Welcome to another “Chat With An Author”. On this edition, we are delighted to bring you talented British author Alex Bell, author of Fantasy books. Her first published novel was The Ninth Circle, which was followed by Jasmyn, a book we both read and adored. Upon meeting the author last year, at the Gollancz Autumn Party, Ana sort of…threatened her to one day issue an invitation for an interview, which is how we are here today.

Here to talk about her new YA novel, Lex Trent Versus The Gods (reviewed here), here’s Alex Bell!

The Book Smugglers: Alex, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! Your new book, Lex Trent Versus the Gods is your third novel, but your first YA novel. How was this departure from writing for adults and what inspired the crossover?

Alex: Always happy to chat to the lovely – and legendary – Book Smugglers!

To be honest, the only thing that makes Lex Trent YA in my mind is the fact that it has a teenage protagonist. I didn’t change anything about the story to ‘make’ it YA, but just wrote the kind of book I would want to read. Obviously it’s completely different from my previous books, and I thoroughly enjoyed writing something that was fun rather than extremely serious.

The Book Smugglers: In the novel, Lex Trent, the protagonist, is a morally ambiguous thief, a conniving, super lucky crook who thinks he is the best at everything he does and has very little in the way of a conscience. Did you have any problems trying to sell the idea of a protagonist such as this for a YA audience? How do you think he will be received by your readers?

Alex: There were a couple of rejections in the early stages that were mainly to do with the fact that Lex is – let’s face it – such a selfish, badly behaved little sod. Personally I think young adults can cope with this, and I didn’t want to tone Lex’s character down or make him less bad because, for me, that is what makes the book fun! I’m a big fan of anti-heroes, and I particularly love the Flashman books, but anti-heroes aren’t for everyone, and readers who likes their protagonists whiter than white are not going to like Lex! I hope that most people will be able to enjoy his escapades for the good-natured naughtiness that they are and, so far, the reviews have been very positive in that respect.

The Book Smugglers: One of the things we loved about the book was the imaginative world that you created which is a mixture of completely new, exclusive Alex Bell creations like how the Globe has been split between Lands Above and Lands Beneath with ladders linking them; but we can also a see a strong influence from Greek Mythology like the presence of medusas, minotaur and griffins. Would you say you were inspired by this one particular mythology and departed from there or did it start somewhere else?

Alex: It definitely started with Greek Mythology, and I’m glad that that comes through. One of the first inspirations for Lex was my memory of watching Jason and the Argonauts when I was little, and being extremely impressed with the giant Neptune figure that rose out of the sea to help the floundering ship. I also saw a film around the same time (although I’ve no idea what it was called) that showed Perseus fighting the Medusa. And my Dad had me read the Illiad and the Odyssey when I was a kid, which probably impacted on me as well.

The other elements in Lex’s world – the ones I made up myself – just sneaked in on their own, mostly because they made me laugh. I wanted to have a mixture because although the world was influenced by Greek Mythology, I wanted it to have its own distinctive feel as well, and not just be a rip-off of Ancient Greece. .

The Book Smugglers: We have a soft spot for fairy tales here at the Smugglers’ HQ, especially retellings. We loved how In Lex Trent Versus The Gods, you have fairy godmothers retiring to the woods where they know no one will bother them with wishes; Your second book Jasmyn is a modern fairytale. Do you have a favourite old fairytale or a new retelling?

Alex: I loved the Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister film as a modern retelling of an old fairytale, but I haven’t read the book. I also loved The Tenth Kingdom mini-series, which was such an awesome retelling of old fairytales – mixing the dark stuff in with the twinkly stuff.

The Book Smugglers: Let’s talk about Unreliable Narrators, shall we: this is one of our favourite narrative styles at the Book Smugglers and one that you seem to favour as well. Be it a narrator who doesn’t know he is not telling the truth because he doesn’t know the truth or because he is actually lying to himself as well. Why do you use this type of narrative in your writing?

Alex: Except for The Ninth Circle, it hasn’t been a conscious decision of mine to use unreliable narrators in my books, but I think this type of narration works well because it keeps people guessing about what is going to happen, and it means you can’t take everything you’re told at face value. An element of this would probably creep into any book I wrote in the first person because I think we’re all unreliable narrators when it comes to our own lives!

The Book Smugglers: Who are your writing influences or would you say your writing Gods are?

Alex: Obviously, the great Terry Pratchett is one of my main influences. I’ve been reading his books for a long time – I think they probably helped me survive the extremely horrible five years I had at secondary school – because of the fact that they’re pure escapism, very funny and could always cheer me up. They also served as a bit of light relief when I was studying Law.

Madeleine Brent (pen name of Peter O’Donnell) is also one of my writing Gods because of the incredibly deft touch he has with characterisation. And the immensely satisfying twists and turns throughout the books – you usually know they’re coming, but that only makes finally getting there even more rewarding.

Apart from those two I have many other writing influences, including authors I have read and not enjoyed because that makes me clearer about what kind of thing I want to avoid in my own books.

The Book Smugglers: Are you a reader of Young Adult fiction? What are some of your favorite YA titles?

Alex: I loved the Harry Potter books if they can be counted as YA. I’m not really a big fan of the YA paranormal romances (although I’ve only read three), and I find it annoying when teenage characters are too goody-two-shoes (which might just possibly show through in Lex!) I’m trying to read more YA now so that I have a better idea of what’s out there.

The Book Smugglers: You are like, super, ultra young. How did you accomplish becoming a lawyer, dropping off, writing three books and getting them all published before even being 25? Are you a genius?

Alex: Ah, well, I didn’t actually become a lawyer – although you can spread that rumour around the internet if you like as that would make me look very impressive! I started the LPC (solicitor school) in London, and really loved it (mainly because I met some great people and enjoyed having a giggle with them), but the more I learned about Law as a profession, the more I realised how hopeless it would be to try to fit writing in as well, since law is an extremely work-intensive career path. And would probably suck all creativity out of you like a leech.

I’ve been lucky enough to get published young partly because I started writing young! I finished my first novel when I was seventeen, and sent short stories and novels out for two years before I got my agent. So it wasn’t quite the walk in the park that maybe it seems. I certainly had my fair share of rejection letters!

Basically, I decided I would rather be a poor writer than a rich lawyer, but perhaps we can just go with my being a genius and doing it all, as that is vastly more impressive. Have I mentioned that I am also a qualified rocket scientist and a brain surgeon?

The Book Smugglers: What are you working on next? Please tell us you have another Lex Trent adventure in the works?

Alex: I certainly do! In fact, I have already finished Lex Trent 2. And I love this one even more than the first one, mostly due to the fact that Lex’s new companion is an outlaw cowboy called Jesse, who is almost as much of a scoundrel as Lex is himself. These two characters practically write themselves and so it’s really more a question of my just being their personal typist. Their secretary, if you will.

The Book Smugglers: The zombies are coming! The zombies are coming! You only have time to save ONE book, ONE movie, and ONE TV show. QUICK! What are they?

Alex: Yikes, what an appalling dilemma! The book would be whatever was nearest out of Going Postal, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, or Tregaron’s Daughter. The movie would be Weekend at Bernie’s – no contest. And the TV show would be Boston Legal (again, no contest!)

The Book Smugglers: We Book Smugglers are faced with constant threats and criticisms from our significant others concerning the sheer volume of books we purchase and read – hence, we have resorted to ’smuggling books’ home to escape scrutinizing eyes. Have you ever had to smuggle books?

Alex: Never! My family are extremely book-orientated. Books of all kinds are warmly welcomed in our house. Indeed, we once had cleaners who complained bitterly about the number of bookshelves they had to dust (needless to say, they are no longer with us). I am far more likely to get into trouble for smuggling another animal into the house than a book.

The Book Smugglers: Thank you for your time! It’s been a pleasure.

Alex: Likewise!

Title: Lex Trent Versus The Gods

Author: Alex Bell

Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 4 February 2010
Paperback: 352 pages

Law student Lex Trent’s world is inhabited by fearsome magicians, ageing crones and a menagerie of Gods and Goddesses. And while Lex is seemingly dedicated to his legal studies he’s always enjoyed a challenge – which is why he leads a double life as the notorious cat burglar ‘The Shadowman’ who has been (luckily) evading capture for years.

But Lex’s luck is about to run out because the Goddess of Fortune has selected him to be her player in the highly dangerous Games. Losing is not an option for Lex (particularly as it so often involves dying) but can he really win each of the perilous rounds? Given that the reward for doing so is money, fame and glory – all things that Lex is quite keen on – he’s going to do whatever it takes to make sure he will… and he’s certainly got good experience of cheating.

Stand alone or series: First in what seems to be a VERY promising new series!

How did I get this book: Review Copy from the publisher

Why did I read this book: A YA novel from an author whose previous novel I loved, with a protagonist who is an anti-hero facing Gods? I AM SO THERE.

Review:

There is a sort of an instinctual reaction, or chemistry even, between a reader and an author’s books that doesn’t happen always and thus it is a very rare and precious thing. That Je Ne Sais Quoi, which is partly unexplainable, happens between Alex Bell’s books and I. We just sort of ….click. First it was Jasmyn and I loved that book so much because it had those elements I adore: fairytales and an unreliable narrator, and romance and darkness but not enough darkness to make it dreary. Then comes Lex Trent Versus The Gods and the two books could not be any more different and yet here I am loving this one as well because it also has elements that I adore: the unrepentant scoundrel anti-hero, the non-stop adventure and Gods being busybodies. It is almost like she reads my mind and decides to write books especially made for me. It is uncanny.

Moving the spotlight (damn it) from the reviewer to the book and its protagonist: Lex Trent. Master thief, liar, con man extraordinaire who poses as a law student during the day so that he can learn the same laws he breaks. As a follower of the Goddess of Fortune he is also very, very luck. Unfortunately for Lex, Fortune is fickle and luck can only take a person so far, so as the book opens, his luck seems to be about to change when is caught in the act of breaking into a Museum and has to go on the run. Not that this troubles this very much you see, he is certain he can start over again anywhere because:

Lex was sure he would excel at pretty much anything he put his hand to. It wasn’t arrogance. It would only be arrogance if you didn’t know you were a multi-talented genius. But there was no else like Lex – he was the best at everything. Everything.

Meaning that Lex Trent portrayal’s is the epitome of the Anti-hero: he is really and truly arrogant, selfish, sneaky. There is no sugar coating : this is no redemption story. It is what it is, a cool, fast-paced adventure of a 17 year old guy who thinks himself the greatest thief who ever lived. If that is true or not, remains to be seen ( he likes to think so though and repeats to himself over and again how great he is. Poor Lex, repetition does not a truth make). Definitely not a book for everyone, especially not for those who want a definite separation between black and white, this will not be found here.

Possibly the most important fact about an anti-hero is how they are, generally speaking, almost a villain but one that didn’t make quite it to VillainyVille. Either because of their motivations, or because their hearts are not evil, or deep in their souls they love puppies (or griffins), something makes an anti-hero likeable even if it is just that combination of charm and daring. Alex Bell wrote her story in way that her character was disclosed to the reader, little by little via small windows to his soul – his motivations, if we can call them that, might not excuse his behaviour but to me went a long way to make him likeable and more sympathetic. As to whether the same can be said for every reader, it will most certainly depend on who is reading the book. And this is another fantastic aspect of this novel: that even if, as first glance it is an adventurous romp, it also engages the reader and requires a response on another level: who are you as a reader and how far are you willing to go to accept your protagonist? Does he even need to be accepted at all? One can even say that the very nature of literature and the rapport between reader and book is at balance whenever an anti-hero shows up. And I simply love that.

On another level Lex Trent versus The Gods it is just a plain good book. And with an incredibly creative world-building and a great self-contained story. Lex Trent after going on the run discovers that he has been chosen to be one of the players in the infamous Games: played by hree Gods who picks three humans to compete against each other; Lex is chosen by the Goddess of Fortune (even though he would love to have been chosen by the God of Wit and Daring). In this world they inhabit, Gods play with humans’ lives at will, there are four suns, the Globe is split in the Lands Above and the Lands Beneath and they separated by Ladders – there are also magicians, and gypsies and Kings and fairy godmothers who retired to a village far away because they are sick and tired of granting wishes. It is an incredible mixture of Greek Mythology and Alex Bell’s mythology.

From a scene where Lex stands between a rock and a hard place (or a medusa and a gladiator) to flying a ship with his mind, to facing what he fears the most, to some other people that appear in the book ( I am being elusive on purpose), to the twists and surprises and details that matter (everything that Lex says or thinks has a reason), for all that, Lex Trent Versus The Gods was a damn good read.

Don’t let he hear me say that: he is not quite there yet, but one day Lex Trent might well be one of the most Awesome Thieves and Adventurers ever.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: I read the prologue and was hooked:

No one knew the precise date when the Globe had split in half. For many hundreds of years the Lands Above and the Lands Beneath had been nothing more than a metaphorical, symbolical divide. But then, one day, the Gods decided that they had had enough – more than enough, in fact – of their subjects complaining and pestering and whining at them day and night. Being the focus of so much worship can be a tiring business. The Gods needed somewhere that would be quiet – a place they could call their own. And thus, one fateful day, the earth shook and trembled and a great split appeared right across the centre and then the two halves cracked apart like a giant, cosmic, galactic Easter egg. No one alive today could remember the Great Divide, of course, for it had happened many millennia ago now. One might think the planet had never split in half at all had it not been for the ladders . . .

Physicists had happily debated for hours on end how the split was even possible, for the general consensus seemed to be that the planet had been spherical once but now . . . now it was more like a . . . well, like a dumbbell – those weights that impressive-looking men use to make themselves look even more impressive. A dumbbell that had been stood up vertically. The top weight was the Lands Above, the bottom weight was the Lands Beneath and the bar in the middle was the ladders stretching between the two discs. If you travelled to a certain place in the centre of the Lands Above, you could look down over the edge and see them – thousands and thousands of ladders stretching away through space, linking the top of the planet to its bottom half – the province of the Gods. It was a breathtaking, awe-inspiring sight. Some of the ladders were solid, built of wood and metal and attached to platforms below. Others were no more than rope ladders, waving lightly in the breeze and dusted with space frost.

Just as physicists had debated the mechanics of the Split itself, philosophers had argued heatedly about the theological significance of ladders being used to join the two halves of the planet together. After all, it seemed a most curious choice when the Gods had forbidden people to ever attempt the journey down to the Lands Beneath. If they truly didn’t want people climbing them then why not use poles or wires or anything other than ladders? It was like giving a fat child a gigantic chocolate lolly and sternly telling him he must never lick it . . .

Some said the Gods had used ladders as a test or a temptation or a trick or some other grandly significant theological, symbolical, philosophical form of gesture. Others said it was just because Ladderworld went into liquidation around that time as a consequence of being supremely dull and so there was a surplus of raw materials readily available.

But – at any rate – no one had ever attempted the forbidden journey. For one thing, it would take hundreds of years to travel from one end to the other and so only with magical help would the person actually reach their destination before they perished from old age. But, in addition, people were afraid, for no one could remember what creatures had gone with the Lands Beneath and what might be waiting down there. It was well known that a griffin guarded the ladders near the top and as for what else there might be . . . the mind filled with horrible visions of sharp-toothed, many-tentacled carnivorous things. Besides which, the Gods lived down there. The people of the Lands Above agreed that there was no point whatsoever in attempting the treacherous journey down
the Space Ladders to the Lands Beneath when the only things down there were teeth, tentacles and wrathful Gods waiting for them with lightning bolts. There had to be better things to risk your life for.

But . . . but . . . there were also tales of treasure, because there always are. The most beautiful, breathtaking, golden treasures they had down there. And it is a well-known and universal rule that there will always be – has always been – one stupid sod whose strength of greed outweighs their common sense and suppresses that all-important instinct of self-preservation.

Additional Thoughts: Later today, we interview Alex Bell on everything about Lex Trent! Be sure to come back!

Verdict: An excellent story, with a protagonist who is the epitome of the irreverent scoundrel set against an inventive mythological world, what is not to like?

Rating: 8 Excellent

Reading Next: Blood of the Demon by Diana Rowland

Hola compadres!

Another Sunday, another stash, another installment with some fabulous news to share!

Book Blog Covention

A couple of Sundays ago we reported that the first ever con for book bloggers, The Book Blogger Convention, will happen in New York on the 28th of May one day after the Book Expo America (May 25-27) and that Thea was going to attend both whilst Ana was going to stay home dying of envy.

Well folks, some things have changed and we have some further news to report! First of all, the BBC has affiliated with BEA and if you register for the former you are automatically registered to the latter. How great is that?

Second, there are going to be several interesting panels during the con like Professionalism/Ethics, Marketing, Author/Blogger Relationships, Building Community, Writing/Building Content, and Thea has been invited to be a panelist for the Marketing segment!

Finally, because she must be there to see this in person, Ana decided to throw caution to the wind and will be joining the hordes attenting both events! This will be grand, the second time ever the Smugglers get to meet in person. Needless to say, we are Super Excited.

So come on, join us! Registration for the con is still open and available for a discounted rate of $90 (until February 14). This includes your pass to BEA, so it’s quite a deal!

In Other News:

Locus Magazine in its February 2010 issue, published The 2009 Recommended Reading List with inputs from many professionals of Fantasy and Scifi genres. Amongst the listed, some of our own favorites such as the ubiquitous Ark by Stephen Baxter (which seems to be making most ‘top of’ lists); Drood by Dan Simmons, Liar by Justine Larbalestier and Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. And of course, many, many others that we really want to read (what else is new?).

On that same vein (hee),The 2009 Stoker Awards Preliminary Ballot has been released. The Stoker Awards are held each year by the Horror Writers Association in celebration of the best of the genre has to offer. And we are stocked to see Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth and Kaaron Warren’s Slights making the list! The Forest of Hands and Teeth and Slights were two of Thea’s Top 10 reads from 2009. You can read her review for The Forest of Hands and Teeth HERE, and the review for Slights HERE. Also, you can check out our interview with Carrie Ryan, her Smugglivus Guest Post, as well as Kaaron Warren’s guest post about her favorite horror reads of 2009. Congratulations, Carrie and Kaaron!

As you might be aware, the last season of Lost premiered last week with an episode that was mind-blowing and which already sent us into full Theorising Mode. We probably exchanged a hundred emails after we watched the episode discussing the implications of everything that happened to the future of the show. If you are rolling your eyes right now, well, it seems you are not alone. We were shocked, we say SHOCKED, to find out last week, that we, as Lost fans, are officially considered….annoying, Oh, the HORROR, by the non-fans of the show. This, according to this video from The Onion. (Seriously now, THIS VIDEO IS AWESOME. We lurves it. Thanks to Willaful for the heads up).

Current Giveaways:

Don’t forget that our Soul Screamers giveaway is still going! You have until February 15th to enter for a chance to win either both and (first winner) or (two additional winners). You can enter it here.

This Week on The Book Smugglers

We kick start the week with a Lisa McMann special. Thea reviews Fade and Gone books 2 and 3 in the Wake Trilogy and we will have a massive giveaway to celebrate the release of Gone.

On Tuesday, it’s another very special day here at the Book Smugglers. Thea reviews A Dark Matter by Peter Straub, one of the masters of Horror and one of her favourite authors since she was a child. And we are supremely proud to announce that her review will be followed by an interview with the author!

On Wednesday, Ana reviews A Tale of Two Demon Slayers by Angie Fox, third in her Demon Slayer UF series.

Thursday sees Ana reviewing Lex Trent Versus The Gods the first YA offering by writer Alex Bell. The review will be followed by an interview with the author.

Finally on Friday, Thea reviews the Fantasy novel Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder.

And that’s it from us today.

Enjoy your Sunday!

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

Welcome to Smugglivus – Day 28!

Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2009, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2010.

Today’s Guests: Liz and Mark of the speculative fiction/horror/fantasy blog My Favorite Books. Liz and Mark are quite the married couple – they promote a lot of the finest up and coming books in the UK and KNOW EVERYONE. It’s staggering! So, naturally, we had to have ‘em over for Smugglivus.

Please give it up for Liz and Mark!

Retrospection and the Future

Events 2009

2009 for MFB (read for Mark and myself) has been a very interesting year. We set out to become as active as we possibly could within the blogging and reviewing community. We attended as many signings as we could, we created an autograph book and took it around to every event we attended, we took photos and we reported on various events.

It’s been a blast. When it comes to the adult events, the highlight was definitely the unexpected and very flash invite to attend the Gollancz Autumn party which was a fantastic evening. We got to hang out with some of the coolest and most creative people in the industry today – I got to say “hi” again to the amazing Robert Holdstock and found him to be as gracious and friendly as ever. I got to embarrass myself utterly by having the most cringeworthy conversation with Sam Sykes, debut Gollancz author, ever and then got rescued by Ana, Gav and Mark. Thank the gods.

Here it is to illustrate why I should not be left alone with people:

ME: You look a bit like Jack Black. I agree with Alex. (that would be Alex Bell)
HIM: Really? I am not sure I am happy with that…should I be insulted?
ME: You shouldn’t be – Jack Black was hot when he was younger.
HIM: !!!!
ME: Actually, more like Leo Di Craprio now, to be honest. It’s the eyes.
HIM: !!! What, I hate him.
ME: Oh, look at that: the earth just cracked open to swallow me. *dies*

On the kids’ side, the coolest event has to be a tie-up between Random House Three Author evening and the Puffin event. Both totally exceeded my expectations and I’ve now become fans of even more authors and am now unhealthily fascinated by Jason Bradbury…

The largest event we attended this year was definitely Eastercon. It. Was. Amazing. And for the record, I booked our tickets for 2010 already. Not only do you get to hang around with some cool writerly types, publisher types, and readers and fan-types, there is the traders hall and zomg, the lovely beautiful books they were selling was just ace!

Here are some choice photos from various events and some photos of some autographs from our autograph book.

2009 in retrospect

I read my first ever Eoin Colfer novel: Airman – and loved it. I thought that if this was the way the new year is starting, things are only going to get better. Mark discovered Brent Weeks and fell in love – embarrassingly he’s now quite a fan-boy but is still torn about his Joe Abercrombie/Brent Weeks allegiance. Mark also got the chance to get stuck quite heavily into his Black Library books and keeps raving at me about them and all you have to do is look at his reviews and you can tell that he’s a fan of the authors and their writing. He’s currently reading Gav Thorpe’s The Shadow King and it does sound simply amazing.

One of my many highlights for 2009 was Tom Lloyd’s The Stormcaller. I couldn’t believe the complexity and depth of character, political plotting and force of storytelling. It blew me away. I’ve not read the other novels as yet – I’m waiting for them to be in travelsized editions as lugging the oversized books around is just way too heavy. But I’d heartily recommend Tom’s writing. Definitely an author who deserves a larger profile for writing proper epic fantasy that makes you want to swing a sword yourself.

Probably one of the most illustrious people we got to meet this year was Raymond E Feist. Who sushed me. Yes, you read that correctly. I got all fan-girly and got him to sign my various books and I took photos and I then stood to the side, giggling with Danie Ware from Forbidden Planet and Kaz-Mahoney-soon-to-be-very-famous-author, and we made so much noise he looked up from his signing, scowled deeply and said “Can you please be quiet?” we were dumbstruck. Then he laughed and said “only kidding” and then did the rest of the signing whilst chatting to us and his various fans. *phew*

In May I tackled one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read and although I didn’t want to, I decided to put the review up regardless. The Atlantis Code by Charles Brokaw just did not sit well with me at all. It broke my heart because it was badly written, the story was unrealistic and the characters were flat and awful. He had managed to destroy one of my favourite genres. I have subsequently had a great number pop by the blog to leave their own negative comments and although it’s not something I’m proud of, I’m just relieved to have found that I’m not the only one who has issues with it.

We had the chance to attend – as volunteers – The Gemmell Awards. The event was a stunning celebration of one author’s strength of personality and determination to write larger than life fiction. So many authors and publisher peeps were there and we all felt very glamourous, swanning around in our fab outfits. Naturally, we got to swing axes around after the fact and needless to say, it’s been grand and if the inaugural Awards were this well received, we’re hoping for an even better year in 2010.

Looking at this entire year’s reading and things we got up, we’ve had a bumper year. I’ve read and reviewed in excess of a hundred books. Which I’m quite proud of but I know others out there who have read vastly more than that!

Goals for MFB for 2010:

Read more books to review, run even more competitions and stalk authors mercilessly for interviews.

On a personal level I want to read more fantasy. I’ve not read much fantasy this past year and I feel the need to sink my teeth into big books and experience some epic battles. I also want to read / try to read science fiction regularly – I’ll try a book a month, I think! I can see Ana and Thea laughing their heads off already. Shush! I also want to try and establish a level playing field for myself when reviewing. At the moment I’ve been swept off my feet by so many great childrens’ and YA books coming up that I’ve completely let all my adult reading fall by the wayside. Not good! Mark mentioned that he’ll be focussing on reading more sci fi this year too, along with some non-fiction books, which will be interesting for us as we tend to share books we’ve read and then we have little arguments about them…maybe I take a leaf out of The Book Smuggler’s forest and we do co-reviews!

Something I’m also thinking of bringing onto the blog is relishing “older” books and authors we’ve somehow managed to miss reading. I think highlighting these authors we feel passionate about, and who we owe our love of reading to, is a good idea! If we can garner these guys a new audience, then we’ve won a little bit, at least.

We’ll be doing as many events as we can in 2010 and we’ll try and blog about as many as we can and give away random goodies from these events, if there are any to be had. Stay tuned for that.

Overall, I’m incredibly excited about 2010 as a reader – forget reviewing, that’s accidental (and a happy accident) – but having had the chance to see some of the amazing novels coming out from the big names and the indies, I can’t wait for it all to happen soon dammit! One of the crowning moments for 2010 – for me personally as a big fan and reader of his books – is the publication of Phil Rickman’s novel: The Bones of Avalon with the main character being Elizabeth I’s conjuror and alchemist and maybe the original 007, John Dee. I’ve read the opening chapters and people, it’s amazing.

I can go on and on and on about upcoming books but to be honest, it’s going to get tedious and dull. All I want to say is: support your authors and bookshops. Without us, their readers and clients, these talented people won’t have jobs. Show your love by buying books from independents bookshops too, keep talking about authors and where you buy, and challenge yourself by trying a new author or a new genre and to just keep on reading!

Thanks Liz & Mark!

Next on Smugglivus: Gav of Next Read

Today we bring you a new feature, called “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 installment, we take on Jasmyn by Alex Bell, and The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan.

Jasmyn by Alex Bell
Gollancz (UK), June 2009, Trade Paperback 320 pages

Original Review June 2009
Original Rating: 8 Excellent

What Thea Said:

“You know those books, the ones that when you finish them you feel like your heart is being twisted in your chest – with love for how wonderful the book was, but inexplicable sorrow too because the book has come to an end? Such is Alex Bell’s beautiful, haunting contemporary fairy tale, Jasmyn.

Jasmyn is a 27-year old widow, her beloved husband of less than a year having just passed away by sudden aneurysm. Jasmyn’s world is thrown into darkness with Liam’s death, leaving her alone and lost in the world. And that’s when the strange things begin to happen – at Liam’s funeral, six black swans fall dead out of the sky. Jasmyn starts to feel that she is being watched by a shadowy figure, and a few weeks after the funeral, a strange pushy man shows up at Jasmyn’s home, completely unaware of Liam’s death and claiming to have known him through work. With the help of her brother-in-law, the strangely spiteful and cruel Ben, Jasmyn uncovers a whole secret life Liam kept from her, leading her down a path into a fantastic world filled with cursed swans, star-crossed love, and shocking revelation. Jasmyn learns that Liam has meddled with some potent magic, and more importantly, that Liam is not at all the man who she believed him to be.”

What Ana Says: Thea’s review of Jasmyn made me almost regret sending the book to her instead of reading it first: Jasmyn, the book, travelled all the way from the UK to LA and back before I was able to read it, almost an exact imitation of the journey that Jasmyn, the character, undertakes in the book.

Starting in the UK, the 27 year old recently widowed albino woman tries to live through the grief of losing Liam, the man who was not only her husband, but her soul mate, her childhood sweetheart. Ever since that day, in primary school and he walked to her and instead of voicing the usual cruel taunt of “are you a ghost” he asked “are you a snow princess”, he has been her safe port, her best friend and Jasmyn is overtaken with loneliness when she loses him.

Then strange things begin to happen , starting with black swans falling from the sky on the day of the funeral and her wedding photos, all of a sudden showing her face twisted in agony instead of the happiness she remembers feeling – to an around the world race for answers – about Liam and who he really was.

Jasmyn is one of those books where the STORY itself outshines everything else and I simply loved reading this book – regardless of how I sometimes felt about Jasmyn and her lack of self-confidence. Regardless of the fact that I felt like punching Ben, Liam’s brother, in the face. Regardless that sometimes, the writing was tentative and the lack of detail about the background fairytale left me wishing for more. The fact remains, that from beginning to end I was completely captivated by Jasmyn’s story – it is everything a fairytale should be: difficult and sad sprinkled with bits of horror and heartache but with such beauty that was almost painful for me to read.

This is at its core a love story and it has a most rewarding happy ending but beware: two things you need to know before starting to read it

1)This is a contemporary fairy tale, which means that all that happens in the book happens in a world like our own and people believe in stuff like fairies and magic swans. There is no point in reading it if you are going to question the magic behind it or to question how people can believe in those things. It is a fairy tale: to question these here would be akin to reading Snow White and asking: “what do you MEAN there is a talking mirror?”

2) I cannot stress this enough: Don’t start this book unless you mean to finish it. As difficult as it may be especially with Jasmyn and Ben’s frustrating behaviour in parts, the pay off only comes when you read till the end – this is one of those books where the ending rewrites the whole story and it’s all the more poignant for that.

I will end with Jasmyn’s opening words:

“You have never heard a story quite like this one. I can hear you protesting already but, the fact is, it doesn’t matter how old you are, how many books you’ve read, how many things you’ve seen…this story will be new to you. Maybe it will even haunt you a little. Because what happened to me….well, I don’t think it’s even happened before.
(…)
This story (..) has the ribbons and the glitter and the magic. But it also has the blood and the sacrifice and the twisting evil – for this is a real fairy tale, not the sugar-coated imitation. It is a story of love, loss, illusion, castles, hatred, seduction, ice palaces, adventure and knights.”

And what a story this is. If it isn’t clear enough: I totally loved this book as much as Thea did and wholeheartedly second her recommendation.

Rating: 8 Excellent

The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Margaret K. McElderry (US)/Simon & Schuster Children’s (UK), June 2009, Hardcover 336 pages

Original Review June 2009
Original Rating: 8 (leaning towards a 9) – EXCELLENT

What Ana Said:

“The pipe under the sink was leaking again. It wouldn’t have been so bad except that Nick kept his favourite sword under the sink.”

The Demon’s Lexicon starts with this opening line and it’s a great beginning because it serves the book well. This line is significant in the way it shows how the “abnormal” coexists with the “normal” in this world. Right there and then, I am taken. And this feeling only increases as I read and every single time I had to put this book down, I felt its absence. Much like an umbilical cord between myself and it, there was a calling, something that connected me with to it; I kept thinking about it when I wasn’t reading, mostly theorising about the main character and what it all meant. I am in a way, a few days after reading The Demon’s Lexicon, still hooked in its characters, still thinking about them but mostly still overflowing with admiration for the author. For what she did, for what she dared, for how she constructed the characters, the world, but mostly for how she showed a wondrous dark world and amazing, wonderful feelings such as sensitivity, devotion, fondness and sacrifice through the eyes of a character that feels none of these very same feelings and who is, at every turn and all the time, conscious of this…lacking.

What Thea Says:

Ana has been trying to get me to read The Demon’s Lexicon practically from the second she started the book. I’d received countless emails from Ana about the darkness of the main character, the compelling plot, the strong writing and the humor of the novel, and was instantly intrigued. So, when I picked up Ms. Brennan’s debut novel for myself, I had some pretty high expectations, given Ana’s enthusiastic endorsement – and I’m pretty happy to say that I really liked this book.

The Demon’s Lexicon is told from the third person perspective, but with insight to the protagonist, Nick’s thoughts. Right from the beginning of the novel it is clear that Nick isn’t all that much like his kind and sympathetic brother Alan, and it rapidly becomes clear that Nick isn’t much like anyone else, either. Nick’s defining trait is his strange coldness; he doesn’t understand the motivations that fuel other people around him (like his brother Alan protecting two strangers, to the point where he takes on two demon marks willingly), nor does he get why people are so quick to emote, touch each other in comfort, or talk so much about anything and nothing. And I think Ana describes Nick best when she says:

Nick is a character that makes it hard for the reader to connect with – it is so very hard to feel sympathy for Nick but it is impossible NOT to feel for him.

Ms. Brennan does a ballsy thing by writing a character that is angry, cold, distant and almost alien – but it’s impossible NOT to care for him. Even though he doesn’t ever think or say it specifically, we know that he feels protective of Alan because he loves him (at least, that’s my interpretation). Nick might not identify with our concepts of love, but much like Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter, I think that he subconsciously knows and feels this. Maybe not in the way that “normal” people feel love…but it’s there, and he expresses it in his own way. In short, I loved Nick. He’s a very different character from the norm, and being privy to his thoughts, reading how he interprets (or fails to interpret) the people around him is fabulously different and insightful. Most YA novels tend to take the perspective of the everygirl/everyboy and look at the scarier, different characters from the outside – but Ms. Brennan flips convention through the eyes of a very different anti-hero protagonist. I cannot stress enough how much I loved that Nick was not written as a badass with a heart of gold – NO ONE in this book is what they seem. Besides Nick, Alan is another character that surprises with hidden depth. It is Nick as a character, and then the bond of brotherhood between Nick and Alan that makes The Demon’s Lexicon such a fabulous read.

My only problems with the book had to be the uneven start and some of the writing. In the early chapters especially, the odd descriptions of movements and repetitive details read very much like a debut author trying to write her debut novel – which isn’t really bad, and doubtless will improve in subsequent books (as it is, by the end of The Demon’s Lexicon, Ms. Brennan finds her voice and smoothly tells her story). My other quibble would be with some of the humor – Jamie’s jokes, endearing to Ana felt forced and awkwardly un-funny to me – and with a level of predictability with the plot. There are many not-so-subtle hints strewn throughout The Demon’s Lexicon concerning The Twist – but to the book’s credit, even though you KNOW what’s coming from a mile away, it doesn’t really matter because the story is so dratted compelling!

Basically, with only a few reservations I really enjoyed this book – and I cannot wait for the next in the series! Also, I just have to quote one part that gave me the goosebumps because it was that flipping awesome:

Nick threw his head back and let himself laugh. It was a slow, delighted laugh, rolling cold as the sea and washing through the whole room. He’d used the laugh before to make people shiver and turn pale…

“What?” [he] snapped, and then, as the low laugh continued, his nerve broke and he shouted, “What?”

Nick leaned forward in the dark and whispered, “You don’t know my brother.”

He was still speaking when the first shot was fired.

Rating: 7 Very Good – and Ms. Brennan is clearly an author I need to keep my eye on in the future!

Reading Next on What She Said:

Ana: Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

Thea: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Ahoy mateys! I’m back from Vegas, didn’t lose too much money or sanity, and I’m taking over the blog…

Well, not really. Just to give you the skinny on another Sunday, and another stash. First, we have a giveaway winner to announce…

Giveaway Winner:

The lucky winner of our giveaway of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker is:

Congratulations! You know the drill. Send your snail mail address to us (contact AT the book smugglers DOT com) and we’ll get your winnings off to you as soon as possible.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

We’ve got a SUPER packed week coming up for you. On Monday, while Ana’s out enjoying her bank holiday Thea (finally) reviews The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan…

…and also takes a look at the upcoming fall TV schedule.

The sequel to the highly praised The Hunger Games, Catching Fire is already making its way to the top of many “Best of 2009″ lists…so on Tuesday, we’ll be having a SuperMegaFantastic Catching Fire bonanza! To celebrate the release day of one of the most highly anticipated books of 2009, Thea will review Catching Fire, and then later in the day we will be offering a giveaway of THREE copies of the book, along with prize packs of T-shirts and mockingjay pins. Make sure to stop by for a chance to win this great swag.

On Wednesday, we bring you a brand spakin’ new feature: “What She Said…” In which Ana and I read books that the other has read and loved this year. The idea arose after Ana *cough*STOLE*cough* Name of the Wind from the “Joint Review” pile and decided to go rogue and read it on her own (even though I’ve had the book on my shelf for ages and was the one who told Ana about it!). She loved it, wrote an awesome review about it, won’t stop gushing about it…and I’ve had enough. I want to read and review this book, but the dilemma was that if I did read it, I wouldn’t really be able to post again about it. Right? WRONG. Hence, “What She Said…” was born. On Wednesday, Ana reads one of my suggestions, Jasmyn by Alex Bell (which I loved and immediately thought Ana would adore too)…

and then I get to read The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brenan (which Ana loved and immediately told me to buy).

On Thursday, Ana reviews A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James and Thea reviews Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead.

Friday, we give you a joint review of a book we’ve both been waiting to read for a long time, Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn: The Final Empire (book 1 of the Mistborn trilogy).

Woohoo! (Love the new cover, by the way)

On Our Smuggler Radar: (Or, Books Thea Really Really Wants)

Part two of the literary sci-fi thriller follows a boy and a girl who are caught in a warring town where thoughts can be heard — and secrets are never safe.

Reaching the end of their tense and desperate flight in THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, aimed at overthrowing the tyrannical government. Todd, meanwhile, faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives — Todd’s gritty and volatile; Viola’s calmer but equally stubborn — the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive?

It happened quickly. Overnight, the greater Los Angeles area found itself in the horrifying grasp of a werewolf epidemic. Twenty eight days of the month they are no different than you or me–the High Bloods, who managed to go unaffected. But every full moon, they are the most ravenous creatures man has ever seen.

A new law-enforcement agency has been created to keep tabs on the those whose blood runs Lycan. Rawson is an agent for Lycan Control, and his job is to make sure all the afflicted are found, monitored, and kept at bay the night they change. But the Lycans in Hollywood have risen to cultlike proportions, and Rawson’s job is getting tougher.

One night, a woman changes right in front of Rawson. And it’s not a full moon. Someone deep in the annals of Hollywood has managed to trip the logic of the werewolves’ being. Battling a rising tide of Lycan rights activists and a growing population of those who are choosing to be Lycan over High Blood, Rawson must carve a path to the top of the Lycan chain before all hell breaks loose.

No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger’s subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.

But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn’t only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.
Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.

It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more.

Indigo Springs is a sleepy town where things seem pretty normal . . . until Astrid’s father dies and she moves into his house. She discovers that for many years her father had been accessing the magic that flowed, literally, in a blue stream beneath the earth, leaking into his house. When she starts to use the liquid “vitagua” to enchant everyday items, the results seem innocent enough: a “’chanted” watch becomes a charm that means you’re always in the right place at the right time; a “’chanted” pendant enables the wearer to convince anyone of anything . . .

But as events in Indigo Springs unfold and the true potential of vitagua is revealed, Astrid and her friends unwittingly embark on a journey fraught with power, change, and a future too devastating to contemplate. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends as Astrid discovers secrets from her shrouded childhood that will lead her to a destiny stranger than she could have imagined . . .

Elfland is an intimate, sensual novel of people—both human and Aetherial—caught between duty and desire. It’s a story of families, and of Rose Fox, a woman born to magic but tormented by her place in her adopted world.

Led by Auberon Fox, a group of Aetherials—call them the Fair Folk, if you will—live among us, indistinguishable from humans. Every seven years, on the Night of the Summer Stars, Lawrence Wilder, the Gatekeeper, throws open all gates to the Other World. But this time, something has gone wrong. Wilder has sealed the gates, warning of a great danger lurking in the realm beyond them. The Aetherial community is outraged. What will become of them, deprived of the home realm from which their essential life force flows?

Rose Fox and Sam Wilder are drawn to the lands beyond the gates, even as their families feud over Lawrence’s refusal to do his duty. Struggling with their own too-human urges, they discover hidden truths that draw them together in a forbidden alliance. Only by breaching the dreaded gates and daring the danger beyond can they confront that which they fear most— their otherness—and claim their birthright.

That’s about it for now folks! Hope you enjoy the week ahead.

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

Title: Jasmyn

Author: Alex Bell

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, Fairy Tale

Publisher: Gollancz
Publication Date: June 2009
Paperback: 320 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel.

Why did I read this book: The first thing that caught my eye was the gorgeous cover art. It almost reminds me of old school Disney animation (I’m thinking Sleeping Beauty), but much darker, as though Dave McKean got his hands on it. Once the cover caught my eye, I read the synopsis and immediately thought to myself, I MUST have it! Gollancz was kind enough to provide us with a review copy, and I read through it in a single sitting…

Summary: (from AlexBell.co.uk)
One day, without warning, Jasmyn’s husband died of an aneurysm.

Jasmyn’s story.

Review:

You know those books, the ones that when you finish them you feel like your heart is being twisted in your chest – with love for how wonderful the book was, but inexplicable sorrow too because the book has come to an end? Such is Alex Bell’s beautiful, haunting contemporary fairy tale, Jasmyn.

Jasmyn is a 27-year old widow, her beloved husband of less than a year having just passed away by sudden aneurysm. Jasmyn’s world is thrown into darkness with Liam’s death, leaving her alone and lost in the world. And that’s when the strange things begin to happen – at Liam’s funeral, six black swans fall dead out of the sky. Jasmyn starts to feel that she is being watched by a shadowy figure, and a few weeks after the funeral, a strange pushy man shows up at Jasmyn’s home, completely unaware of Liam’s death and claiming to have known him through work. With the help of her brother-in-law, the strangely spiteful and cruel Ben, Jasmyn uncovers a whole secret life Liam kept from her, leading her down a path into a fantastic world filled with cursed swans, star-crossed love, and shocking revelation. Jasmyn learns that Liam has meddled with some potent magic, and more importantly, that Liam is not at all the man who she believed him to be.

I haven’t had the pleasure of reading Ms. Bell’s first novel, The Ninth Circle (a fact I will certainly have to remedy very soon), but Jasmyn stands alone as a beautifully conceived yarn from beginning to end. The titled character, Jasmyn, narrates this tale in the first person, allowing insight to her shattered heart following the death of her husband. Ms. Bell creates a character with the alluring blend of vulnerability and strength, despair and hope, so illusive to so many protagonists in the fantasy genre. Jasmyn’s self-perceptions, her fears and self-doubts are painfully real – she isn’t some ass kicking urban fantasy heroine, nor is she a delicate weepy flower. At times Jasmyn is frustratingly self-pitying, at times she is strong and conquers her fear; these failings only make Jasmyn that much more real as a character, and everything she experiences resonates as wholly genuine. The other character we truly get to know in this novel is her dead husband’s brother, Ben – an enigma of a character, especially in his coldness towards Jasmyn. Again, Ms. Bell’s characterizations are infinitely effective, and Ben is a character more endearing because of his flaws.

Though Ms. Bell has a knack for striking characterization, her greatest strength is her gift as a storyteller – though the writing at times struggles, the story she tells is truly, madly, deeply enthralling and more than enough to make up for any other shortcomings. Jasmyn is a mix of fairy tale, fantasy and character-driven thriller, and it is a potent brew. Though the “twist” in the plot can be seen coming from a mile away, the story is so damn compelling, with characters I was so passionately rooting for, I could care less. This is a fairy tale, after all, and that is part of Jasmyn’s appeal – this is an emotional, appealing read and my inner romantic was incredibly moved by this book.

As for Jasmyn’s drawbacks, these are largely technical and to some extent a matter of taste. The writing shortcomings include some clunky dialogue, liberal use of ellipses (the dreaded “…”) especially in the early chapters, and some pacing issues. I also wish that some of the fantasy elements (the swan knights, the myths, the eerie, enchanted castle) were explored further instead of just dumped into the story. That said, these gripes are easily overlooked considering the strengths of the book. In fact, these writing flaws only mean that Ms. Bell can get better as she hones her craft in further novels.

The bottom line is, I loved Jasmyn. I laughed, I cried, I felt that desperate heart-twisting sensation that only great stories can inspire. This is a fantastic, deceptively emotional novel, and one that I highly recommend.

Notable Quotes/Parts: Oh, the final heartbreaking revelation that Jasmyn makes in the catacombs of Paris is easily my favorite part of the novel. But I won’t spoil that for you…

Additional Thoughts: Seriously, this cover art is gorgeous. Here’s the cover for her first novel, The Ninth Circle which looks to be done by the same artist.

You can read more about this new author online at her website, or over at her blog.

Verdict: Absolutely recommended. (In fact, I liked it enough that I’m sending it back over the pond to Ana in Cambridge, just because I think she’ll love it too.) Alex Bell is an author to watch, and I cannot wait to read what she comes up with next.

Rating: 8 Excellent

Reading Next: Slights by Kaaron Warren

Happy Sunday, everyone! Another huge basketball game on the line, so everyone send some good thoughts the Lakers’ way.

Giveaway Winners:

We held THREE giveaways this week, and it’s time to announce the lucky winners. Drumroll please…

We had over 210 entries for all Demon’s Lexicon contest – THANK YOU to everyone that entered! We asked people to comment by answering the question, “Who is your favorite character?” and the entries are very interesting, with loads of book recommendations. We highly recommend you check them out.

Without further ado, the five winners of a copy of Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan are:

And the grand prize winner of the goody bag, containing the audio book, a sterling silver knife charm, and character quote bookmarks is:

The lucky (or perhaps unlucky!) winner of Night’s Rose and The Frog Prince ARCs by Annaliese Evans is:

And the two lucky winners of our Flash giveaway of paranormal romance titles are:

Phew. You know the drill. Winners, please send an email to contact AT the book smugglers DOT com with you snail mail address. We will get your winnings out to you as soon as possible! Thanks again to everyone that entered – and if you didn’t win this time, don’t feel too bad. We have plenty more giveaways coming up very soon…

The Stoker Awards 2009:

This weekend, the annual Bram Stoker awards were held in Burbank, California. On Thursday, yours truly (that’s Thea) headed out to Dark Delicacies to pick up some great books, and to meet some of the nominated authors. Although I didn’t get to stay very long (since 1: I am a ginormous stuttering pansy when it comes to meeting authors, and 2: the Laker game was on), I did finally get to meet honorary smuggler and author Joel Sutherland! We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Joel, and have read and reviewed both his edited anthology Fried! Fast Food, Slow Deaths as well as his Stoker nominated first novel Frozen Blood, so it was great to finally meet him in person!

Joel didn’t take home the award, but he was up against some very tough competition, and I have the utmost confidence in him and his future work! Here are the official winners for 2009:

NOVEL: DUMA KEY by Stephen King

POETRY COLLECTION: THE NIGHTMARE COLLECTION by Bruce Boston

Good thing I picked up a copy of The Gentling Box while at Dark Delicacies…

Other Randomness:

In other bookish news, we have participated in our very first Book Carnival online! You can check out the other paranormal entries HERE.

New trailers have been released for Tim Burton’s film Nine and for the new Scorsese flick Shutter Island.

Ooooooo. We likey.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, Thea reviews Alex Bell’s sophomore effort, Jasmyn.

Tuesday, Ana reviews The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes.

On Wednesday, Thea tackles Slights by Kaaron Warren – the first title from brand spankin’ new Harper imprint, Angry Robot. (On a shallow note, isn’t this a fantastic cover?!)

Thursday, Ana takes on the new, highly anticipated release from THE Loretta Chase, Don’t Tempt Me! AND on Friday, we have an interview with Loretta herself, so stay tuned!

That’s it for now. Until next time….