Title: Bleeding Violet

Author: Dia Reeves

Genre: YA/ UF

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: January 2010
Hardcover: 464 pages

Love can be a dangerous thing….Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna’s tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she’s far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.

Stand Alone or series: Stand alone

Why did I read the Book: I saw this around the Internet last year and was intrigued by the blurb.

How did I get the book I requested a review copy from the publisher.

Review:

You are not welcome to Portero, Texas, unless you have a thick skin and you are here to stay. With hidden doors that open to other worlds (the Latin word for door: Porta) spread all over town and with all sorts of creatures (like leeches with tentacles for example and ghosts that live in the river and grant wishes if you can manage to breathe underwater enough to make the wish) crawling out or sucking you into them , Portero is definitely Weird Central of America. Its residents have all accepted their reality, living life to the best of their ability, under the Mayor’s authority and the hunters of Mortmaine’s protection. Everybody wears black as to not attract attention except for the Mortmaines who wear bright green; and if you stay long enough you are entitled to a key. This is how you know you belong.

Enter Hanna Jarvinen, first person narrator of this story and one of the most fascinating characters I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Half Finn, Half African American, Hanna is a biracial, bicultural, with bipolar disorder and violent tendencies, prone to hallucinations and who ran away from her aunt’s house before she was sent back to a mental institution. With her Finn father dead (although when she is not taking her pills, she talks to him in her head) all of Hanna’s hopes rest on her mother, Rosalee. Even though she has never seen her mother since she sent her father and her away when she was a baby, she fantasises that Rosalee will not only welcome her but accept her, weirdness and all. All her dreams come crashing down when she arrives in Portero. Rosalee is cold and unwelcoming. She means to send Hanna away, back to her aunt, to the mental institution, anywhere but Portero. She does not want anything to do with Hanna and is absolutely convinced that she will not adapt to the harsh reality of Portero:

“Let me get this straight: You want me to leave because you don’t think I can adapt?”
“I know you can’t”
Was she serious?
I was biracial and bicultural. A walking billboard for adaptation.

As much as Rosalee is unwelcoming, Hanna is unmoving and they are both forces to be reckoned with and so they strike a deal. If Hanna is not freaked out in the first two weeks, she gets to stay with Rosalee. On the very next morning Rosalee sends her to school where she is welcomed by the weirdest happenings and she realises that maybe Portero is weirder than she expected after all. Then, when she fully expected to fit in from day one, after all she was always able to use her looks and her personality to captivate men and women, she is ignored and scorned by the in-crowd lead by Wyatt, a Mortmaine. Hanna is a Transy, a Transient, someone who is just passing by and porterenses are used to see those leaving or dying too soon. But after she witnesses Wyatt using powers he is not supposed to when vanquishing a threat to the school, they become close. Now, Hanna thinks that the perfect way to impress not only the porterenses but above all her mother is to go on a hunt with Wyatt. When she comes back from the hunt, exhilarated, and unscathed, it is when things get really complicated.

Bleeding Violet is one of the best Young Adult novels I have ever read. The writing is lovely, the story is hands down amazing and the characters are everything I could have hoped for. Every time I open a book, I wish for the sort of all-encompassing experience that this book provided me.

I have read several reviews of Bleeding Violet around the internet and most of them focus their attention on how the story is weird , crazy and surreal. Yes, it is. To the point where I would say that the novel would definitely appeal to fans of QuentinTarantino and Vertigo’s graphic novels.

But although Portero is indeed an incredible setting and the situations that happen in this novel are really surreal, to me more than that surrealism, more than anything else what leaps from the pages are how REAL the characters are. Regardless of any gimmicks happening around them, or the way they might react to those situations, Bleeding Violet is extraordinarily realistic at a very basic level.

Take away the doors and the creatures (as fascinating and cool and vivid and creative as they are) and the book is a character-centric novel in which every.single.thing is character-driven. Everything that happens is because of these characters’ emotions and actions. Hanna is the main propeller of the plot, her emotional estate and that of those that surround her is what matter and what is at centre stage here.

Her need for motherly love and acceptance, to fit in start a sequence of events (which in turn re-set something that started a long time ago – but again, THOSE events wore also consequences of deeply felt emotions that converged in one horrible moment in time: greed, grief and fear). The way she speaks, thinks, reacts was …I don’t know. Awesome. I fell in love with Hanna from chapter one. She is so confident but at the same so lost. She has so many issues that need to be addressed and a definite mental illness that needs to be treated.

But Hanna is not the only character who has issues and deeply felt emotions: her mother, as cold as she was, was the result of a horrible childhood. Wyatt, had his own issues with authority and with heritage. This triad of characters and Hanna relationship with both and with herself are the meats and bones of the novel. On the romance side of things, how refreshing and realistic to see a couple starting off as any couple, dating and then having sex (because it is good and natural) sharing a connection and laughter without having to promise to be together- forever- and- ever- amen- because-they-belong-together. It is all the more believable when the two have to work through issues like still having feelings for an ex-girlfriend or not having feelings for any of the guys you had sex before. Or how Hanna sees the world in a confusion of colours and Wyatt tends to see it in black and white.

There are so many threads intertwined in the novel: deception, greed, power, sadness, death, acceptance, what is like to be biracial, what is like to be compassionate when you need to be ruthless, what is like to be young and have new ideas in the face of Tradition, what is like to love a mother who does not love you back. And it makes for a memorable, unique, fascinating, unapologetic, profoundly moving story.

Be aware though that this not a wholesome story. It is dark, gory, sensual, and violent. There are no definite, clear cut, simple answers. And it is certainly not for the squeamish ones: mental illness, teenage sex, a suicide attempt are present as well as moral ambiguity and not a few violent scenes.

I think it is testament to this writer’s ability (and perhaps fondness for her characters) that in spite of all the aforementioned violence and darkness, Bleeding Violent ends on a definite, unmistakable and believable high note. And as of now, this book has a secure spot on my top reads of 2010.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: My copy is replete with earmarks. I picked these two sequences as they contain the least spoilers at the same time that they reveal a lot about Hanna. The first shows how Hanna is weird in her way of looking at things. The other is an interaction between her and Wyatt.

“It wasn’t made for you. Don’t you dare get attached to that room.”
“You said I could stay”
“For two weeks and that’s -” Her spoon clattered to the floor.”You took my armoire?”
“I needed a place to store my clothes.”
“I had all my books in that armoire!”
“I saw.” Hundreds of books, several in German and Dutch, and endless stacks of bound manuscripts had crammed the armoire; I’d sweated through my chemise removing them all.
“I stacked them neatly on the floor,” I said, so she wouldn’t think I was a slob.
Rosalee pushed away from the table, chair legs squealing angrily against the tile. I thought she was going to go into her office to see what I’d done with her books, but she went up to my room instead and she did a slow 360-degree turn.
“Why is everything purple?”
“It was Poppa’s favorite color.”
“You painted my armoire purple!”
“It would have clashed otherwise.” she was making me feel like I’d murdered her best friend. “Why don’t we go finish that stew, hmmm? Before it congeals?”

What a freak! What an amazing and marvelous freak!
Hope brightened his face as he studied my expression. “You don’t think it’s weird?”
“It’s beyond weird,” I assured him breathlessly. “Beyond cool, even.”
“Only another weirdo would think that was cool.”
“Busted.”
“Bullshit. What’s weird about you?” He looked me over. “Besides your fixation with purple.”
“It doesn’t matter. Compared to what you can do, I’m boringly normal. So what are you?”
He put his half-finished sandwich on the tray as though he’d lost his appetite. I thought about what I’d said and immediately felt bad.
“I’m sorry. I can’t believe I asked you that. I hate it when people ask me that.”
He lifted his eyebrows, bemused.”Why would they ask you?”
“Because I’m biracial. People look at me and can’t figure me out, so they ask, `what are you?` Like I’m a whole other species. But you…are you another species?”
He did some more thinking. “You had to accept a lot today. I don’t wanna blow your mind.”
“It’s already blown”
“You think it is. I could vaporise it if I wanted to. But I don’t. Especially now that you know about me. And it doesn’t bother you.”
He crossed his legs in front of my feet, leaned forward, and rested his chin on my bare knee. The underside of his chin was sweaty, but I didn’t push him away; he was so cute, like a little boy, looking up at me. The late afternoon sun burned in his eyes, letting me see all the way inside him, but not in a spooky lure way. This was something else.

I also URGE you to go here and read the first chapter. It is AWESOME. And it got me hooked as soon as I finished reading it.

Additional Thoughts: Following the recent fiasco with the Whitewashed cover of Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore it is great to see a beautiful, accurate cover such as this. Kudos to Simon Pulse.

And as Bleeding Violet was written by a POC and has a POC as a main character, I am counting the book as my first entry in the POC Reading challenge!

And on a side note: Dia Reeves is writing another book set in Portero, Yay! I simply cannot wait. The potential, folks. THE POTENTIAL.

Verdict: A memorable, extremely well-written, character-driven novel with a fascinating and appealing narrator, against the backdrop of a surreal story. Dia Reeves debuts with a bang: a story that is certainly not for everyone but for those who dare, a guaranteed poignant, different, unique experience. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.

Rating: 10. A resounding one with a standing ovation – what else? This may not be a perfect book for everyone, but is certainly, a perfect book, a perfect fit for me.

Reading Next: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N K Jemisin

Welcome to the first Guest Dare of 2010! For those new to the feature, our Guest Dare is a monthly endeavor in which we invite an unsuspecting victim to read a book totally outside of their comfort zone. You can read all previous Dare posts HERE.

This month’s victim is Renee – prolific blogger of Renee’s Book Addiction and reader of all things Romance, Romance, YA, M/M, Mystery , etc. When we contacted her for a guest dare, she came back to say she hasn’t read many Epic Fantasy – not even, gasp, Lord of the Rings. We immediately created a list which included not only Tolkien but Rothfuss, Sanderson and others. Her first choice was The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, but after much nagging from her significant other, she caved and decided to read The Lord of the Rings.

Ladies and gents, please give it up for Renee!

________

Title: The Fellowship of the Ring

Author: JRR Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Ballantine (This is the edition I read, but there are many publishers.)
Publication Date: July 29, 1954 (UK)
Paperback: 527 pp

Stand alone or series: The Lord of the Rings, Part One – The Fellowship of the Rings

Why did we recommend this book: It is an Epic Fantasy classic and one our Favorite books of all time.

Summary:

Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power except one — the One Ring that rules them all — which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task when Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

Renee’s Review:

From the outset, high fantasy was one of the genres I suggested to Ana and Thea when we first discussed this guest dare. The Fellowship of the Ring was mentioned by Ana, but I blew off the suggestion, being far too intimidated by taking on such an icon of fantasy lit. Also, I tried reading The Hobbit a couple of times in my teens, and couldn’t get through it. When I told my husband about Ana’s suggestions, he said I was going to have to give back both my lit major card (we were both lit majors in college and met in a literature class) and my geek card if I didn’t remedy the fact that I hadn’t read this classic.

Typically, my reading tastes are varied, mostly enjoying romance of all flavors, YA, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and other kinds of spec fiction. However, high fantasy has never been a genre that I have been interested in reading. I think of knights and wizards and trolls, and my eyes glaze over. (Movies, especially The Lord of the Rings trilogy, are another matter, for some reason. I love these movies to death.) In fact, I often think I’d be interested in a high fantasy book, buy it, and then reality sets in and it just sits on my shelf, unread.

Since I consider myself a self-respecting book-geek, I rose to the challenge, and took on The Fellowship of the Ring.

Most people are familiar with the story of The Fellowship of the Ring, either the book or film, so (for the most part) I’m focusing this review on my experience reading the book, rather than reiterating the plot points.

The Prologue: When I first started the book, I was really stressed out by the Prologue. The history and backstory set out in it was complex, and the number of names, events, and dates felt really overwhelming. I also worried the entire book was going to be like this. However, I was reassured that I didn’t need to memorize everything, and that the Prologue’s style was more to give a sense of entering a complete world. So, I relaxed and kept moving forward.

It took me well over a week to settle in to the book. It was frustratingly easy to get distracted by tv, my kid, the fact I had a cold, or conversations going on around me. I found that my mind would wander while I was reading, and I’d have to keep bringing my attention back to the page.

However, as I pushed on, something gradually changed. It was a shift of my mindset. Typically, I’m a fast reader, and usually have a couple of books going at any given time. I generally read books that have lots of fast paced dialogue or action. However, The Fellowship of the Ring is just not that kind of book. While many things do happen, they unfold slowly, and the action builds as the book progresses.

In the Shire: At first, I was impatient, waiting to get from plot-point to plot-point, as I remembered them from the movie. Yet, it felt like not much was happening. I’d glance at the page number, thinking, “I can’t believe they still haven’t left the Shire!” Part of what gives The Fellowship its slow pace is that each scene is crammed with an incredible amount of detail: physical detail—how the building looked, what was on the dinner table, what the weather was like; historical detail— who the characters are, how they are related, what this event’s significance is in the scheme of things; and, character detail—what each character said, did, or thought. The result is an amazingly vivid book that, once I allowed myself to slow down and enjoy the ride, began to come to life.

Awesome quote, describing Gandalf’s fireworks at Bilbo’s party:

There were rockets like a flight of scintillating birds singing with sweet voices. There were green trees with trunks of dark smoke: their leaves opened like a whole spring unfolding in a moment, and their shining branches dropped glowing flowers down upon the astonished hobbits, disappearing with a sweet scent just before they touched their upturned faces.

I loved learning things about the hobbits, like Sam’s impulsive and adventuresome nature. The beautiful interlude with Tom Bombadil and Goldberry was an unexpected surprise, since (inevitably) I kept comparing the book with the movie.

At The Prancing Pony, where they meet Strider (Aragorn): About halfway through the book, I realized what the experience of reading The Fellowship of the Rings was like for me. To use a food analogy, this was the literary equivalent of a “slow food” dinner. One where I needed to savor the words, the descriptions, and the songs. The point was not to get to the book’s climax, but savor the journey. This isn’t always a natural state for a goal-oriented person like me. Yet, even the songs (which I tend to skim over in most books) became enjoyable. I once had a lit professor tell us to read things like sermons and poetry out loud since they were written to be heard. So, in an effort to get into the swing of things with the songs in The Fellowship, I’d sing them to myself. (Greensleeves, Amazing Grace, and Scarborough Fair worked especially well!) This made a vast difference in my enjoyment of them.

Rivendell, at the Council of Elrond: This was my favorite part of the book! While it wasn’t the book’s climax, it really felt like the book comes together here. It’s funny, because often we talk about how a book needs to “show not tell”, yet to me I was so excited to get everyone’s story. It was like fitting a puzzle together, where before you only have a few of the (hobbit) pieces. Part of it the reason this “telling not showing” works is because the dramatic tension has been built slowly. The hobbits go through so much to finally get to Rivendell, and Frodo is so relieved, thinking that his adventure is near its conclusion. Yet, I (the reader) know that all this changes here at the Council. Frodo’s journey is just begun. The path for the rest of the trilogy is set down at this point and we get to see what must happen —the ring must be detroyed, the people of Gondor must be aided, Sauron must be defeated— and get to hear from the key players (the hobbits, men, elves, dwarves, and wizards).

Moria and Lothlórien: For me, this part of the book became more about the big events. The tragedy in the mines and meeting Galadriel were parts of the story which I had been dreading and anticipating (as the case may be). However, with both these sections, again Tolkien’s vivid writing make them wonderful. The “doom, doom doom” drumbeats of the orcs foreshadow what eventually happens in the mines as well as adding an auditory layer to the scenes in the mine. The unreal beauty of Lothlorien and Galadriel are such a contrast following the events in Moria.

Awesome quote #2, when Frodo asks Galadriel to take the ring:

‘In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!’

She lifted up her hand and from the ring that she wore there issued a great light that illumined her alone and left all else dark. she stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful.

*chills*

The Breaking of the Fellowship: This part felt mostly like a set up to The Two Towers. I read about the events of Boromir and Frodo, and Frodo’s decision to break up the group with anticipation for the next part of the adventure. By now, I knew I was in it for the rest of the story. I will be definitely be finishing the rest of The Lord of the Rings.

It’s impossible to ignore the movies’ impact on my reading experience. While the movies gave me some very clear referential images, and helped me in understanding some of the more complicated historical relationships, I sort of regretted that I had seen the LotR movies first. I wonder what it would have been like to experience Middle Earth for the first time solely through JRR Tolkien’s words. (That being said, though, you know what I’ll be watching this weekend.)

I don’t usually grade my books at my place, but from about halfway through the book it was clear that The Fellowship of the Ring was a “10″ for me. Not because of its classic status, but because of Tolkien’s success in creating the incredibly ambitious world of Middle Earth. The magnitude of his scope is breath-taking, and once I allowed myself to slow down and enjoy the ride, I was rewarded with a truly memorable reading experience.

Thanks, Thea and Ana for daring me to take on The Fellowship of the Ring. I know I wouldn’t have read it without the extra little push.

__________

And thank you, Renee for saying yes, to the dare! And we are delighted that you enjoyed the book!

Next on the Guest Dare: Jeff one of the folks from Alert Nerd, reads a Romance Novel: The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

Until next month!

Title: The Left Hand of Darkness

Author: Ursula K. LeGuin

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Publisher: Ace (US) / Orbit (UK)
Publication Date: 1969 (US) / November 2009 (UK)
Hardcover: 272 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel

How did I get this book: Review copy from the publisher (Orbit UK)

Why did I read this book: The Left Hand of Darkness is a book that I started and attempted to read in high school – but it’s one of those books that I’d never finished. So, when I received a copy in the mail courtesy of Orbit to celebrate the book’s 40th anniversary, I decided that there was no better time to dive in and finally finish this classic science fiction novel.

Summary: (from Orbit UK)
Genly Ai is a diplomat of sorts, sent to observe the inhabitants of the snowbound planet of Winter. But the isolated, androgynous people are suspicious of this strange, single-gendered visitor. Tucked away in a remote corner of the universe, they have no knowledge of space travel or of life beyond their own world. So, bringing news of a vast coalition of planets they are invited to join, he is met with fear, mistrust and disbelief.

But also something more. For Genly Ai, who sees himself as a bringer of the truth, it is a bittersweet irony that he will discover truths about himself and, in the snow-shrouded strangeness of Winter, find both love and tragedy…

Review:

Genly Ai, an Envoy of the federation of human worlds called the Ekumen, documents his experiences on the cold, alien world of Winter (or “Gethen” to the local people) in The Left Hand of Darkness. For the first two years of his mission in the kingdom of Karhide, Ai is met with suspicion, disbelief, and overwhelming fear. The people of Gethen are not only mistrusting of what they perceive of as tall tales of ships that fly and worlds beyond their own, but they are also nervous as to Ai’s physiology too. Every person on Gethen is an androgyne, without an assigned gender save for once a month when they enter kemmer (in a hormonal cycle similar to a female’s monthly period) – and in kemmer, a Gethenian can assume either the female or male gender at complete random (i.e. someone who was a female one month can be a male in the next monthly kemmering). Genly Ai, with his single, permanent male sexuality is branded as a “pervert,” or an anomaly. On the most basic, fundamental level, neither the people of Gethen nor Ai can understand each other.

When the King of Karhide brands his advisor Estraven, the person who has been introducing Ai to Karhide society, as a traitor, Ai’s diplomatic mission is in serious jeopardy. Bitterly unsuccessful in convincing Karhide to open their world to Ekumen’s benevolent mission, Ai turns to the more bureaucratic nation to the north, called Orgoreyn. There, he meets once again with Estraven, and once again is rejected and met with resistance by the corrupt, ambitious Orgoreyn leaders. When Ai is betrayed and thrown into an Orgoreyn prison camp, however, he is rescued by Estraven – who, against all odds, believes in Ai’s message about worlds and technology beyond the starry void. Together, Estraven and Ai travel across the Gobrin Ice (a vast glacier of frozen cold) to reach Karhide once more, so that Ai can try yet again to convince the kingdom to join Ekumen. Along the way, Ai finally learns to trust and to see the Gethen people, through Estraven, for who – and what – they really are.

Reading The Left Hand of Darkness forty years after its publication is an enlightening experience. There is no denying that this is an important, seminal work of fiction – especially in the science fiction arena, as it challenges human notions of gender, gender roles, and sex. What happens when sex is completely removed from the equation? In a world where gender is a fluid, ever-changing feature, where prescribed gender roles do not exist, what remains? We struggle with Genly Ai as he attempts to understand how Gethenians are both male and female at the same time, just as we struggle with Estraven as s/he tries to understand Ai and his Ekumen ways. It’s almost impossible to truly review this book without delving into some in-depth essay – such is how incredible, how much of a paradigm shift The Left Hand of Darkness is to a reader’s mindframe. From a pure literary standpoint, the novel is written beautifully (if somewhat confusing and requires a lot of its readers), with a deceptively straightforward plot. Interspersed throughout the main storyline (which alternates between Ai and Estraven’s perspectives) are other stories: tales from Gethen myth and field records from Ai’s predecessor. Each tale and each analysis provides invaluable insight to the novel, adding another layer of color to an incredibly well-researched and well-developed world. There are fireside tales about doomed lovers and future-seers, and there are postulations about the origins of the Gethenians and human genetic experimentation. The sheer scope of ideas that The Left Hand of Darkness encompasses is…mind-boggling.

That said, The Left Hand of Darkness is not an easy book to read. Ms. LeGuin’s prose is descriptive and graceful, but requires a high level of concentration and memory to understand and keep straight the different peoples and customs throughout. At less than 300 pages, The Left Hand of Darkness is nevertheless full to the brim with challenging ideas, themes, and concepts – not only is gender examined at length, but so too are political systems, religion, and the facets of human nature itself. This is a challenging book, and one that could spark a number of essays and in-depth analyses. It might not be sensational or easy to pick up and read in a single sitting (because, let’s face it – there is a LOT to digest here) – but that’s not a bad thing. Some books are meant to be savored, over time, in doses.

The Left Hand of Darkness is the kind of book that can only get better upon a second, third, fifteenth, reading. It’s a product of its time (published in the same year the Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon), but more impressively, it stands the test of time. The Left Hand of Darkness is just as important – if not more important – today as it was in 1969. Revolutionary, insightful, and thought-provoking, this remains a classic novel in the SF canon for good reason. This is a novel to be read, cherished, discussed, and dissected by all.

Notable Quotes/Parts: You can read full excerpts of Chapters 9 & 10 online at Ursula K. LeGuin’s website, HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Now, a bit about the 40th anniversary edition of the book. This edition of The Left Hand of Darkness is probably the ONE to buy – it includes an insightful foreword from Ursula LeGuin, the Gethenian calendar and clock, a Karhidish glossary and songs from the domain of Estre, the related short story “Coming of Age in Karhide,” and maps of Gethen itself. If you’re a sucker for extras – as I certainly am – this is the edition for you.

Verdict: If you haven’t read it, you should. If you have read it, you should read it again. This Hugo and Nebula award winning novel is an incredible feat of storytelling; it is a classic.

Rating: 10 – A Classic. Could it be any other way?

Reading Next: Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding

Today we bring you the latest installment in our new feature, “What She Said…” in which we both review books that the other has already read and reviewed. The idea arose because of the dilemma that if one of us reads and reviews a book, the other can’t really post again about it, right? WRONG! Hence, “What She Said…” was born. For those books that we REALLY want to read after the other has reviewed – and gushed – about it.

For today’s post, we take on Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier, and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
Roc (US)/Tor (UK), November 2008, Hardcover 416 pages

Original Review November 2008
Original Rating: 9 Damn Near Perfection

What Thea Said:

There are very few books that I have read this year that have left me dreading each turn of the page–not out of fear or distaste with the writing, but out of a passion to keep reading the book. Out of the knowledge that once the last page turns, that inevitable ache of loneliness will settle in–because the book is just that damn good.

Such is Heir to Sevenwaters.

This is a beautiful tale of family, courage, and–most importantly of all–love. I finished this book and was urged to flip back to the beginning just to read it again. I can only hope that Ms. Marillier plans on revisiting Sevenwaters again. And hopefully very, very soon.

What Ana Says: Oh my sweet baby Jesus – this book is made of awesome. Thea was absolutely right about it, this is the sort of book I love to read with its wonderful, perfect blend of Fantasy and Romance. Under Juliet Marillier’s expert writing, I am nothing but a puppet having my heart’s strings pulled. I laughed, I cried, I sighed more times than I can count. At one point, I thought I was going to drown in my own tears only to be rescued a few pages later by a scene that put a huge smile in my face. And this, THIS is what makes her books so damn good, the ability that this woman has to write amazingly emotional, romantic stories.

As with Daughter of the Forest, the author takes her sweet time with the setting of her story. It is not until way over page 100 that the plot gets moving but it doesn’t matter. Because the first 100 pages are the insight into the lives of the characters that you need in order to care: this is where you learn everything about Clodagh, the narrator of the story.

About her dedication to her family and to her family’s stronghold, Sevenwaters. About the family’s connection to the Good Folk who inhabit the forest around Sevenwaters. About how important is this moment in time, when her mother is pregnant once again, at a dangerous age, in the hope of giving birth to a son, who will be Heir to Sevenwaters. Everything is building up to that moment and it is a though things are suspended in time, waiting to see what is going to happen. Her father for example, has to deal with political complications stemming from Clodagh’s sister marriage but can’t concentrate on the matter. There are also visitors staying at Sevenwaters including the current Heir, Johnny and his band of warriors. Amongst them, there is one man who might be Clodagh’s sweetheart and his best friend, Cathal who is rude and distant.

This suspense affects Clodagh as well, who is in charge of the house, doing what she does best: organising the day to day life of Sevenwaters. Because they don’t know if the mother or the baby will survive, Clodagh has to put away plans to maybe one day get married until further notice. Then the baby is born and to everyone’s relief both mother and child, a boy, are well. Then something strange happens. One day Clodagh is taking care of her little brother when Cathal, mysterious, obnoxious Cathal, shows up at her bedroom to say goodbye and kisses her. When she is back inside the room the unthinkable has happened: the baby is gone and in his place, a changeling was left, a baby made of twigs and leaves. With Cathal gone at the same time, suspicions fall on him and on the possibility that the kidnapping was carried out for political reasons. No one thinks that there might a different explanation; expect for Clodagh who is the only one that can hear the changeling baby’s cries. She is convinced that this is not a mere kidnapping and that her brother’s survival is connected to the changeling’s survival; and because she is the only one that can see that he is alive, she is the one that has to make sure that he remains so, because no one will believe her. She is sure an exchange needs to be made soon and she takes the changeling baby in a journey to the Otherworld. She knows that the journey is full of dangers and she might not survive but on the way there, she is joined by Cathal who offers his help. And this is only the beginning.

After those first pages, I was completely INVESTED in Clodagh’s story. Understanding her need to save her brother AND the changeling’s life; compassionately feeling her frustration that one will believe her and her relief when Cathal can too, hear the baby.

All of Juliet Marillier’s protagonists are women, quietly strong and capable of sacrifices and Clodagh is no different. She has a capacity for compassion towards the baby made of twigs and faith towards a man who at first comes across as undeserving and these two traits, compassion and faith are what keep her going, fuelling this amazing woman ‘s actions.

And then there is Cathal. I can not dwell too much on him because I might spoil part of his mystery but let me just say that Cathal is one of those characters who grow on you little by little, as layer upon layer is disclosed to the reader and to Clodagh. But once you see who he is and how much he cares for Clodagh (like in this one scene, when he thinks she is gone and when he realises she is safe, he does something that is completely, totally aw-worthy, sigh-inducing and heart-warming) he is revealed as a Hero of the highest calibre.

Even if I don’t take into consideration the several aspects that make this book an excellent read: the lovely writing, the fantastic elements of Irish folklore, the politics involving the different chieftains around Sevenwaters, and concentrate only in the story, at its purest form and on the characters, it would be enough to put this in my keeper shelf.

There are several twists and turns, revelations and surprises to the point where by the end, the book you find yourself reading is not the book you thought you were when you first started. It also happens that the Fantasy elements are of the variety I most like: there is a Quest (a There and Back journey) with dangerous, scary threats; High Sacrifices; a trickster that needs to be tricked and tasks to perform. But in the end, this is a book about fighting for one’s True Love and Clodagh and Cathal’s story is one of the best love stories I ever read: full of loyalty and passion.

After reading three books by this author, I can appreciate Thea’s devotion to her books and I have now joined the ranks of devoted Marillier’s fans. Heir to Sevenwaters granted me that perfect reading experience and put me on a Book High. This is definitely a M.F.A. (Made For Ana) book and one that I wholeheartedly recommend to Fantasy and Romance readers alike.

Rating: I will see Thea’s 9 and raise it to a 10. This book, it was a perfect read for me.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Daw (US)/Gollancz (UK), March 2007 (US)/September 2007 (UK), Hardcover 662 pages

Original Review May 2009
Original Rating: 10 and I quote: “A solid, perfect 10 which just set the bar higher for everything I read henceforth”

What Ana Said:

If I had any talent for poetry I would write an Ode. If I could compose songs, I would make one for the lute and call it “The name of the Wind knocked my socks off”. But I don’t. As it stands, the ONLY thing I can do to convey how much I love this book, is to write this review, hoping against hope that it will be enough, and say that whenever Patrick Rothfuss takes Kvothe next, I will follow, blindly and willingly.

And I will finish by saying the following: I don’t want to run into any rushed declarations but The Name of the Wind may well be the best book I read since The Book Smugglers’ inception.

What Thea Says:

This installment of What She Said is a tall order – both of the books that Ana and I read were among our favorite reads of 2008 and 2009. In my case, with The Name of the Wind, there’s a little history. See, I bought my copy back in early 2008. I even told Ana about the book. We were SUPPOSED to do a joint review of the book. But then, one day in March, I start getting these emails from Ana, in which she is squeeing over the wonder that is The Name of the Wind! (That hussy, she betrayed me! She and my book were cheating on me!) And wouldn’t you know it – she absolutely loved it. LOVED IT. I’m talking drooling, crying, cradling it near her body when she sleeps at night, obsessed with it. And it is partially out of this situation that “What She Said” was born – because Ana loved this book so much, and I was desperate to read it and review it too.

THUS, “What She Said” was created. And now, seven months later, I finally had the opportunity to read The Name of the Wind…

And I finally see what all the fuss is about – because The Name of the Wind is one damn fine novel. So far as first novels go (not only as the first novel in a fantasy series, but as a debut novel, mind you), The Name of the Wind is undeniably, absolutely, positively brilliant.

This is the story of the innkeeper Kote – Kvothe that was. This is the story of the fabled, revered and simultaneously feared Kingkiller; a man who has done incredible things in his life, and still is not yet thirty years old. He has stolen princesses, fought demons, and slayed dragons. He has defied Kings, and mastered magic and music alike. He is A Hero. The Name of the Wind tells Kvothe’s story as he shares it with Chronicler, the finest story recorder in the land. Though Kote is hesitant to tell his long story, he agrees to let Chronicler transcribe it over the course of three days – The Name of the Wind is the first day.

What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said? Mr. Rothfuss’s debut effort is a gorgeously work, written in rich, almost musical prose. This is a story to be savored, as it unfolds slowly, following Kvote’s life as a happy child in a troupe of legendary performers, to wretched, impoverished life on the streets after the murder of his family. It is an epic Hero’s Journey, encompassing a childhood full of love and cruelty alike, as Kvothe grows into a brilliant young man. Kvothe is perhaps too good to be true – he’s literally a genius as well as a master musician and an unparalleled talent with sympathy and his other university studies (“sympathy” being the arcanists’ magic in this world). He’s also charismatic, charming, and, judging from the ladies’ reactions, a looker too. He could easily have been an exhaustingly Mary Sue as a character, but he wasn’t, thanks to Mr. Rothfuss’s sure hand. Kvothe’s voice is that of a true performer, and he – through Mr. Rothfuss – knows how to tell a story. A dash of healthy arrogance throughout, Kvothe keeps Chronicler and Bast enthralled as he pours his heart out, and all his impressive accomplishments seem the results of a carefully constructed reputation as well as the fruit of very concentrated efforts. In short, Kvothe isn’t pretentious. I loved him and his story.

To this accomplishment, add the fact that the other characters were solid all around, if a tad predictable and less developed than Kvothe (but, being honest, this is Kvothe’s story, and he is the one we care the most for as readers). The world building, complete with an entirely new mythology and opposing religions was awesome, on a re-interpretive level reminiscent of Jacqueline Carey’s alternate world with the stories of Elua and his companions. The University too was a fabulous new location, where Kvothe learns his magical craft (though perhaps too much time is spent on his monetary woes and inability to enter the mysterious archives). I also loved how Mr. Rothfuss subverts fantasy tropes subtly – taking familiar settings and characters, and spinning them. The entire novel is, in fact, a tale in a tavern. He takes the tavern trope, the tales within a tale, the grand adventure, the Great Hero and makes them all his – as Ana would say, he “takes the mick out of them.”

In terms of shortcomings, there were only a sparse few – my biggest complaint (if you could call it that), is that not much happens in the story. While Kvothe goes through a lot, this first novel barely scratches the surface of Kvothe’s legacy. The promise made at the beginning of the book with Kvothe’s adventures and accomplishments are barely seen in this novel – in a way, it’s a whole lot of set up for action that hasn’t yet come. Also, as far as stories go, Kvothe’s tale is surprisingly mundane, taking a day to day look at his young life. While most fantasy novels that I’ve read spend some time on childhood and move on, jumping even, to the hero’s adult life, Mr. Rothfuss takes his time and shows everything – which is both admirable and infuriating. The way that the trilogy is set up, book 2 is where the great action, where the real meat and potatoes of the story comes in. The Name of the Wind is an amuse bouche, tantalizing the tastebuds with the promise of more to come…and I, along with the rest of fantasy-fandom, am hungry.

This is the greatest strength and curse for Mr. Rothfuss – how damn good this debut novel was, because now we are ravenous for more. I cannot wait to read The Wise Man’s Fear. I need to know why Kvothe became Kote, the reason for the lines on his face and his faded vibrance and lost magic. I want to know what these demon spider creatures are that are invading the land.

I cannot wait.

Rating: 9 – Damn Near Perfection – and it can only get better from here…

Reading Next on What She Said:

Ana: Resenting the Hero by Moira J. Moore

Thea: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Never Let Me Go

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Literary Fiction

Publisher: Faber and Faber (UK) / Vintage (US)
Publication Date: March 2005 (UK) / March 2006 (US)
Paperback: 304 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel.

How did I get this book: Bought.

Why did I read this book: I’ve read Mr. Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day and loved it, but since have not returned to his literary pasture. I picked up Never Let Me Go on a whim in the bookstore, craving a meaty, substantive, speculative fiction read, and I hoped that this book would deliver. Plus, I’m shallow in that I saw the cover and the catchy title, and was instantly intrigued.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Remains of the Day comes a devastating new novel of innocence, knowledge, and loss. As children Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were.

Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special–and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together.

Review:

Kathy H. is a thirty-year old carer and a graduate from a secluded, elite academy called Hailsham. In an alternate 1990s England, Kathy prepares herself for the next stage of her life as a donor and reminisces about her past as a student and her childhood friends Ruth and Tommy. Written in a deceptively direct and uncomplicated narrative, Mr. Ishiguro writes a haunting, elegiac tale about the meaning and mystery of life. The subject matter of the novel and plot is straightforward, as bluntly simply as Kathy’s narration: three young friends grow up in an idyllic school in the English countryside, where they are encouraged to create works of art while they learn about the world and their place in it. The book is split into three different parts, each representing a stage in Kathy’s life. Part one begins with her time as a student at Hailsham, where she befriends Ruth and Tommy, and part two follows these three friends as they graduate and move to The Cottages to live with other alumni from similar academies across the country. In part three, Kathy has become a carer, and she, Ruth and Tommy cross paths once more. All this reminiscing leads up to an ultimate, haunting fourth act (Kathy’s transition from a carer to a donor), but it is one that we do not read on the page. As Kathy’s memories and the truth about her childhood coalesce into a larger, sharper picture, Never Let Me Go becomes a heartbreaking fictional memoir that asks resounding questions about the nature of humanity, and the depths of the human soul.

The only other book I have read by Mr. Ishiguro is his Booker Prize winning novel The Remains of the Day, in which a butler named Stevens blindly and proudly absorbs himself in his profession, to the extent that he alienates the woman he loves, his father, and is blind even to the tendencies of his Nazi sympathizing employer. In Mr. Ishiguro’s sixth novel, Never Let Me Go, he explores similar territory with his characters that are so consumed by the subtext and minutia of their cliques and daily lives that they never notice the larger picture – but the readers do. And what an ominous picture it is.

Never Let Me Go is a book about characters, but it also treads into the realm of dystopian speculative/science fiction. I won’t spoil exactly HOW this novel falls under the SFF umbrella (even though it becomes suspect from even a few chapters in); suffice to say that it does, and Never Let Me Go does it in the tradition of Margaret Atwood, Cormac McCarthy – but sans any literary pretentiousness. And, like the best works of the dystopian cannon, the strength of the novel lies not just in some catchy premise or flashy plot techniques, but rather in the strength of its characters. This isn’t M. Night Shyamalan, where the impact of the story relies on one huge twist; rather, the beauty of Mr. Ishiguro’s work is in quiet revelation and thought-provoking subtext.

As such, Never Let Me Go is a character driven novel. Built entirely on the first person narrated memories of Kathy, this is a book that is breathtaking in its subtlety. Each of the three friends are gorgeously drawn in Kathy’s memories and Mr. Ishiguro’s direct prose. Ruth, the forceful, outgoing ringleader of the girls at Hailsham becomes Kathy’s best friend, and their relationship is stretched and tested as they grow up. Tommy is an outsider at the academy with his fiery temper and unpredictable tantrums, but he too becomes Kathy’s good friend and confidante, as she reaches out to him. Kathy herself is revealed to be the quiet member of the group, not as strangely angry as Tommy nor a leader like Ruth, but keenly observant. Kathy’s entire narrative is constantly preoccupied with the small subtleties of her friendship with the domineering Ruth, her social standing at Hailsham, and her initial worry for Tommy. At first, it seems that this novel is much ado about nothing, taking place entirely in Kathy’s mind with her myriad perceptions of the nuanced power politics of female cliques. But as Kathy’s narrative progresses and the characters gain more color and the backdrop of Kathy’s world comes into focus, significant, impossible to ignore questions about the nature of the human soul are raised. Are Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy’s interactions “normal”? Why wouldn’t anyone in their situation simply try to run away – or is it simply human nature to accept what limitations and rules you are taught from birth? There are many interpretations possible with this novel, which is part of its beauty. Add to this the sparse, forthright and unconsciously gorgeous writing of Kazuo Ishiguro, and it’s easy to see why this novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Never Let Me Go is easily one of the finest novels I’ve read this year, of any genre. Even better, in my opinion, than The Remains of the Day. This is what reading is all about.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

My name is Kathy H. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’ve been a carer now for over eleven years. That sounds long enough, I know, but actually they want me to go on for another eight months, until the end of this year. That’ll make it almost exactly twelve years. Now I know my being a carer so long isn’t necessarily because they think I’m fantastic at what I do. There are some really good carers who’ve been told to stop after just two or three years. And I can think of one carer at least who went on for all of fourteen years despite being a complete waste of space. So I’m not trying to boast. But then I do know for a fact they’ve been pleased with my work, and by and large, I have too. My donors have always tended to do much better than expected. Their recovery times have been impressive, and hardly any of them have been classified as “agitated,” even before fourth donation. Okay, maybe I am boasting now. But it means a lot to me, being able to do my work well, especially that bit about my donors staying “calm.” I’ve developed a kind of instinct around donors. I know when to hang around and comfort them, when to leave them to themselves; when to listen to everything they have to say, and when just to shrug and tell them to snap out of it.

Anyway, I’m not making any big claims for myself. I know carers, working now, who are just as good and don’t get half the credit. If you’re one of them, I can understand how you might get resentful—about my bedsit, my car, above all, the way I get to pick and choose who I look after. And I’m a Hailsham student—which is enough by itself sometimes to get people’s backs up. Kathy H., they say, she gets to pick and choose, and she always chooses her own kind: people from Hailsham, or one of the other privileged estates. No wonder she has a great record. I’ve heard it said enough, so I’m sure you’ve heard it plenty more, and maybe there’s something in it. But I’m not the first to be allowed to pick and choose, and I doubt if I’ll be the last. And anyway, I’ve done my share of looking after donors brought up in every kind of place. By the time I finish, remember, I’ll have done twelve years of this, and it’s only for the last six they’ve let me choose.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Never Let Me Go is currently being adapted to film. And, since it’s a bigger UK movie, it’s predictably starring Keira Knightly as Ruth *gags* In the protagonist role of Kathy is Carey Mulligan, from Public Enemies, and Tommy is portrayed by Andrew Garfield, from Lions From Lambs. Alex Garland, whose resume includes The Beach, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and the upcoming movie adaptation of Halo, pens the screenplay. And, at the helm as director is Mark Romaneck, whose work mostly comprises music videos and the sole movie One Hour Photo…

The movie has already begun filming, with a release date of 2010. I’m more than a little iffy about the whole thing. Alex Garland’s screenplays – while good, action-packed fun – lack the subtlety and emotional gravitas that makes Never Let Me Go such a beautiful book, and while One Hour Photo was a decent film, it doesn’t quite convince me of Mark Romaneck’s directorial skills.

I strongly urge everyone to read the book, PLEASE, before seeing the movie.

Verdict: I loved Never Let Me Go. It’s a book that resonates long after you finish it, and makes you remember why you fell in love with reading in the first place. Absolutely recommended.

Rating: 10 – Perfection

Reading Next: On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

Title: Ark

Author: Stephen Baxter

Genre: Science Fiction, Post-Apocalypse

Publisher: Gollancz (UK)
Publication Date: August 2009
Trade Paperback: 416 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 2 in a duology, following Flood.

Why did I read this book: Despite a slow start and a strange sense of complete detachment, I ended up loving Stephen Baxter’s Flood, the first book in this apocalyptic duology. I loved it so much, in fact, that it is on my shortlist of favorite books of 2009. So, when I found out that Ark was being released in the UK this August, I was thrilled – and immediately begged Ana to procure me a copy. And she did. Good Ana. Gooooooood Ana.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
As the waters rose in FLOOD, high in the Colorado mountains the US government was building an ark. Not an ark to ride the waves but an ark that would take a select few hundred people out into space to start a new future for mankind. Sent out into deep space on an epic journey centuries, generations of crew members carry the hope of a new beginning on a new, incredibly distant, planet. But as the decades pass knowledge and purpose is lost and division and madness grows. And back on earth life, and man, find a new way. This is the epic sequel to the acclaimed FLOOD; a stirring tale of what mankind will do to survive and the perfect introduction for new readers to one of SF’s greatest tropes; the generation ship. Written by one of the most significant SF writers of the last 30 years, a man considered to be the heir of Arthur C. Clarke as a writer with a unique ability to popularize science and science fiction for the largest possible audience FLOOD and ARK together form a landmark in modern SF.

Review:

I have discovered a new “autobuy” author this year, and Stephen Baxter is his name. I cannot quite explain what it is about his writing that simply works for me. Objectively, I can see that his work is rather verbose and bleak, and at times very dense which can put off many readers. In fact, this often puts me off many authors. But there’s something about his books that hit all the right buttons for me. Perhaps it’s the scope of his writing, blending human elements with the harder elements of science fiction. Perhaps it’s the cool – almost cruel – impassivity he shows his protagonists. Perhaps it’s some mystical, perfect blend of the two that I find irresistible. The point is, I have become a full-fledged fan. Ark, along with Flood easily makes the shortlist of two of my favorite novels of 2009.

Overlapping and following the events of Flood, the first book in this duology, Ark tells the story of the birth and culmination of a top secret project to send a genetically diverse, brilliant group of young humans away from the flooded and dying Earth, to travel that final frontier of space – to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before. In a long-shot hope to save the human race and rebuild on an as of yet unknown planet, Ark is the story of how the Ark One was conceived, how it left Earth, and the fate of those on board. While Flood is a dramatic apocalypse novel documenting the systematic flooding and the end of the world by water as a subterranean sea reservoir covered all the land on the face of the planet, Ark is a science fiction story about humanity’s last ditch effort to prevail. Following two main characters, Grace, a dejected, tired and hopeless woman whom readers will remember from Flood, and Holle, groomed since childhood for a chance to get on Ark One, Ark is a visceral, intelligent, tragic, and ultimately hopeful novel about the end of the world, and how humanity endures.

As with Flood, and as I suspect might be indicative of all Stephen Baxter’s work, Ark is a story with an incredible sense of scale and scope. Beginning with a six-year old Holle who makes it to the Colorado Rockies with her father in the year 2025, Ark spans fifty-six nominal years and a distance of over one-hundred light years, to the fate of the remaining members on the Ark in 2081. When a small group of far-sighted and very wealthy men move to Denver as the last stronghold of high land in a flooded America and water-logged world, they learn that the water will not stop rising and decide they have three options for survival: build habitable environments on Earth that will thrive beneath the ever-rising global ocean; build habitable environments on Earth that will survive afloat on the ever-rising global ocean; or leave Earth entirely for a new world. And, when some members (Nathan Lammockson, as you may remember from Flood) pursue the Earth-bound options, a smaller contingent begins diligent work on building a last-ditch honest to goodness spaceship, training children in physics, astronomy, and highly technical and theoretical coursework, while attempting to scan the skies for likely candidates for Earth II. The Ark has a lot working against it – predictions of the exponential water rise say the project must launch by 2041, leaving the scientists and later military less than fifteen years to not only accomplish all this building, but also to create a superluminal warp drive (a way to travel faster than the speed of light, which actually has scientific merit by the use of a “warp bubble,” or Alcubierre Drive) in order to reach a suitable distant planet in the first place. From these technical limitations, Ark follows the actual launch of Ark One, and its journey through space, and all that which befalls the humans on board – encompassing political strong-arming, a revolution, and hopes crushed and reignited.

But beyond the science and technicalities – which are wonderful, informative, and completely believable – Ark is a story about characters. Holle, who has been in the candidate program for the Ark since her childhood, a girl who has studied astrophysics since the ripe age of twelve and military survival protocol at the same time, is our main protagonist. We know Holle intimately from her time as a child and young woman on Earth; her hopes to get on the Ark, her fears that she or some of her fellow candidates might not make it, and the pain of having to leave her father behind. We also see her grow as a character, from a young hopeful idealist to a tough woman who will do what is necessary to keep the people on Ark One, and thereby humanity’s chances for survival, alive. It’s also the story of Grace, who is put on the Ark due to Lily (protagonist of Flood)’s maneuvering and manipulation. Grace too grows from a shell of a woman who cares for nothing, to a loving mother and invaluable member of the Ark crew in their many cold years in transit. Nothing is simple or cookie-cutter here; there is love and friendship, but also bitterness, backstabbing, and passion, all in a roil of human emotion that is compelling and genuine. Stuck on a spaceship for decades, with children born in transit who have never seen Earth or the sunlight who are resentful of the elders’ uncompromising command, things aboard the Ark are messy and destructive. And when they finally reach their destination, other tough decisions must be made.

I loved this book. I loved this book. I’m not exactly sure how else to say it. From the compelling characters, to the science fiction elements, to the balance of hope and despair in equal measure, I loved Ark. I loved Holle and Grace’s narrative, just as I loved the detailed and genuine secondary characters both on the Ark and back on Earth, especially the character of Kelly (ruthless, ambitious leader of the ship), Venus (astronomer and theoretician), and the broken Zane. I loved the hard science aspect, with the development of the warp bubble, the day to day life on the ship, the observations of other star systems and viable candidates for a new home. I loved the writing, the blend of physics, hard science fiction, and compelling plot lines. I loved the emotional turmoil, the self-destructive nature of humanity, and the messiness of survival.

Simply put: I loved this book.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

Grace had spent most of her life on the road with Walker City, fifteen years walking with her home on her back, like a snail or a crab. The time before that, when she was younger than five years old and a pampered prisoner of her father’s family in Saudi, was a blur, unreal, as were the years she had most recently spent as another kind of prisoner on Nathan’s liner. Now here she was yet again passed from one stranger’s hands to another.

Only the walking was real, she sometimes thought. Past, future, the vast cataclysm humanity was suffering – none of it mattered if all you could actually do in the world was put one foot in front of another, day after day, kilometre after kilometre. She could just walk away now. Walk off with nothing but the clothes on her back, just as it had been with Walker City. But she had her baby growing inside her, a baby she hadn’t wanted by a ‘husband’ she loathed, but hers nonetheless. She didn’t want to manage the pregnancy on her own.

Gordo said, “They’re lifting.”

The wind from the rotors battered Grace’s face. Lily Brooke leaned out of the chopper and stared down at Grace. She mouthed what looked like, “Forgive me.” Then Thandie pulled her back into the machine, and the bird lifted smoothly.

“Are you OK?”

Grace was angry with herself for showing weakness, angry at Lily for her manipulation and abandonment. She snapped, “What do you think?”

Gordo shrugged. “They left you behind to give you a shot at getting into Ark One. A Chance of a better life than any of them face now, especillay if they’re right that their boat has been sunk.”

“I don’t even know what Ark One is.”

“You’ll find out.”

“I’ll never see any of them again.”

“I guess not.”

“Once again I’m alone, with strangers.”

He sighed, pushed back his peaked cap, and scratched his scalp. “So are we all. The whole world is screwed up, kid. At least here we got something to do.” He looked around. The last dust from the chopper was settling now, and the homeless were pushing back to recolonise the space they had cleared, like water pooling in a dip. In a few minutes there would be no sign that a chopper had landed here at all. “Well, that’s that. Come on, let’s get you out of here.” He released her arm and set off back through the town, towards the waiting cars.

She followed, having no choice.

Additional Thoughts: Stephen Baxter is the author of a number of science fiction novels, including The Time Ships, the Hugo Nominated sequel to H.G. Wells’ classic The Time Machine.

So far, I have bought this and Evolution, and plan on reading both very soon. Are there any other Stephen Baxter – or otherwise wonderful science fiction books – anyone would care to recommend?

Verdict: While Ark might not be the perfect book for everyone, it was the perfect book for me. I loved it from beginning to end, I couldn’t put it down, I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I finished it. With that said, I give it the highest rating possible – and my first and so far only “10 rating” for 2009. Bravo, Mr. Baxter. Bravo.

Rating: 10 – Perfection

Reading next: Triumff by Dan Abnett

Title: Demon Forged

Author: Meljean Brook

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Berkley
Publishing Date: October 6, 2009
Paperback: 432 pages

Stand Alone or series: 5th full length novel in the Guardian series (8th if you count the 3 novelas). The books are written such that one could theoretically read them as stand alone novels, but I would highly recommend reading at least the full-length novels in succession to minimize confusion, and to get a better sense of the overall universe and continuity.This link will take you to our reviews of previous books as well as an interview and articles from the author.

Summary: Four centuries ago, Irena and Alejandro would have succumbed to the need smoldering between them — if a demon and a monstrous bargain hadn’t shattered the possibility of love. Torn apart by shame, Irena avoided Alejandro for centuries — until a vampire’s call for help throws her into his arms again.

Alejandro can control fire, but he’s never been able to control — or quench — the flames between him and Irena. And he knows Irena, hardened by her hatred for demonkind, will never accept that he now works at a demon’s behest. But even as he fights for a second chance, a shocking betrayal and a deadly prophecy shake the foundations of the Guardian universe, and all Hell threatens to break loose…

Why did I read the book: I am a devoted fan of this series. I read every single word written by Meljean Brook and I love all of them. I could have book babies with this series, that’s how much I love it.

Review:

Wow. I don’t even know where to start. This series is SO consistently good, this book is SO amazing (I want to have book babies with it). I feel like screaming from the top of my lungs: WORLD! READ THIS, ENJOY THIS!!!

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Picking up where Demon Bound left off, the Guardians are working on the Prophecy that predicts that Belial will rise whilst at the same time trying to fight the Nephilim and assorted Demons. A few of the Guardians are still trying to come to grips with the news that Michael, the Doyen, is one of the Grigori, half human, half demon, son of Belial himself. As Demon Forged starts, two Guardians, Alejandro and Irena, are in Rome to meet with a vampire called Deacon and help him to get rid of a Nosferatu. They end up finding a nest of the creatures and an entrapped Guardian, Rosalia. They release the woman and destroy the nosferati and take Deacon with them to SI, which end up being a Very Big Mistake. The Nephilim, the Grigori, the vampires and the Guardians are all entangled in the ages long fight between Belial, Anaria and Lucifer for supremacy in hell and the story arc which started in Demon Angel and expanded in Demon Bound, reaches The Point of No Return: now it is only a matter of time (or two more books) until the climax of this fascinating, stupendous story.

Demon Forged is equal parts Romance, equal parts Big Picture plot. Alejandro and Irena’s story is central but completely connected with the overall story arc. We have seen Irena and Alejandro in Demon Bound and we knew that they had a Big History (very much reminiscent of Hugh and Lilith’s story) between them. We also knew that their Gifts are somewhat complementary: she is a Forger, he controls Fire. Or in the words of Alejandro she is a hammer, he is a sword. Irena is also the oldest Guardian after Michael, the Doyen and Alejandro was a much young Guardian who once trained with her. They were attracted to each other from the get go and became friends very soon but something went awry and they drifted apart.

Basically, these two have spent 400 years loving each other but being stuck in a complex web of shame and pride that prevented them from getting together ever since Irena had to strike a bargain to save Alejandro’s life. The one thing that you need to know about Irena is that she is uncompromising when it comes to Demons – shoot first, ask questions later, it’s her motto and that is one of the reasons why the need to strike a bargain with one of them is so abhorrent to her. Plus, the very nature of the bargain was horrible in itself. But ultimately, the mater of the fact is this: neither has fought to keep what they had and centuries went by before they come to realise how much time they lost. But there are undercurrents and they have a strong foundation in which to build their relationship.

It is a constant battle for Alejandro between his need and his will. She is so old as to be set in her ways and the need to change, to adapt, to be more flexible, to be able to see the big picture is paramount to her development as a character and a person. It is only when faced with the hope that maybe her relationship with her Olek (Alejandro in her mother tongue) is not an impossibility anymore that she starts to re-think her reactions. This is really great because one cannot happen without the other. The very fact that Irena opens up to Olek again points to the beginnings of change. It comes from love, it comes from hope, it comes from everything that is happening around her. To remain stale, unchanged by her environment would be unrealistic. Similarly, Olek’s need is ignited by the hope he is given by Irena.

They are SO perfect together. Alejandro is another dreamy hero but Irena, Irena is such an extraordinary female protagonist. I accept that I tend to concentrate a lot on the heroes but this has been changing over the past months and I have to say that Meljean Brook writes some of the best, most empowered, women. Independent, strong, capable, they are all of this and more.

Once again, Meljean Brook awes me with the details she infuses her story with. It is the red shoes that people wear, or the way Olek touches his chin, or how Irena decides which language to speak. For example, when they first started working together, when Irena was training Olek she spoke in Russian and he replied in Spanish. After the Incident with the Bargain, Irena only ever speaks French with him because she has to think before she says anything as French is not her mother tongue. The cadence of their respective accents were so very real too.

I have a lot of respect for an author who respects the reader back. Meljean Brook never has her characters behaving like retards. The stakes are extremely high (we are talking about the fate of the world here, after all) and the author plays accordingly, never backing off. In fact the overall story has an UF feel because of that.

We are also back to the discussion about Fate X Free will, a discussion that has increased tenfold with the addiction of the seer Khavi to their ranks. Every action has a meaning and they fall into place. The fighting sequences were superb and again, I need to point out how visual Meljean Brook can be, it is very easy to picture all of it . I loved the sequence where all Guardians make a stand – I am not saying how and why, but it is kick-ass. With each of the Guardians fighting to the best of their abilities and Gifts lead by no other than Jake. It is great how all characters from previous books have a role to play.

Michael appears quite a lot in Demon Forged and we have a good measure of who he is as we are given more glimpses of his past and what the future holds for him, thanks to Khavi. We also learn who his heroine is and I am glad that it is someone we already know – and for a long time. My heart broke a bit for Michael in this book as he becomes more and more human to my eyes. There is also the beginning of a secondary romance between Deacon and Rosalia – the seed is there, planted and I can’t wait to read their story next in Demon Blood. I predict a LOT of angst, which is one of Meljean Brook’s signatures. She sure likes to beat her characters around.

Ultimately Demon Forged is a well-balanced combination of romance and UF elements which knocked my socks off. I have said this before and I say it again: if you are not reading this series you are totally missing out.

I kept thinking, whilst I read it, that Meljean Brook’s strength lies on her carefully orchestrated writing and characters – the latter being like musicians that are deftly conducted by their maestro. The result is like music to my ears – of the highest caliber.

When all is said and done I can’t think of a single thing that I did not like about Demon Forged. I suppose I could mention that there is some info dump about previous events in the series, but this happened early in the book and it actually helped me to get my bearings again. But this is from a strictly intellectual point of view – emotionally speaking, I was enraptured by the story: I laughed, I cried (a lot, the epilogue made me sob), I was anxious about Alejandro and Irena getting together (Oh, the angst, it slays me), I was nervous about everything to the point where I was actually shaking when the grand finale came. And you better be prepared for it too, I had heard that the ending was major but I had no idea how Big and Twisted it was going be. If you like to read the ending first , I urge you not to, this time.

I will just say this, Demon Forged is to this series what The Empire Strikes Back is to Star Wars – a dark, bleak instalment where Huge Things happen by the end. But when push comes to shove and people are asked which of the Star Wars movie is their favourite, Empire Strikes Back is usually their answer as it is mine. Alejandro and Irena are now my favourite couple in the series and Demon Forged has become not only my favourite Guardian book but also one of my top 3 books of 2009.

Ever since I read Demon Angel, I thought that this series was excellent. With Demon Forged it has just become outstanding. Yes, it is THAT good.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: There are so many that I love. All of the interactions between Alejandro and Irena and between Irena and Taylor; the scenes with Colin and Savi; the scenes with Khavi (hey, I have a new crush) and Michael.

Meljean Brook has a couple of excerpts here and here. They are pretty good.

Verdict: Another fantastic, outstanding entry in my favourite PNR series. Meljean Brook can do no wrong in my book , she always delivers top notch writing, amazing romance and an overall story arc that matters. I wish all books I read would make me react like this. Demon Forged is one of my top 3 reads of 2009.

Rating: 10

Reading next: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Giveaway details:

We are giving away one copy of the book. To enter, leave a comment here telling us which is your favorite character in the series so far. The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada, and will run until Saturday October 3rd at 11:59pm (pacific). One comment per person, please! Multiple entries will be disqualified. Good luck!

It is safe to say that I spend most of my free time reading. I read three to four books every week, sometimes more. I am very careful with what I choose to read which means that most of the books I read, I end up enjoying at least to some degree. But it is rare, extremely rare, to read a book that falls in that category of Books for Life. You know the ones: those that take over your heart and your mind, that even when you are reading you know that you are experiencing something unique, a connection with a story and its characters (that only serial readers can understand); those that you know will remain with you, forever.

I experienced such rapture when I read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss earlier in the year, and to my utter surprise and delight, again a few weeks ago when I finally read The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner.

This series came under my radar only recently when Angie from Angieville started to blog about the books with not a little amount of excitement. From then on, I started to see more and more people talking about them with such fervor that I thought I should give them a try. And, HOLY GUACAMOLE.

I am totally, irrevocably, head over heels in love with this series. I knew I would have to review these books eventually, I had hoped to do so during this YA Month but I also realised that I had a decision to make: I could either review each book in the series separately or I could review the series as whole. The former would naturally lead to spoilers being revealed and since these books cannot, should not be spoiled, I opted for the latter by writing an overall review of the series, spoiler free. This is what I am trying to do here – although I am fully aware that so far, I only managed to basically behave like a fan-girl.

But it cannot be helped. I now completely understand the fervor, the excitement that this series inspire. As I was reading the books, as the pages were being turned I had only one thought in mind: this is why I read. THIS is why I read. THIS IS WHY I READ. And it all comes down to one word: Eugenides.

Gen, Eugenides is a thief. He boasts that he can steal anything. That lands him in the King of Sounis’ prison where he spends a couple of months until he is offered, by the King’s Magus, his freedom but in return he has to steal something that people don’t even think really exists.

This is how the whole thing opens, in The Thief and we are told about this expedition in search of the Gift, by Gen himself, a humorous narrator of this dashing adventure across the neighbouring countries of Sounis, Eddis and Attolia. This person, this ragamuffin, lazy, starved boy – can he really steal anything?

But you see, Gen is extremely clever, a fact which the reader and his companions in the first adventure, come to slowly realise. Close to the end of that book, we learn something that is crucial to the entire series – that Gen is actually cleverer than anyone else. And there is something else too, something that makes him important. But that doesn’t matter to us here and now, because what really matters is how amazing Gen is. By the end of book 1, it is impossible not to like the guy or his “voice”.

Then book 2 starts, and shock of the shocks. Gen is no longer the narrator – the narrative has shifted to third person with Gen’s, the Queen of Eddis’ and the Queen of Attolia’s PoV. At first, it is almost painful to lose Gen’s narration but then somewhere in the middle of the reading it hits you with a certainty:

OF COURSE the narrative has to change.

Because this is a different book. It is still the same story but progress has been made. Because now, the destiny of countries is at stake, war is brewing in the horizon between Attolia, Eddis and Sounis. This is a more sophisticated book, it has political discussion , political intrigue, it discusses the role that the Gods play in the fate of men and nations.

In the beginning of the series, Gen is a boy. A cocky, impetuous, adventurous, conniving boy. When book 2 starts, something terrible happens (did I say shock of the shocks before? Well, this is even more shocking) that shapes the man Eugenides becomes. A man who has now to steal more than a simple object: he is tasked to steal a man, a woman and peace.

The way he does it, takes us back to more twists like in the first book. And we, once again, are surprised by how clever Eugenides is. Even if we expect it by now.

Then book 3 starts. Once again, a shock. The book is entirely from the point of view of a character we never saw before. As the book progresses, the certainty hits once more:

OF COURSE the narrative has to change.

Because this time, this time we KNOW how clever Gen is. But no one else does. Including Costis, the narrator, a member of the Queen of Attolia’s Guard who commits the mistake of underestimating Eugenides. And this is the genius of Megan Whalen Turner because in book 3, we, the readers, are Eugenides’s accomplices. We sit back and wait for the coin to drop for everybody else as it has dropped for us in books 1 and 2. This is about pay-off, about Eugenides stealing respect and a kingdom. And what a story this is.

This is a series of books that have deep meanings, hidden clues throughout the story. Where everything matters from the type of clothes someone wears, to the reason behind a pair of earrings being worn at a particular right time, to the declaration of love that the raising of one’s eyebrow is.

And speaking of love: there is also romance in these books. It starts towards the middle of book 2 and it takes centre stage in book 3. But not in it a blatant way: the romance is subtle, almost private (especially in book 3) and I am not exaggerating when I say it is the most amazing romance I have read of late. It is unexpected and it is unusual. For starters, Eugenides is shorter and younger than the person he loves. But she is everything he ever wanted and he is everything she ever needed. Because of that, their dynamic is simply awesome and there is no other word for it. And what Eugenides is to his lady is aw-worthy at the same time that it is powerful. This is good stuff, plain and simple.

To sum up: I was lost in the world of Attolia and Eddis and I did not want to get away from it. I would be remiss if I didn’t say one last thing: that the female characters in the series are extremely capable, intelligent, strong, and I admired both of then, the two Queens, as different as they were in their personalities, immensely.

If you like unreliable narrators, cons, plot twists, political intrigue, character development, mythology, stories within stories, strong female characters and heart-warming romance and above all, a male protagonist that is all kinds of awesome, you should look no further than this series. It is not a perfect series by any means – there is change in pacing from one book to another, and the first book is clearly for a younger audience than the other two books. This is why, in my opinion, they should be read as a collection of books and not individually. I still love them though, flaws and all.

At the end of book three, Eugenides has stolen: a gift; a man; a woman; peace; a kindgom. He has also stolen my heart.

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I know how cryptic this overview has been and that I did not provide any real details about the story. I still think you should find them out by yourself by reading the books, but if you want to know more you can read these reviews:

Angieville’s: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia

One last word: book 4 in the series, A Conspiracy of Kings is coming out in 2010. It is safe to say it my most anticipated book for 2010 along with The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss.

Now you will have to excuse me, because writing this made me want to read these books all over again.

Title: The Name of the Wind – The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: DAW
Publishing Date: First edition, 2007.
Paperback: 672 pages

Stand Alone or series: book one the Kingkiller Chronicle’ trilogy.

Summary: I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

Why did I read the book: I bought the book months ago because of the awesome reviews it got online. It has been gathering dust in my giant TBR shelf for ages until I recently read The Painted Man by Peter V.Brett, also because of awesome reviews and found it was a good, solid book but not an awe-inspiring one. I then decided to read The Name of the Wind to see how it would compare. And boy, talk about awe-inspiring.

Review:

A man walks into an inn – let’s call it the Waystone Inn – and he sees its owner behind the bar – let’s call him Kote . Kote is a quiet man who keeps to himself, full of lines on his face and scars in his body; He looks old but he is not yet thirty. He is a man who has seen things, known things, far too many to count. A man who has longings which he does not listen and regrets that consume him. His hair is red – but not the flame red that once was. His eyes are of a dull green – not the bright green –grass they used to be. He is a man with a Past. He is our hero.

A man walks into the Waystone Inn disrupting the conversation its (few) regulars are having, claiming that he has been attacked by a giant spider. He was able to kill the animal and its carcass is brought forward – what could this be? Is it a demon? Surprisingly, the unassuming Kote voices that it is a scrael and helps them getting rid of it properly. He also knows that scraelings come in bands and he, alone and quietly prepares for another battle. Kote makes his way into the forest and proceeds to exterminate the scraelings.

A man – let’s call him Chronicler – walks into this scene and finds the one he has been looking for: the mythical hero known as Kvothe. A man who has stolen princesses , burnt towns, attended The University at an early age, talked to Gods, loved women, written amazing songs, killed an angel – and disappeared from public life suddenly. Chronicler, who is a History keeper, wants to document Kvothe’s (pronounced QUOTHE) life and separate the truth from the lies and exaggerations that surround his story. Kvothe is initially against the idea but upon persuasive arguments decides to tell his own story: the way it happened. He offers Chronicler the opportunity of a lifetime – the man whose very best stories about him are the ones HE told is about to tell all – in three days( hence the name of the novel: the Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One).

As they sit down , the narrative shifts from third person to first person (and back again to third whenever the need for a break arises : nature call, meal breaks, demon attack , etc) as Kvothe tells his adventures starting from his childhood as a member of a loving, amazing travelling troupe when he learnt to love music, acting (both define who he is and come in handy several times in his life) and above all about magic when an Arcanist joins the group and teaches him about Sympathy. Until tragedy strikes and alone, he must make his way into the world. This first day follows the story of Kvothe in his early years until he joins The University at the early age of 14 as he seeks Knowledge. But not any Knowledge – Kvothe is fuelled by his need to know everything and anything about the mysterious evil Chandrian (“when the hearthfire turns to blue, what to do? What to do? Run outside. Run and hide”) and learn the….name of the wind. (And if he learns the seven words to make a woman love you in the process, all the better right? )

And this is only but a small glimpse into the world of The Name of the Wind. I LOVE this book with every cell of my being.

The story itself is tremendously interesting. There are mysteries within mysteries, stories within stories, all relating to the Chandrian and to Kvothe’s parents. (I will say no more on the subject. )

The details of the world building with its places (there is even a map ) , peoples, languages, currencies and the magic that in here is called Sympathy and its practitioners, arcanists and all the sympathies and bindings and how they work are EXPLAINED in minutiae. There is History, Chemistry, Religion, Myth , Music and Poetry. And of course, the cryptic power of the namers – those few who can call the name of things.

The characters are amazing. None more than Kvothe – an extremely clever and cunning young boy who gets away from many scuffles with his intelligence and quick thinking and who at the same time is naïve and prone to suffer for his emotional vulnerability. I absolutely ADORE him and I cried and I laughed many times over his story. I loved that Patrick Rothfuss gave him a happy childhood with loving parents who loved him AND each other (and their love was also a very sensual one). I find myself grateful for a Fantasy author who chooses to make love the mark of a hero’s past instead of hate. It is all the more poignant when a hero is grief-stricken with the loss of something GOOD. Isn’t the absence of love as hurtful as the presence of hate? Kvothe’s University friends are good enough to make me want to read about them and of course there is Bast – his student who at the present follows his master as he wastes his life at the Waystone Inn and who worries and waits for something, anything to help his master to be over this god-forsaken, apparently self-inflicted misery. At the end of Day One, there is still no clue as to how the child that was Kvothe became the man that is Kote.

Then finally there is the cherry in the cake: the writing. Patrick Rothfuss’ prose is absurdly stunning, the type that makes me cry at its sheer beauty. To illustrate my point, I present you with a quote from a story within the story. Part of the tale of Lanre (a warrior) and his beloved Lyra (who was a namer and could call the name of things and command them). Lanre falls into battle and dies. Lyra is devastated. This is what follows:

“In the midst of silence Lyra stood by Lanre’s body and spoke his name. Her voice was a commandment. Her voice was steel and stone. Her voice told him to live again. But Lanre lay motionless and dead.

In the midst of fear Lyra knelt by Lanre’s body and breathed his name. Her voice was a beckoning. Her voice was love and longing. Her voice called him to live again. But Lanre lay cold and dead.

In the midst of despair Lyra fell across Lanre’s body and wept his name. Her voice was a whisper. Her voice was echo and emptiness. Her voice begged him to live again. But Lanre lay breathless and dead.”

So there you have it: good writing of an amazing hero’s journey and an in-depth world building. There is only one thing missing here and as Kvothe says himself: no story is a good story if there isn’t romance. And it’s here as well folks, in the figure of a young girl called Denna, Dianne or any other alias she can think of. I will be cryptic again and shut up so you can find and follow Denna along with Kvothe.

Is the book perfect? Of course not – although it’s close enough. Some may think that Kvothe is too perfect a character, the male equivalent of a Mary Sue. One could argue that The University resembles Hogwarts and that the Ambrose-Kvothe animosity is reminiscent of the Harry-Draco one (but hey every hero needs his nemesis) . You can even say that Kvothe’s struggles to get money to be able to remain at the University are repeated too frequently. Even though the critical part of me is willing to acknowledge all of the above, I can honestly say that I did not care one IOTA about these: they are only but tiny droplets in the vast ocean of awesomeness that is this book.

If I had any talent for poetry I would write an Ode. If I could compose songs, I would make one for the lute and call it “The name of the Wind knocked my socks off”. But I don’t. As it stands, the ONLY thing I can do to convey how much I love this book, is to write this review, hoping against hope that it will be enough, and say that whenever Patrick Rothfuss takes Kvothe next, I will follow, blindly and willingly.

And I will finish by saying the following: I don’t want to run into any rushed declarations but The Name of the Wind may well be the best book I read since The Book Smugglers’ inception.

Notable Quotes/ Parts:

I read this one-page prologue that opens the book and I knew I was in for a treat:

Prologue

A Silence of Three Parts

It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.

The most obvious part was a hollow, echoing quiet, made by things that were lacking. If there had been a wind it would have sighed through the trees, set the inn’s sign creaking on its hooks, and brushed the silence down the road like trailing autumns leaves. If there had been a crowd, even a handful of men inside the inn, they would have filled the silence with conversation and laughter, the clatter and clamour one expects from a drinking house during the dark hours of night. If there had been music….but no, of course there was no music. In fact there were none of these things, and so the silence remained.

Inside the Waystone a pair of men huddled at one corner of the bar. They drank with quiet determination, avoiding serious discussions of troubling news. In doing this they added a small, sullen silence to the larger, hollow one. It made an alloy of sorts, a counterpoint.

The third silence was not an easy thing to notice. If you listened for an hour, you might begin to feel it in the wooden floor underfoot and in the rough, splintering barrels behind the bar. It was in the weight of the black stone hearth that held the heat of a long-dead fire. It was in the slow back and forth of a white linen cloth rubbing along the grain of the bar. And it was in the hands of the man who stood there, polishing a stretch of mahogany that already gleamed in the lamplight.

The man had true-red hair, red as flame. His eyes were dark and distant, and he moved with the subtle certainty that comes from knowing many things.

The Waystone was his, just as the third silence was his. This was appropriate as it was the greatest silence of the three, wrapping the others inside itself. It was deep and wide as autumn’s ending. It was heavy as a great river-smooth stone. It was the patient, cut-flower sound of a man who is waiting to die.

Additional Thoughts:

The Name of the Wind was published back in 2007 and has won many prizes and keen followers. The second book Day Two: The Wise Man’s Fear was first set to be published in 2008…except, it wasn’t.

It is already May 2009 and the book has no release date as of yet. It seems that this has been the cause for an internet brouhaha where angered fans have been pestering the author to finish the book already or else and I find myself wondering what the hell are people thinking when they assume a writer can just you know, come up with amazing stories like this easily. Writing to me, is art, and no artist, as far as I understand can write under pressure. I mean, I can certainly sympathise with the tension of the wait and I would love to read The Wise Man’s Fear sooner rather than later. I do however, prefer to read the best book Patrick Rothfuss can come up with and if that can only happen if we give the man the time he needs, I believe I should oblige and sit quietly.

Patrick Rothfuss wrote a blog post concerning the release of book 2 where he unleashes his frustration: he explores how he is not a writing machine, how his life changed from being an unknown aspiring writer to a success practically overnight and how that is stressful even if of course, also a good thing. How he feels tired and frustrated at the hate mail he receives and I feel for the guy.

Although part of me thinks that this avid anticipation can also be hurtful to the book’s chances: I mean, can you imagine the expectation people will have? Look at me: if the next book is only 0.000001% better than The Name of the Wind , I will have to officially enter a petition to Thea for a revision of our grading system but how can there be something better than a 10 rated book? If the book is 0.000001% worse than The Name of the Wind, I am afraid I will be disappointed and that’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I wonder if the Internet and blogging is partly to blame for higher expectations with regards to books. The more blogs talk about one book and the more blogs we read, the more it seems we become part of a group that want it all and NOW. Maybe the closer we get to authors (by reading their website and their own blog), the worse it is?

But is this fair to authors? What about readers – is the wait fair to them? What do you think?

Verdict: simply one of the books I have EVER read.

Rating: a solid, perfect 10 which just set the bar higher for everything I read henceforth

Reading Next: To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

Title: Angels’ Blood

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Berkley
Publishing Date: March 3rd, 2009
Paperback:368 Pages

Stand Alone or series: Book one in the brand new Guild Hunter series.

Why did we read the book: Ana is a fan of Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series and when she got an ARC of Angels’ Blood she nearly had a heart attack. She then got Thea to read because it was REALLY good.

Summary:Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she’s the best—but she doesn’t know if she’s good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option…even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…

Review:

First Impressions:

Ana: In the interest of full disclosure: it is not a secret that I am a Nalini Singh fangirl, more like a nalinisingh-aholic -I think she is a truly gifted writer and I love her Psy/Changeling series. I was, of course, a bit concerned about this new venture and I wondered if she would be able to write two series at the same time and make them different but equally good? The answer is a resounding YES. From the get go Angels’ Blood grabbed my attention and I was completely engrossed by the story and captivated by the protagonist, Elena. I loved it so much, I was afraid my review would turn out to be a series of incoherent thoughts followed by a WOW, BUY IT (not very helpful is it?) so I asked Thea, who is not a fan of Paranormal Romance and had never read a Nalini Singh novel before, to read the book for a more balanced view on the book. So, here we go.

Thea: As Ana says above, I was kinda arm twisted into reading this book – not because I don’t like Nalini’s writing (in fact, this is the first book I’ve read by her), but because my experiences with Paranormal Romance have been pretty schizophrenic, more often negative than positive (hello, allergic reaction to Kresley Cole). That said, Ana absolutely LOVES Nalini’s work (as does a huge chunk of the blogosphere!), and I was curious. Plus, this new series is being marketed as more of an “Urban Fantasy Romance” which had me interested.

In any case, I decided to give this book a go…and I’m so glad that I did. While I think the Urban Fantasy label is a misnomer (this is indeed a paranormal romance at its core), and a number of the paranormal romance genre conventions that make me uncomfortable are present, I could honestly care less. This is a wonderful book, complete with intriguing characters, a tightly written plot, and a compelling universe. If Angels’ Blood is an indicator, I’ll have to read Nalini’s backlist! Suffice to say, I am a newly converted fan.

On the plot: Elena Deveraux hunts vampires for the Guild, tracking and apprehending those that are trying to get away from their contracts with their masters and creators: the Angels. She is Hunter-Born which means she has special tracking skills ( she can scent vampires) that makes her one of the top hunters of the Guild. That fact brings her to the attention of Raphael, the powerful, sexy, Archangel of New York, who has a new dangerous mission for her: to track a rogue Archangel who is bent on bloodshed – the mysterious reason behind his turning assassin a secret, deadly in itself. Elena is facing now beings that are crueler and more powerful that she has ever faced before but she will never back down from a fight.

Ana: Angels’ Blood is one of those perfect (yes, perfect) books where plot meet characterisation and everything is well balanced and everything just works.

At first it all may look familiar: vampires and angels and vampires hunters. Yet, it is not. In this world, Vampires are Made by the angels – usually because they want to, ex-humans who signed up for immortality and go through a series of tests and then become bound for a 100 year contract with their angel-Maker. A hunter, like Elena the protagonist, is in charge of hunting those who change their minds about keeping the contracts.

Similarly, The Angels are far from being angelic like in a Guardian Angel sense, and there is no mention of God or Heaven (or hell). It is very clear how inhuman they are , powerful , above and beyond anything in the realm of lower human beings and yet in an ironically paradoxical behaviour (and this is what is excellent about this world-building) there you have these Angels and Archangels involved in power –hungry scuffles that are so very… petty and human. And there is envy and gossip and inner conflict, and the more you look at the Cadre of Ten, the group Archangels that effectively, share and rule the world, the more you feel like you are observing a clique of earthly Politicians. But then you take a step back and like Elena, you remind yourself that they are NOT humans and of course their immortality and power and sheer force will make these power plays something that are more deadly and dangerous than anything an UN summit could ever be. And that is what is so thrilling about Angels’ Blood and what makes it unique – the fact that there are high stakes involved and never once you doubt it. It makes for a very tense reading to realise that the supposed hero can be at any given time cruel, forceful, and perhaps even eventually become evil – the Angels after all, have lived for such a long time, the lack of humanity and therefore of feelings can be truly ghastly.

The suspense of the Hunt for Uram (and why does exactly Raphael needs Elena’s help if she stands no chance against an Archangel?) is gripping and there is a race against time and a mystery that is not revealed until the final pages which presents a major Twist and a major WTF moment that was crazy–good in a most awesome way. And the action sequences – the chases, the fights, the confrontations between Elena and Raphael , Elena and Dimitri (Raphael’s second in command) and Raphael and Uram were cinema-worthy , edge- of-eat tense and exhilarating.

Angels’ Blood is hard to pin down in one genre: it has some strong elements of Urban Fantasy – the setting, the strong heroine , the anti-hero that is far from being your typical romance hero and the fact that they will be the leading pair of the second book as well – but in the end I guess it sits firmly in the Paranormal Romance genre, as no matter what happens in the end, it is Elena and Raphael’s riveting dynamics that takes most of its pages. I mean, an aloof Archangel that is attracted to a mere human who in turn is attracted to a being that will probably kill her when all is said and done? The result is pure gold.

Thea: First things first – I would stress again that Angels’ Blood has a very strong romance focus, and if you, dear reader, are like me and have a hard time not giggling through explicitly detailed intimate scenes, you should know that this novel does have these exchanges. I was not prepared for this, so when I came to page 69 (oho! the irony!) and read:

The lines of his face might’ve been starkly masculine, but at that instant, his lips were pure temptation, soft, bitable, sensual in a way only a man’s mouth could be. “If I were to splay you out on my desk and thrust my fingers into you right now, I think I’d find different.”

…it was something of an abrupt awakening. (Disclaimer: There is absolutely nothing wrong with explicitly detailed romance scenes as such; but I personally have an immaturity problem and tend to find this sort of thing corny and it makes me laugh. Fingering, nipples, the word “moist”…I cannot help it, I collapse into giggles. I am such a child. As such, my opinions are only mine and not meant to be a reflection of the genre – it simply is my personal bias.)

My point being: this is a paranormal novel with very strong romance elements, in addition to strong urban fantasy elements.

That said, this story is fantastic. Nalini Singh has created a new Manhattan, where angels and archangels rule, creating and commanding vampires, and hunters like Elena make sure these vampires stay in line and ensure the safety of mere mortals. While there isn’t really anything new here in terms of world building – angels and vampires (and vampire hunters, for that matter) are popular creatures in the paranormal cannon – the rules and hierarchies of Elena’s universe are clearly, simply, elegantly designed. Yes, the vampires and angels are predictably sexy per usual, but I liked the hierarchy of power Ms. Singh creates with the archangels’ Cadre of Ten, the loyalty (or disloyalty) of vampires, the bickering and distrust between ancient archangels, etc.

What I loved the most about these vampires and angels was how dangerous they are. So often in paranormal novels there are these supposedly ancient and dangerous characters…but they all sound like twenty-somethings, and are about as believably dangerous as my pet turtle Leonardo. There are no illusions here in terms of the brutality and ruthlessness of the angels in particular, and this image is enforced throughout the novel. Also, some of the archangels are truly ancient, having existed for millennia – and they behave as ancient, fickle, slightly crazed creatures would.

So far as the actual story goes, Angels’ Blood is another one of those tightly written, un-put-down-able books. The search for crazed, blood hungry Archangel Uram is an engaging mystery, with some solid twists and revelations made along the way. I’m excited in particular to see how the situation with Lijuan plays out in the future.

Another thing I should point out about this wonderful novel is how cleanly written it is – instead of wasting hundreds pages, Angels’ Blood is perfection in terms of pacing. I would compare the level of writing to Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson books – they waste no space with excessive detail, there are no unnecessary, droning dialogues. This is no small feat, and I give huge props to Nalini Singh; Angels’ Blood never falters, packing a huge story into 350 pages. I never once found my attention slipping or getting bored with elements of this damn near flawlessly plotted story. Bravo, Ms. Singh.

On the characters:

Ana: The characters of Angels’ Blood shine bright – Elena more than anyone else. It’s been a while since I have been so consumed with love by a heroine to the point where I breathed her every single word and waited for her reactions with unabated attention. And applauded with effusive delight and came away with a unique feeling, I hardly ever feel for romance novel heroines, that of undying RESPECT. Elena is one of those characters that are aware of her own weakness and strengths, or faults and rights. She is strong but she is not a fool. She knows this job can make or break her but odds are she will end up dead. I loved how faced with the prospective decision of either being killed or having her memory erased (after all, she does know too much) she picks being killed. Because Elena without her memories is not Elena. She’d rather die (but she won’t go out without a fight, mind you).

The first encounter between Raphael and Elena is a perfect example of Nalini Singh’s wonderful characterisation. It is very early in the game and already we know what Raphael is capable of and how Elena will face it. They have met in his tower, and she is having these thoughts on how incredibly handsome he is. And how he is so seductive. But Elena knows her own mind and she knows these are not her thoughts and she realises he is controlling her mind. If there is one thing she refuses to be is an Angel-toy, a puppet, she will never bend her knees to him, no matter what. This is what happens:

Her thoughts derailed again as she watched the fluid grace of Raphael’s walk, so seductive, so -
Standing up, she sent her chair crashing to the tiles. “Get.Out.Of.My.Head.”
Raphael came to a standstill. “Do you intend to use that knife?” His words were ice. Blood scented the air, and she realised it was her own.
Looking down, she found her hand clenching on the blade of the knife she’d drawn instinctively from the sheath at her ankle. She’d never make such a mistake. He was forcing her to hurt herself, showing her she was nothing but a toy for him to play with. Instead of fighting, she squeezed harder, “If you want me to do a job for you, fine. But I won’t be manipulated”.

I mean, he makes her hurt herself. She does not cower – she squeezes the knife HARDER. At this point I can completely understand how Raphael, aloof, cold, detached, inhuman can feel a spark here because there is this humanity in Elena, this life that is alien to him because it defies him and there isn’t much he hasn’t seen in millennium he has been alive. Defiance by a human is a rare thing and maybe enough to initiate a connection. The interesting thing is that it takes a long time for some real feelings to take hold between them – if you discount the initial, immediate lust, anything else came with time and working together. But the sense of danger and of imminent disaster is always there – Raphael continuously ponders about Elena’s future death and so does Elena, who, as already mentioned, is no fool. The fact that Raphael gave me the creeps and I was absolutely terrified of him (regardless of how hot he was) up until very late in the book only goes to show how far Nalini Singh takes his character and mind you, we are NOT talking about redemption here. He is who he is and Elena coming into his life will make him a little more human but he is an Archangel in a world where Archangels are not do-gooders. There is no back-tracking here and this is absolutely fine within the confines of this book. The fact that remains is this: they are a match for each other and I can’t wait to see where Nalini Singh takes them next.

As for the other characters: as usual, this author excels at writing relevant and interesting secondary characters. From Dimitri, the vampire that is Raphael’ s second in command to the other Archangels and Angels (I sort of developed a soft spot for Illium, the Angel with blue feathers) and the other hunters of the Guild, there isn’t one that wasn’t well written.

What else can I say? I am clearly, a fan.

Thea: Just as the plotting and pacing of this book is impeccable, the characters are wonderfully, wholly real. Elena, our heroine, is fantastic. She’s a layered character with a troubled past, the best at what she does, but she’s not a brash, cocky loudmouth. Furthermore, she’s a rational character that makes refreshingly intelligent decisions. She doesn’t try to go it alone, nor does she rush impulsively into danger (ala Rachel Morgan). Like the aforementioned Mercy Thompson, Elena knows exactly who she is and what her strengths – and more importantly, what her weaknesses – are. As a hunter, Elena is singularly talented with her strong sense of ’scent’ – that is, she can smell vampires and follow their trail. Raphael finds her talents useful in tracking down the blood born archangel Uram, but both Elena and he know that she does not stand a chance against Uram himself. The most endearing thing about Elena is her level-headedness and her rationality. She has that elusive, heady blend of kick-ass-ness and vulnerability that the best, most well-written heroines do…and this extends to her relationship with Raphael.

Repeatedly, Elena reminds herself that Raphael is not human. For all his beauty and his human mannerisms, he is an archangel; an immortal who could care less for the human lives that pass in the blink of an eye. He is, perhaps, the best “hero” I have ever read in a paranormal romance novel because he is terrifyingly, convincingly dangerous. At one point in the story he goes into “The Quiet,” and it is truly cold and frightening for Elena. In fact, Raphael is more anti-hero than hero: he frequently thinks about killing Elena, he bends her to his own will against her wishes, he threatens the lives of her friends and family without remorse, he maims, tortures and kills those who cross him. He’s not your tough guy with a good warm heart, in other words. Though he’s more human than the others in the Cadre, the rules of humanity do not apply to him – and that’s the most impressive thing about Nalini Singh’s characterization here. How often writers try to “humanize” characters that are not human! Be they vampires or werewolves, trying to create a human personification for them is a losing battle. Ms. Singh does not attempt to idealize or romanticize Raphael here – and he resonates so much more as a palpable, real character because of this.

My only criticism for these two characters lies in the nature of the romance. The problem inherent with novels like this, where a supremely powered uber-god alpha character picks the under-powered pretty girl is – WHY? Why on earth would an archangel all of a sudden start developing feelings for this little, regular mortal creature? Why would he form such a strong attachment so quickly? I understand this is the nature of the story and how the genre works, but Raphael’s interest in Elena initially feels rushed and out of place with the otherwise brilliant characterization. At least, this is my personal qualm and I take these romances with a mountain of salt. But where Angels’ Blood succeeds where almost every other story of this type fails is that even though there is an implausible attraction between Elena and Raphael, there’s still real danger to their relationship. Raphael doesn’t attempt to keep Elena out of harm’s way, and for much of the novel it is clear he would kill her as soon as sleep with her, thus taking the edge off the implausible nature of their relationship.

Besides the leading pair, the other secondary characters are similarly beautifully written and wholly believable. I loved the interactions between Elena and her friends, in particular her gutsy, loyal best friend Sara. But the true scene stealers would have to be Dimitri, ancient vampire and effectively Raphael’s number two, and the other archangels in the Cadre – particularly the age-crazed Lijuan, the voluptuous and fickle Michaela, and the blood-born Uram himself. As I mentioned earlier, I cannot wait to read more with the complications Lijuan introduces…

Final Thoughts, Observations, and Rating:

Ana: I have little else to add except repeat my initial reaction: WOW. BUY IT. Angels’ Blood is THAT good. It goes straight into my top 10 of 2009.

Thea: This is a wonderful novel, and one of the strongest first books in a series I have read in a very long time. Angels’ Blood took me completely by surprise, and I loved every second of it. I cannot wait for the sequel (on another note, I am SO stoked that Nalini is sticking with these two lead characters of Elena and Raphael as opposed to moving on to some other couple in the universe). What Ana said. Buy it.

Notable quotes/ Parts:

Ana: The ending! The final fight between the two Archangels, oh dear lord, someone CRIES for the first time in one thousand years.

Thea: The entire ending. Although it’s a “twist”, I totally called it. Heh.

Additional Thoughts: TOMORROW: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THIS FANTASTIC HEROINE ELENA DEVERAUX. WHAT IS HER FAVORITE WEAPON? WHAT DOES SHE THINK OF RAPHAEL? HOW IS HER RELATIONSHIP WITH NALINI SINGH? THOSE AND OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED PLUS A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF ANGELS’ BLOOD.

Rating:

Ana: 10 – (what else?)

Thea: 8 Excellent – and as of right now, one of the best books I’ve read in 2009.