were indeed related to Aunt Bethany's gingerbread).

Sophisticated readers may find that The Key to Rondo doesn't have enough depth to hold their interest. However, it's a gentle fantasy that's perfect for younger readers, especially those who find many YA, and even middle-grade, fantasies too intense. There's enough tension and conflict in The Key to Rondo to keep it interesting, without being overly frightening or violent.

Book Review: Ink Exchange

Ink Exchange
by Melissa Marr

On the surface, Leslie seems like a normal teen, but she hides the truth of her life from her friends. Ever since her mother left, Leslie's life has been difficult. Her father has basically abdicated responsibility for the family, and Leslie's drug-addicted brother controls the house. Leslie tries to pay the bills when she can, and stay out of the way of her brother's drug dealing cronies—especially since some of those cronies raped her with her brother's permission for payment of his debt. Leslie lives in fear, but she's determined to take control of her life. She decides to get a tattoo as a symbol, a promise to herself, and a way to reclaim her own body.

One of Leslie's friends is Aislinn, the new Summer Queen of the faerie. But Aislinn is keeping her own secrets—she doesn't tell Leslie about her new faerie life, or that her new friends are not human. Aislinn wants Leslie to have as normal a life as possible, so she has forbidden any of the faerie to reveal themselves or their nature to Leslie. But keeping secrets can have unforeseen consequences. Leslie doesn't realize that her new tattoo will tie her to the faerie King of the Dark Court, Irial. Nor does she know that Aislinn's friend Niall, who appears to show an interest in her, is really a faerie whose powers are devastating to mortals.

As Leslie becomes more closely tied to the Dark Court, she finds the darkness exhilarating and liberating. But the price that Leslie has to pay for freedom from fear may be more than she is willing to pay.

Ink Exchange is the sequel to Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely, and if anything, I liked it even better than Wicked Lovely. It's a very different book—much darker, for example—but I thought the writing showed more maturity and I found it a very compelling read.

Leslie is a difficult character to identify with, because she keeps her emotions so tightly restrained due to the devastating events in her recent past. But I think Marr successfully walks the line in portraying a character who is both "broken" and strong. But more interesting than Leslie are some of the faerie characters: Niall, who is tormented by his attraction to Leslie, knowing what will happen if he gets too close, and Irial, a reluctant Dark Lord who isn't entirely evil in spite of the horrifying things he does. I love the duality in these characters, the yin and yang of characters who have aspects of both darkness and light. Irial cares about his people and feels a deep sense of responsibility. If he didn't have both the darkness and the caring, he wouldn't be as good a king for the Dark Court. And conversely, Marr shows the dark side of the Summer King as well.

One thing that upset me is that the Advanced Reading Copy I read is labeled for "Ages 12 and up." I really don't think that this is a book that most twelve-year-olds are ready to read. There are alcohol and drug use, reference to a rape in Leslie's recent past, and some pretty horrifying deaths. I think it would have been more responsible of the publisher to label it as "Ages 14 and up," knowing that twelve-year-olds who are emotionally ready to deal with such things would read it anyway.

Ink Exchange is scheduled for an April 29, 2008 release.

My favorite books that didn't make the Cybils shortlist

I love the Cybils Fantasy and Science Fiction shortlist. It's a beautiful list of ten amazing books that I think all deserve to be on the list. But, to come up with the list, we all had to make compromises, and each of us on the nominating committee had to sacrifice some of our favorite books. While we're waiting for the announcement of the winners on February 14, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite Fantasy and Science Fiction Cybils nominees that didn't make the shortlist:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J. K. Rowling
I know that a lot of people thought that there were problems with this book: too much time in the tent, and the darn epilogue that either was unnecessary or didn't go far enough, depending on your point of view. But, I loved it. It affected me so strongly that I had some kind of post-reading emotional reaction. For days after I finished it, I was moody, irritable, and weepy. Part of that was just because it was the last book in the series, but part of it was a reaction to the powerful themes, events, and character development. Camping notwithstanding, I really thought this was one of the best books of the year.


Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon
by Rick Yancey
This is a fast-paced book with an "everyman" hero and a healthy dose of humor. With fast cars and demons from hell, it's a great book for reluctant readers who love action movies. Read my review of The Seal of Solomon.



Wildwood Dancing
by Juliet Marillier
Based loosely on the fairy tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, this book is no fairy tale: it's a richly textured, fully developed fantasy that draws on Transylvanian folklore. Jena is a strong heroine, fighting to protect her family and all she loves in a world where women are powerless. Read my review of Wildwood Dancing.



Through the Eyes of a Raptor
by Julie Hahnke
When American Kelly MacBride's mother dies, she's sent to live with her grandmother in Scotland. Kelly is a stranger in a strange land, as she learns to adjust to the customs of her new land. But things are stranger than she realizes at first, as Kelly begins to suspect that there are supernatural forces at work.

I'll admit it: this book caught me by surprise. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. I found it a well-written novel which drew me in and held my interest. I engaged with the main character and felt her pain over the loss of her mother. I liked the fact that it kept surprising me, and that good and evil aren't always clear-cut or black and white. I hope to publish a longer review soon.


Dragon Slippers
by Jessica Day George
The best thing about this book is the dragons: each dragon has a distinctive personality, and you can't help but like them. This is a must read for dragon lovers. Read my review of Dragon Slippers.


First Light
by Rebecca Stead
Although superficially similar to City of Ember, First Light is very different in a lot of ways. It's a compelling, character-driven story about two children facing challenges in the context of their environment. Read my review of First Light.


What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
by Gregory Maguire
This was another book that caught me by surprise. I didn't have any interest in reading a book about a tooth fairy, but once I started, I was totally captivated by the twin stories: one of a family trying to survive a natural disaster, and the other of a lonely skibbereen seeking his place in the world. Read my review of What-the-Dickens.

Inheritance book 3 announcement

Random House has announced that book 3 of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance cycle will be called Brisingr! It will be released on September 20, 2008. The cover features a picture of the gold dragon Glaedr.

From the press release:

“BRISINGR is one of the first words I thought of for this title, and it’s always felt right to me,” said Christopher Paolini. “As the first ancient-language word that Eragon learns, it has held particular significance for his legacy as a Dragon Rider. In this new book, it will be revealed to be even more meaningful than even Eragon could have known.”

Read the press release here.

Brisingr is the sequel to the popular books Eragon and Eldest. Fans have speculated that the title of the third book would begin with an 'E' also, like the first two books. Empire was a popular guess for the book 3 title. I think the actual title will catch a lot of people by surprise.

The Random House AuthorTracker email provides more clues to the title and cover: "Both elements of the cover, the gold dragon Glaedr and the title, touch on Eragon’s inheritance. With his painting, John Jude Palencar has captured the dignity and wisdom of Glaedr, and Random House has again designed an awesome book cover."

Book Review: Dragon's Keep

Dragon's Keep
by Janet Lee Carey

When King Arthur's younger sister Evaine was exiled to Wilde Island, Merlin made a prophecy to her:

The signs all point to the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island.... Three things the stars say of this queen. She shall redeem the name Pendragon. End war with the wave of her hand. And restore the glory of Wilde Island.

...And yet I see darkly in the stars...a beast"

Many years later, Evaine's descendent Rosalind grows up knowing that she is to be the twenty-first queen of Wilde Island and destined to fulfill the prophecy. But there's one problem: Rosalind was born with a birth defect. The ring finger on her left hand is a dragon's claw instead of a finger, a sure mark of the devil. Rosalind has had to spend her entire life gloved, for fear that someone will see the mark.

Rosalind's mother, Queen Gweneth, is determined that she will find a way to heal her of her mark. She believes that once healed, Rosalind will marry the English Prince Henry, currently in exile in France, and that the two of them will become king and queen of England. To this end, Queen Gweneth subjects Rosalind to the ministrations of healer after healer. None of the healers are allowed to know what the problem is, of course, so they have to work without knowing what they are trying to cure. Some of the cures are unpleasant, and none of them works.

A dragon's mark is especially bad, because Wilde Island is beset by a dragon, who attacks and kills the inhabitants. Dragons are not looked on with favor on Wilde Island. When the dragon abducts Rosalind, she learns a lot more about dragons than she ever wanted to know, and her destiny turns out to be very different than she expected.

Dragon's Keep is a beautiful book, but a dark one. Rosalind's life is such a horror, and that the pain of it is caused by the mother who thinks she is doing the best for her daughter is unspeakable. When Rosalind is abducted by the dragon, her life is still a horror, but in a very different way. It raises the question of just who is the beast in Merlin's prophecy: the dragon or the mother? Queen Gweneth reminds me of some parents who push their children too much in areas such as sports or acting, thinking that they are helping their child and not realizing that they're carrying it too far. (As a stage parent myself, I can see how easy it is to get carried away and think that you are doing what's best for your child).

Dragon's Keep also shows how different sides in a war can perceive the same things very differently. Dragon Slippers, which I reviewed yesterday, deals with the same theme. It was interesting reading these two books so close together. They are, in many ways, very different books: where Dragon Slippers is humorous and lighthearted, although with some darker moments, Dragon's Keep is dark and intense.

The dragons in the two books are very different as well; the dragons in Dragon Slippers are so very human whereas the dragons in Dragon's Keep are clearly a different species with an alien (to us) way of thinking. And yet both books deal with the same theme of reconciling the "us vs. them" mentality in a war. In Dragon Slippers, the author takes the approach of making the dragons so likable that the reader can easily bridge the gap between "us" and "them." The dragons in Dragon's Keep, however, seem harsh to us, and yet as time goes on, we begin, as does Rosalind, to understand how they think, and we find ourselves drawn to them. And so the gap is bridged, and bridged in a way that has a stronger psychological impact.

I hope that my description hasn't led you to believe that these weighty themes drag down the story, because they don't. I doubt I would have noticed all the above quite so strongly if I hadn't read both books practically back-to-back during my Cybils reading. Dragon's Keep is a strong story, exciting, and enjoyable to read. The plot twists and revelations hold your interest and pull the story along. I highly recommend it for anyone with an interest in dragons, or who just likes interesting, thought-provoking fantasies.

Book Review: Dragon Slippers

Dragon Slippers
by Jessica Day George

Dragon Slippers is a 2007 Cybils nominee.

Creel and her brother Hagen live with their aunt and uncle, who took them in when their parents died. But the family is poor, and Creel, with no prospects for a good marriage, is a liability. So Creel's aunt sets her mind on a plan: Creel will offer herself to the dragon, and when the dragon takes her prisoner, a brave knight will rescue her and marry her, taking the entire family to live in his castle. Creel knows it's a stupid plan, but she has no choice but to go along with it.

Right from the start, things don't go according to plan. The dragon doesn't want to take her prisoner. He really doesn't want to battle a knight. And he doesn't hoard gold; he hoards shoes. Creel makes a deal with him: she'll leave, taking the need to battle the knight with her, in exchange for a pair of shoes. As Creel heads off to seek her fortune in the city, she has no idea just how much trouble those shoes are going to cause...

Dragon Slippers is a must-read book for dragon fans. It's a delightful book with a fairy-tale feel, but with more depth and better developed characters than your typical fairy tale. The story is told in the first person, and Creel's voice is a fascinating blend of naiveté and worldliness. She has a certain appealing innocence about her, and yet she displays quite a bit of grit and determination.

But the best thing about this book is the dragons. Author Jessica Day George has imbued her dragons with distinctive personalities. And each dragon hoards something different: one collects shoes, another one tapestries and others...well, you'll just have to read it and see. I don't want to give too much away. From the noble Shardas to the anxiety-ridden Feniul, you'll love them all. The book is at its best when the dragons are in the picture.

There's more to this book than dragons, though. There's a budding romance with a prince and even a ball, but Creel is no passive Cinderella. She's determined to make her own way in the world, and the ball is one for people who want to start their own business to help them find patrons to invest money to get them started. There's also a war, and heroes, and a message about how leaders sometimes distort the truth for their own ends.

For all Creel's good points, though, at times she seems a bit dim. You want to slap her for the things that she doesn't see. And the book drags a little in places. Overall, though, it's quite an enjoyable story that will appeal to dragon lovers and those who love modern fairy-tale type stories.

Book Review: Northlander

Northlander
Tales of the Borderlands: Book One
by Meg Burden

Northlander is a 2007 Cybils finalist.

Ellin's father Rowan is a healer, the best in the Southlands. When the Northland king becomes gravely ill, his advisors send to the Southlands for Rowan to come and help. But Northland laws and Northland prejudice prevent Rowan from touching the king, so he's forced to do what he can by proxy: brewing herbs and giving advice. When a crisis happens and Rowan is away, Ellin ignores the laws and heals the king herself, an act that will have far-reaching consequences. For although she saved the king, she did break the laws, an act that can't be forgiven no matter what the result.

In healing the king, Ellin awakened her own latent healing powers. She also discovered that she has other powers as well, powers which she instinctively knows that she must keep secret, even from her own father. But Ellin discovers that she's not the only one who has these powers, and even in the cold Northlands Ellin finds friends. But prejudice, ignorance, and fear exist everywhere, and friends may not be enough to save Ellin.

There's a lot to like about Northlander. Rich world-building and interesting characters are only the start. It's a moving, layered fantasy with many unexpected plot twists. Ellin is a wonderful character; the present tense gives her first-person narration an immediacy that allows us to see her develop as she grows in understanding. But more than that, author Meg Burden pulls off a difficult feat: she gives the five sons of the king, including the twins, distinctive personalities. It would be easy to fall back on cliches in creating a group of siblings like that - the brainy one, the leader, etc - but Burden gave each character depth and ongoing development.

Northlander is a book that continues to surprise the reader. At first it seems a standard, cliched us vs. them: the evil Northlanders are prejudiced against the good Southlanders. But it turns out to be so much more than that. I can't say too much without giving away some of the surprises, but this is a book painted in a rich palette of many shades of gray, not just black and white. It's a book that shows how prejudice and hatred can exist anywhere there is ignorance and fear, and goodness can be found in the most unexpected of places.

Book Review: Skin Hunger

Skin Hunger
A Resurrection of Magic: Book One
by Kathleen Duey

Skin Hunger is a 2007 Cybils finalist.

Sadima has a special ability: she can understand animals. But Sadima doesn't dare tell her father or her older brother. When Sadima was born, her mother had a difficult birth. A charlatan magician, hired to help her, let her die instead, and stole the family's possessions. Sadima's father, left angry and bitter, hates all magicians and would never understand her abilities. Her brother just doesn't believe her.

Sadima lives a lonely life, isolated from the community and with only her brother for companionship. Until one day, she meets a man who not only understands her abilities but tells her that she is not alone. This man, Franklin, is a servant to a magician, Somiss, who is trying to restore magic to the world. As soon as Sadima is able, she travels to the city to live with Franklin and Somiss and help them with their work. But Somiss is very different than the gentle Franklin, and her life and work there turns out differently than she expected. What will be the price for restoring magic to the world?

In a story that alternates with Sadima's, a young man named Hahp is sent by his father to an academy to study magic. His father doesn't care if he learns magic; he just wants to get rid of Hahp. Hahp learns that there's definitely a steep price for magic, as life in the academy is harsh. The boys are given nothing to eat, and told that if they don't learn to make food by magic, they'll starve. Some may even die. Only one of the new students will become a magician, if any of them do. Will Hahp be the one? Does he even want to?

The two alternating stories seem to have nothing to do with each other, but as the book progresses, the link between them becomes apparent. More than that, each story reveals things about the other story. It's an incredibly compelling book, tightly plotted and well-written. It's dark and edgy; it draws you in and won't let you go.

Its compelling nature, though, creates a kind of a problem: every time it switched between the stories, it frustrated me because I wanted to stay with the story I was on and find out more. And when I turned the last page of the book and saw there was no more, I wanted to throw the book against the wall. If you like your stories wrapped up and self-contained, this isn't the book for you. Not only does it not wrap everything up, but the book ends just as you begin to have a creeping dread that you know where the story is headed.

Still, this is an indication of just how good the book is. If it weren't, it wouldn't be so hard to let it go. Dear God, Ms. Duey, how can you torture us like this? Please don't make us wait long for book 2!

Book Review: Repossessed

Repossessed
by A.M. Jenkins

Repossessed is a 2007 Cybils finalist.

Kiriel just wants to experience a bit of life. As a demon, er, fallen angel, he's usually immersed in the suffering and regrets of those souls who end up in Hell. Can he be blamed if he wants to find out what life is really like? So he borrows the body of a teenage boy named Shaun. It's not like Shaun will need it anyway; Kiriel takes the body seconds before Shaun is about to die, hit by a car.

Kiriel is determined to experience everything he can in Shaun's body before he gets caught and recalled. All the sensations of living are glorious - food, smells, even the feel of a t-shirt. Not surprisingly, sex is high on Kiriel's list of things to experience, but when he sets out to accomplish that goal, he finds out that even that is much more complicated than he imagined.

Kiriel discovers that he wants to make a difference in the world; to leave a mark that will last after he's gone. He finds that helping people is much more satisfying than seeking personal gratification. And he learns that what he really wants is to get a response from the Creator.

Repossessed is a clever, funny book with a lot of teen appeal. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. Kiriel's voice in this first person novel is distinctive and likable. He's rebellious, questioning, at times even angry, and yet beneath that is a depth and a goodness that belies the demon label. Although he is in many ways different than the teen whose body he inhabits, he is clearly a teenager in the cosmic sense, both rebelling against and seeking attention from the Creator.

This is a book for mature readers: there's a lot of off-color humor and adult situations. Yet it's also a book that's surprisingly spiritual, not in a strictly religious sense, but in its appreciation for all creation and depiction of seeking one's place in the universe.

Cybils 2007 Update - 12/29

It's only a couple more days until the official announcement of the Cybils finalists in the categories of Fiction Picture Books, Poetry, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Middle Grade Fiction. The finalists in these categories will be announced on the Cybils blog on January 1, at five minute increments, starting at 6:00 am Central Time. Then, finalists in Non-fiction Picture Books, Graphic Novels, Young Adult Novels, and MG/YA Non-fiction will be announced almost a week later, on January 7.

The nominating committee panelists have been busy reading and discussing books, trying to accomplish the difficult task of choosing only a handful of finalists from an outstanding field of nominees. As we approach the deadline, some of the panelists have been reading a couple of books a day! I've been concentrating so much on reading that I haven't had time for the last couple of weeks to review the many excellent books I've read. I have a huge stack of books to review, and hope to begin reviewing them next week. Luckily, some of the other Fantasy/Science Fiction panelists have been better about posting reviews:

• TadMack reviewed Verdigris Deep (to be released as Well Witched in the U.S.) by Frances Hardinge
  
• TadMack reviewed The New Policeman by Kate Thompson
  
• TadMack reviewed Fathom Five: The Unwritten Books by James Bow
  
• TadMack reviewed The Chaos King by Laura Ruby
  
• Kim reviewed The Chaos King by Laura Ruby
  
• Kim reviewed Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
  
• Kim reviewed Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands) by Meg Burden
  
• Kim reviewed Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
  

View the complete, final list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Cybils 2007 F/SF Weekly Update 12/19

I'm sorry that I'm a couple of days late with my weekly update. I've been posting these on Mondays, but I'm spending every spare minute reading, as are the other nominating panelists in every category. I'm working with the most amazing group of people on the SFF nominating panel. They're reading through the books at an amazing rate, and they have the most interesting and insightful comments on the books.

The following books were reviewed since my last update:

• TadMack reviewed Repossessed by A. M. Jenkins
  
• Tasha reviewed Repossessed by A. M. Jenkins
  
• Leila reviewed Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic, Book One by Kathleen Duey
  
• Kim reviewed The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer
  
• Sheila reviewed Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
  
• Leila reviewed The Ghost in Allie's Pool by Sari Bodi
  
• Kim reviewed The Penguins of Doom by Greg R. Fishbone
  
• Leila reviewed The Black Book of Secrets by F. E. Higgins
  
• Leila reviewed The Chaos King by Laura Ruby
  
• Tasha reviewed The Chaos King by Laura Ruby
  
• Tasha reviewed Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon by Rick Yancey
  
• Tasha reviewed Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
  
• TadMack reviewed Through the Eyes of a Raptor by Julie Hahnke
  
• Kim reviewed The Black Book of Secrets by F. E. Higgins
  
• Kim reviewed Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles de Lint
  

View the complete, final list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Book Review: Book of a Thousand Days

Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale

Book of a Thousand Days is a 2007 Cybils finalist.

On Dashti's first day as a Lady's maid, she finds herself bricked into a tower for seven years. Her Lady is sealed into the tower as punishment for refusing to marry her father's choice, and Dashti is sealed in with her to take care of her. At first, life in the tower isn't too bad. The tower is stocked with enough food to last seven years, which is supplemented by fresh milk brought by the guards. Dashti has known real hunger, so the prospect of plenty of food to eat for seven years is a good one. Dashti finds parchment and ink, so that she can write down her thoughts and keep a journal. And even though their only link to the outside world is a small flap for emptying their waste, they soon receive a visitor at the flap: Khan Tegus, a suitor for Lady Saren's hand.

Dashti is loyal and steadfast, and determined to do right by her Lady. But something is wrong with Lady Saren, and all the healing songs that Dashti knows can't seem to heal her. As Lady Saren sinks further into depression, rats invade the tower, food is running out, and something strange is going on in the world outside the tower. Things are getting desperate, but Dashti is just a simple mucker and a Lady's maid. What can she possibly do? In order to take care of her Lady, Dashti will have to make hard choices and find within herself the courage to do things that she never imagined she could do.

It's been a long time since I stayed up too late finishing a book, but I couldn't put this one down and I finished a little before 1 AM last night. Yes, it's that good. Why have I never read any of Shannon Hale's books before? Her writing is amazing, her use of language beautiful, her metaphors fresh, her characters engaging. I liked the way that the metaphors sometimes refer back to something earlier in the book. For example, when she compares thinking about something to chewing on tough meat, it recalls the earlier passage when they really were chewing on tough meat. In fact, that's true not only of the metaphors; I felt as if every passage in the book was carefully tied to every other passage.

Dashti narrates the book through a series of journal entries, and her voice is distinct and likable. She's just about the most selfless person you can imagine, and yet it's a genuine selflessness, not at all contrived. She's capable of anger and resentment, yet even when she feels those all too human emotions, she chastises herself. She knows her place; she's a commoner and her duty is to serve the gentry. And yet she's not a dishrag; she has an inner strength, and as the book progresses, she learns more and more to stand up for herself.

Lady Saren is everything Dashti isn't: selfish, weak, and fearful. She requires a lot of care. And yet, she, too, develops as the book progresses.

There's a lot of subtext about classes here. When Dashti first comes to the Lord's house to serve Lady Saren, she's a little afraid of meeting the gentry because she thinks the glory of the Ancestors will be so bright inside them that it will burn her eyes. But her encounters with gentry leave her wondering if they really are all that special. Yet, not all the gentry are evil or stereotyped, either.

There's romance, too. Oh, is there romance, with a nod to Cyrano de Bergerac, as Lady Saren orders Dashti to pretend to be her and talk to Khan Tegus through the flap. Dashti can barely admit her growing feelings for Khan Tegus even to herself; not only could they never be together even if he knew it was she and not Lady Saren he was talking to, but her life would be forfeit for impersonating gentry if he ever found out.

Book of a Thousand Days is based on one of Grimm's fairy tales, Maid Maleen, about a Lady and her maid sealed in a tower because the lady refused to marry a rich king. Shannon became interested in the maid and wanted to know more about her, yet she disappeared from the Grimm's story. So Shannon kept mulling it over and eventually wrote what become Book of a Thousand Days. She also imbued it with a lot of the culture of Mongolia, a region which she became interested in. You can find more background about Book of a Thousand Days on Shannon Hale's web site.

Cybils 2007 F/SF Weekly Update 12/10

With only a few weeks left to go to choose a shortlist, the Cybils Fantasy and Science Fiction nominating committee members are madly reading through the nominated books. The following books were reviewed this week:

• Kim reviewed The Secret of Grim Hill by Linda DeMeulemeester
  
• Leila reviewed Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
  
• Leila reviewed Seeing Redd: The Looking Glass Wars #2 by Frank Beddor
  
• Kim reviewed Giving up the Ghost by Sheri Sinykin
  
• TadMack reviewed Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel
  
• TadMack reviewed The Seventh Chair by Ann Keffer
  
• TadMack reviewed The Warrior's Daughter by Holly Bennett
  
• TadMack reviewed Giving Up the Ghost by Sheri Sinykin
  
• Kim reviewed Extras by Scott Westerfeld
  

View the complete, final list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Cybils 2007 F/SF Weekly Update 12/3

The Cybils Fantasy and Science Fiction nominating committee has been busy this week, with lots of new reviews. The following books were reviewed this week:

• Leila reviewed Billy Hooten: Owlboy by Thomas E. Sniegoski
  
• Sheila reviewed Billy Hooten: Owlboy by Thomas E. Sniegoski
  
• Kim reviewed Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
  
• Tasha reviewed Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell
  
• Tasha reviewed The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio by Lloyd Alexander
  
• Tasha reviewed Giving Up the Ghost by Sheri Sinykin
  
• Sheila reviewed The Secret of Grim Hill by Linda DeMeulemeester
  
• Kim reviewed The Ghost in Allie's Pool by Sari Bodi
  
• Sheila reviewed The Ghost in Allie's Pool by Sari Bodi
  
• Kim reviewed Choices by Deborah Lynn Jacobs
  
• TadMack reviewed Jinx by Meg Cabot
  
• TadMack reviewed Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
  
• a. fortis reviewed The Swan Maiden by Heather Tomlinson
  
• a. fortis reviewed Powers by Ursula K. LeGuin
  
• Leila reviewed Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire by Julius Lester
  

View the complete, final list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Book Review: The Secret of Grim Hill

The Secret of Grim Hill
by Linda DeMeulemeester

The Secret of Grim Hill is a 2007 Cybils nominee.

It's Cat Peters' first day at Darkmont High, and everything is going wrong. Cat just moved to a new town, and she doesn't know anyone at her new school. By the end of her first day, she's accumulated several demerits, alienated all her teachers, lost points in several classes, and made no friends. The only student at the school who even acknowledges her existence is Jasper Chung, who skipped a grade and is younger than everyone else at the school. It doesn't look like thing are going to get any better at Darkmont, so when Cat learns that nearby private school Grimoire is holding a soccer match and offering scholarships to all the members of the winning team, Cat is determined to go for it.

Cat gets so caught up in the competition that she doesn't notice that something seems amiss. Jasper and Cat's sister Sookie try to warn her, but Cat's just happy that since she made the soccer team, everything seems to be going right. Perhaps a little too right...

The Secret of Grim Hill is just gently spooky enough to be fun without being overly scary. It's a straightforward, fast-paced story and an easy read that's perfect for tween reluctant readers.

Cybils 2007 F/SF Weekly Update 11/26

For the week ending November 26, 2007, the following books have been added to the list of Cybils fantasy/science fiction nominations. Nominations are now closed, so this is the last group of nominations!

Araminta Spookie 3: Frognapped
written by Angie Sage
HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Incarceron
written by Catherine Fisher
Hachette Livre UK/Hodder Children's Books (UK)
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: TadMack


Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands)
written by Meg Burden
Brown Barn Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Pyre
written by James McCann
Simply Read Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Warrior's Daughter, The
written by Holly Bennett
Orca Book Publishers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:

The following book was transferred from the Middle Grade category:

Penguins of Doom, The (From the Desk of Septina Nash)
by Greg R. Fishbone
Publisher: Blooming Tree Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

The F/SF nominating committee reviewed the following books this week:

• Sheila reviewed Fathom Five by by James Bow
  
• Kim reviewed Fathom Five by by James Bow
  
• a.fortis reviewed Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
  
• Sheila reviewed Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
  
• Sheila reviewed What-the-Dickens by Gregory Maguire
  
• TadMack reviewed Standard Hero Behavior by John David Anderson
  
• TadMack reviewed The Silenced by James Devita
  
• TadMack reviewed The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep by John Hulme
  
• TadMack reviewed Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander
  

View the complete, final list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Cybils 2007 Fantasy and Science Fiction Nominations final list

Here's the final list of fantasy/science fiction nominations for the 2007 Cybils awards. Final tally: 94 books!

Updated to add latest reviews, January 10, 2008

100 Cupboards
written by N.D. Wilson
Random House
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Alchemyst, The
written by Michael Scott
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon
written by Rick Yancey
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha Sheila


Araminta Spookie 3: Frognapped
written by Angie Sage
HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Betrayed: A House of Night Novel
written by PC Cast
St. Martin's Griffin
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim


Billy Hooten: Owlboy
written by Tom Sniegoski
Random House/Yearling
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Sheila


Black Book of Secrets, The
written by F.E. Higgins
Feiwel & Friends
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila


Book of a Thousand Days
written by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Tasha Sheila TadMack


Call to Shakabaz, The
written by Amy Wachspress
Woza Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Chaos King, The
written by Laura Ruby
HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila Tasha TadMack


Children of the 23rd Century: The Secret of the Lost Planet
written by Mel Hogan
Athena Press Ltd (UK)
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Choices
written by Deborah Lynn Jacobs
Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Tasha


City of Bones
written by Cassandra Clare
Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila TadMack


Cobra King Of Kathmandu, The
written by P. B. Kerr
Scholastic/Orchard Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Cupid
written by Julius Lester
Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila


Darkwing
written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila TadMack


Defect
written by Will Weaver
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila TadMack


Dragon Slippers
written by Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim TadMack


Dragonhaven
written by Robin McKinley
Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
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Reviews:


Dragon's Keep
written by Janet Lee Carey
Harcourt Children's Books
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Reviews: Tasha TadMack


Dreamquake
written by Elizabeth Knox
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Reviews:


Eclipse
written by Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown Young Readers
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Reviews: a. fortis Leila


Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
written by Lynne Jonell
Henry Holt and Co.
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha


Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness
written by Kaza Kingsley
Firelight Press
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Extras
written by Scott Westerfeld
Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Tasha


Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
written by Brandon Mull
Shadow Mountain
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim


Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer
written by Laini Taylor
Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: a. fortis Sheila


Fathom Five: The Unwritten Books
written by James Bow
Dundurn/Boardwalk Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim