Title: Bone Crossed

Author: Patricia Briggs

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Ace Books (Penguin)
Publication Date: February 2008
Hardcover: 320 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 4 in the ongoing Mercy Thompson series.

Why did I read this book: The Mercy Thompson books are some of my very favorites in the Urban Fantasy genre, and Patricia Briggs is one of those amazing authors who I have read since middle school. I absolutely loved Iron Kissed, and Bone Crossed was easily one of my most highly anticipated books of 2009…so when I received my ARC and a chance to interview Ms. Briggs, it was a no-brainer!

Also, we’re giving away a copy of Bone Crossed! Details follow after the review.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
In a world where “witches, vampires, werewolves, and shape-shifters live beside ordinary people” (Booklist), it takes a very unusual woman to call it home. By day, Mercy Thompson is a car mechanic in Eastern Washington. By night, she explores her preternatural side. As a shape-shifter with some unusual talents, Mercy’s found herself maintaining a tenuous harmony between the human and the not-so- human on more than one occasion. This time she may get more than she bargained for.

**NOTE: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST THREE MERCY NOVELS. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE FIRST THREE BOOKS AND WISH TO REMAIN UNSPOILED, AVERT YOUR VIRGIN EYES!**

Review:

Bone Crossed begins immediately following the dramatic and tragic events of Iron Kissed. After being raped and beaten–and then ripping her attacker to shreds through her drugged haze–coyote shapeshifter (a “walker”) and VW mechanic Mercy Thompson is still incredibly shaken. She decides that she will not let her assailant cow her and make her live her life in fear of others, and she boldly tries to fully accept her mate-bond with Adam (the Tri-Cities pack Alpha whom Mercy has accepted as her mate in the previous book). She soon discovers that despite her anger at feeling victimized, she still has a long way to go before she is fully over her traumatic ordeal.

Luckily (or perhaps not so luckily), distractions arrive in the form of Mercy’s mother–though hurt because she had to hear about her daughter’s rape through national news, she’s willing to be there for her daughter–and then the unexpected appearance of Stefan. Mercy’s Scooby Doo loving vampire friend teleports into Mercy’s trailer…during daylight. Stefan is seriously burned and emaciated, a walking death wish to any living, warm blooded folks around him. Adam, with the help of the pack, is able to keep Stefan alive, but it’s clear that someone intended him to kill Mercy–two of his three words of warning to her ring ominously: “She knows.”

In Blood Bound (book 2), Mercy worked with the local vampire seethe, enlisted by the local Vampire Queen Marsilia to find a dangerous demon-ridden vampire responsible for a string of brutal murders in the Tri-Cities area. Mercy discovered that the dangerous sorcerer-vampire was actually Andre (Marsilia’s right hand man)’s creation, and that with Andre’s help, Marsilia planned on creating more of these creatures. With the help of Stefan and the pack, Mercy was able to kill the demon-vampire, and to ensure Marsilia would not be able to create any more like it, Mercy and the gang also killed Andre. Fast forward two books later, and Marsilia has learned who was responsible for Andre’s death, and now she has a death warrant out over Mercy’s head. When Marsilia has Mercy’s body shop spray painted and decorated with a curse mark stating as much, Mercy now faces every vampire, witch and renegade supernatural creature gunning for her death. Not only does this present a problem for Mercy’s life expectancy, but it also threatens the local werewolf pack as Mercy has officially become Adam’s mate and the pack is obligated to protect her from any threats. Unfortunately for Mercy, most of the pack already weren’t thrilled with having a Walker for their Alpha’s mate, and the news of the vampires gunning for her threatens their already crumbling unity.

Matters are further complicated when Amber Chamberlain, an old sort-of-friend shows up on Mercy’s doorstep and asks for her help, claiming that there is a ghost in her house and that it is terrorizing her son. Figuring that she might as well get out of the Tri-Cities until Adam and the Pack can negotiate a truce with the Vampires, Mercy makes off for Amber’s home in Spokane. There she finds a strange, malevolent ghostly presence like no other she has seen before and she manages to stumble into an even bigger problem with the master vampire who maintains sole possession of the city, whom everyone refers to as “the Monster”.

Needless to say, there’s an awful lot going on in Bone Crossed–not only is Mercy facing death threats from the spiteful Marsilia, she’s also got her hands full with a very old and powerful vampire who wants to enslave Mercy as his own. Not to mention the pressures being put on her by the werewolf pack to fully accept Adam’s bond–and she’s still fragile and hurting from the events in Iron Kissed! It’s a tall order, but Mercedes Thompson meets all these obstacles with her trademark frank level-headedness.

As usual, Ms. Briggs’s characterizations are in top form in Bone Crossed. One of the many things that draws me back to Mercy time and time again is her no-frills attitude, her empathy, and above all, her intelligence. Mercy’s neither the bad-attitude-super-bitch nor is she a weepy damsel in distress–like the Popeye song goes, she is who she is. Mercy tackles all of the problems facing her head-on, refusing to make herself some poor martyr. When the pack is threatened because Marsilia has a vendetta against her, Mercy accepts the pack’s protection and help (instead of stupidly trying to go it alone). When the pack snarls and bristles at Mercy’s rank when she’s just a mere coyote, she is able to stand up for herself and establish her place as Adam’s mate. When things get hairy out in Spokane with James Blackwood (aka “The Monster”) and Mercy realizes that no one can come out and save her, she does what she needs to do to save herself. I really appreciated the fact that Ms. Briggs also took under careful consideration Mercy’s state of mind following the harrowing events of Iron Kissed. There is no reboot, magically-all-better button for this character–she’s a rape victim with her story splashed across national headlines, and this clearly takes a toll on her during Bone Crossed. Physical intimacy with Adam, though she trusts him and loves him, triggers panic attacks, and it’s only gradually that Mercy is able to work out some of her issues. Her fear of being vulnerable plays into her narrative in Bone Crossed in a huge way–and it makes her decisions later in the story all the more poignant.

I was extremely happy to see Stefan return in this latest novel, as well as a reemergence of the vampires storyline from book 2. Stefan is in an incredibly interesting character–for all that he seems harmless and a good friend to Mercy, puttering around in his Mystery Machine, he’s also one of the strongest vampires in the Tri-Cities. Also, his motivations are always slightly suspicious, as seen in his role in Blood Bound–this latest novel explores Stefan’s loyalties and feelings beautifully. As for the rest of the bloodsuckers, they are in true terrifying form. The storyline involving Marsilia and her seethe is wonderfully excecuted; vampire politics are very complicated (a byproduct of their immortality, one supposes), but everything comes together in the end and makes sense (in a twisted vampire kind of way).

And–what I’m sure most folks have been waiting for–there’s Adam and Mercy’s relationship. In Iron Kissed Mercy puts an end to the romantic triangle by choosing Adam Hauptman over old love (and heartbreak) Samuel. Just because Mercy has accepted Adam as her partner, however, doesn’t mean that they are a bonded pair. Since Mercy also happens to be a Walker and not a werewolf, the ties of pack magic are even more complicated. Regardless of these complications, Mercy and Adam’s relationship takes a huge step forward in Bone Crossed. Adam doesn’t play as large a role in this installment, but the presence he does have with Mercy, comforting her, giving her the space and respect she needs is truly heart-warming (melting?). To be fair, I was always gunning for Adam, so I was giddy to see the two of them finally together in this novel. To those curious out there, biting their nails and hoping for an answer: YES. Mercy and Adam go the final mile. They round all the bases. Grand slam, outta the park home run…if you get my drift with all the baseball analogies.

BUT, I will say that Ms. Briggs keeps things interesting. Sam hasn’t quite faded from memory–he’s still around, and for a second there, Mercy seems to wonder if what they had could have been enough…I’ll be interested to see how this plays out in future novels!

Bone Crossed also brings a few more answers and interesting developments for Mercy as a Walker. To date, we haven’t seen any other Walkers, but her unusual powers and reactions to magic are explored much more in-depth in this latest book. Beyond just seeing and talking to ghosts, it turns out a Walker’s abilities encompass much, much more. This is a plotline that has been dangled tantalizingly since Moon Called and I cannot wait to see what the next book brings for Mercy!

As I have come to expect from Patricia Briggs, Bone Crossed is a riveting read. The plotting is superb and we get more of those characters we have grown to love. I couldn’t put this book down. My lone regret was the lack of presence of the Fey as the momentum of the series switched back to the vampires. Of course, you can’t have it all, and I expect we’ll see more of the fey in the next Mercy book. We’re introduced to a new, disturbing character in Bone Crossed (a certain mythological character who shall remain nameless in this review), who makes an interesting comment about Mercy–and I’m dying to see more of how it all plays out.

Notable Quotes/Parts: I loved this scene with Mercy diffusing the tension between Alpha boys Adam and Sam.

“What do you know about Blackwood?”

Adam’s voice and posture were just a little too aggressive for an Alpha standing in Samuel’s kitchen. Another day, another time, Samuel would have let it go. But he’d had a bad day…and I thought that the vampires hadn’t helped. He snarled and snapped a hand out to shove Adam back.

Adam caught it and knocked it away as he came to his feet.

Bad, I thought, carefully not moving. This was very bad. Power, rank with musk and pack, vibrated through the house, making the air thick.

Both of them were on edge. They were dominants–tyrants if I’d have allowed it. But their strongest, most urgent need was to protect.

And I’d been recently harmed while under their protection. Once with Tim and a second time with Blackwood–and to a lesser extent with Stefan. It left them both dangerously aggressive…Samuel was more dominant, but he wasn’t an Alpha. If it came to a fight, neither of them would fare well. In a few breaths, the pause before battle would stretch too long, and someone would die.

I grabbed my full-glass of juice and tossed it on them, putting out a forest fire with a thimbleful of cranberry juice. They were standing almost nose to nose, so I got them both. The rage in their eyes as they turned to me would have caused a lesser person to run. I knew better.

I ate a bite of pancake from Adam’s plate that attached itself like glue to the back of my throat. I reached across the table and took Samuel’s coffee cup and rinsed the sticky knot down my throat.

You can’t pretend not to be scared by werewolves. They know. But you can meet their eyes, if you’re tough enough. And if they let you.

Just one of the reasons I love Mercy so much–she knows how to handle big bad snarly wolves.

Also, if you haven’t already, make sure to check out the first chapter of Bone Crossed, available on the author’s website.

Verdict: Bone Crossed embodies everything I have come to love with this series and is the most gripping story to date. The character growth, the layered plot and the engaging writing makes this Mercy installment my favorite to date. Bone Crossed not only lives up to its massive hype–it surpasses it. Highly recommended.

Rating: 8 Excellent

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Hey, we’re having a Giveaway! We are giving away ONE copy of this pretty new hardcover to a lucky winner! The contest is open to everyone and will run until Sunday February 1st at Noon (PST). To enter, simply leave a comment. For the heck of it, tell us why you love Mercy, and which guy you were rooting for–Adam or Sam?

ALSO STAY TUNED! On February 8th, Thea will get to meet and interview the talented Patricia Briggs! We’ll post the interview shortly after…and who knows, maybe throw in another giveaway.

Title: The Magic Knot

Author: Helen Scott Taylor

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Love Spell (Dorchester)
Publishing Date: January 27th 2009
Paperback: 320 pages

Stand Alones/ Series: First in a series of contemporary Fantasy romance but can be read as a stand alone.

Summary: HE’S A BIKER WITH AN ATTITUDE

What woman wouldn’t be attracted to Niall O’Connor’s soft Irish brogue and dark good looks? But Rosenwyn Tremain must find her father, and she isn’t going to let a sexy, stubborn Irishman and his motorcycle distract her. Rose’s intuition tells her he’s hiding something, a secret even the cards cannot divine. Her tarot deck always reads true, but how can one man represent both Justice and Betrayal?

SHE’S A WOMAN ON A MISSION

Magic. Niall’s body tingles with it when he finds the woman snooping in his room. Rosenwyn might believe she’s a no-nonsense accountant, but her essence whispers to him of ancient fairy magic that enslaves even as it seduces. Her heritage could endanger those he’d die to protect, but her powers and her passion, if properly awakened, might be the only thing that can save both their families, vanquish a fairy queen bent on revenge, and fulfill a prophecy that will bind their hearts together with… THE MAGIC KNOT

Why Did I Read The Book: Shhhh. I received an ARC from the book fairy

Review:

The Magic Knot is the winner of the 2008 American Title IV contest sponsored by Romantic Times magazine and Dorchester Publishing, and as such it was chosen by the magazine readers – American Idol style. I will admit I was wary of reading The Magic Knot but in the end I found myself pleasantly surprised.

Rosenwyn Tremain, Rose for short, is an accountant from London who journeys to Cornwall to investigate the financial situation of one Michael O’Connor, the Irish owner of the Elephant’s Nest Pub. Rose’s plan is to spend a couple of days having a look at Michael’s books , assessing his debt and then go searching for her Cornish father – even though her mother has pleaded for her not to , for her to never EVER set foot in Cornwall or to go looking for her father. Without understanding her reasons, Rose is at a lost and decides to search for the truth.

But the truth is something that is going to change her life forever and this change begins practically on the same day she sets for on the Elephant’s Nest. First she realises that the eerily handsome and attractive Michael is living beyond his means. Then, he tells her his twin brother Niall, would help her with the accounts. She is immediately attracted to the silent and detached Niall but he shuns her and tells her that there is no computer. She decides to nose about and goes into Niall’s room where she feels strangely pulled by this box and when she opens it she finds inside a piece of jewelry identical to the one she has always carried around her neck – but what she only thinks as jewelry , Niall sees for what it is – a Magic Knot, an important Irish symbol that embodies a person’s body, mind and soul. A Magic Knot is so important that you keep it hidden always and once Rose touches Niall’s they form a bond that can never be broken and their story so begins but this is only but the tip of the iceberg.

Niall and Michael are Irish Fairies and Rose finds out that herself is the daughter of a Cornish pisky (another kind of fairy) as her mother was the daughter of the Pisky King which means that Rose is next in line of succession. Her mother took her away from Cornwall when she was a child trying to escape her druid father who in a crazy search for power imprisoned the entire court by destroying their Magic Knots and keeping their souls in portraits that Rose’s mother painted. But that is not all –as Niall is in Cornwall hiding from his own Queen – also known as The Queen of Nightmares – trying to keep his sister and brother safe from her and has been using Tristan’s (that is Rose’s father) magic to hide them and now Tristan uses this as leverage to ask for Rose in return – he wants the portraits that only Rose knows the whereabouts of.

The plot thickens when Rose decides to to free her people and the only person to help her is the Queen of the Nightmares herself and they must journey to Ireland to meet her but not before they go through a series of challenges not least their own inner struggles and Niall must make a choice – is he going to prove to be for Rose or against her?

Wow – The Magic Knot has quite the intricate plot for such a short novel and I was impressed at how there was no lose ends and everything was very well done. From the villain’s motivations to the journey to Ireland and back and how the story reached its climax, not once I lost track of events of thought anything was out of place – expect maybe for one point. That was when the sex was brought into the equation – in an action packed novel, where the happenings kept coming left and right, it felt less than organic to have a sex scene where it was – and with a reasoning that made me roll my eyes all the eye to the back of my skull. It was as if the author was running out of pages, realised the required sex hadn’t happened yet, panicked and inserted it there. Then again, maybe not , maybe it was her idea to have it that way but in my most humble opinion it didn’t work.

Speaking of things that didn’t work. Oh Niall, could a hero have less self-esteem than this one? At first it was ok – it is not always that you get a hero that is not always sure of himself, that thinks himself so low and undeserving (yeah, you guessed right, daddy issues) whilst at the same time being so proud as to refuse to bend to his own Queen but his woe-is-me mantra got old soon enough as he kept walking away from Rose over and over again. Give me a break. I was also slightly put-off by his Irish accent – ‘tis only so many times I can cope with it, lass.

Rose on the other hand, was a pretty strong protagonist. Down to earth, whose acceptance of her new role in life came with not a small measure of panic but with the help of old memories and a self-confidence that came from knowing her own strengths she was determined to do right by her people. She was brave without being tough or abrasive and I was really appreciative of that and she was really, really patient with Niall as well. Sometimes way too much.

As for the plethora of secondary characters – from the villains Tristan and the fairy Queen or Troy, the twins’ father, they were fairly well executed. The ones that shone the most were Michael the care-for-nothing , funny rogue who stole a lot of scenes (and a bit of my heart) and another that was very intriguing indeed – a pisky fairy who is called Nightshade who has vampiric qualities and forms blood bonds with people. When the book opens he is bonded with Tristan and firmly set on the villains side but then he decides he wants Rose (and possibly Niall and Michael as well – and he succeeds, sort of – oh.la.la) and his interactions with all of them are very interesting.

All in all? A Very solid debut. I would most certainly read more by Helen Scott Taylor – hey Ms Taylor, what about that fantabulously intriguing Nightshade next?

Notable Quotes/ Parts: I really liked the action sequences as they approached the entrance to the Irish court where Niall and Nightshade had to fight and Michael had to go in butt naked! Humour and action – very cool

Additional Thoughts: American Title V is currently ongoing – go to Romantic Times to vote by Feb 2nd

Verdict: Solid debut novel with both plot-driven and character-driven story that is well-worth a read

Rating: 6 Good

Reading Next: Scandal by Carolyn Jewel

Last month we had Marg over to review Stephen King’s It. This month’s victim? The unsuspecting Graeme from Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review! After Graeme admitted to us that he had never read Neil Gaiman’s epic Sandman comics, we had to Dare him. (Yes, again. We know this is the third Preludes and Nocturnes review here, but it’s really just that damn good).

The catch, of course, is that Graeme then turned around and dared to Dare US! We are over Graeme’s blog today, with our review of the fantasy novel The Briar King.

Title: The Sandman Volume 1: Preludes and Nocturnes

Author: Neil Gaiman

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy/Horror

Publisher: Vertigo (DC Comics)
Publication Date: December 1993
Trade Paperback (softcover): 240 pages

Stand alone or series: The first graphic novel in a 10 volume series.

Why did we RECOMMEND this book?: Is this really necessary? WE. LOVE. GAIMAN. (And how fitting considering the announcement yesterday that his The Graveyard Book won the Newberry Award!)

Summary: (from NeilGaiman.com)
A wizard attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. Fearful for his safety, the wizard kept him imprisoned in a glass bottle for decades. After his escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On the way, Morpheus encounters Lucifer and demons from Hell, the Justice League, and John Constantine, the Hellblazer. This book also includes the story “The Sound of Her Wings” which introduces us to the pragmatic and perky goth girl, Death.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you Grame!

———-
Graeme:

It’s only in the last year or so that I’ve started reading comic books again, I used to read them at college until I got completely sick of constant ‘Marvel Crossovers’… (a man only has so much money to spend!) I’ve got a bit more money these days so it was inevitable that my comic book habit would start up again and now it consists of anything with zombies in it (‘Quick Gratuitous Plug’ coming up for my two favourite series! Check out ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘The Goon’, well worth your time!)

One series that I’ve never picked up is Neil Gaiman’s ‘Sandman’, partly because I wasn’t sure my wallet could stand the commitment of picking up all those trade paperbacks and partly because the only people I’ve ever seen reading ‘Sandman’ all have long black trench coats and interesting hair (I don’t have a long black trench coat, my hair is always interesting but not for the reasons that you might think… dammit…)

Being a fan of Gaiman’s novels (‘Neverwhere’ and ‘Stardust’) the ‘Sandman’ series has always interested me and when Thea and Ana dared me to have a read of ‘Preludes and Nocturnes’ I just knew it was time to go for it. There was also a bit of male pride happening… I’m a man dammit! Your puny dares cannot harm me! ;o)

Having said that though, I still got my Mum to pick ‘Preludes’ up for me as a Christmas present. If I didn’t like it then at least I wouldn’t have spent any money on it ;o) As it turns out, while I’ve saved myself some money on ‘Preludes’ the sheer act of reading it means that I’m now going to have to go out and buy the rest of the series. I’m now a fan…

In 1916 an occult sect sought to trap Death and gain immortality (for their leader in the process). The ritual didn’t quite work though; Dream (Death’s younger brother) is summoned instead and imprisoned in a glass globe. It would be a very boring book if Dream didn’t escape; he does and must regain his stolen possessions if he is to stand any chance of rebuilding his kingsdom. A journey into Hell (and Hell on Earth) awaits…

The bottom line is that I was completely blown away by ‘Preludes and Nocturmes’. It’s usually books that have me spellbound in this manner (comics are good fun but easy to put down) but there was just no way that I was going anywhere, or doing anything, until ‘Preludes’ was finished. Neil Gaiman knows how to tell a good story and he’s more than happy to share them with the rest of us, ‘Preludes’ is no exception to this rule. You wouldn’t have thought that there would be an awful lot of tension and story around a guy sat in a glass cage would you? I wouldn’t have thought so but Gaiman proves us all wrong by telling the story of the people outside the cage instead, setting events up for the future. When Dream finally escapes he takes his revenge in some particularly horrifying scenes that stayed with me right until I went to bed (and while I was asleep too, stupid dreams…), the mark of some truly masterful storytelling. Full of power and impact…

Dream must then go on his travels to regain his stolen possessions and this is where things went a little bit wonky for me… One thing I hate when I’m reading is the ‘video game effect’ where it gets really obvious that the hero must complete a stage (and fight an ‘end of level boss’) before he can go on to the next level. Because ‘Preludes’ collects the first few issues of ‘Sandman’ it sometimes feels very repetitive in this respect.
This is only a small concern though when placed against the story that Gaiman tells. It’s epic in scope (taking in Earth, Hell, Earth again and the Realm of Dream) but still manages to give us a look into all the characters that left me almost thinking of them as real people. Dream delivers justice to those who would seek to control him, and his realm, and in doing so shows that there may be a hint of humanity about him after all.

The world of The Dreaming isn’t one that I wanted to leave and it will only be a short farewell as I’m off to my local comic shop on Friday. It’s frequently unsettling, and occasionally horrifying, but ‘Preludes and Nocturnes’ is just gorgeous and stunning the whole way through. Like I said back at the start, I think I’m now a fan! If only all dares could be like this…

———-

Thanks Graeme for the fabulous review–and we’re stoked that you too are now enamored by The Sandman! As for all Dares being this way, I’m sure we can figure something out…

Next Victim Guest on The Dare: Kristen of the always wonderful Fantasy Cafe will join us in February! Kristen admitted that she hadn’t really read much female protagonist centered Urban Fantasy, so we Dared her to give Kim Harrison’s Dead Witch Walking a read!

The Hollows, as you may know, is Thea’s numero uno all-time favorite Urban Fantasy series–so we are excited to see what Kristen thinks of it!

And wouldn’t you know it, she had the nerve to pull a Graeme on us! Next month we will be over at Kristen’s spot, reviewing one of her favorite novels: Melusine by Sarah Monette.

That’s all for now folks. See you again later on another Guest Dare! And remember: YOU COULD BE NEXT.

Title: The Inferior

Author: Peadar O’Guilin

Genre: Science Fiction-Fantasy, Dystopian, Young Adult

Publisher: David Fickling Books
Publication Date: June 2008
Hardcover: 448 pages

Stand alone or series: The first novel in a planned trilogy.

Why did I read this book: After Trin & Thrinidir mentioned this novel in their Smugglivus Post, and after reading some reviews online for this debut effort, I was intrigued. So, when I saw this pretty hardcover staring at me in my local bookstore’s display table, I snatched it up!

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
Stopmouth and his family know of no other life than the daily battle to survive. To live, they must hunt rival species, or negotiate flesh-trade with those who crave meat of the freshest human kind. It is a savage, desperate existence. And for Stopmouth, considered slowwitted hunt-fodder by his tribe, the future looks especially bleak. But then, on the day he is callously betrayed by his brother, a strange and beautiful woman falls from the sky. It is a moment that will change his destiny, and that of all humanity, forever…Peadar Ó Guilín’s debut is an action—and idea-packed—blockbuster that will challenge your perceptions of humanity and leave you hungry for more.*

*Note: Synopsis has been edited to remove what I conisder a pretty big spoiler. Stay away from the Amazon synopsis if you want to buy this online and remain unspoiled!

Review:

“In that people the most natural and honest virtues and abilities are alive and vigorous; those same virtues that we have warped and adapted to our own twisted tastes.” –Michel de Montaigne: On Cannibals

“And they said: ‘Father, it would hurt less if you would eat us: you dressed us in this miserable flesh, take it off.’” –Dante Alighieri, Inferno, Canto xxxiii, 60

There is but one law in Stopmouth’s world: eat, or be eaten. Stopmouth is a young human man, hunting with his charismatic brother Wallbreaker when they are cornered by a deadly group of Armourbacks. Stopmouth heeds the survival rule he has been taught since birth and flees from the scene, but Wallbreaker is trapped. Unable to leave his brother behind, Stopmouth returns to help fight the Armourbacks even though he knows it means his own death. Wallbreaker runs off with the distraction Stopmouth creates, but leaves Stopmouth at the mercy of the Armourbacks. Miraculously, Stopmouth manages to escape with his life when one of the mysterious globes (which are always present on the overarching ‘Roof’–the sky) falls, crashing into the building face and allowing Stopmouth to kill and escape from his stunned attackers. When he returns to the Tribe (the Manways), however, he finds that Wallbreaker has grievously betrayed him–as Stopmouth had run back to save his brother, Wallbreaker simply left, told everyone Stopmouth was dead and that Wallbreaker had fended off the attacking Armourbacks. And because Wallbreaker is a charming, handsome young man and a great fighter, everyone easily believes him. Stopmouth returns to an overjoyed mother and a shaken (but relieved) Wallbreaker–and loyal brother that Stopmouth is, he doesn’t say a word against Wallbreaker. The wedge between the two brothers grows as Wallbreaker uses his bride price to marry Mossheart, whom Stopmouth has always cared for.

Then, one fateful day, another globe falls from the sky and an impossible, beautiful woman named Indrani finds herself in the midst of the Tribe…and everything that Stopmouth and his kind know and hold as true will change.

Stopmouth and his kind are one of the few species that live under the Roof. Humans have a treaty with the Hairbeast species, in which they trade human “volunteers” for food. Volunteers, in fact, are constantly required by the Tribe–there simply is not enough food to go around. The elderly, the widowed, and the injured are called upon to volunteer themselves for the good of the Tribe and honor their families and ancestors. Thus, there is a constant, pressing need for men to hunt the other species under the Roof, and to bring back more meat for their kin. Nothing is wasted in the Tribe–as said above, the rule is simple. Eat, or be eaten.

When Indrani falls from the sky and into the hands of the Tribe, the first instinct of the people is to volunteer her–she babbles in an incomprehensible language, and though beautiful there is no room for an unproductive extra mouth to feed. At the same time that Indrani enters the lives of the Tribe, Stopmouth is brutally injured on a hunt, his leg broken. The Tribe also calls for him to volunteer himself as they fear he will never be able to walk again. Indrani, however, forms a strange attachment to Stopmouth and sets his broken leg in splints, something the Tribe has never seen before. Under the protection of Wallbreaker–who takes the unwilling Indrani as his second wife–Stopmouth lives and heals, and he begins to try to communicate with the strange woman from the sky. She knows strange things that the Tribe could never have comprehended, and the ambitious Wallbreaker will stop at nothing to get his hands on the strange new technology Indrani introduces to the humans.

The Inferior is a thrilling novel and an impressive debut from Peadar O’Guilin. Frankly, I’m shocked that this is classified as a ‘Young Adult’ novel, as it deals with some hefty, unpleasant issues such as cannibalism, rape, and bloody betrayal. Though the issue of food is central to the plot, The Inferior isn’t necessarily just a tale about cannibalism–at its heart, this is a book about living versus surviving, and what lengths people will go to in order to ensure their survival. I loved that there was no value judgment or moral label placed on the cannibalism here–while the system to our own “modern” eyes might seem barbaric, ‘volunteering’ is done in the spirit of love and duty. A mother will volunteer herself so that her injured son may live; an elder will sacrifice his flesh so that another will not have to take his place. Even later in the story when the Tribe’s practices of eating the flesh of any creature they can kill is seen through a different perspective, what fascinated me was that the act of cannibalism still was seen as a secondary blasphemy to the bigger crime of eating the flesh of any intelligent, sentient animal–regardless of species. It’s an intriguing dynamic, and one I think Mr. O’Guilin explored brilliantly.

The Inferior is also a wonderfully written novel so far as characters and plotting are concerned. Stopmouth is an ideal protagonist. Named for his stutter, most everyone in the Tribe thinks Stopmouth is an idiot. Because he can hunt well and is one of the fastest men, however, and because of Wallbreaker’s important status in the Tribe, Stopmouth is tolerated and saved from volunteering. As the main character, Stopmouth is not without his own doubts and insecurities; in addition to his own reservations about his self worth because of his speech impediment, Stopmouth’s growing disillusionment with his beloved, idolized brother is a hard thing to come to grips with. Just as The Inferior is a story about survival, the title also holds incredible two-fold significance for Stopmouth: he is the inferior to his older, handsome brother; and also the inferior to Indrani, as a ’savage’. In spite of all these obstacles and doubts in Stopmouth’s path, however, he meets each challenge head-on, with enough bravery, pathos, and victory to win over even the most jaded readers. If it ain’t clear, let me put it simply: I heart Stopmouth.

The other characters in this novel are similarly beautifully portrayed in terms of their motivations, and are fully fleshed out (lame pun, ha ha). Wallbreaker’s initial cowardice and treatment towards his brother isn’t so much because he is just a jerk, but rather because he buys into his own hype. He perceives of himself as the infallible Wallbreaker–future leader of the Tribe, and entitled to most everything. He loves Stopmouth too, and it’s a painful thing to see how the one small event from the beginning of this novel triggers Wallbreaker’s increasing paranoia and distrust of all those around him. I loved that there is no “good” or “evil” in this book–there are just humans and creatures with their instincts to survive.

The other main character in this novel is Indrani, the beautiful woman from the sky. She also is wonderfully written as a character. Indrani is driven and fierce, and we see her change from brutally unyielding in her beliefs to becoming what she needs to become in order to live under the Roof. Her relationship with Stopmouth and Wallbreaker is absolutely tantalizing–I loved the dynamic between Indarni, with her tough exterior, and Stopmouth, with his charming naivete. The romantic elements of this novel are carried out simply and without needless embellishment–and I dig that.

So far as the plotting for this novel goes, Mr. O’Guilin also does a fantastic job. This is one of those ‘aw-crap-I’m-gonna-be-reading-until-the-sun-comes-up’ type of books. I had a hard time separating the glossy cover from my greedy hands. The pacing is brutal–so much happens in these 500-some pages, and danger lurks around every corner. The Inferior is even more than the simple fantasy/adventure survival story I have presented it to seem here in this review–to avoid spoiling anyone, I won’t go into those other elements. Suffice to say, there is a whole lot more going on. (Hint, take a look at the Genre tags for this novel.) O’Guilin’s worldbuilding is fantastic–I loved the Tarzan-like vernacular he employs for not only character names (i.e. Stopmouth, Rockface) but for locations (the Manways, the Roof) and for other creatures (Armourbacks, Hairbeasts, the terrifying Longtongues). The book is written in the third person limited perspective, with insights to Stopmouth’s thoughts and feelings, and the book’s prose follows accordingly.

If I had to cite one gripe with the novel, it would be with the lack of descriptions, and with the number of questions I was left with after finishing the last page. While I do think that Mr. O’Guilin does a fantastic job writing his characters, the action-packed plot, and accomplishing some fascinating world-building, I felt like nothing was described enough for me to get a vivid picture of the novel. We hear about the Armourbacks and The Roof and the strange, crumbling buildings that make up this world, but I constantly felt like I wanted more. More detail, more description beyond the preliminary pencil sketches. This didn’t really detract from the story in any way; it’s merely my preference. The other point that bothered me was the lack of closure in this novel. By the end of the book we learn a teasing bit more about why the world under the Roof is the way it is…but a whole new can of worms is opened up. When I finished reading The Inferior, I did not know it was part of a planned trilogy–so I was more than a little miffed with the quick, short answers. Luckily, there’s more for Stopmouth and Indrani on the horizon, and I eagerly await the release of book 2.

Notable Quotes/Parts: There’s an excerpt of the first few pages online at amazon HERE. Give it a read!

Additional Thoughts: Cannibalism repels and fascinates us, and this theme certainly was a selling point for me when I read the blurb of The Inferior. Here are a few other cool books, movies, shows that you might be interested in that deal with survival and cannibalism…

There are two types of cannibals on this list–those that resort to cannibalism in order to survive, and those that resort to cannibalism because they just like it. In the former, there’s the classic book and film Alive (following the soccer team survivors of a plane crash in the Andes) and the classic SF/Horror film Soylent Green (where cannibalism is a response to overpopulation). There’s also the novel In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick which is a superb read about the ill-fated 19th century whaling ship the Essex, which served as inspiration for Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick. HIGHLY recommended.

And, in the ‘cannibals because we want to be cannibals’ category, there’s of course Thomas Harris’s Hannibal Lecter books and films–Manhunter, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Hannibal Rising. There’s the fabulous, gory and gritty The Hills Have Eyes remake by Alexandre Aja, where cannibalistic nuclear fallout survivors terrorize tourists in the New Mexico desert. And, of course, there’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, in book, play or movie form.

Finally, (you didn’t think I’d forget, did you?) there’s “Our Town” episode 2×24 from my beloved The X-Files. Mmm, mmm, Chaco Chicken.

Verdict: I was very much impressed by Peadar O’Guilin’s solid debut novel. The characters are fantastic, the world building and plotting superb. I literally could not put the book down until I had devoured it whole…and I’m excited for the second course.

(You love my puns. You love them!)

Rating: 8 Excellent

Reading Next: THE (counter)DARE! The Briar King by Greg Keyes — make sure to stop by Graeme’s blog tomorrow to cheer on Ana and I!

Title: Talk Me Down

Author: Victoria Dahl

Genre: Romance – Contemporary

Publisher: HQN Books
Publishing Date: January 1, 2009
Paperback: 352 Pages

Stand Alone/ Series: Stand Alone

Summary: Molly Jennings might look like the girl next door, but she has one naughty little secret: her job. Molly is a very successful writer of erotic fiction. Until her inspiration runs dry—thanks to a creepy ex—and she decides it’s time to move back home to tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado.

Tumble Creek doesn’t have much going for it, but one look at luscious chief of police Ben Lawson, who starred in her girlhood dreams, and Molly is back in business. But while her fantasies are pouring out on paper, the town gossip is buzzing at her door and, worse yet, a stalker seems to be watching her every move. Thankfully, her very own lawman has taken to coming over, often. The only problem now is that Molly may have to let the cat out of the bag about her chosen profession, and straight-laced Ben will definitely not approve…

Why did I read the book: I love Victoria Dahl’s historicals and thought I should try her first contemporary

Review:

The reviews for Talk me Down are all over the place – the first one I read, from Romantic Times Magazine calls the heroine a Dog in Heat. (I was shocked – it was the first time I read the magazine and I think it shall be my last.) The second one, from Dear Author, was a much more positive review. I was really curious to see how I would feel about the book – so I thought it was the perfect time to call for a Powerpuff Review with the Awesome Katie of Babbling about Books. You know the drill: Ana, aka, Bubbles, reviews it here. Katie,aka Blossom at her place. Buttercup, remains MIA, frolicking about with Gambit or Batman, maybe both.

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Molly Jennings is back in town after ten years – small Tumble Creek, Colorado to get over a writer’s block and start anew after a few complicated months with a stalker ex-boyfriend. Being back in town also means being back into the life of Ben Lawson, the current Chief of Police and former adolescent flame. Last time they saw each other Molly ran into Ben and a girlfriend into a compromising situation – an image that has been present in her life both as fantasy and as inspiration ever since, for Molly is an Erotica writer – and this is the infamous Molly Jennings Secret. No one knows what she does for a living and she likes to keep it that way – not because she is ashamed of it but because not only she has a complicated family that has always looked down on her achievements compared to her brother’s but also because her first book is inspired by Ben and is too close to reality to comfort. Plus she likes her privacy and truth be told she now has fun with the whole secrecy thing.

Ben and Molly rekindle straight away, Molly is more than happy to finally work on some of the fantasies she has dreamed for so many years and wants a no-strings- attached relationship, whereas Ben wants to date. Right off the bat, this is exactly what I loved the most about Talk me Down – this inversion of roles. Where Molly is the chick coming up with the excuses for the sex and Ben with the excuses for the dates, where she is the one talking dirty and being unapologetically fond of sex. Where Ben is the one that needs to take it slow not to scare her off when trying to figure her out and know her secrets.

Victoria Dahl writes fantastically refreshing, away- from- the-norm heroines and Molly is no different. I just loved her – she was just full of life, fun , carefree, open and self- confident. She just knew who she was – even with her shortcomings – yes, she could at times, take things less than seriously and be thick as a wooden door which can drive some people (and some readers, I am sure) nuts, but that was part of her self-defense mechanism. People that are bubbly by nature have this tendency and Molly was just like that and that was part of her charm and also something she knew she had to work on. So there you have you have, a heroine that is aware of her strengths and weakness and she was proud of the first was prepared to face the latter.

As for Ben the hero, oh boy, deliver me strong and blushing heroes more often. And who seek the joy that their heroines can give them. I loved this passage:

“She seemed to draw eyes without even noticing, seemed comfortable with attention without needing it. And she laughed. A lot. Ben didn’t laugh much, and he thought it would be a grace in his life, a blessing, to hear a woman laugh every day, every hour. To hear her laugh in his bed.”

In this sense Molly could not be more perfect for Ben. If it wasn’t for the small matter of the Secret – being a policeman he simply cannot afford problems and being the child of a father who compromised the entire family by having an affair with a teenager he was not keen on secrets, or scandals either…so he spends the whole book trying to find out what she does for a living which is at first humorous, but later turns quite serious, as they fall in love and everything now is a matter of trust and of faith in each other.

The conflict between them, in my opinion, was enough to carry the book – could Ben live with an Erotica writer and the publicity that her life would bring to his? Could he forgive her for the secrecy? Add to that the VERY hot sex encounters, the funny moments, Molly’s hilarious inner monologues and I would have been a happy camper.

But no. We need to have not only one stalker but two! The ex-boyfriend Cameron which was ok, the story was cool, well done, the ending was both heart –racing and aw-worthy with Ben being all shook up and rescue-y; but the addition of a second one was completely unnecessary, and this is a bit of a spoiler for you, that person was the one to spill the secret of Molly’s profession to Ben, and with that the writer missed a great chance to have her characters have great interaction and for Molly to talk to Ben herself.

All in all though, I really liked Talk me Down. I am a fan of Victoria Dahl’s Historicals and now it seems I will be reading her Contemporaries as well.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: Ben is an amateur photographer and Molly loved his photos. Because her mind is a gutter she asks him to take naked pictures of her, just for the two of them, of course. He says absolutely not – and she thinks this is it. The next morning she wakes up to find beautiful photos scattered around the place – all of them close-ups of her, but not naked her, only things like the curve of her neck, her blond hair spread across the pillow or “you, in morning light” . Awww. Needless to say, this is when Molly started to realize that she was in deep trouble.

Additional Thoughts: Go check Katie’s aka Blossom’s review at her place!

Verdict: VERY hot , funny, light contemporary. There are a couple of unnecessary secondary storylines but they do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the book. Go for it.

Rating: 7 VERY GOOD

Reading Next: The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor

Another Sunday, another stash! (No football though)

News, News, News

We have just learned that Joel Sutherland and Mike Stone have BOTH made the preliminary ballot for the Bram Stoker Award!!!!!! Joel’s debut novel Frozen Blood (our review HERE; interview with Joel HERE) has gotten a nod in the “Superior Achievement in a First Novel” catergory, while Mike’s collection Fourtold (our review HERE; interview with Mike HERE) has been honored in the “Superior Achievement in a Collection” category.

We have read, reviewed and loved both works and are so thrilled that Joel and Mike’s talent are being recognized by the horror community. A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU! And we will keep our fingers crossed that you will both make the final ballot and officially become nominees.

For anyone (especially active HWA members) who might be interested in reading Frozen Blood or Fourtold for consideration, please check out Joel’s and Mike’s blogs.

Speaking of authors, The Deadline Dames website & blog is now up and running! Noted urban fantasy, paranormal romance and YA authors Rachel Vincent, Devon Monk, Jackie Kessler, Jenna Black, Keri Arthur, Lilith Saintcrow, Rinda Elliot, Toni Andres, and our very own Karen Mahoney make up the femme fatale team that runs the blog. They offer awesome giveaways, writerly advice, and just some damn insightful commentary on writing and publishing in general. Make sure to stop by and say hi to the Dames.

In book news, information about the sequel to the smash hit dystopian YA novel The Hunger Games has been officially released! Catching Fire will be in stores on September 8, 2009–and apparently it’s gonna be a doozy. If anyone’s planning on attending BookExpo America in NY this May, ARCs will be handed out!

We loved The Hunger Games and eagerly await the release of Catching Fire this fall.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

We have got a helluva week planned for you–are you ready?

On Monday, Ana and Katie (aka Bubbles and Blossum) team up for another Powerpuff Review–Victoria Dahl’s contemporary romance, Talk Me Down. Will they love it or hate it? Will they agree? We shall see.

On Wednesday, we bring you yet another Guest Dare! Graeme of Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review will be here, giving us his review of Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman! (Yes, we realize this will be the third review for Preludes and Nocturnes on The Book Smugglers…if you read the Sandman, you will understand the obsession!).

There’s a twist though! Graeme graciously accepted our Dare, but then he turned around and Dared us back (that dirty rat)! So, on Wednesday while Graeme’s over here, we will be over at his blog giving our joint review of fantasy novel The Briar King by Greg Keyes! Make sure to stop by and say hi to us.

On Thursday, Ana will have an early ARC review for The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor.

But the really big news is…

The Big Cheese:

You may have recalled that in last week’s stash, we alluded to a certain established, popular author. On Friday, Thea will have her review of Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs! That’s not all though–we will also be giving away ONE copy of the book (the giveaway will run for the weekend).

But wait–that’s STILL not all. The review and giveaway marks just the beginning of our Patricia Briggs coverage. On February 8th, Thea will hold an in-person interview with Patricia Briggs herself–and we’ll have another giveaway (details to be announced)! So stay tuned dudes.

Also, Patricia will be on tour during February, promoting Bone Crossed! If you can, try to check her out at a city near you!

February 3
University Books
7:00PM
Seattle, Washington

February 4
Third Place Books
7:00PM
Lake Forest Park, Washington

February 5
Powell’s Books (Beaverton Store)
7:00PM
Portland, Oregon

February 6
Borderlands Books
7:00PM
San Francisco, California

February 7
Mysterious Galaxy Books
2:00PM
San Diego, California

February 8
Barnes & Noble (Bella Terra)
2:00PM
Huntington Beach, California

February 9
Borders (Waters Place)
7:00PM
Ann Arbor, Michigan

And that’s all folks!

~Your friendly neighborhood Book Smugglers.

As a girl that likes to occasionally play video games (I have a gamecube, an OG Xbox, a 360, and a Wii), sometimes I just want to kick back with a badass female character. Preferably a character that doesn’t prance around uselessly, or continue to get killed or kidnapped or whatever. I’m looking at YOU, Ashley Graham (RE4).

Ashley Graham must die.

So, in that light, for this week’s ponderings: Which video game chick is the most badass?

Jill Valentine – Resident Evil

Zoey – Left 4 Dead

Joanna Dark – Perfect Dark

Ada Wong – Resident Evil

Lara Croft – Tomb Raider

Kitana – Mortal Combat

Rayne – BloodRayne

Sonya – Mortal Kombat

Alyx Vance – Half Life 2

Chun Li – Streetfighter II

Samus – Metroid

Title: Caliber – First Canon of Justice

Author: Written by Sam Sarkar; Illustrated by Garrie Gastonny

Genre: Comics – Fantasy

Publisher: Radical Comics
Publishing Date: November 2008
Hardcover: 144 pages

Stand Alone or Series: The Graphic Novel is a collection of a 5-issue miniseries.

Why Did I Read The Book: I saw this review at Fantasy Book Critic and I just HAD to have it: it is Excalibur! in the West!

Review:

Caliber is a retelling of King Arthur set in the Pacific Northwest circa 19th century in which the Sword Excalibur is replaced by a gun that only one man can use. A French- Indian Shaman, known as Whitefeather has the mission of finding this man, a mission that has taken over his life. When he has a visions that points him to the right man, he takes the gun to him and sure as hell he can use it, but with horrible consequences. The man dies. Years later, his only son, one Arthur Pendergon comes back accompanied by his uncle and cousin to find his old town taken by out-laws, his childhood friend Gwen working at the saloon and Chinese Immigrant as well as Native Americans being ill-treated by the town’s rich people. Whitefeather, who had become a shadow of himself has set up a shooting stand in which people get to try and shoot The Gun but obviously no one has even been able to. Until one day, young Arthur, in the middle of a fight, picks it up and shoots with it. Whitefeather rescues him and takes him away to start his mentoring so that with the use of The Gun, Arthur can become the upholder of the Law. In the midst of it all, there is a bit of time for romance between Arthur and Gwen; his revenge against his father’s killing and Whitefeather’s first face-off with his old flame Morgan.

Caliber contains the first 5 issues of this new series and combined they are clearly, a set up for things to come much in the steps of the old Arthurian stories. If you are familiar with King Arthur’s legends, you will probably recognise this story arc , as it is a play by play of the finding of Excalibur and how Arthur becomes King – or in this case, sheriff.

The best thing about Caliber is without a shadow of a doubt , the artwork. It is STUNNING and the reason why I picked it up in the first place. I was literally drooling over the pages , highly impressed with the quality and sheer beauty of the very real, almost photographic images. (Although in all honesty, the transition between some of the panels was highly confusing and abrupt but this is more a problem of the writing than of the artwork, I am just saying).

The premise is not bad either , although not entirely original, as it is after all, a story we all know about – and it is very easy to recognise all the characters and their motivations – there is Arthur and Whitefeather, but also Gwen and Lance Lake and other characters that will surely become the Knight of the Round Table (which also makes an appearance) . But the fact that the story is transported to Old Western America adds a bit of an interesting twist to the legend. I am a huge fan of Westerns and I think it worked really well as the setting for this story, specially for the fact that instead of the usual dry-desert Western, Caliber is set in the Pacific Northwest , a more lush, cold setting that resembles, at least a little bit, the setting of the original stories.

Unfortunately I wasn’t very keen on the writing itself or the underlying moral lessons of the comics. Whitefeather teaches Arthur about the “Law” and how he must uphold it and be true to it and bring the Law to everyone. Mind you, I have no problems whatsoever to see Arthur as the “one” to bring JUSTICE to all, but to my mind there is a difference between Justice and Law and that was the reason why I was bugged by the tone of the book. For example, Whitefeather tells Arthur:

“The thing I can teach you is NOT about using the gun. It is about using The Law. The gun obeys the law…when you master the Law…you won’t need to use the gun.…”

I completely agree with the sentiment behind the above statement but I couldn’t help but to feel preached at. Specially when Whitefeather starts throwing at Arthur concepts such as Habeas Corpus and how it is one of the “main protections against unjust or unlawful imprisonment by the state” which is all well and dandy but also extremely restricted to a place and time – my point being: King Arthur is a legend of Justice and Honour and I believe these concepts go beyond any particular age or setting. They certainly go beyond the Laws of the USA – but then again, this is just me , the non-American being nitpicky about something that is completely crazy – I mean, if the story is set in the USA and it is about Justice it makes sense that the Sheriff will uphold the USA’s Law, doesn’t it?

In any case, at the end of the volume, there is an interview with the writer in which he explains how these first 5 volumes are nothing but set-up and the next issues will pick up the story about six years later and how he has ideas for all characters. With the artwork, the setting and promise of Great Things to Come, I will definitely at least give the next volume a try.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: The final showdown with the characters around King Arthur fighting the baddies in the saloon was pretty darn awesome! The Chinese chick(friends with Gwen) and her kung-fu-like mojo was so cool. I hope she becomes a regular in the series.

Additional Thoughts: Since the artwork is the best thing about the Graphic Novel, here is a taste:

You can see more at the Radical Comics website

Verdict: FANTASTIC artwork, cool setting and premise….but the writing was preachy and choppy. All in all, there is promise.

Rating: 6 Good. Recommended with Reservations. If I was to rate the artwork alone, it would be a perfect 10.

Reading Next: Talk me Down by Victoria Dahl

Title: Impossible

Author: Nancy Werlin

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Dial Books (Penguin)
Publication Date: September 2008
Hardcover: 384 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel.

Why did I read this book: I had been eying this book for a while, but hadn’t been in the mood for another YA faerie-curse story, so I kept pushing it aside…but after Christmas, I had received a number of bookstore gift cards, so I decided to finally give this novel a try.

Summary: (from Amazon.com)

Lucy has nine months to break an ancient curse in order to save both herself and her unborn daughter.

Inspired by the ballad “Scarborough Fair,” this riveting novel combines suspense, fantasy, and romance for an intensely page-turning and masterfully original tale.

Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child’s birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won’t be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents and her childhood friend Zach beside her. Do they have love and strength enough to overcome an age-old evil?

Review:

I’ve been hitting something of a hot streak with my book choices as of late–instantly falling into each story and devouring them in single sittings. Such was my experience with the eerie Impossible.

Lucinda Scarborough, Lucy or Luce to her friends, is a normal seventeen year old girl. She has good friends, foster parents that love her, and a date to the prom. The lone raincloud in Lucy’s life is the increasing presence of her birth mother, Miranda. For as long as Lucy can remember, Miranda has been mentally unstable, refusing help and escaping from treatments, living on the streets as a bag lady and always singing a strange version of “Scarborough Fair” to herself. Miranda has always been in the background, but as a manageable nuisance; Lucy has never even told her best friend that the creepy bag lady is her real mother. Shortly before the prom, however, Miranda starts showing up at Lucy’s school and track practices more often, babbling nonsense warnings and muttering the lyrics of “Scarborough Fair” to her embarrassed daughter. On the eve of Lucy’s prom, things spin out of control–Miranda shows up and goes berserk, throwing bottles and spitting nonsensical warnings. Though she finally makes it to the dance, Lucy’s night ends in real tragedy. Her normally mild mannered date rapes Lucy, then flees and kills himself by driving his car into a tree.

Soon after, Lucy discovers that she is pregnant. And then, she finds out about the curse.

Lucy is the latest in the long line of Scarborough women, cursed by a spiteful Elfin Knight. For generations the Scarborough women have been cursed to lose their minds by the time they turn eighteen, shortly after giving birth to a daughter who will suffer the same terrible fate. To break the curse, Lucy must perform three impossible tasks as laid out in the ballad of the Elfin Knight. A seamless shirt, an acre of land between the sea and the shore, and plowing that land with a goat’s horn then sowing it all with a single grain of corn. None of the Scarborough woman have been able to break the curse, and Lucy finds herself in a terrifying race to save herself and her unborn daughter from befalling the same tragic outcome. What Lucy has that no one else did, however, is a secret letter, and the love of her foster parents Soledad and Leo, and her oldest friend Zach.

Impossible at first glance seems to be yet another tale of modern day faerie, where cruel otherworldly beings derive their entertainment at the suffering of mortals. To a certain extent, this is true–there is an ancient faerie curse, and a truly evil, cold-hearted Elfin Knight reveling in Lucy’s struggles. But the harsh curse is only the catalyst to the story; Impossible is really about the strength of love to overcome even the most hopeless, impossible trials. This is a story about relationships, between Lucy and her parents, and Lucy and her old neighbor Zach. From the beginning of the novel, it is clear that Lucy is a sensible girl, serious about her future, and a good daughter and friend. Even when she’s embarrassed by Miranda’s presence, she is never cruel. Her relationship with Miranda is strained because of Miranda’s illness, but there are some genuinely touching moments between the two. As the story unfolds, readers see how much Miranda wanted to save her daughter, and how much she loved Lucy even before giving birth to her.

Similarly, Lucy’s relationship with Soledad and Leo is captivating and completely genuine. I loved that as soon as Lucy herself was convinced that the Elfin Knight’s curse was real, she didn’t try to tackle everything on her own (as some truly too stupid to live heroines so often do)–instead, she talks to Zach, and then to her foster parents, asking them to believe her and to help her. Though Zach and Leo almost instantly believe that the curse is real and not some hallucination brought on by Lucy’s recent trauma, Soledad chooses to help Lucy despite the fact she does not believe in curses. She does it because it is important to her daughter, and that is enough for her. The whole idea behind Impossible is that alone and without help, Lucy would fail in her attempts to break the curse–but with unconditional love, she is able to do what no other Scarborough woman has.

There’s also a strong romance storyline to the novel with the blossoming relationship between Zach and Lucy. While I thought it was sweet and all, especially in the early chapters (Zach gradually realizes that he has always loved Lucy, Lucy is oblivious to his feelings), it had some undeniably corny moments. For example:

I loved you for that. I can’t even tell you how much. I’d kill for you. I’d die for you. I’d be happy forever if you’d only smile at me–although, come to think of it, I wish you’d kiss me. I want to hold you; I want to hold me. You are so gorgeous I can hardly believe it. You make me laugh; you make me cry. Nothing matters but you. Nothing matters but you. Nothing matters but you.

(Keep in mind, this cheesy assessment is coming from the girl that laughs every time she reads the word “nipple”. I’m not the best judge of the explicitly romantic.)

As I was saying over at Angie’s blog, where yesterday she reviewed this novel, I’m also not a huge fan of ‘pregnant teen gets married and everything’s all better’ storylines in general. It smacks of some brand of moral superiority, and it’s just not to my tastes. I think everything was handled and written well in Impossible, but it’s a general theme that doesn’t sit well with me. In any case, I did appreciate the love story between Zach and Lucy, and I felt sympathetic toward both young characters.

Besides the characters and their relationships, Impossible is also a well written novel with a gripping plot. There was significantly less time spent on Lucy, her parents and Zach trying to figure out how to perform the impossible tasks–which makes sense, as I mentioned before this is more of a tale about love and relationships. However, I was a little disappointed that the solution to the last task(s) was so hasty and underdeveloped–I was expecting something more metaphorical. Also, I was more than a little annoyed with none of the humans realizing that the Elfin Knight was in their midst. I absolutely cannot stand it in books when a solution/villain/etc is (purposely) painfully clear to the readers, but not to the protagonists until a few chapters before the end.

In spite of all my nitpicking, however, I could not separate myself from this novel and I highly enjoyed it. I’d recommend it to anyone that is looking for a new novel with strong relationships and romance elements, but lighter on character or plot development.

Notable Quotes/Parts: Here’s the full Ballad:

The Elfin Knight

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She must be a true love of mine

Tell her she’ll sleep in a goose-feather bed
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Tell her I swear she’ll have nothing to dread
She must be a true love of mine

Tell her tomorrow her answer make known
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
What e’er she may say I’ll not leave her alone
She must be a true love of mine

Her answer it came in a week and a day
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
I’m sorry, good sir, I must answer thee nay
I’ll not be a true love of thine

From the sting of my curse she can never be free
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Unless she unravels my riddlings three
She will be a true love of mine

Tell her to make me a magical shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Without any seam or needlework
Else she’ll be a true love of mine

Tell her to find me an acre of land
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Between the salt water and the sea strand
Else she’ll be a true love of mine

Tell her to plow it with just a goat’s horn
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And sow it all over with one grain of corn
Else she’ll be a true love of mine
And her daughters forever possessions of mine

Additional Thoughts: If you are a fan of Impossible and are looking for similar books, you might want to try out some of these other tales of curses and faeries:

Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr, Beauty by Robin McKinley, or A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth Bunce.

Verdict: A solid, enjoyable book. It’s not without its faults and missteps, but I have a feeling that romantics (ahem, Ana!) will easily be willing to overlook those.

Rating: 7 Very Good

Reading Next: The Inferior by Peadar Ó Guilín

January means the return of all good things–and LOST is back tonight!!!!!!!!

Tonight at 9/8 central is a two-hour premiere (not counting that stupid clip show, which begins at 8/7c if you’re interested) with episodes titled “Because You Left” and “The Lie”.

Here’s the official release from ABC (spoiler free):

THE REMAINING SURVIVORS START TO FEEL THE EFFECTS CAUSED BY THE ISLAND BEING MOVED, AND JACK AND BEN BEGIN THEIR QUEST TO REUNITE THE OCEANIC 6 – ALONG WITH LOCKE’S BODY – IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THE ISLAND, ON THE SEASON PREMIERE OF ABC’S “LOST”

After Oceanic Air flight 815 tore apart in mid-air and crashed on a Pacific island, its survivors were forced to find inner strength they never knew they had in order to survive. But they discovered that the island holds many secrets, including a mysterious smoke monster, polar bears, housing and hatches with electricity and hot & cold running water, a group of island residents known as “The Others,” and a mysterious man named Jacob. The survivors have also found signs of those who came to the island before them, including a 19th century sailing ship called The Black Rock, a downed Beechcraft plane from a failed drug run, the remains of an ancient statue, as well as bunkers belonging to the Dharma Initiative — a group of scientific researchers who inhabited the island in the recent past. They also encountered a freighter stationed off the island that some thought would lead to their rescue, but ultimately almost caused their extinction.

With only 34 original hours left until the final episode airs in 2010, Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Sun and Claire’s son, Aaron – otherwise known as the Oceanic 6 – have been rescued and continue to try and pick up the pieces of the lives they knew before the crash and to perpetuate the lie concocted to hide the truth of what really happened. But Jack and Ben must convince all of them to return to the island in order to save those left behind. This will prove quite a feat since Jack is still wrestling with his addictions, Kate won’t speak to him, Hurley is in a mental institution, Sayid is an assassin and Sun blames Jack for Jin’s death when the freighter exploded. Adding to their worries is the fact that they also have to take the body of Jeremy Bentham – aka Locke — with them in order to make things right with the island. But locating the island may prove even more difficult since Ben moved it. It’s not just a question of where it went, but when. Back on the island, the survivors who were left behind begin to play out the surprising events that inevitably lead to Locke’s death.

In the first part of the season premiere, entitled “Because You Left,” the remaining island survivors start to feel the effects of the aftermath of moving the island, and Jack and Ben begin their quest to reunite the Oceanic 6 in order to return to the island with Locke’s body in an attempt to save their former fellow castaways. In the second part, entitled “The Lie,” Hurley and Sayid are on the run from the cops after stumbling into trouble at the safehouse; the island survivors come under attack by unknown forces; and an old friend offers some shocking advice to Kate in order to ensure that “the lie” remain a secret.

“Lost” stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond, Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, Michael Emerson as Ben, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Ken Leung as Miles, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet and Terry O’Quinn as Locke.

Guest starring in “Because You Left” are L. Scott Caldwell as Rose, Sam Anderson as Bernard, Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, William Mapother as Ethan Rom, Francois Chau as Dr. Marvin Candle, Sonya Walger as Penelope “Penny” Widmore, Alan Dale as Charles Widmore, Rebecca Mader as Charlotte Lewis, William Blanchett as Aaron, Sean Whalen as Neil Frogurt, Tom Irwin as Dan Norton, Michael Dempsey as foreman, Stephanie Smart as ticket agent, Leslie Ishii as woman, Cindy Paliracio as TV anchor, Brad Berryhill as anxious guy, Sven Lindstrom as crew member, Chantal Boomla as counter girl and Jeremy Colvin as security guard.

Guest starring in “The Lie” are Michelle Rodriguez as Ana Lucia, L. Scott Caldwell as Rose, Sam Anderson as Bernard, Sonya Walger as Penelope “Penny” Widmore, Rebecca Mader as Charlotte Lewis, Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus, Lillian Hurst as Carmen Reyes, Cheech Marin as David Reyes, William Blanchett as Aaron, Sean Whalen as Neil Frogurt, Tom Connolly as Jones, Mary Mara as Jill, Dana Sorman as Darlene, James Jeremiah as police officer, Stephanie Conching as nurse, Matthew Allan as Cunningham and Todd Bryant as Mattingly.

“Because You Left” was written by Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse and directed by Stephen Williams.

“The Lie” was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Jack Bender.

(Press release courtesy of ABC Media Net)

Here are a few official promotional photos for the premiere tonight (more images available at Lost-Media.com:

And two official sneak peeks for tonight:

Want more? Check out the always reliable Dark UFO (aka Andy)’s collection of spoilers in his Season 5 Episode Guide. Who else is excited?!?!?!?!

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On another fangirl squeeee! note, Battlestar Galactica also is back as of last week! How about poor Dualla (even though I never liked her)? Or that mindfrak with Starbuck?! Or, of course, the reveal of the fifth?!? Gods, I love this show!

Only 9 more episodes to go before the end… Here’s the preview for this Friday’s episode, “A Disquiet Follows My Soul”: