Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 352
Publisher: Hatchette Children's Books (UK), Hyperion (US)

Summary:  Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is . . . the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

Thoughts: After the success of Heist Society, I really wasn't sure how Ally Carter could continue with Katarina's story. Turns out, Katarina wasn't sure either.

Unlike Heist Society, which set out to establish the verse and introduce all the fantastic characters (all while carrying out a heist, of course), Uncommon Criminals starts off with characters without a purpose. Kat and her crew have peaked as teenagers: if you've just carried out the greatest heist of your career... what do you do next?

That's not a question anyone wants to answer, but it's what Kat ends up spending the whole book working out. She also gets knocked down a few pegs: it is rather easy to develop an ego when you really are the smartest person in the room (no matter how nice you may be). And along with all this character development, there is con after con, heist after heist - all of them as clever and entertaining as I've come to expect from Carter.

I was also happy that the entire team was reunited. I knew they would be, I knew that they would become a team out of their experience in Heist Society - but it was lovely to see how it was done. I was also overjoyed to see Nick back with the team - I heart Nick the way most people love Hale. He was one of the few characters who wasn't really welcomed by the gang (other than Kat), so fitting him into the book required a rather ingenious stretch of imagination.

The only thing I wasn't quite in love with? Hale's storyline. To be perfectly frank, I've never been his biggest fan (don't shoot me people) as I never really understood why he was there in the first place. So having him sulk about in Uncommon Criminals was just rather tedious. Enough to drag down the rest of the book, to be completely honest.

Bottom line? Great follow-up to the excellent Heist Society, but it didn't blow me away the way the first book did.

Review: Last Chance by Sarah Dessen

Last Chance by Sarah Dessen
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 246
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books (UK)

Summary: Colie expects the worst when she's sent to spend the summer with her eccentric aunt Mira while her mother, queen of the television infomercial, tours Europe. Always an outcast-first for being fat and then for being "easy" - Colie has no friends at home and doesn't expect to find any in Colby, North Carolina. But then she lands a job at the Last Chance Café and meets fellow waitresses Morgan and Isabel, best friends with a loving yet volatile relationship. Wacky yet wise, Morgan and Isabel help Colie see herself in a new way and realize the potential that has been there all along.

Thoughts: Sarah Dessen is one of those authors I've heard a lot of rave things about; she's considered one of the very best Contemporary YA writers. And though I was not over-the-moon for Last Chance, I was certainly hooked on its author.

Last Chance is a novel about overcoming one of the toughest things in life: the terrible perception you have of yourself. The main character, Colie, has had a life of bad experiences - and she's learnt to expect more of them to come. But while I really loved what Dessen did with Colie over the course of the novel, I can't say I ever came to love her. She was fine, but I never really "got" who she was. Her main role was as the "doormat", but taking that away seemed to leave a blank slate.

Which, now that I think of it, might have been what Dessen was going for. I guess Colie was still working out who she was - as a "work in progress", I guess a blank slate would be just what she wanted. Hmm...

Anyhow, the real standouts of Last Chance are Colie's supporting cast of characters. There's Isabel, the bitchy, so-truthful-it-hurts, supermodel-look-a-like waitress who starts off as the main antagonist but slowly becomes the greatest friend you can have (and my favourite character in the novel, to boot). Morgan, the soft-hearted waitress with hearts in her eyes and a quick temper. Mira, the eccentric artist-turned-card-writer who sees a good side to everything - even the most broken of appliances. And Norman, the boy who is written off as an "artist hippie type" but turns out to be the most observant of the lot.

Gorgeous, gorgeous characters. I am going to miss them. And are they worth picking up the book for? In a word: yes.

Bottom line: Overall, a great introduction to Dessen's writing. While I wish the main character had had a bit more character, her friends more than made up for her.

Mini YA Reviews: Kelly Keaton, Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovonoff

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Goodreads / Librarything

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is. Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Thoughts: Everything about this book was rather great: the heroine (Ari) was believably tough; the love interest was mature and swoonable; the mythology was extremely well incorporated; and the setting, the weird-and-wonderful New 2, was everything I could want from a paranormal New Orleans. I liked that Ari actually had a believable reason for being so kick-ass (bail bonds woman!) and, despite spending the book on her own, actually had a good relationship with her parents... makes for a welcome change!

The reason I didn't love this book was the length. It was too short, offering an agonising hint of a book I could have adored. Kelly Keaton didn't give me enough time to properly connect with the characters or the verse. So, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I haven't run out to get the sequel.

That said, this book did have one excellent quote that I have saved for posterity:

"I'm not some 300 year old pervert who kisses teenage girls, okay?" 

Snap.  3.5 stars

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
Goodreads / Librarything

Everywhere Silla Kennicott turns she sees blood. She can't stop thinking about her parents alleged murder-suicide. She is consumed by a book filled with spells that arrives mysteriously in the mail. The spells share one common ingredient: blood, and Silla is more than willing to cast a few. What's a little spilled blood if she can uncover the truth? And then there's Nick--the new guy at school who makes her pulse race. He has a few secrets of his own and is all too familiar with the lure of blood magic. Drawn together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick must find out who else in their small Missouri town knows their secret and will do" anything" to take the book and magic from Silla.

Thoughts: Even though I was impressed by Gratton's writing and uncensored approach to YA, Blood Magic did leave me with a rather bad taste in my mouth. Why? Well, there was a scene of rather horrible animal death that served absolutely no purpose whatsoever. Had this served some sort of narrative purpose, I might have been able to put the scene into context... but it didn't. All it did was serve to make me loathe the main character.

But could I be convinced to read something else by Tessa Gratton? Perhaps. She is an excellent writer, and is rather good at writing horror-ific novels... a bit too good, if creating disturbing scenes that make me want to put the book down in disgust was what she was going for, I suppose. 3 stars

The Replacement by Brenna Yovonoff
Goodreads / Librarything

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Thoughts: This debut novel actually did have some promise to it. The world was fantastically scary; that wonderfully scary cover is actually relevant to the plot of this book. So, I guess if you're looking for a good Halloween read, you should check this book out.

But in terms of actual character development, The Replacement was a complete dud. Mackie was just one big disconnect: all tell, no show. I never got a fix on his character... probably because he didn't seem to have one. And none of the other characters were any better. There's usually at least one in every book that I want to see more of, but not in this one. Had the book ended with everyone dying, I would have been completely unperturbed. 3 stars


Bottom line? Out of these authors, the only one whose work I am certainly going to read again is Kelly Keaton. I think that, perhaps, her adult work might be a bit more fleshed out. As for Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovonoff, I will only pick up their stuff again if I see super-stellar reviews from people I trust.

Review - Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Received for review from publishers

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 400
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.


Thoughts:
Things I liked about Cinder:

• It was only loosely based on Cinderella. Cinder wasn’t a “sit back and wait for my fairy godmother” character and actively rebelled against her family.
• The universe had fantastic potential. It was very futuristic – complete with cyborgs, flying vehicles, and aliens on the moon – and yet it also seemed quite historic – with a royal family, a hideous plague, and terrible human rights.
• Prince Kai. I have never been one to swoon over a prince, but this prince? He was everything you could possibly want from a monarch: reluctant to rule but feels obligated to do the best job he can, genuinely cares about his subjects, and has no real prejudices towards people of lower classes. I wholeheartedly approve.

Things that made me roll my eyes:

• The big “mystery”. Mystery… hah! Within about 10 pages I had worked out the book’s big secret – so I spent the rest of the book hoping that someone would wise up and just say it out loud before I killed them all for their stupidity. Unfortunately, is wasn’t revealed until the end of the book – and revealed with dramatic flair it did not deserve.
• Cinder. While she did have quite a bit of gumption, I found her self-loathing for her cyborg nature to be extremely tiresome. I wanted to just slap her and say “I get it, you’ve had a hard knock life, but just accept the fact that you don’t deserve it and DO something about it!” In a way, it was rather like a slave believing that they are property… something I cannot possibly accept in a protagonist, although I am sure it is possible in real life.
• The lunar queen. If one-dimensional were a country, she would be its queen. And, hell, I think she’d enjoy it. Queen Levana was a simple “Big Bad” and absolutely nothing else. Instead of finding her scary, I found her rather cartoonish.
• And, again, the “mystery”. Seriously, this really bugged me. I mean, I get that this book was aimed at teenagers but it wasn’t aimed at oblivious idiots. I mean, c’mon…

In short, Cinder is good. Quite good indeed. But it isn’t the miraculous novel that some reviews have made it out to be. It has significant flaws and is clearly a debut novel. I just hope that Meyer does a better job with the sequel…

Bottom line? Cinder is an enjoyable sci-fi novel with a well-incorporated fairy-tale at its heart. But is it the best thing since sliced bread? No, it is not.

Review - Killbox by Ann Aguirre

Killbox (Sirantha Jax #4) by Ann Aguirre
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 353
Publisher: Ace Books

Summary: Sirantha Jax is a “Jumper,” a woman who possesses the unique genetic makeup needed to navigate faster than light ships through grimspace. With no tolerance for political diplomacy, she quits her ambassador post so she can get back to saving the universe the way she does best—by mouthing off and kicking butt.

And her tactics are needed more than ever. Flesh-eating aliens are attacking stations on the outskirts of space, and for many people, the Conglomerate’s forces are arriving too late to serve and protect them.

Now, Jax must take matters into her own hands by recruiting a militia to defend the frontiers—out of the worst criminals, mercenaries, and raiders that ever traveled through grimspace…

Thoughts: Killbox was… different. More than any of the previous books, Killbox was a war book. March, Jax, Vel, Dina, Constance, Doc – hell, everyone – is at war and there is no time for them to sit about thinking about what they want out of life. There’s a galactic threat on the horizon and selfishness is not the word of the day.

In other words, there was a lot of killing, training and marching in uniforms. Great stuff, in the plotty sense, but I felt as though it was a bit rushed. Months would pass in a couple of sentences and, as a result, it seemed as though Jax wasn’t interacting with certain characters. *cough* Vel. *cough* I know it was necessary in order to cover the various plotlines Aguirre had set out, but that didn’t make it all that enjoyable.

Also, I had issue with the Morgot. For the first 3 books, I considered them rather like Reevers (from Firefly) – pure, unadultered evil with no redeemable qualities. But there is one scene in the book that made me pause and consider think: hey, maybe these guys are open to parlay? And then suddenly the scene was over and my idea was never followed up on. Will it be covered in other books? I doubt it… but I hope so. I can handle pure evil, but I am not OK with simple assumptions about a species!

But on to my real issue with Killbox: March. March. God, I remember the days when he and Jax had me in tears – when just the word “March” made me whimper. Now, when I try to access those feelings… I find I have nothing to give. To be honest, I have grown sick of his man-angst. I am sick of his constant, “Oh Jax, I love you! But now I have to leave you as the fate of the world is in my hands (or so I think).” I get that he is a good guy. I get that he is a good soldier. I still care about him, but I really just want to hit him over the head and tell him to get over himself. Because this misery he insists on putting himself through? It is not good for Jax anymore. He isn’t good for Jax anymore.

Vel, on the other hand? He hasn’t waivered. He stayed true to himself and developed as a character – just as March did – and yet he has never abandoned Jax. Aguirre acknowledges this and, yes, she is clearly a fan of the Vel/Jax relationship… and yet there was a terrible lack of Vel in Killbox. Why, Aguirre, why? *sobs silently*

Bottom line? Killbox is the weakest book in the Jax series – although maybe if all the Jax/March misery had been written out of it, I may have enjoyed it more.

Review - My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Steal (Soul Screamers #4) by Rachel Vincent
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Received for review from publishers

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 352
Publisher: MIRA Books

Summary:  Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can't just pretend nothing happened. But "complicated" doesn't even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn't just an ordinary girl. She's a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people's fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn't above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants

Thoughts: My Soul to Steal made me want to punch things. Punch things repeatedly. And then it made me wish that Nash were real so that I might stab him in the eyes with a fork. These eyes would preferably be the automatically regrowing type so that I could continue the stabbing over and over and over and... yes. My Soul to Steal made me an angry, angry bunny. Angry on Kaylee's behalf... hell, furious on her behalf.

I was never a big Nash fan, nor was I ever a big Nash/Kaylee fan. But this book just... gah. It really made me wish Nash dead. That said, I do think Nash is not inherently evil, he's just madly screwed up. Rachel Vincent is an absolute genius in the sense that, yes, her characters are 100% realistic. She deals with the aftermath of drug abuse and betrayal in a heart-breakingly realistic way... but that realism? It leads to my aforementioned desire to kill her characters.

But even while I am busy plotting ways to dispose of the fictional bodies, I understand her characters. The new girl, Sabine, for example... let's just say she's pretty damn horrid to Kaylee. And yet, I really do get her - she's completely open about her actions, be they good or terribly bad. Hell, half-way through this book I would have been happy if Kaylee had decided to switch sexual orientations and run off with her. And if I was choosing the main antagonist over the boyfriend? That really gives you an idea how much said boyfriend was wrong for Kaylee.

Moving away from all the interpersonal DR-A-MA, My Soul to Steal was a riot and a half. Vincent does plotty-but-serial extremely well, and this installment was just another demonstration of her ever-improving style. Had the book been more focussed on the plotty goodness, and not on all the Kaylee/Nash/Sabine business, I would be giving it 4 stars without a doubt.

Bottom line? Rachel Vincent writes the most extraordinary characters - some of them you'll love, some you'll want to kill, and others you'll want to have committed. It's great, but oh-so frustrating.

Review - Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead

Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid #3) by Richelle Mead
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 448
Publisher: Bantam Books (Random House)

Summary: Some days, a girl just can't catch a break ... especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men. First there's her relationship with gorgeous bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, which is unsatisfying on a number of levels. It's not just that they can't have sex in case Georgina inadvertently kills him (generally a turn-off for most guys). Lately, even spending time together is a challenge. Seth's obsessed with finishing his latest novel, and Georgina's under demonic orders to mentor the new (and surprisingly inept) succubus on the block.

Then there are the dreams. Someone, or something, is preying on Georgina at night, draining her energy, and supplying eerie visions of her future. Georgina seeks answers from Dante, a dream interpreter with ties to the underworld, but his flirtatious charm only leaves her more confused-especially as the situation with Seth reaches crisis point. Now Georgina faces a double challenge-rein in her out-of-control love life, and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina, and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again.

Thoughts: SPOILER ALERT I tried writing this review without spoilers but I just really, really need to vent. So, if you haven't read Succubus Dreams, stop now if you don't want to be spoiled!


Succubus Dreams ruined any faith I've ever had in the Y chromosome. I mean, yes, Georgina isn't perfect and I sure as hell wouldn't date her... but Seth was supposed to be the love of her life. He and Georgina were supposed to have this epic romance... instead Seth just tossed it aside without really working at it. While, yes, he made some attempts to speak with Georgina, he never really pushed the issue. Hell, Georgie was willing to make compromises but Seth? No, Seth just stabbed her in the heart. That, my friends, is something no one should be capable of doing.

So fine, he wants to end it. Okay then. But do it without cheating on Georgie with one of her best friends! Dammit. I don't care if you think that that is the only way to let her down, because it really really shouldn't be something you should be able to sleep with. Honestly Seth, with boyfriends like you, who needs villainous imps? *stabs*

*breathes* So clearly I am not over this. Even though I knew, before reading the book, that Seth would end up dating whats-her-face, I really didn't expect it to play out like this. Bastard.

END of spoilers!

Anyhow, despite the above, I did enjoy this book. Georgina starts to make some real growth. She tries to think her emotions through and she seems to be gaining greater understanding of the whole Heaven/Hell debacle. Mead also does a fantastic job foreshadowing upcoming plot lines. While I can't see where she is going yet, I am really looking forward to seeing how she deals with what she's already set up.

As usual, every appearance of Carter-the-angel was a joy. I love his character, and I love how Mead has gradually built his role in Georgie's life. I also really enjoyed the book's core plot - it gave the novel a Big Bad while also dealing with a bunch of personal issues for the characters.

My only complaint would have to be the R-rated scenes. Ok, yes, this is a book about a sex-demon but... ick. I know these scenes are key to understanding Georgina and her role in the whole good-versus-evil fight but they were just too unsavoury for me.

However, Succubus Dreams established one thing for certain: this series is not about sex. Hell, it's not even about Georgie's relationship with Seth. It is about so much more than that - it's about Georgina and her guilt; it's about the boundaries between heaven and hell; it's about the nature and torture that is existence. And that? That's what is making me stick it out despite the spoilery rant. My hope is that the next book will be even better.

Bottom line? A heart-wrenching installment to a brilliant series. Richelle Mead delivers.

Review - My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers #2) by Rachel Vincent
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Received for review from publishers (MIRA)

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 362

Summary: When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can't possibly understand.

Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….

Thoughts: My Soul to Save makes it clear what type of series Soul Screamers is... think post-book 6 Morganville Vampire. Episodic with a monster-of-the-week. Which is cool, but you need to know that before you start reading.

I enjoyed My Soul to Save even though I can't say it was the most, er, gripping of novels. Honestly, when I worked out that the plot was going to revolve around saving pop queens who had sold their soul for fame... well, I was more of the "they deserve what they got" school of mind. But Vincent sold the nobility of the entire scenario and the pop queens actually turned out to be pretty sweet. Thank God, really, because there is nothing worse than hating the guest star.

But while I liked Kaylee (who is super independent but not at all idiotic) and the Netherworld (creepy, to say the least), I wasn't really moved by this book. Everything was perfectly well written, the dialogue was tight and the plot was even tighter.... but My Soul to Save just felt like it was missing something. When I pick up a new book in a series, I expect something to fundamentally change. There has to be something new, otherwise why bother writing the book? And the truth is that nothing really changes at the end of My Soul to Save - a couple of things are different, but nothing fundamental.

These complaints are really rather minor, though. So while this book might not have been the most riveting, I am expecting earth-shattering things in Rachel's next book!

Bottom line? Great YA series, good instalment. Pick up the Soul Screamers series if you want something different-yet-familiar in your paranormal YA.

Review - The Touch of Twilight by Vicki Pettersson

The Touch of Twilight (Sign of the Zodiac #3) by Vicki Pettersson
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 406

Summary: On the surface she's a sexy, sophisticated socialite, at home among the beautiful people of the Las Vegas upper crust. But Joanna Archer inhabits another world: a place ordinary humans cannot see . . . a dangerous dimension where an eternal battle rages between the agents of Light and Shadow. And Joanna is both.

Stalked by an enigmatic doppelganger from a preternatural realm, Joanna can feel the Light failing—which is propelling her toward a terrifying confrontation with the ultimate master of evil, the dark lord of Shadow: her father.

Vegas is all about winning big... or losing everything. To save her friends, her future, her worlds, Joanna Archer must gamble it all by fully embracing the darkness inside her.

Thoughts: Move over Faythe, Joanna Archer has just become my literary enemy #1. I honestly do not understand what is going through Vicki Pettersson's mind when she writes Joanna Archer, because this character?  She evokes homicidal thoughts.

So, why can't I stand her? Simple: Ben so-not-worth-it Traina. The "love of her life". Joanna is 100% obsessed with the man for no discernible reason.  Hell, she even admits that she has no idea why she is willing to risk the entire city for the guy. Even when faced with evidence of him being BAD NEWS, she acts like a child who will set the house on fire to keep her hand in the cookie jar.  GUH.  Just writing about it makes me want to find a basilisk fang and stab her through the book!

*growls*

So... moving on. Despite her inability to think rationally, Joanna can be a pretty decent character when she isn't mooning over Ben.  And when she's not?  Pettersson's fantastic Las Vegas verse truly shines.  It's rough, tough and utterly intriguing.  I've always loved the grittiness of this series, and The Touch of Twilight stays true to it.  It was strong enough to make me pick up the book despite my dislike of the second novel and despite my extreme dislike of Joanna.

Apart from the verse, there are also some amazing secondary characters in these books: Hunter and Chandra in particular.  I'd always liked Hunter, but we find out a few interesting tidbits about him in this book that have made me desperate to know more about him.  Chandra's awesomeness, on the other hand, came completely out of left field.  She  had been a rather one-dimensional antagonist in the previous books, but we see a whole new side of her in The Touch of Twilight.

The conclusion of this novel has made me somewhat hopeful for the rest of the series.  I don't want to give away any spoilers, but let me just say that it ends on a high note.  City of Souls (book 4) is sitting on my TBR pile and I think I won't wait another year before I start it.

Bottom line? Although Joanna will, no doubt, elicit thoughts of murder, the Signs of the Zodiac series is worth reading.  Just don't go in expecting perfection...!

Dear HarperVoyager (UK publishers): I know Joanna is rather annoying, but did you really need to stop publishing the books in the UK? Books 4-6 in this series are going to be from the US and my symmetrical bookshelves do not thank you.

Review - Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

Throne of Jade (Temeraire #2) by Naomi Novik

Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: High Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 stars

Pages: 391

Summary: When Britain intercepted a French ship and its precious cargo–an unhatched dragon’s egg–Capt. Will Laurence of HMS Reliant unexpectedly became master and commander of the noble dragon he named Temeraire. As new recruits in Britain’s Aerial Corps, man and dragon soon proved their mettle in daring combat against Bonaparte’s invading forces.

Now China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napoleon, has fallen into British hands–and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, Laurence has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East–a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await.

Thoughts: I don't usually start a sequel straight after reading the first book - especially if I adored said first book.  I like to savour the series I love by spreading them across months, and sticking mediocre books in between the gems. So, that I started Throne of Jade right after reading Temeraire is a tribute to the aweomeness of Naomi Novik.

However.

Yep, there's a big fat "however". You see, Throne of Jade? It's just nowhere near as amazing as Temeraire.  For starters, the novel is bizarrely balanced.  I'd say about 3/4 of the novel is spent getting to China - and then the rest is a huge mishmash of action set in Beijing. While this is realistic timescale-wise, it did not make for the most entertaining of books. That said, it's not as if the novel would have been better if it had been set entirely in China. I didn't enjoy a minute of the time spent in Beijing - someone scratch Imperial China off my time-travel holiday list.

On top of that, I had some rather serious issues with the relationship between Temerarire and Laurence.  For all his supposed genius, Temeraire acted like such a spoiled child in this book. And Laurence? He spent the entire book desperately pandering to Temeraire's whims. I could forgive Laurence, but Temeraire... just... guh!  *strangles dragon*  He could get so bloody self-involved! I really do hope that he matures by the next book.

Throne of Jade also lacked the brilliant aerial fleet. We get only a few brief scenes with the gang at the start of the novel, and then they are left behind in Europe. They are some of the best characters in the verse (especially pseudo-love interest and kick-ass dragon rider extraordinaire Jane) and their absence was keenly felt.  I'm hoping for a lot more of them in the next book.

Bottom line? A mediocre episode in an excellent series.  Nevertheless, Naomi Novik novels = The Bee's Knees.

Review - Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Bitten (Women of the Otherworld #1) by Kelley Armstrong
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 448

Summary: Elena Michaels is your regular twenty-first-century girl: self-assured, smart and fighting fit. She also just happens to be the only female werewolf in the world...

It has some good points. When she walks down a dark alleyway, she's the scary one. But now her Pack - the one she abandoned so that she could live a normal life - are in trouble, and they need her help. Is she willing to risk her life to help the ex-lover who betrayed her by turning her into a werewolf in the first place? And, more to the point, does she have a choice?

Thoughts: I've had Bitten on my shelves for a couple of years now and, despite my ardent love for Kelley Armstrong, I had trouble picking it up. This was partly because I had heard so many good things about the book but - if I'm completely honest - it had more to do with the book itself. Because for all the great reviews out there, there were also a number of reviews that were highly critical of Clay, one of the central characters. And after reading the summary of Bitten, I couldn't blame them. This man chose to infect the love-of-his-life against her will... how could I ever like him?

So that was my main worry going into Bitten... but in the end, my read trouble was with Elena. While I could readily accept her leaving Clay after what he had done - she never really did. Instead she kinda strung him along... and that's just not nice. The only thing that made me forgive her was the fact that she is monstrously screwed up. She was orphaned at a young age, sexually and emotionally abused growing up, and then turned into a werewolf against her will. These aren't the sorts of experiences that leave you unscarred. But still, given that Bitten takes place 10 years after she was bitten, I think Elena had been given enough time to get her act sorted out.

Clay, on the other hand, was fantastic. I mean, I wouldn't actually want to meet the man out of fear for my life, but I still adored him. I had heard him described as an older version of Derek (from her Darkest Powers series) - and that'd be correct with one amendment: Clay has no "human" conscience. He doesn't do things because they are the right thing to do, instead he'll do whatever he must in order to protect his pack. That includes the disemboweling of innocents (no, that doesn't happen in Bitten, but I would never put it past him).

As you might have imagined, there is an insane amount of violence in this book. Usually, I'm all on board with blood and guts in my UF, but there was one scene of needless violence that really bothered me. I get that they are werewolves and that, in their wolf form, they'll kill pretty much anything if it threatens them. But when Elena killed a dog while she was human, and neither she nor Clay felt the slightest bit of remorse? I was so so so not ok with that. Killing out of necessity I understand, but when they killed the dog out of convenience it just seemed... out of character.

And despite my issues with Elena and her somewhat-homicidal habits (Derek and Chloe need to stay far far away from the pack if they are still like this), I still enjoyed Bitten. It kept me up well past my bedtime; I was thinking about these characters while I wasn't reading. And I think Stolen will be much better... Bitten was written as a stand-alone novel, and I truly believe it would have been a different (more enjoyable) book if Kelley Armstrong had written it knowing there'd be a sequel.

Bottom line? Kelley Armstrong is a fantastic author and her Otherworld verse is one I can't wait to read more about. But is this her best book? Well... she can do better.

Favourite Quote:

The glowing ember shot into the sky, arced, then came tumbling down, end over end like a falling star. I glanced down at Clay. He was watching the sparkler and grinning with as much childlike joy as I´d felt, dancing around the grove with my fairy wand. I looked back up at the light, closed my eyes, and made my wish.

I wished I knew what I wanted.

Summer Shorts - Kelley Armstrong!

If only every beach had a library...

Welcome to Summer Shorts, a summer feature of short story/novella reviews, posted every Saturday of July and August, 2011. I am going to try to have a different theme every week - be it featuring a specific anthology, a particular genre, or a great author.

 Last week I reviewed a few tales from the Mammoth Book of PNR, and this week I'll be reviewing some YA stories by one of my favourite authors... Kelley Armstrong!

The following stories are all available online (free!) and are set in Kelley's Otherworld/Darkest Powers verse.  If you haven't read her Darkest Powers series yet, a) run out and buy it b) these might not be quite as meaningful to you.

Kat by Kelley Armstrong

(Read it here! Set in the Darkest Powers verse, following the story of another Edison Group subject.) 

Thoughts: Kat is the story of another Edison group experiment, Katiana, and one of her (many) encounters with Edison group minions. I really liked Kat - she reminded me of Maya from The Gathering, and for a while in the story I actually thought she might be her long lost sister. She's tough and could no doubt kick my ass. She won't back away from a fight and, if the circumstances require it, she'll run straight into one. The story is only 20 pages long, but I would have been happy to have read an entire book in her POV.

As for the style of the story - well, it felt like it was straight out of the Darkest Powers novels. Lots and lots of action, a whole bunch of running-for-their-lives, and the occasional bit of snappy dialogue. While I can't say that I was blown away by it all, I certainly did enjoy the tale. I'm hoping Kat is a lead-up to a fuller story or, perhaps, her inclusion into some of Kelley's other YA novels.

Favourite Quote:

As I strode into the alley, the driver leapt out, raising his gun.
“I come in peace,” I said, lifting my fingers in a V.
He paused, half out of the van, his broad face screwing up in confusion.
I raised my hands. “See? No pistol. No switchblade. Not even a ray gun.”

Bottom line? Kat is an action-packed tale with the same feel as Kelley's Darkest Powers series.  But even if you haven't read her trilogy, you'll enjoy it!

Divided by Kelley Armstrong

(Read it here! Darkest Powers Story set between The Summoning and The Awakening.)

Thoughts: Spoilers for the DP trilogy! Divided follows Derek and Simon after they are separated from Chloe at the end of The Summoning.  Divided is the second short story I've read from Derek's POV (Dangerous, I read and loved last year), and I can now officially say that he is the best narrator ever. Love this guy.

While - of course - it was fantastic to revisit my beloved DP characters, Divided did more than just that.  It added to the canon of the trilogy.  Kelley gives us more details about Chloe's mother's death (that was a real shocker), some insight into how Derek started to take more notice of Chloe, and how he felt about "using" her to get Simon to go on the run; and even some insight into how much Simon was honest-to-God pining after Chloe (see the quote, friggin' adorable and yet so sad).

Favourite Quote:

"I do. I mean sure, I've liked a lot of girls and you probably think this is just the same thing. But it's not. I like being with her. Hanging out with her. Talking to her. Getting to know her. Not that I didn't want to get to know the other girls, but I really want to this time. I'm not just asking questions to make conversation. She's different and she's interesting, and she doesn't know she is and that's . . ." He glanced back at me. "I'm glad you two seem to get along." He grinned. "A nice change."

Bottom line? If you love the Darkest Powers trilogy, you'll love Divided. It's a story I hadn't even known I'd wanted, and I am so glad it's been told.

FYI - If you're looking for some more great Darkest Powers stories, Kelley had completed three that are available here.  She's currently in the middle of another story set post-The Reckoning, which you can follow on the Darkest Powers blog.  Oh, and apparently the Enthralled anthology (edited by Melissa Marr) coming out in September is also going to be post-The Reckoning, set 2-3 weeks after the end of the book and told from Chloe's POV.  Needless to say that that news got the book onto my wishlist!

Next week... Zombies vs. Unicorns!

Review - Beauty by Robin McKinley

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Fairy tale retelling / Young Adult

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 259

Summary: Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.

When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"

Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty and the Beast.

Thoughts: Two things you should know before reading Beauty:
1 - Beauty was written in 1978, about 15 years before Disney's Beauty and the Beast came out.
2 - This is Robin McKinley's very first book.

Now, the first point is key, as there are a number of details with which the book seems to overlap with the Disney film. In fact, as I was reading McKinley's book, I couldn't help but wonder if the Disney epic had been based on her novel. Since I adored the film, I had absolutely no problem reading a similar (yet very, very different) version of the Disney tale. Still, it is important to remember that any Beauty/Disney overlaps are not at all the fault of McKinley.

In regards to the second point, I found it rather reassuring to know this was not the pinnacle of McKinley's achievements. Although I enjoyed Beauty, it was not a breath-taking literary achievement. Having heard so many great things about McKinley's writings, it was good to know that she's had 30-odd years since the publication of Beauty to refine her style.

Now on to the good bits. Although I have no knowledge of the first Beauty and the Beast tale, McKinley's style made me feel like I was reading the original version of the story. It was almost as though I were reading the un-filtered first version of the tale - without the weight of an author behind it, visibly guiding the story. Instead, this book just... was. You know what I mean, right? When you read Beauty, you can't even begin to imagine someone actually writing it. The book, surely, just came into existence by itself.

And, because of that, I feel rather odd describing my issues with the plot - or rather the lack thereof. Even though, yes, this is Beauty and the Beast, everything still felt rather mundane. Beauty does this, then that, then the other, and then things work out to be such-and-such. It was more of a historical account than a dramatic novel, with none of the twists and curves you'd expect in "real" book.

But still, I really did enjoy Beauty. My unwavering love of the tale probably made me more forgiving of its dull moments... yet, I've no doubt that McKinley is a skilled author worth of praise.

Bottom line? Beauty is a must if you are a fan of the Beauty and the Beast tale. But if you're not, I'd try something else from McKinley's repertoire.

Review - Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Raised by Wolves (Raised by Wolves #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 418

Summary: Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

Thoughts: It took me a really long time to get into this book. I think I spent about a month slowly making my way through the first 70 pages. Although I could intellectually appreciate the writing, the plot did absolutely nothing for me. I couldn't understand the main character's motivations, and found the insta-romance that was both annoying and bland.

I was very tempted to put it down, but then re-read one of the many positive reviews that made me pick it up in the first place. I don't know about you, but reviews tend to muddle in my brain to become either "Good, pick it up" or "Avoid avoid avoid". I usually don't to remember the details. So imagine my surprise to hear the book touted as one of the few truly feminist YA books out there, with a heroine I would love, and twists I would never see coming.

It really didn't sound like I was reading the same book.

Turns out, I was. I so so was. I'd give the last half of this book five stars. The twists in this book really came out of left-field... and yet, like all good twists, when you re-read the book you can see the clues right in front of you. Suddenly, choices that had annoyed the hell out of me became logical, and characters with whom I had taken some issue suddenly made sense. It was a complete and utter paradigm shift. Fantastic stuff.

Bryn turned out to be quite the leader: this girl was one of the most fabulous, feminist alpha characters I've read in a while. Her fantastic support network was another one of the things that set this book apart - although adopted, she has a lot of people guarding her back.  It's rare to see good parenting (scratch that, any parenting) in YA, so it was a refreshing change!  Alas, Bryn's love-interest remained bland-as-hell.  Honestly have no idea what she sees in that plank of wood, but at least I didn't completely hate him... probably because was I was easily distracted by the oh-so-amazing alpha-werewolf Callum (oh, Callum ♥), who completely stole my heart.  Loved him.  He seemed so calm and in control, and yet he could be utterly cold and ruthless when required.  And, GUH, his relationship with pseudo-daughter Bryn was a-mazing.

Bottom line: This book takes a very, very long time to like.  But once you get past the first 150-or-so pages, you'll love it.  It's well-worth the read and I - for one - cannot wait for Trial by Fire to come out!

Review - Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill

Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires #2) by Chloe Neill
Bookdepository / Amazon UK / Amazon US
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 357

Summary: Ten months after vampires revealed their existence to the mortals of Chicago, they're enjoying a celebrity status usually reserved for the Hollywood elite. But should people learn about the Raves-mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle-the citizens will start sharpening their stakes.

So now it's up to the new vampire Merit to reconnect with her upper class family and act as liaison between humans and bloodsuckers, and keep the more unsavory aspects of the vampire lifestyle out of the media. But someone doesn't want peace between them-someone with an ancient grudge...

Thoughts: That I love Chloe Neill is not much of a secret.  Her YA debut Firespell made my Top Ten of 2010, and the first in her UF series, Some Girls Bite, made me long for Merit's BFF and her asshole-Mr. Darcy.  Friday Night Bites is a solid sequel to the aforementioned UF book, but not as good as her other works.

Friday Night Bites really deals with Merit accepting her new position in the vampiric world - she makes decisions based on what the responsible vampire action would be and it's all very grown-up.  But Merit starts to change in this book, and while it is not a bad change, we start to worry (and as does she) that she might lose herself to her new job.  As someone who does that all the time, that really struck a chord with me.  When does the responsible move become the move that suppresses your true nature? Great stuff.

I also liked how Merit's relationships developed in this book - some for better, some for worse.  It wasn't what had changed that I liked, but how Neill went about the change.  We all lose touch with people we love and we all find unexpected relationships.  There doesn't have to be a death or a betrayal to spark a dramatic change... time does that all on its own.

Unfortunately the action left quite a bit to be desired.  Even though I have never read Neill for her action-packed baddies, in Friday Night Bites she dropped the ball. The evil!plot was rather coincidental, and a few of the non-central characters behaved like plot devices.  I know it's hard for series writers to come up with Big. Events. for every book, but this one was particularly poor.  I really wish I could give more explicit details - because there are a couple that made me really roll my eyes - but I don't want to spoil all of you who are expecting fab stuff.

Bottom line?  Fabulous writer, great characters, great series - but just an OK novel.  I am hoping for bigger and better things from Neill in her next books!