Welcome to Smugglivus – Day 24!

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 Guest: Angie of the Young Adult/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction review blog Angieville. Angie runs one of our very favorite blogs, and has a knack for picking up and reviewing books that both of us Smugglers love. She’s one of our go-to sites for book ideas – if Angie likes it, chances are, we will love it too!

Please give a hand to Angie!

Best Performance by a Heroine in a Recurring Role: Kate Daniels for Magic Strikes Kate just gets cooler and tougher and couldn’t stop taunting the Beast Lord to save her life. My kind of girl, is Kate.

Best Debut Performance by a Heroine in a Leading Role: Lyn for Girl in the Arena

She’s the daughter of seven gladiators. She loves her family and is true to herself, while refusing to perpetuate a suffocatingly rigid social system. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Lyn.

Best Performance by a Hero in a Recurring Role: Curran for Magic Strikes

It’s just that he’s Curran. And he’s so furry and cocky and implacable. And out of his mind over Kate. Love the guy. Love, love, love him.

Best Debut Performance by a Hero in a Leading Role: Brigan for Fire

Because if you’re looking for still waters run deep, look no further. His iron self-control and constant putting of duty and family before any personal desires…well, in Kristin Cashore’s capable hands, he’s utterly spellbinding.

Best Performance by an Antihero in a Leading Role: Nick for The Demon’s Lexicon

Talk about the definition of an antihero. Nicholas Ryves takes the cake, my friends. You love him, you hate him, you love to hate him. And his relationship with his big brother Alan will melt your heart. See if it doesn’t.

Best Performance by a Villain: President Snow for Catching Fire

The dude smells like blood and roses and I can’t read a scene he’s in without gagging. Seriously. What is wrong with him?

Best Performance by a Vampire in a Supporting Role: Stefan for Bone Crossed

Stefan is just, hands down, my favorite vampire around. He smells like popcorn and drives a VW bus painted like the Mystery Machine and he absolutely made Bone Crossed. I hope Mercy gives Marsilia what she deserves one of these days. For Stefan.

Best Series Finale: Diana Peterfreund for Tap & Gown

For never dropping the ball and coming through in every way that matters and more. Tap & Gown is the perfect ending to a ridiculously entertaining series. How many of those have you read?

Best Packaging: Arthur A. Levine Books for Marcelo in the Real World

I just love it. Better yet, its inside is every bit as breathtaking as its outside. And that is saying something.

Best Kiss: Lady Julia Grey and Mr. Nicholas Brisbane for Silent on the Moor

These two are three books in now and the tension…let’s just say it remains high. Part of it can be chalked up to how well-suited they are to one another and part of it is just that Ms. Raybourn can infuse a scene with Victorian heat like nobody’s business.

And last, but not least…

Best Author Pimping: My booktwin and dear friend Martha for her tireless and heartfelt pimping of Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia

Thank you, Martha. What can I say? I should have listened to you earlier. I have seen the error of my ways and will never delay reading a book you rave about ever again. This series instantaneously skyrocketed to the top of my beloved bookshelf and Turner is an absolute storytelling master. Highly recommended for fans of Robin McKinley, Kristin Cashore, and Sherwood Smith.

As for my 2010 Must Be Mine list…I’m gonna leave you with my top 15 most anticipated titles. They hail from 3 new-to-me authors and 12 near-and-dear ones. The list is comprised of 8 YAs (4 fantasy, 2 urban fantasy, 1 dystopian, and 1 contemporary), 3 urban fantasies, 3 straight fantasies, 1 historical mystery, and is top to bottom made of awesome. Shiny, no? Here they are in order of publication date:

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

In a world of fever camps, wandering exiles, and cursed kingdoms, young Finnikin joins forces with the reckless Evanjalin in a bid to save the land of Lumatere from the evil that threatens to swallow it. After the wonder that was Jellicoe Road, I will read anything the woman writes. Due out February 9

The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn

A young woman leaves Scotland, bound for Roumania to visit a friend and write her book. There she encounters the mysterious Count Dragulescu and, well, really, need I say more? Due out March 1

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

The long-awaited fourth novel in the beloved Queen’s Thief series. This one follows Sophos as he fights his way to take his place as the heir to Sounis. Confession: I’m 100 pages into my ARC and it is, in a word, sublime. Due out March 23

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

A land beset by storms and quakes, a mysterious wizard who brings rain, and a young woman stolen from her home who may hold the key to it all…I am so there. Due out March 23

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Fifth Mercy Thompson novel. ‘Nuff said. Due out March 30

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

The unexpected but delightfully welcome sequel to Perfect Chemistry. This one follows Alex’s little brother Carlos. I enjoyed the hell out of the first book and can’t wait for the follow-up. Plus, that cover? Smokin! Due out April 13

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

A young girl has lost her memory. A desperate prince risks everything on the mere hope she is who he believes her to be. Forced to return to a place she once fled, amid scheming and lies, Isabel struggles to determine who she used to be and what she must become. Due out April 17

Lord of the Changing Winds by Rachel Neumeier

First in the Griffin Mage trilogy. The griffins are coming, bringing fire and desert in their wake. The king prepares for battle to protect his land. Meanwhile a young girl is summoned to heal the Griffin King and her awakening abilities lead her to the truth behind their sudden flight. Due out April 27

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

The fourth Kate Daniels book. Ilona and Gordon knocked it out of the park with Magic Strikes and I’m just not sure I’m gonna make it until May. Thank goodness for re-reading, right? Due out May 25

White Cat by Holly Black

The first in the Curse Workers trilogy, it’s about a boy named Cassel and takes place in a private boarding school, features a family of grifters, and is about curse magic. Oh, and a white cat. And is a fairy tale retelling. And it will be mine. Due out May 4

No covers quite yet on the rest of these, but keep your eye out because they are definitely not to be missed.

Heroes Return by Moira J. Moore

The fifth Heroes book featuring the lovable Source & Shield duo: Taro & Lee. Due out July 27

Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready

This series is #3 in my top favorite urban fantasies. I just love how smooth the writing is and finding out what happens to Ciara and Shane and the gang in the next WVMP Radio installment. Due out August 1

The untitled Hunger Games Book 3 by Suzanne Collins

I have no idea how it’s all going to play out but I can tell you one thing. Katniss better knock some heads together in this one because I am THIS CLOSE to losing it. Grrr. Due out August 24

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

The second Killer Unicorns book (I just love saying that) and the sequel to Rampant. Peterfreund is one of my very favorite authors and I, for one, am looking forward to more Astrid, more Giovanni, more Phil, and more Bucephalus! Due out September 21

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

The sequel to the lovely Heir to Sevenwaters. This one is Sibeal’s book and one I’ve been waiting for for a long time. If you’ve never read any Marillier before, you have until December to pick up Daughter of the Forest and discover the splendiferousness for yourself. Janicu–I’m lookin’ at you. Due out December

That’s it for me. Thanks for having me, Smugglers! I’m off to track down some hot cider and wrap the last few presents. Thanks for stopping in this Christmas Eve and I hope your holidays are filled with good cheer and good books!

Thank you, Angie!!!

Next on Smugglivus: Doug Knipe, aka SciFiGuy

Welcome to Smugglivus 2009 – Day 22!

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 Guest: Kristen of the speculative fiction book review blog Fantasy Cafe. Kristen is a Book Smuggler Regular – we’ve had her over for Smugglivus last year, for a guest dare, and heck, we’ve even posted over at her spot on a counter dare. Kristen’s one of our very favorite bloggers, always turning us on to new books, so we’re delighted to have her over for Smugglivus 2009!

Please give a warm welcome to Kristen!

It’s that time of year again – the time to look over all the books read and decide which ones had that something special that made them the best read. Out of the 55 books I’ve read so far this year (still hoping to squeeze at least a couple more in!), here are the 10 that stood out above all the rest as my favorites. This includes all books read no matter what year they were originally published – I wouldn’t want to discriminate against the older books I really loved just because they aren’t shiny and new anymore.

The Last Hawk by Catherine Asaro

Although I have very much enjoyed all the books I’ve read in Catherine Asaro’s Skolian saga, none of them have impressed me as much as this one. It has some of everything and excelled at all of it – there was politics, action, focus on character relationships with some romance, a unique society, and some elements of hard science fiction. The pacing was well done and I loved the characters as well as the premise involving gender reversal. A man crashes onto a planet ruled by women and becomes coveted by all of them for his exotic beauty and skills at playing a game that plays a prominent role in their culture.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

This ended up being one of my favorites because it was just so engaging. I was completely invested in Fire and her story, and in spite of seeming a bit like a Mary Sue, she had enough problems that she was a sympathetic character. In fact, all the characters were wonderful (at least, the ones that were supposed to be) and the world was very interesting.

Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor

Laini Taylor is one of my new author discoveries from this year. I had a lot of fun reading her two Dreamdark books about fierce fairies that hunt devils, but her newest book is the best so far. This book containing three dark stories involving dangerous love was nominated for a National Book Award this year, and it’s easy to see why. Taylor’s writing voice is phenomenal and the last two stories in this book are easily among the best I’ve read this year. Even the first story, which was not to my taste, was beautifully written with some very memorable passages.

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Thanks to Thea’s praise of this novel, I finally took the plunge and read this dense 900-page-long novel – and loved it. Carey managed a great balance between character and plot, and the alternate earth in which some humans were descended from angels was very well-developed.

Corambis by Sarah Monette

The conclusion to The Doctrine of Labyrinth series was not my favorite of the four books (as any of the others would have been first on a list such as this), but it was still one of the better books I read this year. The story was not as good as the first three books and I missed Melusine, but it did still contain some amazing characterization just like the other books in the series.

By the Mountain Bound by Elizabeth Bear

Even though this is the second book in The Edda of Burdens series, it’s a prequel to the first book. As much as I loved the beginning of the series, I also thought this novel was an improvement. Something about Bear’s writing just really appeals to me – her tormented characters, the spare but beautiful prose and the mythological basis of the story.

My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due

This was one of the most gripping, suspenseful novels I read this year – one of those that keeps you right on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end. I did have some problems with character believability, but it didn’t matter that much in the end because they were still likable yet flawed and complex. The ending was very daring and even though it was set up earlier in the book, it was still a bit of a shock that it actually happened.

Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale

Ginn Hale’s first novel was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in the Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror category in 2007 and it won the Spectrum Award for Best Novel of 2008. It reminded me of Sarah Monette but less in depth, and I’m very much looking forward to the sequel.

The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden by Catherynne Valente

This novel is written in the same style as The Arabian Nights with stories within a story that tie together. It’s very imaginative with some wonderful prose, some fascinating characters (even if there isn’t quite enough time spent with some of them) and some humorous moments. It’s a brilliant book – highly recommended for fans of fairy tales.

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

Before this year I had never read a book in the Mercy Thompson series and it ended up being one of my favorite new series finds of the year. All the books were quick, fun reads and I loved the main character. Mercy has a very strong narrative voice and she’s a great character – practical, down to earth and loyal.

Next year there are several books that are coming out I’m really looking forward to. Of course, there are the same two that were on my list of hopefuls last year that I’d like to see come out this year: A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin and A Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch. Who knows whether or not either of those will be out in 2010, but here are some books that are that I am also excited about:

The Sea Thy Mistress by Elizabeth Bear

Of course I cannot wait for the final book in The Edda of Burdens trilogy since I loved the first two.

Stealing Fire by Jo Graham

This year I read my first book by Jo Graham (Black Ships) which just missed being on the top 10 list. So I’m very much looking forward to reading this novel featuring Alexander the Great.

The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg

Transformation by Carol Berg is one of my favorite books of all time (in spite of the horrifying cheesy cover), and I’ll be snatching this one up as soon as I can find it.

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb’s three connected trilogies (Farseer trilogy, Liveship Traders, and Tawny Man) are among my favorite books of all time. This book is the first of a duology set in the same part of the world as Liveship Traders and it’s a definite must read for me.

Thank you, Thea and Ana, for the opportunity to ramble on about some of my favorite books for a while. And Happy Smugglivus to all!

Thanks Kristen!

Next on Smugglivus: The Lusty Reader of Lusty Reader

Happy Sunday, all! Hope you’ve had a great weekend, etc, etc, etc. Now, down to business…

Giveaway Winners:

First up, is our giveaway of Meljean Brook’s latest Guardians novel, Demon Forged. The lucky winner is:

Also, the winner of an autographed hardcover copy of Fire, Krsitin Cashore’s latest novel is:

Congratulations! You know the drill. Send us an email (contact AT the book smugglers DOT com) with your snail mail address, and we’ll get your prize out to you as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone who entered both contests!

Around the Internets:

It’s Steampunk Month at Tor.com! For the month of October, the good folks at Tor.com, including authors like Cherie Priest and Lev Grossman and assorted bloggers will be posting articles of interest, giveaways, new short fiction, interviews, and much more – all centered around the increasingly popular steampunk motif. The month has already started and is going strong! Check out the post about George Mann’s new steampunk novel The Affinity Bridge – and there’s a giveaway too. Cherie Priest also has a great post about her new release, Boneshaker.

We’ll definitely be checking in all month. Keepin’ it brassy.

In other big book news, nominations for the 2009 Cybils are open! The Cybils Awards are Children’s and Young Adult Literary Awards, bestowed by book bloggers. The purpose of the awards is two-fold:

• Reward the children’s and young adult authors (and illustrators – let’s not forget them) whose books combine the highest literary merit and “kid appeal.” What’s that mean? If some la-di-dah awards can be compared to brussel sprouts, and other, more populist ones to gummy bears, we’re thinking more like organic chicken nuggets. We’re yummy and nutritious.
• Foster a sense of community among bloggers who write about children’s and YA literature, highlight our best reviewers (and shamelessly promote their blogs) and provide a forum for the similarly obsessed.

From now until October 15th at 11:59 PM, you can nominate your favorite young adult novels for an award. You can only nominate ONE book per category, so make sure it is a book you are passionate about!

With that said, you can make your nominations with the online form HERE. For more information about the Cybils, make sure to check out the award website HERE.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, Ana reviews Malinda Lo’s retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale, Ash.

Tuesday, Thea reviews another highly anticipated read of 2009, the long awaited book 2 in Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking series, The Ask and the Answer.

On Wednesday we double up, as Ana reviews Pastworld by Ian Beck, and Thea reviews Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

On Thursday, Thea reviews Ilona Andrews’ first book in a new Urban Fantasy series, On the Edge.

And on Friday, we close out the week with a joint review of Brandon Sanderson’s Well of Ascension (Mistborn book 2).

Phew. It’s another crazy week, and we hope you enjoy!

Until tomorrow…

Welcome to stop #12 on Kristin Cashore’s “Getting to know the characters of Fire” Blog Tour!

If you haven’t heard of young adult sensation author Kristin Cashore, you must have been living under a rock for the past year. Her debut novel, Graceling took the fantasy world by storm (both adult and young adult alike), shortlisted and winner of many prestigious awards. We loved Graceling and its prequel/companion novel Fire was one of our most highly anticipated books of 2009.

About the Book:

She is the last of her kind…

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don’t need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven’t, you’ll be dying to read it next.

Not only did Fire manage to live up to the hype surrounding its release – it managed to surpass it, earning five starred reviews, as well as a 9/10 rating here on The Book Smugglers.

When we were invited to host a day of the Fire book tour, naturally we were ecstatic. Today, we are proud to introduce you to THREE fantastic new characters (some of our favorites from the book, in fact):

Musa, Mila, and Neel are just three of Fire’s extensive guard; they spend their days stopping people from killing her. Musa, calm and reliable, is in charge of the others. Mila is… well, she’s reliable, too, but perhaps a bit distracted these days… and Neel is a steady, comforting presence who can always be called upon to produce handkerchiefs in an emergency.

You’re intrigued, aren’t you? Well, it gets better. You can check out a full, 40 page excerpt from Fire below.

The Excerpt:

Fire by Kristin Cashore

The Countdown Widget:

And, of course…

THE GIVEAWAY:

We are offering ONE autographed copy of Fire to a lucky winner! The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only. In order to enter, simply leave a comment here telling us who your favorite young adult novel heroine is.

Also, we’ll be awarding EXTRA ENTRIES for the following:

+1 for twittering a link to this contest and including the hashtag #firetour (please tell us you did so in an extra comment for it to count)
+1 for embedding the FIRE eBook sampler on your blog with a link to this contest (please tell us you did so in an extra comment for it to count)
+1 for embedding the countdown widget on your blog with a link to this contest (please tell us you did so in an extra comment for it to count)

FOR EXAMPLE: If you have entered the contest, twittered the topic, embedded the eBook sampler and the countdown widget on your blog (including links to this post), you should have left us FOUR COMMENTS here (one per action). Voila, you have been entered four times into the contest.

Other multiple entries that do not follow the rules specified above will be disqualified. If you have done all the embedding and linking and tweeting, but have only left us with one comment, you will only be entered one time into the giveaway – so don’t shortchange yourself!

The contest will run until October 3rd at 11:59 PM. We will randomly select and announce our winner on October 4th. Good Luck!

Title: Fire

Author: Kristin Cashore

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Dial (US) / Gollancz (UK)
Publication Date: October 2009 (US) / September 2009 (UK)
Hardcover: 480 pages

Stand alone or series: Fire is the prequel/companion novel to Graceling, but can be read as a stand alone novel (as Graceling also can be read as a stand alone).

Why did I read this book: I loved Ms. Cashore’s debut novel and the first book of this planned trilogy, Graceling. In fact, Fire was one of my most highly anticipated reads of this fall!

Summary: (from amazon.com)
She is the last of her kind…

Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don’t need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven’t, you’ll be dying to read it next.

Review:

When I started reading Fire, I was a bit confused – the story does not take place in the world of the Seven Kingdoms, home of Katsa and Po of Graceling. Rather, Fire’s tale is set in a different realm altogether, called the Dells. There are no gracelings here, no gifted youngsters whose singular skills are betrayed by their mismatched eyes. But the Dells have magic of their own in abundance. It is a land of monsters – creatures in the same shape as normal animals, but in vibrant, impossible colors, and of breathtaking beauty. These monsters are so impossibly beautiful, in fact, that humans around them are completely without logic; the monsters have the ability to dazzle, confound, and even control the minds of their prey.

Fire, named for her shimmering mane of hair, is the last of her kind; she is a human monster, and therefore the most dangerous of them all. Fire’s unparalleled beauty is also her curse, for all those who look on her – human or animal alike – long to possess her, to woo her, to love her, to kill her. The animal monsters are drawn to her, threatening to rip her apart should her head scarf slip and a strand of brilliant hair fall out of place, and they are always looming outside her rooms when her monthly courses strike and they are drawn to the scent of her monster blood. And Fire’s skills as a human monster are the most powerful and dangerous of them all, for she can read and change the minds of people around her, making them act against their own volition, should she desire it. Her father was the last King’s advisor, a cruel human monster named Cansrel who abused his beauty and power by bending everyone to his will and whim, encouraging depravity in the King and discontent in the kingdom – and his legacy of hate and fear is one that Fire struggles to live down. When war looms ominously on the horizon and mysterious assassinations begin, Fire’s talents are enlisted by the young King Nash and his brother Brigan, and Fire finds she cannot refuse. Leaving her peaceful but stifling life in the Dells for the first time, hungry for adventure, Fire travels with Brigan’s army to an exciting but dangerous fate.

I found myself literally holding my breath when I began Fire; I had high expectations after Graceling, and when glowing reviews began to surface around the blogosphere these expectations were raised even higher. And, amidst all the hype and nervous trepidation, I can add my own voice to the ever-growing chorus of praise – because Fire unquestionably, unfalteringly delivers. Fire is a completely different novel than Graceling – an even better novel, at that.

The premise for Fire, I’ll admit, sounds trite. A beautiful magical heroine so gorgeous everyone that looks upon her desires her – come on now, my inner skeptic raged, how can that really be a curse? It certainly sounded like contrived Mary Sue territory, or at least that was my impression when I read the blurb of the novel. But, I truly needn’t have worried because Ms. Cashore uses her heroines hard, pits them against impossible situations, and in her brilliant, sadistic way, she shows them no mercy. Fire’s gifts as a human monster, her gorgeous locks of hair, her Professor X-like powers of persuasion – these actually are horrible burdens to bear, as shown in the novel. Fire’s beauty is so great that some who see her will force themselves upon her in a desire to possess her; her namesake hair attracts death and destruction from other animal monsters in her wake; and she has suffered so much in her young life, scarred and ravaged as her body is, that she has decided she will never have children, for she would never bestow her curse upon another.

Even more devastating than her beauty, however, is Fire’s ability to read minds and alter peoples’ behaviors. Terrified she will become like her truly monstrous father Cansrel if she uses really ever tries to use her powers over others, Fire initially refuses to use her powers to influence people, even with war looming and the fate of the kingdom in her hands. Like Katsa before her (or technically, after her), Fire has been gifted with extraordinary talents that inspire terrible fear and distrust. While Katsa’s grace enabled her to kill and to survive against all odds, Fire’s talents are less physical but explore even more deadly emotional vulnerabilities – rather than killing people with her hands, Fire can control people’s minds, stealing their deepest secrets, subverting them against their will. And she is so terrified of crossing this line, and by a dark secret in her past, that she refuses to use her powers in this way. This fear and Fire’s lack of trust in herself, along with her constant need to cover herself (physically in layers of drab clothing to hide her terrible beauty, emotionally as she cringes from confrontation or drawing attention to herself), are ingrained into every facet of Fire’s character. There is nothing Mary Sue about her – for all her trials are haunting and concrete. For all Fire’s power and beauty, she is a lonely, even disenfranchised, outcast. Never safe, never truly accepted, and never able to truly be herself, Fire still is an incredibly sympathetic character because we readers see her struggles firsthand and feel her despair at how different she is from the humans around her.

In many ways, I found Fire to be a much more compelling and fleshed out character than Katsa ever was – less forceful and clinical as Katsa was in Graceling, Fire is a mass of introspective emotions, and all the more endearing because of it. Besides Fire, the other characters were also more dimensioned than those in Graceling – Archer and Brigan were my two favorite standouts, in their very different ways. There’s also a familiar face in this book – a young boy with two different colored eyes and a disquieting influence on people – that readers of Graceling may be looking forward to seeing again.

In terms of plotting and world-building, Fire also excels in every way above its predecessor. There’s action aplenty in this novel, just as there was in Graceling, but rather than relying solely on fight scenes or a traveling quest story driving the action, Fire is a much more nuanced novel. There is a brewing war, and much journeying across different landscapes, but there’s also political machinations and a subtle murder/overthrow scheme that comes together slowly over the course of the novel. Ms. Cashore has clearly grown as a writer, and this is reflected in the more subtle, skillful plot, as well as in her standout characters. Also, I think the emotional angle of Fire, the romance subplot in particular, was fabulously done here – much more believable and compelling than that of Graceling.

Finally, I should say something about how thrilled I am that in both Graceling and Fire, Ms. Cashore gives young girls heroines that do NOT inevitably end up at the altar, get married, pop out babies, and live happily ever after in domestic bliss. In the era of Twilight, with girls pegging their entire sense of self-worth on someone else’s love for them, Ms. Cashore provides a strong female alternative. Challenging the accepted roles for women in young adult literature, Fire is a woman that wants children but will not have them, and like Katsa she resists and refuses marriage – and yet both women find acceptance, happiness, and yes, even love. I can get on board with that. These characters remind me of Tamora Pierce’s Alanna, Patricia Wrede’s Cimorene, Garth Nix’s Sabriel, Robin McKinley’s Aerin & Harry – favorite heroines of my childhood that were physically and emotionally powerful, intelligent, independent, and inspiring. Ms. Cashore’s Fire, as well as Katsa, certainly are worthy of a place on this list and a new brand of heroine for a younger generation.

Additional Thoughts: Stick around as later today we will be hosting a stop on Kristin Cashore’s Fire Blog Book Tour – complete with an excerpt from the book, and a chance to win an autographed copy of Fire!

Verdict: As with many of the hapless characters in this book, I fell in love with Ms. Cashore’s Fire at first sight, dazzled by its beautiful prose, its lush world building, its subtle and complex plot lines, and its heady characters. I absolutely loved Fire, and it is one of my favorite reads of the year. Absolutely recommended to all.

Rating: 9 Damn Near Perfection

Reading Next: Ark by Stephen Baxter

Howdy fellows! How is everybody this Sunday? Good? Good.

Getting straight down to business then.

Giveaway winners:

The two winners of the Ariel prize packs are:

Kate (comment #54)
Jenny N (comment #34)

Congratulations! Please send us your snail mail address (contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com), and we’ll get your winnings out to you as soon as possible! Thanks again to all who participated.

This Week On The Book Smugglers

On Monday, Ana will review and have a giveaway of Demon Forged by Meljean Brook, the 8th (or the 5th full length) installment in the Guardian series. A hint: this may have just been catapulted to Ana’s top 3 reads of 2009.

On Tuesday, it is our turn to host Kristin Cashore in her Fire Blog Book Tour where each blog on the tour introduces a character from Fire. Thea will also be reviewing the book, which is a prequel to Graceling, later that day.

On Wednesday, Ana reviews the highly anticipated Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. Leviathan is an alternate history, steampunk, fantasy novel and it is every bit as good as expected.

On Thursday, Thea reviews post-apocalyptic novel, Ark by Stephen Baxter, the sequel to Flood, one of her favorite reads of the year. Will the sequel live up to the expectations?

On Friday, we will have a special Double Joint day: first we review the much talked about Soulless by Gail Carriger and later that day, the Fantasy novel, Triumff by Dan Abnett.

Finally, on Saturday we are back with another entry in our brand new feature, On The Boob Tube where we talk about our favorite TV moments of the past week.

Other Cool Announcements & Goings On:

Last week we were invited to guest blog at Temple Library Reviews, helping out our buddy Harry whilst he is occupied with life, the universe and everything else. On Tuesday we talked about our Pile of Shame (aka our TBR piles) and on Friday we decided that we did not like the Emmys and proceeded to give out our own awards, the Smugglies.

We are delighted to say that next Friday, Ana will be a guest blogger over at the Borders’s True Romance blog with a post about Genre Reading and Romance. Make sure to stop by and say hi!

The Story Siren resumed posting YA Connection, a weekly feature with links to posts all over the YA blogs about features, reviews, interviews, giveaways, etc. You can check it out here

Linnea Sinclair’s next in the Dock 5 Universe, has a cover! We can’t wait to read it given as how we are total fangirls of her books:

OUT OF OPTIONS…Devin Guthrie can’t forget Captain Makaiden Griggs even though it’s been two years since she was in his family’s employ. A Guthrie does not fall in love with a mere shuttle pilot. Going against his wealthy family’s wishes isn’t an option—not with the Empire in political upheaval, much of it caused by Devin’s renegade older brother, Admiral Philip Guthrie. The Guthries must solidify their standing—financially, politically and socially—or risk losing it all. But when the Guthrie heir—Devin’s nineteen-year old nephew— goes missing, Devin’s loyalty to his family’s values is put to the test. And suddenly the unthinkable becomes the only option available: Devin must break the rules and risk allying himself with the one woman he could never forget—and was forbidden to love.”

Aaaaand that is it from us today!

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers

Happy Sunday, everyone! I kindly want to kick off this week’s edition of our Sunday Stash to say…

MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! As of this instant, UCLA has a better football record than USC. Suck it Trojans. SUCK IT!

Ahem. Now back to business.

Giveaway Winners:

Our Neil Gaiman giveaway of two copies of The Graveyard Book is officially closed! The sorting hat has spoken. The two lucky winners are:

Congratulations! Please send us your snail mail address (contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com), and we’ll get your winnings out to you as soon as possible! Thanks again to all who participated. You all gave some wonderful book and author suggestions that we will be sure to check out!

Some Freaking Sweet News:

Universal has bought the rights to adapt Melissa Marr’s fantastic debut novel Wicked Lovely into a movie! SQUEE! The movie will be produced by Wild West Picture Show Prods. with Caroline Thompson to adapt the book to screenplay (she did Edward Scissorhands – so Wicked Lovely is in good hands!!!). As you may know, we Book Smugglers are Melissa Marr fangirls – we’ve interviewed her, we’ve had guest posts from her, we’ve loved all of her books. In fact, both of us have Fragile Eternity on our lists for best reads of 2009! So we are THRILLED for Melissa, and cannot wait for the film.

Any ideas for your dream casting of characters for the movie?? Some folks over at the Wicked Lovely Forums have some great ideas…I really like the suggestion of Amanda Seyfried as Donia.

In other fantastic-omg-headexplode news, our good friend and honorary book pimp Karen Mahoney has announced….HER VERY FIRST BOOK DEAL!!!! Kaz’s debut novel, a young adult urban fantasy type called The Iron Witch has been sold to Flux (the imprint behind Maggie Stiefvater’s Ballad!), along with its as of yet unwritten sequel (The Wood Queen)! We are so freaking happy for Karen…and now are patiently waiting for our ARCs. *NINJA*

And rounding out the dose of awesomeness is news from blogger buddy Carolyn Crane (aka CJ of The Thrillionth Page). Her urban fantasy debut, due out in March 2010, has a cover! And it’s gorgeous, isn’t it? CJ says:

But I’m sure it’s fine to say that, in a nutshell, Mind Games is the first in an urban fantasy trilogy about a hypochondriac who joins a psychological hit squad. It takes place in a fantastical Milwaukee/Chicago. (Specifically, the Milwaukee/Chicago of my childhood imagination. I lived in suburbs of both cities as a young child.)

Anyway, I’m just so so excited.

As are we!!!!

Other Cool Announcements & Goings On: