Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

I finished this one a while ago, during my March UF kick.

 

 It has taken me a while to actually get to the point of posting the review. This series had been recommended to me at least ten times, by ten different friends. Kate Daniels, the MC, was widely heralded as defining the kickass UF heroine. She did not disappoint.

Plot summary: This series is set in an Alternate Universe Atlanta, where magic and technology vie for, I guess, supremacy. Sometimes the tech is in control, and sometimes the magic knocks out all of the technology. Buildings fall. Phones fail. Electricity goes out. When magic prevails, the city runs on magic.

 Kate Daniels is a sort of an independent contractor, charged with a form of magical law enforcement. At the beginning of book 1, we know almost nothing about her. A close friend, father figure of sorts, is murdered, and she takes on the responsibility and burden of finding out who. Also in this book, there is an unidentified creature that is murdering members of the magical races throughout Atlanta. It is in this book that Kate meets Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, a were-lion creature.

 Review: As a first book, Magic Bites is good. The world building is solid and intriguing. Kate is as advertised. She is not a shrinking violet, she is definitely not one of those shrinking violet women that show up in PNR waiting to be claimed by their mates. The story was well-plotted, and the villain was genuinely evil.

There is plenty within the world to provide scope for additional books, and Kate herself is fascinating. The question of who, and what, she is remains unanswered, and will, no doubt unfold over the subsequent books.

 Easy 4 star read. I've already downloaded the second one.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

This was a very productive reading weekend. In addition to reading Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, I finished:



Which is a YA take on the Hood mythology. This is a departure from my recent reading because it is not PNR, not UF, not fantasy. There is no magick, no wizards, no werewolves, nothing paranormal at all. Scarlet is straight historical fiction, set during the period when King Richard is on the Crusades, and John as taken over ruling in his absence.

I have read a lot of historical fiction set during this time period, including the adult historical fiction novel by Sharon Kay Penman, which includes The Sunne in Splendor:



and the Marshal/Bigod books by Elizabeth Chadwick, which are generally set during this time period. King John is historically reviled. It was during the end of his reign that some of his barons revolted, and forced the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede, an event that is considered by some historians to have begun the English evolution to a constitutional monarchy. It isn't necessary to understand this historical background to enjoy the story, but an understanding of English history certainly doesn't hurt.

Overall, I found the book to be a nice combination of historical accuracy and anachronism. The main character in the book, Scarlet, is a girl. Her behavior is historically anachronistic given the status and education of girls during the Middle Ages. Knowing this, however, didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. This is fiction, and in fiction, even medieval fiction, I expect my girl heroines to be fairly kickass. Scarlet was, indeed, a tough girl.

There is, as always, the ubiquitous YA love triangle in this book. Few people know Scarlet's feminine identity. The two boys who do, are both in love with her. It is slightly more convincing in this book than it is in others because Scarlet is genuinely exceptional for her time. In any event, the love triangle aspect didn't overwhelm the story.

The book didn't end on a classic cliffhanger, although there is plenty of room to continue the story, and I am curious to see where the author takes these characters, and the people of Nottingham in what I hope will be another installment of this series.

This book is a solid and enjoyable twist on the Robin Hood mythology for young adults. It doesn't quite reach a 4 star read for me, so I'd give it 3 1/2 stars. It's well worth buying and well worth reading.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

This first novel by Lish McBride:




was the first book club pick for my Goodreads Group.

Plot Summary:

Samhain Corvus LeCroix lives in Seattle, where he works for Plumpy's, a fast food restaurant. He is a young, male, underachiever who dropped out of college, and who lives with his best friend, Ramon. He likes to hang out with his Plumpy's coworkers, Brooke and Frank. His life is fairly uneventful until a fierce bout of potato hockey ends up breaking the taillight of a very powerful, very evil, necromancer named Douglas. Necromancer: one who controls death.

Douglas realizes that Sam is also a necromancer, albeit a very weak one. The rest of the book is a dramatic and slyly humorous romp, with Douglas-the-evil engaging in all sorts of evil-doing related to Sam. There is also a subplot related to a werewolf named Bridin, the next in line as the alpha of the local were pack.

Review:

This book is the first in a new series. There were a number of things about it that were different -- that I really liked. First, the main character is a male, which is sort of unique in YA. Generally, books that are written in the first person have a female MC. It flipped back and forth between the first person perspective of Samhain Corvus LaCroix, to a third person perspective of some of the other characters. The transitions between perspective were well done, and not confusing.

I also really liked the fact that there was no YA love triangle. Yes, the author did avoid that particular trope. There is a bit of romance, of course, but it doesn't overwhelm the story. This book is not a romance -- it is, first and foremost, a story of friendship.

I live in Portland, and the book is set in one of my favorite cities, Seattle. I also really loved this. Seattle is a great setting for paranormal -- something about all of that drizzle, verdant greenery and grayness sets a very compelling scene.

However, if I had to choose one attribute that I enjoyed above all others, it has to be the humorous bent of the book. There were several opportunities to laugh-at-loud at Sam and his friends. This book is not full of teen angst. These characters are clever, and they all have their tongues firmly in their cheeks. I enjoyed the lighthearted aspect of the book.

Finally, I was genuinely surprised by the ending. I didn't see it coming. I had expected an entirely different progression for the story into book 2 of the series.

I'd give it 3 1/2 stars here. For amazon, I'll round up to 4 stars.

Why I read YA

I don't always read books with ridiculously handsome men, and their abs, on the covers. I go through cycles as a reader. One of my *other* favorite genres is Young Adult. And yes, I'm 46 years old.

I read YA for a number of reasons. One of the most important, for the last decade, has been my daughter. She is 15 years old now, and we've been reading together since she was a baby, but it really took off when she was around 5 years old.

We've read through Little House on the Prairie, Tamora Pierce, and Harry Potter, through Twilight, and Percy Jackson, and any number of books about the fae and werewolves and vampires. Most recently, she read The Hunger Games trilogy, and then, along with another friends, pestered me incessantly until I picked it up and read it myself.

So, one of the reasons that I read YA is because it gives me something to talk about with my kid. Something important. I raised a reader, and I am prouder of that fact that, maybe, I have any right to be. Because dammit, I am so proud of my brilliant, insightful daughter.

But that's only part of the reason that I read YA. The other part is because I love it. And because a lot of the writers who are currently choosing to write YA can really write. They respect the teenager -- and teenagers get far too little respect in our society, actually. The best teenagers are awesome, amazing, hilarious, ambitious, idealistic kids. And the writers, like John Green, and Rick Riordan, and, yes, JK Rowling, who are writing for those kids have to be at the top of their game. Do not insult the intelligence of a smart teenager.

Sure, there are some tropes in YA that I am sick of, starting with the YA love triangle, It's trite, and it's been overdone to the point of ridiculousness. But tropes exist in all genres, and they are no more prevalent in YA than in romance or mystery. They may actually be less prevalent.

No one rights clever as well as Rick Riordan. No one plot better than Rowling. No one writes teen angst better than John Green. And they are just barely scratching the surface of awesome YA writers, like Julie Kagawa, and Patricia Wrede, and Shannon Hale.

So, the main reason I read YA is because a lot of it is really, really good. As in, exceeds the quality standards of a lot of adult fiction.

Review: Still Life by Louise Penny

In one of my GR groups, we're doing a "dusty bookshelf" challenge. I've committed to reading 15 books that have been in my TBR pile since 2011. I'm up to 5, with this one as the fifth:




I picked this book up either for free or for 99 cents at least a year ago. It is the first in Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series of mysteries set in Three Pines, Canada.

This book is deceptive. Looking at the cover, reading the product description, I went into the book thinking that it was going to be a classic cozy mystery set in a small town. While this book does have many of the attributes of a cozy, there is much more to it than that. This book is a compelling psychological study of a small town, of the difference between the public persona and the private person. It explores parenthood, childhood, and the differences in perspective between parent and child, and it also explores what happens when a parent allows a child to drive the community understanding of the parent/child relationship, where the child is not telling the truth. There are reasons that parents don't tell the truth, even when the truth is that the child is lying. This book explores those, and delves into the darkness and jealousy that can be harbored in the heart of a loved one.

I know that this paragraph is obscure. However, mysteries, above all, are books that should not be spoiled. It's not fair to the reader, and it's not fair to the author, to accidentally reveal the solution to the mystery in a book review. So, a clearer and more explicative discussion is not one that I am prepared to post.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm certain that I will read the rest of them at some point, although I don't like their kindle price. But starting a new mystery series is always a delight, because a reader is in for a treat in character development. Inspector Gamache is a bit of a cipher in this book, but he is already a compelling, interesting central character. I look forward to further exploration of his character. I'm hoping for the return of some of the interesting secondary characters as well.

Overall, this book is a solid four star read.

The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins

As I posted in the sidebar on "The Streak" we listened to the audiobook of The Hunger Games coming and going on our vacation. It is very well done, and I highly recommend it.

Nonetheless, there comes a time when one is completely riveted by a book, that the audiobook just can't keep up with a reading speed of 150 pages an hour. I managed to hit that point at midnight, our first night home from the vacation. I have occasional insomnia, which is often inconvenient, but also provides a fabulous opportunity for undisturbed reading if work is not scheduled for the following day. My insomnia roared to life at midnight, and didn't relent until 4:30 a.m. By that time, I had finished book 1,




and read all of book 2, Catching Fire:




and 1/2 of the third book, Mockingjay:



Doing a series review is risky, because plot spoilers are almost inevitable, and I can't fully air my thoughts about this series without providing major spoilers. So, if you haven't read the trilogy, let me start by saying the following:

These books are worth reading. I am a huge fan of YA literature. It is my opinion that some of the best books being written today are in the YA genre. It is true that much trash is published in that genre as well, but someone who is looking for big themes and risk-taking in fiction shouldn't turn up their noses at YA. I previously gave John Green's A Fault In Our Stars a five-star review, and I genuinely loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The Hunger Games is an example of this phenomenon. These are brave books, that take a serious look at humanity, and don't shy away from bleakness. They define the reason that people read dystopian lit. Because when we look into the heart of darkness, we learn something about ourselves.

So, if you haven't read the trilogy, stop reading here. Go and buy the books. Read them. Then come back, if you are interested in what I thought.

***Spoilers . . . . Spoilers . . . . Spoilers . . . . Spoilers . . . . Spoilers ***

For purposes of this section of the post, I am going to assume that everyone reading has already read the entire trilogy. Therefore, I'm not bothering with a plot summary.

I really loved the first book. I loved the author's voice. I have read very few books written in the first person present, and even fewer that could actually pull it off. Suzanne Collins did this masterfully, and through the use of the first person present tense, drew the reader into Katniss Everdeen with devastating thoroughness. Because this is not an easy book to read in any respect. We start with the drama of The Reaping, and the slow, horrifying unfolding of the purpose of The Hunger Games, and then the volunteering of Katniss to take the place of her younger sister, Prim. This entire process is deeply affecting, in a nightmarish way. Panem is the stuff that nightmares of made of, where children are forced to become brutal assassins, to commit murder for public entertainment. Even the seemingly idyllic sections of the book -- Katniss and Gale hunting in the forest -- are based in a horror story where children become criminals if they ensure that families don't die of starvation.

Once Katniss gets to the Capitol the book becomes even more compelling. In the third book, Ms. Collins uses a phrase from Roman history to describe the people of The Capitol: Panem et Circuses, which is also where she gets the name of her fictional dystopian world. The reason behind that name becomes clear as the series develops. Because the people of The Capitol are utterly corrupt in their uselessness. Their absurd styles, their gluttony, their abject exploitation of the Districts, detail the most shallow and worthless humanity. The Hunger Games -- child murder as entertainment -- are merely the most obvious examples of their corruption. In reality, they have created a constant version of The Hunger Games in the lives in the citizens of the Districts, where people die of starvation, while surrounded by forests and fields teeming with food and life.

Book two of the series, Catching Fire is equally compelling. Katniss and Peeta have both survived The Hunger Games. Katniss's brilliant emotional manipulation at the end of the games both ensured their survival and has served as a rallying point for a rebellion in the Districts. The power structure of The Capitol, and particularly the reptilian and evil President Snow, is deeply angry with Katniss and intends to have their revenge. It is difficult, in this book, to remember that Katniss is really still a child of 17. She has been providing for her family, surviving under the worst of circumstances for half a decade at this point, and things are about to get even uglier in District 12.

Catching Fire, as the middle book of the trilogy, does a remarkable job of sustaining interest in the series. It doesn't fall victim to many of the middle book issues, and, while it doesn't stand on it's own, significantly advances the story. New characters are introduced, including one of my favorite characters in the trilogy, Finnick.

Katniss continues to serve as a rallying point for a rebellion against the excesses of The Capitol. Even some of those within the Capitol's power structure itself have come to recognize the inhumanity and emptiness that is the government of Panem, and a rebellion is empowered.

It is the final book, though, that gives the series it's genuine power. Mockingjay is not nearly as popular with readers, because it is a hard book to read. We see our favorite characters broken and, in many cases, outright killed. Because, as it turns out, the leader of the rebellion, and much of the movement itself is nothing more, or less, than The Capitol 2.0. Just as corrupt, just as inhumane, just as horrifying. And the rebels use Katniss as their symbol, with her willing participation, while entirely stripping her of any meaning or personhood. Mockingjay is a bleak indictment of humanity.

And, in the end, Katniss saves the world. Unsung, in an act of criminal rebellion for which she, were the book real, would have been executed. This is deeply symmetrical. Katniss has been forced to murder for her survival through her participation in not one, but two, versions of the Hunger Games. She is the perfect assassin -- able to execute someone in cold blood, simply because the ends can justify the means. She is what the Capitol has created, and what was exploited, and, in the end, her inherent understanding of what will happen should President Coin rise to power results in a decision to commit one more act of cold-blooded and premeditated murder where she saves, not herself, but the soul of her world.

Thankfully, Collins spares us the final horror that would be her execution. Her life is spared, and she ends the book sinking into relative obscurity with the one character who is just as broken as she is, and between the two of them, they try to find some way to live out their lives not entirely in darkness.

Finally, a word about the ubiquitous YA love triangle. Yes, I, too, am completely tired of the need to install a love triangle, with a single exceptional female being fought over by two extremely compelling males, into every single goddamned YA series being written. However, do not make the mistake of thinking that the love triangle in this series is the point. That is the least compelling aspect of the book to my mind, and it is easy to get sidetracked by the question of "who will she choose." Peeta is her rock, her friend and her protector, and he would be all of those things regardless of whether he ended the series as her husband. Gale is her best friend, but he is in love with fire and justice, and with the idea of Katniss -- the symbol, the survivor, the warrior -- much more than he is in love with Katniss the person.

Among the most touching moments in the book occurs at the end, when Peeta asks Katniss:

"You love me. Real or not real?" And Katniss responds. "Real." By that time, neither of them truly know what is real and what is not.

This was an incredibly brave series, and I appreciate the author not ending it easily. Lives are lost, including some very important and beloved characters, and the toll of war is acknowledged. Because, as Collins puts it: "something is significantly wrong with a creature that sacrifices its childrens lives to settle its difference."

There is much more that I could say about these books. The use of propaganda, the impact of dehumanization on a culture, the importance of symbols, and the toll of war. But this post is already incredibly long and I'm drained, thinking back through the experience that is the reading of this trilogy over the course of about a day. So, I'll simply end with a definition of Collin's beautiful metaphor:

Panem and Circuses: the abdication of political and civic responsibility in return for a life of frivolous irresponsibility. A message for our time, perhaps.

Better Late Than Never

I was on vacation for a week, and for the week before failed to get reviews posted. So, there will be a ridiculous flurry of posts over the next few days, because I have somewhere north of 10 books to review.

I will be posting reviews for Karen Monings entire Fever series, which I read on vacation, all three books of The Hunger Games series, Games of the Heart by Kristen Ashley, a couple Kresley Cole IAD books, and, as well, Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews, and a DNF self-published book called In The Blood by Steve Robinson. And any others that I think of.

Right now, I am reading this one:




Which I got as a cheap read ages ago.